FOREST AND STREAM. 



283 



COOT SHOOTING. 



Boston, December 2, 1874. 

 Eoitor Forest asd Stream :— 



In voir Issnic of Sov. L'ftttt, i hptlce at) article headed "Cooling nl Cape 

 Ann," in wnitb tne frit, cgiveaa deactiDtion of the sport as there pnt- 



sn.-cl, And which differs so much from any method I have ever seen, I EUTJ 

 ■.''..; ,■ .1 n, make the following remarks for the benefit of such of your 

 renders a* may never hnve engaged in it. 



"It. h N,"Fnys: "Taking a dory, with one or two gunners in the 

 same, they moor (he hoi!, ban: and .'fun, end a string qf decoy, some- 

 times a noek or them, are fastened M each end of the boat. While rur- 

 tlfr on be says 'breech loaders are unquestionably the most convenient 

 for this elinottng, the rapidity with whiej] you can reload, enabling one 

 (0 secirtB many otherwise hopeless <jrippj?8." 



NoWi I Imve iii'iit Bhpl at Cape Ann. lint have orteu on Dnpe Cod. and 

 more frequently .-till at North Cohassui, and believe with as much suc- 

 cess as most gunners, but I never saw a boat moored SOW (UUi •■■.'■■> 

 say nothing of attaching the decoys lo the boat. also. 



The method I have always seen Used, and followed my.. -H. has tiffin 

 to seek, when practicable, the leeward side of j re.f of rocks (anil at N. 

 Colmssel, and in fact anywhere in the vicinity 

 reefs abound I and buoy the anchor; tilt) boat is 

 oh easily freed lo be nsed in chasing up cripples, 

 to afford a protection from the swell, the sports 

 curing hia boat in the same, manner. 



The position of the decoys depends altogether upon the direction of 

 the wind, tide, the number ill tile beat, &c, as no sportsman of any ex- 

 perience would think or placing his decoys exactly astern, and then llrino, 

 over or past, « companion's head; neither ar.-. they usually placed directly 

 ahead, as the ducks, when alighting, have a habit of coming "/' Wind, 

 aud would thus have to pass nearly over the boat lo reach the decoys, 

 unless they wore placed at a very considerable distance from the sports- 



The usual method (if more than one is in the boatl is to anchor the 

 decoys a little to the right or left, rarely, if ever, on belli ««*«». thus af- 

 fording a chance for I he occupants to tire without deafening each oilier 

 by the reports, as would he the case if shooting ahead or astern. 



I do not see how it is possible, to chase up cripples with a boat hamp- 

 ered in the manner described by "It. L. N," for every gunnel knows 

 bow very soon a dead, not to mention a crippled duck, will drift out of 



■a.-ily secured anil 

 ire no rocks exist 

 must lough it, ae> 



way. 



lcli a 



ase, be of Ptlle more Tabic than r 

 air anchor in a moment it then l.e 

 Truly yours, A. II. B 



DOVES vs. PIGEONS. 



Mobile, Ala., December 1, 1874. 

 Eurroil Fobkst and Stream..— 



I have been amused at the rap yon gave "A Subscriber, Savannah,"' in 

 your issue or November 36th, about dove shooting. Know ye not, Oil! 

 sage of the wood and creek, that at this distance rrom Mason & Dixon's 

 tape line, the vernacular tor pigeon is dove, aud that the dove proper is 

 distinguished as "tame dover" Two to one it was pigeon "A Subscri- 

 ber" meant, and three to one he blessed you fora "ciiy hunter" on read- 

 ing your answer. In your same issue I observe an account of a do? be 

 ing killed hy n railroad train, while standing a bird on Ihe true!;. Two 

 dogs have been killed under similar cireuui-ca ices in this vicinity with- 

 in the past six years, and I believe any dog of ordinary staunchness 

 would meet with the same fate under like conditions, *** 



— ♦•♦- 



THE COMING GRAND HUNT. 



Editor Forest and Ktreaji;— 



In your Issue of last week you give support to a grand International 

 Hnntag Party, to be gotten up by a certain Colonel, of Chicago, whose 

 experience as an officer seems as wide ; n range as the object of the in 

 tended scheme. 



Having the sanction, as this prodigious undertaking has, of the leading 

 men of the land, including the Governor of Texas, it may seem superflu- 

 ous forme to extol it; hut I cannot, forbear to write. It is said of our 

 nation, as a people, that we are foremost in all classes of enterprise. But 



Hie ,-■/;, rh.iLchTitt ■■ "I...; i.i-im.~ and Merits this credit lo us is. mi the 



other hand, when indulged in too laboriously and incessantly, the one 

 that blunts and retards our progress. "All work and no play" never did 

 nor ever will make Jack wise or strong. 



Now, what is this great Inta-natioiuU hunting parly? I think Icon sec 

 far more beneBt accruing from it than its uame or purpose would imply. 

 If the undertaking be carrietl out, it will not only do much for those gen- 

 tlemen of foreign birth, whose interest it would be to learn of onr land, 

 and for which knowledge no better plan conldbe devised, but will do 

 much for our own country and people. 



Perhaps it would not be. impertinent for mc to suggest that this might 

 be a scientific as well as a sportive expedition. In fact, Mr. Edi- 

 tor, I do not sec how you could very well divest it of this character. It. 

 would naturally drift into it, Yourproject would have a tendency 

 to increase an interest in the science or our country, as well as an interest 

 in the animals that roam over it, or the country itself, and would produce 

 many suggestions for future expeditions. 



It is just the excursion for geologists, as well as huntsmen, f( 



ters. 

 tv 



fell as 



Thi 



-.find l 



r life, I 



DO will, 

 of the 



West and the fron 

 next century to come. 



As a hunting aud scientific expedition, there are many who would reel 

 grateful to the projector and supporters of it; and the advantages from 

 such a combination of forces can be but feebly felt. Why! before the 

 season would be overall the hunters would he geologists, botanists, &c, 

 and all the ministers aud lawyers would he hunters— hunters of the hu- 

 man soul, I mean. 



But laying all jokes aside, would not the diversity of talent drive dull 

 care away from those who were wont to descend into the recesses or the 

 earth ror its hidden secrets, and increase the interests or the oursnit- or 

 a lighter nature, by endowing them with that savor of knowledge of the 

 things enjoyed, which increases the enjoyment of the things themselves'/ 



Will you pardon mc tor my impromptu suggestion, the only excuse 

 for which is the admirable support you give to all advancements in the 

 scicntillcwnrld, and the activity you evince, in originating such fields of 

 labor? The above argument is supported by a two year's extensive 

 travel over the far West, and along the Pacific coast, in whose 

 for all purposes, I am sanguine. E. Conkun, 

 Late of the U. S. Fishery Commission on the McCluud River, Ci 

 ■*•+■ - 



QUAIL IN CITY HALL PARK. 



Xew York., December 2d, 1874, 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



A few days before Thanksgiving, whilst walking down Broadway, 

 -when near the City Hail Park, we observed an uti Usual commotion 

 among our park //awin.i, and drawing near we discovered the cause of 

 the excitement to he a quail, who, perched open a shrub, was surveying 



IB ■■■;. ur. their fusilado, making das 

 fal quay,. Yours truly, 



j manner with which they 



II sober-minded and peace- 



G, Hi Faibohilu, Ji>„ 



gen and giver «JM%< 



FISH IN SEASON IN DECEMBER. 



Striped Bass, Xoccus Hneatu*. Wenltfish. 



Pompnno. Trout (black bass). s 



Snapper. Drum (two species). TailnrfMl, 



grouper. Ivingflsh. Sea Bass. 



Kocklish. Striped pasa. 



fleet are now fitting away quite lively, and some half dozen 

 vessels have already sailed for tlie foirner port. Ate oil 

 forty sail will engage in this branch of the fisheries this 

 season.— G't.pc Aim Adcertixer, Dx. Atk. 



♦♦*■ 



BLACK BASS FISHING IN CANADA. 

 PErERnoito. November 3-1 , 1874 



Fish IN Matikkt.— The fish market, dees not show much 

 Change during- the la-st week. Sheepshead are coming in j 

 from Hie South, They are in not very good condition, yet, j 

 I'm the seiHiin they (ITfl passable. They sell at thirty cents j 

 per pound. Mackerel are scarce, only a few having come i 

 in during Ihe lust, week. Tlie specimens sent tl> market I 

 were caught near Gloucester, Massachusetts, Tikiefisu j 

 have been en u ghi. near Not folk, Virginia, during I ho last 

 week in largo quantities. They sell now at ten cents per | 

 pound. 'Codfish are quite abundant, its the catch oil Cape 

 Coil has been very large. Price, eight cents. Smelts are 

 quite plentiful and quite large. They are caught princi- 

 pally off the coast of Maine. They relail at twenty-live 

 cents tree pound. Frost fish, or torn-cod, are unusually 

 abundant, so brin j; only five cents tier pound. A small 

 quantity of tine black bass have come in during the week. 

 Price, fil teen cents per pound. Striped bass are scarce. 

 Green lurlle is a stratiger, and none is found at Mr. Black- 

 ford's stall. Perch of good size are now Common, but the 

 quantity is gelling scarcer. They sell at fifteen cents. 

 Frogs arc now becoming a delicacy. The best come from 

 Canada, but New Jersey is (he principal marl at present. 

 The purchasers of these animals are principally holds and 

 French restaurants. They bring sixty cents per dozen. 

 Salmon are corning to market from Maine — an annual 

 event at this season. Price, sixty cents per pound. Scol- 

 lops are quite abundant at $1 25 per gallon. Hard crabs 

 are profuse enough to supply all demands at $2 50 per 100. 

 No soft, shell crabs can now be found in market. Terra- 

 pins arc total strangers, except those that have been kept 

 on hand. They bring from $8 to $19 per dozen, according 

 to size. 



— Talk of black flics, pnnkies, midges, buffalo gnats, 

 moose flics, mosquitoes, and the whole catalogue of winged 

 tormentors that vex and distress the angler in America ! 

 Why, they are trifles compared with the grey gnats of Ice- 

 land. Culexifugc is nowhere! Here is a little passage 

 from Appleton's Journal agent an angler who went fishing 

 for "si't'd !>!ji'' in the Myvatn one hot day in mid Summer. 

 Myvti; ii signifies "gnat-water;" and upon the occasion re- 

 ferred to, tlie mass of insect lite that gathered at the stream 

 looked from a distance like a. sort of mist hanging over the 

 shore. "From the earth, the grass, the rocks, from every- 

 where," says the narrator, "arose n living fog of countless 

 myriads of long-winged flies." And then ho tells how the 

 attack came, all of a sudden, as soon as he approached the 

 fishing-ground: — 



"Sling, sling, sling, on they came. It was useless to at- 

 tempt to beat them oil. We had our. handkerchiefs 



EniTim Forest ano Stbe/ 



Having read nviny accounts of fishing excursions In your valuable 

 sporting paper, from nearly all parts of this continent. I hope you can 

 Ami space for a few lines from a Ca radian reader of Forest ami 

 Stream. Perhaps few of its readers have ever heard of the Otonnhcc 

 Iliver, in the county of Petetboro, tint I can assure you many of our 

 townspeople, who are lovers .>f first-class angling, can testif.v thai II 

 noble river for black iHusafJablag. It is a sluggish stream of some twenty 

 miles in length, and rrom one hundred lo one unpriced and twenty yards 

 vidi. winding gracefully through forest ami farm Oil it enters lti<-« 

 Lake, a splendid sheet of water hvenly-llve miles long by alioul three 

 out the best thick shouting in 



und < 



c heads, letn 



d lied the 

 slit for one eye to see tin 

 secure, I fixed my eye-gl, 

 our socks up over our trt 

 the. socks, tied strings ro 

 med hat was weighed 

 heaving masses of these 

 of my coat was visible; 



ilerdy in other circumstances, 1 should not hi; 

 to be a man. He was one uniform gray fron 

 the slope of his shoulders being continuous 

 Of his head, he had the appearance of a man 

 living cloak, and, as he walked, solid lum 

 from his buck on to the ground, To I hose ' 

 bees swarming, it will not be-tt difficult n 

 picture to themselves the appe 

 of 



small 



.sitters more 

 ss~in the exposed eye. We pulled 

 users, put l he wading-boots over 

 md our sleeves. My broad-brim- 

 down upon my shoulders by the 

 nsects. Not ti spot of the color 

 id, had I met my servant sud- 

 knownhim 

 cad to foot; 

 the sid. 



olved i 



'rapped in a 

 of flies fell 

 10 have seen 

 tor either to 

 ; conglomer- 

 to understand the wretched pickle they 



ie a desperate attempt lo gather my things together, 



but 1 simply could not, aud, rod in hand, turned and fled 

 up the hill-side, as hard as I could go, for more than a 

 mile. 



When we got home, I discovered that I had been served 

 pretty roughly; for not only had I to change everything, 

 as between each article of clothing was a complete paste 

 of hundreds of smashed flies— a natural blister, in fact— 

 but my face, neck, and wrists were swollen dreadfully, 

 and covered with bites, and my right arm was one fierce 

 rash from the shoulder downward." 



The silitnfjr grows to a very large size, thirty pounds 

 weight or more, takes bait with avidity, but will not touch 

 the artificial fly, and plays like a salmon, often leaping 

 three feet out of the water. Their backs are brownish 

 grey ami their bellies like the red gold of a gold fish. The 

 writer does not give any data by which to determine the 

 species. 



— The Bridgehampton, Long Island fishermen have had 

 extraordinary luck during the past week. Over 10,000 

 pounds of bass were taken by two Mecox companies, and 

 Wednesday night Captain Charles Ludlow's gang look at 

 one haul 1,672 bass, or about three and one half tons 

 weight. Captain Albiu's gang at Smith's Point, Brook- 

 haven, also took 1,100 pounds of bltiefislt and 4,000 pounds 

 of bass, the latter being worth from eighl to ten cents a 

 pound net in the New York market. Blucfish are running 

 unusually late. 



Tras FisiieiULS.— The shore Winter fishing is now fully 

 underway, some thirty-live sail of vessels, including six 

 steamers^ being engaged In its prosecution from this port, 

 The season lias opened favorably, and the fleet thus far 

 have made a very good commencement. With the excep- 

 tion of about a dozen sail of bankers and two baymeti yet 

 to arrive, the fisheries in these branches are wound up for 

 the season. The NewfouadlittKl and Grand Meuaij nsrring 



broad (in 

 Canada), 

 tiling in t 

 about live 

 ten miles, 

 the kettle 

 Worcoatei 

 aeppcr. . 

 prospects 

 that brolo 

 who was < 



•h, by tin 



y.-eir do 



c Peter 







. aul drop down the river eight i 

 ml, and pitch our t.-lil; a lire maiie, 

 el a smoking hot beefsteak, uith 



of Morpheus, desplta t'le repeated attaoks of a 





piiio which 



had rniiiid his way under tho BfOiqaitu oar We 





i|i und ."-1. 



to go off at fouro'clock A . M. .-.harp, and " ith a 



lurried Inn 



■Il «e stare 



out in our boat fur a weed bed, where minnows > 



re plentiful 



; the word. 



"drop anchor" is given by S . and in a trie.- 



air minnow 



rods arc at 



work fnr bait. The llr-t throw among the weeds 



brings to In 



ml a shiner 



just the size and lively as a e.iekei Be .- B0 a 





to tlie b.i-s 



hook, aul then with a cast into doep. water the 





a. Scarcely 



leis the shiner disappeared, "hen a telegraph u 





les the bill. 



eiul of the rod I... s:iy th.it black has- is "at hoir 



e " Ihis nun 



ling ami ac- 





calves the ii 



sl niessng.'. 



gives his lish a few rect or line, and with a sh 



irt, quick j 



•ik, hooks ;, 



live pounder. The whizzing i>rniluceil by lint li 



ic for tho n 



xt live tutu- 



nu s is thorough music to the ear of the angler. 





the rigle. 



then to tlie left; ii nv performing :l circle and r 







feel in tlie air. -.villi a d ifi int. sluice of Hi ■ head: 







be near, he tries that, until he is brought to t 







in. null, and as h? is being taken ill "out of tho 



wet" lie gi 



•es the gun- 



walo or the boat a good sharp tap with his tail 



We don 





this one, bat t ike them by tens a 

 til,- sport. The lish in this rivers 

 about me middle of Jane (after ti 

 October. A couple of friends of 

 an afternoon's rolling tills 

 half to live pounds 1n weigh 



Soi 



THE RIVER SOREL. 



MosrinnAi. November SO, ISM. 

 EniTm'. For.KST amd Stueam:— 



In alluding t,o Mr. Bishop's boat voyage from Quebec to Troy, you say 

 lie ascended the Richelieu, or Lor.t iiiver. lo Lake Champlain. It ap- 

 pears to me you are in error in calling the noble old Richelieu the Xth-d 

 River. The names variously given to it locally in.: Hied ItamuTy, the 

 Sorel, and the St. Johns. In olden limes it was called the "Riviere de 

 Iroquois," because the Iroquois usually descended it to attack the old 

 French colonists at Three Rivers and i)uebcc. Up this river the chival- 

 rous Champlain carried the Lilies of France to attack the scourge of 

 Canada— the bloodthirsty Iroquois. A few years afterwards, wh.-n 

 R chelien ruled at the French Court, and qonscqucntly presided over the 

 destinies of La Notivelle France, the name Of the river was changed lo 

 that of the great Cardinal. 



I haye never heard it calbd the Lord* River, and should very much liko 

 to bear your authority for tlie aame. 



There is very good fishing ill the Richelieu, particularly tit St. Johns, 

 Oliambly. Beloajj and near'Sorel. A beautiful silvery lish, called by the 

 French La quiche, is taken in, large numbers at Beisil in July 11ml Au- 

 gust. It appears to belong to the atom fumily, hut of this 1 am hy no 



The 



mi:t. 



inlisli, r 



taken them with the spoon, and they will a 

 red trout lly. Black bass, dore, pike, pcrc . 

 small kind of sturgeon are plentiful. Perhaps some of your correspond- 

 ents couldgive me the scientific name, of the lish called Xa qiteclie by the 

 French habitants of the Richelieu River. Truly yours, 



Henry R. OnAv. 

 *OLoi'd! It was only the printer. The name was writ- 

 ten Sorel in the copy, but the printer read il the other way, 

 and, indeed, it looks very much like it. Write the. two 

 words together und compare them.— Ed. 



•+++• 



BASS RODS AND BASS FISHING. 



A FEW HINTS FROM KENTUCKY. 



Lexington, Nov. 30, ISM. 



Tin r.sls preferred hi 

 bone ti; 

 any otlt 



prefer them 

 another spl 



of Kentucky cane well matured, with whale 

 strength andclasticity are not equalled by 

 terials. The .Japanese canes, although of great strenglb. 

 niinii. as i h-.y soon warp ami crack. The Mucltletonians 

 o all 01 hers, but they are not considered anglers. I have 



which I 



nded ti 



The 



a shoulder en one side us a guide in. 

 il hickory is accurately lilted to the 

 preud out ihe. increased strength and 



;u king about a line of encircling 

 his receives one coat of shellac 

 • us,-. There is no perceptible 

 tv of the lod is not injured. 

 t wellof for rods of solid wood, 

 soft piece of 



ady f i 



II:.- I 



.:,! 1 



I re- 



;. For 



ihe 



ball. A minnow will live longer 

 hooked in this wav. and is more liiilieuit to gel olf the hook. Afi.-r the 



fish lias taken the bait six or eight seconds, land the seconds si 1(1 be 



-ood ong ones i ii -hteii the l.ne very gently. If yon feel several short 

 Ti'ik-fr.nn the ti-ii -'i'-e hnn the line again. If yon fee] his veiglu flim 

 and solid (/•«! 'I h'k '"'•' cive a -Hong pull. Heforea Iwi- has ihe ininnoiv 

 tui,.lv 'within the' month, he will invariably give scieml-ieiks when 

 meeting wilh re-isMucc By milking out a correct diagnosis of the exact 

 condition of your patient below, withonl mivuu-uess or trembling, with 

 tne gentlest rVefconllnuinL' the same motion into a quick, strong pull, 

 you will invariably hook vour flsli, 1 have known flahermeii lo.krk .md 

 ■oo.-eudo/cn uiiuiioivb without huoMric a »lDg)e m-k, The bfUMUould 



