The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-07-16

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THE lake reflects the first rays Of
Il the morning sun. A plug
arches out from a boat drifting so
feet from shore and plops into a
promising pocket between a stump
and the lily pads.
The sun is dropping below the
pines. The trout fisherman knocks
the ashes from his pipe, rises from
his seat on the log and wades into
the stream as the first of the eve
ming batch of insects take the calm
air. His fly, swishing back and
forth as the false casts lengthen the
line, finally settles gently under the
alders, six inches from the cut
under bank.
Another lake. The boat is an
chored in eight feet of water, just
where the weedy bottom breaks over
into the deeps. An active worm is
speared on the little bluegill hook
and a long cane pole swings bait
and bobber IS feet down the breeze.
Three typical fishing scenes. Three
fishermen alert to the first indica-
ton of finny interest in their lure.
What will govern their success or
failure?
Luck and skill you say. But in
what proportion?
Why was Bobby Jones the great
est golfer of his time? Why did Iy
Cobb set records that the boys will
be shooting at for years?
Darn little luck in those con-
sistent performances. Nearly all
skill, gathered through years OF
work and study.
TN angling, as in nearly every
l. sport, we cast our vote for skill.
Any golf duffer can connect with
a good drive in enough swings. Any
fisherman can catch fish with
enough time. But we are talking
about consistency.
1t probably is more difficult for
the proficient angler to explain his
heavy stringer than for the expert
in any other sport to tell how he
got that way. After the fundamen-
tails of fishing are mastered, after
you can cast plug without back
lash or lay out fly so it floats
down on the exact spot, your work
and study has just begun.
The mechanics can be learned by
any one with a fair eye and some
muscular coordination, but it's safe
to say that nine of 10 fishermen sell
dom progress FAR beyond that point.
The exceptions are the Will digs,
the George LeBrancheS, the Ozark
Ripleys and the occasional old
timers who may never break into
print but seldom return without
meat for the pan.
MOST fishermen are just little
IV1 crazy. They will read anything,
no matter how trite, relating to
their hobby. They devour each copy
of the sporting magazines. Each
spring finds them, hope rekindled,
painting over the tackle counters,
searching in vain for the open
sesame to their dreams, the bait
that can not fail.
Good tackle is important, An as
sortment of lures is essential. The
fundamentals and the little kinks
and tricks just beyond them can be
taught by the writer's and learned
by the beginners.
But we maintain that beyond
these first, easy, beaten paths there
is a vast wilderness, unmarked and
largely unexplored, into which few
fishermen have ventured far.
And we think it virtually impoSSi-
BILE for these pioneers to leave di-
rectionS for the hosts that strive to
follow.
The newcomers must find their
own way. They must grope along
this faint trail and that, retrace
their steps on many a false lead
and try and retry their theories be-
fore they are competent to sit down
with the masters and compare
notes.
Why can't the finer points be
taught? Why isn't there short
cut? How do the experts get that
way?
II AUGH all you want, but we
IL think that fishing, real fishing,
goes far beyond all other sports in
intricacy of design and completely
of pattern. We think its mastery
gets clear out of the class Of things
teachable and understandable into
a region of sixth sense and instinct.
A man has to project part of his
brains through the rod and line and
into the lure to make that lure act
in a manner acceptable to good
fish. He must be a part of the
water he is fishing, he must have a
feeling for the weather, the temper
allure, the position of the sun, the
season and a dozen other factors.
Some unnamed sense must enable
him, unconSciously perhaps, to as
semble and weigh these factors and
deduce the proper move.
He must be able to see below the
surface of the stream or river in
his minds eye. He must recon-
struct the stream bed from the
action of the current, from the
speed of its flow; each tiny surface
whirl and bulge and eddy is i'm
roO,.ta1nt in that MIXTURE