82 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



the water, presenting a picture at once grand and subdued. 

 I shall never forget my first sight of it, as 1 sat in my boat, 

 surrounded on all sides as far, almost, as the eye could 

 reach, with their blooming and magnificent crests lit up by 

 the last rays of a superb sunset, and as I drank in long 

 draughts of the air redolent with their fragrance. Here, 

 also, grows in vast abundance the wild rice, of which the 

 mallard and widgeon are so fond, and which annually at- 

 tracts great numbers of ducks. As you row along the 

 river, a short distance to the south, you suddenly enter a 

 bay, which is only a portion of the lake cut off from the 

 violence of the waves and wind by a break-water, it form- 

 erly having been used as a harbor. Here during every Oc- 

 tober and November may be seen immense flocks of can- 

 vass-backs, attracted by the abundance of their favorite 

 food — Valisiieria y or water celery. This world-renowned 

 duck has only of late become aware of the quantity of his 

 favorite food, here in the western waters of Lake Erie, 

 but the fact seems now to be generally known among them, 

 if one may judge from the numbers that come sweeping 

 and whirling down every autumn. The place is becoming- 

 better known to sportsmen, and now as jou paddle along 

 the bay, during the fall, you may see fiequent puffs of 

 smoke issuing from many a carefully concealed hiding 

 place, and hear the frequent boom of the heavy duck gun 

 come rolling across the water, while the long strings of 

 glossy brown heads, hanging from bodies as plump as their 

 favorite food can make them, attest the success of the day's 

 sport. Occasionally among the prizes of the bay hunt*- rs 

 you may sue the shining green head of the maliard, or the 

 lithe, graceful body of the sprigtail, but not often; the bay 

 is the place for red-heads and canvas- backs, but if one has 

 a turn for mallard bhooting, teals or widgeons, all that is 

 nece.-sary is to push off with your boat and decoys, and 

 seek a puddle or opening adjoining their feeding grounds; 

 and it requires but a medium bhot to secure a goodly sized 

 bag. LiKe every other shooting vicinity, Monroe has its 

 share of greeuy pot-hunters, out, although a great number 

 of ducks are killed in this way before the permitted time, 

 they consist mostly of the smaller and more insignificant 

 species, and it only slightly affects the prime October and 

 November shooting. 



Such is duck hunting about Monroe; quail and grouse 

 are nearly as numerous, and snipe and plover matte us 

 yearly visitatious during October. Altogether it makes a 

 very pleasant place both for the one in search of rest and 

 quiet, and for the sportsman not wishiug to confine him 

 self to the narrow limits of pursuing but one kinu of game. 



T. C. A. 



For Forest and Stream. 

 TROUT FISHING IN WESTEKN NORTH 

 CAROLINA. 



THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OP "THE TROUT EXPE- 

 DITION INTO THE LAUREL COUNTRY"— SCENES, INCI- 

 DENTS, ETC. 



* , 



LEAVING Greenville, Tennessee, in a two-horse wagon, 

 on the morning of August 14th, we traveled south- 

 bdol hfteen miles, striking ihe iNorih Carolina State line three 

 miles from Hayesviile, and teu miles further, arrived at our 

 intended rendezvous about dark ot the same day. The 

 trip out was not without its dbappointments and troubles, 

 such as all expeditions ot the tviud encounter, like rain, 

 breaking down, turning over, wading streams, bruised and 

 sore limos, &c; but our pleasures so gieatly predominated 

 that these smalt casualties ought not to be noticed. The 

 roughness of the load was a serious drawback, it being 

 through mountain denies, the heds of creeks, and gullies 

 widened by the spring freshets. The scenery all along 

 from the ieimessee side to the place of our principal 

 camp was grand ueyond description, especially irom the 

 top of the mountain Deyond fiayesville, where we could 

 stand and gaze at the grand old peak beyond, and look 

 back at the hroad and lertile valleys of Tennessee, with 

 their beautuul waters extending in the distance like so 

 many silvery threads. This country is justly called the 

 Switzerland of An erica, and to those unaccustomed to 

 such sights would prove oi sufficient inteiest to repay for 

 any trouble in reaching it. This scope of country is 

 sparsely bellied, a housesometimcs not appearing lor ten 

 or twelve miles, but when found, the people, though rough 

 and plain, are as kind and obliging as could possibly be 

 desired. 



L»eing belated we could make no preparations for our 

 camp tne hist night, so we were received and eutertaiued 

 by Mr. Ueuige vY. Gahagan, a prince of good fellows, 

 and his excellent mother, who gave us a good supper and 

 breakiasi, and splenuid beds. .Next morning we were di- 

 rected to Hurricane .Branch, where we were to make our 

 first cast lor the "speckled beauties." This stream is a 

 trioutary of .Laurel proi er, or Big Laurel, as it is com- 

 monly called, and joins it about half a mile below the 

 commence oi Uig and Little Laurel, which, after uniting 

 and uowing six miles, empty into the French Broad River. 

 Our outnt was complete, consisting of eight-ounce fly-rods, 

 anificiai hies, &c, — all that goes to make hshing easy, and 

 ordinarily, one oi the exact bCieuce»; but our first day s 

 experience proved that there was an eternal fitness and un- 

 fitness oi things, and that these modern appliances were 

 not only unnt ior use in such streams, but positively uii- 

 wieluiy aud uuinanageable. This i» true because oi the 

 roughuess of the country and streams, and the density of 

 the laurels which overhang the banks, meet overhead, and 

 even prevent the possibility oi walking in some places, let 

 alone casting the fly. Considering these difficulties, and 

 our inexperience ot the country and stream our success 

 for the hrt>t day was not so ordinary, as we basketed thirty- 

 six averaging eight inches. \\ e will not particularize 

 about our camp iir&i trout supper and appetites, for these 

 things would create the envy ot the least admiring and en- 

 thusiastic ot lather izaak VV alton's disciples. 



Our second day's sport was on a granuer scale, having 

 met and engaged the guides — Jack uanks, and Jim Brid- 

 •will— hartiy mountaineers, rough, and appearing as if ac- 

 quainted with rough things. .Alter examining our accou- 

 terments ciitiealTy, they au vised us to discard "them hies 

 and town poles, and they would show us how to trout," 

 "We did as uireetcd— cut rods six or seven leet in length— 

 and adjusted lines only three or lour teet in accoruance. 

 l>c.riug this time our j.r.eims were in **jg Laurel, turning 

 over uat stones, and procuring what th y called "SuCK.- 

 bait '— that is, small waier-vv urihs — drat suiTOuhu them- 

 selves with a tube oi little sticKs, winch they glue together 

 for a covering, and then fasten to the stones. After ail was 



ready, we started towards the source of the stream, wading 

 up about three miles, walking on dryland being impossible 

 because of the density of the laurel thickets. We then re- 

 versed our- course, and the guides having muddied the 

 strt am we commenced fishing in earnest, and soon discov- 

 ered the superiority of the stick-bait over "them flies," and 

 the advantage of having the water slightly muddy, as we 

 counted from our baskets 84 of the beauties as against 36 

 on the first day. We will say nothing of the dinner of that 

 day; it would be unkind generally. This day we fished no 

 more, as we had more than we could possibly use, and no 

 means of carrying them back to Tennessee. 



The third day we fished what is called Little Hurricane, 

 and why it has this name we know not, for it is as large as 

 the one we had previously fished, and runs parallel with it, 

 and empties into the same stream (Big Laurel) half a mile 

 lower down. Here we encountered the same difficulties, 

 but having laid aside "them flies and town poles," and 

 being a little wiser generally, irom experience, we over- 

 came them with greater ease, or, we might say, wilh less 

 torture. This stream is the embodiment of all the beauty 

 that could be wished for by the most exacting anglers. 

 Here are the well shaded holes; here the long series of 

 rapids, terminating in the deep blue pools; here the catar- 

 acts, with waters trembling and foaming and roaring and 

 separating for an instant only, to be untied at the foot in a 

 sparkling home for the savory monarchs, where they 

 await the descent of some unfortunate insect, or, perhaps, 

 an untimely end at the hands of tne wary angler. We fol- 

 lowed the instructions of our guides of the previous day, 

 waded up as far as we could go, muddied and fished down, 

 bringing in by three o'clock 132 fine fellows, ihe seven 

 largest measuring 11 inches. This dinner must also be un- 

 mentioned, leaving it to the imagination of those who re- 

 member the ■hungriest period of their lives and the first 

 meal thereafter. Here were as many fine fish as we could 

 consume, and really more, so we gave away a large number 

 to our benefactors. This finished the trout fishing. 



The fourth day we were alter larger game; had a deer 

 drive, but in this we were not successful, as the mountains 

 had been thoroughly "driven" for a week previous. 

 There is an abundauce of game of all descriptions, from 

 the hare to the black bear, aud from the partridge to the 

 wild turkey. The fifth day we visited a centenarian, one 

 Solomon Stanton, who is 105 years old. He was in the 

 war of 1812, and ot course craws a pension. His hair is 

 not entirely white, and he looks as if he had twenty years 

 of life yet. This niun is a specimen of the healthfulness of 

 the climate of western North Carolina. There is not a 

 section of country on ihe continent that can equal this for 

 purity of atmosphere and waier, or that offers more general 

 inducements or assurance to the average invalid. We 

 visited a spring near Mr. Gahagan's, that has a temperature 

 of 50° the year round. The filth day was finished in fish- 

 ing for black bass, called here, as in Tennessee, "bhck 

 perch," and we made a respectable catch. Keturning on 

 Sunday, the seventh day out, we met a patty of four moun- 

 taineers, wilh their guns aud dogs, who told us that, they 

 were going bear hunting. Ihe day previous they had 

 killed two young bears and wounded the old one, and were 

 going back to hunt for her. They supposed she w r as so 

 badly hurt as to be not far distant Irom their former con- 

 flict. Minnix. 



«♦♦*- 



For Forest and Straem. 



ARTIST-LIFE IN THE ADIRONDACKS. 



i( ■ * ' 



THIS season finds me camped upon this beautiful 

 Hound Pond, near Rainbow Pond, in the Adiron- 

 dacks. Round, indeed, as its name implies, though nu- 

 merous cosy little bays with jutting headlands relieve the 

 monotony of its circular shores. Our camp is situated on 

 a bluff which commands a fine view of the pond, and 

 affords likewise an admirable spot from which to watch 

 for deer. I have in my large marquee tent a platform 

 raised from the ground, and covered with balsam fir 

 boughs which forms a fine resting place far Irom the damp- 

 ness incidental to sleeping close to the ground. A table 

 with seat, and protected irom sun and rain by a bark roof, 

 affords one a comfortable shelter to take dinner in, and to 

 read and write. The guides have a separate hut built of 

 logs and boards, and are snug enough. I believe in com- 

 fort and plenty of equipage when we are in a permanent 

 camp, and so we brought everything needful in the way of 

 outfit aud cooking utensils. A goodly store of provisions 

 and supplies, and plenty of blankets and wraps to keep 

 warm these cold nights. The other night, a cold, frosty 

 one, we were hugging the fire and watching the flame shoot 

 up its forked tongues, licking around the huge birch logs, 

 causing them to crackle and sputter, and occasionally leap 

 up in some long sheet of flame, illuminating the dark arches 

 of the forest, sending out in bold relief branch and tree 

 trunk, reddening the faces of the guides, lighting up dark 

 places where the hounds lie crouched, gleaming up the 

 barrels of our rifles aud dancing off into the bush in long 

 grotesque shadows. Suddenly, some hundred rods in the 

 woods, arose a long mourniul howl resembling that of a 

 dog, then another, another, and still another! Says Hank, 

 lading his hand softly on my shoulder, "Wolves!" and again 

 down the forest, but farther off, the same wild, thrilling 

 sounds. A few minutes more aud again, but so far away 

 that they are barely heard. 'T was thrilling! this mournful 

 howl of the wolf in the stillness of the forest, but all in 

 unison with the night and the voices of its dark depths — 

 the hoot of the owl, the sigh of the wind through the 

 pines, the flash of the wavelets against the beach, the wild, 

 weird note of the loon which floats in the silvery wake of 

 the moon out on the gleaming waters of the pond. What 

 stories are told, what jests aie cracked! Stories of bear 

 aud deer hunts, wolf aud panther yarns, which the unin- 

 itiated swallow greedily. How such a bear was killed and 

 such a panther slain — "put thirteen balls right through 

 him and he never stirred!" Tough panther that! And, 

 that bear carried trap, log and all right off and ran faster 

 than 1 could. "That deer had thirteen prongs on one side 

 and twelve on the other, by goil;" "el you'd only seen 

 that ar bear's track, as big as George's foot." "Thunder! 

 Must have been a big one," and George draws in his num- 

 ber twelves modestly; and so the stories go on, and the 

 moon mounts higher. r l hen the fire grows dim, and we 

 turn in, and, wim the hoot of the owl in our ears, are soon 

 lost in slumber. 



This pond was f. rmerly a great fishing and hunting lo- 

 cality. Great fishing of great fish truly, ior here it was 

 where the 52 pound trout was caught, incredible as the 

 weight may seem but which has been vouched lOr by sev- 

 eral, and of which more anon. Hank Sweeney, my guide, 



says: "Nine years ago my brother Ed. and I were dowV 

 here night hunting. We killed one deer and drove out m 

 more from the pond to the bridge," about two miles. Last 

 fall the deer were plenty also. During the few' day's! 

 camped here we could drive a deer at any time, but this season 

 they are scarce, having been killed last winter, aud driven 

 during May and June by guides who should have had more 

 sense. What men with the true feelings of the hunter 

 will drive does before they have had their fawns? I ( | 

 not blame the sportsman who comes to pass a few' weeks 

 late in the summer among the wilderness, and who in 

 supply his camp with venison when jacking fails, lets 

 loose the hounds; or the poor settler who with sickVife 

 or children, meat high-priced and venison at his door 

 kills deer out of season; but the men who often kill but 

 for the sake of killing to boast the number of deer they 

 have slain, or those who prosper by the sale of their hides 

 should have the law applied to them in full force. 



As we were sitting around our bark-covered table par. 

 taking of our afternoon meal and enjoying both it and the 

 beauties of the sunset filling the west with glory and gild- 

 ing cloud and mountain peak with crimson and gold 

 Washburn drew his boat up to shore and we asked him to 

 ' 'fall to and have a bite." He agreed at once, and knew how to 

 do it, too. I ask Washburn to tell us about that "big 

 trout" that was caught here. "Wall," he says, "I wais 

 with that party camped down at yonder camp, and we 

 were out looking to see what was on our set-line, which 

 was strung across that ere bay and we were taking up the 

 hooks one after another, when I happened to look ahead 

 and I see an allfired big fish lying on top of the water, and 

 we pulled for him and found he was not only hooked through 

 the mouth but through the back, and every time he tried to 

 get away it flopped him over on his side. We got him into 

 ihe boat someway or other, and the two fellers that was with 

 me set down on him and told me to row for shore quick's I 

 could, and I did, and we landed him and he was a whopper! 

 Now I kin hold out a 50-pound meal bag at arm's length, but 

 I couldn't that ere fish; it jest pulled my arm right down. 

 He measured 3 feet and 8 inches and was 32 inches around 

 him." "Some fish!" we exclaim. "Biggest fish ever caught 

 up here!" "Why," says Hank, "I hev took fish off ihe 

 spawning beds up in Big Clear four or five years ago, pretty 

 big fellers; one weighed jest 37i pounds, aud I hev known 

 lots of 'em taken there to weigh 25 pounds and over. 

 They say old Hinkson took one there once which weighed 

 jest 62 pounds down on the scales in Titus's store, and he°sed, 

 'I'm a poor man, but I would'nt take $100 for that ere fish,' 

 he was so proud of it." Some people may think these 

 are fish stories, but I know the first can be vouched for by 

 several, and there are stories of very large lake trout being 

 taken in these waters. 



The twilight is deepening, the purple shadows are creeping 

 up the liills and have filled the valleys already with deep 

 violet, and now the mountain peaks wear a warm blush of 

 purplish crimson, the west is barred with streaks of violet 

 aud red, a broad plain of pink is reflected it B iu the east, aud 

 now over old Hay Stack twinkles the evening star. Oh! 

 Plow I wish I had my paints and canvas ready that I might 

 sketch this lovely scene! We pile more heavy logs on the 

 fire and more stories are told of adventure. Some one says 

 they are bound to put pickerel in these ponds and rivers. 

 Think of putting in that slimy, greedy shark! Polluting the 

 waters with their presence, driving off the delicious trout. 

 Many wooden-headed people prefer pickerel to trout 

 because it "makes plenty of fish." Compare a pickerel to a 

 trout ! as well pork to a quail or woodcock. Those are the men 

 who do the sporting country harm, whose tastes are so coarse 

 that they care little for quality "long's there's plenty of it." 

 Can not there be some law and have it put in force to 

 save all these streams and ponds from being filled in a short 

 time as Long Lake and Racquette are, with pickerel? 



Sept. 12th, 1870. C. C. Makkham. 



-*-«<■- 



For Forest and Stream. 

 SALMON FISHING ON McGLOUD RIVER. 



A JOURNEY to California under the direction of the 

 U. S. Fish Commission, with a shipment of shad 

 for the Sacramento river was the introduction to a series 

 of pleasures, one of which was a visit to the U. S. Fishery 

 on the McCloud river. After planting the fry at Tehama, 

 our party, consisting of Mr. B. B. Redding, Land Com- 

 missioner of the Central Pacific Railroad and member of 

 the California Fish Commission; Mr. Livingston Stone, of 

 the U. S. Commission; Mr. F. N, Clark, and your corres- 

 pondent traveled by rail to Redding, the terminus of the 

 Oregon Division of the Central Pacific Railroad, and theuce 

 by stage 22 miles to the Fishery. 



The weird and lonely hour of 1 a. m. has come, and it 

 is announced that the six-inhand is about to plunge into 

 the Sierra Kevadas. The start might well excite the envy 

 of our best amateur four-oar crew, for at the word go, six 

 eager heads stretch forward and twelve pairs of eager 

 hoofs clatter on the moonlit road. The Knight of the 

 Ribbon has thrice felt the wind of brigand's bullets, and 

 has even granted little mementoes in the shape of locks or 

 hair in reply, while guarding the Wells-Fargo box and 

 other treasures, yet his voice and arm are as steady in the 

 deep shadows as they were in the crowded station. We 

 are now laboriously climbing a sudden steep, now thun- 

 dering down a decline as sudden, now whirling round art 

 abrupt curve and skimming the edge of a precipice, our 

 teeth meanwhile chattering and our limbs stiffened from 

 cold, and our bones aching from contact with the numerous 

 "thank you mam's" that lie in wait. But why elaborate? 

 The joy and fears of mountain travel by stage have been 

 well understood since the time of Greeley's famous attempt 

 to hurry up the Jehu who got him "there in time." Hie 

 relay of horses is reached, and we are again speeding on. 

 The inevitable rut, like time, "but the impression deeper 

 makes;" dusty moonlit streams fiit by us; the fortunate 

 outrider enjoys nature's wildness and our discomfiture, un- 

 til with a parting bump and a rasping of brakes, at the 

 somnolent hour of 4:30 we shake off the dust from our 

 unicolor garments and stand at the post-office of the Alc- 

 Cloud River TJ. S. Fishery. 



Shall we go to bed? Sleep was banished from our eyes 

 on the way as effectually as dust was introduced into them 

 and some of us have averaged only three hours' sleep out 

 of 24 during the past week. To sleep or not to sleep is 

 the question, which is decided for us by sundry splashing 

 sounds from the river. It is salmon vs. sleep with ou(is ^ 

 favor of salmon. Here are three rods, all fitted for trie 

 Waltonian pastime, and yonder is a jar of salted salrno 

 roe with which to lure the noble prey. See that niagmn- 

 cent fellow throw his painted side free from the rushing 



