504 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



bottom like a shaft of light, strike the fly, and with light- 

 ning rapidity dart away to escape from oajrtivity. The 

 rod is bent into a graceful curve by his movement, and 

 out of the water he jumps, with a display of nerve and 

 mottle, which provokes the warmest admiration, Instead 

 of the bright red spots on the trout, you find dark ones on 

 the gides of the grayling. But his chief glory iB in the 

 Large dorsal fin. uponwhoee transparent surface are (so l 

 found on the size of my first, fish) some twenty spots of 

 an opaline tint. Satisfied was atfr curiosity with there- 

 suit of our exainination, and we once more proceeded 

 downstream with fresh Zealand inspiration to fill the 

 basket. Some skill is required in places to so manipulate 

 your rod as to avoid the overhanging branches of trees, 

 and also to keep your leaders and flies safe from the occa- 

 sional logs which often obstruct the stream; but in ft 



main 11 

 ty man. 



appreciates 

 stood in one spot., 

 landed twenty. Tin 

 O'clock, and from fi 



of the Mainstee has as a fishing locali- 

 lafciona. The fish arc as plenty as any 

 the sport can desire. Often I have 

 and without moving my position. 

 bite beet in the morning till ten 

 til it is quite dark, (he latter espe- 



cially, when they will jump high for a white miller. 6 

 first day's fishing resulted in the capture of some two 

 hundred, (our party consisting of three, withhttle expert 

 once). They averaged hi weight about nine ounces, some 

 reaching one and a half lbs. In the main branch they grow 

 to a larger size, frequently being caught to weigh five lbs. 

 We remained some time on the river, and the fishing 

 Of its charm, flame, (I mean the larger kinds) 

 was very plenty, deer being frequently seen, and a black- 

 berry patch but half a mile away being the rendezvous of 

 two hears. One of the party wandering up the river. 

 having hooked a fine fish heard a rustle on the bank, and 

 looking up saw a fine large buck eyeing him critically. 

 1 ' eii said the deer did not move for some minutes, 

 and being himself unarmed, took off his lint, and gave a 

 loud whoop, at which the 'buck bounded away into the 

 woods, I mention the incident for the benefit of sports- 

 men who might desire a trip here in (lie game season. 

 October and November are good months for shooting. 



The day at last arrived when we must bid farewell to 

 the Mainstee and the grayling. Having packed all our 

 COttLp outfit on board ' a flat bottomed boat, with 

 uide as coxswain of the craft, we pushed 

 ' of the Mainstee for a distance 

 The current of the river is very 

 ln lie course. The effort, therefore, 

 was insignificant, and afl we had 

 picturesque surroundings, the nov- 

 .. and wiklness of the passing scenery, 

 at the wheel •' would look out for all 



ldition of thi 



ids fo 



is, hov 

 l adv. 



,vhi 



leave but 



guide in spite of 



off and our descent 

 of forty miles began. 

 swift throughout the w 

 of propelling the boat, 

 to do was to enjoy the 

 elty of the situali 

 trusting the " ma 

 breakers. This pit 

 not of long duration. When 

 in turning One of the sharp be 

 famous, where the current was very s 

 had so blown across the stream as' tc 

 narrow place for getting through. Th 

 his efforts, was unable, to control the boat in the treach- 

 erous waters, so it struck the tree with great violence 

 and was drawn partially under by the great suction power 

 of the pool into which we had gone. All of our traps were 

 thrown out. the guide as well, and treated to an involun- 

 tary bath. My "eompagnon du voyage " managed to 

 grasp a limb of the tree, and keep the boat from being 

 carried further downwards, and holding with one hand 

 on to the trunk containing our worldly effects ; following 

 his example, with the other I managed to keep from be- 

 ing drawn under the tree, But before long the trunk 

 filled with water, and the blankets saturated, became a 

 load no longer able to be held up, so down stream they 

 went to join our highly prized rods, and keep company 

 with the provisions and other articles. The guide, how- 

 ever, redeemed somewhat his reputation by a lively rush 

 and swim, recovered many of the traps, and having drawn 

 myself up on to the trunk of the tree by an exercise of 

 muscle that surprised me, caught the boat on the other 

 side as it shot from under the feet of my friend as he ex- 

 tricated himself from his precarious position. 



By efforts which now seem unaccountable, the remain- 

 der 'of the heavier articles were fished out of the bottom 

 of the stream : the gun, landing nets, and the cooking 

 utensils having of course sunk. We also found sundry 

 other odd pieces, not of our own property, but which 

 evidently belonged to a party from Pittsburgh, whom we 

 afterwards learned had undergone a fate similar to our 

 own. If they will call on Joe Clark at Fife Hill next 

 season, when again after grayling, they will find them 

 in his possession, and while not of any great value, yet 

 may remind them of the temperature of the water of the. 



gard can boast. It was towards evening when we passed 

 through Torch Lake, the last of the chain, and well I re- 

 member the impressions made by the glories of its sur- 

 roundings. The trout fishing here is good earlier in the 

 season we were told, and we found the hotel kept by Mr. 

 Fred Lewis, one of the cosiest and most homelike places 



we had encounter u our travels. A ride of a dav and 



night on Lake Michigan via Charlevoix and Petosky'fboth 

 interesting places; through the Straits of Mackinac, dotted 

 all along the steamer's course with islands of rare beauty, 

 brings one to .Mackinac. 



Of this island much has been said and a great deal writ- 

 ten. Its points of interest are very numerous. Its high 

 rocks, from which can be viewed for miles the beauties of 

 the straits, and scenery of the lake, are reached by paths 



When we had collected as many of our things as we 

 could find a large fire was built before which we warmed 

 our chilled bodies, (for the water was as cold as charity) 

 and commenced the process of drying out the traps'. 

 This occupied nearly all day, and the blankets were still 

 wet, so we knew we must find some place to spend the 

 night with a roof, or pass one in decided discomfort. The 

 guide told us that distant some ten miles was the " clear 

 out " of Dutch John, who lived near the river. For John's 

 therefore we set off, and most hospitably did he and his 

 wife receive us, and before a fire of crackling logs , after a 

 warm and hearty supper, the day's mishap was viewed 

 in the light of an adventure, rather than a, misfortune. 

 The next morning at an early hour found us again on our 

 voyage, making rapid progress without encountering ob- 

 stacles. During the day we passed a camp of log rollers, 

 built upon a raft, who were following the logs down to 

 the river's mouth. They told us we could proceed but 

 little farther that night, as a ' ' jam " over half a mile in 

 length was but a short distance ahead, and would prevent 

 any attempt to make much progress for at least three days. 

 Not caring to wait this time, we sent the guide some four 

 miles through the woods to a settlement for a wagon 

 which he succeeded in procuring. 



By making a portage of half a mile, we got all things 

 loaded, and by ten oclock that night we were at Fife Lake. 

 I leave the Mainstee here, and as my thoughts turn to 

 other themes, it is with the wish that each reader may 

 sometime visit thi.B stream and cast his lines in its many 

 delightful places. 



From Fife Lake we went to Traverse City, where all 

 (lie beauties of Grand Traverse Bay ever delight a sojourn- 

 er. Taking the boat Jennie Sutton, we proceeded to Elk 

 Rapids, and from there to Brownstown, through as pretty 

 a chain of kikes as Michigan with all its notoriety in this re- 



:; tbr, 

 a pi 



n eg : 



The Bu 



■ Li k 



.antic locality. The hotels arepoorasa da;--;, cie.l 

 the "Old Mission "presents indeed an antiquated ami 

 dilapidated appearance, yet each year finds them all filled 

 with people/willing to 'forego their discomforts, for an 

 enjoyment of the island's attraction. The same feeling 

 that has prompted us fco honestly eulogize the many sum- 

 mer resorts in northern Michigan; prompts us also to be- 

 stow a parting encomium on Mackinac. Certainly the 

 fabric that can lie woven from the recollections of a", visit 

 here will ever keep if iriiini. hi memory. 



NEPKiuX. 

 Yoinigstoirn. Ohio. April 16, 1*79. 



S&k § nltorq. 



Rivers RESTOCKED WITH Salmon.— We have reports 

 of full grown salmon having been taken during the past 

 fortnight in the Connecticut, Farmhigton. and Mill rivers, 

 in the State of Connecticut, and in the Genesee River, in 

 this State. From the data received, these fish must all 

 have come from tlie plants of five and six years ago, 

 when so much Ova was distributed, The fish were in fine 

 condition, and full of roe, indicating that they were seek- 

 ing the spawning beds of their native rivers. This is 

 good enough news. From the fact that salmon have 

 I leen credited with returning to their rivers three years 

 after propagation, and that they have not so returned to 

 many rivers where they were planted, has discouraged 

 some fish breeders ; but we should advise no one to cease 

 watching, for results for years to come. If planting of 

 ova is continued annually the better the chances will be 

 of success. Most of the headwaters of restocked streams 

 are in every way favorable to the culture of salmon, and 

 there is not the slightest doubt that the planted fry grow 

 to fingerhngs and parr in due. time, and that the parr in 

 their turn become smolts. Or two years fish, and that the 

 smolts leave the rivers and go to the sea; but whether 

 they return in any considerable numbers has always been 

 an open question with us. One thing is certain, viz.: 

 that salmon and cultivated soil are not found together. 

 While the headwaters of these rivers are as pure and clear 

 as can be desired, the lower stream, as soon as it strikes 

 plowed ground, is discolored with the detritus and wash 

 of tin soil. At Well's River Junction recently, we noticed 

 that the water of the Connecticut was discolored, and 

 thence all the way down. We do not believe the instinct 

 of salmon will induce them to pass through two hundred 

 miles of muddy water to reach the clear water above. In 

 wilderness streams freshets rod the waters greatly, but 

 the flood passes off in two or three clays, Were the. im- 

 purity to continue for months they would soon cease to 

 be salmon rivers. If wo have rivers whose banks are but 

 little cultivated, then we shall raise and preserve salmon. 

 Of such is the Dennis River in Maine, -which has really 

 never ceased to he a salmon river, although it was much 

 depleted a, few years ago. Now we understand it is rapidly 

 recovering its old prestige. Its course runs chiefly 

 through the forest. 



The IT. S. Fishery Commission at Summer Work.— 

 We have the folio-wing brief minutes from Prof. Goede, 

 dated Provincetown, Mass., July 19.: 



'• We are just getting organized for work, and there is 

 nothing of interest to report. Prof. Baird arrived on 

 Wednesday, the steamer on the Saturday previous. We 

 are fitting up a laboratory on the end of the old steam- 

 boat wharf. The. most interesting exploration of sum- 

 mer -will probably be on George's Banks. [ shall keep 

 von posted regarding any inn" eries. 



G. B. G. " 



The Fish Hawk, the new steamer of the Commission, 

 will be a model in her way, the plan of her construction 

 being the fruit of the Commission's experience in the past, 

 She will be 146 ft, 9 in. long on the water line, 27 ft. beam. 

 10 ft. 9 in. in depth of hold. She will be provided -with 

 four water-tight bulkheads, one 30 ft. from stem, one at 

 forward end of boiler, and one abaft the engines, of 

 double thickness, with felt between, tongued and grooved, 

 with proper doors, etc. Her, main cabin will be 48 ft. 

 long, with 8 state-rooms, bath-rooms, water-closets, 

 pantry, etc. The pilot house, captain's room, and labora- 

 tory will be on the promenade deck, in a house 24 ft. long, 

 10 ft, wide, and 7+ ft, high. The Commissioner's office 

 will be in the main cabin aft, and his state-room on the 

 starboard side. The lower forward cabin will be neatly 

 fitted up for the use of the mates and assistant, engineers. 

 The forecastle will have 14 berths, and the lower after cabin 

 will be 43 ft. long, with four lengths of berths. The kitch- 

 en will he S* ft. long. The steamer will be fitted with 



every possible facility for dredging, preparing and pre- 

 serving specimens, the propagation of fish, and the other 

 work of the Commision, 



Food for Young Trout. —Mr. II. T. Woodman, a gentle- 

 man engaged in scientific Fish culture at Dubuque, Iowa, 

 recommends sweet cream mixed with bullock's blood as 

 food for young trout. Curds, chopped Ever, and e 



other food sinks to the bottom where trout will not seek 

 it, whereas cream floats. Food which sinks to the bottom 

 is not only wasted, but it defiles the pond air 



disease. 



Pennsylvania.— A new fish way has been adopted for 

 the Columbia dam m the Susquehanna. It will be wedge- 

 shaped with the large end below, and is to be constructed 

 by Mr. A. J. Whitney, resident engineer of the Philadel- 

 phia i! no Reading R. R. Co's canals. 



CULTURE OF LANDLOCKED SALMON. 



y llAlrne;c;p June 21, 1878, 



Editor &omt mill St ream :— 



The plan pursued in this State in the introduction of 

 land-locked sahnon has been to select a dozen lakes or 

 ponds apparently suited to them, and then for four years 



in succession to put from 5,01 1 10,000 young fry in 



each. The essential requisites of a lake foi land-locked 

 salmon are that it shall be large (the larger the i ,, 

 least in parts of it very deep-; the water mil:-, 

 and cold, and there must be a, stream running into it, info 

 which the young fish should be put, and where the adults 

 may eventually deposit their spawn. The following I i-.r. 

 taken from our report of 1H77, shows the ponds selected 

 in 1876, and with one or two exceptions 10.000 young fry 

 have been placed in each one of them even- . 

 the last lot, which completes the four years, having been 

 recently distributed : Spectacle Pond, South Kent, [0,000; 

 Long Lake, Winsted, 10,000 i Twin Lakes, ('hapinsviile, 

 10.000: Wanouscoponus Lake, Lakeville, 10,0110: Smith 

 Pond, Norfolk. 10,000 : Waramaug Lake. Warren. lO.iino 

 Bantam Lake, Litchfield, 15,000 ; Beach Pond.Vohmtown, 

 lo.uoo; Hampton Pond East Hampton, 10,000; Snipsic 

 Lake, Rockville. 10,000 : Rogers' Lake, Lyme, [0,000; 

 Shetucket waters, Windham, 10,000 : Gardiner's Lake, 

 Salem, 10,000. 



We have frequently had news from t hem in some, of 

 these lakes. Hon. Hi B. Steele,,!' West Winsl ed exhibited 

 a specimen to < air legislature last winter. It was taken 



from Long Lake, West Winsted, weighed one pound and 

 three quarters (Impounds) audi i ondition. 



This fish probably was one of those planted in 1876. Many 

 others have been taken in the same lake, but none 50 

 large as this one. One great difficulty to overcome is to 

 prevent fishing in the streams in which these young fry 



are placed. As soon 

 inches they bite raven 



rl li- 





the length of six 



>■• thing, and from the 



Long Lake, ova DOJ 



these young salmon, 



no that age. 



might be mistaken for , 



tninel caret all] . We pro- 



--- 11 hese ponds, 



sive years of stocking with young 



th' ace ■■■■ ■ i :i,, . 



has been very profitable to the 

 ; year, but not so good in the 

 riles iron, ih i mouth Ui : 



very stream which enipti 



last summer look forty-: 



pretending that the}- wen 



they have red spots! and r 



by those who did not exai 



pose now 



thinking that four success; 



fish ought to demonstrate 



pertinent. Shad fishing 1 



pounds in the sound thi 



river. One pound, ten 1 



111 the town of Clinton, b 



Ite largest catch for any previous year was 5,000. The 



salmon are fairly plenty, and notwithstanding the la 



all sent to market, the fishermen claiming in ■ 



that it is impossible to release the fish alive. 



w.vi. H. Hudson. 



Plymouth, June 38, 1S79. 

 Editor Forest and Stream :— 



The attempts at propagation of land-locked salmon in 

 this State have been so recent that it is as yet difficult to 

 give you any very satisfactory data. Some efforts to pro- 

 cure the eggs were made some fits 



the Board of Commissioners then in office, but no positive 

 result has ever appeared. A. si 1 



two years since as having been taken in Newfound Lake 

 in Bristol, one of the waters they attempted to stock. 

 which answered the description of the sahno scbago vary 

 fairly, but the plant in Sunapee Lake has only turned out 

 to be sahno fan tinalis as is supposed by the re 

 trout being taken in Sunapee, which presented, slight dif- 

 ferences m color from the natives of the lake. Still 

 this is too uncertain to be relied on. • Two years ago. in 

 1877, the present, Board procured 10,000 young fry , which 

 were hatched at Winchester. Ma , La listributed is 

 small lots in three or four different waters. One of these 

 fish was taken last year at Sunapee Lake about nine inches 

 long. This spring two, respectively twelve and eighteen 

 inches long, have been taken from a pond in Si 

 in which about 1,000 were put in eighteen 



inches long, weighing 1-J lbs., wi I week at 



Ashland, in the Squam River, the outlet of Squam Lake, 

 in which 1,000 were placed at the same time with those 

 above mentioned, This one was caught four miles below 

 the lake. Of those placed in the eastern part of the State 

 -we have as yet heard nothing. 

 20,000, which Were distributed in small Jots, and t 

 have heard nothing from them. This 1 

 120,000 eggs, which" have been hatched "with small loss, 

 and which we are now distributing. We hi 

 some in Winnepesaukce, Squam, Newfound, and Suna- 

 pee, some in waters in the eastern part of the State, some 

 in Echo Lake, Franconia Notch, and I start frpn 

 the morning with 10,000 for the Connecticut lakes, at the 

 head of that river. When we get through. I will send 

 you a full list of the waters stocked. "W 

 several ponds in Chesire County in the southwest of the 

 State next week, and finish our elistribution for this season. 

 now got a brace of salmon in our ponds at tin 

 hatching house, and one fine one was - 

 the foot of the fishway at Manchester on its way up. One 

 was seen ten days since in the fishway at Lawrent 

 estimated at from twenty to thirty pounds by good 

 judges. flttEE, 



