Father’s Day would be a good day to catch an Angelpond lunker. Summer arrives on the 21st, another good day to fish. Every day’s a fishing day, unless it’s not.
Angelkeep has had its fair share of prize catches. One grandson, using a two-hook crawler harness, pulled in a bass and bluegill at the same time, each on their own hook. There was that 11-inch gill caught back in the day. The story should have been highlighted in Angelkeep Journals, but who would have believed?
“It really does seem strange that people will doubt modern fish stories even from such a reliable authority as Dolphus and yet give credit to stories told thousands of years ago by unknown story tellers. There, for instance, is the story of the fish who swallowed Jonah. There is also the story of feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and three small fishes. There are other fish stories and no one questions them, yet, occasionally we find a person who doubts Dolph and Tom when they tell the truth.”
The Bluffton Chronicle’s sports columnist wrote that in June 1898 after telling the fish story from along the Banks of the Old Wabash as sworn by Dolph and Tom.
“Why have you not given us a new fish story?” was asked of Dolph Tribolet, a Bluffton merchant.
“I have grown disgusted with the disposition exhibited by certain people to question the simple facts connected with fishing,” replied Dolphus.
“Were I in the habit of telling improbable fish stories and in any way bulging, I would not blame them for doubting my work. Why, do you know,” said Dolph in a confidential tone, “that I have never yet dared to relate my most interesting experience with fish? All of this is because of the disposition of some people, who know nothing about fish, to doubt the actual truth.
“Fish know much more than we suppose. I remember four or five years ago, in company with Tom Sturgis, I caught a black bass that weighed 29 pounds. He fought like a tiger, but I landed him. I shall never forget the look that that bass gave us as I laid him out in the boat. I gazed upon him often as he lay there. He had a look of intelligence in his face and I noticed that he was weeping. Tom and I wept too. I wiped his eyes with my handkerchief and still the tears rolled down his cheeks. I noticed that every time he caught my eye he would turn up his tail as though he wanted us to examine it. I finally noticed a gold chain and locket attached to his tail. Of course Tom will insist that the chain was silver, but it wasn’t. I unclasped the chain from his tail and examined the locket. There I found the following inscription:
“‘Caught in 1778 by Daniel Boone.’
“‘Caught in 1809 by General Harrison.’
“‘Caught in 1814 by Indian Chief Tecumseh.’
“‘Caught in 1853 by Abe Lincoln.’
“‘Caught in 1878 by Thomas Hendricks.’
“I inscribed the locket ‘Caught in 1897 by Adolphus Jacob Tribolet, Thomas E. Sturgis, witness,’ and then we fastened the locket on his tail and put him into the water. This occurred just above the Deam Island and I have no doubt that the fish is in that vicinity today and will in the course of time be landed again.”
“Why didn’t you bring that fish up in the city and exhibit him and the gold chain and locket,” was asked by a newsman.
“Pshaw; do you suppose I would seek notoriety from which such men as Boone, Harrison, Tecumseh, Lincoln, and Tom Hendricks shrunk? No sir. This is the first time I ever mentioned that incident and I don’t want you to print it. If you do I will deny I ever said a word of it. The people have no idea what they miss by discrediting fish stories,” said Dolph.
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Angelkeep reckons that old black bass with the gold chain and locket yet lingers in the Wabash River near the old Deam Arboretum. It’d be a mighty fine fishin’ spot come the first summer’s day, all shady and all, by the Rivergreenway. Jist in case, Angelkeep’ll toss into the old tackle box a sharp gold etching tool.
Mr. Daugherty is a Wells County resident who, along with his wife Gwen, enjoy their backyard and have named it “Angelkeep.”
