^UIJEHT AND bTMAJta. 



216 



porapano said to be the finest ever received here. They came 

 in rendition sb fresh and fine as if just lifted from the sea. 

 There is no fish that swims which is more highly esteemed. 

 Baked, it is unrivalled. When broiled, it seems to combine 

 the flavors of a shad and a broiled oyster, "as it were." With 

 new refrigerators and facilities for transportation, our tables 

 can be supplied with all the marine luxuries of sub-tropical 

 seas at minimum rates. The immediate donor of the fish was 

 Mr. Silas Stearns, of the Pensacola Navy Yard, to whom the 

 editor returns his personal thanks. 



Mb. Kilbotjrne's Fish Piotiireb. — At Mr. Blackford's 

 trout opening there was exhibited in his private office a col- 

 lection of fish paintings by Mr. 8. A. Kilbourne. Trout, 

 black bass, pickerel, grayling and salmon were among the 

 pictures displayed, but the most noticeable was the life-size 

 painting of a salmon lying in shadow on the bank of the 

 stream from whose limpid waters it had just been caught. It 

 was admired by naturalists, anglers and art connoisseurs, and 

 pronounced to be one of the best efforts of Mr. Kilbourne ; it 

 was sold as soon as it was hung upon the walls at a hand- 

 some price to a well-known business man of this city. We 

 understand that the artist has a salmon picture now on exhi- 

 bition at the National Academy of Design. 



Tub Great Fishing Grounds or Michigan. — The Grand 

 Rapids and Indiana Railroad Company has issued another 

 most attractive pamphlet describing the best known fishing 

 grounds of that State. Many illustrations and several maps 

 indicate the principal points of interest to the angler and the 

 routes reaching to them. Quite as valuable information is 

 additionally afforded by the advertisements of hotels, steam 

 lines and outfitting depots. Several years ago we designated 

 Michigan as the future hunting and fishing ground of the 

 middle tier of States, and repeated personal visits to its wilds 

 and waters have confirmed our opinion, and given emphasis 

 to the prediction. There is no region where we have rambled 

 which affords so much and varied pleasure at so little tax on 

 one's purse and personal comfort. The hotels are invariably 

 neat and inviting j civility and hospitality greet and attend 

 the traveler whether roving or at rest. Before the construc- 

 tion of the Grand Rapids und Indiana R. R. few eastern men 

 visited Michigan for sport. Last year " the words were full 

 of them." The State itself, and the strangers who seek 

 pleasure within its borders, alike owe a full measure of obli- 

 gation to its enterprise and efforts to develop both its indus- 

 trial resources and its natural attractions, and make them ac- 

 cessible. Mr. A B. Leet, the active general passenger agent 

 of the road, deserves much credit for the attractive form in 

 which he has presented this pamphlet. 



The Catseill Rod.— Messrs. Mills & Son, of No. 7 War- 

 ren street, New York, have shown us their beautiful "Cat- 

 skill rod," so styled ; a little toy of a thing eight feet in length, 

 and weighing only five ounces, made by the celebrated Leon- 

 ard. Though very light indeed, it is a capital working tool) 

 well adapted for ordinary weights either in pond or running 

 water ; and even for heavy work in skillful hands ; for. In 

 handling a great fish, just as in driving a horse, it is not sheer 

 strength which controls and conquers, but the keeping the sub- 

 ject well in hand, the delicate feeling of his mouth, the hu- 

 moring, the giving and the taking, and the perfect correspond- 

 ence between all the parts in play. Size of rod and weight of 

 flsh are not necessarily relative. We believe it was Beth 

 Green who once offered to "play" Walter Brackett on a sal- 

 mon rig, with the hook fast to the lappel of his coat, provided 

 Walter would not use his hands to break away. He allowed 

 that he would be " fagged'' before the end of a half hour. Mr. 

 Brackett is himself a noted angler, and did not accept the 

 proposition. There is some good logic in uncle Seth's peculiar 

 argumentum ad hominem. We don't know how much strain 

 the Catskill rod will stand. Anglers do not usually choose to 

 put their rods to the full test. It is a six-strip bamboo, with 

 extra finish of ferrules and fittings which ensure strength of 

 the joints, and altogether an instrument well calculated to de- 

 light the angler and captivate the fish. 



Sensible Study of Natural History. — Notable advances 

 have been made of late years in educational methods, es- 

 pecially in the prosecution of scientific studies, where there is 

 less of book " cramming," as the college boys have it, and 

 more of object teaching. The student may hear a most 

 elaborate description of organizations and anatomical struc- 

 tures, and still be all at sea • but show him the specimen, put 

 it into his hands, and give him the privilege of cutting it up 

 and investigating for himself, and the result is a thorough 

 understanding of the lesson taught. An example of this ad- 

 vance in scientific studies came incidentally to our notice 

 the other day, when Mr. Blackford received from Profes- 

 sor Alpheus Hyatt, of the Boston Society of Natural History, 

 orders for 600 live scallops, 600 live crabs, 600 live lobsters, 

 600 yellow perch, 600 frogs, 600 lampreys, and 600 live rats. 

 These are to be used in the classes of 600 students, before 

 Whom Professor Hyatt lectures, .each student dissecting a 

 specimen as the lecturer proceeds. The resource of Mr. 

 Blackford's stand was fully equal to everything except the 

 rats j just how they were provided we have not learned. 

 Happy Boston, if she must send to Manhattan for her rats ! 

 But where is Mr. Bergk ? 



New Hampshire — Nashua, April 12. — Pickerel fishing was 

 closed April 1 by two fishermen, who brought in seventy six 

 flsh, weighing sixty-six pounds. The weather has been too 

 cold for trouling. Webb. 



Owobsoo Angling Association.— The regular spring 

 meeting of the trustees of the Oquosaoc Angling Association, 



of Rangoloy, Maine, was held on Tuesday, April 1, at the office 

 of Geo. Shepard Page, No. Hi Warren st. There were pres- 

 ent Messrs, Lewis B. Reed, Vice-President ; James A. Wil- 

 liamson, Treasurer ; Geo. A. Robbins, Rev. R. R. Booth, D. 

 D., Fessenden N. Otis, M. D., and Geo. 8. Page. The treas- 

 urer's report, exhibiting a satisfactory financial condition, was 

 read and accepted. A communication from the President, J. 

 H. Kimball, of Bath, Me., was received. It contained the 

 gratifying intelligence that the Maine Legislature had passed 

 a law making the open season for trout trout fishing in the 

 Rangeley Lakes from May 1 to Oct. 1. Also that the new 

 building at Camp Kenuebago, Indian Rock, 30x60ft., two 

 stories, with twenty rooms and piazza on three sides, was 

 neatly completed. The eggs in the hatching house were in 

 good condition. The loss had been but three per cent. Nearly 

 a half million young brook trout of the Rangeley stock, the 

 majority from trout weighing from five to eight pounds, 

 would lie turned into the waters in April. These were taken 

 last October and cared for during the winter at a cost of $250, 

 only 50 cents per thousand. This unprecedentedly low figure 

 is due to the economical management of the experienced Fish 

 Commissioner of Maine, Hon. Henry O. Stanley. Mr. Stan- 

 ley is to place 55,000 young land-locked salmon in these 

 waters in May. It was unanimously voted that the pay of 

 guides should not exceed $1.50 per day and board. Chandler 

 Robbins, Esq., was elected a member. A few vacancies still 

 exist. The shares of stock are $100 each. This is one of our 

 oldest and best managed associations. While the principal 

 recreation is acgling for the famous Rangeley trout, yet the 

 spacious and unique Camp Keunebago is located in one of the 

 best regions in America for moose, cariboo, deer, duck and 

 partridge. Its membership is unexceptionable in every re- 

 spect. 



Movements of the Fishing Fleet. — The number of fish- 

 ing arrivals reported since our last issue has been 18, viz., 8 

 from the Banks and 10 from Georges. Several good Bank 

 fares have been reported, the schooner W. IT. Phillips landing 

 90,000 lbs. The Bank receipts for the week have been 375,000 

 lbs, halibut and 75,000 lbs. (one fare) codfish. Receipts from 

 Georges, 230,000 lbs. codfish and 6,000 lbs. halibut.— Cape 

 Ann Advertiser, April 11. 



New Yobk— Eldred, April 14.— Trout season has com- 

 menced ; snow and ice mostly gone ; some very fine trout 

 caught in Halfway Brook and in the Beaver Brook last week. 

 J, M. Bradley. 



—The Jamaica Rod and Rifle Association, of Jamaica, R. 

 I., appeared in the new role of minstrel purveyors at the Town 

 Hall of that village, last Monday evening. The affair was a 

 most enjoyable one. 



Tennessee— Naslmilh, April 11.— The fishing season is now 

 fairly opened, and from' all quarters come reports of large 

 tubs of fish, The supply in the market is the finest I have 

 ever seen displayed ; magnificent lake salmon, trout, perch, 

 and from the Gulf red-snapper. The Cumberland Olub start 

 on their .first cruise in the HattU Bliss some time next week. 



J. D. H. 



—Within the last six months a fishing club has been formed, 

 which has leased a stream some five or six miles from San- 

 dusky, flowing from two large Artesian springs, which is 

 pronounced by S.- Green and other experts, so to speak, one 

 of the most wonderful pieces of water in the country. 

 Trout spawn put into it five years ago were caught last sum- 

 mer weighing over four pounds. Last fall we put 50,000 

 California salmon spawn in. The results of this experiment, 

 with a description of stream fishing, etc., may be of interest 

 generally. It would probably be quite novel for most trout- 

 ing men to read of fishing in a good-sized stream, something 

 over five miles in length, where, after May 1, you could do 

 most of your work in slippers, and easily take from 50 to 75 

 lbs. per diem. 



Illinois— Rapids City, April 11.— Go jd fishing now in the 

 Mississippi. D. J. W. 



Lake Mikuetonka. — Be, Paul, : Minn., March 28, 1879. 

 Mb. Editor : In the last Forest and Stbbam I was sur- 

 prised to see an extract from an article of mine in the Pioneer 

 Press, relating to the fishing in Lake Minnetonka during the 

 winter. I wrote the article not long before drafting a bill for 

 the Legislature, relating to this wholesale murder of fish ; suc- 

 ceeded in getting it through safely, and it is now law. It is 

 brief and plain ; forbids fishing in Lake Minnetonka at any 

 time and in any manner except with hook and line : makes 

 the penalty from $10 to $50 for each fish caught in violation 

 of the act, together with costs of prosecution, and imprison- 

 ment until such fine and coats are paid ; one-half of all fines 

 to be paid to the party making the complaint. This will set- 

 tle the question, and all people living at the Lake who are at 

 all interested in summer travel are strongly in favor of en- 

 forcing the law strictly. It will also stop the spring spearing 

 by torch-light, so destructive to black bass. I have known 

 of two men making a catch of three hundred pounds of these 

 fish in one evening, all heavy with spawn. Now that the 

 Lake Minnetonka Park Association is improving its 240 acres, 

 the Lake will become even a greatc-r summer resort than 

 before. 



Oregon— Portland, March 28.— Weather here, now and 

 for the past two weeks, stormy and disagreeable ; no shooting 

 or fishing. The " salmon law " expires on the 31st proximo, 

 and we then will have the markets full of the unrivalled 

 "Chinook" or Columbia River salmon. The Indians are 

 bringing lake trout in small quantities to the market, but 

 fishing will not be very good until about the middle of next 

 month, IVm. L. 



Sooop Net Fishermen, — Port Huron, Mich., Aprils. — 

 Editor Forest and Stream : I saw in your issue of March 26 

 an item about trout fishing in the Ocqueve River in this 

 State, copied from the Rogers City Advance. I was up there 

 in August last and received a full description of that catch 

 from Mr. Sims, the lighthouse-keeper at Presque Isle, who 

 saw and had some of the fish. His statement of the fishing is 

 that the party of five went to the Ocqueve River ; two fished 

 with lines and the others used scoop nets, and took every- 

 thing clean. The river was so shoal that they drove the fish 

 into pools and took them out of the pools with nets. Mr. 

 Sims further stated that during the first of the season fishing 

 was very good, hut before the season was out the stream was 

 completely stripped of fish, and that all that would be left 

 foi this season would be those that were too s m a ll for laBt 

 season's catch, H. Botbford, 



Comment superfluous. 



Shad Blow. — Utka, A 7 . F., April!.— Regarding the shad 

 blow, or June berry wood for fly rods, we would say, we 

 have used it with good sucess for buts and seasoned joints. 

 Think a rod made with shad blow but and 2d joint and split 

 bamboo tips cannot be bettered except by an all split bam- 

 boo. Great care should be taken in getting that which is 

 straight-grained and well seasoned, and, as Mr. Orvis says in 

 last week's issue, it is almost impossible to get it straight- 

 grained. We were very fortunate in getting a good supply 

 from an admirer of shad blow, and it is first class. 



Buckingham & Pebbie. 



That Lost Switch Key. — About a month ago the Express 

 published an account of a switch key, which was being used 

 as a sinker at the time, was lost in the bay at Elizabeth, a fish 

 taking it from the line and carrying it off. The key was sub- 

 sequently found in the stomach of a fish captured in the Con- 

 necticut River, near New London. A gentleman at High 

 Bridge sends us the following relative to it : "The long-prom- 

 ised switch key lost by W. P. Hibler, conductor on the Cen- 

 tral Railroad of New Jersey, arrived from the East last night, 

 and was immediately put on exhibition at High Bridge until 

 7:47 this morning, when it was forwarded by train No. 17 to 

 Jersey City to be exhibited to the numerous friends of Mr. 

 Hibler. En route through the principal cities it was dis- 

 played from the side of the rear car, attracting crowds. A 

 haudsome set of resolutions were elegantly engrossed on the 

 key. This much traveled key will probably rind its last rest- 

 ing place at the Smithsonian Institution.— Easion (Pa.) Ex- 

 press, April 8. 



It is to be regretted that the species of fish was not desig- 

 nated, as the value of the information to science is lost by the 

 omission. The facts given might shed some new light upon 

 the migrations of fish which it would be desirable to know. 



Habits of Salmon in Nova Scotia Riybbs. — The fol- 

 lowing paper, furnished at our solicitation by Dr. Bernard 

 Gilpin, of Halifax, is one of the most valuable and important 

 papers ever contributed concerning the habits of salmon. It 

 will be observed, upon perusal, that there is a most singular co- 

 incidence respecting the habits of these salmon and those of 

 their congeners of the Pacific, although they have been sup- 

 posed to differ materially. Dr. Gilpin proves almost con- 

 clusively that salmon are moving up or down Nova Scotia 

 rivers during every month of the year, December being the 

 only month of which sufficient testimony is lacking. The 

 same is true of the Pacific salmon. They are probably 

 ascending or descending the rivers in every month of the year, 

 though positive testimony seems lacking as to a brief period 

 near the close of winter and the beginning of spring. 



Just now there is an effort being made in Nova Scotia to 

 secure from the Parliament a new code of laws based upon the 

 observations of the fishermen, so that flsh can be taken when 

 they seem to be most plenty j but we shall prefer to trust per- 

 sons who are not bo directly interested pecuniarily as the 

 fishermen, whose interests, as Dr. Gilpin says in his closing 

 sentence, are "always immediate, and never prospective." 

 Dr. Gilpin writes : 



Halifax, March 10.— Mr. Editor : I have come to the con- 

 clusion that Nova Scotia salmon run from the sea into the 

 Jakes every month in the year ; January and February very 

 few; more in March and April, but the great run is in May 

 and June. In July the ocean fish, before it goes up river, has 

 its spawn much increased and has lost its flavor and pink 

 flesh, and has become soft. Toward the end of August the 

 fish breeders set their traps just above tide for their spawning 

 fish, and take them till November. InNovember they spawn, 

 but while these are spawning there is a small, as regards num- 

 bers, ocean run of fish — (spawn undeveloped, which finds its 

 way into the Halifax market in good condition). Gurnets 

 are usually removed at the end of November, but there can 

 scarcely be a doubt of a few running in December. Except- 

 ing the smolts coming down in May and June, I have no 

 proof of salmon returning to the sea except in March and 

 April, when there is a perfect exodus of spent salmon coming 

 down v, ith the broken ice in such vast numbers as to account 

 for all which have gone up, and in such miserable condition — 

 so lean and so voracious — as to account for their prolonged 

 stay in fresh water. Last year the Truro and Eastern 

 press opened upon the takers of these flsh, and most justly, 

 and I am expecting this year again to hear it. At the same 

 time our S. W. rivers— iledway and Yarmouth— are having 

 fine ocean run fish running up, which must cross this de- 

 scending crowd. Those in January and February are very 

 few, so few as to. make only exceptions to the general law. 

 Unless you saw yourself Saul, the Indian, taking the fish, I 

 should say he did it once or twice, and then said he always 

 did it. I myself knew of an ocean fish taken on New Year's 

 Bay through the ice in a mill dam of the Lequille (Annapolis 

 County), scarcely a mile from tide, by an Indian fishing for 

 trout. " What did you do with him ?" I said. " Put him in 

 de pot, eat him," was his squaw's quick reply. " Then, sister, 

 I beg to congratulate you upon being the best dined lady in 

 the county, if not in the province, as few New Year's dinners 

 cost twenty dollars," which would willingly have been paid for 

 him for export to Boston. That many smolts remain up for 

 two years and more I have personal proof from gentlemen of 

 accuracy, who have seen them in attendance upon the female, 

 seven inches long only, This accords with English author- 

 ities. I never have obtained a salmon in the parr form. They 

 generally disappear as pinks during autumn and reappear as 

 smolts in May, the changes taking place under the ice and 

 they taking no bait or coming to the little brooklets. The op- 

 posite to this are the parrs of £'. gUmerii, which abound near the 

 tide and in the small runs, and are of great beauty. Notwith- 

 standing such names as Girrard, Putman, Suckley in America, 

 andGuQther,LeithAddams, in England, your naturalists will not 

 allow this poor fish a distinct species, simply because they 

 have never seen one, but are pounding away upon 

 land-locked salmon, which, I believe, al'e only spent salmon 

 returning to the sea, and are confounding them with 

 8. sebngo, 8. St. Croix, and S.schoodie, which I believe are all 

 GloverU in its silvery form. I have not our fishing laws by 

 me, but from the debates of our commons at Ottawa upon 

 fisheries this spring, the boundless and reckless assertions, 

 made without any attempt of proof or knowledge, make me 

 think we are too young a nation yet to have laws founded in 

 science, and that at present the Government in power cannot 

 afford to do or to change any law that would tend to lessen 

 their hold upon the votes of the fishermen, who are influenced 

 by their own interests—always immediate, and never pro- 

 spective. Bbbnasd GruT». 



