Fish Fox - [Fearsome Critter]

The Fish Fox - [Fearsome critter] - (latin: Picisvulpes coertduboisia) 

• About this critter: No doubt you’ve heard of “Fire Foxes” -Well, the ‘Fish Fox’ is a water-bound hunting fox, selectively bred to have aqua-phobic fur! Incredibly loyal: Ask it to fetch a “Four Pound Bass” for dinner & it will return with all in the lake, It will politely return any you don’t want to use - Truly it’s the fisherman’s best friend, fish follow it like its their bud, it can lead entire schools of fish out of the water, making It incredibly convenient for any fisherman that has trained one…

• History:  its yet another “yearn of the big woods” from “Art S Childs" a former game warden who published stories based on his experiences across various newspapers from in 1922-1925. - The Fish-fox yarn goes as follows:

THE FISH-FOX 

 “Snowshoe Bill had a visitor. He was a younger guide, with tanned skin, keen black eyes, and a flashing smile. The two of them smoked and looked over the ripples that danced in the sun.
    “Catching many fish?” asked the visitor.
    “Quite a few,” answered Bill. Then he raised his voice loud enough for the nearby tenderfoot to hear. “By the Way, whatever became of that fish-fox your father had when you were a kid.”
    “Poor old foxy!” replied the young guide sadly. “He grieved himself to death after dad died. He was a dandy, all right. Why, all father had to say, was ‘Foxy, old fellow, we want fish for supper.’ and away he would go to the lake and dive in. Then he’d make a noise like an angleworm and the fish would follow him right out of the water onto the shore and up to the cabin. All dad had to do was to take a club and kill as many as he wanted and tell Foxy to take the rest back to the lake. Some fish we had then.”
    The young fellow took a sidelong glance at the open-mouthed listener. Then winked at Snowshoe Bill and said lazily, “Ho, hum. Those were the happy days.”

This one is likely more or less a fishing yarn, directly linked to those pure bred, Wisconsin ‘Fish Hounds’  that I’m sure you’ve heard of as well.

Sticker art by Samkalensky (yo that’s me!) part of my cryptids/critters American folklore sticker set, check my shop & follow @samkalensky for many more!