Pueblo chieftain., 1921-02-17
TRUTHFUL ACCOUNT
OF A FISH CATCH

"Murdcr will out II it's only a trout.
Also it has bon related that the
average man has a conscience which
will sooner or later squeeze the truth
out of him.
Twenty years ago is ancient his
tory" but that's when this little trout
story begins,
ago that the truth came TO the sur
face concerning the catching by
Deputy District Clerk r. L. Naie, OF
this city, of II la-pound trout in the
Gunnison river.
In those days there lived at Canon
City this same Mr.. Nafe; then as now
ne was a Nimrod. There were others
of his species in Canon City, and on
certain date during the open season
for the flnny tribe, four OF the afore-
referred-to Canon Cityitesi including
Mr.. Nafe, hied themselves to the hid
ing place of the speckied beauties
Gunnsonward.
That year some philanthropic sports
man had offere. reward of $50 for
the largest trout caught in Colorado
that year; every one of the Canon
quartet was sure he would win the
five KS.
We'll. they got thereto Almont-
some distance above Gunnison on the
banks OF tho classic stream by the
same name. For several days they all
strovc for tho fifty simoleons; they
caught few of the ordinaries but
nothing that looked like the biggest ot
the season. on the third day three oil
the bunch were still wadinG tho river
and casting and trollying, and every
thing.
All at once here came Nafe hanging
on to his reel with 100 feet of line pre-
ceding him down stream, so fast that
he could scarcely keep up with II, the
water being thigh deep. Past the up
do - l,., tEh
tuEEinE at the line. on he went past
tho second and the third. and when a
considerable distance below all oI
them. he managed by the exercise OF
great strength and superior SKIN 10
spring his automatic reel and draw i'll
the mighty fish that he had been
chasing down stream.
Excitement WIS at fever heat; Nafe
had caught the biggest trout ever;
there could be no mistake about 1t.
The others rushed after him as he
Ioundered with his big fish to the
bank OF tho river. When they reach
Cd him he had loosed the hook from
tho monsters mouth, and there fop-
ming on the sand was a trout that soon
thereafter tipped the beam at l.
pounds fiat
with one accord his companions in
sisted he send the fish to tho s." re-
ward offerer. but he declined, saying
he would rather have the fish than tho
My conscience was working pretty
well those days said Mr.. Safc at the
time OF making his confession the
other day. You see" he continued.
conditions were that the r~ize fish
must be caught with a hook and line
in an open stream OF the state, and
hcer is the truth about the matter:
"On the morning in question ! was
prowlinE about the hills and fields in
search Of grasshoppers, when l came
to n large irriGatins ditch from which
the water had recently been turned so
that there was but few inches in tho
bottom OF tho ditch. I was startled
to sec that big fish Hopping about IN
the bottom Of tho ditch with his back
sticking out OF tho water. I picked
him up and carefully ran my leader
thru his Sill and mouth so as to make
sure he could not release himself. Then
took him down to the river and put
him in tho water; soon he was 70
ylved and started fun tilt down the
stream toward my fishermen friends
You know the rest before
funny feature showing how well
tho deception worked was brought out
by all three OF the other mon Offering
20 make affidavit that they had seen
him catch the big fish in regulation
manner in the Gunnlson river