434 RECREATION. 
Before I put this particular worm into 
the pool I remembered how Old Hossfly 
had wiped my eye 3 years before with a 
2 pounder which he had taken out of this 
same water. As I held the fish against the 
snag and felt his mighty struggles I saw 
myself exhibiting a monster trout to the 
admiring eyes of the aforesaid Hossfly. 
That heavy wading suit impeded the ra- 
pidity of Dick’s movements, and as he 
didn’t come quick enough to suit me, I 
gingerly felt my way in on tip toe, with the 
water about to overwhelm my boot tops. 
By that time I had worked the fish up in 
the crotch of the snag and could faintly 
discern the dim outlines of my captive. The 
sight proved too much for my caution and 
in I went up to the waist until I could 
reach down and grab him. The fish was 
helpless against the crotch and as I reached 
for him, my hand came in contact not with 
the slippery, velvety skin of a trout, but 
against the spikes of the dorsal fin of a 
wall-eyed pike. As I released the fish and 
struggled to shore with him, Kirkham came 
along and admired my catch, but I could 
see the sly gleam of fun in his eye as he 
passed on down the stream. 
The pike weighed 5% pounds, was built 
like a race horse, and in a clean stretch of 
the stream it would have been a pleasure 
to play him with light tackle. 
It will be many a long day before I for- 
get the thrill which made me warm with 
hope when that pike took my hook in the 
finest trout pool in the beautiful Maple. 
James D. Ernston, Anderson, Ind. 

THE WAY OF IT. 
Just over the Southern line of New York, 
where the mountains crowd each other so 
closely that the beautiful Chemung is forced 
to share its fortunes with the more majes- 
tic Susquehanna, lies a natural park, Tioga 
Point, unknown to the many, though fa- 
mous for its wealth of Indian lore. 
There, where the rivers meet, is formed 
a large and beautiful body of water of con- 
siderable depth. Many a fine string of 
black bass have I taken from its rocky 
depths ; and though I have taken them from 
lakes and streams in many other places, no- 
where have I found the bass more gamy or 
more ready with that gallant rush and 
plunge we know so well. 
Still lingers the memory of my first ex- 
perience when, as a small boy with an in- 
dulgent father, I was allowed to join in an 
early morning trip. My father and _ his 
friend had fairly good luck, but the fish 
were not large and therefore not satisfac- 
tory to either angler. Try as patiently as 
they would, no big fellows could be lured 
to the gaff. 
Being the smallest and least important 
member of the party, I must needs content 
myself by baiting with the lowly worm, 
which proved to have less drawing power 
than the lively minnows the men were 
using. Becoming convinced at last that I 
was being discriminated against in the mat- 
ter of bait, I brought such pressure to bear 
that Father grudgingly fished from the pail 
a dead minnow and gave it to me. 
_My minnow was dropped quietly over the 
side of the boat and we were doing business 
once more. 
For some time blue smoke curled quietly 
from 2 aged pipes and things were growing 
monotonous. 
Suddenly there was a disturbance in one 
end of the boat, and Father turned to see 
a struggling boy, too wildly excited for ar- 
ticulate speech, grasping the end of his old 
maple pole as if he feared it would get 
away, and frantically motioning for help. 
Between all hands the fish was landed, and 
a choice one he proved; the largest taken 
that day, on a measly little dead minnow, 
and by a small boy, who felt fully the im- 
portance of the event. 
Ben W. Stroud, Cleveland, Ohio. 

I am a regular subscriber to your valu- 
able magazine, and fully conversant with 
the stand you take against the bristlebacks. 
I most heartily commend you. Every true 
sportsman should give you the benefit of his 
observations, to enable you to keep up your 
good work. I enclose a clipping for you 
to load your gun with, and fire into the 
ranks of our enemies. 
Thos. E. Lewis, Norfolk, Va. 
C. C. Cobb and J. B. McGraw exhibited in their 
office yesterday morning 50 large bass, weighing 
2 to 5. pounds each and more than 30 pike and 
other fish. The time occupied in. aking the 
catch was only one hour and 50 minutes. They 
used an ordimary pole and line, with live bait.— 
Virginia Pilot. 
I wrote these men as follows: 
I am informed you and a friend recently 
caught 50 large bass and more than 30 pike 
in one day. Will you kindly tell me if this 
report is true? 
I received this reply: 
Mr. Cobb and I caught 50 bass, or chub, 
as we call them down here, and 25 pickerel 
at Lake Smith, about 6 miles from Norfolk, 
October 14th, in an hour and 50 minutes. 
According to the rules of the Water De- 
partment, who have charge of the fishing 
privileges of the lakes, each angler is limited 
to 25 chub, and as 50 made the limit for 
both of us, we had to leave when they were 
biting about as lively as I have ever seen 
fish take the line. _ 
James B. McCaw, Norfolk, Va. 
Assuming that the 50 bass and the 25 
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