QUEER CATCHES. 



Henry Talbott one of the Inter State Commerce 

 authorities is also known to many as a sportsman of 

 rare ability, not only with rod and reel, but with 

 pen and ink said to my boy : 



"A modern writer on angling commenting on the 

 stories of queer catches with the artificial fly is dis- 

 posed to be very humorous at the expense of the 

 awkwardness which could catch a haystack, yet it is 

 safe to say if the author never caught anything on 

 his fly but the trout, his experience had been limited 

 to northern rock waters and probably limited too 

 as to occasions. 



The fly on wooden shores is like to fasten in the 

 back cast to an inaccessible limb and, as evidence the 

 occurance is common enough, there is a patent knife 

 on sale to be attached to the rod, to release the 

 tackle ; from a canoe in like waters he is lucky who 

 never fastens to a cat tail or ledge far behind him. 

 A friend walking along a retaining wall trying for a 

 bass at dusk heard a yelp behind him as he retrieved, 

 and found he had caught a favorite setter in the 

 nose. Birds and bats are occasionally attracted by 

 small flies and taken, and may often be seen to start 

 for the flying lure. 



But the catches in front are occasionally as start- 

 ling. The dogfish is a bottom feeder, yet an eight 

 pounder has been taken in shallow water with a 

 number six fly. Cat fish are bottom feeders as well, 

 but a comrade enthusiastic enough to fish early and 

 late, has taken not only cat fish, but eels upon number 

 twelve flies. 



Perhaps the strangest and most unlikely, therefore 



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