Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1927-03-31
"OLD HEZ" C0AxES
FISH WITH VERSE
Beguiies Finny Tribe With
Talk and Rhyme.

Arkansas City, Ark-Old Hez says
he has never pulled bass from
stream with half the thrill he has
when he trails flint spalls along the
ground to the remains of an old In
dian camp and there digs up arrow
heads, axes, spearheads and mauIs
used by Americas early settlers.
who is Old Hez?
He's an authority ON both bass and
Indian relics--B. r. Lloyd of Arkan-
sas City. Kans, former newspaper
man, printer and painter by trade fly
fisherman by profession, with an in
suitable hobby for collecting Indian
relics.
Among fly fishermen Mr.. Lloyd is
known as Old Hez, dean of bass fish
ermen in this part Of the country. Up
and down the streams of Kansas, Ar
and Indiana Old Hez with his fishing
equipment Is familiar figure. He has
taught scores OF young men how to
trick wary bass from their LARS; he
has caught fish both big and small In
winter and summer.
Bequiies Them With Verse.
"Talk to EN-. Coax 'em along lit
tle," Is the advice of Old Hez on
catching fish, 81 know their language,
and when step into the stream / be-
gin talking to my fish. All the while
I'm pulling him in I'm talking to him,
sometimes even in rhymes"
Here's the conversational part of
Mr.. Lloyd's wel-known bass poem,
"Song Of the Wild with which he be-
guiles his fish, with "Come on,
grandpa, come on, and quit your fool
in" thrown in for a refrain:
Good morning, grandpa, good morn
Hey? Huh? Not 50 we'll, did you say?
Why certainly, If your stomach's
Take cathartic. 1 assure. t viii
allay.
Come out from the brush where the
fighting is fair
Out in the open, away from your lair
And measure your wits with me,
For ' this is old nez. Old Hez of
Adair
Now he turns from the old log den,
AS he lunges for freedom on high.
Down he goes ana makes for the moss
ledge--then
Is stopped in the twink of an eye.
When the bass Is finally outwitted,
"Old Hez' always says: II thank
you"
Mr. Lloyd has been fishing since he
was youngster and he's sixty-six
years old now. In his words he's the
youngest old man that ever followed
a stream" He comes by his fishing
skill naturally for he is the son of a
I weII-known fly fisherman, the late
/ Capt. r. w lloyd Of the Eighty-third
Indiana infantry, in the Civil war.
Much eas he loves fishing, however
I it's not of his angling exploits that
4 but Of flint and rocks, Indian arrow
| heads and tomahawks. It's not his
4 fishing rod that he carries oft on most
i of his trips to the river now but a
/ pointed cane with which to brush
/ leaves aside and dig into the earth
Keen on Indian Relics.
Down by the river he goes-the
I Walnut river that fiows through tile
! flint hills Of l<ansas--but not to cast
| bait to hungry fish. Sometimes he
walks miles sometimes he sits by the
4 hour staring at the ground in all d.
rections or digs his way into an old
,.ave in the rocks. When he returns,
! ii is not with the usual string OF fish,
but with a hatful Of Tint or sandstone
or agate made by Indians before the
4 white man came
For "Old Hez" has developed pas
sion for collecting Indian relics and
be boasts that his collection of 1909
! pieces Is one of the finest in this part
I Of the country and that he has found
/ some of the rarest specimens Of In
\ dian implements in existence.
Almost two sides Of his bedroom are
/ hung with cardboard plaques on which
arrowheads. spearheads, tomahawks,
4 axes and other things are strung with
4 copper wire. On the floor are pilad
heavier pieces, such as mauls, corn
/ bowls. tanners and pestles.
The prize of all his possessions is
/ 50-pound fire bowl, the like of which
MIR. Lloyd says he has not found in
/ any Indian collection outside his own.
4