The Anglers' National Tournament. 
The second international fly- and bait-casting 
tournament given under the auspices of the Na¬ 
tional Association of Scientific Angling Clubs, is 
being held this week. The dates are Aug. 14 and 
15, the place Washington Park, Chicago. The 
management is in the hands of the Illinois Bait- 
H. WHEELER PERCE, 
of the Chicago I-ly-Casting Club. President of the 
National Association. 
Casting Club, divided among the following com¬ 
mittees : 
Executive—Chas. W. Keiser, E. H. Matthews, 
H. E. Rice, Chas. P. Clifford, H. R. Winfield, 
Wm. Stanley, Geo. A. Murrell. 
Finance—Chas. W. Keiser, C. P. Clifford, P. 
J. Linderman, J. N. Reynolds, E. H. Matthews, 
Wm. H. Clegg, J. N. Ranney, Wm. Stanley, C. S. 
Lawrence. 
Tournament—Members of the Executive Com¬ 
mittee and ex-officio H. Wheeler Perce, presi¬ 
dent, and H. E. Rice, secretary, of the National 
Association of Scientific Angling Clubs. 
Program and Prize—H. E. Rice, Geo. A. Davis, 
Chas. W. Keiser. 
Publicity—L. E. De Garmo, M. W. Pinckney, 
Dr. Lodor, Dr. Rawlins, L. N. Place. 
Grounds and Equipment—Geo. A. Murrell, W. 
W. McFarlin, L. E. De Garmo, Chas. Gustrine, 
J. E. Amann, J. M. Schroeder, A. Wagner, N. C. 
Heston. 
Entertainment—W. J. Strickland, chairman, H. 
C. Chapman, A. C. Cobb, Harry English, James 
Lindauer, A. S. True, W. C. Van Trese, F. F. 
Porter. 
Reception—Geo. Eulette, F. W. Hemminghaus, 
W. H. Spencer, John E. Diehl, B. Greenwood, 
W. J. Jamieson, David R. Linder, H. F. Wait, 
Geo. Hoff, B. Hardenbrook, W. S. Lockwood, 
J. D. Jones, O. C. Wehle. 
Trophies—H. R. Winfield, A. H. Whitley, Dr. 
Rawlins, N. C. Heston. 
The officers of the club are: President, Chas. 
W. Keiser; vice-president, E. H. Matthews; sec¬ 
retary-treasurer, H. E. Rice; captain, Geo. A. 
Murrell; weighmaster, Dr. B. L. Rawlins. 
1 he history of the National Association is 
well known to our readers, but it is of special in¬ 
terest at this time to review that of the club 
which has gotten up this great tournament. 
In 1904 H. R. Winfield, F. W. Hemminghaus, 
C. P. Clifford and Wm. Stanley, all being ardent 
anglers, conceived the idea of establishing a club 
similar in character to the Chicago Fly-Casting 
Club, but whose place of meeting should be more 
conveniently located for those living on the 
South Side. Mr. Winfield consulted with the 
Park Commissioners and arranged for club 
grounds in Washington Park, in the event of the 
successful organization of a club, and a charter 
list was opened, resulting in the formation of 
CHARLES W. KEISER, 
President of the Illinois Bait-Casting Club. 
The Illinois Bait Casting Club, with a charter 
membership of fifty. 
The first formal meeting of the club was held 
early in 1905, and Mr. Winfield was elected first 
president of the club. The first season was em¬ 
inently successful from the “park work” point of 
view, twenty-five members completing their sea¬ 
son scores, and the club sent representatives to 
the international tournament given by the Chi¬ 
cago Fly-Casting Club that year. 
In 1906, under the presidency of Geo. Murrell, 
the club made remarkable progress in contest 
work, a marked improvement being recorded in 
proficiency. Representatives of the club attended 
the international tournament at Kalamazoo, and 
Wm. Stanley carried away the championship 
trophy in the J^-ounce event. 
In 1907, under the presidency of C. P. Clifford, 
the interest having been so thoroughly aroused 
as to reach the degree of enthusiasm, it was de- 
■ termined to make a campaign to secure the next 
international tournament. This campaign was 
brought to a successful termination at the Racine 
H. E. RICE, 
Secretary of the Illinois Bait-Casting Club and the 
National Association. 
tournament, where the club was represented by 
a large and enthusiastic delegation, Wm. Stanley 
again biinging away the %-ounce championship 
honors by making nine perfect casts after hav¬ 
ing been considered put out of the running by 
an unfortunate cast at the start. 
I his year, under the able leadership of C. W. 
Keiser as president, the work has been carried 
on with a greater degree of enthusiasm than ever 
before, the park contingent having been greatly 
increased in numbers, and the average degree of 
proficiency raised to a point equal to that of any 
club in the country, in addition to which good 
hard work has been done in the endeavor to 
make the international tournament of 1908 the 
greatest success in the history of the sport. 
The programme of events is divided as fol¬ 
lows : On Friday, Aug. 14, at 8 o’clock, the dry- 
fly contest will be started. At 10 o’clock the 
accuracy fly event will be called. After luncheon 
the accuracy bait-casting with J^-ounce weights 
will begin, and the distance fly-casting with sin¬ 
gle hand rods will start at 5 o’clock. 
On Saturday at 8 o clock the J^-ounce accuracy 
contest will be called. At 3 o’clock P. M. the 
/ 4 -ounce distance bait event will begin, and the 
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