FOREST AND STREAM. 



13 



Striped Bass. — From the eastward along the Elizabeth 

 Islands, off Rhode Island and Massachusetts, come marvel- 

 lous stories of big fish. Mr. Willy Post took a monster 

 weighing seventy pounds at Newport — -so the rumor says— 

 and yet striped bass have been taken (in seines) that 

 weighed 150 pounds ! But, egad ! seventy pounds is a large 

 fish to land on a trolling rod and fine tackle. Genio must 

 look to his laurels. This rather overlays his "fifty-six 

 pounds." 



The striped bass have just begun to work their way down 

 to this latitude, and will soon furnish grand sport. The 

 veteran Andrew Clerk and his squire, Mr. Abbey, went 

 down last week to the Jersey flats, their favorite fishing 

 ground, but saw no sign. Bass, however, have been taken 

 in limited numbers off the mouth of Coney Island Creek. 

 About the 1st of September we shall hear from the main 

 army, of which these are merely the advance squad. 



On Friday last, below Communipaw, in Caven Channel^ 

 a striped bass weighing sixty-three pounds was caught. 

 The fish are running remarkably heavy this year. 



Salmon. — While we in many portions of the Middle 

 States have suffered so much from drought as to cause the 

 springs to run dry and the rivers to fail in their supply, the 

 streams and water courses in Canada have been more than 

 abundantly full ; and as a high state of water (not too high) 

 improves rather than deteriorates Salmon fishing, the sea- 

 son now closing has been unexceptionally good. The fish 

 have been larger in size and greater in number. Indeed, 

 they are said to have been more numerous in the St. Law- 

 rence tributaries than at any time during forty years past. 

 This gratifying improvement is undoubtedly due to the 

 persevering efforts of the Government in restocking and 

 protecting the rivers. In overhauling our data we note that 

 General Arthur, of the New York Customs Department, 

 and a friend, took upwards of 270 salmon on the Nepissi- 

 guit in the course of a month's fishing, the fish in nearly 

 every instance being very large and fat. Two rods took 

 130 salmon in twelve days on the southwest branch of the 

 Mirimichi. Ten different parties have visited this river the 

 present season, and all had great success. One man killed 

 thirteen in a single day. In this stream, as in the Nepissi- 

 guit, the fish were unusually large. In the Gaspe district 

 Messrs. Clerk, Abbey and Stanton, of this city, had fair 

 luck, considering that Mr. Abbey fished only a couple of 

 days. They took fifty-four salmon on Grapid River within 

 a fortnight, averaging thirteen and a half pounds apiece. 

 The largest weighed thirty-two and a half pounds, caught 

 by Andrew Clerk. Fred. Curtis, of Boston, has been fish- 

 ing the St. John, {du Sud.) He took fifty salmon within a 

 fortnight. Harbeck (Henry) has been trying his luck in the 

 Romaine (Lord's River), on the coast of Labrador, and cap- 

 tured eighteen fish the first three days out. On the third 

 day he took six fish before breakfast ; but he kept a part of 

 them for dinner. Dr. Patterson's score, on the Grand Cas- 

 papediac, Gaspe, shows forty-nine fish in eight days' fishing, 

 .twenty-one and a half pounds average ; heaviest fish, thirty- 

 five pounds. On the Moisie Dr. Hamilton, with Mr. Turner 

 and friend, fished six days and hung up from ten to fifteen 

 fish each day ; unusually heavy. And so the fish have run 

 throughout the Canadian waters. In Nova Scotia, how- 

 ever, some of the rivers have not yielded their usual re- 

 turns. Gentlemen who visited Gold, Middle and East 

 rivers complained that they took no Salmon, and only a few 

 grilse. We have no private intelligence of the early fishing 

 in those rivers, but the fact that the parties referred to took 

 grilse shows plainly enough that the full grown Salmon had 

 done running when the fishermen arrived on the ground. 

 The editor of this paper has endeavored in vain to impress 

 upon anglers the importance of going early to the rivers of 

 Nova Scotia. Even February, with its running ice, is a 

 more favorable month than June. 



We have some strange intelligence from the lower St. 

 Lawrence. A gentleman of high official position, who has 

 been fishing the Ste. Marguerite, a tributary of the Sague- 

 nay, by courtesy of its lessee, Robert Hare Powell, of Phil- 

 adelphia, gives a left handed compliment to the Hon. Dave 

 Price, the owner of the fishing rights, who, it seems, is 

 taking pay from- anglers for fishing privileges, while reap- 

 ing at the same time a pecuniary harvest from his^set nets 

 below. We quote bodily from the letter : 



"We were the first rods on the river, and expected good sport, but partly 

 owing to the high state of the water, and partly to the wholesale system 

 of netting carried on at Tadousac, we only killed one fish. I did not even 

 get a rise. Mr. Price's people were taking one hundred and eighty in one 

 haul at Tadousac. There were several American gentlemen fishing with 

 Mr. Powell on the Northwest Branch, and they were nearly as unfortunate 

 as ourselves. They complained much of Mr. Price and his nets. It cer- 

 tainly does seem preposterous that a man who leases the river to other 

 gentlemen, and calls himself a sportsman, should net so unremittingly, 

 thereby totally preventing the fish from ascending the river." 



Messrs. Green and Streit, of this city, who fished the 

 other branch of the Marguerite in the latter part of July, 

 took nineteen salmon in the course of two weeks, the set 

 nets having been raised no doubt at intervals, or removed 

 altogether for the season. 



Of Salmon, in many parts of the world, it is said that 

 they will not rise to the fly. As regards Newfoundland, this 

 question may now be set at rest forever — for Newfoundland, 

 like the Pacific coast, has been misunderstood and misrepre- 

 sented, chiefly by reason of neglect to investigate the subject. 

 A letter on our table, from an officer of H. M. S. cruiser 

 "Spartan," reports having passed twelve days at Tassenger 

 and Flat Bays, island of Newfoundland, in the course of 

 which time many Salmon were taken by himself and ship- 

 mates loith the fly. More would have been taken but for the 

 previously high stage of water, which amounted to a 

 freshet — water doubtless corrupted by the inflow from the 

 melting snows which could then (June) be seen sheeting the 

 tops of the high table-lands. The thermometer rarely rose 



above fifty degrees. Many large rivers How into the bays 

 mentioned. 



We have been disappointed by the non-receipt of a letter 

 from the river Margaree, Cape Breton, one of the finest sal- 

 mon rivers in the world, though but little known to anglers. 



Trout. — This delicious ish, in the sacrifice of its beauti- 

 ful life, uas afforded pleasure to thousands of anglers the 

 past season. How many tens of thousands of trout must 

 have been brought to hand throughout the country. As far 

 as the record shows, they are now increasing in numbers, 

 thanks to the numerous means and measures adopted by 

 States, pisciculturists and Drivate persons lo propagate the 

 species. The Adirondacks still seem to hold precedence as 

 a favorite "esort for would-be sportsmen ; and no wonder — 

 for what other part of the globe can be found where all the 

 appliances and luxuries of civilized life exist in the midst of 

 primitive forests and primeval savagery ? The wild cat 

 wails under the gaslights of Paul Smith's caravansary ; the 

 red deer drinks from the reservoir that supplies the mains 

 that furnish the guests with water ; and in the tangled 

 thickets of the wilderness swamp novices night be irrecov- 

 erably lost and uselessly advertised for, while jaunty petti- 

 coats are flaunted unconsciously along the beaten route not 

 twenty rods distant. A rare combination this for the tyro, 

 which permits him to feel the terrors of the jungle without 

 being compelled to brave them — to enjoy the consciousness 

 that he, with his guide, is a part of these weird, nerve-curd- 

 ling experiences which will make his little brother quake 

 and tremble at their mention when he emerges again into 

 the settlements. Even Mr. Murray could not ignore the 

 sublime sensation that was born of the thought that no 

 human habitation stood within ninety miles of him, (as he 

 states in his book.) 



The reports from the Adirondacks are uniformly favor- 

 able. The stage of water has been good and the fish of 

 usual average size. More visitors than usual have made 

 their headquarters at Schroon Lake. Our correspondents 

 from Pennsylvania note a marked increase in the number 

 of trout caught this Summer. For two years past the close 

 season has commenced on August 1st, under the State law, 

 aud although the streams have been fished more than ever, 

 the trout seem to multiply ; and doubtless the fishing will 

 be still better next year. Two or three gentlemen who have 

 visited the Cheat River country, in West Virginia, and the 

 mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, speak in 

 glowing terms of the fishing there. The trout are not 

 large, but very abundant. Next season we shall encourage 

 our sportsmen to reconnoitre in this direction, for the scen- 

 ery is of the finest in America, and the sport assures full 

 baskets. , In Wisconsin the Wolverines have their favorite 

 resorts. Their streams are very clear and cold, as we have 

 learned by experience, when, after wading them for a couple 

 of hours we found our limbs so numb that they were use- 

 less to help us clamber up the banks. The following note, 

 horn Colonel Frank Hatch, a noted sportsman o* the Bad- 

 ger State, mentions some of the best trouting localities : 



La Crosse, Wis. June, 1873. 



Bayfield and Ashland, on the east shore of Lake Superior, can he 

 reached by steamers from Duluth, in an eighty mile ride— or by boat from 

 any point, on the chain of great lakes from the East. Of these two points 

 Bayfield excels for easy access to various steamers along the Lake Shore, 

 and beauty of scenery, and good fellowship. Here are good hotel accom- 

 modations, guides, boats &c, and splendid rock-fishing in going to and 

 from the various streams that pour into the lake every ten miles. These 

 streams admit of fine boat-fishing near their mouths, and splendid stream- 

 fishing farther up. Very large trout are taken in these waters, many 

 weighing three and a half and four pounds. Ashland has the same facili- 

 ties, except it requires greater expense and trouble to reach the sporting 

 grounds. Bayfield is considered the finest location on the lake, and here 

 you can find a class of people that spread hospitality on a broad gauge 

 plan. Eefer to Sam Fiflield "Bayfield Press," Col. Win. H Knight, 

 famous Jim Chapman and Gen. T. J. L. Tyler. I can only add that whoever 

 likes to throw a fly, or use a landing net, will find all the sport they want at 

 this point. Fishing in the interior of our State is fast playing out, on ac- 

 count of milling, logging and railway constructions. The best points to 

 visit at present are Menomonee, Dunn Co., and Hudson. Both these 

 points are reached by rail from Chicago over the North Western Bail 

 road and West Wisconsin Road, in a twenty-four hour's ride. At Men- 

 omonee we find the famous "Tea Gardens" situated on Wilson's Creek, 

 ten miles from M. This place is fast acquiring reputation for the number, 

 more than the size of its trout. The Tea Gardens have an established 

 hotel that is devoted to sportsmen who visit there. Aside from this, 

 many other streams, all tributary to the Chippewa and Menomonee 

 Rivers, are to be found in this locality— and chicken hunting in season 

 cannot be surpassed. John H. Knapp of Menomonee will gladly give in- 

 formation concerning future developments. At Hudson the "Baldwin 

 House," Amasa Walker proprietor, will attend to sportsmen, and in no 

 place can a few months be put in better. Hudson is situated on the Lake 

 St. Croix River, and all the streams are well stocked with trout. 



Yours Respectfully, Frahk Hatch. 



Black Bass. — There are no finer black bass waters in 

 the world than in the lakes of Wisconsin and Minnesota. A 

 spoon, a gang, a scarlet fly, a bit of red rag, or a piece of 

 pork, are all acceptable to this bold biter ; and he is so 

 gamey that when we have succeeded in landing a large one 

 from our eight ounce bamboo, after twenty minutes play, 

 we hardly know where to place our preference — whether 

 on this cavalier in green and gold, or upon the dainty trout 

 in his "speckled pride." 



Bass fishing has been unusually good this season. Mr. 

 A. G. Atkins, Secretary of the Caw Caw Club, has been 

 doing a good business ^he past two weeks, having taken 

 several hundred in Lake Winnebago with the fly. Pie 

 brought fifty-seven to basket in a single day, which is heavy 

 work for this species of game fish with light tackle. Let 

 us see. Ten minutes to the fish — six in fifty-seven goes 

 nine times and three over, which we will throw off for time. 

 Nine hours steady fishing ! Wonder if he stopped for 

 lunch ? We can't beat thai, here in the Middle States, but 

 we notice that our bass fishing it improving, and that many 

 lakes recently barren now give good returns, in consequence 

 of their having been restocked. At Lyme, Connecticut, the 

 bass fishing has been splendid. Anglers at Pharoah, Paradox 

 and Schroon Lakes, Adirondack region, have had fine sport. 



Some of the lakes of northwestern Pennsylvania have done 

 well for the first time in many years. 



Serpentine Lake, in Minnesota, and all the lakes around 

 Brainard, within a radius of thirty miles, are alive with 

 bass, waiting for gentlemen, of leisure to come out and take 

 them. Residents are loo busy to give much time to sport. 

 If the sportsman will take this month or the next he can 

 combine bass fishing with "chicken" shooting. 



The "Caledonian minnow" with large grabs, has proved 

 a killing bait, aud will become a favorite. The "Page fly," 

 a nonentity with scarlet wings and shoulders of the guinea 

 fowl plumage, almost always kills. Well — a bass will take 

 anything when he is in biting humor. 



We have been shown a trolling spoon which will take 

 Jls7i., and not catch weeds and lily-pads. The hooks gather 

 in, and have to be compressed laterally to make them spring 

 open. Pulling upon them lengthwise will not spring them. 

 It is the snap of the "beggar's" jaws that does it, you 

 know. Black bass are in season until ice comes. 



Land-locked Salmon. — "Old sports" generally choose 

 May for the capture of this fish, but the present month and 

 the next are equally legitimate, and the weather and concom- 

 itants more pleasant. The "Schoodics" or St. Croix waters, 

 that divide Maine from New Brunswick, are the preferred 

 localities, but we like the Sebec Lakes equally well. Take 

 the Piscataquis Railroad to the town of Sebec. Good hotel 

 there, and a little tugboat on the lake. Medium sized flics, 

 as large as those used for grilse — a combination of black 

 and yellow, are the most killing. The house of Andrew 

 Clerk, Maiden Lane, New York, has four new patterns, un- 

 known except to a few experts. It is difficult to choose be- 

 tween the land-locked salmon-fishing of Maine and the 

 bass-fishing of Wisconsin and Minnesota. 



Grayling.— This is a game fish peculiar to Michigan, so 

 far as is yet known, which has been recently added to the 

 sportsman's repertoire. He takes the fly boldly. His haunts 

 are most accesssible from Bay City. We shall speak of him 

 more explicitly in future numbers. 



Angling ^or Shad. — W. C. Prime and Dr. Thad. Nor- 

 ris seem to have constituted themselves delegates to de- 

 cide the cmestion whether the shad is a true game fish and 

 free acceptor of entomological invitations when offered. 

 We take decided ground with Mr. Prime, who maintains 

 that they are, and with the more natural reason that fly 

 fishing for shad was a favorite' amusement of ours a dozen 

 years ago in the Savannah river, at the head of the canal 

 above Augusta. Fine sport could always be found on the 

 rapids in the spring. We used a brownish fly always, and 

 fished in the early part of the day or at evening — not be- 

 cause we knew that the shad would not take a fly in mid- 

 day (for we didn't), but because the sun was too powerful 

 for comfort. 



wb. 



Desertions among the enlisted men of the army for years 

 have been very numerous; in fact they have increased so 

 rapidly that it is time the government instituted a board of 

 competent officers to investigate the why and wherefore of 

 this reduction of the army. As it is, a large part of tl e 

 time of general courts-martial is occupied in the trial of en- 

 listed men, the majority of whom are charged with deser- 

 tion. We hope the case of 1st Lieut. George J. Madden, 

 of the Eighteenth Infantry, who was " dropped" from the 

 rolls of the army for desertion is not proof that the infection 

 is extending to the ranks of the officers. A natural inference 

 is that this officer has committed some offence so gross in 

 character that he preferreel desertion to trial by court, and 

 the inevitable dismissal from the service. 



Major General Winfield S. Hancock, commanding 

 the military division of the Atlantic, headquarters New 

 York city, has changed somewhat his personal appearance 

 since the time he was wont to be termed the " handsomest 

 officer of the army." The invigorating air of Minnesota, 

 his previous department district, has added much flesh to 

 bones, and he now presents in body the rotundity of a first- 

 class " city father. " All of which comes, we presume, of 

 Regular habits. 



The dashing General Custer, Lt. Colonel of the Seventh 

 Cavalry, has been "doekdd" the large sum of twenty-three 

 dollars and fn.y-seven cents by the War Department, for 

 using the wires too much when the pen would have been 

 more economical to the Government. The freedom of 

 " Life on the plains" will sometimes make officers as well 

 as other people reckless in expenditure. Still as the pub- 

 lishers of the Galaxy are gradually making the General rich, 

 we presume so small a "dock " will not trouble or inconve- 

 nience him in the least. 



Adjutant W. W. Cook, of the Seventh Cavalry, has been 

 granted leave for six months, to "cross the sea." He will 

 take less time than this, of course, in crossing, but he won't 

 come back and .assume the duties of ch"ef until the expira-* 

 tion of that time. He is not, to our knowledge, on any 

 Government business. 



Aboard comprising Lt. Col. S. B. Holabird, D. Q. G., 

 Major A. P. Morrow, Ninth Infantry, and Captain AY. T. 

 Gentry, assemble at San Antonio, headquarters Department 

 of Texas, on or about August 15th, to locate sites for forts 

 and military posts, which the Secretary of War has been di- 

 rected to purchase. In case of a rupture with our old friend 

 Mexico, the Government deem it expedient to be well pre- 

 pared along the Rio Grande. In times of peace prepare for 

 war — right iu this neighborhood. 



Promotion being too slow, 2d Lieutenant Clias E. Slade 

 has resigned fromthe Fifteenth Infantry. 



General Stanley is in a fair way to establish a reputation 



