Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 August 1879 — Rescued by a Trout. [ARTICLE]

Rescued by a Trout.

Estimated by their game qualities and the difficulty sometimes experienced in safely landing them, the larger specimens of our mountain trout weigh like a sturgeon. This fact is established whenever the trout hooked in a pool with sufficient depth and spread of water can bring to bear in his native element the full resisting force of his remarkably strong and active tail. Illustrative of this, a story is told of the experience of two professional fishers who recently went out from Helena to the Big Blackfoot—one a doctor and the other a lawyer. In a very brief time they had a basket of beauties for their pains, but the fascination of the sport kept them tossing their flies into the clear waters of the magnificent stream. Finally one man hooked a “bouncer,” one on which he had most yearned to try his skill. The pool was deep and broad, and, work and finesse as the doctor might, the trout held to the water. The lawyer, resting his companion, tried his strength and tact, but with no better luck. The trout seemed quite master of the situation, nor could he be towed or tuckered out. The contest finally culminated in a most exciting sceno. Determined to secure the prize, and forgetting he could not swim, the valiant doctor, throwing aside coat and boots, jumped into the depths of the stream. It was a rash act, and to save him the lawyer was forced to plunge in after him. A fair swimmer, he reached his struggling companion, and, holding on to the pole and tackle with one hand, lifted with the other his companion’s head above the water. But the lawyer found he could not bring his burden to shore, and only by superhuman effort could he keep himself and companion from sinking. On the very point of drowning the trout came to the rescue, straightened out the line, and, after a few sportive pranks, hauled the two men out of the pool to shallow water. Grateful for the service thus obligingly rendered, the fish was permitted to disappear over the riffles down stream. This story is confirmed by the testimony of both the gentlemen concerned, and by the trout itself, which has since been seen towing the tackle up and down the waters of the BJackfoot.— Helena (Mont.) Herald.