74 WHERE, WHEN, AND HOW TO CATCH FISH 



During the first season I contented myself with catching the fish 

 I needed for my family or that could be used by the hotel ; but, as 

 time wore on, fishermen came along who, in their rivalry and banter 

 with each other, brought in large lots. 



I saw over 500 Black Bass and Pickerel buried on the shore near 

 the hotel many days in succession. Finally, once in 1865 and once 

 in 1866, I went out to see what I could do, and brought in 120 each 

 day. I counted only the Black Bass and Pickerel, all others having 

 been returned to the water. 



All of the fishes of the lakes were of fine edible quality, as the 

 water was clear, clean, and cold. I preferred the Sunfish, as they 

 were of the large Blue Gill variety and would average three-fourths of 

 a pound. 



White Bear, War Eagle, and Birch lakes, from 1857 until 1862, 

 were nearly as good as the Minnetonkas. 



I first visited Green Lake, Wisconsin, in 1870, and spent many 

 seasons there, sometimes remaining as late as November, the best Bass 

 fishing being during the month of October. There nearly all are the 

 Small-Mouth species, while at the Minnesota lakes nearly all are the 

 Large Mouth. The catches, however, are much smaller, twenty-five 

 to the boat in the best of seasons being a full average. 



From 1882 until 1889, I camped from two to four months each 

 year on the lines of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railway, 

 and on those of the Northwestern Railway, in northern Wisconsin 

 and the Northern Peninsula of Michigan, after Brook Trout, Large 

 and Small-Mouth Bass, Pickerel and Mascalonge. 



My best ground for Bass was Lake Gogebig, which I visited the 

 first year the road was finished to that point. There I saw hundreds 

 of Small-Mouth Bass brought and buried day after day, but I never 

 indulged in any great number. As I was in camp where I could get 

 Brook Trout to eat, I caught very few Bass. 



On one occasion while camped with two friends on the east branch 

 of the Ontanogan River, at that time almost a virgin Trout stream, we 

 concluded we would try Duck Lake, which was the principal source 

 of supply of water to the stream we were on. I had camped on the 

 lake the year before and knew it well. We went up to Watersmeet, 

 taking along three Bond iron sectional boats and a fifty-four pound 

 Rushton cedar, and put them on the train at 7 A. M., having four 

 guides with us. We ran six miles on the train, carried the boats 



