FOREST AND STREAM, 



343 



FISHES AND FISHING OF THE GREAT 

 LAKES. 



FOURTH PAPER—BASS, PERCH, HERRING AND SUCKERS, 



Editor Forest and Stream:— 



PERCH abound in all waters except mere brooks, and 

 are constantly caught, but never preserved in any way. 

 They are taken in incredible quantities with hooks and 

 spears, and with so much facility that even children hook 

 them with bent pins, and spear with sharpened rods. By the 

 way, do any of the readers of the Forest and Stream 

 know anything of the poisonous properties of the first dor- 

 sal fin of the perch? I have met, in a professional way, 

 with several such cases, and all quite severe; in one case 

 causing the loss of the hand. It is always the sharp spines 

 of the first dorsal fin that causes the trouble; so say fish- 

 ermen, 



• Of bass, there are several varieties caught the year round, 

 the black bass (Grystes fasciatus) being the most prominent. 

 The St- Clair Fiats furnish excellent bass fishing, and are 

 annually resorted to by numerous sportsmen for the pur- 

 pose and the pursuit of wild fowl. The black bass is a very 

 active and voracious fish, with large hard mouth, and is 

 very gamy. The average weight is from three-fourths of 

 a pound to three pounds, occasionally "kicking the beam" 

 at six and seven. Their food, when small, seems to be 

 worms, minnows, and insects of all kinds; when older, 

 the smaller varieties of other fish, although they never 

 abandon entirely their early habits. In the Winter, the 

 bass retires to the deep, still waters, and apparently hide 

 under rocks and logs; anything, in fact, which will afford 

 them shelter, and there remain until about the 1st of April, 

 when they ascend the small streams to find suitable places 

 for spawning, which commences about the middle of May, 

 varying a little, according to the warmth of the season. 

 When this event is about to take place they separate into 

 pairs, male and female, and together seek some retired 

 place or nook where the water is about eighteen inches in 

 depth, and still, but adjoining deep water. 



The herring (Argyrosomus harengus) is probably the most 

 numerous of all lake fishes. This may be accounted for 

 in part from the fact that they are least sought after by 

 fishermen, as they are not a favorite fish in the market, 

 and the low price and expense of dressing is so great that, 

 the profit is far less than on other fish. Lake herring, 

 when smoked, are far superior to those of salt water. As 

 these fish are spawn eaters of the worst character, and in 

 conjunction with suckers and sturgeon are always hover- 

 ing after whitefish during their spawning season, the dam- 

 age done by them is incalculable. As herring spawn about 

 the same time with whitefish, it is not uncommon to find 

 the spawn intermingled. 



The lake suckers (Catastomus), though presenting many 

 things in common to the inferior fish of the same name of 

 most western rivers, are very superior in quality for eat- 

 ing. To avoid the ill-repute attached to the name sucker, 

 they are usually sold under the name of lake shad, a name 

 founded merely on caprice and for the purpose of fraud, 

 for they are not supposed to bear the least resemblance to 

 shad. Suckers are usually taken with seines, early in the 

 Spring, at the mouth of rivers and creeks. They frequent 

 particular shores in June, but whether for spawning or 

 some other purpose I have been unable to ascertain. They 

 are taken in enormous quantities, and often secured for 

 fertilizing purposes alone. 



The annual capture of fish of all kinds is almost incredi- 

 ble. I hoped to obtain positive statistics, but find it im- 

 possible. The amount passing through first hands, as re- 

 ported by Mr. Milner, is upwards of thirty-two million of 

 Pounds, with a value of one million six hundred dollars. 



Archek . 

 — ~ ««» 



PRODIGIOUS SALMON SCORES. 



New York, December 27th, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream;— 



In Forest and Stream of last week I read that the guardian of the 

 River Godbout took in one day's fishing fifty-seven salmon, weighing 

 six hundred and thirty-four pounds, an average weight of about eleven 

 and one-eigbth pounds. Do the people who furnish these reports expect 

 that they will be believed by any one who has been salmon fishing? 

 Some time since I ventured to ask an explanation of these immense 

 scores, apropos of the feat accredited to Mr. Gilmour, forty-six fish in 

 one day, and after a little cyphering, raised the question whether salmon 

 had not been overestimated as a game fish, if they could be body- 

 snatched at any such rate. Premising that from some experience on 

 another stream, I know that this explanation will not hold good. Let 

 us examine this last fish story in the light of a little common sense and 

 arithmetic, and see how it looks. 



Suppose the angler to be a very strong man and capable of wielding 

 his salmon rod for twelve hours in the day. Every one who has had ex- 

 perience knows that a salmon is not hooked at every cast; 

 •that not every fish that is hooked is landed; that in catch- 

 ing fifty-seven fish there must have been a good many changes of fly, 

 renewals of casting lines, and other things to reduce the time actually 

 consumed in killing the fish. One hour would be a very moderate allow- 

 ance for all this . We have then eleven hours left for taking fifty seven 

 salmon, averaging more than eleven pounds, or at the rate of more than 

 five per hour, or less than twelve minutes for each fish . Is not the ab- 

 surdity of such a story palpable? Of course we know that much larger 

 fish than these are sometimes killed in as short a time; but, on the other 

 band, some would fight twice or thriee as long. I say, then, that it is 

 Dot possible to hook and kill in one day the number of fish of the 

 weight stated. It is almost incredible that a man should have strength 

 and endurance to go through such a day's fishing, if it were otherwise 

 possible. And if the story were true, how would you like to have such 

 * guardian on a river of which you were lessee? Littell . 



[It seems to us that the points of our correspondent are 

 very well taken. "We venture no further criticisms, al- 

 though we observe that there is a remarkable agreement or 

 correspondence in several of the published scores, as respects 

 Magnitude of weight and number. For comparative 

 scores, gee Forest and Stream, vol. 1, 363 and 412; vol. 

 3> 70 and 108; vol. 4, 408; vol. 5, 117.— Ed.] 



. — Upwards of seventy-five deer have been slaughtered 

 JJ the vicinity of Elizabethtown, Ke_w York, through the 

 months. 



Our Fish and Game. —In conversation with the old in- 

 habitants we are informed that there is a great falling off 

 in the supply of fish from what it was a few years ago. 

 This they attribute to the use of gill nets, and the fish being 

 caught out of season. We have ourself seen mullets 

 caught for the purpose of extracting the roe, the flesh 

 being thrown away. Schools of mullets have been blown 

 up by torpedoes, the dead bodies floating about the river in 

 a putrid state. The destruction by birds, sharks, and por- 

 poises is prodigious, and this, with the help of man, is les- 

 sening our supply of cheap food. Our lakes and rivers 

 are public farms, furnishing us with nutriments without 

 any labor, except that of gathering it. They should then 

 be protected by the public. There is already a law in ex- 

 istence to that effect, but it does not cover the matter suf- 

 ficiently. The fish should be protected in the breeding 

 season, and their catching and sale at those times pro- 

 hibited. The sorts of nets used should be defined by law, 

 and certain kinds prohibited, and the seasons defined. 

 Those who are now occupied in the fisheries should call a 

 convention, and consult as to the best manner of protec- 

 ting the fish, or they will find that their business will de- 

 crease year by year. 



^ As with fish, so is it with game. They are killed at ail 

 times of the year. Quail can be seen on sale in our mar- 

 ket in the breeding season. Deer are killed at the same 

 time, and it is no unusual thing to see a hunter carrying a 

 young fawn in his arms, while the carcass of the mother 

 is hanging across his saddle, and others are shot when in 

 young. Other States of the Union have found out too late 

 the injury they have suffered by not protecting their game, 

 and are now turning their attention to it. We must not 

 be behind hand, but take care to protect ours in good 

 time. — Florida Agriculturist . 



2£H*T>on't fail to buy a copy of "Camp Life in Florida" 

 before going South. It is a hand-book for settlers, tourists, 

 and invalids, as well as for sportsmen. Appleton's Journal 

 says: "Its title, suggesting as it does, a simple narrative of 

 adventure, does scant justice to a very useful book. 1 ' 

 — ♦♦♦- 



Herbert's Gun.— Our special correspondent, M. M. 

 Barker, has picked up an old relic of Frank Forester's at 

 Hollidaysburg, Pa. He writes: — 



"H. S. Yan Tries, Esq., of this place— by the way an sccomplished 

 sportsman— has in his possession a veritable gun of 'Frank Forester,' 

 which was presented to him by Maj. J. VV*. Duncan, of Pittsburgh, who 

 advanced $100 or. it. Poor Herbert! like many other men of 

 genius, he was afflicted with impecuniosity and could never redeem it. 

 It is a double barrel muzzle loader, 30- inch barrels, No. 15 gauge, pla- 

 fcina vents, free bar locks and box triggers. It is handsomely engraved, 

 having as many as nine pointers and setters on the locks and mount- 

 ings. The maker was 'James Spurting, gunmaker to the Royal Family, 

 England.' Your veteran Kennei Editor, H. S., will quite likely re- 

 member the gun by the description, as he has probably many a time had 

 a tilt with Herbert through the fields and marshes in Jersey . The case 

 is of solid mahogony, with solid brass corners, lined with morocco, hav- 

 ing the name of Henry W. Herbert elaborately engraved on a brass 

 plate on the cover. The whole has beeu preserved with great care and 

 attention, and is as good to-day as when it was parted with, and will con- 

 tinue so as long as in the posession of one who almost deities the name 

 of 'Frank Forester.' Its shooting qualities are pre-eminently superb, 

 as it is pronounced by the owner, who has challenged, at divers times, 

 the best guns in this section of the country. From tne kit of imple- 

 ments connected therewith I secured a relic which I shall boar home to 

 H. S , who, I am impelled to believe, will prize it highly," 



J$tt8w$i[8 $j;a (^0ri{tnymi&ml$. 



rVo Notice Taken of Anonymous Communications. 



Trapper, Altoona, Pa.'— What can I buy an Irish setter pup three 

 months old for? i\us, For $20; address H. Smith, at this office. 



Jenleins . —Spearing is an art to be learned only by practice, as the 

 refraction in the water always makes a fish appear to be where he is not. 



J, L., Kanawha, Va.— The price of "Camp Life in Florida 11 is $1.%. 

 If not sold by your book dealers, it can be obtained at this office . Deal- 

 ers are supplied by the American News Company. 



N. P. L„ Montreal. --In your Answers to Correspondents will you 

 kindly give me the address of the Commissioner of Fisheries for the 

 State of Vermont? Ans M, C. Edmonds, Weston, and M. Goldsmith, 

 Rutland. 



J. S. W., Gloucester, Mass.— The inclosed pearl is a specimen from a 

 large number in my possession. I send the same to you in order to rind 

 out its value and the species to which it belongs. Ans. This is simply 

 the inner layer of some nacreous shell— perhaps the pearl oyster— sand 

 has no commercial value of consequence. 



J. J., New York.— Please decide the following bet: A and B are 

 throwing dice (raffles) . A throws two sixes and an ace; B throws two 

 lives and a four. Who wins? Ans. In throwing raffles the highest pair 

 wins. A, therefore, wins, in the same manner as though he held a pair 

 of sixes against a pair of fives in playing poker. 



H. B. S., Chestnut Hill, Mass.— Please give me the address of the 

 company which manufactures and sells the Ballard rifle. What is the 

 best calibre for a rifle for all kinds of shooting, viz: hunting and target 

 practice,? Ans. 1. Messrs. Schoverling & Da?y, No. 84 Chambers street, 

 are manufacturing the Ballard rifle. 2. 44-calibre. 



C. W., Danbury, Conn.— 1. I wish to inquire of the standing of the 

 Barber gun, made at Syracuse. 2. The gun offered at $35— what is the 

 length, weight, calibre, etc.? Ans. Barber & LaFevre, of Syracuse, are 

 good reliable gunmakers. 2. The gun at $35 isa second-hand Whitney 

 breech leader, 12 gauge, 30-inch barrels, and weighs aoout eight pounds. 



H. G. Fowler, Auburn, N. Y.— 1. The nearest point a* which you 

 would be tolerably sure to find the Bohemian waxwing at this season is 

 among the highest Adirondacks; but if cold weather and deep snow 

 come together, you may find a few in your own region. If so, let us 

 know. 2. For a taxidermist in- California, address C. A. Allen, Nicasio, 

 Marin county. 



Henry, Syracuse, N. Y.— I think of having a Whitehall boat made 

 here. How can I get a model to work by; do you think this the safest 

 boat made for family use; and have you any illustration showing the 

 shape of said boat, as there is none here that I know of? Ans. Address 

 Messrs. Ingersoll & Co., boat builders, No. 159 South street, for price 

 list, which probably contains model. No„safer boat. 



J. L., Quebec— I see that P.Powell & Co. advertise a $21 gun- 

 What do you think of it, and have you ever seen any of them? Ans. 

 The gun you allude to is said to be cheap at the price, but it will be a 

 long time before any practical knowledge of their safety can be ob- 

 tained from us. Such low-priced guns may be entirely safe, but we in- 

 tend to rely upon the judgment of others as to the certainty of it. 



H. W., Chicago.— Is the Remington double'Cshot gun a choke bore, 

 and if so, could I use Ely's or Kays' shot cartridges in the same, and 

 where can the latter be bought? Ans. The Remington gun is not choke 

 bored; but their 12-gauge guns could be choke bored by almost any good 



gunmaker. Ely's and Kays' shot cartridges are sold by all gun dealers 

 advertising in our columns. A gun properly choke bored does not re- 

 quire any kind of concentrators. 



P., Peterboro, Canada.— Kay, in advertising in Forest and Stream: 

 his concentrating cartridges, says: "No creasers, turners, or toproads 

 required," and in his printed instructions for their usa says; "Ram 

 down with the rabbetted end of the loader, and invariably crease or turn 

 the shell in." How is this thusly? Ans. In shooting light loads we have 

 found Kays' concentrators to answer very well without the shell being 

 creased or turned down; but in shooting heavy loads it is better to 

 crease or turn down the shells. 



J. H. K., Bayfield, Wis.— What has been the result, financially, of 

 raising brook trout in private ponds and streams to those who have en- 

 gaged in it for making money? I own large tracts of land, through 

 which run magnificent streams that abound in brook trout, and have 

 been tempted to try the experiment for its financial advantage, but have 

 been told that it will not pay. Ans. Testimony is quite conflicting on 

 this point. The preponderance of evidence is to the ^effect that more 

 money can be made by raising fry for stocking other ponds than by 

 growing fish for the table or for breeders. 



Breech Loader, New York,— J . What length and weight barrels are 

 preferable for 10 bore, for general shooting? 2. Are pistol stoeks any 

 better than old style? 3. Which is the best material for shells, metal or 

 paper, as far as shooting qualities are concerned? Ans. 1.30-inch bar- 

 rels and about eight pounds weight. 2. With large guns and heavy 

 loads the gun may be held firmer in pistol grip; but for guns of eight 

 pounds or under, we would not recommend it. 3. There is very little 

 difference between metallic and paper shells as to the shooting, if both 

 ar-e loaded properly. We use paper shells because we do not care to re- 

 load them. For ducks and large game, metallic shells are generally pre- 

 ferred; and then they are less expensive, 



F. G., New York.— I have a hound of rather questionable parentage 

 that runs so close to any unfortunate deer he may find that when it 

 reaches water, which is generally done without much time being wasted, 

 the dog is at its heels, and plunges in without paying the slightest regard 

 to distances. Fearing the dog will some day be drowned in a vain en- 

 deavor to follow a deer across the Atlantic, I should like to know how to 

 put a stop to this little nautical amusement of his. Is this a common 

 thing for a hound to do, or is it only a common hound that would be 

 guilty of such a thing? Ans. It is no unusual thing for honnds to fol- 

 low deer into the water, and if your's contemplates a trip across the At- 

 lantic, it would be well to provide him with one of Capt , Boyton's 

 swimming suits. 



G., New Bedford. —Which target, Wimbledon or Creedmoor, is now 

 most generally used in America ; which is now used at Creedmoor, and 

 please state the dimensions of each. The reports of matches puzzle 

 me sometimes by not stating which target w^s used. Ans. The target 

 now generally used throughout the United States, and which was 

 adopted at Creedmoor last year, is what is known as the "new Wimble- 

 don," having -circular bullseyes, centres, and outers, instead of the old 

 square ones, The sizes are as follows: Up to and iucluding 300 yards 

 — bullscye, 8 inches in diameter; centre, 2^ inches do.; inner, 46 inches 

 do. ; outer, (.square), 4 feet by 6, or rest of target. Over 300 and includ- 

 ing 600 yards— bullseye, 22 inches in diameter; centre, 38 inches do. ; in- 

 ner, 51 inches do.; outer, 70 inches. All distances over 600 yards — 

 bullseye, 36 inches in diameter; centre, 54 inches do.; inner, (square), 

 6 feet by 6; outer, 6 feet by 12, or rest of target. 



Olive, St. Louis.— Has a Remington rifle 44 cal. He asks: 1. Can 

 I reduce charge in order to make hunting rifle of it? Orange Lightning, 

 No. 5, fills the shell nearly full. 2. What is the best grade and weight of 

 powder? 3. What is the weight, lengtn and shape of ball? 4. Is patched 

 or cannelured ball best? 5. My shell has a movable anvil, liable to lose 

 on extracting primer. Is there a better one made, and who makes it? 

 Would a nickeled shell work well? 6. How far will Winchester rifle, 

 new model, shoot accurately? Ans. 1. Use 50 or 60 grains. 2. We pre- 

 fer FG Orange rifle, instead of Orange lightning, which is almost too 

 quick. 3. A conical bali, weight about 400 grains, 1J- inch in length; 4 

 either would answer; patched would do best. 5. The Union Metallic 

 Carl ridge Company make a shell having primer fastened to a cross bar 

 instead of anvil; the Remingtons are making similar ones, we under- 

 stand. 6. Good shooting has been done with it up to 500 yards. 



Subscriber, Columbus, Ohio. — Six gentlemen — one gunsmith, two 

 boss machinists, one jeweler, oae hardware and tin and stove merchant, 

 and the undersigned— all, more or less, experienced men, have "cussed" 

 and discussed the "D. W., Chicago," article 5th, in your Answers to 

 Correspondents of last week, and all agree that the large bore gun shoots 

 the strongest; yet insist that, all things being equal, the large bore will 

 recoil more than the small bore— just the reverse of what you have it. 

 What say you now? Ans. All- we have to say is, that we have shot with 

 all Bized guns, running from]4 up to 18 gauge, but never have tested them 

 carefully as to recoil, being well convinced that in all modern guns the 

 recoil depends upon the quantity of powder, shot and wadding used. If 

 the gun is properly loaded, the recoil is of no great consequence. Those 

 persons who complain so much about recoil are bunglers, and use too 

 much powder or lead for the size of the gun. 



J. H. D., Nashua.— I have a very flue Eugllsh setter dog, 21 years old, 

 well broken in the field, but he has got the habit of running away fr*m 

 home, and will not come back-. I have to keep him tied all the time. I 

 have thought of castrating him, but am afraid to, for fear it will spoil 

 him for hunting. What do you advise? Ans. We have occasionally 

 been afflicted with dogs given to the bad habit of running away from 

 home to hunt on their own "hooks," or for some other purpose, but 

 have broken up their "little game" by investing a shilling or two in a 

 four-foot rawhide, and placing it in the hands of one who would catch 

 the dog from homeland give him a good baker's dozen the full length of 

 his back. No dog will often leave tbe protection of his home, if this 

 remedy is properly administered. The other remedy you suggest would, 

 in all probability, in a considerable degree, destroy his usefulness in the 

 field, 



Sinbad, New York.-^My friend's setter will stand over a warm trai/, 

 and nothing will induce him to go ahead, unless his master takes the 

 lead a step or two and urges him, when he will move on, but so slowly, 

 by reason of the extreme caution he appears to exercise, that after pass- 

 ing over a hundred yards of ground and seeing no birds, one's impa- 

 tience begins to be aroused. In some_ instances he has trailed birds in 

 this way 300 yards. This behavior on the dog's part is a sure sign we 

 shall see birds. But is'nt he too slow? He has had no training to speak 

 of, but seems to know his business as well as the "collegians" when he 

 gets where the birds are. Ans. It is not an unusual thins, for a pup or 

 young dog having a fine nose to be too cautious in approaching game; 

 with such, a little time and work on game gives them confidence in 

 themselves, and the difficulty is overcome. Bui when this trouble ex- 

 ists in aged dogs, the shoo'er must have more patienj^ thon ourselves to 

 continue to shoot over him. 



R. A. S., Doylestown, Pa.— We have a lemon tree, now about twenty 

 years old, and five years ago changed it from its earthen pot to a wooden 

 box. We tarred the box inside, and set the tree, dirt and all, into the 

 box. Just b'eiore Fall it withers up, but does not freeze, and we have to 

 keep a fire where it sits in Winter. What is the matter with it? 2. Is there 

 any law to prevent shooting pike in the Spring, when they are rutting? 

 3. What kind of bait can be used instead of live bait for fishing for pike 

 through the ice? Ans. 1. Old age is probably the difficulty. Possibly 

 by pruning some of the superfluous roots you might induce a healthier 

 upper growth, but your tree is undoubtedly past bearing. 2. There is 

 no law to prevent the shooting of pike, except during the close season, 

 which is from the 1st of March to the 1st of June. 3. In Lake Huron, 

 where pike fishing through the ice is carried on very extensively, a, 

 wooden hire fish, or a herring prepared for the purpose, is used; but 

 then a spear is used. We should think an artificial minnow it- 

 answer . 



