South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-02-29

All of us can count the fishing and
hunting season we'll spent If we have
laid i'm the storehOuse of our mem
cries even the events of a few days
upon which 10 dwell in retrospection
when the snow flies and the closed
season Is upon US and slipper and
smoking jackets and open fires are
the order of the evening. Then il
is when the days that ended IN vex-
alton. the trials and tribulations OF
the open about which we waXed so
wroth. become scftened and reap
pear in our mental visions as whole
some if not actual pleasures. Do we
remember that big one that got
away or the one that broke our line
and splintered our rod? I'll say we
do. 10 we recall the cranky motor
md the unfortunate succession OF
punctureS that left us perspiring
and with a nasty temper on the hot
Test day that ever came along while
our live bait, which we were so
1roud Of. all died in the burning
sum- We do not We see, instead.
the stream with its pools and cool,
Green shadows. the crossroads and
veil kept farms with the long rows
# hedges flashing by our motor car
n our most Joyous expectation. In
memories Of the outdoors we keep
only the good; the disagreeable IS
wiped out by the passing OF time.
January and February arc the
two months bracketed together as
the time for indoor work on tackle
and equipment varied with an oc-
casional dash into the snowy for
csts for exercise, nature, study and
for testing the equipment Thse are
the months when the rods are re-
wound. the decoys repaired and
built and camping outfits overhaul
Cd and new parts added. Never is
the sportsman more busy, and never
does he enjoy himself more than
when going over the beloved tackle
and toggerv with some fishing bug
about OF the same caliber as him
self recalling the great days that
have gone and anticipating more to
come. The winter migrants of the
woods and fields are having a ter
rible time of it this season and the
sportsman who can point to some
helpful act which he has performed
10 help them through can truthful
ly feel that he is a real sportsman.
II often has been said there is more
pleasure in anticipation than in
realization. Undoubtedly there is
much truth in this assertion. The
hunter gets almost as much fun in
looking forward to the hunting trip
ne is going to take as he does after
he gets into. the woods and becomes
the man behind the gun. In fancy
he brings down his bird on the wing
or his bunny on the run weeks be-
fore it actually occurs. so it is with
the fisherman he tights in advance
beside his winter hearthstone that
terrible battle with the gamey bass,
the song OF the reel and the purlinS
brook is in his ear weeks before the
fishing season opens.
Did this ever happen TO you? Ono
day some years back while fishing
the lakes of Cass county, Mich, il
happened that a few of the summer
guests among which l was one went
fishing before the morning meal.
luck was on the wane that morning
and when we pulled i'm with our
fishing boats none Of us was more
than half awake. I left my rods in
the boat in anticipation Of going out
again after breakfast In some un-
accountable way one OF my rods had
but a short line out and in pulling
the boat in on the bar the bait was
landed on the bank. While we were
at breakfast one Of the guests came
running in and reported that one Of
NV reels was spinning and If
would save nay outfit / had better
make quick time in getting out to
the landing This caused a regular
commotion among those at the table
and about a dozen Of them followed
me out to give advice in case ! did
not land the fish according TO the
methods OF which every fisherman
thinks he has the best. a vOlonte; 1
picked up the rod and to my diSap-
poiutment the line in place of run
ming into the lake led up 10 the
bank into a small shed. Imagine my
surprise when it was found that I
had hooked ON TO one OF the finest