Milt Smelt, Chronicler of the American Huntsman

Well, over at the "other" blog, the perfesser posted a picture of Missus Smelt last week. As I work for a living (ahem), I don't get to catch up on my blog reading until Sunday mornings. So here's the link. She's a mite purty one too, I'd say.

hmmm. rumor has it there's a Missus Smelt. dang, we didn't know that. We'd a got her a blog warming gift. Right now as we speak our crack squadrons of researchers are hunting down a photo of the missus, so stay tuned.

Rumor has it that Milt is in the market for a new flyrod. From an early morning missive from Milt:

I saw the LLBean is offering a bamboo rod again. Only 30,000 cans. I
beamed that forward to my boss, and he sent this back. I wonder whether
enough care can be made in building this rod and in securing good
Tonkin cane to make spending $400 odd on it a good chance?

Then Milt got the following link from a buddy of his, who wrote: "If you are shopping you might like these. I've not seen one, but they get good reviews and the price compares with a standard rod."

 http://www.split-bamboo.com/index-T3.html

Good to know that Milt Smelt is out there, doing the homework, pounding the . . . er, information superhighway, and keeping us all up to date on Good Old-Fashioned Hook and Bullet Wisdom. Shameless plug.

Originally Milt Smelt did his own research, but today of course he has squadrons of research assistants doing the pavement pounding for him, lucky guy. When it comes to smelt fishing, he knows everything his pal Ed Curtis taught him. Ed went on to become a name at The Library of Congress. Here's some of Ed's work:

CREATOR
Curtis, Edward S., 1868-1952.

SUMMARY
Description by Edward S. Curtis: The surf-net used in smelt-fishing is a bag suspended on two diverging poles. At the bottom of the net proper is a restricted opening into a long net-bag, which is held in the fisherman's hand. Dipping and raising his net, he allows the imprisoned smelts to fall down into the bag, where they are securely held until he has enough to justify him in going ashore to empty it.

from The Library of Congress

umm, umm, good. fire up the hot oil.

The importance that is smelt:

“This evening we were visited by Comowool the Clatsop Chief and 12 men women and children of his nation . . . The Chief and his party had brought for sail a Sea Otter skin, some hats, stergeon and a species of small fish which now begin to run, and are taken in great quantities in the Columbia R. about 40 miles above us by means of skimming or scooping nets . . . I find them best when cooked in Indian stile, which is by roasting a number of them together on a wooden spit without any previous preparation whatever. They are so fat they require no additional sauce, and I think them superior to any fish I ever taste, even more delicate and luscious than the white fish of the lakes which hae heretofore formed my standaart of excellence among the fishes.”

Photo and text from The Journals of Captain Meriwether Lewis and William Clark (February 25, 1806).

Makes you hungry for a smelt fry.

see his article, "Winter Grouse."

Yessirree, bob. Hook and bullet in the old school.

"Fishing by the Tribes of Northern California was, and is, not restricted to the rivers. The coastal Indian people also depended a great deal on subsistence from the ocean's shores. Seaweed and surf fish were dried and stored for winter use. Smelt, a small silvery trout-like fish arrives at the ocean's beaches in the summer to spawn. They are harvested with a surf-fishing net then carefully dried for storage. First, they are air dried on logs, then placed on a bed of pebbles, which allows the air to circulate and keeps them off the sand. Depending on the weather, the process may take several days. Here, Annie Kirby poses with a bed of drying smelt for a photo taken about 1920 at Lufenholtz Beach (near Trinidad, California). The Indian People of Trinidad and Smith River, California still prepare surf fish in the traditional manner."

Milt, you should like this: a "Big Lebowski Random Quote Generator."



Stranger: Darkness warshed over the Dude--darker'n a black steer's tookus on a moonless prairie night. There was no bottom.

One of the things we happen to know about Milt Smelt is that he enjoys the work of the late Gabby Hayes. There are many Gabby Hayes web shrines on the internet. Here is one of our favorites:

http://www.gabbyhayes.org/

Also check out this sound file of Gabby's most famous lines.

One of the things we've searched long and hard for is a Gabby Hayes fishing outfit. Here is what it looks like, just in case you ever see one in an antique store or junk shop. Just the thing for some serious smelting, I'd say!

Milt, here are some words to keep in mind as you're blogging:

Words that Probably Should Not Appear in Sex Poems

vat
smelt
knickknack
windsock
meatloaf
phlegm
clamped
kale
curmudgeon
bloated
bunion

- Jessy Randall and Daniel M. Shapiro

at Red Booth Review

Jesus Gulls
.................................

The Jesus gulls walk lightly
On the water over thinning harbour ice.
They scrap and scree,
Over small and odd little bits of flesh.

The smelt shack fisherman is a drunken
Face of stubble and hand of knarling wood.
He wears fingerless gloves
Of shaking black and fading wool.

The smelt shack fisherman brings his gun
He waits for the day his vision clears,
There on the ice a crack and then
When bullet pierces pectoral muscle
Shattering fused spine and a gull implodes.
He'll cry! A great shot!
Twenty-two from forty yards.

The gulls will circle briefly and forgive
The smelt shack fisherman of all sin.
Perhaps they will eat their fallen friend
Perhaps they will leave it for the thaw.
They know this in their heart of hearts
The innocent have no mercy.

.................................
Scott Cudmore
.................................

Copyright © Scott Cudmore
April 1996

of Stratford, Prince Edward Island

Check it out: babes in wool clothes. It's enough to make you hot.