Jan. 17, 1884.1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



499 



"Te there no buoy at tie 



"No. The place is in deep Water, and the bouy lino was 

 only sixty feel long ami tJitl not reach bottom, but tve bailed 

 it liberally and you mav get some fish " 



"Asreocl," avid the Doctor, "but let's try the lunch first, 

 unci then wc Will have strength to drag the monsters front the 

 yasty deep." And the Colonel not only devoured the last 

 biscuit, but the last five also, " FkedMaihbr. 



TARPON AND RAVALLIA. 



Editor Fbrett and Stream: 



We opine that Ihe lime is not far distant when the capture 

 of the tarpon will attract the attention or piscatorial experts; 

 and as hni little isknov u igardyig the most attractive baits 



for litis fish, I pro] i 'iiim.'j my mile from time to 



time. In a recent interview with Colonel Hopkins, theeivil 

 engineer who accompanied the New Orleans Tiinin !)■■ .■.■.■■■■, .-,-' 

 expedition in its recent exploration pf the Florida Ever- 

 glades, he inl'ornied me that us the putty was descending 



Harney's River he dropped a spinner overboard, and in a 

 few minutes it was seized by a large tarpon. The fish 

 vaulted in the air, shook its head and escaped. An exami- 

 nation of the bait showed thai the hooks had been straight- 

 ened. This is the third time that 1 have known the fish to 

 seize ii spinner. 



On several occasions I have referred in ynnr columns to a 

 game fish of the southwest toast df Florida, known as 

 ravullia. In size this lish ranges front one to thirty pounds. 

 It takes an artificial fly and is a noble fighter; and I fancied 

 that the accompanying communication might interest some 

 of von i renders. ' Al. Fiasco. 



Br. Q. J, Kcnrorthu: 



Mv Deah Sik— Until I lead your paper for "Fishing with 

 the Ply" 1 had never heard of the tavallia. I was writing 

 to Prof .Ionian and I aske.l him if lite fish was known by 

 any Other name as I eould find it in none of his li-i - 

 Florida fishes possessed by me. This is what he said about 

 itl 'The ruvaliia of Dr. Kenworlky is. 1 suppose, the 

 rohalo or Ci- 1, v. ,,■■ ■■ ■■■ rimnlin, R is a fine fish that has 



never had justice done it. Rubalo is Ihe actieptod Spanish 

 orthography, although, as all Spaniards soand h more or less 

 ravaIHa is not far different." 



Jordan, in "Synopsis of Fishes cf North America, "says of 

 the rohalo; "Silvery greenish above, lateral line black, very 

 distinct; do i'.- a I ami eaudal dusky, other fins yellowish; veri- 

 trals without dusky area. The orbital nearly entire. Third 

 dorsal spiue longer than the fourth. Second anal spine 

 coni]':r. i !■■■;, about as long as third. Air bladder 



anteriorly with two loner, slender, backward directed horns. 

 Head. 3; deplh, U; D. VII. 1, 9; A. lil. (J; Lat. 1. 70. A 

 large food fish, abundant iii West India, ranging northward 

 to Southern California, Florida and Texas." 



Prof. J. is just home front Culm and the Florida Keys, 

 and says he hies a rich harvest, lie has twelve new species 

 of fish from the Keys. Yours fraternally, 



A. N. OraafEt. 



Glek's Falls, K. Y., Jan. 5. 



TO HOLEB FALLS. 



ON" a bright September day, when the foliage of autumn 

 was taking on its golden hue, n parly of Augusta gen- 

 tlemen, with their rods and guns, started for a fifteen-day 

 sporting expedition lo Iloleb Falls, on Moose River near ib'e 

 Canada line. 



They were a jolly party of sportsmen, moderately skilled 

 in the mysteries of woodcraft, seeking rest and change from 

 active business life, expecting to Till their game bags with 

 duck and grouse, and their creels with lusty trout; to live 

 in the open air on the fat of the laud; lo outer the domain 

 of Diana, the goddess of sylvan spoil, aud perchance crown 

 their happiness with a moose's antlers, but not expecting, 

 like Hercules, lo capture the stag with golden horns aud 

 brazen led. 



The party consisted of Geo. A. Cony, of Ihe Cony House, 

 E. H. Walker, Esq., a Maine Central Railroad officer, and 

 Jo. L. Colcord, a civil engineer— the chief huntsman of the 

 party, u crack shot and a deft caster of the flies— who com- 

 posed the first boat's Crew. The second boat's crew w T as 

 tnadi up Of Dr Geo- W- Martin, a physician in active 

 practice with considerable experience in hunting and fish- 

 ing, and an old military campaigner, who has spent several 

 yeais of his life ou the tented field; George nunt, a success- 

 ful merchant, as to -en as a pine knot, who can see and 

 shoot a bird whether he be on the earth or in the sky above, 

 as well as the next man, and W. EL Potter, breeder of the 

 famous trotting stallion Independence, 



They left Augusta, Me,, on time at 5 o'clock A, M., Sept. 

 17. 1881, with two bonis, built in the Whitehall style, with- 

 out keel, mounted on wagons with springs, and made ex- 

 pressly for the purpose, each drawn by a pair of good horses 

 with three men in a boat, w here they rode as comfortably as 

 in a buggy. Each man look one pair of woolen blankets, 

 rubber blanket, rubber coat, overcoat, one extra pair socks, 

 rubber hoots, and was dressed in a good, substantial hunting 

 suit, also, soap, towels, comb, etc." The Doctor carried a 

 little rubber bag with kit for mending clothes, a little plaster, 

 physic, salve, etc. Colcord carried a little kit, consisting of 

 screwdriver, awl, pliers, wdielstone, twine, silk, wire, wa\, 

 t'o repair fishiug tackle. The party had two tents, a 

 compact mess kit, one axe, one hatchet, compass, spriug 

 balance, two breech-loading shotguns, one B. L. rifle, ten 

 i cods I line;-., fiies, loaded cartridges, and everything 

 necessary for such a trip, but not one ounce of superfluous 

 luggage. The eonituissaiy stores were neatly and conve- 

 i< j be secure from dust aud wet during 

 the trip, and handy to use at every halt. They were calcu- 

 lated with ile i i array rations, so as to last just 



i days. After the first two days the meal rations, with 

 the exception of a little salt pork, were to be furnished by 

 the party in fish and game. The boats were loaded the same 

 ou wheels as in the water, 



equipped so as to camp 

 j a pleasant 

 d boughs for a good bed 

 minute.-' work To let 1 



The party was organized and equipped 

 wherever night overlook them; always sele 

 place when water for cooking and boughs 



could be found. It was hut a few minutes' 



and feed the horses, pitch the tents, build flu 



per, pick houghs, lay them for a i:i a and Bpread thi blankets. 



The hour for' "tinning in" was 9 P. M.. and for "turning 



nut" was .j A. M. 



Just as the sun was rising over the Sidm-v hills, talker 

 made the first discovery on the voyage of a beautiful lake 

 toward the east, w hose silver surface was studded with sev- 

 eral emerald green islands. It was. indeed, a fairy scene. 

 But those of the parly UJOSl familiar with the locality declared 

 that "Walker's lake" was situated directly over Sidney bog. 



The thick fog had settled down over the valley and the sun 

 shiiiiue on it made it; look, from the hill where it was first 

 obsi i IT -. just likea bennliful sheet of water surrouuded by 

 hills. The islands were clumps of trees that grew here and 

 there, aud showed their green tops above the fug. While Ihe 

 parly were discussing the topography of the region, a west 

 I ei iiiigup and the magic lake vanished, leaving un- 

 covered the face of the bog. 



The horses cot over the road rapidly, passing through 

 Belgrade over Academy Hill, where the expedition had a 

 good View of line landscapes and beauliful ponds which are 

 SO numefolis in this region of country. More than twenty 

 large ponds can be seen from this hill. They halted beyond 

 Suiitblield village and took dinner by ihe roadside. After 

 two hours' rest they resumed their journey through the. old 

 historic town of Norridgewock and up the east hank of the 

 Kennebec River, passing the Norridgewock Falls, the site of 

 the old Indian village, where now stands the monument 

 erected in memory of Father Raise. The expedition camped 

 al North Auson. ' The weather was fine and a most enjoy - 

 i ' had been passed on the road. 

 The expedition took a good early start in the morning, 

 and with merry songs and light hearts went spanking along 

 at a good round pace. The boys were in a joyous mood, 

 for the ride was delighful. over one of the best roads in the 

 State, and amid the most picturesque scenery lo be found in 

 New England. This was Ihe same route taken by Gen. 

 Arnold's army on the way lo Quebec during the Revolu- 

 tiouarv war. The day was pleasant, though quite warm. 

 After 'a long drive they pitched their tents by the edge of a 

 dcuso wood, 'near the roadside, some live miles above the 

 forks of the Kennebec River. 



An early breakfast was eaten the morning of Sept. 19, 

 the tents "were struck, aud the sportsmen were soon on 

 the mad. It is tweiitv-live miles from this road to Moose 

 River bridge. The party arrived at, the bridge about noon, 

 where they left their horses and wagons, and in ten minutes 

 their boa Is were launched on the placid water of Moose 

 River, and were soon on their way up stream. Cony and 

 Martin were given charge of the boats, acting as captains, in 

 consideration of tilth old age. and because they had been to 

 "llolup," as the natives say, and knew the way. it is true 

 Cony is bald-headed and getting old. but he is still a gamy 

 old boy; full of pluck and a jolly good companion, and at 

 times is as frisky as a colt. Martin was the oldest man in 

 the party, but he went through the hardships of the cam- 

 paign with Ihe endurance of an old veteran and came home 

 fresh as a daisy, considering hi- great age. He is still good 

 for a hard tramp, and can "throw the circling salmon fly as 

 lusty as a hoy." 



Half an hour's row brought them to Wood Pond, some 

 four mikes long, which distance was passed in a short time 

 and they again I ntercd the river. This is a grand place for 

 trout fishing in May aud June. The best; fishing is near the 

 month of the stream where it empties into the pond. Very 

 large trout are taken here, often weighing live orsix pounds. 

 About a hundred rods from here they came to the last house 

 on the river. 



It was here they passed the "Moose Horns, beyond which 

 there is no law "or Sunday." The sportsmen now entered 

 the depths of the great northern woods, beyond the pale of 

 civilization. A mile row up stream brought them to Aftean 

 Pond, which is about five miles in length, encircled by hold 

 rocky shores, with mountains towering iu the background, 

 "torn and ploughed by slides." This magnificent sheet of 

 water is graced With titaiiy beauliful islands, which rival iu 

 the splendor of scenery the "isles of Greece, where Delos 

 rose and Pho-biis sprung." Slid on went the swift-gliding 

 boats, the occupants not unconscious of the grandeur around 

 litem. The boats soon crossed I he lake and entered the, river 

 again, ascending "which about a mile brought I hem in sight 

 Of Atte.au Falls. Here, on the lower carry, the tired sports- 

 men, after a ride of one hundred aud twenty miles by land 

 and twelve by water, pilched their tenia aud made soft 

 bough beds for a good rest. The rods were taken from their 

 cases for the first time, put together, the reels mounted, the 

 leaders with flies attached aud made ready for action. Not 

 long alter landing, half of the party were casting their flics 

 above and below the falls, and trout were caught in abun- 

 dance, ranging iu size from one-half to Iwo pounds. They 

 made a royal repast thai night on fried trout 

 Hunt took his double-barrelled breech-loader and went for 



fame. lie had not gone thirty rods from camp before he 

 ushed a flock of ruffed grouse, which flew up into the trees 

 around the little opening. In an instant crack weut his gun 

 and down fell the bird on the lowest limb, for so long as you 

 shoot the lowest bird the others will not fly; in a second, 

 crack, aud the next in order fell; then crack, crack, and two 

 more fell. He loads his gun, and as he steps forward to pick 

 up his dead birds, two more rise with sudden whirr; one is 

 cut down on the wins with the right barrel, before she gets 

 faraway; while the other is skating away like a streak of 

 lightning through the beech trees, with the quickness of 

 thought iie turns his left barrel, and "with the eye of faith 

 and linger of insfinet" he brings down his sixth bird. Then 

 he gathers up his same and in half an hour from the time he 

 left camp returns in triumph -with his contribution to the 

 larder, which was already well supplied with trout. From 

 this time to the end of the journey the boys lived like fight- 

 ing cocks. 



Attean Falls consists of two pitches, the upper and lower 

 falls, with about 100 rods of dead water between them. 

 There are two carries— roads over which boats and camp 

 equipage are carried by the falls— the lower is short, not 

 more than fifteen or twenty rods, but the upper carry is four 

 times Longer, rough and hard. 



The best fishing in September is found at the head of the 

 upper falls, iii the smooth, rapid water just before it breaks 

 over the ledge, This is the case with all the falls on Moose 

 River. But in the spriug and summer the best fishing is al 

 the foot of t he falls aud in the rapids. The fisherman should 

 keep out of sight of the fish if he wishes to be successful, 

 unless there is a ripple en the water. Trout are easily 

 frightened. Any loud splashing on the water, or sudden 

 movements will ollcn beep them from biting for hours. Dr. 

 Hetishall gives a pretty caution to the angler: 



" Approach with caution ; let your tread be soft; 

 Beware the bonding bashes 00 the brink: 

 Touch no branch nor twig, nor leaf disturb, 

 1'or the tinny tribe is '.vary," 



President Garfield died to-night, Sept. 20, but being be- 

 ing beyond the Moose Horns, it was unknown and unfelt it* 

 that camp. The startling event, that was convulsing the 

 wholc continent with grief, caused no emotion there. The 

 sad shock did not come to them for ten days, until they 

 reached Moose River Bridge ou their way home. 



A large dead fir tree, whose boughs were it ry as tinder, 

 stood just back of the fire. I occurred to the jolly and rol- 

 licking Potter that an illumination— a bonfire— would be a 

 good thing during the evecing; therefore he piled a lot of 

 dry boughs which were found about the cany, around the 

 base of (be dead fir tree, and after the silent shades of night 

 had pulled down her sable curtain, he tired oil his show. 

 The red flame shot upward, and in au instant forest, stream 

 and falls were illuminated with a blaze more than seventy- 

 five feet high. It was a grand success, and the party en- 

 joyed it highly. Potter was the life of the camp, full of fun 

 and sons. "When he started he was somewhat out of health; 

 said he could not eat any breakfast, had not for a long lime. 

 His appetite was so poor that he feared he could nol stand 

 the hardships of the Hip. But somehow, after the first day 

 ou the road he forgot all about that poor appetite, and be- 

 gan to eat like the' King of the Cannibal Islands; and his 

 appetite, that would do credit to an alligator, continued with 

 him without "a skip or a break" until he got out of the 

 woods. If it is true that the man who can see "sermons in 

 running brooks" is most apt to go and look for them on Sun- 

 days in the fishing season; it is also true that there is no 

 better place to find a lost appetite than in the woods of 

 Northern Maine. To this fact the whole party are living 

 witnesses, and add their testimony to Potter's, 

 ft Augusta, Me. PlSCATOR. 



[TO BE CONOI.tDKD.] 



A TROUTING REMINISCENCE. 



IF there is one day's fishing in the year which the trout 

 angler looks forward to more keenly than any other, it 

 surely is the first day Willi the favorite old rod on the bank 

 of some favorite stream. For weeks past the lath of April 

 had been lo me Ihe most important in the caleu/Jar: and I 

 confess H was with a feeling of thankfulness that I found 

 in\ self, only one hour after leaving my home, in theheartof 

 London, getting out of the train at a little wayside station. 

 The weather at starting was all that could be desired— 

 wane, dull, and with soft southwest wind— not that lever 

 let considerations of ihe wind or weather interfere with ang- 

 ling arrangements, for the simpie reason that I have so often 

 experienced the best sport on tue most unlikely days. Just 

 outside the station I saw two country urchins, and wanting 

 a boy to carry my things when I was fishing, I asked if 

 either of the'm would accompany me. They both volun- 

 teered iu a moment, aud I was in a fix. 



"Plaize, sur,"said the smaller of the two, "hay can't go; 

 hay's gart tor carry chips." 



"No I aiu't neither, not without Oi loikes," said the rather 

 larger small boy. 



"Well, 1 cannot take both of you, and so we will toss up. 

 One go to settle it. Now then, if it conies down head up 

 you go, and if tail up you go." 



The fates decided that the urchin who ought jo have been 

 "kaarein chips" should be my gillie for the day. and a very 

 capital little gillie I found "him. We had not gone a hun- 

 dred yards, down a lovely lane leading' to the inn by the 

 water," before he called my" attention to a bird's nest, and the 

 next instant to the "old uus" flying about in an uneasy man- 

 ner iu the branches above us. He knew the exact state of 

 their family arrangements. Iu fact, before the dav was out 

 I found he" took a fatherly interest in the home.i of all the 

 young couples his sharp eyes had discovered. Seeing me 

 admiring some lovely white flowers, he said, '•Them's but- 

 tons," and promised "me heaps of ' keowslips" w"ben we got 

 info the meado 



Trout are a capricious fish at best; to catch them follow 

 Izaak Walton's advice; "Be quiet and go a-augling." 



Game and trout are always found in abundance, about At- 

 arai the part ■ 'had good sport. They also had 

 plenty of lime lo re-t, the first lime for four day.,. The 

 V?eather was cold, with white frosts aud some ice. 



plet 



incut- 

 hill d 

 Inoti 

 the t 

 gone 



hostesi 

 at lunch 



lof a 



t the river. Having arranged witii the 

 that my gillie should fetch to me refresh- 

 time, we walked on across the brow of the 

 iftle foot-bridge over the river. On this bridge 

 things — one was a very fine trout feeding at 

 earn ; and the other was that the wind had- 



nd to the nortueast, and was beginning to blow 



ig and coldly. We had live or six minutes' walk yet to 

 "our water," through meadows bright with cowslips, dande- 

 lion and "milkmaids," as my little Mercury called them. 



"They people, in Limnon wad loike to see they '!" to which 

 I heartily agreed, and he then graciously told* tnc I might 

 pickas many as I liked to take home for general admiration. 



On reaching "our water" — a lovely stretch of trout stream, 

 wandering and winding iu quick "turns, and streams and 

 lazy quiet stretches between banks bright with celandine, 

 "milkmaids," and ether spring flowers— J decided lo com- 

 mence by fishing down stream, as the wind was so strong it 

 was out "of the question to fish up with a dry fly, as I had 

 intended. At the top of the water I met an angler— one of 

 "our members," who had just arrived on the scene. After 

 a few words of greeting — for until then we had been ac- 

 quaintances on paper only— I told him I would walk down 

 stream aud leave him to iish the upper part. I had marked 

 some, good fish rising, and told hint so. I commenced about 

 halt it mile lower down, rigging up my finest cast with 

 hare s ear as leader, red-quill gnat, and blue dun as (hop- 

 pers. I had not fished twenty yards of water before I saw 

 a good fish moving; part of his broad tail every now and 

 then flapped out of the water. Throwing a long line, and 

 kneeling on the bank, for the water was bright, 1 got my 

 hare's ear to swing round with the current just above his 

 nose. There was a big swdrl, and then an instant tightening 

 of my line fastened the minute sneckbend iu bis lip, only 

 by the merest bit of skin, as 1 afterward found. Five min- 

 utes or more of good tight, now up stream, now down, now 

 out of the water,' now r boring into the weeds, and amid the 

 breathless excitement of my gillie, at the second attempt I 

 got him into the net- a pretty fish of two pounds good. 



"He didn't loike coming out," said the admiring young- 

 ster. "He'll plaize the Lunnou folks. That's bigger au what 

 my brother catches down at the bridge." 



'"What does your brother fish wi h?" 

 ■He vislies w : ilh a worm, be do; but I seen 'em cotched in 

 a net loike that — and bigger tins, too." 



Now, as every inch of our stream was "strictly [preserved" 

 — if numerous notices to that effect told the truth— (his was 

 not pleasant news. A little lower down I sol a trout of 

 about a pound, a beautifully plump, plucky fellow, which T 

 was loth to put back as under our one and one-half pound 

 standard. Then for an hour I eould not rise a fish, per- 

 haps it was fortunate I did not, if the landing net had been 

 wanted. My boy had got tired of seeing rue thrashing 

 away for nothing', aud I had forgotten all about him. 



"Heisht !" cried a voice on the opposite bank. A moor- 



