172 



FOREST AND STREAM, 



[Mauch 29, i8£3.' 



enough each to give away to onr friends and the poor of the 

 Village, Dor. Havens was a famous hooker, as well as. 

 troul Bsher. He was along that big day. 1 don't believe he 

 has forgotten it. It took a c(uick man "to snatch a pickerel, 

 for they went by like a flash, but the Doctor could do it. 

 When there was u chance for pickerel to the Streams Or 

 ruservoirs, thej usod to mtttu mc drivetwhich I didn't like), 

 until I got older and could handle the hook like a veteran. 



"Well, those were great days. 



"If our foresight was only as good aw onr hindsight?" 

 "' '■ .-■. thai is 80, But it does au old fellow gosfl to go 

 back n> them. Yes, Lara getting garrulous again- Good- 

 night. ,I\COI!STAFR 



TROUT OPENING IN FULTON MARKET. 



THE annual display of trout on the opening of the season 

 will take place in Fulton Market. New "York, on Mou- 

 ; . 9nd Tuesday, iprilS and 8. Mr. Blackford sent out 

 (lie following circular to trout, breeders and others some 

 weeks ago: 



Deat? Put: In iddition to my usual trout display, 1 de- 

 to give an exhibition of as many specimens of the vari- 

 ous kinds o( h'sh as have been hutched out or raised bv Ball- 

 culturists of this country. 



I should esteem it a great favor if you would send me a 

 few specimens from the hatchery under your charge, ac- 

 companied by a label giving name, age. anil all particulars 

 necessary for the instruction of the public. All specimens 

 should lie shipped so as to arrive here early on April 1 or '2. 



The object of this exhibition is to create a greater public 

 > In fishculturo Trusting T am hot troubling you too 



much 1 remain. E. G. Blackford. 



We are informed that in answer to this he will have both 



the rare and beautiful "Ddly Vardeu" troul and the ram 

 bow trout from I he United Slates salmon ranch at Baird, 

 Shasta county. Cal,, the handsome "Clark's trout," s. .>,<:,, 



,:. from Nevada, as well as specimens from our Kastern 

 $mU* from all parts of the East, The New York pish 

 Commission will send specimens of different fishes from its 

 hatcheries al < aledonia and Cold Spring Harbor. Mr. ja.s. 

 Annie and other private breeders will seutl their contribu- 

 tions, and the South Side Sportsman's Club of Lone Island 

 ...id the Suffolk Club will he well represented. The whole 



of the new market will be thrown open on that day; the 

 dealers in meals, fish and gume will endeavor to make' a dis- 

 play for tlii public which will be attracted by tin > "troul 

 opening" of l\Lr. Blackford. Tins gentleman has, by his en- 

 terprise and free expenditures, earned the thanks of the pub- 

 lic for the establishment of trout day and its opportunities 

 to compare (he fish from different localities, and so to edu- 

 cate anglers to the observance of the different species and 

 varieties. We will give our readers at a distance a good re- 

 port of the exhibition, which will be one that many will 

 regrel their inability to see. 



The invitation to'the opening this year is in the style of 

 Mr. Blackford's former ones, and while it may be more artis- 

 tic, we hardly think it as beautiful as former ones. The cover 

 contains a fair mermaid, without her traditional comb and 

 holding a slip which winds about and is inscribed 

 'Opening Of the Trout Season of 1883." Below is the verse; 



'•AndwhottyetlmerwiBtMal t salt 

 To take aud he Uerours my bait, 



ff; pleasure 'ttsto then i 



My EriBDda to share fa my dflttght." 



On the inside is a rainbow and a Dolly Varden trout, side 

 by side, while above aud looking down through the water 

 the brook trout is gazing at the strangers, A" little nonde- 

 script in the middle seems contented to stay in the back- 

 ground. On the opposite page is the invitation and a water 

 scene with rods and creel in the foreground. 



THE WALL-EYED PIKE. 



[HlhiKittltion. Raf. ; Lvciopcrm. G'uv.) 

 rpHE following communications on this neglected lish will 

 _L prove of interest; 



1 was much interested in the report in your columns of 

 the loth regarding Wall-eyed pike. As you express a wish 

 for further notes on this subject, f will give you some facts 

 that are largely wilhin my own knowledge. 



1 have seen large numbers of wall-eyed pike caught at the 

 3t, Olair flats and on the St. Clair River, above the flats. 

 The wall-eyed pike is a game fish, nearly, if not equally as 

 name as the black bass, it is a bold biter, especially during 

 the months of April antl May, Ihey are then leaving the 

 lakes, going into the rivers before their spawning season, 

 Duiing these months it will give the angler ample oppor- 

 tunity to exercise his skill. 1 have never seen them taken 

 with the artificial fly, but 1 have seen numbers of wall eyed 

 pike taken with minnows, which is the usual bait at the St, 

 Olair flats. 



In April and May Ihey arc trolled for with aspoon in the 

 St. Clair Kiver, and I have seen as many as eight large pike, 

 weighing from two to ten pounds each, taken in less than 

 two hours. At such times if is a bold biter, aud fights well 

 for life and freedom. In the latter part of .Tune and July 

 tbey are spawning; then it seems they cannot be induced to 

 take any kind of bait, and it is as well, for atsuch timesthey 

 are not 'fit for food, and ought not to be caught. I have Been 

 the wall eyed pike taken with an apparatus called a "bob- 

 bing line," a piece of coarse line from eighty to one hundred 

 long, with four large hooks fastened together in the 

 shape of a grapnel, with a piece of lead weighing about six 

 ounces attached to the end below the hooks. They take 

 this fishing tackle with a small skitf and row out in the 

 stream anil east the line; the lead sinks to the bottom, and 

 as the boats drift slowly down with the stream, the books 

 are dragged or jerked along the botlom, as the angler keeps 

 his hi in continually in motion, which jerks the hooks along 

 a: iota in this way. The fish is hooked in ;my and ail 

 parts of the body when it is struck, the line is hauled in 

 handover hand and ihc fish is taken apparently without a 

 toggle. 



Tie: wall-eyed pike can only be taken in this way during 

 Hie months of June aud July, when they are spawning, then 

 thOy seem to have no life in them, and nothing to do but 

 fluid around the bottom of the river. Of course such fishing 

 is uol sport, and an angler who fishes for sport, would blush 

 with shame to steal a lish front the stream in this manner. 

 it any other season except June aud July the angler who 

 attempts to take the wall eyed pike either with the rod or 

 thi trolling line and spoon, will find plenty of sport and 



ample opportunity to test their skill. The wall-eyed pike is 



strictly a game fish, and as a food fish he is second to none, 



Wisconsin, March IB. MABTUS B. O'BuiEN. 



My experience with the wall-eyed pike may throw some 

 light on their game, qualities. I have taken them in Block 

 Kiver with ordinary tackle, live minnows for bait, and 

 found them hard fighters and free biters. I have also taken 

 them in the Upper Ouachita, This river is clear, swift, and 

 has a rocky bottom. My mode of fishing there was to use a 

 light lloat, live minnow, a yard long leader, ami seventy-five 

 yards of line. 1 would then find a' rapid and let the halt 

 dropdown with the current. The rivet abounds in bass 

 and I caught them nftener than the pike, but 1 never could 

 see any difference in game qualities between the two. I 

 never tried them with a fly. 1 never fished lor any of our 

 fish with a fly, nor did fever take one on a troll. ' My ex- 

 perience is that they differ very much from a chunk of wood, 

 as your first correspondent thinks. Let him try them in 

 cold, swift water and he will change his opinion' at once. 



If living in sluggish water II: , migi i l,. ; e their game quali- 

 ties. Bass caught in the lagoons near here are nol so game 

 as the same fish caught in mountain streams Pia tn «. 



Liner, Ruck. Vik,. March 19. 



Presuming that your "yvall-evcd pike," or "pike perch," 

 is what we in Canada call pickerel, or in the Province of 

 Quebec" 'dote, f beg to add my humble quota of informa- 

 tion regarding their habits, etc, One moonlight night some 

 years ago, I caught one on a red bass tly when proceeding 

 to shore after fishing near the SI. Lambert's end of the 

 Victoria Bridge, Montreal. Since then I have heard of 

 several cases where they have been taken on flies in the St. 

 Lawrence, Ottawa and Kideau rivers, the blue jay being & 

 favorite. To succeed I am told that, it is necessary to allow 

 the flies to sink au inch or two below the surface of the 

 water. We count them here as next, in point of sport, to 

 the black bass. They grow, in the rivers above mentioned, 

 to from nine to fifteen pounds, and Ihe larger ones field 

 vigorously when not "yanked in" hand over hand with a 

 trolling line. A favorite bait is the phantom minnow, but 

 when feeding they are somewhat like their cousins, the pike, 

 not very particular, Catinc.u. 



elTTAWA. Province 01 Ontario. 



1 see in your issue of the loth just, that you invite con- 

 tributions on the subject of the pike-perch. This fish is 

 known in this locality as the salmon, and is comparatively 

 rare. As a food fish, it is fully equal to the bass, but does 

 not afford as much sport to the angler as either the small or 

 large-mouthed variety of the latter. In taking the bait he 

 strikes very tamely, and when hooked keeps close to the 

 bottom, never, in my experience, leaping out as the bass 

 does. This fish is much scarcer now than formerly. I have 

 been told by competent authorities that ten or twelve years 

 ago they were as numerous as the bass; but at present, if the 

 number ot each caught iu a season be any indication, our 

 streams do u< it eontaiu one pike-perch to a hundred bass. \ 

 am tit a loss to account for this diminution in numbers, 

 as they are only caught by anglers who are fishing for bass, 

 never, so far as I know, being caught in nets or " seines, or 

 taken on trot lines. They bite best in early spring and 

 late fall, and rery early in the morning and late in the after- 

 noon. The largest specimen of this fish 1 have seen weighed 

 eleven pounds, and was caught in a trap on the "Mussel 

 Shoals." A friend of mine caught one in Cypress Creek, 

 near Florence, Ala., that weighed nine pounds and some 

 ounces. This fish was killed with very light tackle. The 

 largest fish of this kind T have ever heard of yvas caught in 

 a stream near this place, and is said to have weighed over 

 seventeen pounds. yy m ,. 



Savannah, Teim., March 31, 



A GROWL FROM GRIZZLY GULCH. 



A FEW miles north of this place lour present camp) and 

 about Ota- hundred and twenty miles northwest of 

 Denver, at an elevation of 8,508 feet in the Rocky Moun- 

 tains issilnated a body of water called the Lost Lake. Any 

 person iu this vicinity can testify that there is not another 

 body of water of the same size in Colorado that is inhabited 

 by trout of all sizes in such numbers asis said lake, Nor Is 

 this lake unknown to the money making guide. In the fall 

 of 1882 (nntlt i the leadership of one of These guides) came a 

 party of five Eastern tourists tothe Lost Lake Qami p aS 

 plenty, mountain air was abundant, and trout was to lie had 

 by the hundreds within two hundred yards of their tent. 

 Here for some four weeks this party of tourists remained 

 living like kings and enjoyimr themselves only as the lover 

 of rod and gun can enjov themselves in the hear! of the 

 Rocky Mountains. They had all the game they could eat. 

 and ten times more trout than they could make any use of. 



The time came when they deemed it necessary to again 

 turn their steps toward the' rising sun. This parly of tour- 

 ists came here for recreation and sport with the rod aud 

 gun, and you may learn from what 1 have already written, 

 that their desires were fulfilled to the utmost. Now would 

 not any ordinary Eastern man be satisfied with such, 

 results'.'' 1 sincerely hope so. But these hoggish 

 five Were not satisfied. On the night before the 

 morning on which they started on their homeward jour- 

 ney they obtained a quantity of giant powder, then taking 

 a quantity of brown soap 'they made waterproof casings, 

 inserted the powder therein, ignited the fuse and tossed 

 them into the" lake. These bombshells exploded with ter- 

 rific force, killing the trout by the hundreds, and on the 

 next morning the surface of the' lake and its shores were one 

 mass of dead ttOllt of all sizes. But the tenderfeet were 

 gone, and they might well thank their lucky hides thai the 

 party of miners and ranchmen did not know their where- 

 abouts, for nine out of ten chances there would have been 

 news of another necktie party had the infuriated inhabitants 

 overtaken them. The writer would like to know if these 

 live are what you earl trout hogs. I should say that this 

 includes the old sow and pigs and the pen thrown in. If it 

 were possible for me to find out the names of this party f 

 would cheerfully give them to you iu full; but as it is I 

 cannot Had any clew to their names, nor do 1 know where 

 they were from. All 1 do know is that they came here 

 from Ihe East. 



In December last an old hunter and myself started on a 

 two-weeks' hunt. We turned our steps toward a favorite 

 deer locality in the Cheyenne range of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. On "our arrival th'ete we found deer signs fresh ami 

 plenty, Now it happened that a party from New York city 

 who claimed to be sportsmen (under the leadership of aguide), 

 arrived at said grounds on the same day. and pitched their 



tent within a mile of our cabin The first thing that greeted 

 our ears on the following morning before daybreak was the 

 crack of a rifle, then another and another and another, and 

 this was kept up all that day and for the six days following. 

 They were armed with repeating ritle.-. end it seemed to be 

 their object to see who could shoot away the most ammu- 

 nition. 



It is hardly necessary for me to say that that party of New 

 Yorkers did not see a deer the whole week they were there. 

 Nor did we, for I do not believe there was a doer within ten 

 miles of either camp as loner as that party remained. But 

 greatly to our relief they took their departure on the eighth 

 day, cursing the luck and the Rocky Mountains. My friend 

 and I remained a few days later and got live deer. 



Now the writer would like to know if this is the kind of 

 Stuff Of Which the uiajority of Eastern sportsmen, tourists, 

 etc., are made. If so, for our sake aud their own good they 

 had better stay at home, and be contented with reading the 

 Forest and Bureau and with what sport their native State 

 affords them, for such vagabonds as ihe above will never 

 make friends in the Rockies, nor will they ever be satisfied 

 with their hunting here. But let the sportsman who is a 

 sportsman come out here and he will be welcomed by all, 

 and will find friends at every camp-fire; and he can make 

 up his mind that he will have a. general good time. 



SlLVEKTJP. 

 GnlZZUS Gulcu. Colorado. 



EARLY FLY-FISHING. 



ELIAN, A. D., 221, a native of Macedonia, says: "I 

 have received information cf the following method of 

 catching fish in Macedonia. In the river Astrreos, which 

 runs between Bera-na and Thessalonica, there are fish which 

 are ornamented with spots of different colors, but the names 

 they bear tire best learnt from the people of Macedonia. 

 Their food is the flies which frequent that river; and these 

 flies differ from any that are found elsewhere; for they are 

 not only unlike bees and wasps, but they unite in themselves 

 the likeness of all these insects. The people of that country 

 call them hippuri— horseflies; and as they tly near the surface 

 Of the water they are easily discerned by the fish, which 

 therefore glides gently to the place where their shadows fall, 

 and, just as a wolf snatches a sheep from the flock, with a 

 gulp it seizes the fly and instantly plunges with it into the 

 depths of the stream. This has been noted and copied by 

 the fishermen, but with some variation, for they do not em- 

 ploy the natural fly which will scarcely bear the handling, 

 but they imitate il by art. A small quantity of purple wool 

 is wrapped around the hook and a couple ofwinga are added 

 from yellow neck feathers of a cock. The rod and line are, 

 each four cubits long, and this contrivance when skilfully 

 cast on the stream is found eminently successful."— From 

 "Mutoty qf 'the fflihei yfthe British hlaruH," by. JbmtJmn 

 Uoiiiii, Vol. TV., mtgi «Jg8. 



NORTHERN MICHIGAN ONCE MORE, 



Editor ^restaM Stream: 



When a boy I remember of reading that two knights 

 armed "cap-a-pie" met one timeal the junction of two roads, 

 in tin- angle of which stood a large shield. After saluting 

 one another, one knight remarked "on the blackness of the 

 shield." "Not so." quoth the other, "'tis white;" which 

 the first knight contradicted; and so one word led to another, 

 until they agreed io fight it out. Couching their lances, 

 each charger was .spurred forward with his greatest speed. 

 and when the shock came knights and horses rolled in the 

 dust. As the two warriors lay groaning on the ground a 

 third traveler came up and they appealed to him to settle 

 the dispute. He, wiser than they, looked at the shield on 

 all sides before giving his decision. Then chiding them for 

 their hastiness, he informed them ihev were both right, as 

 the Shield was black on one side and white on the other. 



It may he that your correspondent. "W. D. T.," and my- 

 self are looking at opposite sides of "the shield." However, 

 before 1 am challenged to enter the lists again by amy 

 domrhlv champion, I want to finish this point and then re- 

 tire. ''Prairie Dog" does not expect to find trout on a mud 

 flat, nor "under waving rushes," but he not only expects to, 

 but has found them in streams where, though the counl ry is 

 much more rugged than Northern Michigan, it is more 

 easily traversed, and where a person will uot lose as much 

 blood. Mayhap if "W. U. T."had found such streams he 

 might "want "some "Of it." It maybe pleasure for those 

 that enjoy it io fish in the rain, camp in the rain, and live 

 in a beatifical state of dampness, f can and have stood con 

 siderable wet myself, but must confess 1 have a hankering 

 after the dry spots, other things being equal. 



It may be my "feet are "tender," though I imagine if 

 "W. D. T." had followed me in some of my wanderings his 

 would have been calloused. If "W. D. T.'" had been ,-are- 

 fnl in read just what I said in regard to Ihe fish of Northern 

 Michigan he would uot have attacked the article in quite 

 the style he did. Your correspondent, "(i. H. W." iu issue 

 of March SJ. at least shows a willingness to admit that all 

 might not think alike. 



"W. D. T.'s" axiom must be of the kind of old sawA 

 Mark Twain calls frauds, for I will vouch for trout not 

 always biting when "skeeters" do. 



Discussion Is a fine thing, and it is also a fine thing that 

 we all do not think alike or all want to always visit the 

 same section of the country. Aud also that each person 

 sees certain sections of Ihe country in a different light from 

 his neighbor. I do uot for one moment contradict" "W. I). 

 T.,"bui 1 would like to ask him to reply to a question, 

 Eiist. if he has visited a country where trout were numer- 

 ous, flies and other dying pests nil, climate uearly perfec- 

 tion (of course not perfect;! don't claim that for any), 

 scenery grand and everything harmonious; second, he 

 then visits a place he has heard much in favor of, finds it 

 greatly overestimated, finds a great many tilings conspiring 

 to make it unpleasant, does not find the fish he. expected to 

 and knows he could have done better elsewhere; third, 

 how WOUld he decide, which place he would favor, and if 

 asked for his sentiments or felt disposed to make them 

 known without being requested, wind would they be? 



There can be but one answer, and 1 think "W. D. T. " 

 will agree with me on that point. I do not say that I did 

 not e.ypeet criticism, or that I would escape from the wrath 

 of those who (and ihey are many) seem to thiuk that there 

 is but one place for fishing, etc., but I feel that each one is 

 entitled to an opinion in these matters, and I expressed 



Having tried to make plain a few points which it seems 

 ■ me before, I will bid farewell to discussion in the 

 future on Northern Michigan. Piiaikik Dog. 



