Evening journal., 1917-04-07
a BIT ABOUT QUEER BATS.

A BIT ABOUT QUEER BATS.
, MY Dear Buck
Regardless, old man, of the great
number of bats and lures haunted be-
fore you each season as You make your
many pilgrimagcs 10 the tackle stores
To gloat over the fine stun lying around
those places. there are few thai YOU
have probably never used because you
have not been hep TO them. And IN
most cases these bats have been dis
covered by someone who carelessly
left the real stuff living on the pier or
about the camp and little old mother
necessity made 'em put on their think
tank and dope up an emergency lure
that would induce the big fellows to
strike it and eventually land in the
spider
Olaf Hanson, a genial mate on
freighter on the great lakes, a sailor
man by instinct and a fisherman for
the love OF the game, pulled fine one
last season Olaf had a bit OF time on
his hands one blustery. cold day in
May. while his good ship was tied mp
i'm Copper HarbOr Mich. so he am
bled off TO Tango lake and took a
flier al his pet sport But he forgot
his spoon hooks and being an observ-
ing fellow with an inventive turn TO
his gray matter. Olaf doped up a spoon
which brought back the bacon to the
tune of a 29pound pike, which Is sure
no big fin to be sneezed al. And, old
timer. YOU can figure IL out for your
self the peppery fight this gay resca
made I'm the cool waters OF TangS
lake. before becoming doped up witt
the heat Of a lazy summer.
And Olafs spoon was nothing more
nor less than the half of a clam shell
picked from the sands along the shore
Not so bad for a lure at that, the pear
liz shine of the inside of the shell an'
the dulled outer side probably made al
inviting flash as it wObbled through
the water At least IL played th'
swan song of a big fin of the pik'
family. fine enough fish for any angle
10 match wits with In rigging hii
tackles. Hanson bored a small holt
through the clam shell, passed his lint
through the hole and left the shell
wobble around on the wire leader
Tack this idea on the back walls o.
your brain cells, old man, so that yoi
can be prepared for the next time yoi
hit a likely looking piece Of water anC
find the spoons among the missing
And even at that. what's the odds, give
u try out anyway some day whei
the big fins are off the other lures YOU
have tried out and which don't seen
10 interest them. Here's to the clan
snen. long may IL wohble thanks Z,
OiaI Hanson and his keen thinker
SOD MoultOn, another simOn-pur
fishing tan, who would rather fish thai
DO ms knitting, and who has whippel
many waters from coast TO coasi
COPIED the kitty with a spoon last ses
son that made three muskies sit IN @
their tails and whistle for the break
Bob was out on a mighty invitiu
piece Of fishing waters with a frier
who couldn't tell the difference b
tween a fish hook and an anchor. TT
only thing on the launch that reese
bled tackle in the slightest degree W
couple hundred feet OF heavy ha
line and a few hooks, so MOultOn ga
the launch the once over again a
found a small nickle shoe horn VIII
no pounced on with a yelp of fienG
rlee. He bent the small cid OF
horn on a right angle. passed the u
through the hole, knOtted IL above a
below the hole and waiioped ~ out
the water for a ten strike. Ihat I
fish fell for this improvised spoon
ITS skipping glide through the wal
IS shown by a string OF three musk
ranging from eleven pounds up 10
teen. OF course. old timer, the MOI
OF this is TO always carry a few sh
horns in your on hind pocket or
you must fish when the kit is ba