March 8, 1883. j 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



i09 



Quebec Fish Arm Protbctkhj CiUs. — Quebec, Canada, 

 —The adjourned nwtfrg of spcrtsm.en and others to form 

 si club to prevent the illegal slaughter of game, ele.. was 

 held on Thursday, the ir,ih inst.. at the Board ot Trade 

 roBms, atwhich were present Dr. Montizambert, Captain 

 Peters. Messrs. [I. H. Sewell, W. A. Griffith. Gr, II. Thorn 

 son. F. V. WurteL. Kb-hardson, MeNabb, Guuvreau, Qo- 

 meau, W. D. Campbell. Graddon. D. G, Thompson, 0. 'P. 

 Deau, ('. F. .Smith. H Stanley Smith. J. Hamilton, Jr., and 

 A. F. Haul. W. D. OampbeU was appointed chairman, 

 and F. 0. Wurtele secretary. It was then moved by D. C. 

 Thomson and seconded liv W. A Griffith, and carried, that 

 the constitution of the Quebec Club formed in 18S8 he 

 adopted, and the eluh he called the Quebec Fish . 

 Pi-otei lion eluh. and those present do sign the constitution. 

 Moved by \V. A. Griffith and seconded byH. II. Sewed, and 

 carried, thai this meeting do adjourn until the 26th inst. , 

 when a general meeting of the ciub will he called for the 

 purpose of electing officers, adopting by-laws, autl other 

 business. In the meantime a committee lie named to pre- 

 pare a draft of Inlaw.-, to he submitted at next meeting, 

 and also that between this and the nexl mectingtne mem- 



bers here present be requested to indnee their friends to 



join the club. Copic ol the constitution WCro prepared and 

 put into the hands of several members for signature. Be- 

 Fore the meeting separated those present enrolled themselves 

 as members of the Quebec Fish and Game Protection Club. 

 — F. 0. AVriiTEtji, Secretary pro tern. 



Mokkob County Sportsmen", — Rochester, March 4. — 



The annual meeting of the Monroe County Sportsmen's 

 Chili was held last "evening at die rooms in the Arcade, 

 President M. M. Hollister in the chair, L. A. Pratt, secre- 

 tary and treasurer, presented Ids fifteenth annual report, 

 showing cash on hand $3(13.84 and no debts of consequence. 

 The number of active members is sixty-two. Tile Commit- 

 tee on I Sa a (a m P ported that they had made suggestions 

 to the members of the Legislature on the new game law, 

 and thought that the suggestions would be adopted. They 

 recommend that trout fishing begin April 1, and that im- 

 ported sparrows be te.ken from tbe list of birds which may 

 Sol be shot. M. M. Ilollister was reelected president, 

 James H.Brown vice-president, and A. L. Prat t secretary 

 and treasurer. The chair appointed as Finance Committee 

 George W. Crouch, Jr., and Edmond Redmond; Vigilance 

 Committee. IT. B. Hooker, Homer Jacobs and George T. 

 Sfillson; on General Laws. W. J. Babeock. II, H, Morse 

 and William H Bowman, Homer Jacobs was appointed 

 a committee of one on supplies for the State convention. 



The Air-space.— Philadelphia, Feb. 38.— The experi- 

 ments which 1 commenced last fall, having for their object, 

 a determination of the question as to the effect of "air- 

 paces 1 in rifles, etc., have been p- ,,r. -- ; .iu\ though slowly, 

 during 1 he winter. It has been impracticable to secure here 

 permanently a room in all respects suitable for such a pur- 

 pose: hence, I have had to Use distant fields aud to defer to 

 the weather. 1 must ask the indulgence of some corres- 

 pondents wbose queries I shall not be able for some weeks 

 to answer. The results of these experiments wiD also be 

 delayed in publication. To such readers as choose now 

 to send me to 713 Market street their address on a postal 

 card I will endeavor to mail a copy of a daily paper giving 

 some of the results. This trial has 10 do with ri lies prin- 

 cipally; but lam trying some shotguns — arms that I Think 

 ought' not to be tired in that way. A Colt twelve !..>,e. 

 seven and a quarter pounds breech-loading gun. which [tested 

 thus some days since, however, stood forty-five discharges, 

 .showing no injury what ever.— W. McK. Heath. 



ACrhsteh Decked. — Central Lake, Mich. — janitor fibrest 



anti-Stream; In "Michigan Notes," page 09 of youvpaper of 

 Feb. 32. you say the snow is ten feet deep! My communica- 

 tion read' "three" (3) feet, aud that is about al'l we can get 

 away" with to good advantage. Please correct. One man 

 in these woods •■crusted" a buck the other day, and killed 

 him. In crossing a river with his plunder, (the eprer.t term, 

 1 believe) be broke through, mercury about the ciphers, and 

 a pair of thirty six inch snow-shoes on his feet. The buck 

 floated off under the ice. and after several ineffectual efforts 

 to clitnb out, the man was obliged to sink, or dive until he 

 could manage to loosen the snowshoc-slinga, when he suc- 

 ceeded in getting ashore. Now, if there had only been an effi- 

 cient game warden to clap his claw upon the soaked and 

 shivering law-breaker, and give bim a taste of his quality, 

 the discomfiture of that particular "cruster" would have 

 been as complete as any ting I happen to think of at this 

 writing. — X. 



New Hampshire. — Colebrook, Feb. 28.— Nature has 

 caused the slaughter to pause, and tbe deer are having a 

 fine time on the crust, Dogs .and their allies fail to catch 

 them, 1 visited Second Connecticut Lake last week; found 

 "ITucle Tom" in happy solitude, catching beaver and otter, 

 and anticipating what. the. ncu days excursion along his 

 lilies, would bring to hand. Logging er6W8 have not en- 

 croached upon the game resorts about that hike, as the main 

 operations are. confined to the upper towns of Vermont, — 

 Ned Norton. 



ExFoncTNi; the Maixe Law.— Bangor, March 3. 188&— 

 Editor Fbregt and Stream: Warden Morse went to Dover 

 last Tuesday to get three parties indicted before the grand 

 jury. After attending to thai agreeable little ceremony lie 

 extended his travels to Dexter, for he is of an inquiring turn 

 of mind, and looked into the American Express office there. 

 Thirteen saddles of venison packed in barrels and boxes re- 

 warded his research. 



TenmessbE.— Memphis, Tenu., March 3.— Mr. W. A. 

 Wheatley, of Memphis. Tennessee ("Guide-"), recently had a 

 pleasant' visit at borne from Mr. Justus von Lengerke, of 

 New York. One a'fternoon was spent at Mr. Jerry Cock- 

 rell's kennels; one over the traps with fifteen Memphis 

 sportsmen, the guest making best score, and one day afield, 

 l bagging scventy-tv.-u quail and a few snipe. 



\m mid §uer Jf/'s/wn/, 



lour ! 



Tariff o« Firearms.— The tariff on firearms which will 

 go into effect July 1, is: On breech-loading gunsof all kinds. 

 35 per cent. ; on muzzle-loading guns of all kinds. 25 per 

 cent. Duty on wads, 35 per cent!"; on cartridges and cai't- 

 idgi Shj US, both metal and paper, 35 per cent,; on percus- 

 sion caps, 40 per cant. ; on gun materials of all kinds, 45 

 per cent, 



Michigan Qcaie.— Grand Rapids, Mich,, March 2.— 



Birds have stood the past severe winter here unexpectedly 

 well. Many bevies alive and well have been seen lately and 

 no dead ones reported.— E. 8. Holmes. 



'.:,,,' v ,1,-nmiil (i.l I nit ion. eoiimnuinttiniui should In- n<!- 



dressed to the Forest ami Stre&n PublisMtto Co., and not to 



indiratmils, in ic/ew ab:-;encp from llio qfli're. matters of iiii- 



portanve are Unite to delay. 



: . . . i !i,- s;,j,i ..mo iHisniess oi: Uie liour wlien hooked to utisti 



is to laud hint, but even litis highest source of thcansflert pill isure 

 would soon lose its eharm if. Qurttlg the progress o£ the straggle, tile 

 eye was not occasionally relieved by these visions of beauty. No, it 

 is not all of fishing to IUh l( it were the auRler would not be able to 

 claim fellowship with the long tin.- ol poets, philosophers, divines 

 and Statesmen whose names, from the time of St. Peter to I he pres- 

 old hour, have adorned Its annals, — oeone.- li.iir : u,,i . 'Pleasures of 

 Aiottiio/."' 



POSITION AND WEIGHT. 



I HAVE no fault to find with "Flnridinn's" reply in 

 Fokest and Stream of Feb. 22,. though theloftyair 



of injured innocence which he assumes is not warranted by 

 ■ I i < - farts. ladBlit thai the language I used in my nrl Sch- 

 was strong and vigorous— it was intended to to so, fnr the 

 provocation was great. — but it had ihe merit of being at 

 least plain and honest, and devoid of all vagueness or insin- 

 uation. I see no necessity at present to retract anything I 

 have said, lor I think if was fully Justified by "Flovidan's" 

 articles. 



Let us see. He stated, without any qualification or ex- 

 tenuation, that: (II The custom of placing the reel in front 

 of the hand on bait rods is an obsolete one. (2) The mode 

 of easting the minnow a la Henshall is the same as used in 

 heavy sea-fishing for si ripeit bass weighing from twenty-five to 

 fifty pounds. (3j Dr. Hensh.-iil and all Southern and Western 

 anglers believe in aud use heavy tackle. 



Now. if ill is not a false hypothesis, and (2) a willful 

 assumption, and (8) a gloss misrepresentation, then I am 

 ignorant of the true meaning of these woids. And then 

 when Mi. Jordan distinctly and cxplictlely staled that he 

 used a pliant eight-ounce 'rod, a, G line, and a Meek reel 

 No. •„> for black bass weighing from five to "ten pounds, and 

 played them a half hour each, "Floridiau" "hopes that he 

 ill eventually wol'k np to the point of using finer tackle 

 and gifting more sport." I leave it to the leaders of Fokebt 

 am> Stkeam to characterize this portion of "Floritlian's" 

 article. 



Now, when "Floridian"apologizes for the above-mentioned 

 statements relating to Mr. Jordan, "all Southern and West- 

 ern anglers" and myself, my retraction of, and apology for, 

 the trenchant language used will be in order, and it will be 

 done with unaffected cheerfulness and sincerity. 



An explanation is due to .Mr. Jordan in regard to his use 

 of "half-grown bream" for bt.it. His use of this large bait, 

 was exceptional, thev being used on one occasion only — the 

 one referred to in his articles. He wished to secure a large 

 bass for a specimen. A fuller account of this will lie found 

 in Forest and Stkkam of October 19, INS',!, pagi 830. In 

 this article he says. "1 had all the time been using medium 

 sized minnows or small perch, and could take all the bass I 

 wanted up to five pounds, but tbe Captain kept telling me 

 to use the half-mown bream, and even the grown ones, if I 

 wanted to catch the big bass, so I concluded to act upon his 

 plan, once." The small perch alluded to here were suufish 

 an inch or two long, and which were often the only bait 

 we could get; and the medium-sized minnows were "top 

 minnow's'' {Zyr/aia'eti'x) which randy exceeded two and a half 

 inches in length. 



Nowhere iu my book tlo 1 advise, mention or "tell of 

 casting an ounce-and-an-half minnow," and "Floridian" and 

 I agree perfectly when he says: "It does not. suit me to 

 throw au ounce-and-a-ha!f minnow at a black bass, with 

 any kind of tackle." 



"Floridian" says my book is "badly defaced with adver- 

 tisements in the reading portion." 1 say that neither my 

 publishers nor myself have received either fee or reward for 

 any mention made of tackle manufacturers. I used their 

 cuts and recommended their tackle whenever I could hon- 

 estly do so, solely for the guidance, and benefit of my read- 

 ers." Aud as these cuts were especially designed to 

 portray the special features of their tools and tackle, 

 they Were the very best ones I could have used. 

 They were not inserted in the light of advertise- 

 ments, but as illustrative ol" the implements of angling, 

 lie further says my boo.v "will never rank high as an an 

 thoiity on buss fishing." I should certainly be muwh : 

 prised did "r'lorldian' entertain any o'her opinion of it; 

 but after all it is nr-iely an opinion. And he says I make it 

 long scientific distinction between the two species of black 

 bass, but when 1 come to write of taking them they are all 

 one. Aud that the stupid big-mouth appears to furnish me 

 as much sport as the quick-fighting small-mouth. Exactly 

 sound eminently proper. To the naturalist there are two 

 Species; to tire angler but one, so far as the mere matter of 

 taking them is concerned, tor the same ways aud means are 

 employed, and the two species respond in t lie same manner 

 to said" ways and means. In all matters pertaining to the 

 taking of the species I use the general term black bass ad- 

 visedly, for this reason. 



My 'opinion that there is no difference in the game quali- 

 ties of the two species where thev inhabit the same wat 

 all other thimrs beim: equal, has \et to be successfully < 

 t inverted. Before I "had much experience With both Bpe 

 1 held the same opinion that "r loridiau" does now; ami 

 when he experiments to the same extent, that, I have in the 

 matter he will arrive at the same conclusion that 1 did; and 

 as conclusion is a good word in tins connection, I eagerly 

 embrace it and conclude. 



One thing more, however, just to agree with "Floridian" 

 whenever possible. He concludes his reply by saying that, 

 he "does not think the highest style of the art is a hi Hen- 

 shall." Granted; for I claim fly-fishing to be "the most 

 legitimate, scientific and gentlemanly mode of angling." 

 But I also claim that "next to fly-fishing, casting the min- 

 now is the most artistic mode of angling for the black 

 k, J. A. Hesshall. 



Cynthiana, Ky„ February. 15S3. 



Afler all that has been said on the subjoin. I presume all 

 anglers will suit their own tastes, or the fashion, whether it 

 suits their convenience or not. We fishermen, von know, 

 like to talk of the deeds done on the wafer, of the fish taken 

 and the big ones not taken— the big ones are. generally lost, 

 — got snagged on the bottom or somewhere else, gone in some 

 i ma way, the bungling of the fishes, or other remote 



cause, uot a word of censure on the little pet, or as a woman 

 would express herself, the "little duck of a rod." 



Nut being very robust, barely turning the beam at one 

 hundred and fifty-eight pounds", consequently lacking in 

 ; i power; I am a great admirer of a light Tod, six 

 ounces being as light as I would dare risk in "my hands, I 

 like to use it on all convenii to occasions, wdiere. I know the 

 water aud the size of the inhabitants Hint 1 am about to en 

 enge iu mortal strife. If the water with its natives are un- 

 known to me, it i.= more convenient to swing all tight <>r 

 nine-ounce rod. for the sole reason that I go out for sport 

 or recreation, not to be made sport of by the tiny little 

 fishes. 



Let us illustrate: Some few years ago striped bass in 

 great numbers made tin annual pilgrimage to our doors, it 

 was one of the pleasures of our life (o spend an hour, morn- 

 ing or evening, in their company. The six-ounce rod cast- 

 ing t he bread (flies) upon the waters snaking out the fish, 

 Which would weigh from half a pound to one pound and a. 

 half each , We would often get two or three fish at one casl . 

 and sometime get one of two or three pounds' weight, 

 which I could accommodate, although it was a sore trial to 

 the joy forever. 



One evening in the early part of September, 1874, I 

 reached the brink, got my lender wet and rubbed down, and 

 sent the tlies dancing over the water. My trail fly was 

 sua felted, and as the hook was bedded in the lip of the fish, 

 and, not liking Hie restraint, it made a rush down stream. 

 One hundred and fifty feet below where I stood the river 

 took a sudden bend, and when I reached the turn tbe fish 

 was one hundred yards down anil toward the far shore, 

 headed for the sound, while I, with a few turns of line on 

 the reel, dared not pill on another ounce of strain. The 

 last straw was on the camel's back. One of two things was 

 open to me, either to part company with the fish, or take to 

 the water, and the latter course was ehosen. No doubt the 

 tish thought he had fine sport, for after some rough usage 

 which the fish thought a good joke, he tried to thoroughly 

 soak his captive, and a new idea struck him. He turned in 

 his tracks and faced up stream. Improving the opportunity, 

 T made some line and returned to the shore, hut, alas, he 

 had hardly begun his sport, for heading for South Hadley, 

 he soon had all the line, aud was enjoying tbe sport of play- 

 ing the angler through the sfroug current from one of the 

 mills. It certainly was fun, by the time he. had nie, for the 

 second time, up to the arm pits, he began to show signs of 

 relenting, and wanted to come in and parley. My turn 

 had now come ami I soon bad him under control, but not 

 through any service the rod had rendered. The graceful 

 curve was uot there. There was a perceptible short bend 

 above the hand, and from the bend out to the tip the rod 

 was straight with the line, and when tin- fish, a fifteeu-pound 

 st rioed bass, came to the. sand, my staying powers were all 

 With me, 1 v, as glad to stay iu a. reclining posture for some 

 time, with all the consoling influence soased out of pipe, 

 tobacco, and matches. With the same tackle and a uine- 

 ottnee rod, that tish w-ould have wiggled its way to my feel, 

 aud I would have remained dry shod and enjoyed all the 

 sport. 



Now" let me tell you a short story for your own edifica- 

 tion: Many years' a go. when log cabins were the fashion, 

 aud neighbors few and far between in the State of New 

 York, a "Scot and a Hollander were Ihe nearest neighbors 

 and made the time pass pleasantly by their families spend- 

 ing the Sundays together at either house. Iu early summer 

 Hans, with his family, were spending the day at Sandy's 

 house, aud while the Iwo cronies cracked oxen and ky, the 

 two matrons pi epared the mid-day meal, cracked eggs ami 

 pr. ised ihe babies. The guide wife was preparing some 

 lettuce, and Hans noticed Iter make alternate additions of 

 sugar and \ inegar. and at dinner be could not be prevailed 

 on to touch the salad. "No, no, mine goot friend, me don't 

 want him, you put sugar in him, make him swoet, you put 

 vinegar in him. make him sour." Sandy tried to convince 

 bim that it was good, that it was a mailer of taste. "No, 

 no, mine goot friend, you taste mil your tongue; sugar him 

 sweet, vinegar him soiir." After many ineffectual efforts to 

 convince bim, and in despair and anxious to be understood, 

 be said: "Hans, you see inv wile there'.'" "Yaw, Yaw." 

 "Well, I don't know whether you could have married her 

 or not, but the Lord knows I never could have married your 

 wife." "Yaw, yaw, mine friend, dat ish goot, haw haw 

 haw-w." The moral of this is that one man's meal is 

 another man's poison. I am wedded to Dr. Henshall's 

 fancy. 



Afi-w words more ou tbe position of the reel, and I have 

 done. No doubt, some of your readers will say Chalmers is 

 an old fogy. Well, lie it so. I prefer being an old fogy, 

 u itb something substantial to hold on to. than have a new- 

 fangled, unreliable something to be a. source of trouble. I 

 have said that 1 am not very lobitst. 1 cannot hold an out- 

 slrilched arm with a copper cut on the palm for any 

 length of lime. How, then, can I t.old the rod oiitwith the 

 IcU hand anil manipulate the- reel with my right hand, and 

 a one-pound tish tugging at the far end of the line? 1 have 

 tried it and have seen it tried. 



-Oh. wad som- power the giftie gio us 

 To see ourselves as others see us, 

 It wad frae monj a blunder free lie, 

 And foolish notion. ' 



I have seen the tip of the rod ofleuer under than above 

 the water, and the lod in a continual wabble. I have seen 

 ihe contortion of race, the twisted body, the rod under Un- 

 arm with the reel behind the hack, and the hand twisted 

 round clutching for the crank, which could not be found. 

 1 have almost seen the unexpressed thought : but of course 

 then- was no thought, of the position of the re ■' : it was that 

 ihe consummate tish would not keep still, 3Ir. Jo. dan de- 

 cidedly showed common sense in placing the reel above the 

 band." With the reel above the hand ou any rod, 1 aiu bet- 

 ter prepared for any or all kinds of ti.-Ji and fishing. 



It is now fifty veins since Mr. Jordan's fancy and I were 

 wed. and we are this year celebrating our golden wedding. 

 During that, fifty years tin re lias been but' one jar in the 

 happy union. When Miss Baok-of-i he-hand steppi d on the 

 Stage wiili her allurements aud apparently bewitching 

 smiles, we forgot ourselves and deserted the old love lor 

 the new flirt for a short, season. Soon tiring of the change, 

 ere it was too late repentance found us, and, like the prodi- 

 gal son, we returned to our old home and our old love, 

 where sport and pleasure iu its truest sense extended Ihe 

 hand of thrice welcome to Thomas Ciiat,viehs. 



P. s.— This is no tis you please aud is everybody's busi- 

 ness. 1 have a light rod mounted for the leel behind the 

 hand; it is kept only for show. C, 



Hni.YOKE, MafiS,, March 5. 18BS 



