252 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
is a wonder that the fish commissioners of Massachusetts 
liave not obviated the difficulty, for there is no place 
where speedier or more profitable results would follow 
propagation. Even now there is a little stream flowing 
through the streets nf tjie city of Lynn, where you may 
see. every season thousands of alewives running up to 
breed, for the brook, it. is believed, flanks the dam. If 
you want to do so, Eddie, you can kick them on to the 
dry banks when you come into this region*.” 
CANADIAN FISHING AND FISHING 
PRIVILEGES. 
HOW tO AVAIL ONESELF OF THEM. 
W Chatham, N. B., May liRH, 3876. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
During the season I will send you snch items as I may have time to 
write. The Intercolonial being now open lor traffic as far as the Besti- 
gouchc, I presume anglers will seek our waters in increasing numbers. 
Many are prevented from cowing by an impression that has gone abroad 
to the effect that all the waters worth fishing are under lease to private 
parties. Such, however, is far from being the case, as there is much 
excellent water still absolntely free to all the public, and much also un- 
dor lease to persons who permit any angler or auglers to fish their lease¬ 
holds. at say $1 per rod per day. To give one instance, 1 may mention 
that Overseer Hickson, of Bathurst, can give you $1 per day permits on 
the rough waters of the NepiB&lgait, and that is now rendered so acces¬ 
sible that yon may leave St. John in the morning and reach it in time 
to camp the same evening. For salmon fishing it is, as you know, un¬ 
surpassed. Of the free waters, the Northwest Mirimichi, in the vindn- 
itv of the Sevogle, is among the most accessible and sure for salmon. 
There is excellent grilse fishing also at the Big Hole on the same river. 
Bymuklng arrangements in advance one may leave St. Jolm iu the 
morning and reach the Big Hole camping ground same evening. The 
{Sevogle requires four or five boors more truvel. The best fishing I had 
last season was on the Northwest Mirimichi, and I intend to divide the 
time I shall devote to salmon fishing this season between the Nepissi- 
guit and the Northwest. 
For trout fishing, the Sonthwest Mirimichi o.t Indiantown, the Tabi- 
suntac, and the Tracadie are unsurpassed by any waters L have ever 
known. The fishing at Indiantown is of short duration, however, com¬ 
mencing abont June 1st and ending about the 30lh of the same month. 
There are trout and salmon both there after that period, but it is not the 
Indiantown fishing. I went there on the 8th of June last year from 
Chatham, drove up in the afternoon and had the evening's fishing. The 
next morniog I was at it early, and returned to the work again as soon 
as breakfast was over. At two o’clock I was tired, and packed up for 
the return trip. I had caught 58 pounds of magnificent trout fresh 
from the sea, and ranging from pounds down to |-. Now that the 
steamer Andover is running regularly between the towns of Chatham 
and Newcastle and Indiantown, wc can go np from here in two aud one- 
half hours. It is a privilege that one may sigh for anywhere else but 
here. 
The Tabueintac is good from 1st of July to late in the fall. The aver¬ 
age size of the trout taken there is about 2£ pounds; they run as high as 
5 and 6 pounds occasionally. 
The Tracadie fishing is similar to that of the Tabu sin tuc—good the 
whole season—and this trout are a bi^er average weight. I intend to try 
Indiantown on the 04fch (Queen's birthday). I am not very sanguine of 
success, but will drop you a lino telling yon what luck I have, after my 
return. D. G. fc>. 
WHALE BONE TIPS FOR RODS. 
New Bedford, May 15th, 187C. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
A gentleman of your city whom I met at the Wambeck House, Jeffer¬ 
son Hill, Town of Jefferson, N. H., in August, 1861, who was very much 
interested or rather taken with my trout gear, has lately written rae a 
letter requesting me, if l had no objection, to give him through the col¬ 
umns of Forest and Stream information in regard to the material of 
my fishing rod tips which ho saw at that time. I freely give the gentle¬ 
man, and also the numerous trout reading friends of Forest and 
Stream the information asked. In the first place, the tips I have used 
In my rambles after trout in varions parts of the country for the last 
twenty-five years are not made of wood as he supposed, bat. from bone. I 
made my first whale bone tips in the spring of 1851 and from that date 
to th»present time, twenty-five years ago this spring, I have had no trou¬ 
ble, bother, or perplexity to myself, for I am never troubled as many fish¬ 
ermen are in this locality with a broken tip, where much or rather most 
of the treating like that of Bristol aud Plymouth counties is done 
through a swampy part of the coantry. If the information I have im¬ 
parted will be of service I shall be more than compensated for my trou¬ 
ble iu writing this letter. N. T. Waterman. 
SPLIT BAMBOO. 
Philadelphia, May 3d, 1876. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
In your issue of April 13th the remarks of your correspondent in ref¬ 
erence to one way of making a split bamboo rod, stating, by way of 
comparison, some objections to the Kridcr rod, have stirred up many 
honest men and anglers who undertake to say that Krider’s peculiar 
method of fitting the strips on the ceutre enamel plan is the best way to 
make a rod. 
It is, however, $ afe to Bay that in the discussion of this subject not 
one of those auglers referred to had any particular interest other than 
giving facts, which are worth volumes of speculative opinions or theory. 
II. further says that I have styled his objections to the above mentioned 
rod imaginary, which were very fairly answered to my notion. To sus¬ 
tain those objections, H. should have tested one of those rods of equal 
size with his six-strip outside enamel, and give us facts* He has failed 
to % do this, therefore his objections are not worthy the least attention. He 
however disposes of the split bamboo question in an ingenious manner 
by simply referring all whom it may concern to an admirable article in 
Forest and Stream, from an honest brother of ihu rod, over the signa¬ 
ture of “Ted Grayson,’ 1 who, by-the-bye, should be no mean 
authority on the split bamboo question, be claiming to have made as 
many rods as any amateur in America, with one exception. T . G. 
<ditefie& in and strikes at all who chanced to give an opinion in favor of 
the centite enamel rod. Ho also makes the wonderful discovery that we 
have a wrong name; that the slightest acquaintance with Webster would 
have taught us our error. He even goes so far hb to quote from the 
great German chemist, Stockhardt, on the nature of the bamboo, and 
gives us to understand that the enamel is less than the hundredth part 
of an inch in thickness. If that be so it affords noithor strength nor 
-elasticity, as in the construction of a fine rod there must be shown some 
amount of workmanship. With the first touch of sandpaper off goes 
“Ted Grayson VMcsa than a bundmlili part of an inch enamel, Ido 
not profess to be favored wl li such remarkable knowledge as your cor¬ 
respondent; still, with my slight acquaintance with Webster, as well as 
other authorities, I find the name enamel given to this very hard and 
elastic as whalebone covering of the bamboo very proper, and known as 
such to those interested in rod making. If your correspondent under¬ 
takes to build u rod on the centre enamel principle from lower end of 
batfc to extreme tips, he will find 1 uiu stating a truism when I cay that 
it requires skill, patience, perseverance, and good temper. He should 
al&o bo awwe that tbit? most delicate of ifisLiumouts, the light trout rod. 
can in no possible manner have aDy comparison to hollow cast iron col¬ 
umns, which don’t at all apply to fishing rods. 
Experienced fly-flshera are aware that in the use of the thTee-piecc trout 
rod, in the hooking of a fish of any considerable size, the greatest strain is 
brought to bear at about thirty-1 onr inches from the grasp, or first fer¬ 
ule, which is consequently ihc most likely place to snap. For the pur¬ 
pose of illustrating the difference in the methods of fitting up the strips 
I send end views of npper end or butts. First is the eight-strip centre 
enamel; second is the six-strip outside enamel. The dark lines repre¬ 
sent three thirty seconds of an inch of the hard elastic covering or 
enamel. W. 
TROUTING IN MASSACHUSETTS. 
, . . 
New Bedford, Mass., May 15tb, 1876. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
Trout fishing commenced here with a rush, the law being off the 20th 
of March, and parties were out the next day and have kept it up until 
within a few days, at winch time the fever heat seems to have somewhat 
died out. I have not as yet learned of any large catch, except a cold. 
Many amateurs round about these pans seem to be of the opinion that 
very early fishing is the best, but we veterans of rod and reel have learned 
better things, more particularly in a very lute and cold season like the 
present. We tbiuk there is not much sport or comfort rambling for 
trout with an overcoat on buttoned up to the chin to keep from being 
chilled through. When snch is the case is it not fair to suppose that 
trout feel about the same as humans, and don’t care to rise and trouble 
themselves with the outside worJd? Trout take the hook, we think, the 
best from the middle of May to the last of June better than at any other 
time; at least this has been the experience of the writer for the last 
twenty-five years in this section of the country. Dr. Job Sweet, the 
celebrated natural bone setter of our city, and your humble correspond¬ 
ent, were out a few days since with our rods and baskets at a brook we 
call “over there 11 in Plymouth County, and the two of ns caught forty- 
nine very handsome speckled beauties. Wo shall try the trout the 
coming week in fhe brooks and streams in Wakefield, R. I., where we 
know of 
A sweet shady nook by the babbling brook, 
That carries his father’s old mill. 
We were there last season; had good luck aB well as sport, and both 
of us enjoyed the sport hugely, not only trout fishing in Wakefield, but 
at other brooks in the south part of Rhode Island; also salt water fishing 
at Narragansctt Pier. Wc expect good sport and full baskets this season. 
Wc are bound to try them as soon as we get a few warm days. 
Though the season's scarce begun. 
Trout are there, we warrant. 
Tickled by the April sun, 
Playing hide and seek they run 
Up and down the torrent. 
Meanwhile for those gleesome trout 
Mischief we’re preparing; 
From that stream they must come out, 
Just to take an airing. 
Pretty sport to strike a trout, 
Brilliant sport to catch him, 
Happiness to swing him out (twenty ounces say about), 
Glory to display him. 
Heavens, how beautiful he looks! 
Naught that water swims in 
Mates the monarch of the brooks, 
Dressed in pearl aud crimson. 
In the spring time of the year, 
When the streamlet’s brawling ^ 
Dashes on a9 winged with fear— 
There unchafed by rocks, and hero 
In the white cascades falling— 
Oft wc wander by its side, 
Listening to its wrangle, 
As a clam at highest tide, 
Happy while we angle. N.'* Waterman. 
FISHING FOR SALMON AND TROUT IN 
LAKE MERCED. 
^ San Francisco, May 30, 1876. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
Two days ago 1 returned from a day and a half’s fishing in Lake 
Merced. I stayed at the club house, where I found pleasant sleeping 
uerths and other convenient accomodations, of good boats, &c. The 
waters here consist of two lakes separated from one another by a narrow 
passage. One is called the Upper, and the other the Lower Lako. I 
found the water in the Upper Lake rather thick, but that in the Lower 
was clear. I fiTSt essayed the Upper, bait fishing with a long rod from a 
boat, preferring a long rod on account of my idea that ail game fish arc 
more or less shy of the movements or appearance of a boat. I angled with 
a single gut leader, and with two hooks of a medium size, one hook abont 
two feet from the other, the upper book with a half foot snood, I used 
a float. The bait employed was boiled shrimps, with the heads broken 
off, and the hook inserted from the point of the tail towards the end of 
the body. Notwithstanding the roily condition of the water I hooked 
and lauded a young salmon of two pounds and three quarters. He 
fought with his usual gameness. I struck two others but lost them. I 
then went to the Lower Lake and commenced fishing from my boat an¬ 
chored close to a sandy point on the shore. My Iodc rod enabled me to 
fish a considerable distance out. I bad one or two bites, but the float 
failed to disappear sufficiently deep for me to strike. I had risen 
early, and therefore felt a little torpid. I reclined on the bottom of the 
skiff, and watching my cork fell into a doze. Presently after I was 
aroused from my state of lethargy, by a sudden aud tremendous “whirr,” 
“whirr,” of my reel and the rod by my side moved and muoh bent. Up 
1 was, of course, in an instant, seized the rod and found myself dealing 
with a very strong and active fish. I played him for about ten minutes, 
the Superintendent coming up In his boat and witnessing the vigorous 
contest between fish, and aneler. In a moment the hook and line came 
back to the defeated fisherman, and the fish went, no doubt, on his way 
rejoicing. 'Wo both got a good sight of the temporary captive in his loap- 
uigs and closeness to the top of the water, and the foreman, an experi¬ 
enced. fisherman, placed bis weight at a good seven pounds. He was a 
Lake Tahoe trout, a fish nearly similar to our brook troat. 
After this untoward, bat father pleasantly exciting event, I captured 
throe young salmon of the weights, severally, of two pounds and three 
quarters, two pounds and one quarter, and one pound and a half. 
I had many jjood bites besides, and uui almost ashamed to have to-con¬ 
fess thut l hooked and lost as many, probably, as eight flsh, some of 
large size, and most of them excessively vigorous young salmon. 
The Tahoe trout is not so hard to suodne as the suluiou, yielding rather 
easier to the but or one’s rod. The above was ibe work of one day. 
The next, I secured a Tahoe trout of three pounds weight, and have 
again to make u clean breast of it, by stating that I hooked aud lost & 
very large salmon, and several more of a larger grade. 1 attribute the 
loss of these to not striking them quite strong enough when they bit, as 
when the hook touches some hard part, such as the upper jaw, it does 
not enter deep enough for thcharb to take a fast hold. But wc live and 
h-arn, as much In fishing, us perhaps, in any other art. To si dice a fish 
just abont the right time, and sufficiently strong after the float dkap- 
| years, seems to me one of the nice points iu anglics. There is for this, 
only for every man to use his best judgment. While on my short trip 
I enjoyed the finest California weather, and this will tell emphatically how 
fine it was. E. J. Hooter. 
FISHING NOTES FROM MARYLAND. 
^ Fmr.ADin.pmA. May 18th, 1S76. 
Editor Forest aud Stbjam:— 
For two weeks I have been fiy-fishlng for black buss on 1,ho Potomac 
River at Williamsport, Ma. The season was too early for good sport, 
and I found the water .and weather unfavorable, yet I got enough ll-h 
with a trout rod to prove the superiority of the fly to minnow bait., as 
each day I was out I beat any one bait fisherman there. The largest 
bass I got weighed from 3 to 3} pounds. I found no spawn in any of the 
specimens I examined. Williamsport, Md., is the terminus of the 
Western Maryland Railroad, and can be reached from New York by rail 
via Philadelphia, in about eleven hours, either by way of Harrisburg, 
Pa., or Baltimore. Hotel charges, $1.25 per day. A boat and boidmuu 
costs $1.60 per day. Allow mo to grumble at such of your correspond¬ 
ents as give catches of trout by numbers of fish withppt specification 
of weight. You do much to protect fish, aud I think yon can do eLiiL 
more in giving such correspondents a gentle rebuke, by printing their 
figures thus “-One grumble more before closing. I hate to 
read in a sporting paper notices of implements for spearing or aiding the 
spearing of fish* Such work should be discouraged by an “honest an¬ 
gler.” ^^_____ B* ftAcmac-*. 
ggachting and gvaling* 
All communications from Secretaries and friends should be mailed no 
later than Monday in each week. 
HIGH WATEB. FOB THE WEEK. 
Date. 
Boston. 
Mew York. 
Charlmton. 
May 25.. ..*.* ►,, 
avs! 
30 
10 
?3 
"s 30 
May 26. 
1 ’ 
38 
11 
9 
9 38 
May 27. 
S6 
30 46 
May 28. 
3 
23 
0 
8 
11 43 
May 20. 
19 
I 
6 
May 30. 
5 
13 
1 
59 
i 33 
May 31.:. 
6 
8 
3 
51 
2 B 
8 e a want! aka Yacht Ci.tji!.— We have received lire pro¬ 
gramme of the races to be held under ibe auspices of tbe pop¬ 
ular Seawanhaka Olub. The first is a Corinthian rune for 
sloops belonging to any recognized .club, to he sailed on 
June 10th, but as this is the date fixed for the opeu'mg re¬ 
gatta of the Brooklyn Yacht Club, it is to be hoped that 
one or the oilier will be changed. There will be one prize 
in each class in which two yachts start, ami a second prize 
in each class in which four or more yachts start. Knuh 
yacht shall be sailed, and, as far as possible, Steered by her 
owuer, and may carry a sailing master and her c.ook and 
steward,none of whom shall in any way assist inthemamtge- 
ment or working of such yacht, in addition to one amaleur 
for each five feet of her length on deck. If at anytime 
during the race the owner surrenders the control or man¬ 
agement of his yacht to his sailiug master, he shall be 
deemed to have abandoned the race. 
The course will be from tbe line between Die Club steam¬ 
er aud Fort Wadsworth, to and around buoy No. 10 on the 
Southwest Spit, keeping it on the port hand, thence to and 
around the Sandy Hook Lightship, keeping it on the star¬ 
board hand, and return over the same course. Yachts 
must keep to the eastward of buoys No. 9, 11, IS, -on the 
west bank, and outside of buoy No. on ibe point of 
Sandy Hook going and returning, and will pass between 
the club steamer and Fort Wadswortl) on arriving home. 
The second race is for schooners of the Atlantic, Brook¬ 
lyn, Boston, Eastern, New York, and Seawatihaka Yacht 
Ulubs, and will be sailed on the 13thinsl. Trizea as in the 
first race. The course will he from buoy No. 5, oil Sandy 
Hook, twenty miles to windward and Telurn, if the wind 
permits, or twenty miles to leewaicLaud return. Yachts 
will pass between the judge’s steamer and the buoy going 
out and coming home, and at these points the time will be 
taken. After starting the yachts the steamer will proceed 
to the turning point, where a buoy will be anchored, which 
all the yachts must round, leaving it on tbe starboard 
hand. Should any yacht reach the home buoy (No. 5, oil 
Sandy Hook) in advance of the judge’s steamer, slic must 
pass within one hundred yards of it, and the owner shall 
take the time when the buoy bears due southwest, report¬ 
ing the same immediately after the race lo the Regatta 
Committee. 
Entries are to be made in writing to Mr. M. Roosevelt 
Schuyler, No. 54 William street, until noon on. the day 
preceding the race. 
—The Perth Amboy's Yacht Club annual regatta 
will occur on Decoration Day, tbe 30th inst. 
About a dozen yachts, all open boats, are enrolled 
in the club, and all are expected to enter, 
and will be sailed by the owners only. Tbe course 
will be the usual one in Raritan Bay, and the start anil fin¬ 
ish will be off tbe club house. Tbe races cf this club are 
always among tbe liveliest and best managed of tbe sea¬ 
son, and reporters and members of the press will receive 
the usual attention at the hauds of the committee. The 9 
A. M, train vin Staten Island Railroad from foot of White¬ 
hall Btreet will arrive at Perth Amboy 45 minutes before 
the start. Trains return to New York via P. R. R , L. B. 
R. R., and S. I. R. R. at 2:55, 4:10, 4:40, 0:80P. M. 
The America’s Cop. —The regatta committee of the 
New York Yacht Club has received a reply from Major 
Gifford, the owner of the Canadian yacht Countess of 
Dufferin, lo the action of the club taken at a recent meet¬ 
ing. In it he declares his willingnes to sail three races, as 
proposed by the New York Club, viz: one over the inside 
coarse and one outside, the third, if necessary, to be de¬ 
cided by lot. But he insists that only one yacht, shall be 
named for all three races, and also that this yacht slmll be 
named cn or before the 1st of July. The club will hold a 
special meeting to-day to consider this proposition. 
—The annual regatta of the Brooklyn Yaeht Club will 
lie sailed June bill. Entries must be filed before nine P. 
M. Saturday, June 3d, with O. F. Lippitt, 43 Court street, 
chairman of the regM.la corami lice, 
