u 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Febettahy 17, 1381. 



heroin lies one secret of our unsatisfactory laws that very few 

 experienced sportsmen have a finger in the legislative game 

 pie. Tinker, linker, tinker at the pot for the market shooter. 

 Laws good, bad and indifferent are passed, only to he re- 

 pealed to make way for further experiments; For after all 

 when power is vested in the hands of persons who arc totally 

 ignOraht of the Subject with which tliey have' to deal, it, is not 

 to be wondered at if the wrong hull is taken by the horns, 

 nor indeed if tlie bull has things all his own way." 



Il seems useless to attempt to stay tins blundering, and to 

 ask that a) Haws of a new depulure he given a pal Sent and 

 practical test. A case in point now comes before us in the 

 shape of the repealing of that excellent law, passed last year, 

 prohibiting the shooting of woodcock during the summer 

 months. A ne v bill has been framed which will permit the 

 slaughtering of the few woodcock that find their way back to 

 their old haunts before the noise of the first patriotic cracker 

 is heard hi the land ; on July 1 the season will open, and for 

 thirty-one days (for the stable door is not, I o be closed until 

 August, 1), (lie sportsmen and market suppliers of New York, 

 Pennsylvania, Connecticut and of other states are invited to 

 visit, the State or New Jersey, hold high carnival, aid in kill- 

 ing the goose that lays the golden egg, and join in the requiem 

 that will sound in honor of (lie extermination of the half 

 fledged woodcock and mother birds on their nests ! We have 

 frequently recurred to the working of this disastrous system 

 which, if pursued, as it can be proved by those, who have 

 watched the apparent decrease from year to year, will lead to 

 the utter extermination of the woodcock. 



It was au unthinking change made this year based upon 

 the result of last year's experience. Never can we remember 

 having seen a season S3 dry as it was last autumn. A drought, 

 of many weeks parched the most springy ground, and of 

 course wiien the fall flight was on the birds from the North 

 found no fcedingspots and passed along. They certainly could 

 not be expected under these conditions to stop, and consequently 

 the autumn shooting, save in one or two sections, was not 

 good. But it should be remember that had the same dry sea- 

 sou extended over June, July and August there would have 

 been the same scarcity of birds in those months. In Con- 

 necticut, wdiere the. experiment of abolishing summer shoot- 

 ing has been tried, the change has worked like a charm, and 

 for two years back the autumn woodcock shooting has im- 

 proved uud been really excellent. But even with this fact in 

 favor of ourargu nent, we hardly consider it fair to try and 

 prove by the records of one State what is expedient for an- 

 other. In this vast country to attempt to regulate the game 

 laws by the individual boundaries of each State, seems to us 

 unwise and impracticable, and particularly so in (hose situ- 

 ated in the areas of model ate temperature which Emigratory 

 birds use as slopping places on their route. A glance at the 

 map of the United States shows us that the northern part of 

 New Jersey extends as far north as New Haven and the 

 southern portion almost as far south as Washington, 1). C. 

 Is it, then, wise (o try and frame game laws to cover I his 

 large area? Will not, the changes of climate from year to 

 year produce distracting results? and will not, the residents 

 of the southern part of the State be in constant, antagonism 

 with those living in the north ? and will not the game laws of 

 the State be a tug of war until they are regulated according 

 to the latitudinal lines, or framed especially for the counties? 

 True, the extreme length of the Slate is only 167 miles, but, 

 nevertheless, we have often found the season open in South 

 Jersey several weeks before the frost and snow were at all di- 

 minished in the northern part of the State. Consequently, 

 unless a sportsman shoots all over the State in which he lives 

 he is in no position to judge of what the game laws should 

 be, except in bis own local section. Assumingthafthc period 

 of incubation of the woodcock does not exceed eighteen days, 

 it can be readily understood that birds in Cape May County 

 will be out of the shell in some years before other birds have 

 prepared to lay iu Sussex County. It is therefore unwise to 

 name the same date for the opening of the season in both lo- 

 calities, especially when it (reads so closely upon the ac- 

 knowledged time the breeding is carried on. 



The Ely Casting Toiknamext.— The fly casting tourna- 

 ment of the New York Sportsman's Association at their next 

 meeting at Coney Island in June, has been placed in charge 

 of Mr. Fred. Mather, of Forest and Stream, who proposes 

 to enlarge the number of classes so as to give a chance to am- 

 ateurs, and all who are interested in this beautiful art. Sev- 

 eral valuable prizes have been promised, and enough will be 

 obtained to make this one of greater interest than any which 

 have preceded it. There will he more to pay upon this sub- 

 ject as soon as the plans are perfected, and all promises of 

 prizes will be recorded in ourcolumns as soon as made. Cor- 

 respondence is invited. 



The Range oe Brook Trout.— Those anglers who arc 

 interested in the range of their favorite fish will do well to 

 read carefully the article on the saibling, by Prof. Goodc, in 

 which he treats of this question in an incidental manner and 

 .gives more valuable informal ion concerning the habitat of out- 

 friend in motley than is often found in a, volume. 



Stud Book.— Mr. Jos. H. Pew, Secretary of the National 

 American Kennel Club, sends us a notification, which we 

 take pleasure in publishing in our kennel columns. AU 

 those wishing to make entries in the second volume of the 

 stud hook can do bo by addressing Mr. Dew, at Columbia, Tenn , 



our 

 one who 

 eleven oi 

 median 1 

 ha'f its v 



THE ANGLER'S RETROSPECTION. 



/^\VLR the mantlepiece hangs an old rod whose days of 

 ^— ' usefulness are past. It was beyond rejuvenating ; and 

 was an old rod many years ago, long before we had moistened 

 ion feather. It was owned by a lover of angling; 

 taught, us its uses. It is a four-jointed, hollow butt, 

 mice affair, made before a later generation of skilled 

 es had acquired the art of making stronger rods of 

 tight. Years ago it ranked as a masterpiece of ar- 

 tistic workmanship; to-day it is a curiosity anil as worthless 

 for its original purpose as a dead twig, and yet, there clusters 

 around il a world of sunuy memories. 



The hour before twilight, on that long-ago June afternoon 

 when we hooked and landed our first trout with it, seems as 

 yesterday; and the friends who were with us, though some 

 have reeled up their lines and crosssd the dark river, are all 

 often in our thoughts, and the world seems better to us thai 

 we have known them. And brighter than Ibis rises up the 

 stalwart, form and the genial face of the dear old friend 

 who gave to us our first lesson in fly-casting. Though old 

 cuough l,o he our father, lie was like a foster brother and a 

 playmate. Strong of limb, he was brave as a lion, gentle as a 

 lamb. With older men sensible and dignified, with youth 

 the youngest and jolliest, of them all. 



lie believed with wise Solomon that the rod was an essen- 

 tial instrument in the education of children, but he would 

 place i he rod in the hands of the child and let' him catch fish 

 with it. More than, one lover of the woods and waters re- 

 veres his memory, and many a time in town and camp have 

 we heard him spoken of fondly and reverently, as one speaks 

 of a dear mother. 



The mind of the veteran angler is a storehouse of pleasant 

 memories, a storehouse filled to the very roof. Though the 

 season is passed and the silvery hairs have asserted their su- 

 premacy, the lustre has faded from the eye aud the hand has 

 forgotten its cunning, his memory is nevcrso obscured by the 

 film of age as to tender him unconscious or forgetful of the 

 almost unnumbered charms thai have attended his angling 

 rambles. The aching feet, the bruised arms, the legs, every 

 bone rebelling against comfort, the crabbed look of Fortune, 

 as she repulsed bis advances, all the hostsof discourasemeuis 

 and accidents that have at times occurred are forgotten or 

 forgiven aud he is miudful only of the sunniest smiles. 



The old crippled veteran loves to fight his battles over 

 again, and what a world of pleasure be derives from their re- 

 cital ! He will recount to you almost: with his last pipe the 

 afternoon's sport he had at some favorite pool years and years 

 ago, how lustily fought that grandee below the falls, bis 

 scouring runs and desperate leaps, and final surrender. These 

 he remembers with all their attending minutisr— the fly he 

 used, the hour, his length of cast and way of playing. These 

 reminiscences are full of pleasant, incident always, excepting 

 the extemporized ones. 



But. the. angler's thoughts turn not alone back to the fishes 

 favors. The dear old faces he knew and saw by the evening 

 camp-fire, the long pulls down the river and across the lake, 

 the tramps over aud around the mountains, the early starts 

 and late returns, the tangled woodland, the picturesque roads 

 and rugged gorges, the songs and stories before the turning- 

 iu hour, when spoon-fashion he laid aud dreamed of pleasures 

 past and to come — all these form a swift procession of sunny 

 memories. These impressions are indelible. They never 

 even become momentarily obscured, but grow brighter and 

 brighter while other events may touch the heart, but never 

 become so thoroughly enrapped as to become part and parcel 

 of one's nature. It is a memory that never dies ; a sort of 

 fast-COlor recollection that, will wash and not fade in the slight- 

 est degree. Il is altogether too tenacious, for the will regu- 

 lated angler, no matter how near his fiual dissolution, will 

 involuntarily exaggerate, and yet never overstep the hounds 

 of verity. He has learned in his journey from youth through 

 manhood to old age to value (ruth and his yarns are no 

 longer " fishy." Oh, no ! He is too near his journey's end 

 to deal in anything but truth, pure and unadulterated. (Mi, 

 yes I 



When he can no longer join in the wantonness of (lie rol- 

 licking chorus around the evening camp-fire, when teeth are 

 gone and voice is cracked so he can no longer hold on to high 

 "C" with any ccrlaiuty he will applaud his successors and 

 wish them such joys as have been meted out to him ; aud if 

 they have half as much their cup of healthy, life-giving sport 

 will be well tilled. 



Then here's to the youngster who indulges in the pleasures 

 of hope ; and here's a kindly greeting to the old man who 

 must content himself in recalling the past ! Millard. 



A New Rim.e Organ. The dispute over the late Wim- 

 bledon Meeting of last. July, and the scandal connected with 

 it, has hurried the production of another paper specially de- 

 voted to the interests of the volunteers, and the Volunteer 

 Review is now to appear as the contemporary of the I 'olunieer 

 Siroia Qazdte, which for so many years has come freighted 

 with good things and rich with varied discussion of all the 

 minulhc of rifle practice and militia organization. The es- 

 tablishment of Ibis new organ of the volunteer force and ex- 

 ponent of rifle practice is a protest against the systematic 

 practice of Ihe Council of the. N. R. A. of Great Britain to 

 disci edit those wdio have ventured to bring before them any 

 suggestions for reform. Our own Board of Directors were 

 open to the same indictment, but we live in hope yet that our 

 new Board may change the current. 



We Regret to Becord the death of Mr. Charles H. 

 Font, Secretary of the Sharps Bifie Company, of Bridgeport, 

 Conn. Mr. Pond had been severely afflicted with rheumatic 

 complaints for the past two or three years, and since his re- 

 cent return from Europe had been at his home in Milford 

 most of the time, where he died last Tuesday night of a rheu- 

 matic affection of the heart, lie bad been favorably known 

 in the gun trade of this city for the past thirty years, and 

 was formerly of the firm of Cooper & 1'ond, 177 Broadway, 

 this city, the site now occupied by Edwin S. Harris. 



TnE Cocker Ci.tm — Those of our readers who are inter- 

 ested in spaniels will no doubt be pleated at, the progress 

 made toward Ihe organization of Ihe Cocker Club, as an- 

 nounced in another column. The c mmittce chosen to form 

 a standard and to lake preliminary steps toward organization 

 includes a number of our most prominent breeders, and will 

 command the respect and have the good will of cocker men 

 at large 



Trra Index of Voleme Fitteex, which is published with 

 this issue, is the best possible exhibit of just what the For- 

 est and Stream is doing. This simple catalogue of ihe con- 

 tents of the p per for six months contains abundant, evidence 

 of the wide scope, high character and practical value of its 

 successive number^. 



" Hunts on Deee Shooting " is one of the many practical 

 papers published in these columns which deserve careful 

 reading because of the instruction contained iu them. 



Sim i i:o eon's Skrmon on Dogs is commented on by au Amor- 

 can clergyman in auother column. 



£&he ggortzmm Jpwmi 



AFTEll THE LAST KICK. 



SOMETHING eminently respectable is there about shoot- 

 ing'in a nice country, not ill-peopled nor too rough ; to 

 gO out at morning with a clever dog, bang away now and 

 then, tramping home at sunset with a comfortable bagful Or 

 less. Let no bag scale more than fifteen or twenty pounds. 

 Don't, knock down fences, and spoil the farmer's disposition. 

 Have an eye for something besides brown feathers : then, 

 whate'er betide, fat bag or lean, you shall be on the. best of 

 terms with that right good fellow,' yourself. Long not over- 

 much for the sight ot mighty game of hoof and horn, for 

 something of such have l' to tell. It is a fine thing to snoot 

 big game, yet truly it, is in some respects like thawing the 

 famous prize elephant. 



One summer's evening, while the days were yet long, a 

 boat moving quietly and inoffensively up a narrow si ream 

 was stopped by a self-important old moose. Intruded upon 

 at his fashionable 8 o'clock dinner— for, be it. known, our 

 present swell customs with respect to square meals are only 

 those of the wild deer— be not only refused to grant a passage, 

 but, erecting his mane, evidently contemplated au attack up- 

 on the two voyagers. Threatened at si distance of twenty- 

 live feet by an old ruin of a muzzle-loader, his lordship only 

 looked still more morose; at which juncture, in sheer 

 self-defence, there came f nan the boat a big bang from four 

 drains of indifferent bad powder, a little bang from a dram 

 and a half of Ihe same, followed by a preparatory shuffle of 

 moccasins as though somefcllow ratberexpeetcd togive up the 

 ship if boarded by the foe. There was a great leap, a frying 

 of spray, a plunge, a gurgle, and in thirty seconds from" the 

 shot the moose found himself under water, all but a horn. 



"Alia," said the travelers, as the deep pool became again 

 placid in the twilight; yet, in removing the obstruction 

 having burned the last gran of powder within ten miles, 

 they proceeded not further into the enemy's country, but 

 anchored straightway to the upstanding horn. 



Of course, the good paddle was held by Ned Norton, the 

 shaky gun by B., the undersigned, while the moose-infestcd 



Stream was, as must be, in Tom Chester's domain ai Sec I 



Lake. 



Imagine a dead horse in a stream— a dead horse with a pair 

 of shovel blades set close to an immense ugly head, with less 

 tail than a rabbit, and you have the situation; adding, if you 

 will, the fast-gathering darkness of night under the black (Irs. 



" Lift hisheadinto the stern," said Norton, balancing him- 

 self in the bow. 



"Lift" I did, and master Ned came a great deal nearer — 

 according to the capers of Saranac boats in general— to being 

 pitched bodily into the stream than did the ungainly head to 

 coming aboard. Ten minutes of balancing and tugging 

 brought succ ss to the attempt, whereupon' we poled and 

 towed the carcass a few rods below to a sort of landbig at an 

 old moose path, there scrabbling together a bit of a. fire for 

 the benefit of a lot of blood-scenting mosquitoes as well as 

 for light. The bank was soft and pretty steep. 



Now, without being heavy weights, either of lis could trot 

 a hundred-pound I oat about the woods and not mind, but. for 

 our lives we could not get that moose more than two- 

 thirds out, of water, though we toiled like a couple of ants at 

 some huge bug. Regardless of blood and sand I embraced 

 the warm limp carcass as a long lost, brother, but, wrestled, as 

 didN., tonopurpose except, to get heautilu ly besmeared , the 

 hindqwntersrrmained beneath Ihe surface. 



About this time the distinctively eminent, respectability of 

 partridge shooting on my own native bills began to ap- 

 pear. X wanted to give up till morning, but the dauntless 

 N., with. "You hold Ihe light," attacked the prey at the 



i I s 



illy t 



n the 



1 il, 

 rms, 

 k to 

 ind- 

 Biicd 

 kept 



he 



water line with his razor-like knife. For a 

 while N., sleeves rolled back from his eat 

 delved and pulled away like a vulture, hut l 

 flight before the vile odors, cautiously return 

 ward side upon a demand for "more light." uase 

 by long experience to all manner of " inside?," Nit 

 steadily on, somehow containing his own inward 

 shoved the enormous paunch of the moose into the stream; 

 yet coughing and gasping al intervals, during v. h ; ch lie would 

 nearly disappear within the growing cavity. " " 'Nough— to— 

 er — stink— er— dog out of— er— gut- cart ! " came up explo- 

 sively from the water side, and he slapped at the mosquitoes 

 most viciously. 



The unsavory task done at last, we put to sea aga ; n, land- 

 ing on a little flat island or spit cear by, and our burden being 



