I have heard the champion fish story. It is vouched for as authentic by “the highest and most trustworthy authority,” and, in future, all of the sportsmen who heretofore have not gone it one better should hide their diminished heads. At no time has a Rhode Island dub fireside circle of fishing experts quite attained its level, although some pretty tall tales of marvelous takes have been heard thereabouts. A well-known Providence lawyer recently went forth with rod, line and bait to capture from a country pond the fresh water bass. He got a bite, he gently lifted his pole, he hooked the fish, he reeled him partially in. Suddenly an impediment prevented the rapid landing of the fish. It must be it has gotten behind a stump. The reel works hard. “I mustn’t break the pole.” He keeps up the tension on the line, and runs the pole carefully down to explore, with negative results. Steady but hard pull on silk line finally bring up fish and impediment. It was a pound bass with the bail of a two-quart tin kettle in its mouth, the kettle entire and half filled with mud and leaves. In drawing in the fish, which struck for the bottom, its wide-opened mouth caught the pan-handle, which became entangled with the hook, and remained entangled until the two were brought to the surface. Next!—Providence Press.

From— The Arizona Rhode Island. (Peach Springs, Mohave County, A.T. [Ariz.]), 01 Dec. 1883. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.