. The American angler. Fishing. 134 The American Angler I used to fish in several of the trout streams of Delaware County, New York, as far back as 1850, and then there were plenty in all the streams, and when I was a boy the Neversink was full of trout. I recollect a visit I made to the place where I was born—Westkill, Greene County, N. Y. The Westkill Creek runs right through the little village, and I said to my brother-in-law, who lived there, that I thought I could get some trout in the stream. He said it was no use, that the tanneries that were there years before had killed all the fish,
. The American angler. Fishing. 134 The American Angler I used to fish in several of the trout streams of Delaware County, New York, as far back as 1850, and then there were plenty in all the streams, and when I was a boy the Neversink was full of trout. I recollect a visit I made to the place where I was born—Westkill, Greene County, N. Y. The Westkill Creek runs right through the little village, and I said to my brother-in-law, who lived there, that I thought I could get some trout in the stream. He said it was no use, that the tanneries that were there years before had killed all the fish, and no one had caught or seen a trout in twenty years. I had the fever on and was going to try anyway, and said all I wanted of him was to go along and bring the fish back. I fixed up a rig with a pole about ten feet long, started out and right at the little bridge in the village I caught four, and one of them a pounder; went jon down the stream about a mile and came^to a dam and a nice-looking place below. My pole was too short to reach where I wanted to, and I went to an old shoemaker close by, and he had a nice, long pole, which I bor-. A/- rowed, although he said it was useless to try for trout there, for there were none. I told him I had made up my mind that under that dam there was one that had been waiting years for me to come and get him. I caught eight right there, and one weighed over two pounds. My brother-in-law was surprised, as every one else was in the vicinity, and it did my soul good to see him change hands every little while in carrying the fish home, for we had nineteen pounds in all. On the next day I started for home, and, passing for miles along the road towards Prattsville, saw the stream lined with fishermen. I think there are very few men living who have done as much trout fishing as I have, and I never yet found any one that seemed to have the luck that I always have. I have wondered sometimes why I did not become spotted and have scales start on me.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectfishing, bookyear1896
