90 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Maboh 3, 1881. 



from Mr. Geo. Lyman Appleton, of Byron County, Ga., in 

 which he states that he had lulled a deer with No. 9 shot, 

 and that this is the only ease, that he ever heard of where a 

 deer was killed with that size shot while on the nm. Dining 

 the winter of 1877 1 was located in Salinas Valley, California, 

 shooting for market. Part of the season I shot with a gentle- 

 man, Capt. P., who has made a business of shooting in that 

 section for a number of years. One evening about, dusk we 

 parted company, having been quail shooting all day, he 

 going to bis cabin, I to mine. We had been separated but a 

 few moments when I beard the report of his gun. On visit- 

 ing his house a, day or two later I observed a fresh deer s,kiu 

 thrown over the limb of a tree. On inquiring of him where 

 it came from he informed me that the shot which I heard a 

 few moments after we last parted was the death signal of the 

 deer ; that his dogs had started the deer, which ran directly 

 toward him, and that he had killed it within five yards of 

 himself with a charge of No. 9 shot, which size we used 

 exclusively for quail. " Capt. P. used a G£ pound gun, and I 

 will say was the best shot on California quad that I ever had 

 the pleasure of shooting with. Let me here remark that the 

 California quad is a much more difllcidt bird than his eastern 

 brother. H. C. G. 



Work of tub Game Protectors— Ulica, Feb. 24. — Editor 

 Forest and Stream : State Game Protector Dodge, of Pros- 

 pect, has been bringing the gamo dealers of TTtica up to the 

 "Captain's office to settle." Last Saturday he had four of 

 them before Justice Edwards for examination, two of them 

 settled by paying $25 and costs, which they ought to consider 



fettivg off easy, for the full penalties in these cases range from 

 50 to $750. The other parties got an adjournment for a 

 few days, but they will probably settle, as they have no possi 

 ble defense. Other parties in Utica have been sued for sell- 

 ing game out of season, and their cases will come off this 

 week. The only excuse that has been offered thus far is that 

 they were ignorant of the law, and for that reason they have- 

 been favored as above stated in the settlement, but for a 

 second offence they must expect to suffer the full penalties. 

 These cases, together with indictments found against six of- 

 fenders at Oneida Lake who made such war-like demonstra- 

 tions last fall, tend to give the people in this part of the State 

 to understand that the game laws are going to be enforced. 

 We hope Mr. Dodge will continue the good work, and that 

 all true sportsmen will lend him a helping hand. Maok. 



New Jersey Game Laws— Newton, Sussex Co., N. J., 

 Feb. 17.— I must say the proposed new laws astonish me, 

 am glad to see the opinions expressed by the Forest and 



Strej 

 As fa 

 nig 

 closet 

 not require s 

 to see that tJ 

 will be to flu 

 I am not 



lie 



For* 



befo 



aider the foremost of sporting journals, 

 •e goes, most, if not all, illegal shoot- 

 fhc season opens and just after it 

 in season is to be divided into two, it does 

 great, knowledge of higher mathematics 

 aunt of illegal shooting in the first case 

 he last in about the ratio of one to two. If 

 , the chief, or perhaps one of the chief ob- 

 jections raised to the last law was that it could not be en- 

 forced. Now how much harder will it be to enforce a law 

 Which allows a man to shoot for a month, then forbids it for 

 temveeks, and finally permits it again. I believe it to be a 

 generally conceded fact that the more complicated a law is, 

 (lie more difficult to enforce. In my opinion, any sane law, 

 properly enforced, will do more for the preservation of game 

 than all the wordy, voluminous bills that ever passed the 

 Legislature of a State. It's protection the birds want, not 

 legislation. M. 



The Southern Dog Fabbb— Jacksonville, Fla, Feb. 

 19. — I think your correspondent's (Kenorc) letter published in 

 your issue of Feb. 10 apt to mislead the Florida bound sports- 

 man. It met my eye on the eve of my departure for New 

 York for this State where I have stayed two days prepared 

 for war on the quail. The charges though high, "are not, ac- 

 cording to my experience, so excessive as to warrant the 

 "throwing away" of three tickets from Charleston to Jack- 

 sonville as Kenorc and his friends did "thereby making a 

 clear saving cf $12 on dogs." I had the misfortune to find 

 the connection between Charleston and Savannah severed by 

 the freshets, and was forced to travel 157 miles out of my 

 way to get to the latter place for Charleston ; so with this ad- 

 ditional, or substituted expense— the heaviest of the trip— my 

 expenses for carriage of dogs amounted to $25, divided as 

 follows: New York to Washington, $*'; Washington to Charles- 

 ton, $12.50 ■ Charleston to Augusta, $1.50; Augusta to Sa- 

 vannah, *5; Savannah to Jacksonville, $3. How there 

 wouldbe any economy then in throwing away three tickets, as 

 your correspondent di .1, I do not see. S. 



Tub Game Law Tinkering— Editor Forest and Stream : 

 I see in the Forest and Stream that the annual tinkering of 

 game laws has commenced and, judging from what has been 

 done by some " associations," legislation upon the subject iB 

 to be rigorously pursued. Now, in the name of the public 

 and the' sportsmen of the State, for one I protest against any 

 changes of the laws. As a rule they are explicit, the penal- 

 ties are right and the manner of enforcement is sufficiently 

 plain. There are not enough important changes needed to 

 again take the time and subject our Legislature to further 

 enactments What is needed is the enforcement of present 

 laws. In this one thing lies the important part in protecting 

 and preserving the game and fish of New Fork State- Let 

 the New York State Association, the Long Island Sportsmen's 

 Association and all the numerous clubs say with one voice, 

 and do it, too, that our present game laws" shall be enforced, 

 and I will guarantee there will be no more raids upon the 

 Legislature for changes in the law, and that within two years 

 a bill for the protection of game and fish will have no hearing 

 in our legislative halls, becaus (here will be no necessity for 

 it. Stbaousb. 



Maine— Marshfield, Feb. 4 — Woodcock are scarce in this 

 vicinity. One may travel through our woods from day to 

 day and seldom, if ever, get sight, of one. Ducks are quite 

 plenty in some of our lakes during September and October. 

 Quail are new birds for our people, having been introduced 

 into the State within two years Last summer, for the first 

 time, their notes were heard and now and then a stray one 

 seen in the baying fields. But we trust that they will rapidly 

 increase. I think an amendment to the deer and moose law, 

 as proposed by Messrs. Stillwell and Smith, making the time 

 for killing September, October and November, would be a 

 good move, for the reason that sometimes in December the 

 snow gets dow so deep— at Machias River, for instance— that 

 lumbermen have run down doer on snow-shoes. H. 



"A Winter Visit to the Adihondaoks."— A party of 

 young men, consisting of John B. Marie, J. Abraham The- 

 riot, Edward P. Coogan, George A. Williams, Francis E. 

 Splain, Harry Hilliard, Joseph M. Phelan and Hamilton 

 Parker, started last evening for the Adirondacks and Lake 

 George, where they will spend a week or ten days hunting. 

 Just before their departure they dined with several friends at 

 Delmouico's.— New York Sun. Feb, 20. 



As those young gentlemen must now have returned from 

 their hunting trip, will they inform the Forest axv Stream 

 what game they found in the woods which they could law- 

 fully kill ? 



Iowa — Glenwood, Iowa, Feb. — Judging from the reports 

 of many sportsmen and farmers and 'my own observations, 

 the quails and chickens have weathered the winter so far. 

 We have not had any deep snows, and the birds have ob- 

 tained food : but it has been far different fifty miles north. 

 There they have suffered -greatly and great numbers have 

 frozen. The quail's greatest enemy here is the prairie wolf 

 (Cam's Latratm). But few birds are trapped, I am glad to 

 say. As the bluebird (.9. Sealis) has arrived we expect the 

 ducks and geese soon and anticipate rare sport this spring. 



W. H. E. 



Philadelphia Notes. — Our bay and river is now full of 

 marsh ducks and shooting is good. Purple grackles and 

 bluebirds have appeared. Yet to-day we are having freezing 

 weather, but when spring comes it will be ushered suddenly, 

 and we look for a quick passage through our section of all 

 migratory birds. 



Joe Krider is about starting on his collecting tour to the 

 Northwest. If he had not decided to take the journey, Un- 

 cle John, old aa lie is, would have attempted it and succeed- 

 ed, for all say he haB a new lease of life. Homo. 



Galveston Gun Club— Galveston, Texas, Feb. 19.— At a 

 regular meeting of the Galveston Gun Club the following 

 officers were elected to serve the ensuing year : President, 

 II. A. Seeligson; Vice-President, H. P. Redmond; Secre- 

 tary and Treasurer, W. J. Hughes ; Directors— C. C. Pettit, 

 D. Hall, A. Caunou, H. DaPonte and W. H. Hodges We 

 claim for the Texas State Tournament to take place in this 

 city, commencing May 3 and lasting four days 



W. J. HuGHES. 



A Michigan Poacher's Plea. — Menomanee, Mich., Feb. 

 19. — A hunter arrested for killing a deer out of season — offence 

 proveu--J. P. allows the prisoner to be sworn. Prisoner 

 swears that he was out with his gun, and he saw a deer com- 

 ing at him with his mouth wide open, and he. was afraid the 

 deer would hurt him, so he shot him. The prisoner was 

 discharged. Is that good law in the "White Settlements?" 

 I think the J. P. should have one-half of the deer at least for 

 conscience sake. ■ Guxon, Jr. 



The Pennsylvania Association — Meadville, Pa. — The 

 name of our club has been changed from the Madison Sports- 

 men's Club to the Crawford County Game and Fish Protect- 

 ive Association. The State Association meets in our city on 

 the 7th of June next, and we would like to see all of the 

 clubs of the State represented. O. H. K. 



Louisiana — Mile Creek, Feb. — We have game here in 

 abundance— deer, turkeys, quail, ducks, fine fish, worlds of 

 beaver in the streams. This is the sportsman's Paradise. M. 



$ex and Miver 



SISH IJV SEASON IN rEBKHABV. 



PBBSH 



Pickerel, Kmx rcticuiatug. 

 Pike or Pickerel, Emx luoius. 

 Pike-perch (wall-eyed pike) 



Stizotethium americanum, S. 



nri.-uum, etc, 

 Yellow Perch, J'erca fluvuaitis. 

 Striped Bass, Raccus lineatus. 



SALT 

 sea Bass, CentropriatU atrarius. 

 Striped nsss. Bo&em Hncatm. 

 White Perch. Mm 



WATER. 



White Rass, Rac<:u« chryttopt. 



Rock Bass, AmblopUtee. (Two 

 species). 



War-mouth, Chtxnobryttus gulosut. 



Orapplc, PmiLoxyz nigrtntuiculutus. 



Bachelor, Pmnqxys annularis. 



Chub, SeriH'tilis curparalis. 

 WATER. 

 I Smelt, Otntieruti mordax. 



Pollock, PoitoxMue carbonaritie, 



FISHING RODS. 



THBIR MANUFACTURE, OARB AND PEOPBR USE. 



IKcadhyS. W. GoodrKige before the Mftsnigan Sportsmen's Associa- 

 tion.] 

 TIMBER for making all fishing rods should be selected 

 with great care ; the varieties of timber used or recom- 

 mended are almost endless. I shall confine myself to such as 

 I consider the best. 



For butts there is nothing superior to white ash, which, al- 

 though one of our most common woods, is not always what 

 the rod maker would have it, and it is at times extremely dif- 

 ficult to procure an article suitable for tine fly rods. Our ex- 

 perience teaches us that the best is from small second growth 

 trees not over one foot in diameter. It should be grown in a 

 sheltered position, protected by the surrounding forest 

 from high winds, which are the cause of crooked and cross- 

 grained timber to a much greater extent than is thought. 

 The grain should be fine and"straight, and should lie springy 

 and recover its place at once after being bent. The white 

 part (the sap) only should be ustd, and that taken from not 

 loo near the bark.' The heart is liable to be too heavy, and 

 will warp, which is not desirable. 



Hickory and maple are much used by English rod makers 

 for second and third joints, but these woodsdo not find much 

 favor with American anglers, or rod makers for fine work. 



Hornbeam has been lnghly recommended, and does very 

 well for large joints, but when worked down for second 

 joints and tips does not keep its place, but will warp and 

 not rocover itself. 



Green heart w r as much sought after several years since, but 

 does not appear to hold its own against lance wood. We 

 have used specimens from several lots and have never been 

 able to find that which is reliable, and have therefore given 

 it up. 



Lance wood is imported from the West India Islands ; the 

 best comes from Cuba, ami is now generally admitted to be 

 the best timber that can be procured for fly, bait or black bass 

 rods. It is sometimes very difficult to procure this wood of 



the best quality, and its imperfections can only be discovered 

 by actual working it on the bench under the plane. This 

 wood is frequently full of minute knots no larger than a pin, 

 one of which passing through a second joint or tip weakens 

 it greatly j these cannot always be discovered until a joint is 

 nearly finished, and then only on the closest inspection. It 

 is also sometimes cross-grained, the grain crossing a small 

 piece, a tip for instance, within an inch or less of its length. 

 By working by hand all such imperfections are discovered, 

 while by turning in a lathe the tool will go over it leaving it 

 perfectly smooth, and to appearance a sound and good piece 

 of timber.' 



THE TROUT FLY BOD. 



This rod should be in length from ten and one-half to 

 eleven and one-half feet, and should weigh from eight to ten 

 ounces. The reel should be placed behind the hand near the 

 extremity of the butt. The handle above the reel should be 

 one inch in diameter and eight inches long. Immediately 

 above the handle of the rod the size should diminish sudden- 

 ly for about two inches, and from that point run on a perfect 

 taper to the end of the tip. 



The rod should be made of three joints — viz., butt, second 

 joint and tip. The joint ferrules on all rods should be made 

 seamless ; all soldered or braized ferrules are liable to open 

 on the seams and cannot be made as smooth ou the inside as 

 mandril drawn ferrules, and consequently as good fits cannot 

 be secured. The second joints and tips should be made of 

 the best selected lance wood, and if any imperfection should 

 show itself it should be rejected. In English rods the tips are 

 usually made of two or more pieces spliced. It is claimed for 

 them that they keep their place better, and are not as liable 

 to warp with use. I do not think that there is any objection 

 to the spliced tip. 



The rings on the rod should be two on butt, four on second 

 joint and five on each tip. There should always be an extra 

 tip with each rod. 



The joint ferrules should never be riveted on a fly rod. 

 They should be closely fitted and set with the best, orange 

 shellac, which should be applied to the wood over the flame 

 of a spirit lamp, and the ferrule then crowded on, heating the 

 ferrule over the lamp. Whenever a fernde thus set becomes 

 loose it can usually be tightened by warming it in a flame re- 

 volving the joiuf while doing so. It may be necessary to 

 draw the ferrule off and apply more shellac. 



All rods of whatever kind should be made with close-fitting 

 metal dowels, and the sockets into which the dowels fit 

 Bho>dd be accurately bored to the size and taper of the dowel. 



Rods should have their handles wound with fishing line or 

 split rattan, either of which gives a good grasp. 



The split bamboo fly and bass rods when made by a good 

 maker are as near perfection as possible. The best are made 

 from selected Calcutta bamboo, and should be what is known 

 in the East Indies as the male bamboo. They should be made 

 in six strips and all the enamel of the wood preserved ; cut- 

 ting away from the inside all the softer parts. 



These rods can never be produced of good quality at a low 

 price, but there, are thousands of inferior rods of this kind on 

 (lie market which are sawed out of bamboo promiscuously 

 without any selection. Such rods are worse than useless, as 

 they soon come to grief. 



THE TROUT BAIT ROD. 



Taking the fly rod as a standard of excellence we should 

 look for something as nearly like it as may be consistent with 

 the additional work which the bait rod is expected to do. 



This rod shoidd also bo of three joints made of ash and 

 lance wood. The handle should be below the reel seat, one 

 inch in diameter, and from eight to ten inches long. The 

 taper should commence immediately above the reel bands, 

 and run as in the fly rod to the extremity of the tip 



The joint ferrules now used on bait rods are smaller than 

 formerly. In the old style of four joint rods, there was but 

 little elasticity in bu't and second joint, nearly all the spring 

 coming on the third joint and tip, and many cheap rods both 

 of three and four joints are now made in that manner, the 

 lower half being firm and rigid, whilethe upper part iswithey 

 but limber. Such rods are to be avoided. They are a source 

 of vexation and annoyance and arc constantly out of order 

 and breaking. By using smaller ferrules and dividing the 

 strain throughout the rod, a much larger fish can be landed, 

 and much more pleasure derived, as by a properly constructed 

 rod every movement of the captive is as distinctly felt by the 

 angler as with the delicate fly rod. The bait rod should be 

 from ten and one-half feet to twelve feet in length and from 

 twelve to fifteen ounces in weight. Such a rod will do as 

 much execution, properly made and properly handled, as a 

 much heavier one of the old pattern. Such a rod as I have 

 described is amply strong for all ordinary boat or pond fishing 

 for any kinds of fish that do not weigh upward of twelve to 

 fifteen pounds. 



The demand for rods suitable for black bass fishing has 

 within a few years been greatly increased, and it has not until 

 recently been very welfuuderstood what constitutes a good 

 bass rod, and there were until recently about as many differ- 

 ent ideas on the subject as there were different fishermen. 

 Rods were ordered by anglers of all descriptions from a light 

 bait rod to a salmon rod of twenty feet in length 



It now, however, appears to be pretty well settled that a 

 short stiflish rod is the best for bait fishing and throwing the 

 minnow for black bass, and all anglers are under great obli- 

 gations to Dr. J. A llenshall, of Cincinnati, for his ideaB of 

 what a perfect rod should be. Through the colums of For- 

 est and Stream he has given much valuable information on 

 the habits of the black bass and the best methods of capturing 

 them. 



He recommends a rod of tlrrec joints, ash butt second joint 

 and tips of lance wood. The handle one inch in diameter 

 and about eight inches long. The reel seat to be placed im- 

 mediately above the handle, and the taper of the rod starting 

 directly above the reel, and continuing trite tothe end of the tip. 

 The leDgth of the rod to be eight feet and three inches, and 

 the weight to be from eight to ten ounces. With such a rod 

 a very long cast can be made with bait or minnow, and in 

 striking and killing the fish it is very efficient. This style of 

 rod is now coming into general use. Some, however, insist 

 on a longer rod. Ten feet is, I think, as long as they ever 

 should be made. When one once becomes accustomed to 

 Dr. Henshall's pattern, we think they will thereafter use no 

 other. 



The country is perfectly inundated with cheap rods, with a 

 good outside finish, but made from worthless timber, stained 

 and varnished so as to conceal all imperfections; they are 

 made entirely by machinery, and many are sold at high 

 prices. 



While gentlemen anglers who can afford it will alwayshava 

 a well balanced and highly finished and high cost rod, there 

 are thousands who cannot afford such, 'and it is next to anim- 



