306 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



ami a boat of other vegetables — washed down with goblets 

 of foaming Bass, and dry umontillado. What laughter, 

 chat and jest we lmd, and' what fearful appetites ! 



We had our coffee and cigars outside, underneath the 

 spreading almond trees, where soon after the ladies joined 

 us. A young moon in early crescent, barely allowing a 

 perception Of subdued light on the star-reflected waters, 

 gave a velvety softness to the surrounding isles and the dim 

 outlines of the main shore beyond. The waves dashed in 

 drowsy monotone against the jigged sides of the rocky nest, 

 or rumbled with dull miirmuriiiL's through t lie water-worn 

 hollows beneath. A gentle niglitwind barely stirred the 

 large leaves overhead, or occasionally shook down upon us 

 the waxen petals of the almond blos'soms as we lav in lazy 

 JtiiurioUM.ess on the terrace, halt listening to one of G.'s 

 tiOnSeUSical stories, when, on a sudden, (like far nfcn/e was 

 disturbed by the shout of Bob R., who bad gone to inspect 

 the night lines, 



"Look here ! There's a thundering big shark on one of 

 the lines." 



"Shark," muttered "the somnolent Will G. "Bosh, sell I" 

 and would not stir. 



Bob was correct though. There, in the shadow of the 

 island, was a good-sized shark holding on unconcernedly to 

 iaa What was to be done with him? The Hue 

 was a strong one enough— quite sufficient for any ordinarily 

 large rock fish, but as efficient to hold this catch as a twine 

 would a bullock. 



"Hut with the boats," cried C, "and bring a Tope. 

 Don't pullon him, boys," he added, as he made for the 

 Jetty. 



Meanwhile the Shark gave one or two uneasy rolls, as it 

 not quite satisfied with his position, and then tile head of a 

 la " l) came spinning up the line like a bead into our 

 land This accounted for things. A fish had taken our 

 lail i h shark had taken him, and the greedy glutton was 

 disinclined to give up his prey. Would the line last? The 

 tension on it now was extreme; you could play a tune on it 

 with a stick, it was so tight stretched. Gave he hut one 

 jerk, and bjzz ! 'twas parted. In a few moments the boats 

 Were round the island, a noose was thrown 'over the mon- 

 ster's tad, (.how ever they managed it, I don't know,) and 

 we, on shore, cut loose the night line. Then succeeded a 

 series of wild plunges by the shark, now completely alive 

 to the state of affairs — dragging the boat at first hither and 

 thither. But all to no avail, His tail was well hoisted on 

 to the stern, the four strong oars dug deep into the water, 

 and he was quickly towed round to the lauding place, 

 where a few thrusts of a con.eau de chime rendered super- 

 erogatory the question whether drowning or not was the 

 cause of' death. He measured eleven feet two inches from 

 snout to tail tip, and it took fourteen of us no small trouble 

 to boost the heavy carcase on to the landing place. On 

 ripping up this ugly-looking brute, a large cavalli, flrmly 

 held by our hook," was found in his inside. This prize the 

 boatmen, not at all squeamish as to articles of diet ap- 

 parently, appropriated, as they did also the large liver to 

 extract oil from, which they say is as good as cod liver oil. 

 The biter got bitten well this time, but the mystery was 

 why he did not disgorge, for the hook was wholly inside 

 the'cavalli aud did"not pierce him at all. A moral on greud- 

 iuess, I guess. Next morning, after coffee, that indefati- 

 gable C. set to "preparing" the head with most artistic skill 

 and industry. Our unlucky visitor must have had a pretty 

 good swallow, for when the jaws were cleared and divested 

 of llesjh, they were, with ease, passed over the head and 

 shoulders of little Sandy G., a well known boy of eight or 

 nine years, a process of measurement which gave his 

 mother an involuntary shudder, for she said .Master Sandy 

 was a regular young water dog, and swam about the island 

 regardless of evil consequences. Sharks abound there, and 

 are ravenous enough, yet, strange to say, no one ever hears 

 of an accident from t'hem, and the idea of such danger 

 hardly ever enters one's head when bathing thereabouts. 



•+*+ 



For Forest and Stream. 

 SALMON FISHING NEAR VESCADERO, 

 CALIFORNIA. 



FROM THE NEPHEW OF E. J. HOOFER TO HI8 FATHER, IN 



ENGLAXD. 



MY letter this week shall be devoted to a description of 

 my doings among the grilse at Vescadero. Having 

 got everything iu readiness the night before, I rose at (5, 

 and having met my uucle, proceeded to the railway station 

 in an express wagon. The train took us to Redwood City, 

 a small town twenty-eight mile3 south of San Francisco. 

 Then: we mounted fife stage, having secured two front seats 

 I river a week iu advance. When I say two seats 

 1 deviate sliglu.lv from the truth. A seat and a half would 

 be nearer the murk, for not only were we squeezed into 

 this small space, but were compelled to overlap so as not 

 to stop the circulation. No deduction, however, was made 

 in the ordinary fare! The distauce from Hedwood to Ves- 

 cadero is about thirty-two miles. The route lies through a 

 very beautiful section of the country; first over level agri- 

 cultural grounds, next undulating, and then the road winds 

 its way up into the Redwoods and along the mountain 

 ridges. A number of us dismounted to lighten the load 

 during the asceut, the stage being packed full, and the 

 work very severe for our six horses. The scene from the 

 summit is intensely grand, commanding views over the 

 entire coast range, Bay of Sau Francisco, and the region 

 Jar into the interior of the State. We stopped at a small 

 house at noon for lunch, and then conliuued our 

 -i ■..:,, ; passing through an exquisitely wooded 

 country, principally redwoods, i. «., cedar and the big- 

 tree growth. We descended a valley, following iu its 

 course a beautiful stream, the liquid sound of whose waters 

 refreshed us ou our journey. At 4:30 we arrived ut Vesca- 

 dero. We occupied a couple of pleasant little rooms en 

 suite in a cottage belonging to the hotel. 1 will not trouble 

 you with a formal diary, aH the days' programme varied 

 bul little. The distance from our cottage to the river is 

 about two-thirds of a mile. We rose each morning about 

 suunse (say ti), and after hot coffee, beefsteak, and eggs, 

 walked to" the bridge where the boat wus moored. The 

 distance from fbeiice to the Red Rock, or principal fishing 

 ground, is about two miles. We much enjoyed the exer- 

 cise of rowing, and occasionally 1 indulged in a swim, 

 though the water was hardly waVm enough to justify such 

 ■i ling, Tin: fir.-.t day did not. for sometime seem 

 likely to be productive ol great sport. My uncle caught 

 tue first fish— a grilse of a pound— bait-fishing off the rocks. 

 Toward sunset the silvery beauties could no longer resist 



the red-bodied, grey-winged fly. With fine tackle I killed 

 twelve, weighing, with a few small fish, nineteen pounds. 

 The second day produced ten fish, weighing sixteen pounds; 

 third day, thirteen, weighing eighteen pounds; fourth day, 

 only four fish, weight seven pounds; fifth day, nine fish, 

 weight sixteen pounds; sixth day. torrents of rain; We 

 ventured out as far as the bridge, but were soon driven 

 home by an increasing deluge; seventh day, river flooded. 

 not a rise from morn till eve. On the eighth day we tried 

 new waters, that is, instead of rbwiug down we remained 

 near the bridge. I could not rise a fish with a fly, so I put 

 on a gut leader and a very small artificial spinning minnow. 

 With this I killed six fish, weighing ten pounds. As I 

 used my fiy-rod the sport was nearly equal to fly-fishing. 

 Ninth day, we tried the same ground above the bridge. 

 Suddenly we observed a big fish chasing the small fry oil' 

 the end of a bed of rushes. This was fifteen or twenty 

 yards from our boat. I asked uncle to pull very cautiously 

 to within reach of the spot. I then drew my minnow 

 slightly below the surface, when I saw the salmon seize it. 

 Out he came, once, twice, thrice, four feet above water, 

 then up stream like a streak of lightning, with thirty-five 

 yards of my line. To check his highness would have been 

 madness, with such fine tackle. 1 was all the time fearful, 

 as my hooks were so very small. After several long runs 

 he commenced steady, deep swimming up the river, with 

 the tide. We followed. Great was the caution to be ob- 

 served, as numerous fences projected into the stream, a 

 few stumps, posts, &c. We continued our course for no 

 less than three-fourths of a mile, at the end of which the 

 salmon came several times to the surface, shaking his head 

 and rolling on his sides. At length the prize was safely 

 netted and in the boat at my feet, weight exactly eight 

 pounds. 



Those six large fish I killed in the Lagoon last April 

 were land-locked salmon, and were killed in a much 

 shorter time, though of about the same size. You may 

 readily imagine the perfect condition of this fish, which 

 fought for three-quarters of an hour and carried us three- 

 fourths of a mile. I doubt whether a much larger fish 

 would have given more sport. Judging from the length 

 of his resistance, I imagined it to be a heavier fish. Noth- 

 ing can exceed the extreme beauty of these fresh-water 

 salmon and grilse. In shape and in general condition, per- 

 fection. The strength of a pound fish is quite remarkable. 

 They seem as they fling their silvery bodies into the air to 

 Bay, "never say die." After the capture of the eight- 

 pounder we descended the stream, and rowed the boat 

 alongside some stakes. A fish of two pounds jumped nut 

 of the water. I cast the minnow over the spot, and was 

 instantly in him, and soon he lay alongside his elder 

 brother. We pulled down the river toward the Red Rock, 

 aud landed at a favorable point of land, near which the 

 water flows along a deep chaunel. The first cast slightly 

 hooked a large fish, which escaped. Almost immediately 

 1 hooked another, which, after a gallant struggle was 

 landed; weight three pounds. I had the misfortune, to 

 liook and lose another very largo salmon. This is easily 

 accounted for. .as my hooks, though strong, were too 

 small. With the capture of the three-pounder my sport 

 ended. The next day (our last) I could not move a fish. 

 Uncle, however, caught two fish of two and one-half and 

 two pounds, spinning with worms. I eujoyed nearly all 

 the sport about sunset. You may imagine, therefore, how 

 anxiously I looked forward each day to that hour, 



One evening a gentleman staying at the hotel, having ex- 

 pressed a desire to see fish taken with the fly, walked round 

 to our favorite point. As if by a chaim the fish began to 

 rise on his approach 1 In rapid succession I hooked and 

 landed eight beautiful grilse. Our friend waB in a great 

 slate of excitement, and declared he could never wish to 

 see a more beautiful sight in his life! And truly I was 

 justified in feeling somewhat proud of my achievement. 

 Of the eight fish, we saw everyone before I hooked them, 

 either rising or leaping into the air. And nobody more 

 fully appreciates the pleasure of first seeing and then hook- 

 iug a fish than an ardent angler. 



The following evening I even enjoyed greater sport, for. 

 in no more than eighteen consecutive" casts, I killed twelve 

 grilse. While taking one fish off the hook I could see_ an- 

 other on the surface waiting to be hooked! But exquisite 

 as were these evenings' sport among the smaller grilse, I 

 always felt disappointed that the mighty salmon of ten, 

 fifteen, and twenty pounds persistently declined to rise. 

 It even terrifies me to contemplate the number of the older 

 and wiser fish, which deigned only to look at my fly. 

 During my sport the great waves and mighty separations 

 of the water showed that fish were on the move, and now 

 and again a monster would fling himself into mid air, 

 coming down like a rock into the water. Some evenings, 

 at low tide, the whole river was alive with salmon plough- 

 ing up the weeds and chasing the small fry across the 

 shallows. I tried every means in my power by anchoring 

 the boat in the most likely spot, but to no purpose. Uncle 

 caught a few good fish and a number of small ones, with 

 worms and mussels, &c. Near the fishing ground was an 

 old hermit. He amused us with his primitive fishing- 

 tackle. We found him constructing a fly with a bunch of 

 hairs from an old blacking-brush! He was much gratified 

 when I beggfed him to accept a few flies from my book. 



At the hotel a modest aud pretty maiden waited at the 

 table. She never was known to look at you in the face. 

 With eyes directed to the ceiling or the floor, she daily 

 made the announcement of "Beefsteak, mutton chops, 

 ham and eggs." Then, without moving a muscle, she 

 awaited the orders, ana wheeling around as on a pivot she 

 would make for the kitchen door without looking to the 

 right or to the left. Truly such maiden modesty is rare 

 nowadays. 



I may mention a remarkable occurrence which some- 

 what resembles the capture of your big trout iu the Lea, 

 at Battery's, Hoddesdon. 1 was fishing iu a dead calm 

 with the finest leader I could select. 1 hooked a grilse of 

 nearly two pounds, which, after playiug some time, broke 

 away with my two gnats. My tackle being readjusted, I 

 cast another very small fry on the water, instantly hooking 

 a quartcr-of-a-pound- fish. 1 soon became aware that the 

 weight on my line was more t ban could be produced by so 

 small a fish. In a few moments 1 lauded the small fish iu 

 company with the two-pounder I had previously lost, the 

 former having run foul of and become entangled with the 

 lost line in the mouth of the latter! After losing my two 

 flies, I remarked to two boys standing by, " bee if 1 don't 

 recover my flies." Imagine their surprise at seeing me im- 

 diately succeed as if by a superhuman instrumentality! 



A man living in the Vescadero, whom we met fishing, 

 told ws that earlier in the season, when the salmon com- 



menced running in from the ocean, he could see nine large 

 fish following his spoon in the clear water. Out of the 

 number be killed seven! He killed no fish while we were 

 there. When the fishing was poor he could always find 

 OfltGr occupation. We offon rowed to the mouth "of the 

 river, and frequently had no small difficulty in keeping the 

 boat from the breakers and rocks. The const scenery, 

 though not to be compared with the Atlantic or the Irish 

 coast, is, nevertheless, beautifully irregular. Wild ducks 

 are very plentiful, and many varieties are to be seen, but 

 the total absence of covert makes shooting difficult. 



We returned by a different route to the city. Mounting 

 the stage at 8:30 A. 31., we passed for some distance along 

 the coast, enjovintr the magnificent scenery. There were 

 several squalls passing around, but none to 'affect us. The 

 sun seemed to shine on our path as iT by special agree- 

 ment, the rain falling all around us on land and sea! I 

 never remember having witnessed such wonderful cloud 

 effects as were produced by those great storm clouds. At, 

 Spauish Town we took a lunch, and afterward continued 

 our journey over the mountains to Sau Mateo, and from 

 thence by fail to the city. P. F. H. 



San FraneUco, Dei:. 6. 



For Forest, and Strewn. 

 A FOX DRIVE. 



ONE bright morning in the latter part of February, 

 1873, a stranger in Hie vicinity of certain roads in 

 Wayne county, Indiana, would doubtless have been sur- 

 prised at the unusual noises which were to be heard and 

 lhe larare number of men and boys that lined the roads. 

 But to the initiated it, meant, the capture of all (?) the rey- 

 nards to be found on one hundred square miles of ground, 

 and an unlimited amount of fun. 



The manner in which reynard was to he caught, was to 

 surround a tract ten miles square, aud then march to the 

 centre. The matter had been advertised for two weeks, 

 and as it was a slack time among the farmers and some- 

 thing new, everybody turned out. No guns or dogs were 

 allowed, but anything that would make a noise was in de- 

 mand. An account' of these implements of noise would 

 possess variety at least. They consisted of tin pans, kettles, 

 sections of mill saws, horse fiddles, dumbbells, sections of 

 stove pipe and a thousand other indescribable affairs. 

 One party of four had a five foot circular saw, which two 

 of them carried, while the other two pounded with mallets, 

 and la-st but not least, five hundred tin horns were dis- 

 tributed among the boys. Two full brass bands, a half 

 dozen string hands and as many drums and fifes completed 

 the outfit. 



By ten o'clock the men were all arrayed, the signal gun 

 fired and the start made. On we marched, making a per- 

 fect pandemonium of the woods and fields, actually scaring 

 the owls out of their holes. After going three miles our 

 line was halted to wait for the others to come up. For 

 half an hour we wailed, all the time hearing the other lines 

 in front and to the right and left. At last the opposite line 

 came out of the wood over a mile in front. They came as 

 thick as they could walk, and the other lines were equally 

 crowded, while ours sat on the fence so thick there was not 

 room for another man. The circle, or raiher equate was 

 still more than a mile across, so you can imagine our num- 

 bers, bul, as to the hideous diu we made no one can have 

 any idea. Up to this time we had not seen a fox, but just 

 at this moment four were seen coming right for our part of 

 the line. At sight of the game every man seemed to think 

 it was his duty to pick it right up, and every man broke 

 ranks and ran for the fox, regardless of the officers and 

 everything else, but fortunately the first rush turned the 

 foxes, and before they came around again we had recovered 

 our presence of mind. The whole line now advanced 

 slowly to the centre, every man of us trying to make the 

 most noise. Although the game had yet quite a large place 

 to run iu, the ground seemed fairly alive with them, scam- 

 pering and darting in every direction, aud from one point 

 seventeen were in view at one time. Unfortunately it so 

 happened that one portion of the line was made up of three 

 car loads from a neighboring city,and they had imbibed so 

 freely that thev allowed nine to run by them in a body. 

 Several more e'scaped at different places, so that only four 

 were finally corralled. The final circle was forty rods 

 across,and the men were closely packed around it Horn six 

 to twenly-five deep. A halt was called and the poor foxes 

 were given twenty minutes to rest. I was very much in- 

 terested in their actions. They would run to the middle of 

 the ring and lie down a few minutes, then get up ami run 

 in a slow gallop around the ring within ten or twenty feet 

 of the excited men who were yelling, beating their tin pans 

 and blowing horns. Occasionally one would stop and look 

 at what he thought was a weak point, then walk up within 

 six feet of the line and then bound away to some other 

 point. One of them laid down iu the centre and died in a 

 tew moments— scared io death. At the expiratiou of the 

 twenty minutes three men were detailed to catch the foxes, 

 which they did in a very few minutes, as they were already 

 run down. They were then put down for the benefit of the 

 boys under twelve years old, and one of them with the 

 courage of desperation, forced itself through the line and 

 reached the open, but was soon picked up by a cur which 

 was near. The other two were kept alive, but died that 

 night. 



While going home a party of the boys started one that 

 skulked in a brush pile and soon caught him without the 

 aid of a dotr. Two davs after the drive a snow fell, but 

 not a fox track was to lie seen, while all thiough tie winter 

 they had been so numerous that it was impossible to track 

 them. °- **• Hampton. 



*•*■ 



or Fore*< and Stream. 

 A LITTLE REMINISCENCE. 



A""*nE perusal of an article on page 320, headed, "Trout- 



X ing under Difficulties," brings to my mind a similar 



experience of my own a few years since on Salmon River 



near Kedfitld, in" Oswego county, N. Y. 



Sportsmen in Central New York have nearly all breathed 

 the exhilarating atmosphere, and enjoyed the glorious land 

 scapes and sunsets of this old and still cherished Mecca of 

 Walton's disciples. I will not at this hue day attempt a 

 description of things in this region, as many of your 

 readers no doubt could anticipate me, and say readily upon 

 the name of Redfield being mentioned, "Oh yes, 1 admit 

 it all: 1 have been there, aud have taken a basket full on 

 the east branch before lunch time, between the State bridge 



