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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (June 14, 1903)
Where Omaha's Plain Fishermen Indulge in Their Favorite Sport Scenes at Cut Off Lake from Photos Made by a Statf Artist . 9 7 ; 4 1 yV&3 ri n i r r 1 i ; rl 11 , mm OTP UJ if? ,l .-v. WOMEN ENJOY F1S1IINO. TOa A MODERN NKPTl'NH ISIIINO In either an occupation, n pastime or a sport, depending for its condition on the viewpoint. Even at this distance from salt water there be some who eke out their livelihood during the season when the rivers and hikes are not covered by Ice by pursuing the finny denizens of the murky waters, turning their uncertain catches Into cash and providing fresh fish for the tables of those who have not the time or the Inclination to provide them selves with the toothsome morsels. These fishermen are comparatively few. Another class not particularly numerous In theso parts is made up of those who make a sport of fishing, ard who. provided with a collection of paraphernalia and apparatus quite beyond the understanding of one not accustomed to their uses, find more satis faction in testing rods and reels, landing nets gaffs and their multifarious lures and baits than In the actual taking of a fish by any one of the various measures they adopt for the undoing of the swimmer. Hetween these two comes that great class of people who, when the first soft days of springtime come, feel Irresistibly moved to abandon all other occupations and de vote a few hours to soaking a cotton or linen line In the water from which the Ice has but recently vanished. This class isn't likely to suffer any loss of meal or arpo tite If It doesn't get any fish, and It isn't at all particular r.bout equipment. For Its uses a twisted cotton line serves as well as a braided silk; a willow pole, a bamboo or a cane does just as well as a "split bamboo," or a "nickel steel," and Hs wlelder probably never heard of a "leader" In his life, and couldn't tell the difference between a "hackle" and a mul tiplying reel If all the fish since Jonah's time depended on It. Ten to one he ba4ts with worms, and two to one he spits on his bait for good luck before he shies his hook, held down by three or four buckshot split and closed arounj the line, Into the water to wait for a "bite." He Is fishing more for recreation than for fish, and If he gets a nibble or makes a catch he Is Just that much ahead. For this latter ias of fishermen. Cut Off lake is a pluSl In Its conditions. It is reasonably c iy of access, contains an extent of slum, line that Is enough to satisfy any one. and affords nil the op portunity of sitting on the bank and dang ling a line from U end of a pole that the most ambitious nver or lake can offer. Moreover, it is kn .wn to contain a variety of fish, for large numbers have been CHUKht out there, !ish of the most tooth some sort, and s..me that make the eyes of the most blase old sportsman snap. It also contains myriads of the most vora cious young fry that ever nibbled at a worm and dlsgusi.-l the expectant waiter on the bank, win., responding to a jerk that might come from a full-grown pike or pickerel, yank his pole and Jerks the hook end of his !i' e up on the bank, only to find that he has landed a bullhead about the size of his fii.,-. r. All around the 1. ke they sit, these peo ple who fish for tWvfun of the thins, for there is no favorjTV.(,t nt Cut Off. and every now and tlTone is rewarded with a nice catch of crapples, a sunfish or two, and not Infrequent ,y a two or three-pound bass. Iiuffulo and carp are plentiful, and yellow-bellied canMi are also on the list. The sucker doesn't often get Into the lake, for it doesn't offer the conditions necessary to his life; nnd for this reason pike are not often seen there, nor the vigorous channel cat. I!ut the still fisherman Isn't at all particular about this; any old fish will do him, for It is not only a Joy to his soul to be able to haul one of an eatable size from the water, but he has added reward of knowing that his next meal will be varied by a dish than can only be appre ciated by one who has tasted it a fish that wn swimming an hour or two before It is brought steaming from the oven, to the table. When he goes fishing, he often takes his whole family with him, for he Is usually a sociable personage and likes to have plenty of company during bis hours of relaxation. Sometimes lie Is a solitary and does his best to get away Into a shady nook, where he 'can smoke and ruminate and wait for the fish to take his bait and not be disturbed by the chatter of man or woman. Every type of this class of fisherman can be found around the shores of Cut Off lake from early spring until late autumn. Itoth tho professional and the sporty fishern an can find something In their lines at Cut Oft, although the man who fishes for a living Is severely handicapped by a rigid enforcement of the game laws, which prohibit the employment of the methods he most affects in pursuit of his avocation. Seining or snaring fish with nets, the use of "trot lines" or other de vices not calculated to h'tve the fish at least a choice of freedom or capture have been severely frowned upon by the law makers of Nebraska. For the man who only wants "game" fish, the lake has a fair supply of bass, and the fisherman gets an excellent chance in season to use his skillfully contrived devices to "kill" (he never "catches" a fish) some fine strings of black bass. The Nebraska fish commissioners have tlv l;ke under their care and every now and then plant therein a lot of fry of various kinds, so that it Is kept well stocked In this way. About once every so often the Missouri river overflows the bot toms nbove sufficiently to make a channel that will nllow fish to escape from the main stream into the quiet waters of the lake, and adds In this way to Its supply. All In all Cut Off lake Is likely to remain n favorite fishing spot for the common people of Omaha, who Just like to4flsh, for many years. A 7'-:W i I - w il .. U i 1(4$ I - " 1 r : - ML-! fAa 1' ' : v'i.'t j t . '- 4- fi-j$ J I - - I -.; . , 'if " ' . ' '' i'. -' !' ... t. ! . . L . .' ' i'- "' ' - " ' TK.. If V:-.: "'Ul I'f :: tr If- ENOUGH FOR A "MESS.' A FAMILY GROUP. B - - A . I , I W. . .... . I XX 'X. - Z- 1 - - . t m IS it X '."I'.Jnj-ta, i.''-' -xr ' ,t cvK-.,r - :.. .:! V ..; v-.'v.-.-.i V.tv -. - ' 1. - -1 ON THE WAY TO THE FISHING GROUNDS. WHERE THE KXPERTS GO FOR BIG ONES. MESSENGER BOYS "ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON.' v w :.-i,v iNfr r y. . J jyV" - f ;? -' -v ' j "Sf Vy!v 'J'"v' v':. Kir r r ,- 4f ... "--' 2 1 ,---.'ry--Oi . .f!''j-r.'s'- 'r i- . A F ill VTT- - .y,-'.- .vr y-y. , . f- HIS "CATCH" IS GROWING. SECTION OF A SUNDAY "LINE UP" AT THE LAKE. "THE LONE FISHERMAN." -MAUDE MULLER" AT CUT OFF LAKE.