276 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



seamen as over paced, a ship's deck. Business calline mo to Lon- 

 don, I took my passage \ritU the latter. It blew fresh we when 

 started from JoraBY, but it gradually increased to a smart gale, 

 our teeth, when we left Guernsey. We steamed very slowly 

 ■until we -reached the Great Kussel— the passage between the other 

 islands and Guernsey. Hero wo not only had a heavy sea— dead 

 on— bnt a strong tide on oar Btarboard bow. The tout i 

 WaB far from pleasant, as our little craft was making no headway, 

 Merely holding her own ; but the tide was gradually setting us in 

 ishore, and I saw plainly that there was danger ahead. A glance 

 at the weather-beaten countonanco of one bravo old captain, at 

 that of his chief officer, showed that we all saw things in the same 

 light. A Providential thought struck me, and joining Mr. Roberts, 

 the chief officer, who was pacing the deck on the port side, 

 I plainly stated my opinion of the state' of affairs, to which he 

 readily assented. I then told him that there might be a chance 

 of escaping by trying to beat out— as with a sailing vessel, as ehe 

 would then make headway, and the tide being lees felt, would 

 lather help us on one tack. He approved of my suggestion, and 

 ■wished me to speak to Captain White without delay. To this I 

 cabjeoted on principle. Captains do not like their passengers to 

 interfere with the sailing of the ship, and though Captain White 

 and I were great friends, the suggestion would come better from 

 the chief officer. Mr. Eoberts walked over to the captain, who no 

 sooner heard his reasoning than ho ordered the man at the wheel 

 to alter the course, and in four or five tacks we cleared the ledge 

 and were fra© from danger. 

 Falooner, in his " Shipwreck," says : 



" Oh, were it mine with tuneful Maro's art 

 To wake to sympathy the feeling heart ; 



Then might I with unrivall'd strains deplore 

 Th' impervious horrors of a leeward shore." 



l'roni the " Lee Bail" to the "Lee Shore." A queer transition, 

 some of your readers may possibly consider it, Mr. Editor. But 

 as I said before, Forest and Stream reminds mo of my younger 

 days. Once on that tack, shortening sail is no easy matter. I only 

 hope that none of your many readers will have to encounter those 

 " impervious horrora " as I have had on two other occasions, to 

 which I may revert hereafter. 



Stop ! I hear the merry voice of my grandson—" a true chip of 

 the old block" — who is shouting, "Gran' pa, First of April!" 

 "All Fools' Day," sure enough. Memory, can'Bt thou recall to 

 mind Borne youthful anecdote ? We have it ! 



In the early part of the present century, there lived in the Island 

 of Jersey a remarkable, self-educated man, known as Philosopher 

 Le Feuvre— a good mathematician, well versed in Latin ; one who 

 might have been a shining character, had ho not become the slave 

 of the demon of intemperance. The Boyal Square — the present 

 lounge— was once tho market-place, and the spot now occupied by 

 the guard-house was then devoted to the numerous donkeys on 

 which the country dames brought their farm produce for sale— 

 hence it acquired the name of "Asses Corner." n a certain 

 First of April, a group of notables had assembled on this very 

 Bpot to discuss, for aught I know, the probabilities of ocean steam 

 navigation or railroad traveling— myths in those days— when their 

 conversation was suddenly interrupted by the appearance, in the 

 offing, of friend Le Feuvre (we knew him well), and some one sug- 

 gested that he should be invited to join them, in ordci 

 him on some fool's errand, if possible. Mr. Atniraux, the banker, 

 was deputed to decoy him, and they Boon joined the group, all 

 welcoming the Philosopher most cordially. He, suspecing their 

 intention, dryly asked : " Gentlemen, is this not what is vulgarly 

 termed 'Asset* Corner?'" "Certainly, Mr. Philosopher," was 

 the ready response. " Then, gentlemen, allow me to say adieu ! 

 There will be at least one aas less !" And off he walked, leaving 

 the would-be wits somewhat crestfallen. 



"True wit is nature to advantage dresa'd 

 What oft was thought, but ne'er so well express'd; 

 Something whose truth convinced at sight, we find, 

 That gives us back the image of our mind."— Pope. 



Puma? Vibert. 



f^# md JJiMf 



FISH IN SEASON IN MAY. 



Trout, ScW/ 



Kalmon, kalnw Salar. 



Grayling, ThymmaUius tricolor. 



Salmon Trout, tSalmo ctnifinis. 



Shad, AIcna. 



Land-locked Salmon, ftahnorrioveri. 



FLIES IN SEASON IN MAY. 

 BLACK May, NO. lu.-Body, black; feet, black; wings, grayish hyaline 



Cow Ddng, Nob. 10 asd n.-Body Bnd feet, brownish yellow ; wings, 

 yellow gray. 



GREAT Dun, Nos. iKB s.-Bccly, purple brown ; feet. graj brown; 

 wings, dark gray hyaline ; setse, dark brown, annulated v. . 



BSD SrisNER, Kos. 10 Ann 9.— lice i . ribbed with gold 



tinsel ; fact, brick color ; wings, gray hyal ; setie, paleln^ bj 



Yellow Mat, No. lO.-Body and feet, pale yellow ; wings, pale yel- 

 low, mouled with brown; setie, yellow. 



Cc.Aon-MAK.-Body, peaoocK herl;] feet, dark red hackle; wings, 

 ■white. 



King of the Wateb.— Same as cjueen of tne water, with scarlet, body 

 instead of orange. 



GOLn Sfinneb.— Body, orange, ribbed with gold tinsel ; feet, pale 

 red hackle ; wings, bslght gray. 



Captain.— Body, posterior Half, peacock herl, anterior half, gray; 

 white feet ; red hackle ; wings gray ; sets, scarlet green and wood- 

 duck feathers mixed. 



Soldier.— Body, crimson ; feet, red tiacBle; wmgs, gray. 



Kingdom.— Body, white, ringed with green ; feet, peacock herl, and 

 red ImcKle ; wings, gray, mottled with brown. 



■■■ Palmer, ilrown Palmer, lied Palmer am! &ra» Pain 

 made respectively of the colored hackles that distinguish them. 



—Mr. Imbrie, of the firm of Abbey & Imbrie, sailed in the 

 "White Star steamer Adriatic, May 1. He goes on a regular 

 tour of inspection to visit the enormous fish-hook and needle 

 factories at Redditch, England, controlled by h' 



—If anglers -who wish really good fishing andean spare the 

 time will go to Sebec, Maine, this week, so as to ta] 

 early salmon in the lake when the ice breaks up, (which it is 

 expected will occur at any day,) they will have the grandest 



fishing in their experience— and no flies. Take railroad from 

 Bangor, and put up with Frank M. Ford. 



Akothbr.— The pickerel that swallowed another pickerel, 

 the pike that swallowed a small iron foundry, and the catfish 

 that swallowed the eel that had swallowed the minnow that 

 had swallowed the hook may now retire to a backseat. 

 Their glory has faded ; their bones have been picked. The 

 darkey's fish-hook is in the ascendant just now. It was near 

 Boanoke, North Carolina, that a small African, lying on the 

 river's bank, baited his hook with a roach, tied the line to his 

 left great, toe, as all model Southern darkey fishermen in- 

 variably do, and then — another characteristic piscatorial 

 custom— fell fast ae it is so conjectured by his 



sorrowing family— no one will ever know for certain. The 

 dwellers in the vicinity report a startling aerial spectacle. 

 Their attention was first attracted by a terrific clamor in the 

 air, a confused mingling of the croakings of a catfish, the 

 squawking of a duck, the hooting of an owl, the shrill cry of 

 an enormous eagle, and above all, agonized human shrieks. 

 The vision passed too rapidly over their heads to admit, of 

 any definite comprehension of what took place, and indeed 

 the scores of beholders who caught a momentary glimpse of 

 the apparition give very diverse accounts of what they really 

 did see, or thought they saw. The two particulars agreed up- 

 on by all were an eagle and a boy, the latter apparently 

 suspended by one foot some distance below tho bird. The 

 vision disppeared among the clouds Nor'-east by Nor'. One 

 thing is certain : the boy never came homo again, nor has any- 

 thing since been heard of him. The prevailing local opinion, 

 and which has been adopted by the bereaved family, seems to 

 be that the roach was swallowed by a catfish, the catfish at- 

 tacked by a duck, the duck in turn seized by an eagle, — and 

 the duck, fish, roach and boy all borne off by the bird. Tho 

 only weak part of this theory might be the string. The boy, 

 however, it must be remembered, has been distinctly stated to 

 have been a small one. It is to be regretted that this glorious 

 opportunity for a fish-story has been neglected, when a slight 

 increase of avoirdupois in the boy would have swelled the 

 tale to respectable dimensions. But such a tampering with 

 facts would have shorn the incident of its obvious moral, 

 which is, that little darkey boys who fish for catfish should 

 never tie the line to their toes and go to sleep. 



Movements of the Fishiko Fleet. — Two more arrivals 

 have been reported from Western Bank the past week, bring- 

 ing 190,0001bs. split codfish. The number of Gratid Bank 

 arrivals has been 14, but the fleet have averaged small fares. 

 The total receipts for the week have been 380,0001bs. Mine 

 ii rivals have been reported, bringing 135,0001bs. 

 codfish and 9,0001bs. halibut. Three arrivals have been re- 

 ported from Shore trips with 60,0001bs. codfish. Whole 

 number of fishing arrivals for the week, 32. — Gape Ann Ad- 

 vertiser, May 3. 



New York— Shelter Island, April 28. — The fishing steam- 

 ers and sailing vessels— a very numerous fleet— are "now all 

 ready for the bunker fishing season, but very few of the fish 

 have as yet appeared. The fishing was so remarkably good 

 last year that the fishermen have been encouraged to make 

 great preparations for this season. New factories have been 

 built and old ones repaired and extended, and several new 

 steamers have been built and are all ready for their cruises. 

 These steamers have been built at Portland, Maine, and at 

 neighboring ship yards, but their engines and iron-work are 

 all constructed at Portland. These steamers cost from $10,- 

 000 to $15,000 each ; but if the season is as good this year as 

 it was last the outlay will prove a good investment. These 

 steamers, besides captain, engineer, fireman and cook, carry 

 a crew of eight men, sufficient to man two fishing boats. 

 There will be, of course, a great loss as well as disappoint- 

 ment if the fishery should this year prove to be a failure. 

 It is said that the men of Massachusetts complain that our 

 fisheries are on the decline. The Governor of that State has 

 called the attention of the Legislature to the alarming condb 

 tion of the fisheries. Reports and statistics go to show that 

 there is not by one-half the number of vessels belonging to 

 the fishing fleet hailing from the States as formerly ; and, on 

 the other hand, the Provincials have started up and ha7e done 

 more tho past year to extend this branch of industiy than 

 for the ten years previous. Mali, 



Einsep's Ashley Home, Barnegal Inlet, 

 May 3. — Flounders are plenty, catching some fifty per boat. 

 Dad Parker caught the first blackfish yesterday. Blutish — A 

 school was seen off the bar yesterday by crew of life saving 

 station here while out rendering assistance to the schooner 

 ground on the bar. I also hear of two bluefish 

 let at Waretown same day. Last year the first was 

 taken April 29. B. 



Pennsylvania.— The trout season [in Pike County opened 

 last Thursday, May 1. Great numbers of anglers, ninny of 

 them from Nov/ York City, were on bund. The day was 

 cold and the water high, lint the fish were biting n 

 The Sawkill flies found most effective were small, with body 

 and wings lead colot ; also red hackle and coachman. Ex- 

 perts say that really good fishing may be looked for about a 

 week from to-day. 



KbhtuoKT'S Quota. — Mt, Sterling, Ky., April 27. — Dr. 

 Williams, of Powell Co., went fishing in Red River for suck- 

 ers in company with 1 lominie Peeples. They had caught a 

 fine string and secured them to a bush near the edge of the 

 water. Bearing a slashing in the water of rather unusual 

 vigor, and suspecting that some turtle was making too free 

 with the fish, they went to see aud found a large pike had 

 swallowed one of tho suckers, and in trying to get away had 

 become entangled in the string. The doctor called for the 

 Dominie who came and jumped in waist-deep, 

 lie being of that persuai 

 heroically assisted the Doctor in successfully landin 

 which measured 39 inches and weighed 14 pounds 2 ounces. 

 Upon another occasion, Mr. B. Boi of Bcatty- 



ville, caught a pike in Kentucky River that measured 6 feet 

 and weighed 02 pounds. The fish has long been known in 

 that locality as "Old Spott." Van. 



Bh* Fish.— Six sturgeon were caught at Kanawha Falls on 

 Saturday, the heaviest, weighing eighty pounds, being sent 

 to the hotel in Huntington. Will "somebody exnlain how 

 these sturgeon got there?— Bkhmond DupaUh, 



The fish probably turned into the Ohio River while on their 

 way to the upper Mississippi, and thonce into the Kanawha. 

 Nothing remarkable about that. 'The upper Mississippi, es- 

 pecially that wider portion known as Lake Pepin, abounds in 

 sturgeon of both varieties. 



Jackmnport, April 38.— The angling fraternity 

 have been unusually happy. Fine strings of black and striped 

 base have rewarded their efforts. Peter Bach opened the 

 season with a string of 50 pounds, taken on the bar oppo ite 

 town in a little less than two hours. Black and striped bass, 

 Ohio River salmon, and crappies are almost constantly in 

 market. Yell. 



Ohio— Painmille, May 1.— The close season for fish com- 

 mences to-day. .1 wrote you some time since in regard to the 

 new fish law, and have seen no reason to change my mind in 

 regard to it. Thi in good condition to fish, and 



were it not for the law we would enjoy the best basB fishing 

 known for years. Owing to the ice in the lake drifting to 

 this shore, the pound fishermen have been unable to place 

 their pounds at the mouth of the river, and the bass have been 

 able to come up the river, where they are now in great num- 

 bers. We must not catch them, the law says, but allow them 

 to return to the lake, there to be caught in the pounds this 

 fall. Now, if our Legislature is so anxious to ptotect the 

 bass, why do they let these pound men place their pounds on 

 both sides of the river for miles into the lake, thus intercept- 

 ing all fish that try to ascend the river to spawn ? I give you 

 a few strings that have been caught this week : My~brother 

 on the 2-Sth instant caught 12 that weighed 18 pounds, and on 

 the 29th caught 12 more that weighed about the same. Yes- 

 terday Mr. C. A. Harding caught 4 that weighed 8i pounds, 

 and Mr. Edward Gilmore caught 8 that weighed 22.t pounds. 

 1 have caught as good strings for the past three days. We 

 could caj rings for a month to come ; after that 



they will not bite, as they begin spawning. Nakit. 



Wisconsin — Barahoo, April 27. — The warm weather for 

 the past few days has started the black bass up the Baraboo 

 River, and some fine strings have been caught, among them 

 a bass that weighed ai pounds. Ed. H. 



0( A Tbuly Blaok Bass. — Editor Forest and Stream : It not 

 uufrequently happens that, in reading the experiences of your 

 correspondents as they appear in your columns, I come across 

 things I have observed so of ten as to regard them as quite 

 common. That may be the case with the following, which I 

 relate simply because I never saw anything like it before: 

 1 1 miner, while crossing the " Devil's Fork " of Little 

 Red River, on the Batesville Road, I observed, on stopping 

 near the bank for my horse to drink, a considerable number 

 of sun-fish, Pamotis vulgaris, watching their little circular 

 nests, and apparently greatly disquieted. Soon from under a 

 bush, a little above, came a fish of large size, carefully patrol- 

 ing the ground and returning to his 'station, apparently dis- 

 turbing nothing. My attention was attracted by the unusual 

 size, great symmetry, and extremely dark color of this fellow, 

 and I rode ashore and dismounted and carefully observed his 

 movements for some time, during which he made his rounds 

 among the perch nests several "times. The little Vomotm 

 stood their ground, made no attacks upon how- 



ever near to their homes he might approach, But seemed by 

 no means to like his presence. I could plainly see that the 

 fish was a black buss, of a uniform deep blaok. 



1 crawled to the bush in whose shade he had his ncHtiug-place 

 and got a neater view of him. His back, sides, fins and tail 

 all were blue!:, and when he. turned upon his side his belly 

 seemed to be of the sinie color— solid black. The black bass 

 —there called trout — are abundant in the stream, and I have 

 seen specimens of the usual color there often. The onelhave 

 attempted to dea foot long, and 



of line shapely appparance. 



npwi, Ark, April 28. 

 How Fish Ascend Falls — Mr. Editor: An illustra- 

 tion entitled " Trout Jumping the Falls," published in Frank 

 Leslie's Ittustr of April If), suggests a few re- 



ma! ks upon a popular fallacy — that, fish when ascending a 

 stream, pass the falls by "jumping over" them. In the il- 

 lustration alluded to there are two trout depicted, one high 

 in the air at the brink of the fall, with nose pointed heaven- 

 ward, an 'on its side on the surface of the rapid 

 water, immediately above the brink. This is a fair represen- 

 tation of the manner in which fish do not usually pass falls, 

 although popularly supposed to make a clear leap from the 

 pool below to the smooth water above. The general preva- 

 lence of such an erroneous belief was especially brought to 

 my attention last summer during a time that I was engaged 

 g fish-ways for some of the rivers in Maine. In 

 company with our Fish Commissioner, Hon. E. M. Stilwell, 

 rious localities with the above object in view, and 

 many times did we listen to such remarks as this : 



ps you may doubt it, gentlemen, but I have seen a 

 salmon ma's- ■ over falls eight or ten feet high, 



nfo the smooth water above." 



statements are made by persons of intelligence 

 and undoubted veracity (even as to fish st i 

 titled to some attention. A few inquiries, however, invari- 

 ably elicited the fact that in all such cases the observer was 

 above the falls when the salmon was seen. This explains the 

 deception. If the individual who believes that salmon pass 

 such tails by a clear leap through the air or " sail over like a 

 q though he may have' "passed his who: 



| seen it with his own eyes," will stand 

 below the falls and see a salmon pass them, he will be practi- 

 cally convinced of his error. He may see a salmon 



of a fall, but fail to pass over. But many failures 



will not deter the fish from making further attempts, day 



after day, and perhap3 for maD.y weeks, at intervals. Sup 



lit finally succeeds. The observer below the falls 



may see the fish pass up in the water of the falls with such 



speed and impetus as to shoot into the air at the brink of the 



falls, and upon falling is seen no more. The observer above 



the falls only sees the fish in the air, and very naturally inters 



the last part of a "jump" made from the 



pool below. I have yet to learn of any reliable person who 



fish leave the water and by a single jump pass 



through the air and clear a sheer fall eight or ten feet in 



height. 



By the enforcement of our recent laws and the construc- 

 tion of practical fishways, Maine rivers will again teem with 

 salmon, and an income such as Canada receives may yet be 

 received in Maine for rod licences, in addition to that de- 



