36 Fishing in North Carolina. 



gan to cut up again, and the line parted, hav- 

 ing been see-sawed oif, a foot below the cork. I 

 knew it was no use trying any more that day. 

 A week afterwards I found him again with 

 nearly the same result, but I worked differently. 

 As soon as he had hung under, and the line was 

 taut and fast, I got out of the boat and went 

 down to the catch, but he had torn off and the 

 hook was hitched to the log. Several days after- 

 wards I hit him again. This time I got him 

 safely over and clear of logs, and while my boy 

 paddled into the open, I felt so sure I had my 

 fish that I neglected to put the tip of the rod to 

 the water, and while playing him the third time 

 around the boat he fairly rose out of the water, 

 and shook my hook out of his mouth much after 

 the way a mean mule would discharge a bit. I 

 was heart broken, did some muttering for a few 

 minutes; and went home. To this day I can 

 see the defiant countenance of that fish, in the 

 air, jerking his head from side to side. 



For weeks I pursued him, but never struck 

 him — ^he either took the minnow off or threw 

 it out. A lady caught him, the fish having 



