430 



FOREST AND STKEAM. 



[June 30 1881. 



fins I had seen. I have simply given this Episode as illus- 

 trative of the difficulties one has to overcome sometimes in 

 C«rp fishing. Or course, when carp are near to spawning, 

 and shortly after, when they are close together and jostling 

 each other With affectionate demonstration, it is a matter of 

 little, difficulty to catch them, but given the exigencies of ihe 

 example I cite, and the carp indeed proves hiuiB' if a " wit." 



It has been the usual custom of writers on augling to con- 

 nect the carp and tench under oue category. Why, I know 

 not. The same mistake is made in regard to roach aud dace, 

 but of this 1 shall have to speak in another chapter. I here 

 are certainly some points of similarity physiologically be- 

 tween carp and tench, such as power of endurance of heat 

 aud cold, but to the angler proper they arc as dilTerent in 

 i habits as chalk is from cheese, to use a homely metaphor. 

 Carp ever bite best during the early hours of morning, and 

 tench are generally best "on" toward evening. Carp can 

 be taken best during the early summer months. I have 

 known good tench biting freely on a dull January day with 

 the wind due east. I have, however, never caught carp 

 under s ich circumstances. 



In giving general directions to such anglers as are not ex- 

 perienced in carp tishiug, let me impress one or two indis- 

 putable truths on them for their guidance. Fish with the 

 lightest tackle compatible with strength : never use a large, 

 long-shanked hook ; cover the shank of the hook when bait- 

 ing ; let the bait rest on the bottom ; let the fish have the 

 bait while you count five ; give plenty of time to kill the fish ; 

 your hook will never tear out, of the gristly mouth ; put no 

 shots near the hook ; and finally, when a fish is hooked, keep 

 perfectly cool and deliberate. 



The most useful bait for general fishing is the lob worm or 

 the red worm; next to these 1 like a bluebottle fly. Of this 

 bait. Mr. B.akey says : "No matter how small your hook, il, 

 must be put across tie body just under Urn wings." For 

 large carp, as 1 have indicated, th green pea, cheny, green 

 corn or new potatoes may be used wiUi success. It is neces- 

 sary to use a small trimgle hook for the latter ta ; t, putting 

 it on by means of a baiting noedle. thus hiding the hook 

 completely aud giving your tfsh time to pouch, or at least to 

 pass it beyond the teeth in the throat before referred to. 



It is highly necessary sometimes to ground bait the spot 

 you intend to fish. The following preparation has been re- 

 commended, but 1 imagine that most experieuced anglers 

 will readily perceivo that it errs from extreme elaboration : 

 Take a quantity of well cooked veal, a handful of oatmeal, 

 and a little honey; bruise ihem in a mortar, mix them to a 

 thin pHite or baiter with new milk and a few grains of assa- 

 toatioa. Crush down in a mortar a quantity of worms, gen- 

 ties, t-lugs and some lumps of the most tallowy cheese you 

 can find, thicken the veal batter with this compound, and 

 then roll it up into lutle balls ; these balls must be thrown in- 

 to a compost of tallowgreavesaad grains steeped in bullock's 

 blood, and the entire mess sunk" in ihe place, some hours 

 before fishing. This is Blakey's prescription. There are no 

 less than twelve ingredients, besides trouble of procuring 

 and compounding, and after all has been faithfully done one 

 may go out, as I did on one occasion, after mixing up this 

 unspeakable mess— ami tell it not in Gath— catch nothing. 



The best and simplest ground bait. I know of is pearl' bar- 

 ley or even boiled rice, using boiled pearl barley or a red 

 worm for the hook bait. I havn usually found that imme- 

 diately after a thunderstorm is a good time to fish; and let 

 it not be forgotten that the early bird ever gets the pick of 

 the worms, or, as in this cose, fishes. 



In conclusion of these remarks ou carp I may be allowed 

 to jot down a few recorded weights of these fish. 1 have 

 myself seen them of 18 lb., but according to Donovan the\ 

 attain a prodigious weight in Germany. He says : "One was 

 taken at Derfz which weighed 38 lb. lu Prussia" they frequent- 

 ly weigh 40 lb., and in tbe Volga they are ft. long. One 

 caught near Frankfort-on-the-Oder was 9 ft. long and 5 ft. in 

 circumference, weighing 70 lb. Lake Zug, in Switzerland, 

 produes carp of 90 lb. ; and in the Dniester some had been 

 taken of which knife handles are made with the scales. 

 Carp do not arrive at this prodigious size until they are of a 

 very advanced age." I should think not. 



THE AUTOMATIC REEL ON GREENWOOD LAKE. 



Newark, N. J. 



I HAD all my traps packed for a trip into the North 

 Woods, when my companion announced to me his in- 

 ability to go. He had a case in court which he must attend, 

 as he coul t not get it postponed. Not liking to go alone, I 

 decided to spend a « eek at Green wood Lakeland make the 

 Adirondack trip later in the season. I drove up with my old 

 friend and angling companion, Grant J. Wheeler, of Mont- 

 clair. It was a lovely drive, though we took a somewhat 

 roundabout course. Stopping at De Graw's at the Lake 

 Hide House, we had time to select our rooms, get ourselves 

 settled and still to have a few hours' fishing before supper. 

 Mr. Whee'cr had taken no tackle, but was to use mine, as 1 

 had two rods with me. The rod I was using was of split 

 bamboo, weight just six ounces The butt was nineteen 

 years old, the middle joint and tip new, Charley Murphy 

 made it, and no more need be said. I had just received the 

 new automatic reel, which I had tried on trout, but not on bass. 

 I think the reel is a grand success. I was delighted with its 

 action. It was impossible for a fish to get slack Hue. 1 

 could reel in the heaviest bass with one hand without touch- 

 ing rod or reel with the other. I think the reel adds new 

 zest to the sport when using so light, a rod, and certainly 

 takes off one-half the strain from the rod. With the auto- 

 matic reel ihe ordinary light trout rod is strong enough for 

 any bass. I had a strong prejudice against it; did not 

 like its appearance, and was sure I should uot like it, because 

 in a measure it revolutionizes the mode of angling. But 

 after a week's trial on heavy fish I think that it is just 

 Bplendid. 



A number of gentlemen anglers saw the reel at work, and 

 all expressed approval. I am not interested in any manner 

 for this reel, except that I hail all the improvements in ang- 

 ling implements with pleasure. All the great improvements 

 are the work of the last forty j'Cars. The split . bara' oo rod, 

 the many excellent trolling spo us, the patent enamelled 

 waterproof silk line, the Mackintosh wading suits and many 

 others so familiar to the fisherman, aud so necessary to his 

 comfort, are of recent indention. 



It' being unlawful to take black bass in New Jersey before 

 July 1, we were compelled to do our bass fishing above the 

 State line. But we could troll for pickerel as much as we 

 pleased. The week proved very stormy ; two days I could 

 not fish, as it blowed hard enough to blow a boat out of 

 water. When we could stay on the water we found no 

 trouble in taking plenty of fish. We were fortunate in secur- | 



ing the services of James M. Cofair, who was very attentive 

 to our wants, and knows the fishing-ground thoroughly 

 Jimmy has a raft and shanty, with sleeping accommodations 

 for four persons. Parties wishing his services must engage 

 them some time ahead, as he is in much demaud. I only 

 took a few bass with flies, but a gang of hooks wbh large, 

 live minnow was too much for them to resist. I took fifty- 

 two in one day to my rod alone, aud all good fish, the largest 

 throe and a bal pounds, the small st a pound and a half. 



I know of no really good fishing so handy to New York 

 and easy of access as Greenwood Lake. The bass run as 

 large as the Adirondack or Canada bass. Any exp rienced 

 fisherman should get at least thirty bass a day. When the 

 law for bass in Jersey expires the catch will doubtltss be 

 much larger. ' 



There arc many hotels on the lake, some stylish and ex- 

 pensive, others plain and cheap. The Lake Side House is 

 beautifully located, aud convenient to the fishing grounds, 

 just at the State line, aud opposite to the last station of the 

 train. 



There is a movement on foot to commemorate Frank 

 Forester bycrentin. the Warwick Woodlands into a park. 

 This will be a good move, and make the lake very popular. 

 Should this be carried out, a host of Western sportsmen 

 would make a pilgrimage to the park to see the spot made 

 famous bv Herbert's writings. T. S. M 



SALMON IN CANADA. 



WE invite communications on the subject of the run of 

 salmon in Canadian rivers. Tbey will be Valuable 

 as showing the dates of arrival of the runs this year as com- 

 pared to last, when they were not only scarce but late. The 

 following letters, which we print by permission of Prof. 

 Baird, are important and it will be noticed that the second 

 one qualities the first in regard to the uumbers of the fish i 



Matatvdia, June "j9, 1881.— 'The run of fish nas been Ihe 

 largest ever known, and began about the 10th of June; 

 slacked off and has started again. All the fish in Mowatt's 

 freezerup to the 16th. average twenty-six and a half pounds, 

 ai,d a lot of 150 or thereabouts put iu yesterday average 

 twenty-seven pounds. We have taken twenty-five here, and 

 they run larger thau usual and are fresh and perfect, not like 

 those last year. On tin; Great Cam tapedia three rods lulled fif- 

 ty-two, all as fine as ever came into that river."— H. 



Stbamek off Gaspe Bay, Chaleurs, June 22.— Mr. 

 Mowalt must have misunderstood me, for I find, though the 

 run of fish is very large in size, it is small in numbers all 

 along this bay, and the netmen tell me it is going to be a bad 

 season and probably the most of the fish wilTrun late, as they 

 did last year, htc in Augusi after their nets arc up. 1 am 

 sorry 1 misunderstood Mowatt. H. 



Kkstibopouk Salmon. — Just, as we go to press we are 

 shown a tine salmon, taken by Mr. Gilbert E, Jones of the 

 Kcsligouehe Salmon Club, It is three, feet eight and a Quar- 

 ter inches in h ngth and weighs 38 lbs. Mr. Jones report* 

 the season as opening good, but the extra amount of logs 

 running in the river interferes with fishing. We will give 

 his score next week. 



TIM POND TROUT FISHING. 



LAST season as I unjointed my faithful bamboo at Mid- 

 dle Dam I said tothe "Deacon," " There are too many 

 people here; what with a steamboat pi ofainiug the once peace- 

 ful waters of the lake, guide-books and excursion tickets, they 

 • re getting too thick for comfort, and 1 quite agree with 

 Steve Morse that this fishing 'needs a rest.' Next year we 

 mutt, like Daniel Boone, 'move on,' and I guess we had 

 better try Tim Pond that you have been talking so much 

 about." 



So this j'ear I corresponded with tbe "Deacon," a veteran, 

 who his been casting his dies on Rangeley waters for thirty- 

 five years, and found that he hid made up a party for the 

 headwaters of the Kennebec. But as I wanted to try Tim 

 Pond, and being further moved and incited there o by an ar- 

 ticle in FomtsT and Stkf.am, of May 19, I took unto myself 

 three Congenial spirits, and started at 7:30 a. m. from Boston, 

 n aching Farmingiou the same evening at about five ; took 

 supper at the hotel there, and then by stage to Kiugficld over 

 a good road, arriving at the latter place at. 9 r. m We found 

 the hotel of which your former correspondent wrote, burned 

 to the grouud, but another one had been improvised near by 

 where we secured quarters (four in a room) for the night, 

 and next morning at eight o'clock we were rolling along the 

 banks of the beautiful Oarybassetf Riverfor Eustis. 



And right In re I will stop to corroborate ail that J. W. T. 

 said as to the road, and ihe scenery which includes the Cary- 

 bassett River — rot Conybassett as your types made it in 

 the article referred. 



We arrived at Smith's Farm at S p. m , as hungry as sharks 

 afier our ride through the mountains. Found Mr. Smith 

 waiting to receive us, and after a dinner of country style (at 

 which broiled chicken did not figure as I had wagered that it 

 would) we started for the pond over the roughest "carry," 

 with one exception, that f ever saw. That one is the twen- 

 ty-ix miles from Booneville, N. Y., into the camp on First 

 Lake. We found good tight cabins with tbe fragrant hem- 

 lock boughs for beds, and with some an angewent of our pri- 

 vate mosquito uets slept the sleep of the just. 



We stayed a week in camp, *nd fished every day but Sun- 

 day, and while 1 cannot go so far in my praise of the fishing 

 as J. W. T.j yet I will say that tbe fishing is good 



The size is disappointing to one who has spent several 

 seasons in the AdironcLcks and the Rangeley region. 



Our largest was one and on. -half pounds, and we caught 

 several weighing from three-quarters to one pound. Hut 1 

 must say that I never caught trout that gave so much sport 

 or fought so hard, for their size, in my life. Several times 

 when a three-quarters of a pound fish «as hooked ihe other 

 three rods would suspend work to see the sport. Twice I 

 was splashed from head to foot by trout that took my dies 

 near the boat. And we had as much sport as we wanted. 

 There seems to be no limit to the number of the fish. 



We noticed two distinct varieties in the pond. One was 

 the regular Rangeley trout, broad, square tail, dark belly aud 

 bionzed sides, and the other with the lail more forked, milk- 

 white belly and more silvery sides, more like the Adirondack 

 trout. Of the two I think the latter showed the moat game, 

 though they are small' r in size. 



With a cold northwester blowing the day we came out, we 

 were glad to put on heavy topcoats, and thought withiu our- 

 selves •' How splendidly that chest of fish will keep this cold 

 day." And it did. 



Finally, if any of your readers want good fly fishing and 

 plenty of it, and are not too extravagant in their ideas as to 



size of fish, they can surely find it at Tim Pond. They can 

 find besides a good clean camp, good fare, and what, I thinks 

 is equally dear to the true sportsman, the most magnificent 

 scenery of lake and mountain and the sense of communion 

 b ilh Nature in her wildest and freest moods. And it th. ir 

 experience is like mine, they will find the proprietor of the 

 camp, Mr. Kennedy Smith, and his stalwart sou, ready lo 

 do everything in their power to make their stay pleas oit »mt 

 successful. Split Bajmhoo. 



CURING FISH. 



MANY anglers when on long trips in the woods wish to 

 preserve their catch, or when at the seaside and have 

 a. lot of fish which are worth taking home wish to cure them, 

 but lacking experience often fail. We give the following 

 from Mr. Ldmund P. van, Chi. f Inspector of Pickltd Kisfi 

 and Oil for the County of Halifax, N. S., to the ffltnmioto : 



In the first place, when dressing mackerel, dress them as 

 fresh as possib e, and in some cases, when you have to take 

 a large quantity out of your seines, put on a large crew. 

 Then select a good splitter and see that the fish are split to 

 the tail. 



2d. You must have plenty or water in your wash-tubs, 

 and always give your mackerel two waters, and, if time 

 three; and in no case throw mackerel twice in the same 

 wa'er. Evi ry time you dip the mackerel out r.f your wash- 

 tubs empiy the water out'of the tubs and half fill them again 

 with clean water. Be careful not to throw your mackerel in 

 the tubs until water is put in them After washing and 

 soaking them until they become clean and whi'e, dip them 

 out on your store floor and then salt them. Don't let them 

 lie in bulk after being washed. 



3d. When salting don't be sparing of the salt. Some- 

 times the fish remain longer iu casks than we think from the 

 time of salting, and, if scarce of salt, the fish will sour in 

 them. It is just as necessary for fishermen to dress their fish 

 clean and good as it is for the butcher to have his meat 

 properly corned. 



4th. You must have your mackerel, if > ou expect a 

 market for them, well split and clean. When you go to pack 

 them for market be careful and buv good barrels. Ir U too 

 muc ■■ th'' cusoni to buy the cheapest barrels, not looking to 

 the quality. I regret to say some of our supplying merchant^ 

 as well as the fishermen, follow [hat. custom "also, and when 

 remonstrated with ihey have told the fishermen to fill the 

 barrels and send them aud tbey will make them tight. But I 

 can say that there are barrels, with fish put in thorn, i hat can't 

 be made tight, aud while such barrels are sold aud bought we 

 Will have bad nsh, more e.-pecially fat herring aud mackerel ; 

 when fat fish are put into \< aky barrels tbey are sure to be- 

 come rusty. I trusl the deputii s under my department, will 

 see that mackerel will in all cases be packed in mackerel 

 barrels; poor herring and alewives in herrihirbarielSj fat 

 split herring in medium size barrels; all poor fish to he 

 packed with coarse salt, and all fat fish with fine salt ; and 

 lastly, every layer of fi^h in the barrel must he salted with 

 good, clean salt, and be carefu to put ou a sufficient quantity. 



Ar.ic Twit Young Blukfish? — Corpus Christi, Texas, 

 June 17.— Last week I visited Corpus Pass an outlet from 

 Corpus Christi Bay to the Gulf of Mexico, and took part, in 

 haulfe t seine f. r pomp no. We were uot very success ful 

 with the fish sought for. The waier being very clear tbey all 

 jumped out over the top except one, but we caught, large 

 quantities of a fish I have known for many years under the 

 name of "green mackerel," although I was satisfied it was a 

 misnomer. One of the party who claims to know sa-, s they 

 are the young of the hluefish, and 1 would not bo surpri-ed 

 if he were correct, for although lhave opened many hundred 

 of these fish from lime to time I never found any roe or egri 

 in one. They are a slim, fork, d-tail fish of from six to ten 

 inches long, about three inches deep aud from three-fourths 

 to one inch thick, large mouth well filled with teeth, and 

 bite anything within reach when caught. They ea,\ b 

 and young mullet, and seem to go in large schools. Th 

 are dark green or blue on the top of the back shading 

 white underneath. They are covered with small scales, ai 

 die soon when taken from the water. They are found here 

 only in spring and summer. 1 do not think they breed i 

 this country as I hive never seen one less than six iuches 

 long, which is their size when they first appear, nor over reu 

 inches, which size they have attained by the latter pun of 

 the warm season. They make an excellent fish to fry for 

 pan fish. They rarely come into the inner bays where the, 

 water is more or less sweetened and muddied by the fresh 

 water from ihe rivers. I have known of these "green mack, 

 erel" since 1850, but have never bee.u satisfied with the 

 name. I never saw a bluefish unless these are the young of 

 that species, and as I have heard that this question "of where 

 bluefish breed has been a vexed oue I thought it possible that 

 I had found out a clew for the wise ones to work on.-r 

 BaxAit. 



Black Bass Law ra AlASS,\oHrsaTT3— Wol'tleet, Mass. - 

 Four years ago one of our ponds— the Great pond in Well- 

 fleet— was stocked with black bass The fish were bought 

 by one of the selectmen, he says in August, but others say 

 iu June, consequently it has led to argument ou the subject. 

 What is the duly of the selectmen of a town in connection 

 with black bass ? Can they give a permit to any inhabi ant 

 to fish, and if so, can they fix the price of such a permit, and 

 is it optional with them whether they give a permit or not? 

 Oan you refer me to the law on that subject, if there is any ? 

 The commissioners recommended the fishiug of the pond in 

 four years, and I think the matter is left with the select- 

 men — G. W. H. 



You had better consult your fish commissioners. We 

 have not the laws on the subject of ponds iu your State 



hich are leased or controlled by the selectmen. 



Mb. T. W. Bissett, of the well-known firm of Conroy, 

 Bissett and Mallesou, sailed last Saturday for England to 

 complete arrangements for the sale of their hexagonal sj lit 

 bamboo trout aud salmon rods, icels, lines, etc. This lum 

 have met with great success ou the other side, and their goods 

 are much sought after by the leading anglers there and have 

 given great satisfaction. 



MtN>resoTA— Pittsburg, Todd County, June 21. — Yester- 

 day morning, in one hour and fifteen minutes, I caught 

 fifteen large fish, principally bass and wall-eyed pike. As 

 yet. owing, perhaps, to the frequent rains and c ins, .-quent 

 muddy water, bass do not rise well to the fly. — J. F. Looks. 



