Notes 
fly from his pocket. There was not the least 
pretence about it, for it was literally the tuft 
of hair off the end of ‘a calf’s tail, with two 
large green glass beads fixed as eyes, one on 
each side. One glance at the way the hook's 
flight was arranged told me he was a true 
brother of the gentle craft. To my astonish- 
ment, he declined the proffered half-crown, 
saying, ‘« Doan’t ye niver buy a pig in a poke 
—taint healthy. Arter ye've tried ‘un, ye 
ken pay ‘un: I sha’n’t be fur off. I ain’t got 
no leave ter fish, so I'll jest clear out. Them 
there jacks lays ‘twixt the runs in the weeds. 
Let ‘em hev it.” That rare fly was thrown 
into one of the runs, and gently drawn on the 
surface towards us. Splash—and jack number 
one was fixed and soon landed! Four times 
this process was repeated, with the result that 
four nice-sized fish were landed. On leaving 
the pond I was met by the rustic fly-maker. I 
smiled at him. ‘‘’Tis all right, 1 knows, mas- 
ter. That ’ere fly have jest done the trick 
clean.””’ When he received his half-crown and 
a little over, he said, in the fullness of his 
heart, ‘“ When that ere fly gets the wuss fur 
wear, I'll jest mek ye anuther fur nuthin’, dang 
my brass buttons ef ah doan’t!” 
A Fisherman in Town. 7 
On the back of the business card of C. F 
Orvis, the fishing-tackle dealer and manufac- 
turer of Manchester, Vt., we find the annexed 
verses by Frank L. Stanton, the quaintness 
and jingle of which have touched our weak 
spot, and, although they may be old to many, 
they are new to us, and we print them along 
with the free advertisement they give to Bro. 
Orvis. 
I jes’ sat here a-dreamin’— 
A-dreamin’ every day, 
Of the sunshine that’s a-gleamin’— 
On the rivers—fur away. 
An’ I kinder fall to wishin’ 
I was where the waters swish; 
Fer if the Lord made fishin’, 
Why—a feller ought to fish! 
While I’m studyin’, or a-writin’, 
In the dusty, rusty town, 
1 kin feel the fish a-bitin’— 
See the cork a-goin’ down! 
An’ the sunshine seems a-tanglin’ 
Of the shadows cool an’ sweet; 
With the honeysuckles danglin’, 
An’ the lilies at my feet. 
So I nod, an’ fall to wishin’ 
I was where the waters swish; 
Fer if the Lord made fishin’, 
~ Why—a feller orter fish! 
and Quertes 
mn 
ON 
Fishing on the Texan Gulf. 
We learn, through Mr. S. P. Panton, that the 
fishing at Aransas Pass has been excellent. 
Jewfish of great size are very numerous; in 
fact, there are plenty of fish of all kinds. Some 
fine catches of redfish (channel bass) and salt- 
water trout were caught here recently. Mr. 
Panton also writes in response to a query: 
‘There were plenty of tarpon here right af- 
ter April 1st, last spring, and I believe from 
that on.- I saw plenty of them in May, hence, 
I believe you are safe for finding good fishing 
April 1, and it will improve the longer 
you stay. There was good fishing before that 
date last year, but a ‘Norther’ stopped the 
tarpon fishing in March. I am awfully rushed 
in getting the first issue out of my new paper, 
The Herald, the only one at Aransas Pass.” 
after 
Another Sawfish Breaks His Blade. 
Some of the largest and strongest fish to 
be found in semi-tropical waters are frequently 
encountered off the inlets which open from the 
Atlanticinto the Indian river and Lake Worth 
on the east coast of Florida. The sloop yacht 
“Ramona” came last spring into Lake Worth 
from Biscayne bay, and one of her passengers 
gave the following experience: 
‘When about five miles off shore, opposite 
Boca Ratone, the yacht was struck violently 
by some marine creature, the shock causing a 
big commotion on board and arousing all hands. 
A minute or two later a second shock was 
felt, and this time the sharp blade of a sawfish 
came tearing through the planking on our side 
above the water line. The fish flopped about 
vigorously in the sea and had to exert all his 
strength in order to twist off his weapon so as 
to escape. The sword or blade was left stick- 
ing in the side of the yacht, fully eight inches 
of it appearing on the inside, after having 
pierced a plank 14% inches in thickness. later 
on an examination showed that the first thrust 
from the savage monster had struck a solid 
timber, glancing off, but tearing out a big 
groove in the solid wood. 
A Beautiful Calendar is the one we have just received 
from the Union Metallic Cartridge Co., being chaste, 
vesthetic and useful, for the home, the counting-house 
or the cabin in the woods. It is in keeping with the 
usual practical and ornamental yearly issues of this 
prominent cartridge manufacturing firm. 
