284 Fish Stories 



bade fair to part company with the spool. Ah, the joy of 

 this fierce thrill ! this could be but one fish ; the splendor of 

 it! as far away something threw its tail in air, lashed the 

 water, leaped high into the air, then plunged into the heart 

 of the river, deep into the regions of despair, as were there 

 not submerged rocks and roots and diverse things which 

 might end this contest. 



But the fates were kind; the fish, the muskallunge and 

 nothing else, merely sulked, plunged and held its own until 

 the boat was fairly over it, then started, shot to the surface, 

 plunged to one side, stopped like an angry steer and took its 

 head. Ye gods and little fishes ! how it fought, this cousin 

 german of the despised pickerel, this kinsman of the pike, 

 that has been known to jump into the boat of an anxious 

 angler. 



Now darting down, coming up hard on the reel, trying to 

 circle the boat, keeping the delicate rod bowed to the danger 

 point, this game fish fought minute by minute, until twenty 

 or more had slipped away, and still it was yards distant, ten 

 feet below the surface garnering its second wind, while our 

 friend of the island pranced along the rocky shore, shouting 

 advice which was chiefly of the " Sock it to him ! " variety. 

 In truth, the muskallunge was reversing things, was playing 

 the fisherman who, strive as he might, could hardly reel the 

 fish nearer than fifty feet. This accomplished, it would, in 

 a side rush, take all the line gained, all because the angler 

 used the lightest kind of a bass rod, in deference to his love 

 for fair play to the fish. 



The game was well hooked, and by rushing the boat back- 

 ward some line was picked up and held, though the rod went 

 to the danger point ; then the fish in a frenzy came rushing 

 in, and the angler held it while the man on the rock cheered 

 and shouted that it was a fifty-pounder. Inch by inch the 

 big fish was won and coaxed in, then it would tear off sev- 

 eral yards, then come in again ; and in this way, giving and 

 taking, the battle was won, the fish finally losing its head, 



