174 



The Amcricmi Angler 



that light rod than I ever had with my 

 cane pole. I'll believe you after this.' 

 The bass was weighed then and there 

 and pulled the scales to five pounds and 

 three ounces. When we stopped, after 

 sundown, we had fifty-five as fine a 

 bass as ever came up the Maumee." 



Harry's interest indicated anxiety to 

 experience such sport. When they ar- 

 rived opposite the pool they hastened 

 into the stream, dashing through the 

 live and laughing current with a bold- 

 ness that does not hesitate. When at 

 the upper end of the pool, they stopped 

 within casting distance of the long 

 dark line of water and from the first 

 cast, until the sun began to sink behind 

 the wooded hills, both men were as 

 busy as bees fighting and caring for 

 bass. Harry had fished among the 

 islands of Lake Erie, in favorite chan- 

 nels and cuts at St. Clair Flats, but he 

 declared that in all his angling days, 

 and they were many, he had never 

 before experienced such lively sport 

 and caught such game bass. When 

 they were ready to return to the vil- 

 lage the doctor counted fifty-seven bass 

 and not one weighed less than a pound 

 and a half. The honors were equally 

 divided. 



Early the following morning Harry 

 was very much disappointed to learn 

 that the doctor was called to an Eastern 

 city on account of the sickness of a near 

 relative. A true angler seldom finds 

 enjoyment in going a-fishing alone, as 

 a good companion is more than half 

 the pleasure of a day's outing. Before 

 the doctor left he gave Harry all the 

 directions necessary for him to carry on 

 the battle alone. Vinton noted the lo- 

 cations of the many different pools, how 

 to approach them, how to fish them, 

 and he felt pretty safe in undertaking 

 the fishing- of them alone. 



A short time after the doctor took his 



departure, Harry started on his first 

 day's fishing alone. It was an ideal 

 morning, the wind favorable and not 

 too strong, and the day was one an ex- 

 perienced rapids' angler would select 

 above all others. With a bucket full of 

 the best of minnows, a few grasshop- 

 pers and a book of assorted flies, Harry 

 made a bee line for the great Hanford 

 pool. He imitated the doctor's actions 

 the afternoon before, approached the 

 pool with the same caution and was de- 

 lighted to see the bass chasing the 

 minnows in every direction. With the 

 best of tackle, his landing net within 

 reach, his minnow can placed where he 

 would not make too much noise in get- 

 ting' fresh bait, and in a commanding- 

 position, he was ready for what he had 

 a right to expect as one of the greatest 

 fishing days of his life. 



Up stream and down the stream, near 

 and far, he 'made his casts, guiding his 

 lure under the ledges, permitting it to 

 float naturally along the rocks, over the 

 sandy bars, the live minnows playing at 

 will over every part of the pool. At 

 each cast he expected the familiar 

 strike. Flies, frogs, artificial devices of 

 every description had no effect. He 

 remained but a few moments after 

 eating his lunch, and then carefully and 

 faithfully fished the Farley pool, the 

 Brown pool and the pool of Grenough, 

 the latter seldom disappointing the 

 angler, but all to no avail. Aside from 

 a few half-pound bass, Harry returned 

 to the village, to the doctor's home, a 

 little disappointed. A good companion 

 when fishing is bad is more truly appre- 

 ciated than when bass are biting freely. 

 The subject can be discussed, stories 

 exchanged and the time passes rapidly 

 and pleasantly. In the evening the 

 doctor's family ^yere not backward in 

 extending their sympathies at Harry's 

 ill luck, but the doctor's two boys, who 



