Year: 1877

-
account of the catching of an energetic
trout:


Reader, did you ever land a trout9 |
do not ask ii you ever jerked some poor
little fellow out Of brook three feet
across, with pole six inches around at
the butt, and 10 heavy as to require both
hands and feet to hold it out. No. that's
not "landing a trout" But did you
ever sit in a boat with nine ounces of
lance wood for a rod and two hundred
feet of braided silk on your double-acting
reel, and hook trout whose strain
brought tip and butt together as you
checked him in some wild fight, and
tested your quivering line from gut to
reel knot? No one knows what game
there il in trout unless he has fought
it out, matching such rod against a
three pound fish, with forty feet of water
underneath, and clear, unimpededfweep
around him. All, then it Ia that one
discovers what will and energy lie within
the notified skin Of trout, and what
miracle of velocity ne is when aroused.
love the rifle, and ! have looked along
the sights aud held the leaping blood
back by an effort of will, steadyiug N.Y.
self for the shot. when my veins fairly
tingued with the exhilarating excitement
of the moment; but II one should ask me
what Is my conception of pure physical
happiness, should assure him that the
highest beautitude ever expect to reach
is, on some future day, when the sun is
occasionally veiled by clouds, to sit in
boat once more upon that little lake, and
match again Conroy rod against
three pound trout. That's what | call
happiness.


We'll, as / said, struck, and Ms we
afterward discovered, the huge salmon
hook was buried in the shank amid the
nerves which lie at the root Of trouts
tongue. Then came fight for the
mastery, such as never before had |
waged with anything that swims. Words
should have life in them to oepict the
scene. Quick as fash, before ! had
fairly recovered my balance, partially
lost by the energy with which struck,
the trout started, and before could get
a pressure upon the line not twenty
yards were lett upon the reel. A quick
stroke from John, and the boat shot to
one side, and bearing stOutly on him,
tssking the rod to the last ounce of
resistance, slowly swayed him about
and recovered little slack. After few
short sweeps he doubled on the line, and
shot straight for the boat as an arrow from
a bow.


Double, and be hanged to you !"
shouted John, AZ he SHE'D the light shell
to one side and swung it around 30 as to
keep Inc facing the fish. "If you get
under this boat it will be because this
paddle breaks"


Failing in his attempt to run under
us, he dove to the bottom. Let him
rest a moment" said John; "recover
your line; you'll need it all when he
rises. He's big and ugly, and his next
rush will be like lightning"


After | had slowed away some forty
yards upon the reel, winding it on hard
and evenly, so that it would render well,
| began TO feel of the fish. The first
pressure elected only shake. At the
next he described circle, still keeping
to the bottom, then came to a stand still.
He acted ugly. ] felt that when the
rush came it would try nerve and tat k'e
alike. Enjoining John to watch the fish
and favor me all he could, and by no
means to let him pass under the boat, |
gave a quick, sharp jerk. My arm was
still in the air, and the rod unstraight-
ened, when caught glance far below
me, and before ! had time to wink the
huge fellow parted the water almost
within reach of my own arm, and when
hieh up In mid air he shook himself, the
crystal drops were flung into my very
face. Perhaps shall live long enough
to forget the picture, as that trout for an
interval hung in the air, his blue black
and azure sides spotted gold with and
agate, his fins edged with snowy white,
his eyes protruding, gills distended, the
leader hanging from his jaws, while a
shower of pearly drops were shaken from
his sides. He fell but while still in the
air the boat sided backward, and when
he touched the water | was thirty feet
away and ready for his rush. 1t came
and rs he passed us, some forty feet of,
he Glove the water as bolt from cross
bow might cleave the air. Possibly for
five minutes the frenzy lasted. Not q
word was uttered. The whizz of the
line through the water, the whir of the
flying reel, and an occasional grunt from
John as the fish doubled ON the boat
were the only sounds TO be heard.
When suddenly in one of his widest
flights the terribly-taxed rod straight.
ened itself out with spring the pres
sure ceased, the line slackened, and the
fish lay again on the bottom. Wiping
the sweat from my brow, turned to
John and said, What do you think of
that ~


"Mr. Murray" replied John, laying
the paddle down and drawing the sleeve
OF his woolen shirt across his forehead
beaded with perspiration, THAT fish is
ugly; if he should get the line over his
back he'd smash the rod like pipe
stem"


"He won't get IL over his back" re.
piled |. Ready with your paddle
he's getting too much breath"


"But say said John, looking affec-
tionately at the rod, as he took up the
paddle, "If was in your place, and he
did get the line over his shoulder, !
would part my tackle before | smashed
that rod"


81 won't do either, John" and as |
answered gave q jerk, and the trout
started again. Twice did ne break the
surface hundred feet away, Anging
himse If cut like black bass. Once did
he partially get the leader over his back
and dashed away like lightning, while
John, anxious to save 80 true rod from
ruin, shouted to me, part the gut"
But who ever knew a fisherman when
his blood was up, refuse risk to save
the game? I screamed to John to shoot