NOTES AND QUERIES.. 



[Under this Department Heading queries relative to Angling, Ichthyology and Fish Culture 



will be answered.] 



A New and Wise Suggestion. 



As to the ownership and development of 

 upper waters of trout stream as private fish- 

 ing preserves, I have demonstrated my faith 

 by my recent purchase of Ehe-lila-Mauk, and 

 the construction on that beautiful stream of 

 eleven small, unscreened dams to increase 

 feeding areas, and one large screened dam for 

 a deep wintering place for larger trout. I am 

 fully convinced that the only way to inake 

 trout fishing surely good is for the State to 

 purchase, say two miles of the headwaters of 

 the principal trout streams, and two or more 

 brooks emptying into the main stream five or 

 more miles down stream ; then close them up 

 tight forever, stocking heavily every year 

 these preserves onlyixovcv one CQwXx-aX hatcheiy. 

 This would not only be possible, but easy, and 

 in the long run infinitely cheaper than the 

 present system, which falls but little short of 

 a failure. 



We will take, for instance, those noted 

 streams — the Beaverkill and the Willowemoc; 

 ail outlay of $15,000 would purchase outright 

 five miles of spawning brooks tributary to 

 these streams. Any angler will, I think, bear 

 me out in the statement that if these feeders 

 could be closed entirely, and kept fully 

 stocked, there would be constant and good 

 fishing in the large streams, as trout will seek 

 deep water after attaining fair size. If the 

 State of New York would cut off one-half of 

 its annual appropriation to hatcheries, and 

 devote that sum only to such purchases, you 

 and I, Brother Harris, might yet live to catch 

 full creels of good trout in the noble Beaver- 

 kill. Alas ! we cannot do it now, and it gels 

 worse every year, new hatcheries and increas- 

 ing expense notwithstanding. 



The ownership by the State of the water- 

 shed to these feeders would prove a blessing 

 to all future generations, entirely outside of 

 the question of fishing, if they were allowed 

 to grow up to timber, thus reforesting large 

 areas on the watersheds of all streams having 

 their sources in high lands ; insuring fuller and 

 more constant current ; colder water ; less tend- 



ency to damage by flood ; more uniform dis- 

 tribution of moisture, etc. It is a broad, but 

 simple, scheme; almost certain in its results, 

 depending only on practical, accurate judg- 

 ment in the selection of streams, and in their 

 development, which need never cost over a 

 few hundred dollars to each stream. An an- 

 nual appropriation of $40,000 would in ten 

 years solve the problem of good trout fishing 

 for all time, in all the natural trout waters of 

 New York State. I emphasize natural ; why, 

 I have known of hundreds of thousands of 

 State hatched and State delivered fry to be 

 dumped in waters no more fit for trout than 

 the Erie canal. Temperature of water cuts 

 no figure with the amateur angler, who rushes 

 for a can of trout fry from the supervision 

 allotment; his sire may own a pond where 

 carp would pine and die, but in go the trout 

 fry, furnished at State expense, just the same, 

 and then the anxious dude fisherman buys 

 himself a rod, and is waiting yet for results. 

 O. M. Cleveland. 



Remarliabie Catch of Sea=Trout. 



I beg to submit an account of two catches of 

 sea-trout, which may prove interesting to the 

 many readers of "The American Angler." 

 Both catches are records for the County of 

 Bonaventure, Province of Quebec, and I think 

 might almost be claimed as records anywhere 

 in Eastern Canada, taking everything into 

 consideration. The weight of the fish can be 

 certified to by Chas. Cullen, Esq., Carleton, P. 

 Q., and also by several other witnesses. 



The guide who accompanied me on both 

 trips, was H. H. Brown, Esq., Escuminac, P.Q. 



Montreal, Canada. F. P. Armstrong. 



Result of Two Days' Fishing on the Escu- 

 minac River, Bonaventure Co., Province 

 of Quebec. 



FIRST CATCH. 



July 30-31, 1895. — The first day I only tried 

 two pools, and two fine sea-trout was the re- 

 sult. On the second day in the morning, 



