Alxh-st 30. 1883,] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



89 



complimented Commissioner Hodge said to me last night, 

 Hi;ii Forest asb Stream had done more in the last ten 

 years for fish and game propagation and preservation, aud 

 tforthe interest of the true sportsmen of Ihe country, than 

 had ever been done by atiy OMi or in any way, since tile 

 •country was discovered. V'dK W, 



M.INOIIIJSTKR, N. II., AUfC. -J'j. 



TARPON FISHING. 



IN your issue of the lGth t notice u reference to the tar- 

 pon, hi which your correspondent advocates the capture 

 of this fish with the rod and reel, and he Wisely remarks 

 thai "their capture ivimM be a little more difficult than that 

 ni a large salmon with a fly-rod from Hie shore," It is pos- 

 sible that an expert might succeed in landing One of these 

 ••stiraks of greased lightning" with a rod and reel, hnt the 

 • inesiion mises. what kind of a rod and reel would be neces- 

 sary to attain the end— a friend suggested the use of a J i - 1 it - 



n in'- rod, 



On the llith fast, my Friend', Mr. I'. Gardner, hooked one 

 of the acrobats on ;t large hook and a si out bass line The 

 anchor WBS raised, and after half an liour'n struggle, in 

 which (he fish dragged the boat hither and thither, tin' boat- 

 man beached the boat on a' sandbank, and (J. P. and the boat- 

 man by main strength draggt'ii The tj'sfi to the shun' ami P. 

 cut its'throat. The li-.li weighed 145 pounds. 



1 opine that your correspondent would lind the capture of 

 such a fish with a rod and reel a seven-foot Undertaking, and 

 a little more difficult thai, bringing to gaff a "lo.dlv salmon." 

 it is possible that when fishing for bass with a rod and reel 

 I may be so unfortunate as to hook a tarpon, ami if 1 do you 

 skull* be tavored with the particulars of flie acrobatic per- 

 formances. 



Tarpon visit the St. John's River in great numbers in May 

 and remain until October, when they leave for parts un- 

 known. In the Callonsahaichee 1,'iver, Esl.ero Bay, and 

 Oilier points on the southwest coast and the eastern coast of 

 Florida, they can la- found in immense numbers during the 

 winter months. To give some idea of how diiflcuU ii is to 

 capture a tarpou, 1 need bin remark that each summer they 

 art alUIOS< daily hooked in this section by persons fishing for 

 ' ' and yet the one captured on the Kith is the second one 

 that, has been landed in rive years in this section of the State. 

 Tarpon rush through the water with lightning rapidity, out- 

 leap any other fish, when in the air open their jaws and 

 shake their heads, like a terrier shaking it rat, and by sonic 

 nuaeeoitnirdile means break hookn, part lines, and mysteri- 

 ously dislodge unsavory steel. They are artful dodgers, 

 and seem to defy the skill of our best' fishermen. To those 

 who arc fond of capturing large fish and imagine they can 

 outwit Florida tarpon. lean only say, let them try. 'That 

 success may attend experimenters is the prayer of one who 

 has done much: salt-water fishing in many portions of the 

 world and one who lias been outwitted by more than one 

 tarpon, and the fooled one signs himself Ai, FRESCO, 



.Jacksonville. Kin.. August. 1883. 



deal of sentiment connected with the sunfish, and so there is 

 with the trout and salmon, and it is well that it is SO. There 

 is not among us as vet so much sentiment of any kiud that 

 we. should seek to destroy the little we have. 



Tin- sunfish in thii country has done more to make and 

 multiply anglers than all other fish put together, and its 

 wanton destruction is not to be thought of. Though small 

 in size, it has gamy qualities of a high order, and as a pan 

 fish is superior to many fish a great deal more talked about. 

 It is esteemed by a great, many as a most delicious morsel for 

 the table; and so far as my own taste is concerned. I prefer 

 even a two-ounce sunfish to the largest German carp that 

 ever swam, 



I wish no harm to anybody; but. with "peace and good 

 will to all." I devOUtly play that the first man who attempts 

 to carry out Mr. Mather',-, suggestion may pitch bead fore- 

 most into the water, arid stay there till tins •eussedness" is 

 entirely soaked out of him. " And may the sunnies have no 

 mercy 'on his hide. Pktha. 



Mam ahu neck, N. Y, 



THE TALMUD ON THE FISHERIES. 



OF the very few references to fish in the Bible the most 

 significant, says the Jcuish Worl'l, is the verse in lum- 

 bers xi., which tells how the Israelites in the desert hungered 

 for the finny denizens of the deep they had enjoyed in 

 Egypt. From this we gather that fish vv as. as it is yet, a 

 favorite article of food with the Hebrews. The sacred nar- 

 rative, however, has nothing more to say on this subject. 

 It is .silent as to the trade which so pronounced a taste must 

 stimulated, inexorably dumb on the all-important ques- 

 ikery ; and if we want to know anything more, we 



tion of 

 must j 



ous T: 

 bins 



reh through the weary pages of tin 



ntid. Fortunately for piscatorial literature the nib 



■e domesticated men who devoted no small 



Mince tin 1 preceding was written 1 have been fishing for 

 tarpon. I hooked one about seven feet ,-ix inches long, and 

 of a probable weight of 17-1 pounds. The instant be left 

 the steel he jumped at least six feet from the water, next a 

 i ran tic rush, I hen a leap in the air accompanied b\ a shake 

 of the head, like a terrier shaking a rat, then a lightning 

 rush; and these proceedings were continued for twenty 

 minutes, when he began to yield. My friend P. came to my 

 assistance; 1 started the tish for the boat so as to use a grains, 

 and when lie was in sight the hook tore out and I lost my 

 fish. I have captured, with a hand line, many varieties of 

 large fish, but in my lengthened experience I never had such 

 a tussle, and before 1 tired "the lepper" my lingers smarted 

 as though they had been soaked in boiling water. Tarpon 

 such as we have in this river cannot tie captured with a sal- 

 mon rod, and I advise your readers not, to make the attempt 

 unless limy wish to lose a costly line and have a valuable 

 rod converted into matchwood. 



A WORD FOR THE SUNFISH. 



IX a paiier read before the American Fishcukural Associa- 

 tion, and published in Koukst MMrSTREAM some weeks 

 since, Mr. Mather, to toy surprise, recommends the 

 destruction of the Sunfish, that charming lit tie friend of 

 every man and boy who has ever lived in the country, it' only 

 for ti week. I wish it had neen somebody else than the kind 

 and genial Fred Mather wdio said this, so that 1 might feel 

 i 1 1 1. j i 1 1 i to say something just a little tart. 

 Mr. Mather has made a 'mistake. The reasons he gives 

 for the destruction of the sunfish are such as, may be used 

 against almost any other fish that has any value for the 

 angler or the lakle, The food of the sunfish is mostly the 

 same as that of other fish; and it may be don tiled whether 

 there is any fish whatever that does not eat the eggs of other 

 tisb, and sometimes their own. Mr. Mather's, reasoning, 

 consistently carried out, would soon make fish of all kinds a 

 iimv, it is to the credit of the little sunfish that it fights 

 bravely lo protect its young. 



in regard to its not being a food for other fish, Mr. 

 Mather makes a special point that the black bass will not or 

 cannot eat the sunfish, on account of its strong spines That 

 this is a mistake there is the best of evidence. The sunfish 

 i by no means an uncommon bait, for the black bass, ami a 

 good one. If bass will take it, (and f know they will) when 

 secured to a hook, if is quite reasonable to suppose that tliey 

 will lake it w hen swimming free. The spines of the sun'tish 

 are by no means so formidable as the spines of the catfish, 

 and yet the catfish is a very common bail for the black bass; 

 indeed, the most common of all on some parts of the 

 Delaware River. 1 have used them both. In using these 

 fish for hail we never think of shortening the spines. The 

 probability is, that these spines are uever erect when the fish 

 arc taken" into the mouth of the bass or other tish. The 

 inference is legitimate and natural, that a fish that is taken 

 by other fish yvhen used as bait is also otherwise taken by 

 these fish as food. II this be so. then it is a mistake to seek 

 the wholesale destruction of these fish. 



Further, 1 protest against the destruction of these beauti- 

 I 'ul little fish because of the delightful associations connected 

 With them: Every hoy who has ever been a fishing in the 

 mill pond or at the wayside bridge; every man who has ever 

 been a boy. and remembers ids joy at. seeing bis first "sunny" 

 dangling Qn the bent phi book, will protest against it. 



There is no i 11 uples a choice place in so many 



hearts. large and .small, as tire sunfish; and if the little fellow 

 ,. .rue bud habits (as what fish has uoti, we can well afford 

 lo forgive them, it is no doubt true that there is a good 



of attention to the questions involved in the supply and 

 preparation of creature, comforts. Hence yve have in their 

 discussions ample materials for ascertaining the part, played 

 by fish in the economy of Palestinian society at a very early 

 age. The yearning which expressed itself so wailingly in 

 the wilderness had suffered no diminution in the period asso- 

 ciated with the Talmudic doctors. From the seaboard, 

 lakes and rivers of the Holy Land, the supply of fish was 

 plentiful, the internal trade active and prosperous, and the 

 consumption very large. The Sea or Lake of Genesaret was 

 particularly distinguished for the abundance and Cboicene&S 

 of its fish— so much so that the local proverbial equivalent, 

 for our modern ' 'carrying coals to Newcastle, " was "bringing 

 fish to Acco" (Acre, the nearest port to Genesaret). The 

 southern portion of the lake was a noted fishing-ground, and 

 the whole district teemed with busy communities of fisher- 

 men, and fish-curers and picklers. It does not seem that 

 the traffic was regulated by any specific laws except: one, re- 

 puted to be as old as Joshua, and which insisted that fishing 

 should he quite unrestricted in order that the people might 

 enjoy the full measure of the food yielded by the generous 

 waters. Markets for the sale of tish seem to have been 

 plentiful in Palestine. 



A gate on the northeast side of Jerusalem was called the 

 Fish Gate, probably from its being in the neighborhood of 

 the spot where the fish-salesmen laid out their stock. This 

 market was. of course, closed on the Sabbath; but we learn 

 that the fish-loving Jews did not hesitate to buy on that day 

 of Phoenician fish-peddlers who perambulated the city much 

 in the same way as the "Fish, all alive '0" men of the pres- 

 ent day. At Sidou was another very large market, where, 

 says a somewhat hypcrbolous passage in Shckalitu, no less 

 than 300 kinds of lisb were daily on sale. The species 

 highest in public favor was called trhot t/mssa, considered 

 by llerzfeld to have been a kind of anchovy, but by other 

 authorities— particularly Lewysohn and Schwab— ordinary 

 tunny. In Beracholh 44, R. Himi relates that the fig-gath- 

 erers to Alexander Jaumeus consumed every week (jilt), 000 

 basket s of this fish. From a remark in Aboda Sara it would 

 seem that the great Jeliuda Hanassi — the first editor of the 

 Mishnah— did not disdain to speculate in this delicacy, for 

 We are told that he owned a ship carrying more than 300 

 barrels of tbrissa. Probably a large portion of the wealth 

 of the great patriarch was due to astute dealings in this 

 favorite tish; but if, unlike the apostles, he preferred such 

 a wholesale trade to the humbler netling and auglhie, it will 

 be remembered to his credit that he expended the greater 



portion of his riches so acquired for the benefit of students 

 and assistance of the poor. Notwithstanding the plentiuess 

 of native fish, a irood many foreign varieties were imported. 

 These included an Egyptian fish not yet identified, which 

 was brought into the country in barrels, and a fine species 

 of mackerel from Spain. Ob the other hand, the cured 



pickled fish for which the Ji 



were largely exported, ] 

 Besides tiie usual mei 

 kinds of fish foods, mg 

 were sold in the mark 

 general public. Then.' 

 —mentioned very frequently 



that fish having been, if not exactly the anchovy, at anyrate 

 a smaller variety than the tunny. *R, f'bia B, Aselie reeom 

 mended small fish as calculated to prevent intestinal disorders, 

 and to promote health and strength. Another rabbin held 

 that a diet of this kind yvas well adapted for invalids, but 

 regarded it as injurious to women suckling their young, and 

 to people whose eyes were weak. It was also considered 



dangerous to eat fish within twenty-four hours after blood- 

 letting, and in the month of Nisan such food was believed 

 to promote leprosy. On the other hand, it was the practice 

 to give fish to women who were enceinte, not only because of 

 its invigorating virtues, but because a popular "superstition 

 regarded it as beneficial to the unborn child, and calculated 

 to give it a (.leasing appearance. Even to such matters as 

 the method of eating tish the rabbins gave a large attention. 

 They advised that food of this kind should be eaten slowly 

 and with care, as a fish-bone Sticking in the throat might, 

 they Observed, hav* very serious consequences. The Tal- 

 mud has also worked out in copious detail the simple division 

 of the fish kingdom into .dean and unclean which we find in 

 the Bible, Among the unclean -or rather as further char- 

 acteristics of such fish — it classes those with tapering heads. 

 imperfect vertebral columns, and symmetrical bladders and 

 roes, K further states that the permitted fish are oviparous, 

 and the prohibited viviparous— a rough and zoologically 

 primitive distinction which might have been more correct, 

 bad the definition "viviparous" been exchanged for those 

 "that fecundate their eggs before exclusion " With reference 

 to fins and scales, it, is pointed out in Nidda that as the latter 

 may sometimes appear before the former a fish or piece of 

 fish with scales but without fins, may, in eases of doubt, be. 

 eaten, but under no circumstance miiv it be touched if the 

 scales are absent. The Talmud differs from the. Bible in 

 having rather a full ichthyology of its own. 



merchants were celebrated 

 ipally to Greece and Rome. 

 ! of the finny tribes a good many 

 isly compounded and prepared", 

 net were very popular witli the 

 soft-fish cake called tiix U mfa 

 in Talmud — which was doubt- 

 less acompound of the flcsh'of tbrissa with other ingredients. 

 Then the entrails and roes of certain fish w ere sold separ- 

 ately in order to be made up in a kind of caviare. In Bifid- 

 arini we find mentioned several times two other preparations 

 called zir and mural;'. The former yvas a sauce, in the mak- 

 ing of which the fat. juice, and blood of fishes largely en- 

 tered: the latter was. without doubt, identical with the 

 Roman iiuirifi, ft pleasant tasting fish pickle which was sold 

 without the fish itself, and probably employed as a eondi 

 incut. This wi www appears to have been in much favor, 

 for in Aboda Sara mention is made of a ship entirely laden 

 with it. large quantities were imported from Spain. A 

 thin tish broth called hantiui was also sold; this was a 

 drink, and was served up in goblets. The references to lisb 

 in the Talmud are not confined to its commercial aspects. 

 Copious discussions as lo its domestic use yield a full pic- 

 ture Of its method of couisuiuptiou, and of the superstitious 

 and other ideas by which the popular taste was in part, reg- 

 ulated. The rabbins wisely insisted on the necessity of ob- 

 taining only fresh fish, and for this purpose recommended 

 that purchasers should always see thai there was a Certain 

 redness about the gills. When salted and cured it was en- 

 joined that the euriiitt' should be perfect, otherwise the fish 

 was deadly, in case of doubt, however, a strong drink 

 taken after the meal was prescribed as a possible antidote. 

 Some varieties of cured fish, such as herring ami anchovy, 

 might be eaten without super-cooking, but in all cases a 

 rigorous cooking was ordered, 



'Small but fulf-irroyvn fish appear to have been much in 

 fftVOr With the Jews, and this.' considered in connection. with 

 the general predilection for tlnissa, would seem to point to 



Chickhi Anoleno Notes. — Chicago, Aug. 26. — We are 

 having the finest weather imaginable, just cool enough to lie 

 comfortable, with winds generally from the south and south- 

 west. The result is numerous fishing excursions to all the 

 old reliable places, and all are on the lookout, for new fish- 

 ing grounds among the thousands of small lakes with which 

 the western country is dotted. One of the favorite resorts, 

 for several reasons, is Cedar Lake, Lid., distant but thirty- 

 eight miles from Chicago ou the Louisville, New Albany & 

 Chicago Railway. At' this season of the year silver and 

 rock bass are taken in large numbers, but there is sufficient 

 skill required in Iheir capture to make it interesting sport. 

 An occasional black bass is bagged by some of the most 

 skillful, but the regular season for them does not commence 

 until after the first of September. The advantages of this 

 lake for the business man is its accessibility. One can take 

 the 7:1., P. M. train, arriving at the lake at 9:25 P. M,, 

 secure good fishing or boating all day, returning the next 

 morning, arriving in Chicago at 7:30 A. M.. in time for 

 business. Accommodations at the lake arc ample. Dr. 

 Hunter has erected a commodious hotel directly opposite 

 and within one hundred feet of the depot, and overlooking 

 and within one hundred and fitly feet of the lake. The 

 terms are two dollars a day. Altogether this is one of the 

 most reasonable resorts, and of the easiest and most conven- 

 ient access adjacent to Chicago. Fare ou the railroad for 

 the round trip is only $1.30. For example, I have been 

 making the trip regularly every Saturday night, returning 

 every Monday morning, for the past five weeks. Expenses 

 for self, wife and sou. 'railroad fares for all, ^4.50, hotel ex- 

 penses, |6, making §10.50 for the entire trip for three 

 adults. Last week! saw rail, snipe, and a flock of mallard 

 ducks, .so the indications are that good shooting may be had 

 at this place later on. — B. 



Pkesiokxtiai, Trout.— The correspondent who has fur- 

 nished the details of the Presidential fishing party until it 

 has begun to get tedious, writes from Camp Logan. Yellow- 

 stone 'Park, under date of Aug. 23, and thus describes the 

 trouting in Snake River: "Yesterday the party remained at 

 Camp Strong, the surround ings of which are worthy of more 

 than passins "notice— a grassy bottom encompassed by moun- 

 tains clad with evergreen trees of all sizes, from the young 

 seedling up to mature age, scattered singly, grouped in clus- 

 ters, or massed into dark forests. The tents were pitched 

 ou the banks of the Snake River, which here possesses all 

 the attributes of a first-class trout stream, clear, pure water 

 drippliug over pebbly bottoms, with here and there swift 

 currents, eddies and deep holes. The President, and 

 Senator Vest made the best of the stay, and scored the great- 

 est victory yet achieved over the finny tribe. At one cast 

 the Prcsids'nt landed three trout, weighing in the aggregate 

 4| pounds, and each of six other casts took two fine 

 specimens. The President secured the greater weight, and 

 Senator Vest the larger number. The total weight ol the 

 flan caught was 10& pounds. The sport is now about over. 

 The largest trout taken weighed 3i pounds." 



Black Bass at Grf.knwoou Lake. — Black bass are biting 

 very well now. and as the weather grows colder the catches 

 improve. One day last week our catch was forty-three, 

 thirty-nine of tUetrj being small-mouthed. This yvas only 

 part "of a day: we fished 'about two hours in the afternoon, 

 catchiuf seventeen in that time. If one wishes to visit the 

 lake to cateb fish, the lower end is far better than any other 

 part; w r e were quartered at E. Simile's. Cooper Station, 

 There one is near the fishing grounds for still-fishing, troll- 

 ing and skittering. Last Thursday (here was a seven-pound 

 "Oswego" taken with spoon by Mr. Dickinson, of Paterson. 

 For bait-fishing the bass are taking helgramites and crawfish ; 

 but seem to prefer the former. Some of our largest fish, 

 however, we caught on large crawfish. The services of a 

 good guide are necessary if one expecte sport; they know all 

 the grounds and will follow the fish. John Finigan filled 

 the position very acceptably for us. and we know that one 

 might do much worse than employ him. By all means 

 give "Lazy Hank" a wide berth; he 'yvas born tired, never 

 could get rested, and never will.— Row.n. 



BnACK Bassix Geohoia.— Aue-usta. Ga., Aug, 22.— We 

 have several game fish in this country, one of which ■ ■ e Ball 

 •trout'' ii think it similar to the black bass ol your country), 

 and a yet gamer fish called "rock" (which, from my read- 

 ing of'PonEST and Stream. 1 am inclined to think is your 

 striped bass), What we call "tiout" abounds in eve y mill 

 pond and is more numerous in our river lakes. They are 

 caught with the fly and with live bait. Two amateurs went, 

 out "a short v. 1 i" -' ■ ml CSUght rive of these "trout." one 

 :ht pounds. They 

 are caught a&higb ai fifteen pounds— this size, Ehj 



ma | i. "ii — Ajjeusu l 



