during the season, but thejiextjiay William Locraft, 

 not to be outdone, while fishing near the same place, 

 secured one which weighed six and a half pounds. 

 After placing it on view for several days he had a cast 

 made of the giant specimen, which has since been 

 colored, and which now adorns the National Museum 

 as an exhibit. 



H. Joseph Hunter, who enjoys an enviable reputa- 

 tion as a fis^man, tells how he lost a big one. The 

 water was in good condition, and with his family 

 boatman, Charley, he ploughed along over his favorite 

 water. He had caught sixteen bass that weighed one 

 to four pounds, when the espied a sunken log. It was 

 about six inches under the water, which was four feet 

 deep with a muddy bottom. "Hold up Charley," he 

 said, "I see a log and a good one must be at home." 

 Dear Charley, always on the alert, brought the boat 

 to a standstill. They were about one hundred and 

 forty feet from the spot, just the right distance. He 

 reeled in and examined his artificial bait, made of 

 fat pork, in imitation of a minnow, called by him 

 the "Zulu Queen" and found it in perfect condition. 

 "Well !" as he Statesjto sooner had it struck the water 

 when the biggest swirl you ever saw was made. I 

 exclaimed, "Charley, he is at homeland at once struck, 

 and then a terrible lunge was made. My game not 

 being able to reach the log, started up in the air, and 

 went higher than any sycamore on the Potomac. 

 When it came down, off down the river it starfed, 

 and went through the water so fast that the suction 

 drew the mud from the bottom of the river and made 

 it so muddy jhat fishing was broken up for ten days. 

 This is the last I ever saw of him, but Charley said 

 he would have weighed as many pounds as he went 



90 



