The sun., 1918-07-14
IS IT LUCK OR
SKILL THAT WINS?
Tyros often Take Big Fish;
Streak of Chance Runs
Through Angling.
BRAINS AND ADVICE AID
ny DIXIE CARROLL.


lucky dog: just lamp the size Of that old
FISH"
You'll hear some one chirp those words
about every time n fellow brings In
good fish or a heavy string; not that the
speaker is Jealous or anything like that.
but It seems to be tho habit to throw all
the blame on the double horseshoe when
q fisherman succeeds In playing wild
child of nature one trick better than IL
knows itself.
or course there Is a bit OF luck In
locating a big husky tail kicker and
throwing n shot in his direction, but
landing this old he-wop after the strike
is generally a matter OF skill. or in tho
case of a rank "ametoor" having sense
enough to follow the dope your guide
hands out In the course Of the battls
royal.
Many big musky have struck the lure
of a fisherman on his frst try at the big
fellows and then tarried only for a mo-
rnent, and as a matter OF fact many OF
the largest have come to gam at the
hands of these scouts new at the hshing
game
Looking over records OF big Ash caught
during the last three years. 1t Is surpris-
ing to note the great number that have
been landed by the fellow just breaking
into the game. This large number landed
by inexpert fishermen must surely show
that a great number have also got
away.
Tyros Land Big Ones.
When you read over the dope on tho
fight of these gray whiskered members
of the An family one naturally wonders
at the success crowning the efforts OF
the new members OF the. fishing clan.
And when fellow knows that the
frst instinct of the average fisherman
and also In a great many cases with
the expert at the game is to horse the
old roughnecks In with bit OF speed,
one has a heova time trying TO dope
ont the answer.
. It's a case of usually arriving at the
conclusion that quite streak OF luck
runs through the game and toss-up
whether to carry horseshoe in the
tackle box OF rub a black cats back
before starting on a fishing trip.
When a fisherman hooks up with a
big fish he can generally count on
fight of some length and a scrap worth
while or one of short duration ending
in. defiant swish of the tail as the
old villain makes his getaway.
No matter how strong your line you
have to play them in a coax!ng manner
without trying to speed up the game
or they throw the hook and tail of to
other waters.
When he starts on n run give him
line. but make him pull little for II:
you don't have 10 give him free spool.
but keep just enough pressure Of the
thumb to make him take 1t and to give
the rod a bit OF An arch so that this
pulling spring of the rod will help tire
the Ash.
Very few rods will stand a direct
pull OF five or six pounds without break
ing and to try to stop the run of n high
VOTED heavy fish by pumping the rod
or making d derrick OF II simply means
busted rod and the sign of very poor
skill on the part of the fisherman
In most cases where n rod l. rileu
IN playing a Ash il Is damaged not by
the husky fight OF the underwater vet
eran but because the fisherman failed
to use It right.
Give and Take the Line.
After run OF the game tn. when
he takes a long stretch OF line, start
Keeling In so that he does not find
bunch OF slack and come to the top to
throw the hook
And this game OF give and take Is the
real way to play your fish. BY keeping
your mind on the game and your eye
towards the fish you can tire out most
any fish by this simple way Of making
him say uncle
And to tho guide who sits at the
oars While you play your first big fish
should be given a lot OF credit for his
landing, II YOU land him.
From this old-timer who lives FISH and
fishing five or six months of the year.
and sits around the cabin fire dreaming
of IT the rest OF the time. you get
postgraduate course In landing fish
during the fight which will be worth
many fish to you in the future.
SO to the success OF landing the big
fish by the beginner It's hundred to
one shot that the credit should go to a
bit of luck, skill and brains. Luck be-
cause you located the big one and skill
acquired because you had brains enough
to take a little advice from the keen fell
low handling the oars
And at that the fellow at the oars Is
an important end OF the team The way
he handles the boat means lot in the
successful ending OF the battle It's up
10 him to snake you away from the weed
beds and shadows in quick order and
manGuvre the boat so that you can fol-
low the turns and dashcs of the game
FIN without taking a header out OF the
craft in the excitement OF frisking him
out OF the home waters.
Luck and Skill OF YOungster.
Last season I sat in with a keen
young chap when he landed a Ave and
half pound small mouth bass. He
had never enjoyed the thrills Of a fight
with rollicking game fin on the bust
ness end Of the line in fact this trip
was his first one for anything more
than a few clubs and sunish
The winter before ] had sent him n
number OF fishing books 10 help pass
the time and he had become so inter-
ested in the sport that he had to let
OF steam somehow. Feeling a bit guilty
/ slipped him an invitation for a week
IN the North woods.
The first day he became quite a fair
caster with the aid OF an anti-backlash
reel and the second day he shot
cast near likely looking windfall The
lure had hardly hit the water when the
big one took It and started south
Here's where the boy threw the rea,
dope, stun that he had acquired from
his books. Right OF tho pan he yelled
for me TO row out into deep water away
from the windfahs and he handled that
fsh like veteran until 1t made
wonderful leap into the air.
The sight OF that old boss standing
on his tail threw the fisherman into
high and he tried TO jerk the game fin
Oft his legs. Buck fever OF a high de-
gree was developing fast, hut he quieted
down In a minute and landed that mans
sized fish with skill by following the
dope he had learned the winter before
in his den at home.
Luck and skill. but with about 10 per
cent. OF tho latter was the reason this
big bass found hts master In a Young
ster with two days experience at the