Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 August 1885 — IMPORTANT DECISION. [ARTICLE]

IMPORTANT DECISION.

His Honor Judge Healey’s Opinton on Kankakee Fishing for the Year 1885. Gintiemen of the Rinsselarr Fishing Club: At the request of one of your members I accompanied him to Water Valley to see if I could unravel the hidden mystery “why fishing was so poor this season.” It’s all clear in my mind. It is in the fault of the sportsmen, themselves. I see a great many fishermen from Chicago, and they tell me they have a dread of using the river water for drinking purposes, and for their protection they use something—l don’t know what —they call it “Bug Juce.” It must be something very powerful. I could tell when they were approaching long before I could see them, when they would be coming around the bends in the river. This Bug Juce seems to canse a very offensive flavor to arise from their persons. Many of them are very reckless, and I presume they bathe in the river. That either kills or drives the fish to more healthy quarters.—That is my opinion,

My friend, Mr. Erwin, who was with me, tells that some of your club, with himself, have sent off for a new Artificial Luminous Bait! All a ‘picture Joe Sharp’ humbug! I can crook a common pin, tie on a shoe-thread, put on a wooden, handle, bait with angle Worms—such as the little boys’use up there—and land more fine fish with such a rig as that, than the finest expert of the Rensselaer Club can with his sls rod, S2O reel, $1,50 silk line, patent minnow buckets filled with fine minnows.

This was my first trip to the Kankakee fishing. I was surprised to see their fish tackle out there. They had three hooks fastened together which looked more like an

anchor to lake schooner than a fish hcok. I took a small minnow hook tied to a patent thread, such as I used to use in Ireland. When I seen their rigs I was scared on account of my little hook. I commenced catching small pickerel—say two or three pounds—and kept going up in size until I landed one pickerel in the boat that weighed 9| pounds. I then had all the fish I wanted or I might have caught some larger ones. I did not break a hook or line on the trip—that astonished the natives of Water Valley, to think a man could catch such fish wit such iight fish tackle as I used.

Being obsent two days has caused me to get behind with my business on the bench, that prevents me from giving you a more lengthy opinion at present. Gents of the Club, I remain Yours, Very Truly.