174 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



but a jargon dialect of Spanish, Greek and Seminole. 

 When his youthful, muscular arms first propelled the dug- 

 out in these -waters, Florida was a semi-barbarous dependency 

 of Spain. Scores of summers and winters he has dropped 

 his line and thrown his net, undisturbed by the change of flags 

 on the coquina Fort, and a game law which should attempt 

 to abridge his ancient privileges would perhaps be the only 

 thing to prevent this old animated mummy's eternal terres- 

 trial existence. May the sea wall crumble before such a 

 catastrophe. Smile Asm. 



Jacksonville, March 24.— The bass fishing on the St. Johns 

 has been excellently good this year, and many of our tourists 

 haTe been led by ourcharrning scenery and balmy weather, 

 combined with their love of sport, to try their luck. 1 saw 

 a fish brought in by a gentleman to-day, weighing 12£) bs. 

 He was a monster, and is next to the largest I have ever seen. 



W. K. L. 



Michigan— Port Huron, March 28.— Great numbers of an- 

 glers are now out for the sport at Sarnia Bay. Perch were 

 never more plentiful. 



Wisconsin— Ifcenah, March 24.— For protection of fish in 

 Lake Winnebago the recent legislature passed a law that no 

 person shall set, place or draw any net in any of the waters 

 adjacent or tributary thereto, and, upon conviction of any 

 person, he shall pay for each offence a penalty no less than 

 fitly dollars and no more than one hundred dollars and cost, 

 and shall stand committed to the common jail until such fine 

 and cost are paid. Tou see that we mean to protect and pre- 

 serve fish in our lake, so that lovers of fine sport may con- 

 tinue to have as good times in the future as in the past pulling 

 our gamy black bass. Koberts' summer resort will opeu first 

 of May, so as to accommodate the early fisherman. J. E. 



St. Maurice Tbout.— Radnor Forges, St. Maurice Co, 

 Quebec. Editor Forest and Stream: — Since wriiing for Forest 

 and Stream, from the Gatineau Kiver, March 10, 1 have seen 

 some fine fish which would interest you personally more than 

 notes ou natural history or hunting. As you probably know, 

 the extensive waters (lakes and rivers) tributary to the St. 

 Lawrence from th6 north, have been but little explored by 

 scientists or sportsmen, and among the inhabitants— lumber- 

 men and Indians— the word trout is in most common use and 

 as comprehensive as when uBed by others of more classic 

 knowledge. I have only fished this winter to obtain a variety 

 of food when in camp, but, afc is my custom when visiting 

 new localities, have endeavored to obtain some practical 

 knowledge of the denizens of luke and stream, as well as of 

 the earth and air. Hearing by chance of several hundred 

 pounds of " trout" taken by one man from a lake not here- 

 tofore tished in, unless by Indians, and that some of these 

 fish were " three feet long," 1 went to see them. I found 

 that the size had not been exaggerated, the largest one weigh- 

 ing I41bs., and that I must acknowledge that, by the decree 

 of scientists, it was a true Itcmt—fSalmo toma— known in 

 Maine as " togue," " lake trout," etc., and in New Brunswick 

 as "luJadL" 1 have also heard this fish spoken of as the "black 

 salmon," which for awhile misled me into supposing the 

 reference was to a " spent " salmon {Salino salar), one that had 

 been in fresh water for a long lime. The Salmu toma recent- 

 ly seen was taken from n lake near Rat River, a tributary of 

 the St. Maurice, and about ninety miles from the city of 

 Three Rivers. These fish are the only ones of the species I 

 have seen that were taken from the St. Maurice waters. 



Everett Smith. 



K "Shad Blow" fob Fly Rods. — Correspondents write as 

 follows : 



Mr. Editor : In answer to " Shad Blow," in March 20, I 

 would say that shad blow (Amelancheii canadensis), commonly 

 known as sugar pear and June berry, is an uncommonly good 

 wood for rods. I made two rods about two years ago and 

 gave one to a friend in Vermont who is a veteran angler, who 

 is well pleased with it. I like mine, but have not used it 

 much. One old friend of mine in Maine says it will set — that 

 it, will season crooked. It should be cut in December and 

 seasoned with the bark on, otherwise it will crack or open in 

 seasoning, as the sap is about as thick or deep as the heart, 

 and will season warped if sawed up before seasoned. D. 



Manchester, Yt., March 24. — I would like to answer " Shad 

 Blow " by saying that some twenty-five years ago I used a 

 shad-blow rod. This rod had shad blow but and second joint 

 with lancewood tip. It was a good rod, and some few years 

 ago I endeavored to get some of this wood and try it again, 

 the rod I had used not being mine, but was not able to get 

 any that was straight grained enough to put into a rod. I 

 am inclined to think, could this wood be obtained of a 

 proper quality, it would be nice wood for rods, for buts, and 

 second joints at least, and perhaps for tips. Thh wood grows 

 here, but I have as yet failed to find any that was not crooked 

 and cross-grained. If " Shad Blow" will take the trouble to 

 write me, I shall be glad to hear from him ; and, if he knows 

 where any shad-blow wood grows straight grained, I should 

 like to know it. C. F. Orvis. 



Varnish for Rods. — The three following finishes for 

 fishing rods have been recommended : — 



1st. Take |lb. rosin, Jib. shellac, lqt. methylated spirit and 

 2oz. vegetable black. Mix these well together. Give the rod 

 two coats, rubbing down each with No. 1 glass paper, then 

 apply copal and dry in a warm place. 



2. Use copal varnish for thaw/tipping only; for the rod, 

 spirit varnish, which, being a sufficient protection to the 

 wood, does not possess that objectionable glitter. 



3. Try pumice powder on a piece of wet linen, and lightly 

 rub over the varnished parts. Four coats of the varnish will 

 be found belter than three should the powder recommended 

 be used. 



Traits of Rooey Mountain Trout.— Our Denver corres- 

 pondent writes as follows : — 



Early in November, 1877, 1 spent a day at Wagon Wheel 

 Gap, on the Rio Grande River, at Peck's Hotel. Peck is a 

 great fisherman, and had that season caught and served ou 

 his own table over thirty-two hundred pounds of trout, all 

 witn u hook and line and bamboo rod, and none more than 

 half a mile from his own door '. It had snowed the day be- 

 fore I reached there nearly a foot deep, and though it melted 

 in the sun, the air was freezing cold in the shade. In the 

 evening we went out for some trout, he with his rod and I 

 as a spectator, ne began fishing in a deep hole at the foot 

 of a riilie, under the shadow ot a lofty basaltic cliff. The 

 wind rippled the water, and in the deep shade it looked per- 

 fectly black. Ice clung to the rocks along the edge, and the 

 water must have been below 32 deg. FiBh could not be 

 very active. They were quite plentiful, and Mr. Peck 

 caught a number that were frozen stiff in a few minutes alter 

 being taken from the water. But for every fish he caught 

 there were perhaps a half dozen rises, the fish generally leap- 

 ing clean out of the water, and many times passing directly 

 over the fly. Sometimes there was only a swirl in the water 

 near the fly. We then moved down the river a couple of 

 hundred yards into the sunshine. The fishing was better, 

 and there were but few false rises. However, the water was 

 different, being a narrow, deep, swift chute from the foot of 

 a riffle. I attributed the leaping of the fish at the fly in the 

 first described locality to the darkness in the shadow of the 

 cliff and to the shimmering ripple on the surface of the 

 water, caused by the wind, thereby causing an optical illu- 

 sion. I noted it particularly at the time as something un- 

 usual. 



lam glad to see that the "Minnesota Field Trials" are 

 nearly over. Was apprehensive that it would run into the 

 next show. W. N. Byehs. , 



The New Tint for Gut Leaders.— By permission we 

 publish the following letter : 



Messes. Abbey & lusmz:— Gentlemen:— 1 have tesled 

 your " mist color " gut leaders in water, and think thecoloi 

 comes nearer to perfection than any I have ever seen. Due 

 importanpe has never been given by most fishermen to fine- 

 ness and'wtor of gut leaders and gut that flies are tied on. 

 The fact is, that almost everything in successful trout fish- 

 ing depends upon these points. If flies are tied on coarse gut, 

 without any regard to the color, the fish will see the fraud 

 and will not take the fly. Many a fisherman has put his bait, 

 right in front of a trout's nose and the trout has declined to 

 take it. He " smeiled a mice." Let a man get his tackle so 

 fine and so colorless that the fish cannot see the fraud, and 

 they will take his lure just as readily as they will take their 

 natural food. The fisherman who gets his tackle the nearest 

 to perfection will be called the "lucky " man. Bah ! I don't 

 believe in luck. Sara Green. 



* i r One peculiarity of the " mist : ' colored trout and salmon 



leaders sold by Messrs. Abbey & Imbrie, is that they can be 

 seen at 48 MaideD Lane, but cannot be seen in the water by 

 »he wary fish. 



SALMON FISHING IN OREGON. 



Oltmpia, Wash. Ter., March, 6, 1879. 

 Editor Forest and Stream : 



Perhaps a knowledge of the fact that excellent salmon fish- 

 ing with rod and reel is enjoyed every fall and winter by 

 anglers in this region, may induce some Eastern sportsmen 

 who desire to escape the rigors of an Atlantic winter to be- 

 take themselves to the capital city of Wash. Ter., where the 

 mercury seldom falls to tho freezing point, and a sleigh is as 

 useless as the majority of the Indians in this country. The 

 salmon appear in our bay about the first of October, but do 

 not attempt to ascend the, streams until there has been rain 

 enough to increase the flow of water therein. They are of 

 the : species known as the "sifversides," and range from two 

 to twenty-five pounds in weight, and for beauty and game- 

 ness cannot be excelled by any fish that swims. My habit 

 has been to take them with a fly rod— such as I have used in the 

 Rangeley region, a reel that carries sixty yards of oiled silk 

 line, and — start not, ye votaries of the "coachman" and 

 " professor - '— a double" leader, with a Bmall herring for bait. 

 The largest one I have killed this season weighed fifteen and 

 three-quarter pounds, and about forty minutes were consumed 

 in his capture. The blood tingles in my veins even now as I 

 think of the glorious fight that chap made. Last fall a friend 

 of mine killed sixteen during one tide. At this date there is 

 but little fishing of any description ; but about Aprd first the 

 trouting season opens, the rains will have ceased, and for the 

 six ensuing months Puget Sound and the territory adjacent 

 thereto becomes the sportsman's paradise. Imagine an inland 

 sea of about two hundred miles in length, and with a coast 

 line of eighteen miles, dotted with islands large and small, fed 

 by countless streams from the lordly " Skagit," navigable by 

 steamers for over sixty mileB, to the blight rippling "Sheiton " 

 creek, where I have taken fourteen trout from one pool, 

 whose combined weight was over thirty pounds. Its forests 

 are alive with bear, deer, elk, grouse and pheasant. No ex- 

 treme heat, the mercury rarely reaching eighty, even in the 

 middle of the day. No musquitoes, no black flies, no venom- 

 ous reptiles. Scenery such as few sections of our country 

 can equal and none excel, and sportsmen — except in Olympia — 

 scarcer than hen's teeth. First-class fare from "Frisco," per 

 O. S. S. Co. and N. P. R. R., is but seventeen dollars, and I 

 think one could make the trip from New York, remain here 

 through the fishing season, at less expense than he would in- 

 cur during a season's fishing for salmon in Canada. And, 

 my word for it, after one trip to this section he will come to 

 the conclusion that for pure unadulterated sport there is no 

 place in the world that equals Puget Sound. 



It ours respectfully, H. B. 



hchting and §0xtmg. 



HIGH watek foe the week. 



Date. 



Boston. 



Sens York. 



Clmrteston 





H. u. 



8 24 



d a 



ID 15 

 11 110 



ii at 

 w as 



1 26 



R. M. 



5 10 

 fi 06 

 7 01 

 1 62 

 S 40 

 9 24 

 10 12 



H. M. 





6 10 



April S 



April 5.. 



April 7 



April s. .. 



April 9. 



fi 14 

 7 05 

 7 53 

 S 37 

 25 



VAC'nTING NEWS. 

 San Francisco Yachting. — The yachting seaBOn is about 

 opening in San Francisco. The formal opening will lie cele- 

 biated by the San Francisco Yacht Club at their club house, 

 New Saucelitu, on Saturday, April 19. After a chowder and 

 dance at the club house for tho benefit of the ladies, the 

 yachts will leave for Vallejo, up the bay, and have a 30-mlle 

 brush back to windward next day. We say to windward, as 



the trade winds will have set in by that time out there 



The sloop Clara, late of New York, has been lengthened 

 since she went to San Francisco. She has now a much larger 

 stern, and is expected to make a good record for the season. 



The Emerald, the fastest sloop in the club, ib having new 



spars and sails, and will make her appearance as a yawl at 

 the opening The fast little sloop Ariel will also come out 



as a yawl this season The Minnie has had 19ft. put into 



her, and is now over 80ft. long The Twilight, wrecked 



last winter, has been put in shape again as good as ever 



Lots of yachting— not yacht— clubs have been formed re 

 San Francisco of late, but yachts are not as plenty— for hiin 

 —as clubs aie. The clubs will have to take to plungers, etc , 



if they expect to go on the water Jerry Nichols' big new 



ijacht has not been launched yet, although she is all ready, 



fitted and fixed for work The Guatemalan steam yacht 



Sofia, which came to San Francisco from South America last 

 year, is still laid up in Richardson's Bay, off the S. F. Y. C. 

 house, her owner, Mr. Molloy, being at present in New York. 



Dr. Merritt, of Oakland, will leave shortly for a six 



months' cruise among the South Sea Islands in his yacht 

 Casco, a 96ft. keel boat, launched last summer, and the larg- 

 est in San Francisco Bay The San Francisco Yacht Club 



have followed the Seawanhaka's example, and had a series of 

 evening lectures this winter, which have been very success- 

 ful. The last one was a description of the midwinter ocean 

 race of 1S6G, between Fleetwing, Henrietta and Vesta, by 

 Col. Stuart M. Taylor. There was a very large audience, 

 filling the club rooms at the Palace Hotel, so there was stand- 

 ing room only. The previous lecture was " On the Weather- 

 liness of Vessels," by Capt. Wm. W. Bates, of Chicago, and 

 was also well attended. 



Salem Yaort Gum. — Yachting matters are waking up at 

 Salem, Mass., and a club, to be known as the Salem Yacht 

 Club, has been formed. The club organized with the follow- 

 ing officers for this year: Com., Arthur L. Huntingdon; 

 Vice-Corn,, Wm. P. Parker; Sec'y and Treas., R. L. New- 

 comb ; Measurer, Edw. Millett; Regatta Com.— Messrs. 

 Rich, Gardner, Sewey, Raymond and J. Newcomb. The 

 Lutona is being lengthened at. Frisbee's. The Raymond Bros, 

 are altering their cat to a sloop. Jack Towne is getting out 

 a new sloop, and Browne is at work on a new one. The 

 Anna is for sale, a fine, well built craft by J. Brown, who 

 always does good work. The club will hold a regular re- 

 gatta during the summer, of the " union" sort, most likely, 

 which will draw many entries from Boston waters. 



A New Sharpie. — What the actual capabilities of the 

 sharpie are is certain to be settled this season, for Mr. Clap- 

 ham, of Roslyn, L. I., haB now nearly finished a fine40ft,-boat 

 of this description, which will approach nearer to the full- 

 fledged yacht than anything before built in this line. She has 

 received a regular yacht finish in all her details, narrow deck 

 plank, cabin house, cockpit, hard wood trimmings, etc. She 

 is said to be very handsome in appearance and will certainly 

 lead to the building of others of the same class, for it cannot 

 be denied that the sharpie yacht fulfills the wants of yachts- 

 men in many localities, and her cheap first cost is a strong 

 recommendation. The new boat will be rigged as a sloop, 

 with jib stay leading down to stem head. Her cabin is very 

 roomy, as no centre-board will be used, two bilge keels being 

 supplied to secure the necessary lateral resistance. These 

 keels are about 12ft. long and" Sin. deep. If actual trial 

 demonstrates such an arrangement to be satisfactory, valua- 

 ble room will be gained inside by their use. The builder has 

 also applied his new patent fore-foot to his boat, which will 

 do away to a large extent with the spanking to which sharpies 

 are liable in a seaway, and he proposes to put this experiment- 

 al craft through a regular series of tests as soon as completed. 

 We have at our office a couple of very handsome half-models 

 of the sharpie as usually built and also with Mr. Clapham's 

 improvements. The results of the trial of the new boat we 

 will lay before our readers in time, as well as a more minute 

 description. 



Jacksonville (Fla.) Yaoht Club.— The annual election 

 of this club resulted as follows : Commodore, Wm. Astor ; 

 Vice-Commodore, Chas. J. Kenworthy; Captain, J. De 

 Bartnett. 



Coopee's Point (Phila.) Yacht Club.— The officers for 

 the year are as follows : Com., Charles Cohill, yacht Oohill; 

 Vice-Com., John B. Hammed, Jr., yacht Anita; Rear-Corn., 

 Wm. Stone, yacht Phil. Kramer ; Sec, John Dougherty, 

 yacht CIuu. Keenan ; Treas., Elmer W. Barr, yacht 'liarr ; 

 Meas., H. King, yacht Feenty ; Regatta Committee, Jacob 

 Gnang, John Mayberry, Dennis Holland, Joseph Vanderslice. 

 The day for the annual spring regatta is not yet fixed, but 

 will probably be the 12th of May. The club now owub two 

 fii-Bt-class boats (18 to 20ft.) and twelve second-claBS (10 to 

 18ft.). Capt. R. G. Wilkins is building six new boats, rang- 

 ing from 15 to 18ft. , of which several will be added to the 

 club. 



SorTHWAEic (Phtla.) Yacht Cr.rB. — The annual regatta 

 of the Southwafk Yacht Club will be sailed on the 26th of 

 May to Chester buoy and return. There will be about fifty 

 boats participate in this regatta. They are divided into first 

 and second-class double-en ders and "tuckups. The prizes 

 will consist of a champion flag and articles of silverware. 



New Jersey Yacht Clue. — At the annual meeting of the 

 New Jersey Yacht Club, March 28, the following named offi- 

 cers were elected : Com. , T. H. Rogers; Vice-Com., W. H r 

 Dilworth; Rec. Sec, A. Jeanneret ; Fin. Sec, L. Kayser ; 

 Cor. Sec, P. Campbell ; Treas., G. E. Gartland, Regatta 

 Committee, A. Hennion, G. J. Peters, E. W. Ketcham : 

 Tmstees, W. H. Dilworth, E. W. Ketcham, A. Jeanneret, C. 

 I, Rogers, A. nennion. 



Long Island Yaoht Club. — This club held their annual 

 meeting March 27, 1879, at. the club house, 37th street, Brook- 

 lyn. The following officers were elected for the ensuing 



tarv, Ellsworth Bond; Measurer, Seorge Ctolms ; Regatta 

 Committee, George Farley, C. M. Felt, J, H. Sawyer, "Wil- 

 liam Duffy, George Heap, James Lei OX, Five new members 

 were enrolled, and three new yachts added to the club fleet. 

 The Treasurer's report shows the club finances to be in a very 

 flourishing condition. After the meeting the prizss won at 

 the last annual regatta were presented by Vice-Corn. Beames : 

 To fiiBt-claBS sloop, Hope, champion whip; to first-class 

 sloop, Sophia, aneroid barometer; to becondcle 

 Admiral -Rowan, an oil painting ; to thi id class sloop (open 

 boat), Nettle, a marine clock; to cfltdioat, Hi-Pi, a silver 

 marine clock; to cat-boat, X. L. r. £, a compass watch 

 charm: to the Joe Saunders, marine clock. The annual re- 

 gatta will be held as usual in June, but the day will not be 

 fixed until the next meeting. 



Beverly Yacht Clcb.— The following dates have been 

 selected for their regattas of the ensuing season : July 12, at 

 Bwampscott ; Aug. 4, at Beverly; Aug. 23, at Swampscott; 

 Sept. 6, at Nahant ; and have decided to hold a .regatta at 

 Cotuit, date not yet fixed. 



