The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-29
Bob and Al Go Fishing

Then when they judged 1t to oe about noon, shey hauled Tn their iines- opened their lunch basket and fairly revelled in the good things at hand- their aiways healthy appetites made still keener by the sharp wind off the river.
 About four o'clock the fish began to bite. First Bob landed ono that he Judged to be at least five inches long and fat, too. Then Al pulled In one equally as large. And ;hen-then came the run
 Literally. the boys hauled in perch as rapidly as they could bait their lines and throw them overheard. And any of the three kinds of bait they had with them seemed to be acceptable to the ravenous fish. In less than an hour they had landed. between them. seventy-three fine. fat glistening white perch.
 And then a strange thing happened. Bob suddenly felt a tremendous tug on his line and his rod bent almost double
 "Geel All All" he called Look. What Is itl Whew,"
 "Play him. Play him" Al shouted back. dropping his own rod on the rock and hurrying up. Let him run with it. Tire him outi l bet you it's a bass, Bob'
 Bob was so excited he could scarce ly release the catch on his reel and let the fish at the other end run" with the line. But he did his best to keep cool and play him" Just as he had often seen his father play" a bass.
 Presently the tug at the other end became less and less and Bob worked his victim in nearer to the rock. Both boys. you may be sure, were so ex- cited that they were trembling all over.
 Suddenly, Bob gave mighty up- ward heave on the rod--which wasn't the proper thing to do If it had been bass-and flash of wriggling silver popped up out of the water. high in air and landed on the flat surface of the rock beside them.
 The boys bounced upon the captive simultaneously. Then they stared at each other In amazement. e
 It was herring. and at least ten inches long. But the thing that sur prised them was the fact that the hook wasn't fastened in the lsh's mouth but in his side. Bob had all uncon- sciously ''snagged" the herring.
 Then Al remembered that herring. like shad, never bite" at hook. And then he had an idea,
 Bob scoffed at 1t at first but Al went on with his preparations. He took six of his very largest hooks and bound them tightly, back to 3Ack, so as to make one hook with the sharp points sticking out all around He fastened this to the end of his line and attached just enough "sinker" above 1t to keep 1t from floating on the surface of the water.
 Then he least" way out into the stream and began to whip-saw with his rod, right. left. back and forth, winding in slowly on the reel every now and then.
 Presently his line strengthened out with n jerk--he had .'snagged" a herring' It took Bob just two minutes to abandon his perch fishing for this vastly more exciting sport.
 The river was literally alive with herring. Dozens of them could be plainly seen darting here and there In the swift current. And. though the boys didn't ''snag n herring every time they east" their lines. they did manage to land twenty-six of them be- fore the time came to return home So. proud as peacocks. they exhibited their catch to their parents and ex- palned how they had caught the herring on hooks.
 And If you have never tried this exciting sport, you should do so the first time you have an opportunity. It ia by no means SD difficult as you might imegine.