114 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



have been caged. Sam Garrison, who is thoroughly posted 

 about the fish lake and the birds on the shores, had the party 

 in charge. The best fishing for black bass is found off the 

 Brandon House Dock. 



Vitro !>,•!.'.— huhtijion, Sept. 7.— Bass fishing in the James 

 River, at Varner's Falls, is good. A party of Ihree caught 

 sixty there the other day in six hours fishing. They avenged 

 two pounds each. 



Salmon usv Bonito.— The following letter has been re- 

 ceived by Professor Baird from a gentleman thoroughly con- 

 versanl with the fish and fisheries of Narragansett Bay: 



Nttwroirr, Sept. 2, 1878. 



Pkofkshok Baird — Dear Sir: Thinking it may be of some 

 interest to you, 1 take this occasion to communicate two facts 

 that came to my knowledge concerning fishes in these waters. 

 First : Mr. Edward Lawton caught in a heart seine, at Brin- 

 ton's Cove, Inst" month, a salmon weighing 1H pounds. 

 Second : Captain Albert Gray saw last Friday, eastward of 

 Block Island, an immense school of bonito— he thinks not 

 less than a, 000 barrels— more, he says, than he ever saw of 

 horse mackerel (bluefish). Yours truly, 



J. M. K. Sotjtiiwick. 



A Fishing Hog,— This intelligent pachyderm hails from 

 Aurora, Bid. Be goes into the stream and catches his fish, 

 plunging beneath the water, and, coming up with a big fellow 

 iu his mouth, comes to shore to devour him. Now, we all 

 know that a pig is death on crabs. In the South, it is delight- 

 ful to see a porker alter fiddler crabs. The fishing animals 

 seem to increase every day. We have heard of a fithing cat, 

 dog and pig, and very shortly a horse and a cow will be found 

 to be piscatorially inclined. Might wc slate, parenthetically, 

 that we have known many fishing animals that deserved the 

 porcine appellation ; their appetite never could be sated. 



"Fisoatob's " Herring. —Albany, Sept. l.—HdUor Forent 

 and Stream: In hopes lhat I may cast a trifle of light on the 

 question, I send you the following iu regard to "Fiscalor's" her- 

 ring : Iu July, '77, between the 8th and 20th, these fish ran up 

 the Black Riveras far as the village of Dexter, where their prog- 

 ress was arrested by the dam. We were constantly annoyed 

 in the evening by their taking our flics when we were c sting. 

 The fish were so thick that one day a party were rowing 

 through a school of them and two jumped in the boat. In 

 appearance these herrings were like our .North Itiver herring 

 —dark on the hack, silver underneath, and the same peculiar 

 square-shaped moulh. Their stomachs compared to their 

 backs was as the edge of a razor to the back of it. Being 

 possessed of a wonderful powei for Wiggling and squirming 

 they are not the most pleasaut fish to handle. Dunne their 

 Btay fishing was very poor, but soon as they left there were 

 some fine strings of bass, pike, and large yellow perch caught 

 out on the bar in Black River Bay. Dexter. 



"Them was the Days."— From the Battery to Hell Gate, i_ 

 the East River, and to and beyond Carmausville in the North 

 River, the New York docks are thronged on (Sundays by 

 striped bass anglers of every persuasion and color, every tribe 

 and kindred under heaven. There are anglers with rods who 

 never catch anything, and urchins without rods at all who 

 catch all the fish, men who lug enormous creels, and carry 

 ttiern home empty, and small boys who run home with their 

 pockets full, swells who scare the fish away with huge blazing 

 diamoud pins on glaring shirt fronts, and leas pietontkmB cos- 

 mopolites, innocent of diamonds and shirt. Amid this motley 

 throng the autocrat, oracle and seer is the ancient and grizzled 

 graybeard. Like hisantequated rod and weather-stained basket 

 ne is seasoned with the years, and mottled with theBtorms 

 and Bunshine of a half century. "Where once from the rocks 

 he cast his shedder and squid, drawing up a generous creel, 

 now amid the cargoes of Atlantic steamships, he sits all day 

 long 



Like Patience on a— 

 spile "spilin"' for a nibble. After the fiugerling has been 

 bravely landed, and safely dropped into the cavernous basket. 

 bis countenance is overspread with a mingled gratification 

 and disgust-, and his garrulous tongue dilates to the reveren- 

 tial youngster upon the glorious catches of they cars and years 

 ago, when he was a boy. Yes, and here's bad luck to the com- 

 merce that has destroyed the old patriarch's sport. 



A Man and a Bass.— All this happened at Norwich. Men 

 were hauling seine at Niantic ; big bass broke away from the 

 meshes, and scuttled off for the sea ; shallow water prevented 

 his swimming. The Norwich Bulletin says something to this 

 effect : 



The men dashed excitedly after him, and vainly sought to 

 stop him with desperate kicks from their heavy fishing-*boots, 

 and blows from such implements as they could pick up on the 

 beach. No one dared to grasp the monster, as a bass of large 

 size, armed with its sharp fins and razor-like teeth and gills, 

 is one of the fiercest and most dangerous of sea-fish. At, last 

 Mr. 'Winship went for him, and jumped on lhat bass, and 

 hugged him, and sat on him, and at last Mr. Winship and the 

 46J: pound bass were hauled ashore. 



Whipping a Bkss— Editor Forest and Stream : Not fully 

 comprehending the meaning of "E. A. KVs" answer of the 

 Sthinst., I referred the same to some of our leading sports- 

 men, such as Messrs. Simonds, Andrus, Atkinson and others, 

 none of whom were able to understand what was meant by 

 "whipping a bass," "whipping" being an expression fox- 

 throwing the fly with light rod and fly-line. My opinion was 

 indorsed by these gentlemen that to drag the bass, when 

 hooked, through the water, by swinging the pole right and 

 left, is clumsy and unsportsmanlike, and frightens" the re- 

 mainder of the school. Why not lift the fish out at once with 

 a tackle strong enough to drag him anywhere ? It is a method 

 which might not prove quite so successful with the West Hill 

 Pond anglers when playing a six-pounder. However, before 

 condemning, Hartford sportsmen are anxiously looking for- 

 ward to an explanation of "E, A. KVs " method of " whip- 

 ping a bass," and to the expounding of the new theories of 

 the Wolcottville school. The gentlemen also indorse my 

 opinion as to the scum on our ponds, so unpropitious lo fish- 

 ing, which "E. A. K.'s" observant eyes did not fail to de- 

 tect. It is caused by decaying vegetation (not rocks) aud is 

 therefore more frequent in ttrfciflQlally raised waters than in 

 others. West Hill Pond was originally, some fifteen to 

 twenty years ago, an exceedingly small and clear pond ■ it is 

 now some fifteen feet above its former level and covers a I 



great deal of decaying vegetation. Its active springs are 

 thought to be subsidiary in the frequent raising of its scum. 

 Shuttle Meadow Lake covers a large quantity of brush and 

 the like, and is, on account of its great quantity of scum, en- 

 tirely unfit for fishing, except on a few days in the season. 

 Twin Lakes are in their natural condition, and consequently 

 free from scum. Black bass are said to shun this decaying 

 matter, so far from feeding on it. "E. A. K-'s " vigorous 

 appliance of the whip brings to mind the four Frenchmen in 

 a heavy wagon drawn by one dilapidated and exhausted beast. 

 When inquiring for some pjaee, fifteen miles away, and being 

 informed that they could not reach there on that night, they 

 excitedly exclaimed like one man: "Vynot? Ye all got 

 vips ?" May the ridiculous aspect of these foreign gentle- 

 men serve as a serious warning to your " interesting and ob- 

 servant " correspondent, leBt in his scientific and microscopic 

 researches, he apply his whin too freely to his theories of 

 rocky sediment and " whipping a bass." P. X. 



A HOME-MADE BLACK BASS RODS. 



Editob Forest and Stream : 



As the autumn fishing for black bass will soon begin in Ken- 

 tucky, Tennessee, Northern Alabama and Georgia, and as the 

 anglers in the several States are extremely partial to a natural 

 cane or bamboo rod, I desire to tell them how to make a good 

 one of this material at little cost, and which, though not 

 "thing of beauty," will prove itself a "joy forever," in com- 

 parison with the cane rod as generally used. After using such 

 a rod as I am about to describe for one season, the angler will 

 be ready lo advance another step and adopt a good ash and 

 lanccwood rod, which contingency, I am free to admit, is the 

 principal motive for this communication. 



A natural bamboo cane, as it is procured at the tackle 

 stores, is from fifteen to twenty feet in length, and it is the 

 custom in the localities named to use from ten to twelve feet 

 of the smaller or upper end of such a cane for a black bass 

 rod, after attaching standing guides and a reel fastening. 

 While such a rod is strong and light, with a moderate degree 

 of pliancy and elasticity, it entirely lacks the great desideratum, 

 balance, being deeideuly top-heavy, and is too small at the 

 butt to allow of a firm grasp of the hand, generally necessitat- 

 ing the use of both hands to hold it. Now to obtain the 

 greatest amount of good and pleasure from a rod of this 

 character, proceed as follows : Select a genuine bamboo cane, 

 which may be known by its dark, mottled markings, looking 

 as though it had been burnt about the leaf-ridges, or knots. 

 Select one that is hard aud elastic, with a good taper, and 

 quite small at the tip ; those known as " male " canes are the 

 best, having larger bulges, or leaf-ridges, and being much 

 tougher than the "female" canes. Having chosen a good one, 

 cut off six and a half feet of the smaller end for the rod, the 

 remaining larger portion of the cane will make a good handle 

 for a landing-uet. Now make a wooden butt of white ash or 

 black walnut, from eighteen to twenty inches long, of thefol- 

 lowing diameters: At the extreme butt end, seven-eighths of 

 an inch : now increase the diameter by a gradual taper to an 

 inch and one-eighth at a distance of five inches from the ex- 

 treme butt ; then decrease the taper to an inch at a distance 

 of seven inches from extreme butt. The next four inches 

 forms the reel seat, and is one inch in diameter throughout 

 its length ; now decrease the diameter by a rapid, concave 

 taper for two inches to three-fourths of an inch, and then a 

 gradual taper to the smaller end of the butt, which must ex- 

 ceed the diameter of the large end of the cane about one six- 

 teenth of an inch : the diameter of the large end of the cane- 

 joint — when cut in two— will be from half an inch to five- 

 eighths of an inch. Having proceeded according to the in- 

 structions just given, we have a cane joint six feet and six 

 inches long, and a wooden butt, say twenty inches long, with 

 the grip of one and one eighth of an inch in diameter, and the 

 reel seat of one inch diameter. Now procure a set of reel 

 bands one inch inside diameter ; a pair of ferrules for the 

 joint — the inside diameter of the smaller ferrule being of the 

 same diameter as the large end of the cane piece, which can 

 readily be ascertained with a pair of calipers ; five standing 

 guides, graduated sizes, and a solid metal lip. These 

 mountings should be brass or German sdver. The guides 

 should be attached at equal distances between the reel seat to 

 the tip, and, having properly fitted the ierrules aud reel bands, 

 give the rod two coals of shellac, or coach varnish. When 

 dry, the rod iB ready for use, and will be about eight feet in 

 length, and weighing not more than eight ounces ; a single- 

 handed rod equal to any rod made for casting ; will be well 

 balanced and strong, but will lack the pliancy, elasticity and 

 perfect working of a good ash and lancewood rod, yet it will 

 be such a great imp rovemtnt on the cane rod as generally 

 used, that it has only lo be tried to be appreciated. 



Vyidhiuna, Ky., Sept. 5, 1878. 3. A. Hbnshall. 



TROUT STREAMS IN COLORADO. - 



Editor Forest and Stream : 



Most if not all the streams I shall mention afford better 

 fishing during July and August, and even in the early part of 

 ■September, than they do in June. During June the snows 

 on the mountains melting keep Ihe streams too full ; the fish 

 will not bite so readily as they do when the streams are 

 lower. By all odds the best day's fishing that 1 had last year 

 was on the 11th of August. The St. Vrain Klver, almost any- 

 where among the foot hills, or even when it has reached the 

 valley, i. e., plains, gives flue fishing. Trout weighing three 

 pounds are frequently caught in it. The best fishing, how- 

 ever, in this stream is to be found in the canyon of the river. 

 This is about sixteen miles from Longmont on the Colorado Cen- 

 tral R.R, A fair road leads from Longmont to the canyon. Any 

 one who wishes to fish the St. Vrain at this point must camp 

 out. A wsgon containing the outfit cannot be driven up the 

 canyoD, it is therefore necessary to "pack " your traps on a 

 mule or horse. Doing this, the narrow trail which leads 

 up the canyon may be easily gone over. It is only necessary 

 to go from six to ten miles in this way, and 1 can safely 

 promise any one who will be at tho small trouble I have 

 mentioned that he wdl be fully rewarded, both by the enjoy- 

 ment of the trip and scenery, and the pleasure he will have in 

 the fishing. 'The impossibility of going up the canyon in a 

 wagon has prevented the stream from being fished much at 

 this point, and so the sport remains excellent and will do so 

 for years to come. 



The " Big Thompson," which takes its rise near the foot of 

 Long's Peak, always repays the angler. The readiest way of 

 reaching it from Denver is via the Colorado Central JR. R. to 

 Longmont, and a stage journey of lliirty-six miles Iroui that 

 point through the Rocky Mountains to one of the loveliest 

 spots in the mountains, or indeed, for the matter of that, in the 



whole country, namely, Estes Park. Here, if you wish to 

 live as comfortably as you do at home, you may stay at the 

 Este's Park Hotel, a new house built last summer, thoroughly 

 well furnished and kept in the best manner. It you stay here 

 you will have tho privilege of fishing in the "Meadows," a 

 lovely tract, without a bUSh to interfere with line or llv. aud 

 which is kept for the use of the guests of thehouse. But camp 

 out, say 1; make the Park your headquarters from which to lake 

 excursions in various directions. Ten to fifteen miles dovt n the. 

 Thompson, where you must be content to go with such things 

 as you can carry yourself, you will find fish that will repay 

 you for all your pains I believe there is some sort, of cabiii 

 about ten mdes down the stream from the Park, which Was 

 erected expressly for the benefit of fishermen. The North 

 Fork of the Thompson is reached by a pack trail, aud is 10 

 miles from the hotel. Here is a good cabin which will hold 

 several persons, and which can be used free of charge by all 

 who choose to do so. Take your cooking utensUs, which 

 should be few and simple, and some canned fruits and vege- 

 tables, and you may spend ten days most pleasantly fishing. 

 It is said that blue grouse are to be found there. 1 never saw 

 any, though others say they have. 



The upper canyon of the Thompson in Willow Park will 

 repay amply a visit to it. It is six miles from Estes Park, and 

 is reached by a wagon road. Take your tent with you, or, if 

 you prefer, stay at Sprague's ranchc. Do not. attempt to fish 

 in Willow Park ; you will be devoured by buffalo flies. Oo 

 at once to the canyon, which is three miles from Sprague's. 

 Here the Thompson must be fished by w r arimg. The sides of 

 thecanyon are mostly granite rock, rising almost perpendicu- 

 larly from the water, and so forbid any operations from the 

 bank. Here, upon a favorable day, you may take as many 

 fish from ten to twelve inches in length as you wish to carry 

 back with you. Another favorite place, which seems to fur- 

 nish inexhaustible sport, is Twin Lakes, in the very heart of 

 the mountains. This place may be reached by stage from 

 Colorado Springs. It is a charming spot, aud furnishes a de- 

 lightful camping ground. The fish are not large, but may be 

 caught in numbers. 



Through Middle Park in the northern part of the State flow 

 the Blue River and Williams' Fork. This latter I have never 

 fished, but I am informed by those who have that the fishing 

 is good, that now aud then a three pounder is takeu. Wil- 

 liams' Fork is reached from Denver by rail to Boulder, thenco 

 to Hot Springs and the Park by stage. At Hot Sprioga there 

 is a hotel, and from this excursions may ba made to the Fork 

 on horseback. 



The Blue. River may be reached in this way, also, though 

 the best way would be to go to Colorado Springs aud t hence 

 up Ihe TJte Pass on horseback, or, still better, with a wagon 

 and camping outfit. It has been fished but little, aud yields 

 great quantities of large fish. It is one of the best, trout 

 streams in the State and will amply repay a visit. The 

 scenery, too, cannot but afford high pleasure to every ad- 

 mirer of nature. The trip up the Ute Pass and through the 

 various intervening small parks is wort li all the trouble even 

 were there no other object in view at the end of the journey. 



And now 7 , if you are not already tired, let me ask you to 

 take the cars of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad and go 

 to the southern end of the Stale. Stop at Garland and fish in 

 any of the mountain tribui aries of the Rio Grande. The Trau- 

 charo or Trincharas, as it is indifferently called, is six miles 

 from Garland. It is full of fine fish. Last summer Gen. L., 

 of Pennsylvania, came out. to fish ; he was the guest of Gov. 

 Hunt. The Governor took the General, who was accustomed 

 to the small fish of Pennsylvania, to the grounds. By aud by 

 he (Governor) heard a great noise and saw a large fish Hying 

 through the tor. The General, in his excitement, regardless 

 of tackle, had jerked it out aud thrown it over his so i 

 "What is the matter?" exclaimed Hunt. "Oh, I hi 

 of mutton on my hook," was the reply. I' was a three-pouud 

 trout. Alamosa, thirty miles further south, will soon be 

 reached by rail. The streams here are equally good. The 

 trip over the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, passing, as it 

 does, over the Sangre de Christo range, and through the Vela 

 Pass at an altitutle of 0,3§8 feet above the level of tho sea, af- 

 fords a view of some of the grandest, scenery in Ihe World. 

 Tne Mule Shoe of the railroad causes the celebrated Horse 

 Shoe of the Pennsylvania to dwindle into insigrtifjce 



1 have only mentioned such stream a personal 



knowledge of or have been reported to mc by friends Upon 

 whom I can rely. There are, however, many Others, Nearly 

 all the mountain streams contain trout. In conclusion let me 

 say a word as to the pleasures of camping here. I know ol 

 no place where it yields more pleasure and profit. The 

 glorious, exhilarating air, the bright su.ishine and the almost 

 cloudless sky combine lo make campiDg enjoyable and health- 

 giving to an unusual extent. 0, B. 



COLUMBIA RESERVOIR AND FISHING. 



V Columbia is the extreme southern town of Tol.and County in Connec- 

 ticut, and the Columbia Reservoir la situated la the northern part ol the 

 town about equidistant and three miles Train Andoverand Hon River 

 Btatloueon theH, P. audi'. B. K. This reservoir was raised by ttlfl 

 Wlllhnantic Linen Co. as a reserve force for their thread manufactory 

 In the year 1 366 and covera nearly threu hund red acres wrieu at its (all 

 head, and required a good part .ot iheyearto an it with water. Soon 

 alter It was mied the citizens ol the town, by their own iudi . 

 secured, some pickerel and Mack ban^and put them in its waters for tne 

 pin pose o( stocking ; they alao scoured tile passage of an act, ol protec- 

 tion, which oy ub terms became inoperative on i.iic tirtiday of Jan. 

 1370, AD that time i.he rcaei v oir was covered with ice, and to 

 piscatorial uporls was Indescribable ; hundreds of people visited Ihe re- 

 servoir, and It was estimated at. the time that °u some tluya U much DS 

 a ton of BSh Was takeu, ah of pickerel. The reautt waa a aaherjqltent 

 dearth ol ii,ir.ng, which necessitated the enacting ot oilier lawa regu- 

 lating fishing through Ihe Ice. From that utrie onward but few pick- 

 erel and scarcely any bias were caught, and all waa attriuiued to the 

 bass, and much regret oxpreaaed (hat they were ever iatroduei«l,ra the 

 belief that, taey were destructive to other ash Slid loo sportive to bo 

 canght by the average nsacrinaa. 



Bipatedby more recent reaolia, which we believe are worthy Ol men- 

 tion and are contained in the following record, viz. • 



August B.— W1 ham A. Bibcock, of Soqoi Coventry, ami . 



nana, of eoluuiuia, made B catch of fourteen liaas of very uniform 

 which would not have averaged ieaa than two pcrauda each, hut 

 were not weighed. 



Awjust l.-Ba'ieock and au eight-year old son of Yeanian's caught 

 thirteen, but in attempting to put them over the side of lie ■ 

 in tna Water he lost two. The eleven remaining welshed twenrj -eight 

 pounds, 



AnoWJi 16.— Bannock and Yeamana caught twenty-two wiiose united 

 weight win forty pounds. 



„.,[ .vii.-Babcock, Yeamana and J. V. B. Prince, of Brooklyn, N. 

 ht eleven, all of good aize, butaot weighed, 



