Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-11-06
alLLP0ND FISHERMAN'S
FIRST SALT WATER BASS

are small and run one way all the
time. Until the day of this adventure
he had never seen a bigger body OF
water than a millpoud. nor had he
ever caught a fish that was as large
as his hand.
Scale fish, in Hanks native section
were about as rare as gold coins on
church contribution plate. The stand
ard fish was little finger" Cat. black |
and despicable in the purview Of the |
coast fisherman; but Hank and his
friends back home thought catching |
| them was rare sport, and that they |
were really game" fish.
Hank was a fisherman at heart. !
When he came to the city to take a
position" In one OF the stores he con-
tinually Dragged about how he used to
"yank 'em out" and what fine ones
they were. The boys stood Hanks
palaver for a time. until they got tired
OF It. and then they resolved to show
him what real fishing" was like. That
Is how it came about that a party was
made up to go for channel bass on
Bloody Point, with Hank as the guest
OF honor.
Conditions apparently favorable for
bass. Wind. weather and tide wero
precisely right. and the bait was fine
and fresh enough to tempt the appe-
tite OF a fisherman, much less n fish.
But there was noting doing in the line
of scale fish. Channel catfish and
gafi-topsails and stingarees there
were in plenty. but never the sign
OF a scale. In half an hour the bot
tom of the boat was covered with cats
and stingarees. Usually these de-
spised critters are killed and
thrown overheard as soon as caught.
but Hank, as the guest OF honor, and
knowing only catfish, was proud of the
big gaff-topsails and wanted TO count
the catch.
AS the other fellows were proposing
to pull up the killick and go home.
Robbins got a strike. and 1t was a
heavy one Now, Robbins is hand
line man. and does not believe in play
ing his fish. He wants to see the
quarry landed in the shortest possible
space OF time. What's the use
= foolin'," says Robbins: you come
after the fish: why not get 'em and
] go?"
= When Robbins got the strike. there
fore, the line came in hand over hand
and in a jiffy a great fioundering
shape OF silver and drab. long as a
mans body, and half his legs. was
d pounding on the gunwale and beating
i the green water into a heavy show
J. er that fell over the whole boats
}. crew.
;, Hank was electrified With q CRY
. like a wild Indian, he sprang from hii
seat upon the thwart, grabbed the biz
fish around the throat. lifted 1t in
board and went down with II amonI
the catfish and stingarees.
The balance OF the company looke'
C. on in literal fear and trembling. Their,
y were no less than forty OF the SCI
II. devils OF the poisonous spines in tn
fl bottom OF the boat, and there was tina
blithering idiot from the millpond
l.. writhing and wrestling and twistin
> with a forty-pound sea bass right Il
the midst OF themi II seemed ineviti
BILE that Hank must be filmed" bu
the more the men shouted to him tn
wilder Hank raved in his delirium c
=, the kill. He's plumb crazy sal
10 Little Finky, the skipper.
Nv AS quickly as he could manage
nd without sticking Hank with the knit
e. Robbins cut the fish's throat. In tw
FL minutes more II was still.
u Then Hank got up. He was g
white as a ghost. There was not I'll
color of blood in his lips. His cheel
we're like chalk, his eyes were glass
ne and his knees were shaking. Tote
no ing astern. he collapsed. with hes
W. and arms over the gunway.
Ne- II knowed It," said Little Fink.
cir hes got it good and hard. in q dos
lat places; the blamed eejt! Serves hi
ue right. WhatJe bring a millponner I
aid salt water fer, anyhow"
ing Jaw, cut that" growled Robbir
Cant you see the mans in gre
suffering? Get the peroxide while '
and the other boys strip his cloth
off and find the punctures."
LOT No sooner said than done. T
s' shippers had got almost down to I
nd ture when Hank revived enough
sc say in a weak voice:
len Leave me alone. you dang fools.
amt bit nor stung nor nothin': j.
swallowed my chaw OF tobacco"
And that was the size OF It. 7
Providence that protects little cl
dren and imbeciles and drunken m
-, had steered that "millponner" SAT-
and unscathed through what appear
:" to be hopeless array OF catfish q
Ter stingaree spines while he wrest
with the big bass.