FOREST AND STREAM. 



77 



LIGHT DRAUHGT OR DEEP DRAUGHT? 



Sim, Feb. 15, 1879. 

 EnrroB Forest and Stbeam : 



I am in favor of light draught yachts. I havo one that I have 

 sailed in 13 regattas where there were from 10 to 20 yachts in each 

 race. I have taken 11 first prizes and one second, and carried 

 away my mast once. She can so where any other boat of her size 

 can go. I won in a race when X was the only boat that made the 

 course, and there were larger and deep-water boats in the race. It 

 blew a gale of wind, and the other yachts broke down, or cut and 

 run. I took the first prize in that race and the olher yachts sailed 

 the race over for the second. My boat is 20 keel, 21ft. over all, 

 8ft. -tins, beam, bow and stempoat, 3ft. 5ins. deep; depth in the 

 centre, 31 ins. : dead jise, Sins.; length of centreboard, 8ft.: width, 

 5ft. made of wrought iron and weighs 410 pounds. Her boom is 

 10ft. out board, hoist of jib, 25ft.; foot of jib, 15ft. ; hoist of 

 mainsail, 24 ft. ; gaff peeked up to a line of the luff of the 

 jib. I novor have carried anything but live ballast. This ia her 

 racing suit. Her cruising suit has 20ft hoist. She is clinker 

 built, keel and keelson of oak and siding butternut. She is 10 yeais 

 old and the oak ia getting rotten, while the butternut is sound. I 

 shall put in a new keel and keelson. She was built by John Dana, 

 of Rochester, N. Y. Beih Gkeeu. 



THE GAEL-SUNBEAM MATCHES. 



Boston, Feb. 17, 1879. 

 Editor Forest and Stream : 



Relating to Mr. Peabody'e reply to my former letter I have only 

 to say that if my memory ia correct Mr. Peabody told me that he 

 allowed for a collection of seaweed on his perfect patent log ; such 

 having been the case there must have been guess work. He says, 

 " the Dolphin had run one hour and fifteen minutes, being short 

 of coal.'' He must apeak from " hearsay," as the Dolphin was 

 known to race the steam yacht Mischief to Boston. Instead of 

 running E. by N. we tailed N. E. by E. half E. ; the wind was H. 

 \V. by W. half W. If he Is correct aB to time why did he Btart our 

 race when we required a five-knot breeze? 



Unfortunately, " our practical navigator" is somewhere in the 

 region of the West IudieB and unable to answer for himself, 



When we arrived at our starting point they (the judges) were 

 busy at the buoy aud we sailed by. When they blew the prepara- 

 tory whistles we proceeded to tauten our sails ; during thai opera- 

 tion we drifted some, but not the distance ho claims, and were in 

 a good position for the word go. 



I aoe no reason why a buoy could not be placed in the shoal 

 waters of Massachusetts Bay ; it has been done often enough in 

 deeper watera under more adverse circumstances, therefore Mr. 

 Peabody'a " co mm ent on such yachtsmanship is unnecessary"' falls 

 to the ground. 



We did not start our first trial for three hours after the appointed 

 time. Why should the judges rule to start us one day at 12 o'clock 

 and the next time call the race off because it was 10 o'clock and we 

 not at the light ? We got there early enough and they could, if 

 they wanted to. The artioles signed by us and Gael's people dis- 

 tinctly say that both boats should be at the appointed place on 

 the appointed day, or shall forfeit the money. Wo have not 

 handled their money and have not even seen tie stakes, even after 

 a written request that they should bo held until new judgeB should 

 be chosen. 



The referee was not authorized to refund the money except by 

 mutual consent of both parties. It certainly was in violation of 

 all sporting roles. I make no apology for what I said. If any one 

 wants proof of my words I have professionals and amateurs who 

 will go on the stand at any lime. The publio has been misled by 

 statements ihat "Gael was entitled to the prize" on the first trial, 

 also that it was by mutual consent of both participants " the race 

 w.ta given up." Only from strong regard for the people that backed 

 N with their good wishes, and by personal request, have I 

 put the matter in print. W. S. Nickeuson. 



|{# mid 



tvet[ 



SEASON~IN 



FEBRUARY. 



Pompano, Traehinotu st 

 Drom (two species), Pi 



niiSrr. 



HmtCelrrua n, 



IBS BaSE SctenoM on-li 



. n ia, Anhotargy 



SOUTHERN WATKR8. 



wolinux Grouper, lipinephdpus nigrum. 

 nfflj Henc- Trout (Dlaok bass), Centri 



__ alrai ha. 



Bl Iped Bass, or Rockftah, lioccus 



Fish in Mabket— Ketatl Prices. — BasB, 25 cents; smelts, 15; 

 bluofiah, 12>i ; aalmon, 35; mackerel, 20 ; shad, 75 to $1.25; white 

 perch, 15 ; green. turtle, 12>,; froatnsh, 8; halibut, 18; haddock, 8; 

 codfish, 6 to 8, blackfish, 15; herring, 5 , flounders, 10 ; eels, 18 

 lobsters, 10; scallops, 35 per quart; whitefish, 13; pickerell 

 15; red snapper, IS ; smoked haddock, 12X; smoked salmon, 15 ; 

 dry cod, 7 ; hard ciaba, 30 cents per doz.,soft crabs, .'B1.25perdoz.' 



ITkaus ob Tails t—We have quite a number of communica- 

 tions anent the absorbing but now somewhat trite question of 

 How a Trout takes the Fly, which we should bo pleased to 

 give space to if. we believed that they threw any additiona 

 light upon what has already been said ; but having reached a 

 conclusion of the matter, we feel obliged to decline the pub- 

 lication in deference to more important demands upon our 

 columns. 



Saxmo Symmetrica.— We referred in a recent issue of 

 Fobkst and Stkeam to the trout peculiar to Lake Winnipiseo- 

 gee in New Hampshire. Mr. E. M. Messenger, of Boston, 

 calls our attention to a statement made in Hallock's "Sports- 

 man's Gazetteer " to the effect that, the same fish is found in 

 Lake Monadnoclt, in the same State, which he disputes, and 

 says: 



" I believe this is not the case. The only trout found in 

 Lake Monadnock is the 8. fontinalis, of beautiful curved out- 

 line and brilliant markings and somewhat peculiar habits, thov 



Vw.irKT falr*jn in oot-Itt mnn., l„,t n..l.-l ... J 



bottom springs, and in the middle of dry summer has an over- 

 flow through quite a large stream." 



Samuel Webber. Esq , one of the New Hampshire Fish 

 Commissioners, says of the trout of the Winnipiseogee and 

 Monadnock lakes : 



" The former is only Salmo ctn : /i/iM of a more brilliant com- 

 plexion than usual from the extraordinarily pure water and 

 white sand bottom of the lake ; the latter in the same way 

 being a bleached variety of Salmo fonUnatis, having its exact 

 counterpart in the trout in GteeensbOrO Pond in Northern Ver- 

 mont. These seldom exceed two pounds in weight, while the 

 Winuipiseogee fish runs up to sixteen or twenty pounds, 

 though not often caught so large, owing to persistent spear- 

 ing on the spawning beds and other barbarities, which we arc 

 trying to stop." 



The classification of the Salmo symmetrica in the ichthy- 

 ology of the " Sportsman's Gazetteer " is sustained by the U. 

 S. Commissioners of Fish and Fisheries' reports for 1873-3_ 

 pages 157-9 and 378. Respecting Hie characteristics of the 

 WiDnipiseogee trout, which are likely to be confounded with 

 5. confinu, it is recognized by its very slender form, by lack- 

 ing teeth on the central furrow of its tongue, and those of 

 other parts of the mouth being disposed in single rows, and 

 by the more anterior position of the dorsal tin. The trout of 

 Monadnock Lake are dwarfs compared to those of Winnipis- 

 eogee, and their 'markings are very different. It is not at all 

 strange that any observer other than a scientist, should con- 

 sider them an entirely different fish, and more nearly allied to 

 the brook trout s.fonti.nalh %hmio the lake trout (S. confmm), 

 yet we are constrained to accept the classification of Prof. 

 Baird, from whom we quote as follows : " These fish proved 

 to belong to the group of lake trout, probably closely related 

 to what Dr. Prescott calls Salmo symmetrica:' 



How English Tkout Do It.— The London Illustrated Sport- 

 iny News, remarking upon the discussion going on in Ameri- 

 can journals concerning the fashion in which a trout takes the 

 fly, very modestly remarks about the method of striking with 

 the tail: 



"Naturally, English trout are not so cunning, and here, 

 when a fly is offered to tempt the appetite of a trout, ho goes 

 for it in a more straightforward and comprehensible manner." 

 Movements of the Fishing Fleet.— During the past week 

 26 fishing arrivals have been reported at this port, 4 from New- 

 foundland with 1,5-30 bbls. iresh herring, 405 bbls. salt lien-inl- 

 and 807 turbot; 11 from the Banks, with 340,000 lbs. fresh 

 halibut ; and 11 from Georges, with 220,000 lbs. codfish and 

 20,000 lbs. halibut.— Cope Ann Advertiser, Feb. 21. 



Salmon Food.— There can be no doubt as to salmon being 

 as fond of worms, minnows, loach, or colleys (as they call 

 them in Ireland) and shrimps as trout. I havo caueht and 

 killed salmon fry in the Arrow, Herefordshire, from 2lo 4 oz. 

 with minnow, and there are 20 salmon killed in the river Lea 

 (Cork) with a big bunch of worms or a colley or shrimp to 

 one that will rise at and take a fly. The number of fish in 

 this river last season was enormous, and a nice dance they 

 led me. In one reach I could see fifty fish from ten to fifteen 

 pounds each jump out and in the water in every five minutes, 

 and on my first day, I feel sure I saw 1,000 salmon rise, and 

 could not get one to touch my fly. With such a stock what 

 must be the millions of fry in that stream in May V I believe 

 they feed on their own fry to an enormous extent. One of 

 the oldest fishermen told me they never rise at the fly well un- 

 til the fry have left the river for" the sea. In live days I never 

 knew a fish killed with fly ; but one morning saw Mr. Haines, 

 the Cork jeweller, have five, averaging ten pound each, on 

 the bank from one stand— all killed with the bunch of worms. 

 This was on Lord Baudin's water near Dooruisky station.— 

 TV. J. Bullock in London !■ linking Gazette. 



THE BIG TROUT OF RANGELEY. 



>,V _ r ._ Bethel, Me., Jan. 11, 1879. 



\ Mr. Lditob :— Reading a very interesting reply to P. M. 

 Marshall, Esq., of Boston, on trout fishing at Eangeley Lakes 

 by H. O. Stanly, Esq., of Hixrield, Maine, one of the Com- 

 missioners of Fisheries of this State, iu the last issue of the 

 Lewiston Journal, reminds me of the figures given me by that 

 gentleman some months ago of the weiaht of' trout taken last 

 year and this, after close time, for the'"purpose of collecting 

 spawn for their hatching house at the foot of Kangeiey Lake 

 I will give several days' fishing with fly and reel as Mi-. 

 Stanley gave them to me. He says : " I finished my hatch- 

 ing house Oct. 2, 1877, and commenced taking trout and eggs 

 in the afternoon. I kept uo record of less than two and one- 

 half pounds. Oct. 3, trout averaging 3 lbs.: Oct. 3, 21 trout 

 4 lbs.; Oct. 4, 10 trout averaging 5 lbs.; Oct. 5, 17 trout aver- 

 aging 5£ lbs. ; Oct. 0,15 troufawr lis.; Oct. 8, C 

 trout averaging 6 lbs.; Oct. 9, 7 trout averaging 3 lbs., 

 making in all 413 lbs. iu seven days. Of these one weighed 

 9£ lbs., one 8£ lbs., one 8 lbs., and one 7i lbs. All of the 

 above trout were taken at the outlet of Baiigeley Lake. In 

 the fall of 1878 (last fall) he fished at Upper Dam, foot of 



BASS FISHING ON THE ST. JOHNS. 







Editor Forest and Stream : I , ika, Fla., Feb. 11, lsro. 



I wish to give you a report of a day's fishing la this vicinity for the 

 benefit of those ot your readers who propose to come this way in the 

 approaching inclement, season in your section, and who may tkuB be 

 stimulated to bring along their rodB and tackle to aid m passing time 

 agreeably, and Tims avoiding amui. the bane of many invalids and 

 tourists. The fishing season, that la, tor black bass (called trout here 

 by the residents), has just fairly commenced. Three gentlemen 

 sojourning at the Putnam House— Dr. Holfman, Mr. beers and Mr, 

 Lawrence— went up yesterday to Dunn's Creek, nine miles from here, 

 in a rowboat, and returned in the evening. The day was rainy, and 

 they got a good wetting, bet not all ot "fisherman's lucky" for they 

 brought home the finest string of ash. I ever saw taken by a private 

 party of such small dimensions. The aggregate weight was lioibs.; 

 the two largest, 7 and S lbs. They were taken with the spinner and 

 live bait, but mostly with the latter ; and if these had not become ex- 

 lireniaturely, they might, have added many more pounds to 

 their score. They uaed the rod. The excitement must have been 

 great, as the bait would hardly touch the water before it would be 

 snapped up by the hungry fish, and the water was lively with their 

 constant " bucking." This creek Is a remarkable Ashing ground, and 

 success rarely fails to reward the genuine disciple of Walton. Later 

 In the season, when the alligators, the turtles, and the large aquatic 

 birds of various kinds are more abundant, the sport may lie varied, or- 

 if it lags, may be supplemented by the rifle or shotgun. It is a most 

 romantic stream, and well worth a visit even without the accompaniment 

 of sport. It winds In the usual tortuous course of all our southern 

 streams, and in all Its ancient wildneea, there being almost no clearings 

 on it, for eight or nine miles through a dense tropical swamp, when 

 you suddenly emerge Into a broad and beautiful sheet of water, mauy 

 miles in length and breadth, originally termed Drum's, now Crescent 

 Lake. This Is a typo of scenery which Is met with In various parts of 

 East Florida. Very soon the fishing will be good within a few minutes; 

 row from the hotels on the sand bars, either for (rolling or still fishing.' 

 A time-honored method of taking these flsh on the river, practiced by 

 the natives, la " bobbing," and there is no reason why they should not 

 take the fly, as this Is rude fly Csiting. Mr. Ned Orvis proposes to give 

 them a chance at Bome of his uncle's famous rites when the suaBon 

 arrives, concerning the result of which experiment you may hear from 

 me. This reminds me thar, three years ago, the late Dr. Lindfey (who 

 lost his life In succoring the yellow fever sufferers last summer), my 

 father and I went up to Salt Creek, on Luke George, to camp for tie 

 night and Bsh. Lite in the afternoon my father, while waiting at the 

 mouth of the creek for us to procure live bait, found a strip of old mus- 

 lin on the ground, and attaching a piece to his hook, and with a ligh 

 bass rod cast it over the opposite side of the narrow stream, and play- 

 ing It on the surface by walking along the sandy shore, soon had the 

 satisfaction of reeling In a flve-pounder. A negro coming along with 

 an old red cotton band on his hat, he reinforced the white with the red 

 and in less than an hour had landed eleven flue specimens. 



W, K. Lbntb. 



& 



gate weight, 038 lbs.; average. 4 } lbs. each. Of these two 

 weighed 10 lbs. each, over four weighed 9 lbs. each, five 

 weighed 8 lbs. each and four weighed 7 "lbs. each. Tbey made 

 no account of any weighing less than two pounds this year, 

 and made the following remarks: "Trout were very plenty 

 and I could just as well have taken doable the number if we 

 had had room for them in the hatching house. We turned in 

 100,000 blue-back eggs and 500,000 trout eggs}— all we bad 

 i oom for." And he further says, in Lewistou Journal o i Feb 

 13, 1879, that 95 per cent, of these mature and 



are turned into the lakes. Mr. Stanley writes me that he 

 thinks trout are steadily hut. . , , ,. waters, and, under 



the present laws, in a very few years we may expect to enjoy 

 fine sport aud abundant supply tor home consumption. 



I can well remember the time, Bonietwenty years ago, when 

 It was very common to take one hundred pouni 

 spotted trout in One-half day's fishing ; but since that time 

 taking with grapnel, spears and nets became the order of the 

 day, and the fish were rapidly diminished. I recollect seeing 

 at a fisherman's camp one October morning in 1834 one hun- 

 dred trout which had been speared the night before, weiehinij 



7 '■ Iuoh. 1 John Ennis, of Chicago, and Harrkuun. 



New York Athletic Club.— The second annual assault 



at arms of the New York Athletic Club was held at Booth's 

 Theatre last Friday and Saturday evenings. The first, event 

 of Friday was a boxing match between William Chi Ids, of the 

 Nautilus Boat Club, and E. Edwards McCliuchy. In fencing 

 with foils Louis Greenwald defeated Charles Fettig, both of 

 the New York Turnverein. In a broadsword contest Green- 

 wald won by five hits to Fc-ttig's three. Richard Hayde de- 

 feated Peter McGtll, of the Seawanhaka Boat Club, in collar 

 and elbow wrestling. James Quigly, of the Scottish-Amer- 

 ican Athletic Club, defeated Thomas F. Adams, and H. E. 

 Sohopp, of New Brighton, Staten Island, won a victory over 

 James Pilkerton, of the Seawanhaka B. O. Jftmes Lynch 

 of the Manhattan Athletic Club, and R. Bowne, Jr., of the 

 Elizabeth Athletic Club, sparred, the judges awarding the 

 prize to the latter. In a similar contest Thomas Powell, Jr., 

 defeated Oliver G. Bates, of the Harlem A. O, and W. F. 

 Banham, of the Harlem A. C, was awarded the victory over 

 Stephen Blondell. Edwards and Cash then put on the gloves 

 and gave an interesting exhibition, which closed the evening's 

 programme. 



In the final bout with foils between Louis Greenwald and 

 Charles Koch the latter won with a score of five points to 

 one In the final bout of the heavy-weight sparrers, James 

 Pilkerton and Joseph Dcnnison faced each other, and Denni- 

 son was awarded the decision. In the light-weight sparring 

 Bowne defeated Banham, Powell won over John Knox and 

 iu the final match between Powell and Bowne the latter' won 

 the victory. Fettig defeated Koch with the single sticks, and 

 won the final bout with Greenwald. In collar and elbow 

 wrestling Hayde and George McNichol came together for the 

 final bout, the former winning. Koch defeated Fettig in the 

 final broadsword contest, and James Quigly was awarded the 

 prize in Gr.-eeo-Boman wrestling. The feather-weights then 

 appeared for Ihe sparring match, which proved the event of 

 the evening, L. A. Berte, of the Harlem A. O, being defeated 

 by A. C. Williams, of the New York A. C. 



English Chioketees Comino.— Arrangements are in hand 

 for the visit of three English cricket teams to this country 

 during the present year. The first to come will be Lord Har- 

 ris's twelve, now playing in Australia. This team will leave 

 that country in April and will arrive at San Francisco in May 

 and from that time until the last of June will play through the 

 States and Canada. Its games with the New York and Phila- 

 delphia clubs promise to be very interesting. The team pla ys 

 an American eleven in Philadelphia about the 15th of June 

 The next team to visit the States will be the amateur eleven 

 -Club, and as this club has practiced baseball 

 in England lately it will play with some ot our amateur as 

 well as professional nines, including the college teams of Vale, 

 Harvard and Princeton. The third team will be a professional 

 one under Haft, and will come over late hi September. The 

 play of the Philadelphia!!* against the Australians last October 

 has aroused quite a desire to visit America among the En 



BuK-riu Von Hillekn.— Miss Bertha Von Htllern, who 

 has won much fame as well as a very snug sum of money by 

 her walking exhibitions throughout the country, has, it seems 

 permanently retired from public exhibitions. She is now 

 studying in Boston under the protection of two of her lady 

 admirers, who, according to a Boston paper, '-have under- 

 taken to make their protege a credit to her sex." That means 

 to instil Boston cultuah into her, we presume. 



Anothee Six Days' Walk.— The next walk for the Ast- 



