Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-02-15
SMELLING FOR FUN
Not Much from the sporting stand
point. hut In the Frying Pan the
SmcIt Yields to None.
clayton j. Kinsley in Outing. }

/
1t would require vivid and a preju
diced imagination to give the American
smelt place in the list of game fishes.
To begin with. the little fellow is alto
gether too delicate in anatomy and dis
position. and secondly his capture is al
ways accomplished by methods and amid
surroundings which are not characterized
| by any of the elements of romance or of
much enthusiasm. And yet in outward
appearance and in spite of its diminutive
size the smelt has all the earmarks of a
scrappy lightweight.
| No fish that swims in salt or fresh
water is built on more beautiful lines.
He is the miniature of his cousin the sal
mon in appearance the incarnation of
speed and Willingness to battle for his
! life to the last wiggle of IA fin, but In
spirit the horn pOut has him pushed into
the discard. A brook trout SO small that
| il has to lean against a stone in the bot
tom of the stream to bite is still capable
! of telegraphing its individuality to the
hand holding the bait rod, but the smelt
transmits no thrills.
The expression. "as dead as a smet."
is just as true the instant the fish is
hooked as when it is lying in the frying
pan. 1t is in the frying pan that the
smelt comes into his own. Fresh caught
the soup on the most aristocratic bill of
fare
! Through his edible qualities the smelt
becomes entitled to economic considera
ton. If he were not something more
| than Just plain fish he wouldn't rank
higher than any other mnnow and he
certainly wouldn't attain to the dignity
of deceasc by the medium Of hook and
line.
, 1t is because the smelt is entitled to
distinction gastronomically. If not other
wise. and because Mrs. Ducharme could
cook fish like IA Broadway chef, that
became the junior member of a partner
ship organized for the pursuit and cap
ture of the succulent morsels. The senior
member of the firm was Aleck Ducharme.
| n habitant from the Province of Oueb"c,
who, like many of his countrymen had
lemigrated ciom Canada into the Chim-
,pain valley in Vermont. The Ducharn'c
| family of whom there were but two, Rad
located in the village OF Essex Junction
where Mrs. Ducharrne conducted n small
| restaurant and at which ! was peasingly
made acquainted with fresh water st"elts
Immediately following their exit from the
frying pan.
There was another reason. When the
chief OF construction informed me that
ii would be N.Y. duty to see to il that tho
steel bridges. with which tbe Central Fcr-
mont was then replacing II number Of old
wooden structures, lid not saE in The
middle he added thot my headquarters
would be at EsreN junction. When he
said Essex Junction" his LEFT upper lip
went up With cynical twist,
The junction is the icncsomchurst OF
Vermont and II has probably been pro-
fancly cussed by more different people
hnr k,t,
and Seattle. The number If travellers
WHO have arrived at tins maze of tracks
and after changing trains found them
selves speeding away from their destpa-
ticns is legion.
The late Edward !. Phelps. who VAS
our iast minister To England beiore john
ny Bull concluded that we were big
enough TO be credited with an ambassa-
dor once wrote n poem on Essex juno
ton. Each of the several verses ended
with the refrain:
And hope in he'll their souls may dwell
Who first invented Essex Junction
had shipped my instruments to Essex
Junction IN November and by New Years
would have grabbed the chance to hunt
lchipmunks with stag-hounds. The pros
poet OF catching fish from seven to eleven
inches long was hilariously allurng.
had always supposed that smelts were
salt water fish and as it is difficult at
any season to secure the principal item
Tor Friday dinner in northern New Eng
land, made some inquiries of mine host
ess and was informed that Aleck had
made catch through the ice of Malletts
BAY an arm of the big lake. on the pre-
Vious day, Right then | was seized with
lthe desire To eat more smelts and in order
10 90 so was ready and willing to par
uc'pate In the labor of providing the
material to carry out that desire.
NOT much difficulty was experienced in
persunding Aleck to furnish the expert
ehce Tor the partnership with the under
standing that ] was to carry 100 per cent
OF the capital stock, The French Cana
diah Is hkely To be IA good fisherman.
even If the water in the vicinity of his
nome Is inhabited by nothing better than
suckers cells, and pouts and he will peri
odicaiiy permit more important business
10 ,ake care of itself in order tn indulge
In his favorito pastimc.