390 



FOREST AND STREAM, 



[June 16, 1881. 



will do the first, the black bass of our rivers will not do the 

 latter. — Homo. 



[We think that your bass are all small mouth, M. snlmoides, 

 while it is probable that both species inhabit the Potomac! 

 In some waters black bass do not take the fly well, but why 

 not seem to be known at present.] 



$«£ and Miver 



FISH IN SEASON IN JDNE. 



Brook Trout, SfcfoeKniM/onWnal j. 

 Rainbow Trout, Salmo iridca. 

 DoUy V anion Trout, Salvelimtt 



tiuilma. 

 Grayling, Thymallus tricolor and 



r. mnntamts. 

 Black Bass, mcropterus ealnvoldta 



and M. pa/Hdus. 

 Mascalonge, Burnt rwbilior. 

 Pickerel, Stmt reticnlatiw. 

 Pike or Pickerel, Bsov Ivcius. 

 Pike-perch (wall-eyed pllce) 



FRESH WATER. 



Stizotethwm aVLericanum, &\ 

 .... etc. 

 Yellow Perch, I'trca fuMatWi. 

 Stilped Bass, liocnts'Unmtuo. 

 While Hass, Hoccuh iMirympH. 

 Eock Bass, Ambloptitts. (Two 



species). 

 War-mouth, Chrrnobryttus gutosus. 



Crapijie. J'omo:r.:,o, ni oroiooconafa*. 

 Bachelor, Pommy* annularis. 

 Chub, Smwt&lU corporalis. 



SALT WATER. 

 8eaBass, CentroprutU atrarUu. I Pollock. Pollachiue carbonarinui. 

 Striped Bass, Roccus lineatus. Tautog or Blaekflsh, Tantoqa 



While Pen.ii. Moron-- amrrteuna. I onitis. 

 Bluensh or Taylor, Pamatomu* I Weakflsh or Hmictftgrue,(7yTui«#on 



saltariz, | rcqalis, 



Scup or Porgle Stendtomus argyrops. 



Few ash bite more eagerly than gudgeons, and this, pernaps, Is the 

 reason why so many persons may be seen patiently sitting tn punts 

 trom morning to night on the river Thames employed in catching 

 these tresh water smells. There appears indeed to be a fascination 

 In gudgeon Ashing which It is not easy to account for, and the won- 

 der Is increased when we see three or four persons In a punt Ughtly 

 Jerking a rod every instant, and watching a float as l! .glides down 

 the stream before them, the sun sometimes scorching them, and at 

 others the rain wetting them through. Notwithstanding this, 

 however, the fascination certainly exists, and it is mentioned as a 

 fact that the clergyman of a parish In the neighborhood oi Hampton 

 Court, who was engaged to be married to the daughter of a bishop, 

 enjoyed his gudgeon fishing so much that he arrived too late to be 

 married, and the lady, offended at his neglect, refused to be united 

 to one who appeared to prefer his rod to herself,— Edward Jesse. 



WOK MS IN FISHES. 



BT FREDEMOK W. THUS. 



WHEN the philosopher first affirmed that man is a mi- 

 crocosm it did not perhaps occur to his mind that he 

 is a "little world" in a literal as well as in a metaphysical 

 sense, and that he shares this peculiarity with the lower ani- 

 mals. It it indeed a strange fact that every creature which 

 creeps the earth, flies through the air, or swims the sea, is a 

 living, moving world in which animals are born, mature, 

 grow old and die — and plants unfold their leaves and shed 

 their ripened fruits. If the Helminths and the Bacteria rea- 

 son, and there be scientists among them, they must long ago 

 have advanced the theory which our ancient sages put forth, 

 but more truly, that their earth is an animal, and they but 

 parasites upon it. 



Of all animals which are infested by parasites perhaps no 

 group is more seriously afflicted than the fishes. From time- 

 to time the ichthyopbagian portion of our Community is 

 thrown into a panic because in some locality a favorite fish 

 is found teeming with worms which look exceedingly like 

 the dreaded trichinie, and seem to threaten with dire conse- 

 quences the persons who should be rash enough to partake of 

 the delicate viand. The matter is at once reported to the 

 papers as something quite new, and specimens are sent to the 

 doctor of science for his opinion. Now, tf the doctor is 

 wise he auswers that all fishes are afflicted by such worms to 

 agreater or less extent. The species of one large group, the 

 nematodes, or round worms, he will say do resemble the 

 trichinffi, but only as the garter-snake resembles the copper- 

 head. They are small, round worms commonly pointed at 

 each extremity, and white or transparent. Another group, 

 he will contiuue, are known as Cestodes, or tape-worms, and 

 Tesemble the ordinary tape- worms, which at times arc so an- 

 noying to man. They are very numerous and varied in 

 kind and in details of form and proportion. He will also al- 

 lude to two other groups of parasitic worms, which, how- 

 ever, are of less interest to the sportsman because they are 

 commonly too small to be seen with the naked eye. These 

 are the Tremaiodes, or flukes, and the AcaiUhoaephalCs, or 

 thorn-heads. In conclusion, the doctor will assure his anx- 

 ious readers that they need have no alarm in regard to the 

 worms they have discovered ; that they will do no harm, and 

 that in fact in Italy there are certain kinds taken from sea- 

 flshes' which the epicures call "macaroni worms," and which 

 they consider a great delicacy. 



It may be food for meditation to some angler as he sits 

 watching his trembling float, that he is about to bring the 

 world to an end for a whole race of creal tires when he draws 

 out of its nativeSvaters the gleaming fish which is nibbling 

 so cautiously. The salmon, in addition to a host of inferior 

 animals, harbors at various times no less thansixteeu different 

 kinds of parasitic worms, or at least so mauy sorts have been 

 discovered, and undoubtedly many others remain unknown. 

 Four species are tape worms, and four round worms ; the 

 rest belong to the other groups mentioned. The yellow 

 perch has been a favorite hunting ground for the helminotholo- 

 gist, and he haB already brought to light twenty -three species. 

 The pike (JSsm lucius) carries about with him at least twenty 

 kinds. The parasites of our trout have escaped attention to a 

 great degree, and it is credited with only one kind, but the 

 European saibling plays host for five tape worms and three 

 or four other worms. But one species is knowu to infest our 

 shad, namely, the round worm, Agamonema capsularia, Dies- 

 ing, although the German maiflshC^lfoajW^'w), ft close rela- 

 tive, carries at least seven. It must not be gathered from these 

 factB that our fishes are more favored than those of other parts 

 of the globe, but only that the parasites have been less care- 

 fully studied. 



It was the shad worm (Agamonema capxulana) which 

 caused some excitement among the fishermen in a certain 

 part of New Jersey a few years ago, where it was found in 

 great numbers. All anxiety was removed, however, by Or. 

 Leidy, of Philadelphia, the only American helminthologist 

 whose observations have been at all extensive, who pointed 

 out the harmless character of the animal. 



The carp, lately introduced from Germany by Prof. Baird, 



undoubtedly brings with it some of the twelve parasitic 



worms which make its life unhappy in its native waters. 



' Every new animal thus introduced in this way adds more 



han one name to the f aunal list. 



I have in my possession, but yet undescribed, a tape worm 

 which infests the herring of the great lakes. It is not content 

 to live iu the intestines of the fish, but at a certain season in 

 its development must needs bore into the flesh, producing 

 ugly marks and quite injuring the fish for sale, much to the 

 disgust of the fishermen. It would appear from this that 

 these worms are interesting not only zoologically but econom- 

 ically. In this and some other cases it is a matter of dollars 

 and cents. 



It seems that all our game fishes are more or less thickly 

 Settled, if I may use such an expression, but the census has 

 been not yet carefully taken. Anglers and sportsmen gen- 

 erally would greatly aid in advancing the study of American 

 belminl hology if they would preserve in spirits and send to 

 the Smithsonian Institution any specimens of parasitic worms 

 which they find iu the game fishes and oilier animals which 

 their skill with rod or gun brings into their hands. The 

 writer would be pleased to receive and to give information 

 regarding any specimens sent. 



Smithsonian Institution, June 8, 1881. 



and then states the materials for imitating natural flies, 

 while on the opposite page is a colored picture of both the 

 natural fly and the imitation as it. should appeal. It is not a 

 complete angling treatise, but accomplishes what it claims to 

 do, i. «., to give directions how to make and use many flies , 

 especially those designed for grayling fishing. 



RECORDS OF FLY-CASTING TOURNAMENTS. 



THE following records have been furnished us by Mr. 

 Abel Crook, president of the New York Stale Sports- 

 men's Association, from the official records of their yearly 

 tournaments. 



We give it as it stands, although it is far from being com- 

 plete in detail. The omissions are — the distance cast in 

 many cases, the absence of statements regarding the cast 

 whether it was actually cast or made up by an allowance for 

 shortness of rod, and the absence of all data regarding the 

 force and direction of the wind. In some cases the length of 

 the rod is given, and iu the record for 1871 it will be noticed 

 that the second prize went to a shorter cast than the third 

 one. Sere is the record, it being for single handed casting 

 in all cases except where "salmon fly-casting" is stated : 



PALMYRA, MAT 29, 1866, 



Seth Green, Bochester 1st prize. 1 K renort 



H. H. Morse, Rochester 2d " [ *° score report - 



le hoy, may 21, 1867. 



H.H. Morse, Rochester 1st prize. ) „ a ,™„ minr t 



F. Arrowsmith, Le Boy 2d " f No score report 



BfTTF.U.O, JO'E 8, 18fi8. 



utv^ZAl™ Y ±:::::% pr - e - \ *° — ««* 



SYRACUSE, MAY 31, 1869. 

 Seth Green, Rochester 1st prize, 81 feet. 



G, A. Ostrandor, SyracuHO 2d " 45 " 



ROCHESTER, MAY 23, 1870. 



L. A. Pratt, Bochester 1st prize. 1 „ rt 



H. H. Morse, Bochester 2d " ) No fl00re r0 P 0It - 



i;ti, a, may 22, 1871. 

 Ch&rleB H. Wall . New i 01 k . 1st prize, 65 feet. Bod, 12 feet 3 in. 

 James Meyer. Jr., New York.. 2d " 60 " " 11 •' 6" 



John B. MoHurg, Borne M " 65 " '• 12 " 7" 



JohnD. O'Brien, Oswego.... 4th " 60 " " Vi " 6" 



Charles Northrop, Some oth " 40 " " 11 " 9" 



.'- . '.''., .".'< J- ly (Justing. 



James Meyer. Jr.. Nen York- Snoots] prize, 80ft. Bod, 17ft. Sin. 



iSESECA 1-aus, may 20, 1372. 



fv ;h Green, Iiijehester 1st prize, 65 feet. 



.■■ .1. Syracuse 2d •' I „ , 



W. A. Wyburn, Oswego 3d " f No score repoit. 



BATAV1A, JUNE 9, 1873. 



It. Wood, Syracuse 1st prize. ") 



L^I^^Ly 3S : U score record. 



H. H. Morse, Bochester 4th " J 



osweuo, j one 22, 1874. 



Beuben W. Wood, Bvracnso let prize, 68 feet 6 inches. 



8. M. Allen, Oswego 2d " 65 " 6 " 



O. Northrop, Pulaski 3d " 63 " 6 " 



J. F. Miller, Oswego .....4th " 62 " 6 " 



N. A. Wright, Oswego 5th " 56 " 8 " 



WATEBTOWN, MAY 81, 1875. 



B: W. Wood, Syracuse let prize, 75 feet. 



0. Horttaop, Borne - 2d " 74 " 



A M. Kenvon, Watertown 3d " 72 " 



W. P. Outterson, Pulaski 4th " 69 " 



8. M. Allen. Oswego 5th " 67 " 



H. B. King, Adams 6th " 69 " 



H. II. Morse, Bochester 7th " 66 " 



.T. B. McHarg, Rome 8th " 60 " 



P. W. Soule, Watertown 9th " 55 " 



GENESEO, MAY 22, 1876. 



B. Wood, Syracuse. - 1st prize, 69 feet. 



James Annm, Jr., Le Boy -2d " 68 " 



H. H. Morse, Bochester 3d " 58 " 



Syracuse, June 8, 1877. 



Fly Casting— (Open to all). 



Ira Wood, Syracuse 1st prize, 72 feet. 



A. M. Keuyon, Watertowu 2d " 70 " 



J. J. Meldram, Svracuse 3d " 65%" 



A. IT. Fowler, Ithaca 4th " 61 " 



George B. Wood, Syracuse. 5th " 56 " 



Amateur Fly Casting. 



A. H. Fowler, Ithaca 1st prize 75 feet. 



Ira Wood. Syracuse 2d " 69 " 



J. J. Meld'ram, Syracuse 3d " 5!) " 



W. Stallbauvu, Syracuse 4th " 62%" 



George Wood, Syracuse 5th " 64 " 



George Sisson, Fayettevllle 6th " t5 " 



Bur-FALO, Mat 20, 1878. 



Seth Green, Bochester 1st prize, 70 feet. 



Buehen Wood, Syracuse , 2d " 69 " 



Ira Wood, Syraouse 3d " 65 " 



Salmon Fly Casting. 



Beuben Wood. Syracuse 1st prize, 83 feet. 



Ira Wood, Syracuse 2d " 78 " 



koohesteb. army 7, 1879. 



J. J. Meldram, Syracuse 1st prize, 66 loot. 



A B, Lumberh'U, Rochester 2d " 60%" 



L. A, Pratt, Bochester 3d " 60 " 



Salmon Fly Casting. 



J. J. Meldram, Syracuse 1st prize, 72 feet. 



A. B. Lamberton, Rochester 2d " 66 



J. B. Chamberlain, Rochester 3d " 62 " 



SESE0A EAELS, MAY 24, 1880. 



Ira Wood, Syracuse 1st prize, 70 feet. 



W. Smith, Syraonse, 2d " 70 " 



IT. C. Bobbins, Syracuse fcd " 60 " 



PnAOTioAL Fly-Tying.— Anew edition of a useful work 

 ("The Practical Fly -fisher, more particularly for grayling or 

 umber. With ten plates, colored by hand, representing 120 

 Hies naturnl and artificial. By the late John Jackson, of 

 Tanheld Mill, Third edition. London: John Slark, 12 

 Busby place, Camden road, N. W. 1880) has just reached 

 us. Tt is a thoroughly practical work and wastes no space 

 in theorizing. The plates are elegant. The fact of its hav- 

 iug been republished long after the author's death proves it 

 of value. Collectors have paid as high as 21 shillings for a 

 copy of the second edition. The present one is published at 

 7s. 6d. It gives plain directions how to tie flies in general, 



, THE FLY-CASTING TOURNAMENT. 



rpHE following are the rtdes of the N. Y. Sportsman's As- 

 I sociation : 



FLY-OASTC«}. 



No rod shall be allowed over eleven feet six inches nor less 

 than nine feet six inches in length, and it shall be used with 

 a single hand. 



A practicable line and reel shall be attached to the rod. 



Three flies — one stretcher and two droppers— must be 

 used and a casting-line, or leader, of single gut, of not less 

 than eight feet in length. 



No attached weight of any kind on the line or fly shall be 

 permitted. 



Allowance of distance shall be made according te the 

 length of each rod of five feet for every foot of length and at 

 that rate for each part of a foot. 



Each contestant shall be allowed five miuues for style, del- 

 icacy and accuracy, and five more for length of reach ; and 

 in case of accident, such as parting or folding of the fly or 

 line, the referee may allow additional time, in his discretion. 



No cast shall be valid unless the line be retrieved. 

 . The contest shall be as to distance, accuracy, delicacy and 

 general Style combined, and the distance, if practicable, shall 

 be measured along the water. The casting shall be done with 

 one hand across, against and with the wind. 



The distance of the casting shall be measured from the 

 stretcher fly to the tip of the rod. 



SALMON FLY-OASTitSG. 



The foregoing rules shall govern, except that the contest is 

 to be with double-handed rods, which thall not be over twen- 

 ty feet in length ; the casting line or leader shall not be less 

 than ten feet in length. Allowance for distance shall be made 

 for length, but not for weight, and no more than one fly shall 

 be used. 



BASS CASTING. 



Above rule (salmon fly-casting) shall apply, except that 

 weight, as nearly equal as possible to the ordinary bait, shall 

 be attached to the line, which shall be used by all the con- 

 testants. Lines and their arrangement are unrestricted. 



New Yoek, June 10. 

 To whom it may concern : 



The Long Island Sportsman's Association, under whose 

 auspices the State tournament is to be held at Coney Island 

 in the week beginning June 20, having placed the entire mat- 

 ter of fly-casting in my hands, I will say : There will be 

 three judges and a referee. The fly-castiug will take p]a£e 

 in the grounds selected, on Tfiuractay, the 23d iust., and en- 

 tries can be made on that day at the office or a few minutes 

 before the casting, at the pond. The programme in full can 

 be found in Fokest and Stream of May 26", as well as in the 

 published bulletin of the association. 



I have made application to have certain rules changed, as 

 follows: Believing that if a man cannot cast as far with a 

 nine-foot rod as he cau with a longer one be had better pro- 

 vide one that he can do the best with, I have recommended 

 that allowance for distance be abolished and only the actual 

 cast, considered. That, as heretofore all prizes have been 

 awarded for distance alone, and none for style, delicacy and 

 accuracy, I will set. apart certain prizes to go to the ones 

 whom the judges shall decide, are best iu these qualities and 

 have a special casting for competition for them. Also, that 

 the distance be measured from the advanced toe of the caster 

 and not from the tip of his rod. 



Also to abolish the allowance in salmon casting. 



In bass casting the adopted rules are not explicit. A lit- 

 eral interpretation of them would allow a rod of twenty feet 

 in length. This does not seem to be in accord wi th the prac- 

 tice of bass fishers either at Cuttyhunk or elsewhere. I have 

 recommended that rods shall not exceed nine feet nor be less 

 than seven feet in length, and that the attached weight shall 

 be one ounce. On the latter subject there has been a differ- 

 ence of opinion which does not seem to be easily compro- 

 mised. At Cuttyhunk and Basque Island baits are used from 

 menhaden which take about one-quarter of an eight-ounce 

 fish, also the tails of lobsters of different sizes. Those who 

 have advocated a four-ounce weight claim that lobster tails, 

 shell and all, are mainly used and that the. 10 V-inch lobster 

 law prohibits small-ones. The majority of bass casters with 

 whom I have consulted claim that one ounce of lead, with 

 its smaller surface, affording less resistance, is equai to an 

 ordinary bait, and so that weight has been fixed upon. 



These things have not been definitely decided upon, but 

 are now under consideration by the committee ; and in 

 conclusion I will say that I have no interest in any change 

 suggested except for the general good of fly-casting and to 

 elevate it from a mere side-show at the State tournaments to 

 a place beside the other sports as one of the best, most grace- 

 ful and beautiful of arts. Feed Matiiee. 



ANGLING NOTES AND QUERIES. 



IS there any record of bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) 

 caught in the Gulf of Mexico ? When iu Florida last 

 year with Dr. Ferber, of New York, he told me that, he 

 caught one on the west coast of that State ic January, 1880, 

 north of Charlotte Harbor. 



I think many of your contributors could give to your 

 paper much useful and interesting information if they would 

 enumerate the names of the food fishes of their respective lo- 

 calities. In that manner a knowledge of their geographical dis- 

 tribution may be obtained by those interested in the subject. 



I have in mind a fish that I have caught in Canada and in 

 Florida, and I would like to know where it occurs in other 

 portions of our country. This fish, of the family Of peicidse, 

 is called by Prof . Cope Pomozys annularis. It probably is 

 closely related to the bream and the sunfish, both of 

 which it much resembles, though it is thickly spoiled all 

 over its body. The largest fish that I have seen of this 

 species weighed one and three-quarter pounds. In Canada 



she 



they cab it shiner. Along the south 

 rence River they call it mooufkh. j 

 speckled perch. I saw some in the 

 which were labeled "Strawberry b 

 Canada lakes they are usually caugh. ... ..... .......,....„..,,„ 



water from twelve to sixteen feet deep. A favorite place 

 for them is also under rafts of logs. They bite best on 



St. Law- 

 ey call it 

 quarium, 

 ! In the 



ieds, in 



