Fish and Fishinz in America. 



159 



there, almost invariably, when the live 

 minnow is used for bait (the fly and the 

 spoon will also do good execution), will 

 "fill up" with sport and fish. 



To show that minnows rise to alight, 

 and that fish will feed on them at night, 

 the following singular facts are given : 

 "About thirty years ago, while fishing 

 for catfish on a dock at Cleveland, in 

 front of the grain elevator of M. B. 

 Scott, near the mouth of Cuyahoga 

 River, in the month of June or July, a 

 catfish hook became hitched and the 

 line tangled on the side of a raft moored 

 at the dock. A light was procured and 

 held close to the water during the slow 

 process of disengaging the hook and 

 unsnarling the line. While this was 

 going on, the little minnows, which at 

 that season swarmed in the river, began 

 to assemble in large numbers and whirl 

 around where the light was most re- 

 flected upon the water. This was ob- 

 served, and excited a great deal of curi- 

 osity ; but the surprise and interest 

 were intensified when a large black 

 bass was seen to rise to the surface, near 

 the mass of rotating minnows, back 

 water with his fins and tail for a mo- 

 ment, and then with a sudden dart 

 jump at the school of minnows, gobble 

 up a big mouthful, and as suddenly dis- 

 appear ! " That might be the mere re- 

 sult of favorable circumstances." To 

 test the truth of this thought, our now 

 excited catfisher let the light stand and 

 watched what further would come of it. 

 He had not long to wait, for presently 

 a large wall-eyed pike rose up, lay still 

 for a second or two, and then made a 

 dart for the minnows similarly to the 

 bass. Soon another came, and then 

 another, in rapid succession. This was 

 enough. The catfisher at once deter- 

 mined on capturing nobler game, and 

 the next day busied himself in collect- 

 ing and making materials for the com- 



ing sport. He procured a capacious, 

 low-sided, flat-bottomed boat of the old 

 ferryman Demars, and anchored it se- 

 curely to the same dock. Two canal- 

 boat lamps, with bright reflectors, were 

 fastened upon boards placed athwart 

 the boat, so as to cast a blaze of light 

 for several feet near the boat's side. 

 He then had two light pine rods made, 

 about six feet long, one inch at the 

 butt, and truly tapering to one-half inch 

 at the tip. Six large-sized, long-shanked 

 hooks (such as are used for Mackinaw 

 trout), three for each shaft, were pro- 

 cured ; the shanks heated and bent back 

 at right angles, one-fourth inch from 

 the upper end, and the bent ends in- 

 serted in holes bored in the small end 

 of the shaft at equal distances apart, so 

 as to show a hook capable of hooking 

 in any direction the shaft might be 

 sharply drawn against any object, and 

 the hooks firmly secured to their places 

 by winding around the shanks and the 

 pole a small copper wire. With one of 

 these contrivances in the hands of his 

 old friend and brother bass and cat- 

 fisher, Hon. Samuel B. Prentiss, and the 

 other in his own, the two repaired to 

 the river, a little after dark, lighted the 

 lamps, and between hope and doubt 

 waited for results. 



" I see one !" exclaimed the Judge, 

 excitedly, pointing his gaff toward a 

 long dark object in the dim margin of 

 the light. 



"Jerk him out, quick, or he will jump 

 for a mouthful of minnows and be 

 gone." (The bright lights had already 

 collected a swarm of minnows.) " Run 

 your gaff hooks under him and jerk up 

 sharply. Ha ! ha ! well done ! a fine 

 two pound bass. Shake him off quick- 

 ly ; there is another on your side." 



Instantly the water flew, as the Judge 

 deftly threw another large bass into the 

 boat. Then followed, as chance favor- 



