Barbotte (Bull-pout)

written by


« Reload image

Dere’s some lak dory, an' some lak bass,
  An' plaintee dey mus' have trout--
  An' w'ite feesh too, dere’s quite a few
  Not satisfy do widout--
  Very fon' of sucker some folk is, too,
  But for me, you can go an' cut
  De w'ole of dem t'roo w'at you call menu,
  So long as I get barbotte--
  Ho! Ho! for me it’s de nice barbotte.

  No fuss to ketch heem--no row at all,
  De sam' as you have wit' bass--
  Never can tell if you hook heem well,
  An' mebbe he’s gone at las'!
  An' trout, wall! any wan’s ketchin' trout
  Dey got to be purty smart--
  But leetle bull-pout, don't have to look out,
  For dem feller got no heart--
  Good t'ing, dey ain't got no heart

  Dat’s wan of de reason I lak heem too--
  For all you have got to do
  Is takin' your pole on de feeshin' hole
  An' anchor de ole canoe--
  Den spit on de worm for luck, an' pass
  De leetle hook up de gut,
  An' drop it down slow, jus' a minute or so,
  An' pull up de nice barbotte,
  Ha! Ha! de fine leetle fat barbotte.

  Pleasan' to lissen upon de spring
  De leetle bird sing hees song,
  Wile you watch de line an' look out for sign
  Of mooshrat swimmin' along;
  Den tak' it easy an' smoke de pipe,
  An' w'ere is de man has got
  More fun dan you on de ole canoe
  W'en dey 're bitin', de nice barbotte--
  De nice leetle fat barbotte.

  No runnin' aroun' on de crick for heem,
  No jompin' upon de air,
  Makin' you sweat till your shirt is wet
  An' sorry you 're comin' dere--
  Foolin' away wit' de rod an' line
  Mebbe de affernoon--
  For sure as he bite he’s dere all right,
  An' you 're ketchin' heem very soon--
  Yass sir! you 're gettin' heem purty soon.

  Den tak' heem off home wit' a dozen more
  An' skin heem so quick you can,
  Fry heem wit' lard, an' you’ll fin' it hard
  To say if dere’s on de pan
  Such feesh as dat on de worl' before
  Since Adam, you know, is shut
  Out of de gate w'en he’s comin' home late,
  As de nice leetle fat barbotte--
  Dat’s true, de nice leetle sweet barbotte.

© William Henry Drummond