38S 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[JrsE H, 1888. 



ROUGHING IT AFTER BLACK DRUM. 



ON TDK BAT SIDE, CAPE MAT, SlIOliE. 



EdMer Fbresfartd Stream: 



James K, Pplk Schdlbgot sent me a telegram Friday, 

 which rend: "Cape May, N. J., June 18, Black ilium 

 biting like thunder on the Buy side. Come now!" Knowing 

 J. K. P. Sehellinger and his companion in arts piscatorial] 

 Charley Slralloii,' of Cold Spring, to lie veteran fishermen, 

 and to he better posted than any two men pi) the i.sland, in 

 the habits and habitats of the red or black drum, J hastened 

 to pack the biggest valise I had for the 8:50 P. M. train for 

 Cape May. 



In vain did my brilliant and agreeable friend and son of 

 Bsculapius.Dr. I'l.Genot Taylcrs.warn me thai 1 had only been 

 a week out of bed with the worst attack of "the stranger's 

 fever. " as it strikes the average incautious man iu South Caro- 

 lina, that I ever had, and was still on a diet of beef tea and 

 boiled milk. 



"Well. Doctor." 1 sadly replied, "you know what the 

 fascinating Dr. Pepper, of Philadelphia, told me, 'If you 

 hadn't been made of iron you would have been dead ten 

 years ago.' "Go I will," I added. "If polities in a quarter, of 

 'a century has not caused me 'to pass in the ivory,' ten days 

 drum-fishing won't do that thing !" Krider, of Philadelphia. 

 had rigged my drum lines will) a copper wire, three inches 

 in length, soldered to the hook; hut while it gives security. 

 the copper wire is too heavy, and don't let the clam bait 

 float ficely enough, as it does with an ordinary sinker only. 

 As at present advised, I prefer the old style Cuttybunk line, 

 an ordinary "shecpshead line." 



While the black drum is game enough, as I found out 

 Saturday, the copper wire is needed only for ted drum, for 

 in fishing in September for these with my gentle friend. 

 Spieer Learning, I always lost three where I "bag" one. 

 Judge Miller (\\. .1. G. i'. Society), says the word "bag" 

 may not be. properly applied to catching lish. lint only 

 to leathered game 'Well. I only know the illimitable Cof. 

 Lansing sewed up my eighty-pound drum in a "bag" and 

 I took it home. So 1 will inform the judicial mind (of the 

 W, J. G. P. S.) if that isn't "bagging"' a fish, and a big lish. 

 then the malaria has weakened my intellect, which is barely 

 possible: for, frankly, I have my opinion of a man (even J. 

 M. S.). my best ami earliest, friend, who will spend live 

 hours and" a half in cockle shells, in the face of a strong 

 northwesterly wind in order to catch three ilr 



A Cumberland lawyer cheered up my expectant heart, on 

 my arrival at Cape" May, by telling" me how, at Pierce's 

 Point, near Gape May. he" caught a sixty-pound black drum 

 last week, ou a rod and nil, wilh a blue or wcakfisli line. 

 My friend Boyd is as modest as a woman, and the law and 

 the rod and gun are his forte, while a love of notoriety con- 

 stitutes his ptatio. 



But i! warmed my blood in all my veins to hear him tell 

 Of his triumph, which is something'] never heard of before, 

 audit was done. It argued that drum could tie caught 

 .' mti. 



I said to that imperturbable old sailor and fisherman, .las. 

 Knox Polk Seh el linger, "I want to go by daylight, I came 

 here for drum. It is not the 'ear-piercing' life'" I wishtohear 

 (the G. A. R. were parading), it is the 'drum's alarms' I seek, 

 with a hook.' " 



"Weill now, .stranger," said , I. K. P. 8., putting a quarter 

 of a pound of navy tobacco iu his mouth. "Go a trifle 

 slow. " 



"Dotron my skin, do yon suppose me an' Charley Strat- 

 ton don'l know when Ihese 'ere animal- bite?" 



I yielded gracefully to the superior intelligence of J. K. 

 Polk Sehellinger, who is as good a sailoi .mil as brave and 

 lucky a fisherman as eve? sailed the ocean blue. Be has 

 enough of the dare-devil spirit, in him to make him interest- 

 ing and decidedly companionable, lie called for me at 

 noon and we drove up to Cold Spring, three miles from Cape 

 island, behind the young fisherman's fast gray trotter. W e 

 found Stratum with* a good sized anchor over' his shoulder, 

 near the water, at the bay side, eager for the fray with the 

 big fish! 



Btratton reminded me of the apostle Paul in one thing. 

 He had that generally battered appearance (always becoming 

 to your true" fisherman who loves the business and who 

 means "game") and I thought he must have been forty 

 times shipwrecked and in penis oil by land and sea, as Paul 

 was. 



But very quickly ihe little bout was bailed out. I was 

 seated in the stern; overcoat on: for the southwest wind was 

 high and threaten ing. 



But we had come for big drum. 



With two pair of oars and stalwart arms the three miles 

 up the hay — we were compelled to row to reach the drum- 

 ming grounds— were soon past, and Btratton threw out the 

 anchor in the likeliest-looking spot close I" the bar, but out 

 in deep water. We could hear the sepulchral souud of an 

 occasional drum, under water, which was merely a prolon- 

 gation of the word "Dr-u-m." Imaginative lisheruien say 

 ft is the love call of the male for the female. 



All eagerness, my Krider line went over the stern at 



sharp 2 P. M. 2:30 P. M., not a bite, and the wind 



and the storm beat on that tiny little boat, a mile 



from shore. 1 looked at the weather-beaten bu1 mosl genial 



face of C. Straiten. lie looked more than liopelul ,.s lie 

 handled his line, dyed with peach leaves so as lo make ir 

 look more like the .sad sea waves. 



"Anything to eat?" 1 said to Stratton, very dolefully, for 

 in my eagerness for a seventy-five pounder, 1 had forgotten 

 both Rabelais' precepts for the nlcndi et biliiudi. 



"Eat," repeated the solemn Stratton, ''when we rough it 

 on the bay for drum, 'Polk y' and I feeds on tobacco. We 

 don't think of eating." My' heart sank to the depth of the 

 fishing hanks, twelve fathoms at least. 



Finally, after much keelhauling in the stern, a small 

 bottle (half pint) of "Hostetb r'8 bitters" was produced, and 

 one pound of soda crackers and one-fourth of a pound of 

 cheese. Iu silence and in fear of a rebellious stomach. [ 

 made wild havoc with the cheese, and took a sip of bitters 

 to wash down the skippers, it tasted worse to me than Dr. 

 Pepper's latest prescription lor the "malaria kakexia"— 

 quinine dashed wilh strychnia. Better "revels dashed with 

 wine,'' said I, quoting Laneiatto. 



"Hey," said James K. Polk Sehellinger, not catchinj . 

 lo the "language of poetry, "Anyhow," he said, sympa- 

 thetically,' for a sailor's heart is always ill the right place, 

 "Col. Lansing said them bitters was a good substitute lor 

 whisky, and 1 knew you was temperance." 



"In ten minutes we'll have a drum, by gosh!" This 

 encouraged me immensely. It was growing cold, lie in- 

 sisted on giving me hi. i! u ■■!■ nne, and in live minutes I 

 felt some power akin to the Norway Maelstrom sucking at 



mybait. "Hush!" said Sehellinger (he of the Presidential 

 name), "let him swallow the bait and when he starts give 

 your line a strong pull." I did it, 



The drum evidently thought Dante's Inferno was let. loose 

 on him, and came straight to the surface. (Here differing 

 much from the red drum, which hides and sulks as long as 

 't can from the from the face of man.) 



Suddenly the black drum darted away, so as to sling the 

 palms of my hands. I gave the drum his own sweet will, 

 snowing I could drown him or tire him out in less than hali' 

 an hour if my line didn't break: the very thought of which 

 made me quake iu my boots, and Sehellinger, full of red 

 blood, took a new and immense chuuk of "Old Virginuy" 

 in his mouth, rubbed his hands together and yelled. "By 

 the jumping jingo, that doggoned lawyer has been a drun'i- 

 min afore!" anil when I brought to the surface his majesty 

 with the black bands over Ins back and the red side they 

 resemble a red drum closely, J. K. P. S. whispered. "Easy, 

 easy .lames: you handle him handsomely, by jing!" 



Away he darted again: (a fair vision of the drum showed 

 him to be an eighty-pounder) I was worse scared than when 

 1 called on my first sweetheart at Hanover. I ltd., thirty- 

 seven years ago: but in twenty minutes he showed signs of 

 weariness, ami I slow!)' and carefully brought, him along- 

 side and yanked my left hand in his gills and thing on the 

 bottom of the fishing skill' the biggest drumfish I ever saw. 



There was joy in that camp. "We caught three in half an 

 hour, and as thi' wind rose thev ceased ~lo bite. Bui. like 

 Hue sportsmen, we lingered till 7:30 P. M., reluctant to 

 leave the sacred ground. That, night I tasted drum steak. 

 "Old Wine and fat venison" never'tasted sweeter. Need 1 

 confess I laid in bed all day Sunday a sick man, drinking 

 buttermilk and taking quinine and strychnia every three 

 hours. * 



But 1 do not regret it. 1 find I can walk about my room 

 to-day, and if ! live till Saturday of this week, 1). V., I will 

 taken "whack" at the Bay View drum again. No man 1 

 ever knew ever died from going a-fishiug. Horace Greeley 

 died because he could not find "time iu fifty years to catch a 

 trout or a drum. The black drum will finger here till the 

 middle of July. James M. Scovel. 



L'iPE Mat, June 4, 1R88. 



FISH PROSPECTS IN THE NORTH. 



HPHE continued heavy rains have kept the waters iu our 

 L lakes and streams up near high water mark, which 

 has prevented the devotees of the "gentle art" from making, 

 until quite recently, the large catches so earnestly sought 

 after. Within the past few days a few good fish have beeu 

 taken in Ihe river quite near the city. One, a mascalong 

 that, tipped the beam at forty-five pounds. May 24 to 2' 

 Mr Leach, President of the'M. G. t ., wilh Messrs. Maltby 

 and Craig, members of the same club, visited their grounds 

 at the mouth of the Missisquoi River, but owing to the high 

 water, their catch of black bass was light, both in numbers 

 and weight. Sis years ago several thousand California 

 salmon were planted in this river at Highgate Falls, and 

 this season quite a number of them have been taken by bait 

 fishermen, and several hundred have beeu taken on "the sly" 

 willi Ihe Frenchman's "little spear." Last week the writer 

 visiied I. he front streams in the vicinity of Rutland, Vt., 

 but with poor Success, for between the resident trout fishers, 

 whose number is legion, and the country boy's snare. ,s r , 

 fuiitiiialU has become a scarce article in that locality. 

 "Messrs. A. W. Higgins, ,T. C. Dunn, Dr. Putman, of Rut- 

 laud, with several other Vermont gentlemen, have associ- 

 ated themselves into a fraternal body, and have purchased 

 from the Canadian Government a tract of land that contains 

 several Irout lakes, located north of the St. Lawrence, near 

 Riviere ilu Loup en haul. These gentlemen were here iu 

 town today, eu route for their newly purchased property, 

 and the reception that they received from some of our resi- 

 l.ui sportsmen, proves that there are warm hearts among 

 the sportsmen here in this city of the North. The great 

 northern wilderness, which extends across the continent 



01 an to ocean, and northward to the. Pole is, so far as 



il has been explored along its southern border, crowded with 

 trout lakes, and is a veritable paradise for the fly-fisher, who 

 does not mind roughing it. During the Bummer months 

 we can safely guarantee that it contains to the square inch a 

 greater number of mosquitoes and black flies than any other 

 country in the world. The most fragrant rose has the sharp- 

 est thorn. Staxstead. 

 Montreal, Junejj. 



BLACK BASS IN THE OSWEGO RIVER. 



<~pHE Oswego (N. Y.) Palladium says: ''The Oswego 

 JL River is the favorite haunt, of thai, gamiest of all the 

 small ilv nobbling fish— the brook trout, not excepted. The 

 black bass of the Oswego River run from a half pound to 

 two and a half— the latter not plenty— the average being from 

 three-quarters to a pound in weight. These are genuine 

 back bftss, however, and they contain more fight to the 

 square inch than any lish that swims. 



"The indications are that the fishing on the river will be 

 good this year. In the past there has been a good deal of 

 mt fishing done iu the (arly spring and in violation of law. 

 There has also been large destruction of bass by Ihe eel- 

 wiers at Fulton and other places. We are informed that 

 this spring little of this piracy has beeu done, and the 

 dwellers at the various points where the tly-casteis take the 

 river say that for the oast week, at sunrise and sunset tht 

 rises have been plenty and the indications of game very en 

 couraging. 



"We have in previous years told about the places in the 

 river where the black bass Jive. At the risk of being tedious, 

 we will briefly mention some of the places where a summer 

 day may he spent amid the most radiant charms of nature, 

 aud the favorite haunts of the black bass. Generally it may 

 he s ;i i,l i hat the whole stream, from its mouth at Oswego to 

 Three River Point— twenty-three miles — is one stretch of fish- 

 in: bottoms. Of course some places are better thau others, 

 and here are a few of the better places. 



"BaCk.of.lbe mills and starch factory in this city among 

 the rills, and even down lo the upper bridge, good fishing 

 can he had in the early season and before it is 'fished out.' 

 Above the first darn, aud up to the high dam ou the west 

 side of the stream there are some excellent, bottoms, and in 

 the rills under Ihe high dam and near the waterworks pump 

 house, there are some of the finest bass in the whole river. 

 The skilled fisher who chooses his flies aright, and who 

 whips the waters about this dam, will not come away with 

 an empty basket. 



"Above high dam conies Brosemer's level' — one of the 

 best on the river, though it is short, aud conscciuently not 



so attractive as some of the levels. There lire, however 



splendid bass here, and (he writer has spent many an even- 



ng there, coming home loader! not will) BrosenWs Iieer 

 ml wilh handsome black bass. Boats can be had on this 

 level at Ihe lock-house opposite the hivwcn . If the fisher 

 goes up Ihe west, side he can hail the lock-house from ihe 

 high embankment near the brewery. 



"The Minetto Battle Island level is. however, the favorite 

 reach on the river this side of Fallon, if not on the whole 

 ir. Minetto is the point to take boat, and from there up 

 I o Baltic Island— four miles— it is one. constant succession 

 J' bass beds, that give the augler the most delightful sport, 

 Here the river is in all respects lovely, and the .scenery is 



.ply enchantment. No wonder i . i'l to u thftj 

 of Oswego River has become famous, and that lovers of 

 Bgliflg and of the beautiful la natural scenery come from 

 11 quarters to enjoy if. 



"At Minetto there are plenty of boats and oarsmen. 

 Wash.' Rowland, the king Usher Of Ihe river, lives here, 

 .nd he has now five or six of the best fishing boats ready to 

 drop into the water on Monday. Henry Rowland and his 

 son also have boats and oarsmen, and are ready to meet any 

 emergency. 



" From" Battle Island up to Fulton there arc some 'bars,' 

 but not many. When you get to fiillon. however, you 

 come to good fishing, as some of the men who work iu'the 



Hwego Falls factories, and who throw a Ilv with skill, can 



stify. There, are boats to be had at Fulton, iu which you 



n wdiip the stream up to Hktmauville, passing the ruins 

 of the old horse shoe dam, among the sunken beams and 

 ■alls of which, we have no doubt, there are tit this minute 

 hundreds of black bass that weigh from two to three pounds 

 Above Hiuutauvillo is the famous 'fiat rock.' a bai of nearly 

 half a mile in length, when: the fly-caster never fails to get 

 many a 'rise.' The season of 1683 is now imminent. We 

 believe it will he a lucky one, and that there will be a 'heap 

 of enjoyment' on the Oswego river this summer." 



V 



A TOUCHING CHRONICLE. 



KIND-HEARTED correspondent sends us the follow- 

 ing story, which has been printed in a local paper, said 

 to have been related by ex-Police Justice Scott, of Kingston, 

 The Judge is in the habit of spending a few days each sum- 

 mer at Milford, Pike county. Pa., whore he lakes many and 

 large fish, for he is a potent: man with an angle. The fol- 

 lowing is one of his experiences: 



"I don't think 1 can ever look at mink muff again with- 

 out shedding tears," said Ihe Judge. "A party of us was 

 camped twenty miles from Milford, in Ihe wilderness. Our 

 tent was pitched near a l rout stream. We went for nvut 

 and woodcock. We'd had terrible bad luck, although some 

 of the fellows with me were about, the best, sportiug ducks 

 in the country. One day 1 stayed in camp while the others 

 went out fishing and hunting I Was stretched Out on Ihe 

 grass in front of the ten I, when f saw an animal stick its 

 head up out of the creek. It looked around caution i, ■■u,i 

 thou crawled up Ihe bank. It was a mini, i ids 

 was fast to oue of its fore legs. I raised Up i 



dragged itself right toward me. Ji stopped every lew 

 seconds, laid its head flat, on the ground and looked at me 

 with the most pitiful look I ever saw. I first thought I'd 

 shoot the animal, hut I changed my mind, as 1 wauled lo 

 sec what its strange actions meant,' The mink Crept up lo 

 within two feet of me. and turning oyer on its back held up 

 the paw that had the trap on il. There was no need ol its 

 saying a word if it could, lor ihe action said as plum as 

 words, 'Please, now, take this trap off won't youV You 

 bet in less time than il. lakes to tell it I had that mink free 

 from its cruel encumbrance, lis eye spoke volumes of 

 thanks, and if limped hack to Ihe creek and disappeared. 



"Theineident slipped my mind iu a short time, The 

 hoys came in late in I In afternoon, They had about a do/.en 

 little trout and three woodcock. There wasn't enough to 

 make a smell in a frying pan. We made up our minds that 

 all the trout we'd have for breakfast would be a hunk of 

 sail pork. We turned in that night all ill low spirits deter- 

 mined to go home the next day. 



"1 got up early in the morning to get a piece of sunrise 

 in the mountaius that I'd read so much about There was 

 a big flat rock on the outside of the tent, mar the entrance. 

 When I stepped out and m, e U s It II on the rock I was 

 startled, and no mistake. The laet of the matter is, we 

 were all af taid of rattlesnakes, and had with us a festive 

 demijohn of Pike County antidote, which we had now and 

 then tasted, and when I "saw on that ruck, as plain as day. 

 a pile of the biggest trout, 1 ever set raj eyes on, I thought 

 maybe mv nerves, were a little off. 1 Went back and woke 

 up Baltus' Westbruok and asked him to come oul and ice if 

 there wasn't a bear track along the edge of ihe creek. Wlinkfl 

 I, if Baltus don'l see them trout. 1 strikes in for Miifoid and 

 a doctor. When Baltus stepped out ot the tent the first 

 thing that he saw was the rock, lie jumped about len tcet 

 and fairly yelled: 



" 'Trout, by the living jingo V' h ie did you catch 'cm, 

 Judge?' 



"1 was saved, but where the trout came from was ihe 

 mystery. I suggest ed Providence, but happened to remem- 

 ber the section of country we were in, and knew that 

 couldn't be. There wasn't one of Ihe froul that weighed 

 less than a pound. We didn't let our speculations as lo the 

 source of their supply interfere with our appetites, and there 

 was no salt pork fried that morning. The episode raised 

 our spirits, and we concluded to Blay another day. \\ e had 

 good luck gunning that day, and when we found another pile 

 of big trout on the rock the uc.xUiiOining we made up our 

 mind's that some bark peelers to whom we had given sup- 

 plies the day or two before were repaying us with these de- 

 licious surprises. But I made up "i.y mind that 1 would 

 Ibid out for certain. So that night after the rest bad goue 

 lo sleep. I crawled Up to the door of the hut and pee) ! Dill 

 It was a bright moonlight night, and 1 could sec almost as 

 well as if it was da; Lh aiidmghl 1 saw something 

 black emerge from the CTl i !•:. It ( ame stealthily toward Ihe 

 tent. It, was a small animal, and as d came near the tent I 

 saw thai it was a mink, and that it limped. In its mouth 

 was a large trout, which it deposited on the rock and then 

 limped hack to the creek. Everything was as plain as 

 double six tome now. The mink that i had rescued from 

 the trap was showing gratitude by catching the largest trout 

 it could find in the creek, and placing them al my disposal. 



'T told the boys next morning. Bnllus Wcstbrook thought 

 it, was very kind of the mink. "" Sheriff Ridgway said it was 

 no more than (he mink might to do. and dial it it had done 

 anything less he would haVea very poor Opinion of it. 



"That day we concluded to In, akeampand go home. One 

 of the party had I aken a voting dog out, wilh him to give 



