7751

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7751
• Author: Quartarone, F.
• Title: Historical Accounts of Upper Colorado River Basin Endangered Fish.
• USFW Year: 1993.
• USFW - Doc Type: Denver, CO.
• Copyright Material: NO

Historical
accounts of
upper basin
endangered
fish

16

finally hauled in a whitefish about 4 feet long but got my hands
rope-burned by the fish line before I had the fish on the bank.
"I took it to the cow camp and all the boys liked it, so I was told to
go get another. But, remembering the rope burns from the fish line, I
decided to fish on horseback with a dally around the saddle horn.
Not having another blackbird for bait, I hunted a nest of mice baited
up with them and went fishing. Right off, a whopper latched onto
the mice and was hooked. I didn't fool around but doubled the dally
on the saddle horn and hauled that fish out like I was dragging a calf
to the branding fire.
"Well! This fish was the biggest I had ever caught or ever seen.
A few hard whacks on the head with a tree limb quieted the fish to
where it looked dead. I hung the head of the fish on the pommel of
the saddle with a strap and its tail hung down to the horse's fetlock.
"It was spring, and like I say, I was just 17 and there was a
young lady living at the Barnes's place, just below the mouth of the
Little Snake River. I figured me catching the fish would maybe
make a good impression on that attractive young lady, so I made a
detour to show off my fish at the Barnes's place.
"Mrs. Barnes had just hung her washing on the clothesline. She
saw the monster fish and went in to get a camera. About then I felt
the horse flinch a bit and looked down in time to see that darn fish
come to life and give a mighty slap with its tail, catching my horse
in the belly. I tried to get off with dignity but my horse helped me
off in a hurry, then ran off. The strap holding the fish broke, and the
horse took off right through the clothesline, which caught on the
saddle horn and strung out for a quarter of a mile along the grease-
wood flats."