270 



FOREST AND STREAM,, 



[Mat 5, 1381. 



the bottom of the hoat a beauty, 10J inches long, and weigh- 

 ing one pound and ten ounces. We each of us catch one or 

 two more at this pool, when they slack up and we are off 

 again. If the fish don't bite we do not wait for them, but 

 float along and try another place. 



This river is "so crooked that it would put to shame the 

 river— so called— connecting Crooked and Mullet Lakes, on 

 the lower peninsula. Here we are ou the point o£ a V, very 

 narrow and a quarter of a mile long. Could we have crossed 

 overland twenty-five feet would "have saved half a mile. 

 These sharp turns have no good fishing places; it is in the 

 long, round swing where we find Ihem. We keep up this 

 stopping at all the best looking pools until about 5 o'clock, 

 when we again pitch teut, and, as is our custom, make a bed 

 that is hard to excel. Layers of balsam boughs, lapped 

 from the front to the back of the tent, like a shingle roof, 

 with a number of extr-i layers at the head, a rubber blanket 

 immediately over, with three thicknesses of blankets follow- 

 ing, with covering, make a bed that my experience teaeheB 

 me is belter than any other contrivance 1 have ever tried. 

 None but good.sized trout were saved during the day, and we 

 have twenty-four an 1 a half pounds of dressed trout— not 

 Tery bad for a legitimate day's sport, besides all the small 

 ones returned to tlie stream, and three hearty meals for three, 

 hungry men. This day will always remain as a bright and 

 shining spot in my memory. 



Thursday morning wo "are off again. It is a beautiful 

 morning. We floated along, fishing and enjoying the grand 

 air until about 1 o'clock, when we ran afoul of a loggingdam, 

 and a Miiple of lumbermen here, from whom we learn the 

 river is full of logs from about a mile below the dam to its 

 mouih, a distance of a number of miles, that it would be im- 

 possible for us to go down any further. We send to the 

 mouth of the river "for the only team within a radius oE 

 twenty-five miles. A drizzling fain sets in about. 8 o'clock, 

 and about 4 o'clock the team conies— mules — and John Uon- 

 nell, the teamster. I wish I were an a* list, I would like to 

 have sketched this specimen. Height, six feet on the stoop 

 — don't know how high he would be if straightened up : big 

 brimmed, greasy old slouch hat ; pants and coat of many 

 colors; both hands in breeches pockets, aud a "gad," about 

 ten to twelve feet long, stuck under hisarm ; whiskers all over 

 his face, very unevenly clipped close with shears ; front 

 teeth out, the balance black, and an old stub pipe, with some 

 terribly smelling tobacco sizzling away in it. " That's a nice 

 team of mules," we ventured io remark. 



"Yes; pnrty fair, but. yer better not go too clos' to 'em 

 as that 'er oil' mule's a leelle light be.hind "—a demonstration 

 which we were witnessing. 



Uur toats and traps safely on the. Wagon-bed, and tied 

 down both fore and afl , our "Old Reliable" takes Ihe trail, 

 while my chum and myself climb on the boat to ride. We 

 stood it I guess 200 yards, and walked the rest of the seven 

 miles, and right glad" of a chance. We arrived safely at the 

 mouth of the Carp, and took a lug Friday morning to Point St. 

 lgnace, a little town stretched along the beach for more thau 

 a mile. Fr >m here we went on to Mackinaw and to Che- 

 boygan, from which place we started a Week before. 



I wMi to take this opportunity of personally aud publicly 

 thanking Dr J. A Henshall for'his very able, interesting and 

 valuable letters on fly-fishing for black bass, which have ap- 

 peared in your columns. The same I have duly transferred 

 to my " Forest and Sibbw scrap book," and prize highly. 



C'olumbuK, O. Frank N. Bkebk. 



TUB VICISSITLDES OF ANGLING. 



ON Tuesday afternoon, July 29. whiledriv'mg from Comp- 

 ton to Sawyersville, in the Eastern Township, P. Q., 1 

 went several miles out of my way, over a bad road that 

 led through an almost unbroken forest, to visit a mill dam, 

 where trout were reported 10 be both numerous and large I 

 fished that small body of water faithfully for at least a couple 

 of hours and killed Imt half a dozen small trout, mere finger- 

 lings, which satisfied me that information obtained from 

 countrymen on sporting matters is not to be relied on. As I 

 was slowly driving hick over the grass-covered rath, my horse, 

 a valuable young Plough Boy mare that I had recently pur- 

 chased, tempted by the green grass at her feet, suddenly 

 threw down her head to catch a hasty mouthful, when she 

 stepped on the long martingale that was dangling between 

 her bit and girth, A moment later her head was free of 

 both bit and headstall : then, with one wild look backward, 

 she was away at full speed. Before she had run a dozen 

 yards the high wheels of my buggy struck a log, which sent 

 the writer out against a slump, whack! Though the stump 

 uttered not a word of complaint against that violent embrace, 

 every bone and mucle in my whole body found expression 

 iu the loud "Oh!" that followed. I slowly unwound my- 

 self from that stump, and with much pain regained the per- 

 pendicular position, head up and limped out to the road, 

 where 1 found my fishing rods, carriage-rug, etc., and a little 

 further ou one wheel, minus the hub. I left these things as 

 I found them and hurried on to learn the fate of my horse. 

 A mile distant, at the edge of the charing, I saw a mau aud 

 a couple of towheaded boys standing beside a heap that 

 lay in the ditch. As I approached nearer I wa% accosted 

 with, " Weel, mon, I hev her head oop so sheil na' smuther " 

 There in the ditch lay the mare quietly, with the wreck of 

 my new Dexter buggy piled a-lop of her. An hour later a 

 farmer's haycart might have been seen leaving that spot 

 loaded with my traps and the smashed up buggy. Seated on 

 top of this pile was a soiled, disconsolated-looking fisherman 

 .lading a lame horse, which was so covered with mud that its 

 natural color was indiscernible. After a weary ride of six 

 miles we arrived at Eaton Corners, where my team was laid 

 up for repairs. '1 he next day I drove out to Lennoxville and 

 look the crs for a distant station, so as to get away as far as 

 possible from the scene of my mishap. 



Yesterd y I had occasion to go to Kinnear's Mills and 

 Leeds. My fishing tackle was left at Eaton, excepting a 

 couple of flies and casting line on ray hat. I obtained a slow 

 and reliable "Kanuck" for my trip, and borrowed the only 

 fishing-rod in the place— a cheap affair. Thus rigged, I de- 

 termined on my way back from Leeds to try the Osgoode and 

 Thames rivers for trout. I reached the O«goode late in the 

 afemoon, and sfier tying "Kanuck" fast to the fence, I 

 got my rod together and made my way through the raspberry 

 bushes up above the old mill, which stands within fifty yards 

 of the roadside. Where I approached the stream a large pile 

 of driftwood lay along the bank in the water. At my first 

 attempt to make a cast with that rickety rod my flies caught 

 in the outer edge of the lloodwood. A "swirl " proclaimed a 

 rise, and I saw the back fins and broad, square tail of a large 

 trout as he returned back under cover, after his unsuccessful 

 attempt to take one of the flies. With a loug stick I carefully 

 loosened and secured the flies, aud passed on up the stream 



to the next pool, where I practiced casting until I got the 

 hang of my rod. Here I caught a pre ty one-quarter pound 

 trout ; and after ten minues I relumed to my first position 

 and carefully marie a cast near the edge of that pile of rub 

 bish. There was a rush, and spiz-z-z-z the lino goes singing 

 through the water. I sprang out on the pile of floodwood, so 

 as to keep the fish away from it, and away he sped out 

 into the centre of the pool. How he tugs and pulls I A 

 three-pounder if he's an ounce ! After a severe fight in and 

 out of the water he shows himself motionless on top. What 

 a beauty ! He'll weigh nearer four pounds than three. Sud- 

 denly, with a big splash, he's off again, with more fight than 

 ever. Yes, he will go over four pounds. I know that by the 

 way he pulls. No lighter trout could pull so heavy and 

 strong. Skip he goesout of the water, a full foot or more, 

 and chums tlie water to a foam by an angry slap with his 

 tail as he falls back. Won't he make their eyes stick out 

 when I show him at the hotel? Ha! ha! he's getting well 

 tuckered out A little more play and then to land him is the 

 question. My landing net is with my rods, but I don't think 

 that I'll need it, for he now leads well and 1 will bring him 

 alongside of this log, then slip my hand down the line and 

 catch him behind the gills. 



'• And !>ul he comes from tils accustomed haunts 

 Mourned by his blsuji s and Ms fflUSUla una hi, mints " 



Hush ! I have him almost in my grasp. I give, him the 

 but a little harder to bring him nearer, when— flop, he is 

 off the hook ! With a lauguid roll and a lazy wag of his tail, 

 head downward, he disappears from view under the drift- 

 wood. Bah ! 1 don't believe he would weigh two pounds, 

 even if one and a half. It's all moonshine to imagine or 

 think that so small a river contains anything but brook trout. 

 They may occasionally grow to the 'size of one or one and a 

 quarter pounds, but never larger. 



I silently reel up my line, unhitch Kanuck and proceed on 

 my way, fully determined not to fish any more that afternoon ; 

 for, without a laudiug-net to land your trout, half of the sport 

 is spoiled. But when I arrived at the Thames, where the 

 bridge crosses the river at the head of the big rapids, the sight 

 of the, foaming water and deep, dark pools down between 

 those Wild, overhanging cliffs, which are verily abodes of 

 large trout, overcame my recently formed resolution, and I 

 again lied up Kanuck to the fence and prepared for work. 

 A large mill formerly stood near the bridge, but had been 

 burned down. The rubbish had been cleared away, leaving 

 the foundation walls bare, and workmen were preparing to 

 erect another mill there. I walked out on the outer founda- 

 tion wall where. I could cast into the pool below the dam A 

 single workman was at work on the flume inside the walls 

 The rest of the men were engaged framing the timber some 

 dis ance away. Drawing i fE a' long line I made a cast, then 

 more line, and raised my rod to make another east, when the 

 wind suddenly whiffed around and carried the flies far dowu 

 behind me. I bring the point of the rod forward and feel a 

 lug. Then I am greeted with a howl from that lone work- 

 n an. " Och ! Ough ! ye murd'rin' divil ! yecs hev yer 

 pizen hook in me ai-rni. Oh! oh! oh! murdlher! miird- 

 ther!" 1 instantly approached the edge of the flume aDd 

 tried to quiet h m with the assurance that I had a fleam in 

 my jack-of-all- trades knite with which I could easily cut out 

 the hook " Coot it, out !" he yelled. " Bad luck to ye and 

 the tnuii that sired ye. Come near me and I'll cut yer blun- 

 dering head off, that I will. Bad luck, bad luck to ye, ye 

 long-legged spalpeen !" I had no particular vi-h t > give him 

 an opportunity to put his threat into execution, and as the 

 wide and deep Hume was bet ween us I told him that I pre- 

 sumed that he was fond of fishing aud I would make him a 

 present of those Hies, aud that he could rely on my word thai 

 one was a genuine Mon'rcaler and the other a gray palmer — 

 just the cast for large trout. 1 cut the Hue and advised him 

 to go borne aud let his wife take them out at li*r leisure. As 

 I was driving away the other men, attracted by Ihe noise, ap- 

 proached. 1 explained to them > hat J was leaving a couple 

 of my best flies with their companion at the flume, and that 

 he was so overjoyed with my present that his joy seemed to 

 know no bounds. Alter the lirat mile, I drove that calm and 

 quiet evening slowly back to the hotel, silently commenting 

 on the little incidents and uncertainties connected with trout 

 fishing, and firmly resolve!, firs , never again to drive a horse 

 with a long martingale unless with acheck rein ; also, second, 

 to see that the coast is clenr behind when I attempt to make a 

 cast against the wind with a weak-join led rod — Stanstkad. 



Laws fob Black Bass. — Th?rc is need for an inter-State 

 legislation on the subject of many fresh water fishes, and 

 especially for the black bass in waters which lie between 

 States New Jersey has just forbidden black baas fishiug 

 before July 1, while both New York and Pennsylvania per- 

 mit it one month earlier This affects waters which lie be- 

 tween the States, and causes the Newark, N. J., Sunday Call 

 to say : "Anglers are somewhat 'in a mix' over the recent 

 act prohibi iug catching bass in New Jersey until July 1. 

 The Pennsylvania law allows them to be caught on and after 

 June 1. These conflicting laws, when applied to the river 

 Delaware, which we all know forms a dividing line between 

 these States, puts the bass fisherman i n a quandary as to his 

 rights in the matter. The same difficulty exists in regard to 

 Greenwood Like, the waters of which are in both this State 

 aud New York. We would suggest that when he catches a 

 bass before July 1 he should be careful to land him on the 

 Pennsylvania or New York hank." New York allows the 

 black bass to be caught on June 1 in all waters except Lake 

 Mahopae or Dutchess County and in Lake George. In the 

 two former the date for catching is July 1, and in the latter 

 July 30. Iu all waters which lie. between States, as Green- 

 wood Lake and the Delaware River, there should be concur- 

 rent legislation." 



Bufflo is the Forked Dsru — Dyersburg, Tenn., April 

 18 —All day yesterday the long bridge'over the Forked Deer, 

 at this place, was crowd d with people, watching the thou- 

 san Is and tens of thousands of buffalo fish, rolling, splashing, 

 slashing and cutting up generally. This is their season, last- 

 ing two or three days, and as this river is out of bank, they 

 have taken the overflow and are out iu shallow water, from 

 one to three feet deep, and can be seen in multitudes that no 

 one cau number, whirling along in pairs and dozens, their 

 tails and fins sometimes six inches out of water. They 

 weigh from ten to thirty-five pouuds, and are a good table 

 fish, though interior to our black bass. For miles and miles 

 they are to be seen, and the moment the river begins la fall, 

 they go back to the bed, leaving millions of eggs clinging to 

 limbs, driftwood, brush and anything they will adhere to 

 It i* almost impossible to go in the back water and find a 

 limb or drift without eggs clinging to them, and as this is the 

 case for miles, some idea may be formed of the iniinensity of 

 their numbers. — T. L, W. 



Violation op Law.— Onondaga Valley, N". Y., April 15, 

 1881.— I met a party resident of Upper Sonth Bay, Oneida 

 Lake, yesterday, who, to show his regnrd for the game law, 

 exhibited cord for two pound nets, claiming that, "law or no 

 law, he was going to net the lake as he had done for the past 

 twenty years. While ducking last fall I think there were at 

 least sixty pound-nets between Bridgeport and Upper South 

 Hay. To-day, in a peddler's wagon, I saw suckers, bull- 

 heads and pike from Oneida Lake. Who believes they were 

 caught with hook and line ? Yet none of the local game 

 constables interfere. On Otisco Lake there lias for the past 

 week been a great deal of kerosene burnt and big hauls of 

 pickerel made by spearing — of course they are an inferior 

 hsu, but at the same time the law protects Ihem (in mime). 

 You can see from ten to foity lights any night, and they will 

 average thirty fish to the boat. The lake was stocked with 

 trout five or six years ago, and should the spearers see one, of 

 course he would pass it by. On Skaneateles Lake they spear 

 Irout, openly defying any one to prevent them. Up to tnis 

 date there has been no'trou ing. The wind has held in the 

 northwest since the 2 1st of March, and until we get a change 

 of wind and rain the trout will not take bait.— IJoo. 



Tko-ct in New Brttnswick — Sugar Brook Camp, York 

 Co., N. B.— The trout fishing is earlier than usual. John 

 Stewart, Supt. N. B. & C. It., caught a few very fine ones 

 oil the 23d, the first of the season. Water very low j no 

 rains yet. Soon as rain has fallen rip fhhiug will be at the 

 best. Ice is fast melting in the eastern lakes of the -t. 

 Croix. The first open water will yield the best land-locked 

 salmon fishing. Salmon are fast leaving these lakes, owing, 

 1 believe, to a lack of small fish, their principal food. Last 

 spring, at the proper time, I went to Filth Lake, where, five 

 years ago, they were in gieat abundance, and fouuri not oue, 

 nor even Binall fry. Formerly the shallow basin below the, 

 upper dam would be alive with them. The bears are trying 

 their legs a little, but have not reached the camp, l am 

 placing out traps in readiness— Warfield. 



The Trout Hoa in ILiodb Island.— Newport, April 



18. — In Lawon's Valley, some four miles from here, is 'he 

 only trout stream thai we can boast of, and that is quite 

 small. There are ten fishermen to one fish — viz , men who 

 call themselves disciples of Izaak Walton. I should call 

 liiLiu pot hunters. Cue of the "disciples" while fishing 

 there tuis spring made an embankment of earth and stones 

 across the narrow part of the stream, aud walking up a short 

 distance cut a willow rod, and with it splashed the water as 

 he returned to his emuauktnent, then using his creel as a 

 sjoop nut, captured thirteen trout, aud the entire weight was 

 me aud one-uaif pouuds— theu brought them to the city for 

 sale. Was this "disciple " a true sportsman ?— Tkoitt. " 



Seining in tile Niagara River.— The Niagara Falls Ca- 

 nette says: For BOine years p ist annual complaints have been 

 made about the employment of seines in the Niagara Btver. 

 Tie complaints this year are not only as numerous as here- 

 tofore, but are specific, naming the location a d the parlies 

 using the seines. All our sportsmen ate iuterested in having 

 this suppressed. It is not only a violation of the law, b,ut ft 

 is leading to the destruction of some of the best fishing 

 grounds in the State. JN'ot only are the nets drawn, but 

 others are anchored i-o as to prevent the fish from going iu 

 directions where the seines cannot be easily used. We call 

 the attention of the Game Constable to the matter, and trust 

 he will investigate the river bank from here up as far as his 

 jurisdiction extends, aud also have authorized deputies to 

 see that this lius ness is stopped. Wc also recommend that 

 OUT sportsmen take steps to aid iu this matter. 



TRomis-G in tfik Snow— Oswego, N. Y., April 19.— I de- 

 sire to record the opening of the trout season iu this country 

 by the magnificent creel of two handsome trout, c-iptured by 

 N. Wright and brother, of the " Leather Stockings" of this 

 city, upon April 15. The season is very backward, snow 

 Water flooding all the streams, aud ihe gentlemen who made 

 the effort referred to were fo cod to fish from advantageous 

 perches upon snowbanks, which were from two to six feet in 

 depth at many points along the course of the brooks. The 

 weaiher is cold and backward, but a strong wind and sun 

 must soon diminish old winter's bonds, ami within a month I 

 hope to have a worthy basket to report. — Locis H. 



Preserving Fisu Frpsh.— An Austrian scientist claims 

 to have discovered that fish can be kept perfectly fresh for 

 many days. Be impregnates them with a weak solution of 

 salicylic V.cii, by means of hydraulic pressure, and then packs 

 ihem in casks and pours gelatine over than, which prevents 

 ■ heir becoming stiff and dty, as will as keeping Ihe air from 

 ihem. He says it does not affect their flavor. They should 

 be soaked in waier, which restores their freshness. 



Striped Bah.s — Red Bank, N. J. — A few striped bass are 

 befog taken at Port Monmouth, N. J. The largest thus far, 

 fifty" inches iu length, weighing ii'ik pounds, trying toes- 

 cape the meshes of the law, got. insane (in seme). — Wild. 



Anglers who may wish to learn of fishing resorts about 

 New York may do so by applying at this office, as per notice 

 in another column. 



An Eight-Pound Shad.— A shad weighing eight pounds 

 was recently caught in one of the pound nets at Saybrook, 

 C'ouu. It was exhibited at Bronson & Fitzgerald's, Hartford, 

 on April 19. 



PUBLISHERS' DEPARTMENT. 



Bolablrd Shooting Sult& Upthegrove* McLellan, Valparaiso. InO. 



Oil, why will you let that Invalid iriead sutler tliat Hop Hitter will 

 so certainty cure. 



A cli.inee to secure good snooting at Barnegat Bay Is offered la o r 

 advertlsi meta- tills week. 



We Have Beceivrd from Messrs. J. C. Grubb & Co , of 

 Philadelphia, Pa , i heir catalogue of guns in stock. It in- 

 cludes many of the best makes." 



Ri£fk»tixg Magazine Bitlks are rapidly supplanting 

 the single barrel nuns for shooting 1 rge game. The manu- 

 facturers of the Ballard rifle have added to their stock a new 

 arm of this description— the Martin repeating rifle— which 

 has every appearance of being a durable and, effective 

 weapon. 



