30 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Feb. 8, 1883. 



weight of eight ounces I'm- both bait, and fly rods, tor the 

 .smallest calibers or roils manufactured. BOd for the best and 

 most approved feels and hooks for black bass Ashing. I 

 have now hen- favored the use of a heavier md. ejxept for 



extraordinarily heavy bass— averaging three pounds or more. 

 aaiftPlorida— in which case I have staled thai a nine or 

 even tea-ounce rod would he pleasanter ro handle; bill e\ eo 

 here I inserted the proviso thai the eight-ounce rod was 

 offlci u.1 i 11 e h inch i ] aaexperi. Now, unless an eight- 

 ounce rod is considered a heavy ne for black bass angling, 

 I. defy "Floridian" or any one else to show by the record, 

 Oriu'any other manner', where 1 have advocated "heavy 



rods" or "heavy tackle." 



The next sentence in "Floridiau's" replv is as follows: 

 "The trouble with Mr. Jordan was that he had a reel that 

 needs to be cheeked with the thumb placed Oil a. trout rod, 

 and then wondered who ever devised the placing of the reel 

 behind the hand." 



Most trout bait-rods have the reel bauds "before" the 

 hand, but Mr. Jordan's rod was not. a "trout rod, - ' nor a fly- 

 sxplicitly stated, was a "coming bass-rod'" 



rod, but, as he expl: 

 or "Ueushall rod 1 ' (as designed b\ 

 fishing), but the manufacturer who 

 sons best known to himself, makes 

 with "reel bauds above or belo 



for black bass bait 

 :<nt it to him, for rea- 

 nd advertises this rod 

 the hand," and "with 



either standing guides or lings." It is too shortfor a nv- 

 rod— eight and a half feet— and, like Mr. Jordan. 1 can only 

 wonder why the reel -bauds were so placed, unless for the 

 benefit of such anglers as "Floridian." But the rod was an 

 excellent one, and had another redeeming feature, it weighed 

 just eight ounces; most makers of this rod make them too 

 heavy. 



"Kloridijii' tie it says: "He (Mr. Jordan) asks 'how can 

 you cast a minnow & lu Henshallwith (lie reel behind the 

 hand?' 1 can only answer that 'you can't.' " 



This is the only truthful and reliable statement in either 

 of his little screeds, but then he goes on to 



"Thai stvle requires the reel in that position, but for tine 

 fishing a stiff trout rod with the reel behind the hand is de- 

 shVible to those who prefer science to main strength*" 



Now "Floiiriian" evolved this .sentence of contraiiiies 

 oat of pure malice, I verily believe. There is certainly no 

 ground in either of Mr. Jordau's articles upon which to'base 

 such contemptible inferences. "Fine fishing," and ".science 

 ami main strength," forsooth, and with a "stiff" (rout-rod 

 at that— and with the reel behind the hand for "bait" fish- 

 ing) "O. most lame and impotent conclusion!" 



"Floridian" caps the climax with this last sentence iu his 

 "reply," tluisly: "1 hope thai we now understand each 

 other, and that Mr. Jordan will eventually work up to the 

 point. of using finer tacke and sroltintr more .port." 



If consistency wen: the only 'jewel', "Floridian" would go 

 unadorned. Yes, I think you "understand each other" 

 perfectly. Mr. Jordan distinctly and repeatedly stated that 

 his rod was a supple and pliant one, a little' rod of eight 

 ounces; that his line was a silk one I lie size of three horse 

 hairs (it was size G, or No. 5, the smallest made: 1 gave it 

 to him myself); and his reel a "Meek" (No. 3); and that 

 Li Hut light tackle he look many black bass from five to 



i pi itu la, playing some of them an average of a half hour 

 each b lore In -■■ a- able to laud them, and, moreover, 

 "Floridian" had in. l volunteered the information, in a pre- 

 ceding sentence, that. Mr. Jordan's rod was a "trout rod," 

 ye-t in despite of all this Mr. Jordan is told to "work up to 

 the point of using finer tackle and getting more sport!" 

 But where is he lo get "finer tackle?"' "Floridian" 

 graciously says that, for "fine fishing ' a "stiff" rod is desir- 

 able, and a "reel behind the hand," but he is silent, as to the 

 I: a '.■: baps it also should be "stiff" for "fine fishing" — it 

 might e '■ "• -birch" it. But then, again, how is he to get 

 ■_•!' a -vol': V ts it desirable to have a large fish trigging, at 

 alight ted more than "half an hour?" And, in this case, 

 wheii toes "science or main strength" come in? Or who 

 displays the "science;" and who the "main strength"— the 

 fish or the angler? 



If "Floridian" prefers a stiff , vc i ;1IK | w .,i behind the hand 

 in bait fishing lie has a pel feet right to enjoy and recom- 

 mend that stvle, and I would be the last one to object to or 

 find any fault with him for his preference, but, lie has no 

 fight to interfere with or decry the methods of others upon 

 false hypotheses, willful assumptions and gross misrepre- 

 sentations. 



1 am always open to conviction in all matters, aud would 

 gladly learn the merits of any particular mode of angiitis, 

 or the desirableness of any special feature of tackle, being 

 tlwayt tiling to cheerfully and patiently investigate them 

 when brought to my notice in a proper" manner, and will 



v . lef end my own convictions and replv to those who 

 honestly differ with me when the matter is entertained iu a 

 gentlemanly and courteous way. J Aires A. Henshall. 



CVKTUIANA, Ivy.. January, J883, 



A MOSQUITO-PROOF TENT. 



NOTICING with what i 

 complain of the persec 



iu the woods, 1 am led to g 

 Is quite exteiisiv, . ,,...;, i 



tibs Btale, and sit c i thi n 



Michigan aud both shores t 



My fit 



annuity my brother sportsmen 

 tions of the mosquitoes, while 

 e them my experience, and il 

 in 1ST',!, in the mountains of 

 [tended to Upper and Lower 

 Lake Superior. 



lew with the mosquito was 



early in June. 1875. Wc had pitched camp for the night 

 On the shore of Batchawauug Bay, near the Harmony, on 

 the north shore of Superior. Our tents were sound and wc 

 had taken the precaution to hang t wo thicknesses of mosquito 

 netting inside the doors. Wc turned in. but alas, not to 

 rest. The -nn had scarcely set when our friends began to 

 dropin and ma .aior: time tly; oil wa- tMck wift ,h ea 

 ■hey went to work as though they had not bad a meal that 

 season, and duo e u , nearly frantic. We Hashed powder 

 until the air v,as so thick with smoke that we were obliged 

 to lie dowu in order to breathe; but it was of no avail, the 

 smoke seemed jusl the sauce they needed for their meat, 

 and finally we were olilige.l to take to th. boats and lie off 



Shore until morning n ten we rescued our property from 



the in. no ., v proct idi i oi our way. That night broke 

 th spin) ol P. who left for home next day on a steamer 



'.'■ ' ■ ii tat the mill. It. was days before we recovered from 



i. effects of the poison, 



That and numerous other similar experiences disgusted 

 me so much that 1 invented what probably many another 



S'l'i'isi'ian bs- made, but 11.; ve never seen'il mentioned in 

 print. In the Lake Superior couutry 1 always use a wall 



1 -' mill' i.m have a lent the exact duplicate in size 



made ( £rom line tarlatan, which 1 suspend inside the canvas 

 tern, it is heavily bound at all the seams and has four 

 brass rings made fast at equal distances along the ridge. 



There arc also other rings placed at intervals of. sav a foot 

 along the eaves. /'. e.. the angle of the roof with the Wall of 

 the tarlatan tent. 



tarlatan tent up 



fast to the rings 



be. I i lieu hook 



ich are 



After pi 



c'pol 



on its rib 

 the Kings 

 placed all 

 making th 



vas. The 



atom 



- bar 



hook 



op 



ill 



id.- (In 



Jj t 



id iings along the wall may be dispensed 

 with and pins used instead, but I have yet to see the man 

 who loved a pin. 



The Avail of the tarlatan tent should be made extra long 

 so that, >,av, eighteen inches of it lies on the floor of the 

 teat, Place your baggage along the sides and it wi'l keep 

 the tarlatan tight to the mould, and no mosquito or other 

 pest can enter, save the few who slip in when you enter the 

 tent. 



Fine tarlatan or other similar material should be used, as 

 the meshes of ordinary mosquito netting are too coarse, and 

 great care should be used in making it up. The seams and 

 edges should be securely bound with linen or other Buitafjle 

 material to insure durabilii v. The one 1 have was made iu 

 1878 and is as good as uew to-day. 



My experience iu the woods leades me to the following 

 conclusions, which can be taken for what they are worth, 

 viz. : That blaek flics are active in the daytime, and prefer 

 the opeu to the thick woods, while on the contrary mosqui- 

 toes are active principally at night, and in the thick woods 

 aud underbrush. I therefore pitch rav camp iu the woods, 

 within a short distance of the stream, 'and am annoyed but 

 little, while attending to camp duty in the daytime, while ai 

 night I build a rousing fire in front of the tent, throw open 

 the canvas front and lie inside the tarlatan enjoying my pipe, 

 the cheerful fire, a game of cards and above "all the" angry 

 protests of the infuriated mosquitoes who have assembled in 

 clouds but can't get in. 



The tarlatan is light and packs iu a very small bundle, and 

 when on the march should be packed inside the- canvas ot 

 in a bag, to prevent it from being torn. This arrangement 

 allows you the free use of ypur, tent without the annoyance 

 of being compelled to use a head net or other similar de- 

 vice. 



I have called the attention of several dealers in sporting 

 goods to my tent, but as yet know of none Avho have put 

 them on the market. 



A word in conclusion. 1 have found that cosiuolint or 

 vaseline with a little pennyroyal mixed in it is preferable to 

 oil of tar for several reasons, one alone causing me lo prefer 

 them, viz. : that you can carry them in a box and are not 

 annoyed by the bottle breaking as it frequently does when 

 you use the tar. ERESQtJE I.-i.i:. 



Ebie, Pj»., January, 1883. 



JUGGING ON THE BIG MUDDY. 



U 



DID you 

 fish ya 



ever go a Jugging?" We had been telling 

 n the back office of Doctor G.'s drug 

 store one hot morning in the latter part of July, when this 

 question was addressed to the writer by the Doctor, who 

 had just finished compounding a prescription he had advised 

 for the party, and poured it into the several glasses contain- 

 ing bioken ice. The listenets of the Doctor, while averse 

 to'taking medicine except when authoritatively perseribed. 

 could not of course question his sincerity, or "the generous 

 motive which had suggested the careful mental diagnosis 

 he had made of the party, and Which he assured us was the 

 proper thing to ward off the baleful effects of miasma, ever 

 present along the turbulent Missouri. 



"Did I ever do what?" I asked, hs I sat down the drained 

 glass and bit. off a piece of the lemon peel it contained. 



"Did you never go jagging for catfish?" 



"Well, now, Doctor, you've got me. I have caught a great 

 many kinds of fish in many different waters, even the 

 ignoble catfish have I hooked aud yanked out of his muddy 

 bed, but what the jug has to do with catching this rim, In- 

 dus, I own I cannot see," 



"Why, out here we go jugging once a year, and I presume 

 it's because you never lived long on the Missouri Kiver, or 

 you surely would have gone jugging before this. What say 

 you, boys let's take Finn a-jugging?" 



"Why, certainly," chimed in the rest. "Finn, how long 

 will you be in town? We'll go sure." 



So' it was speedily agreed I bat on Saturday, if I would 

 stay so long, I should be initiated into the mysteries of 

 jugging for catfish on the raging Missouri. 



:i'.en an explanation of the spoil, aud the tackle 

 which was needed, all of which last was lo be generously 

 supplied by the Doctor and friends, as my own kit did not 

 contain the articles needed. What jvflfl wanted, I was in- 

 formed, was a boat and a. dozen stone jugs lightly corked, 

 to wtiose handles were tied six or eight feet of good line. 

 with a large strong hooked attached, 



The intention was to take passage with the boat and jugs 

 teamer bound up tl 



to a (joint about twen 

 boat, bait the hooks, 1 

 floats for the lines, ar 

 the flat while we wat 

 Saturday, ifteraz) 

 myself assembled oi 



vy 



oi li- 



ter, there launch our 

 :h served as huge 

 n company wit u 



ivhi 



v breakfast, the party of tin 



the le 



1 the l„- 



id below 



• of the 



the 



: cit. 



gentle! 



The boat, 

 a I her a 



a river yawl, belonging to 



heavy craft, lay upon the landing, and stowed under the 

 seats* along the bottom were twelve small stone jugs, all 

 eoi'Ked, and with short lines tied to their handles. This, lo 

 me, novel fishing outfit, attracted my attention, and while 

 examining them I noticed one jug slightly larger than the 

 rest, and though it had a cork there was no line to its handle. 

 I turned to the Doctor, who had been watching my move- 

 tents, intending to call his attention to the omission, when, 

 he answered my look of inquiry with, "That 

 1 any line, it is for suckers, not catfish. Show 

 ■vorked when we get there." Of course this 

 At least if not exactly satisfied. 1 contented 



tl 



you how 



satisfied me. At least 

 myself witji the thougl 

 kinds of fish. 



The steamer soon h 

 the line and huge ga 

 roustabouts picked U]. 



igSlde the levee, aud out came 



I peculiar to those craft. The 

 boat, and its contents aud de- 

 posited it upon the steamer, while we followed it aboard. 

 The captain agreed lo land us ai a woodyard some fifteen 

 miles up the river, where he stopped to wood up. and from 

 Which point We could launch out boot and jug-. We were 

 soon off up the river, and as the sun climbed toward t lie 

 meridian its rays gathered strength and poured down in in- 

 creased intensity." The steamer was loaded and the current 



strong, so that she made slow progress against the stream. 

 and it w'as noon when we reached the place where W e were 

 to disembark. As we were anxious to gel back tfl 

 before dark, we ate our lunch. 



We now launched our boat and were' b" dow u sireain. 

 and prepared f o commence the sport. Baitiuu the hooks 

 with a piece of the belly and central tin of buffalo fish which 

 the Doctor had bought in the market that morning, ive ex- 

 amined the corks of each jug. and overboard thevwent as 

 fast as we could liait them. The Doctor and 1 1 baited hi 

 hooks, while G., taking them when ready, stood up amid- 

 ships, and swinging the jug in his right hand, held lightly 

 the line and hook in his left, aud east them as far out Into 

 the muddv current as he could throw them Various were 

 the remarks Upon the grace and distance of the casts as tie- 

 jugs splashed into the turbid water, and G.. each time try- 

 ing to excel his former effort, stood up on the seat to gi>t a 

 still better swing Makings grand effort aud swinging the 

 jug round in a circle, he leaned forward as he cast— just a 

 little too far. The boat, which sat. deep in the water, gave 

 a lurch in the same direction, and ovei board went S. and 

 the jug. His feet were the only thing that struck the gun- 

 Wale ashe went out of sight with a splash and a lurch that hall 

 filled the boat with water. Evidence is conflicting as I o how 

 far his head went into the mud at the bottom — G. would 

 never say when questioned — but ouly a brief moment 

 elapsed, and he appeared with a splash and n gurgle a t'ew 

 feet from the stern, and floundering for a second or two, 

 struck bottom on the edgi of as md-Iiar, ami slowly waded 

 out aud silt down, a, sadder and very wet, man, while the 

 boat, carried rapidly by the current, drifted some distance 

 below. 



I had put the helm hard down the moment G. went over, 

 and every one ill reach had made a grab at his. heels a-, i , , , 

 out, but'it, was done so quickly and the water poured iu so 

 rapidly that no one was able to hold on enough lo save him — 

 in fact, it is likely, had we done so, we would have been 

 capsized at once. The boat drifted with the i 

 rent, out of O.'s reach when he came up, so it was lucky 

 for him that the river was low and the frieiidb, ulb 

 near; the water, loo, being warm, the ducking, save for the 

 muddy water, did him do harm and afforded grounds for an 

 immense amount of chaffing when oneo under weigh again. 



It look some strong pulling to get that v.ai I, _.._■■ , ,,,, 



to the sand-bar. where G. sat gelling the muddy water out 

 of bis oars. The sun blazed down with fury from i i [and 



less sky, and we were awful hot and tired when w i oi 



it. While the rest of us got the wafer out of the boat the 

 Doctor examined G 's pulse, opened the jug, and prescribed 

 for him, remarking that an excess of moisture upon the 

 skin was always counteracted by a thorough saturation. Of 

 the interior— "V-vWw similibtts eiu-tininr" — and G. evi- 

 dently concurred in that opinion from the way he pulled at 

 the neck of libit jug. 



We were soon under weigh again; OUT jugs ucnc by this 

 time ail out. of sight, down the river — even the ninth one. 

 which had caused G 's mishap, had disappeared, so wo 

 pulled rapidly along with the current after them. 

 over the two remaining 00'-., but, soon pufled ahead of 

 them and kept on till the jugs iu advance cam 



Each jug was. close!} scrutinized as it came into vieiw to 



si-e if a fish bad been hooked: butall wei floating placiiily 

 hither and thither upon the dark water, mbri ig thci isel es 

 up as they turned rotir 

 Oil by the current, th 

 in single file. Having 

 floated along, guided c 



selves chaffing G. on his tumble, 

 "I say. &.," said the 



tl yonder bar by i.wos and 



ill i Slg] '. we lazily 



rudder, ami amused QUI' 



Doctor, "feel better ine 



"Oh," yes!" said G. "I'm all right, 1 only vi anted to see 

 how deep it was." 



"That last cast, of yours was the longest, one you made," 

 said the Doctor, winking at Finn. 



"Youre right, Doe," says H.. "though for grace and deli- 

 cacy I have seen belter." 



"Yes, hoys, that's all right," answered G., good-naturedly. 

 "but you all fail to see the most material point," 



"Why, how's that?" 



"ft was not so much the cast that pleased the crowd, as 

 the way I reeled in immediately after.'' continued G . 



The 'fun was interrupted at this moment by II. with. 

 ■ -Look' Look there, boys. 11 eat has gut i bat jug out yonder. 

 See how it bobs around.' Bomethiag has got it, hasn't ii 

 Doe?" 



"That's a cat got hold of il [ -ness,"' -aid tin 1 >, „ 1 , 

 "Pull away boys, before he runs Brio that bayou.' 



II. and (i. seized tile oars, and we were soon Bearing the 

 jug, which was culling up all manners of antics. 1, 1 , , 

 the fishes efforts and the current which circled and eddied 



"Steer above it, Kinn," said the Doei.oi. 'and the curreut 

 will drift yon on to it. Unship your oar, (L, and stand 



ready to catch the jug, while I put the gaff iu him as s 1 



as he comes within reach.' 



Another moment and G. grasped The jug with both hands 



iind h 



a great 



lied st 

 catfish stuck 1 

 another stTUggll 

 d with a tlouudi 

 booked tosiav 



1 jerk 



ill a art 



"PI 



two, a splash of a tail, and 

 brownish-black head .• bove 

 • Doctor had the gafl in his 

 "nt la- landed ill the boat. 

 • jaw, and the Doctor. 

 him bis quietus with a 

 . ab in 'the back of his head, lie was a fair specimen ot 

 the Western cattish, but for my eye., he had loss attractions 

 than a Government mule, now that he was captured 

 tor eating him, he might do on a x>iuch. but I prefei 

 tiling else. 



"There's another inembei oi 'he famil] trying to run 



away with a jug." said G.. who hail been lyeiiru 1, ,,l 

 jugs in sight. "There that one righl in die middle of the 

 riveryonder, dou'i you see it gov'" The stream it 

 seemed much broader, spreading out, from bank to bank 

 Without a sandbar, and right in the middle of the em rent 

 yvas one jug either stationary or coming up si ream toward 

 us, bobbing up this way and that, as if some mighty fish 

 was towing it Avhere he' pleased, while all the rcstmsighl 

 were salting on placidly some distance below. 



"Pull. boys, pull." cried the Doctor, standing 1, 

 an obi whale got that jug," 



Ct. and H. plied the oars, aud with the tl 



spiel along at a rapid rate. The 1 1 ambl 



and stood up in the bow aud a,- n't ufarcd it. <b 



I m , led down on the eat readj ■ ,-1, ,, 



soon as within reach. On we went with all 'their, 

 pair of oars aud the current, another moment and we shall 

 be upon it when — did you ever notice how queer it feels to 

 have the air brakes applied suddenly and strongly to a 



