The case displays Chekhov’s personal belongings related to fishing. The fact that Chekhov was an avid fisherman is evidenced by his words: ‘To catch a pike perch is better and sweeter than love.’ Anton Pavlovich’s friend, poet, prose writer and translator Ivan Alekseevich Belousov, recalled vividly about a day spent fishing with Chekhov. He wrote that more than once he fished in the Melikhovo ponds with the owner. According to him, the fish was biting there without ho, which was even tiresome. Therefore, one day Belousov and Chekhov decided to “hunt for river crucians” and went to the banks of the Oka river.
The writers sat not far from each other. On this day, Belousov said, the bite was weak. The floats either jumped or froze for a long time. It was difficult to call all this fishing. Leaving his fishing rods, Belousov went to Chekhov. And he “only had time to take crucians off the hook”, and they quite large and fat. Belousov even joked that Chekhov must have visited a fortune teller, and she bewitched the fish. Anton Pavlovich showed him a worm pinned on a hook. It wangled enormously. Chekhov chuckled and explained that he had noticed how Ivan Alekseevich was putting the bait, comparing the process with pulling on “small-sized boots on the Sukharev market”, and joked that his worm dies even before the hook falls into the water, and none of such “worm mummy” will attract the fish. At the same time, he did not forget to “prick” his companion, recalling that he considers himself an avid fisherman, and does not know such simple things.
Belousov heeded the advice of a friend. But as soon as the fish began to peck, Chekhov almost in an orderly tone called the guest home. To all the objections and requests of Ivan Alekseevich to stay, Anton Pavlovich replied that “some dunno have forgotten about fish tastes” and once again repeated the demand to pack and go. Chekhov explained that he also caught enough for Belousov’s fish soup, and the fishing principle says that you should not fish for the sake of greed, throwing the fish into the trash afterwards. Crucian carps should be kept for other fishermen too.
There is one more statement by Chekhov about fishing, where he calls it a ‘fine nonsense’, along with eating, drinking and sleeping.
The writers sat not far from each other. On this day, Belousov said, the bite was weak. The floats either jumped or froze for a long time. It was difficult to call all this fishing. Leaving his fishing rods, Belousov went to Chekhov. And he “only had time to take crucians off the hook”, and they quite large and fat. Belousov even joked that Chekhov must have visited a fortune teller, and she bewitched the fish. Anton Pavlovich showed him a worm pinned on a hook. It wangled enormously. Chekhov chuckled and explained that he had noticed how Ivan Alekseevich was putting the bait, comparing the process with pulling on “small-sized boots on the Sukharev market”, and joked that his worm dies even before the hook falls into the water, and none of such “worm mummy” will attract the fish. At the same time, he did not forget to “prick” his companion, recalling that he considers himself an avid fisherman, and does not know such simple things.
Belousov heeded the advice of a friend. But as soon as the fish began to peck, Chekhov almost in an orderly tone called the guest home. To all the objections and requests of Ivan Alekseevich to stay, Anton Pavlovich replied that “some dunno have forgotten about fish tastes” and once again repeated the demand to pack and go. Chekhov explained that he also caught enough for Belousov’s fish soup, and the fishing principle says that you should not fish for the sake of greed, throwing the fish into the trash afterwards. Crucian carps should be kept for other fishermen too.
There is one more statement by Chekhov about fishing, where he calls it a ‘fine nonsense’, along with eating, drinking and sleeping.
