Souvenir History of Bruce Beach/The Fishing Club

History of the Bruce Beach Fishing Club

THE Records of Bruce Beach would be incomplete without a history of the Fishing Club. The genesis of the Club, and the experiences of the fishermen in their first venture were related in a Sporting magazine by Rev. W. A. Bradley, a short time after the trip to Miller Lake, and reproduced here: There is situated on the shore of Lake Huron, some six miles south of the town of Kincardine, a summer resort known as Bruce Beach, which numbers about seventy-five cottages, about one half of which are owned, or occupied, by clergymen, comprising theological professors, city and country pastors.

One night last camping season my cottage was invaded by a number of genuine successors of Peter; James, and John, sons of thunder as well as possessors of the instincts of the fisherman, who proposed a fishing trip to some good fishing ground, and inquired if I was familiar with any. I told them that the Bruce County Council bad three years ago held its June meeting in Tobermory, the extreme point of that index finger of Bruce county, that points to the north star, and that one of my men, who had accompanied the party, on his return, when I inquired how the fishing was in the Bruce peninsula replied, "Fishing? I tell you that the bass are so plentiful and gamey in those lakes up there, that you have to go behind a tree to keep them from seeing you bait your hook, or they will be out after it." One of the party said that he had a suspicion that the story must be true, for he had a man in his employ who had fished in a lake up there, but who so far had escaped the attacks of the bass, who had told him similar stories of fishermen's luck, and who had placed a tent and fishing paraphernalia at his disposal, if he should ever go to Miller Lake for a fishing outing. "That settles it," chimed in the other members of the party, "we leave for the peninsula tomorrow morning at 5 o'clock." However next day we concluded that the week was too far spent. and as some of the party had to preach on Sunday, that we would wait till the following week, and riot limit ourselves to time.

Our party consisted of a theological professor, two city pastors, one of which had accompanied our troops in France, who shall be known as the Captain, a pastor from Cobourg, the writer, and (as no Presbyterian church court is complete without an elder) an elder from Hamilton.

Bright and early the next week two Ford cars were filled with sleeping blankets, cooking utensils, fishing tackle, cutlery, thermos bottles, cups and saucers; sufficient for the party, and 8 o'clock saw these clerical disciples of Isaak Walton heading for parts unvisited before by any member of the party.

Considerable scepticism was expressed by the wives of the party as they saw binder twine sacks being taken along in which to bring home the fish, and suggestions were made that the fish brought back were not to cost more than 13 cents per pound. All this chaffing the fishermen endured with Christian fortitude and resignation as becometh saints.

Kincardine, Tiverton, Underwood, Port Elgin, Southampton, and Allenford, we passed through, and Wiarton reached by 12 o'clock nOon. Here the party waited till the arrival of the G. T. R. train from the south which was to bring the sixth member of the party, the elder from Hamilton.

After a sumptuous dinner in the Arlington Hotel whose genial proprietor well deserves mention here for the excellency of the cuisine provided in that hostel, the party set out for Lion's Head, which was a little over half way from Wiarton to Our objective point.

Here begin the turns and twists in the road that have made the peninsula famous. I had heard of an Englishman, Irishman, and Scotchman, telling stories of the sharp turns in the roads that they bad experienced in their travels. The Englishman had been on a road so tortuous that he could never see twenty yards straight ahead of him. The Scotchman told of a trip he had to the centennial in Philadelphia years ago, where the curves in the railway were so sharp, that he, in the baggage car, handed his chewing tobacco to the man on the rear of the last coach of the tram, and got it back at the next curve. The Irishman said that driving around the Lakes of Killarney the curves in the road were so sharp that on a number of occasions he saw the back of his own head. But on the peninsula roads we were told that the driving horses were all fat, because at every curve in this road they could eat out of the back of the buggy to which they were hitched. "Well these roads," said the Toronto pastor, when we reached Lion's Head, "are crooked enough to make a snake dizzy."

Here we inquired about the fishing at Miller Lake, and the distance to that place. The opinion expressed was that the fishing there was not very good, and the distance in the minds of many to whom we spoke was uncertain as we were told that it was 14 miles by some, 15 by others. and 17 by the hotel keeper, who recommended Stokes Bay as a better fishing ground, and his house for our accommodation at night, as there was no accommodation at Miller Lake. However we were not to be diverted from our objective, and set out for Cape Chin, over roads that made the Rocky Roads to Dublin unworthy of the name, for while the road from Wiarton to Lion's Head was over rocks and hills, the road from Lion's Head to Cape Chin made us experience Roller Boller thrills. One member of the party remarked that these roads were up and down and in and out at the same rime. As we passed a curve·in the road a large bill board with the sign

BLACK BASS
Navy Chewing Tobacco

stood out before us. "That is encouraging," said the pastor from Cobourg. "The black bass in this country chew tobacco." We were satisfied however that Premier Drury and his capable Minister of Public Works. to whom the province owes so much for good roads, had never visited this part of the province or the roads in the peninsula would be better.

At 6 p.m. we arrived at our destination. Here we presented a letter of introduction to a Mr. West, to whom we had phoned from Lion's Head, and with whom we expected to stay while in the vicinity. Mr. West was somewhat perplexed by the clerical invasion, as already two fishing parties, from London, Ont. were camped with him. He said he could accommodate us with meals, but as for sleeping quarters, he did not know what to do, but we removed his perplexity by telling him that we would be content with the hay mow. He told us that the elder's friend had left a tent here that we might have, so under the instruction of the Captain, whose experience in France stood him in good stead, we soon had it pitched on the lawn in front lawn of our host's house. Two cots were placed in it, and preparations made for the night. Two of our party, the Captain and the Cobourg pastor occupied the cots, while the remaining four of us betook ourselves to the barn, rolled ourselves in our blankets, while the moon shed its silvery light through the cracks between the boards in the side of the barn on the four sleeping beauties testing for the first time the comforts of a hay mow. One of the tent sleepers remarked in the morning that they thought they heard a fog horn blowing throughout the night, but concluded after some deliberation that the sounds proceeded from the hay mow, while the other said that when Mr. West's cows came in from the pasture, in the moonlight to lie beside the barn, as was their custom, when they heard strange sounds proceeding from within, listened for a while, then erecting their tails in the air as though they had been attacked by a swarm of heel flies, turne'-ci, and with furious speed, ·sought safety among the rocks in the direction of Tobermorr. These were the snoring stories we heard next morning as at 5.30 the fishermen were performing their ablutions around the kitchen door of their capable hostess, while the savOl. H)" and appetizing smell of bacon and eggs etc. proceeded from the cooking utensils on the range within.

Here J must make mention of two genuine disciples of the piscatorial art, NfL Thomas Ball, and 11r. Norman fvIcLeod his mmpanion, both of London, Ont., whom we met at the home where we were staying. Ml'. Ball has visited this part of the peninsula for sixteen summers, and is himself a sportsman of the first order; for he placed his boat and his fishing paraphernalia, as well as information about the grounds at our disposal that morning. This provided our party with two boats, and 8 a.m. saw the two fishing craft anchored a few yards apart in the Lake\\'here :Messrs. Ball and McLeod had marked out choice spots by small pine tree buoys. Here the fishing was all that could be desired, as the ' gamey small mouthed black bass-'the only- kind in this lake-made the reels sing, and the vigorous pike struggled to free himself from the hooks of the fishermen. The theological professor had hooked a large fish of the latter species, but it got away, taking also his hook. Soon he was reeling in another fish, and when taking out his hook announced that it was the same fish that he had hooked before, for there in its mouth was his hook and one inch of his line. "What splendid business instincts we fellows have shown," said the elder, "in electing the professor the treasurer of our party, for he will not even permit a hook to be lost." "That reminds me," said the Captain, "of a story I heard of an incident that happened in the north of Scotland," but just then he was interrupted by a bending rod and the excited shouts of "you have got him" from the other boat. \X7hen the fish' was landed he began again, but was ap:ain interrupted b~' "stay \\'ith him Dick" from the same boat. \\'hen this ./ish was safely over the gun\\' ale, tbe Captain a'p:ain started. but before be had reached in ()rthoch-:: homiletical style the 15th place 261y, he was ap:ain interrupted, by the same trill \\ith "hold steady, hold stead\' old bo\'~" The landing net was got ~ J. <- ...... into position. and a beautiful three and three quarter pound bass proudly landed. "Here." said the Captain, "jf you fellows in that buat don't stop landing !ish I will not be able to finish my story." The theological professor then in pedaJ:;ogical tones ordered all hooks to be taken from the water, in order that the Captain might not again be interrupted in telling his story. So he began anew as follows. "There was a kirk in the north of Scotland

where the two deacons, Sandy and Donald, counted the

collection after each service. One day a stranger had dropped in unobsen'ed, and when Sandy and Donald were counting the coppers, they found among them a ten shilling gold piece. There was astonishment and amazement on the faces of the two ~ deacons, Sandy declared "There ri1USt be something wrong." Donald said "Sandy, it must be a counterfeit." "\Vell I'll try my teeth on it," said Sandy, "and see if it is." ~e put It in his mouth. and in his efforts to see if he could dint it, swallowed the coin. Consternation prevailed, and a Doctor 'with a stomach pump was hastily summoned, but with all the doctors efforts he could only get out of Sandy'S stomach nine shill ings and sixpence,"

""VeiL" said one of the party, amid the laughter, "the fish that won't bite after hearing that story is a poor sport," and the hooks were again lowered with fresh bait. By noon \ve had captured twenty-five fine .fish: These had to be carried a distance of half a mile to our host's house, and it was no small load, as they \veighed about seventy pounds. But by nse of the binder twine bag, and a pole they \vere safely transported and placed on ice in Mr. Wf est's ice house and covered with sawdust. No one seemed more pleased at our success than Mr. Ball who congratulated us on our catch, and held the end of the rope on which we strung them, in order to have them photographed, The story of .finding the hook in the pik~' s mouth was told by the Theological professor, but Mr. Ball went him one better, by telling of an experience he had on one occasion. He and his son were still fishing from a boat, and both had a vigorous strike almost at the same time, His son was struggling with a strong fish,. but. it broke his line and got away, and he, in the excitement, let his steel rod fall overboard and it sank, They probed arollnd in the water with his son's bamboo rod, but no trace of the steel rod could be found. They still continued to fish, and in less than an hour landed a l<u'ge fish, when to their astonishment they found his son's hook in its mouth, and another hook also, with a line attached. They pulled on the line, and up came the steel rod which he had let fall into the water, thus procuring the lost'nook and the lost rod. Some of the party were inclined to play the part of doubting Thomas, but the narrator assured them that it was so ..

In the afternoon we were accompanied by Messrs. Ball and .McLeod, and sixteen more fine fish were added to the catch. On one occasion the Toronto pastor, brought a large pike into the boat with such haste that it described a circle and almost knocked the pipe out of :Mr. Ball's mouth who was sitting opposite to him. 1fr. Ball removed the pipe and sang "0 the bulls won't bellow, and the cows won't low, The hens' won't cackle, and the cocks won't crow, The turkeys won't gnbble and the ducks won't quack. And nothing will go right till my Jean comes back" amid the applause and laughter of the party. As the slIn was beginning to set, the boats pulled to the shore, and the catch brought to the house, and placed . beside that of the morning. A good supper \vas enjoyed, and the tent and the hay mow again became the resting places for the nigh t, all the party feeling that as they had a successful day's sport they would enjoy a good night's rest. Some of the party suggested in the morning that we try our hand again for a few hours before returning home, but the majority thought that 41 fish ought to satisfy the ayerage fishing party. So after the catch had been packed in two sacks with ice and sawdust, and placed on the running boards of the car we bid good bye to our host and hostess, and the two fishing companions we had met, and set out for Bruce Beach, but not before we had formed a fishing club, with the writer as president, the elder, as vice president, and the theological professor as secretary and treasurer, our purpose being, if spared, to make an annual visit to Miller Lake. Four o'clock saw us back again at our cottages after a journey of 188 miles. The news spread that th.e fishin.g party had returned, and before- long the fishermen were surrounded by an eager company of spectators, who snapped their cameras as they sa}\' the display of fish. ' It only remains to be said that more campers on the Beach ate fish next day than on any day of the season, from the distribution of the catch that was made by the fishing party. . The following year the membership of the Club was enlarged by the addition of Dr. J. R. P. SdateL Dr. \'{'. H. Sedge\\'ick, Dr. L. R. Pattison, Dr. J. F. lIcKenzie and .11r. J. Robertson, the fishing was l:ather a disappointment this trip. Dr. Sclater hooked a fine bass. with considerable skill played it up to the boat, but in a final struggle, after many leaps from the water, it threw the hook and got a\\"ay. The fishermen \"ere all attention as they ~\-atched tl-te manoeuver, but were disappointed when the)saw the result of the struggle. However, rather than return empty handed the members purchased $15.00 worth of lake trout iri \\Tiarton, on their way home, that their friends might not also be disappointed if they returned without fish. In 1924 only six members of the club made the trip. The fishing was good, the merriment up to that of former trips, and the little outing en joyed to the fullest extent. The Author has dedicated the following poem to his splendid fishing companions.

THE BRUCE PENINSULA FISHING CLUB

I will hie me away on a bright summer day To a fisherman's haunt, no mistake, Sl \'{!here the clear waters flow, that are colder than snow, On the shores of the fair Miller Lake. ~.' 'How my heart beats with joy, with the mirth of a boy, \'{fhen the springtime has come, and I take Down my rod, and my reel, that have proved true as steel, And I long for the fair Miller Lake. . '- \'{!hat an outfit they are, the unconquered Ford car, That refused no burden we take, And the blankets that say 'we delight in the hay That is furnished at fair Miller Lake'. \'{!hen the collar that's white, laid aside, and it's right That we should for the present forsake Both the garb, and the gown, and the dress of the town; \Vhen ,ye go to the fair Miller Lake. For the bass and the pike compensate for the hike, That our zeal for the sport makes us take, But we always are paid for the trips we h~ve made To the shores of the fair Miller Lake. How often we've thought, if no fish had been caught, \Ve're repaid for the journey we make, For nur pleasure is great, and the fun we create Is'the charm of our trip to the Lake.

Members of the Club: Rev. \'i('. A. Bradley, D.D., President; Mr. Norman Slater, Vice-President; Rev. Richard Davidson, D.D., Sec-Treasurer; Rev. \'V. A. Bremner, Rev. N. A. MacEachern, D.D., Rev. D. T. L. McKerrolL D.D., Rev. \'V. H. Sedgewick, D.D., Rev. J. R. P. Sclater, D.D., L. R. Pattison D.D.S. and J. F. McKenzie, D.D.S.