FOREST AND STREAM. 



151 



Xtn md 



FISH IN SEASON IN OCTOBER. 



Black Basg, micropterus salmoides, micropterus nigricans. 

 Striped Bass Boccus lineatus. Blueflsh, temnodon solicitor. 



■ [Under tlie head of " Game and Fish in Season" we can only syecify in 

 aeneral terms the several varieties, because the laws of States vary so much 

 that tvere ive to attemvt to particularize we could do no less than publish 

 those entire sections that relate to the kinds of game in question. This 

 wou 7 d require a great amount of our space. In designating game we are 

 auided by the laws of nature, upon which all legislation is founded, and 

 our readers ivould do ivett to provide themselves with the laws of their re- 

 spsctive States for constant reference. Otherwise, our attempts to assis 

 them will only create confusion.] 



» 



Fish in Mahket.— The supply of fish during the past 

 week has been abundant in quantity and varied in descrip- 

 tion. As most worthy of mention we note the first appear- 

 ance this Fall of live cod, caught off Nantucket, price 10 

 cents per pound. Blueflsh are caught all along the coast 

 from Cape May to Martha's Vineyard Sound, outside, how- 

 ever, the large school fish showing no inclination to enter 

 the various inlets; price 10 to 12 cents per pound* Striped 

 bass come principally from the eastward ; large fish bring 20 

 cents and small do 25 cents per pound. Smelts, from 

 Maine, of the variety known as "green," 25 cents; salmon, 

 (frozen) 50 cents; mackerel are not yet in as good condition 

 as they will be a few weeks hence, price 6 cents each for 

 small "ones and 22 cents for large, Weakfish are worth 10 

 cents; white perch, 18 cents; Spanish mackerel, (frozen) 

 50 cents; halibut, 16 cents; haddock, 8 cents; kingfish, 25 

 cents; black fish, 10 cents; flounders, 10 cents; porgies, 15 

 cents; eels, 18 cents; sheepshead, 20 cents; pickerel, 20 

 cents; salmon trout, 20 cents; soft shell crabs, $2. per 

 dozen; hard shell do, 40 cents; pompano, $1. per pound; 

 frog's legs, 50 cents; green turtle, 20 cents; terrapin, $12. 

 per dozen, lobsters, 8 cents per pound. 



Hell Gate. — Bass fishing since the last storm is reported 

 as being excellent in the Gate and the upper portion of the 

 East River. On the 10th one man took a dozen off Eighty- 

 ninth street, the largest weighing five pounds. On Wed- 

 nesday of last week Mr. Tripler, a lumber dealer, took one, 

 while trolling with live squid, weighing sixteen pounds. 



Our friend, the veteran angler and sportsman, John 



Krider, of Philadelphia, has just returned from an expedi- 

 tion to Betterton, Md., and reports the perch fishing there 

 as something superb. We note, however, that it takes a 

 two pound sinker to catch a one pound fish. 



—Smelts this season appear to be more plenty than ever in 

 Boston Harbor and its estuaries, which makes the mem- 

 bers of the Anglers' Association, who enlisted the strong 

 arm of the law in their protection during the spawning 

 season, happy. Good returns and results are reported from 

 all their rtsorts. 



A Bemabkable Feat. —A few days since a dog, a cross 

 between a retriever and a Newfoundland, belonging to a 

 gardener in the employ of General R. B. Potter, of New- 

 port, caught in the surf near "The Rocks," General Pot- 

 ter's residence, a bass which weighed forty pounds. We 

 can vouch for the truth of the story as far as the dog catch- 

 ing the fish is concerned, and as the gardener sold the 

 bass in the Newport market for four dollars, the weight is 

 probably also correct. 



Congehs. — A correspondent some time since asked us to 

 decide a bet relating to the weight of eels, one of the par- 

 ties having bet that an eel weighing fifty pounds had never 

 been caught. We decided at the time that conger eels fre- 

 quently exceeded that weight, and we now note an 

 account in Land and Water of one of these monsters weigh- 

 ing seventy pounds having been recently caught off Bon- 

 nenuit, on the coast of Jersey. As the Jersey pound 

 exceeds the English by one ounce and a fraction, the actual 

 weight of the eel would be over seventy-five pounds. The 

 conger is highly esteemed by the inhabitants of Jersey, a 

 soup being made of the head and shoulders which is said 

 to be extremely palatable. The eels are also salted and 

 preserved. These fisheries were once of great importance, 

 the estimated catch at one time amounting to 160,000 

 pounds. Falle, the Jersey historian, thinks that conger 

 fishing lasted until it was replaced by that of Newfound- 

 land, early in the seventeenth century. 



Fish Laws oe Maine.— We publish herewith the laws 

 of the State of Maine as referring to close seasons and the 

 regulations governing certain much visited waters. We 

 have omitted the penalties for want of space, and also the 

 laws relating to netting and spearing, as we apprehend 

 none of our readers capture their fish by those means:— 



Moosehead and Brassatt Lakes— No person shall take or kill in any- 

 way any kind of trout, in Moosehead or Brassau Lakes between the lbia. 

 dav of October and the 1st day of March. 



St. Croix River ani> Tributaries— The close time in which it is un- 

 lawful to catch, take or kill any land-lock d salmon, trout, or togue in 

 the ht Croix River or its tributaries, is hereby extended from the 15th 

 day of September to the 1st clay Of March, during the live years begin- 

 ning with the 15th day of September, 1874. 



Rangsly Waters- The yearly close time for taking trout in the 

 tributaries of the Androscoggin Kiver above the outlet of Umbagog 

 Lake a, id Sturtivant Bond m No. 5 Range 1, shall be five months, com- 

 mencing October 1st and ending March 1st, during which time no trout 

 shall hd taken or killed in an> maimer, under a penalty of not more 

 than thirty nor less than ten dollars. 



The law of close time for land locked salmon, trout and togue for the 

 rest of the State of Maine is from the 1st of Oct. until the 1st of Jan. 



Ulvck Bass— Whoever shall take any black bass during the months of 

 April, May and June, or at anytime, from their spawning beds, shall 

 forfeit tor each offense not more than twenty nor less than five dollars, 

 and a further penalty of one dollar for each black basi so taken. 



Massachusetts Anglers' Association. — Quite a spir- 

 ited and interestiHg meeting of this association was held 

 Tuesday evening, 5th instant, at their rooms in Boston, 

 Dr. J. P. Ordway, the President, in the chair. Several 

 new members were elected and a large number of proposals 

 for membership presented, among which were several quite 

 influential names. The meeting was addressed by Colonel 

 Daniel Needham, Messrs. John Shields, John F- Mills. S. 



W. Hathaway, C. R Dame, E. Delano, L. M. Chase, and 

 the President, Dr. Ordway, On motion of Colonel Need- 

 ham, a committee was appointed for the purpose of con- 

 sidering the propriety of bringing the objects of the asso- 

 ciation more prominently before the people, to report at an 

 early day. The committee is composed of Colonel Need- 

 ham, B. P. Ware, and S. W. Hathaway. A portion of 

 the entertainment of the evening was the reading by Mr. 

 Hathaway of the letters of George Dawson, Esq., editor 

 of the Albany Evening Journal, giving an account of his 

 salmon fishing trip with General Arthur, Chief Justice 

 Gray, and Chief Justice Ritchie, of New Brunswick, which 

 was extremely interesting. 



New Jersey — Kinsey's Ashley House, Barnegat Inlet, Oc- 

 tober 1th, 1875.— Occasionally some blueflsh are taken 

 outside the beach. The only fish now worth trying for are 

 sea bass and black fish. O. Parker took fifty-one to-day, 

 averaging from one to two and a half pounds. B. 



The Fisheries.— There have been 56 arrivals of the 

 Gloucester fishery fleet the past week, as follows: 30 from 

 Georges, 8 from the Banks, 10 from off-shore mackereling, 

 and 2 from the Bay. The receipts are 10,700 pounds 

 Georges halibut, 205,000 pounds Bank halibut, (335,000 

 pounds Bank codfish, 348,000 pounds Georges cod, 1,000 

 barrels shore mackerel, and 460 barrels Bay mackerel. 

 Reports from North Sydney, C. B., state that the fish are 

 very scarce at the Magdalene islands and the Banks, but 

 there are prospects Osgood fares on this shore, as the 

 mackerel had commenced to strike in pretty well the last 

 few days. — Cape Ann Advertiser, Oct. 8. 



LAKE TAHOE— ITS SCENERY AND 

 TROUT FISHING. 



k 



San Francisco, Cal., September 24th, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



James Lick, of whom yon have no doubt heard, one of the wealthiest 

 men of this city, is spending nearly the whole of his riches benefitting 

 many scientific objects and worthy public institutions, and one of his 

 great gifts to California is an appropriation of $800,000 to build an astro- 

 nomical observatory on this coast. The place he first pointed out for 

 this purpose was one of the highest mountains close to the beautiful and 

 romantic Lake Tahoe, not very far from the snow clad Rocky Moun- 

 tains. Since then, however, he has altered his ideas as to itssiie, and 

 at present has fixed upon Mount Hamilton, in Santa Clara Valley, as be- 

 ing more convenient to this city, and for the public generally. The appa- 

 ratus for this project will be about the finest and most expensive in the 

 world. This grand undertaking leads me to speak of this Lake Tahoe— 

 formerly called Bigkr— where so many persons go to enjoy its splendid 

 scenery, fishing and excursions in sailing and steamboats on its clear, 

 blue and deep waters. The Indians say that Tahoe means Big Lake, 

 while those who have a smattering of the Indian tongue insist that its 

 significance is deep water-; and others, again, say it means fish lake. It 

 is about forty-eight hours' journey from San Francisco, and thousands 

 every year go to revel in its glorious beauties, grandeur and maanificence. 

 Many of our first families visit it every season, and bring home numer- 

 ous sketches in oil or otherwise, of its scenes and surroundings, to be 

 worked up into complete pictures. But the grand realities of these ma- 

 jestic mountains and other pieces of water in lakes, streams and water- 

 falls connected with it, can hardly be conveyed satisfactorily to the eye 

 by the brush or pencil of the most eminent artist. Paintings of this Jake 

 contrasted with the grand reality cannot but carry with them great de- 

 fects. Descriptions, too, fail to convey the true loveliness of the scen- 

 ery, and although my nephew, P. H. Hooper, visited these sublime won- 

 ders of nature on a fly-fishing excursion to capture trout this last Sum- 

 mer, with others who were so fortunate as to then have the leisure to 

 linger on this lake's shores, I had not, and therefore I can h only enter 

 tbelistB of its admirers with the aid of his description to place my hum- 

 be tribute to its merits on record in the Forest and Stream; yet no 

 doubt those who come after me will say: "How far wide of the true 

 mark he came." 



My nephew informs me that when he first saw this lake he thought of all 

 the different scenes of land and water views which he has ever visited 

 (and he has traveled in Switzerland and Italy) and none could compare 

 in beauty and sublimity to that before him, except Niagara, though the 

 beauty of the Falls and the lake are dissimilar-the former strong and 

 gigantic in its grandeur, while the latter is, mostly, as peaceful and 

 placid as an infant's smile, though at times it is something like an in- 

 fant in the suddenness of its squalls; for he sailed npon it on its whole 

 length in a smad sail boat. Here, at an altitude of 6.215 feet above the 

 level of the ocean, reposing in the strong embrace of dark and frowning 

 mountains and laving the feet of the most craggy hills, lies a sheet of 

 water, from the lovely bosom of which the roughest nature or the mot 

 insensible of human beings might draw inspiration. It is twenty- three 

 miles in length and fifteen in width. The water is tri-colored-my 

 nephew so described it, if he might be allowed that expression regard- 

 ing its tints . For half a mile from the shore (which is generally a^soft, 

 fine yellow sandy beach) the color is a most beautiful pea green, tinned 

 with blue, and as clear as crystal, objects on the bottom being as dis- 

 tinct in most places as though just before your eyes. For half a mile 

 further it changes to a green about two shades darker, still with the 

 blaeieh tinge, but as clear as before. From the last color it chsnges in- 

 stantaneously to the deeper color of indigo blue. The water is purity 

 itself, but on account of the highly ratified state of the air it is not very 

 buoyant, and my nephew, although a good swimmer, found some little 

 fatigue in moving in it, or, in other words, he was compelled to keep 

 moving all the time he was in the water. The depth of the water is very 

 deceptive. The greatest depth found is 1,523 feet. People drowned in 

 it never appear again on the surface it is said. Standing on Its southern 

 shore listening to the regular beat of the surf, toward sunset, the receding 

 sun arrayed in all the gorgeousness of his evening drapery, and as the 

 shades of night commence their gradual approach, no scene can be more 

 impressive. To the west the cold and sterile mountains rise in majesty, 

 their tops covered with eternal snow, fringed with a bright blush from 

 the setting sun and from the reddened clouds above, and resting against 

 the sky with a profile as clear and defined as if cut with a sculptor's 

 chisel. To the north and east mountains and hills rise up as if on guard 

 to protect the beauties of the place, and thick forests of fir, balsam, pine, 

 red wood, and oak trees like regiments, straight and luxuriant, appear 

 almost to the sandy beach wi'h well filled ranks. New beauties, as my 

 nephew said, constantly unfold themselves. At times a gentle breeze 

 wafts across the bosom of the lake, but at others its surface is as fretful 

 as an unruly child. The waters become agitated all at once, the white- 

 crested waves dance and sparkle, and all the wondrous mysteries of the 

 storm-tossed ocean show themselves in miniature form. 



About three-quarters of Lake Tahoe lie in California, the remainder 

 being in the State of Nevada. The trout were in great plenty when my 

 nephew visited it, and he captured about three handred in four days; 

 yet the Indians spear them when in the very act of spawning. This 

 drives both the male and female away, and the tron. then seek the deep 

 water and keep more out of view at such times. They are now deforc- 

 ing more stringent laws regarding this, and soon Lake Tahoe and the 

 neighboring streams will be better fronting waters than they have hith- 

 erto been. I hope next year to make a fishing tour on these tempting 

 and attractive waters, and enjoy a ptrsonal cognizance of these won- 

 ders and beauties of landscape and almost matchless views, without 

 taking them, as I have in this article, second-hand from another party. 



£. J. Hooper, 



* — 



<jfW~No Notice Taken of Anonymous Communications. 



♦ « 



Boston News Dealer.— The matter is being investigated. An error 

 exists no doubt. 



Val, Nashville, Tenn.— Will you please state the best goods used In 

 making pantaloons for the field in a rough country? Ans: Corduroy or 

 velveteen. 



S., New Bedford .—What is the length of barrel of the rifle used by 

 Mr. Wm. Hays, at Conlin's Gallery? Is it a rifle, or a shoulder reBt pis- 

 tol? Ans. A 26-inch Ballard rifle. 



G. N. B., Delphos, Kan.— How shall I patch balls so that the paper 

 will not wrinkle when the gun becomes a litt'e foul? Ans. There is no 

 method known to obviate this. The gun must be kept clean. 



F. Th., New York.— Where in the vicinity of New York, that is not 

 over fifty or sixty miles, could I And fair quail shooting, and cau I find 

 grouse within about the same limits? Ans. In the vicinity of Norwalk, 

 Conn. 



J. N. D., Jr.— Do you know anything of a breech loading gun made by 

 William Moore & Sons? If so, please answer. Ans. William Moore, 

 who was a celebrated gun maker, is dead. Several other gun makers 

 use that name upon their guns. 



N. Y., Carmansville, N. Y.— I have a rabbit hound three years old, 

 and he has a habit of frothing at the mouth. Can you suggest a rem- 

 edy? Ans. Examine your hound's mouth; the whole trouble probably 

 arises from broken or otherwise imperfect teeth. 



A. F. J., Brattleboro, Yt.— Can yon tell me anything regarding the 

 reputation and workmanship of guns made by James King, of London, 

 and guns and rifles made by Stevens, of Chicopee Falls, Mass.? Ans. 

 James King is not on the list of London gnn makers. Stevens is a rep- 

 utable gun maker. 



Plankers, Hudson, N. Y.— Please decide: B" says that by the game 

 law of 1875 that he has a right to shoot quail Oct. 1st. H says 20th, and 

 we abide your decision. Ans. The law was changed in March last, 

 and the close season for quail now (very erroneously, we think,) expires 

 in this State on the 1st of October. 



M. F. Bonzano, Troy, N. Y.— 1st. In buying a Kemington $75 shot 

 gnn, what length of barrels will give best result? 2d. What pattern and 

 penetration will such a gun give at 40 yards? Ans. 1st. We would re- 

 commend a 12 gauge, 30 inch barrels. 2d. Guns vary so much in pat- 

 tern and penetration we cannot say what such a gun will do. 



Transit, Peacedale, R. I.— Please inform me about my gnn. I have 

 been shooting it with three drachms of powder and two ounces of shot. 

 It kicks more than is pleasant. Would you please inform me how to 

 remedy it? Ans. The extra weight or shot is the cause. Use one ounce 

 of shot to three drachms of powder, and your gun will shoot pleasantly 

 and effectively, if held in the right direction. 



E.S. G., Brockport, N. Y.— W. & C. Scott &Sons advertise that no 

 guns are genuine without their trade mark stamped en the under side of 

 the barrels. Now there are several guns bearing Scott's name, etc., all 

 correct, but they have no trade mark. Are they genuine, or not? Ans. 

 All genuine W. & C. Scott & Sons' guns have their trade mark stamped 

 upon the barrels, or on the action under the barrels. 



C. A. W., Kansas City, Mo.— I would like your advice as to the treat- 

 ment of my setter. She appears in good health, but vomits continually 

 ana does not get in as good condition as I would like to see her. If you 

 can advise me from this meagre description as to the disease and cure, 

 you will greatly oblige a constant reader of your paper. Ans. Your 

 setter is probably affected with worms; have mailed to, you some pow- 

 dered areca nut, with directions for its use. Trv it. 



W. H. C, Cazenovia.— Do yon know of anything that will waterproof 

 a hunting coat? I wrote to W. P. Co., Dey street, as you recommended, 

 but found that it was a trade secret, as I expected. The coat is heavy cot- 

 ton duck? Ans. One half pound sugar of lead; one-half pound pow- ' 

 dered alum. Dissolve in a bucket of rain water, then pour off the fluid 

 with the dissolved ingredients into another vessel. Steep yonr coat 

 thoroughly,, letting it stay in for a considerable time. Hang it up to dry 

 but do not wring it. 



E. H. S., Milton, Mass.— I have noticed strong recommendations in 

 your valuable paper of a certain nut, good for worms in dogs' (I have 

 forgotten the name of nut). Now I believe I have read every number of 

 your paper, and I have a good of faith in your recommendations, so I 

 would like to try some of this new remedy, as worms in dogs always 

 bothered me, and I have never found any remedy equal to powdered 

 glass, but always hate to give that. Can you send me some, or tell me 

 where I can get it, and also amount of dose? Ans. We have sent to 

 yon some powdered areca nut— the nut you allude to with directions 

 how to use it. 



Crook, New Haven.— Is a gun apt to burst if the wad starts from fhe 

 shell and gets down sixinches or more into the barrel of the gun? I use 

 brass shells, and if such is the case, and I am told it is, I shall be care- 

 ful and change the shell to the other barrel after shooting, as it is apt to 

 start the wad— that is if only one barrel is shot. Ans. The gun would 

 be very likely to burst. Try a drop of Spaulding's glue on the top of 

 your wad. This is an excellent device with paper shells, as it does away 

 with both creaser and reamer, and makes the shell to fill the chamber. 

 We have tried it with great satisfaction. 



C. F. C— Will you please inform me if conical base metallic shells 

 are being manufactured, and where I can get them ? Also advantages, if 

 they have anv, over other shells, as I see by your paper there are fifteen 

 patents on them. Ans. The conical base shell is manufactured by the 

 Hart Shell Company, of Newark, N. J. (No. 216 Market straet). The 

 advantages claimed for it are the same as those claimed for the conical 

 chambered breech, introduced into muzzle loading shotguns just before 

 the advent of breech loaders, viz : a concentration of the effect of the 

 powder and less recoil. 



" J.H. W.,Fort Wayne, Ind.— Please inform me what position Mr. 

 Bodine takes when shooting at long ranges? Ans. Col. Bodtne has 

 shot, so far, in the face downward position, lying on his stomach, and 

 has shot all matches in that position. We are assured, however, that he 

 will change the position and shoot, lying on his back. He states that 

 when in good condition he can, he thinks, shoot well enough when face 

 down, but that for general shooting, the lying on the back position is the 

 better. Consult Wingate's Manual, Fifth Edition, page 225, where a 

 cut of Mr. Bodina's method may be seen. 



R. S. B., Waterville, N. Y - J A. B. wishes to know when a boat 

 is on the starboard tack. Supposing the wind to be due north, if the 

 boat heads to any point east of north or north of ea^t, she is on the star- 

 board tack, and when she changes her course by luffing up and standing 

 west of north, being on the wind, she is on the port tack. Tf . however, a 

 vessel had the wind abeam, and she could hold her course without mak- 

 ing leeway, I should consider her as not tacking at all, having a fair 

 wind. Ans. The expression is used even when a vessel has the wind 

 abeam, that she is on this or that tack. 



G. H. W., Cornwall, Out.— 1. How can I obtain a sample of the 

 Diltmar powder? I have written to the. Company but have received no 

 answer. They do not say in their advertisement anything about sam- 

 ples, or whether any money is to be sent, or in fact anything at all about 

 the price of it. 2. Where can I get a pair of choke bore barrels for my 

 shot gun? 3. What would be the result of a cross between a thoroughbred 

 Gordon black and tan setter dog and a good water spaniel bitch, lemon and 

 white? 4. In case a player is injured during a match game of base ball 

 which captain shall decide who shall run for the. party that, ig injured? 

 Ans. 1. Address Carl Dittmar, Neponset, Mass. 2. We would suggest 

 your sending to England for then. 3. We would not advise such a 

 cross. 4. The captain of the nine to which the injured man belongs 

 names a substitute, but the selection must be approved by the opposite 

 side. 



