98 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



caught, in fact, females in. the latter part of August with 

 the spawn all but ready to be ejected. In the small streams 

 the females are usually the firsi to ascend from the lakes, 

 and though they may be in plenty there will often at first 

 be a great' paucity of males. Indeed, 1 have taken at 

 times nothing but the former in a brook, while off its 

 mouth in the lake I have captured nothing but the red- 

 bellied males. As in salmon, the male trout has a hook 

 at the end of the lower jaw, increasing as the fish increases 

 in age. The Kangeley trout are very beautifully marked, 

 are almost unequalled in this respect and for beauty of 

 form. In the different streams the markings and color 

 often vary so that out of a string of fish caught at differ- 

 ent localities an experienced guide can tell their habitats 

 by their peculiar distinctions. Upper Dam, situated on 

 the stream between the third and fourth lakes of the chain, 

 is on an average the best fishing locality of the region. 



The Upper dam itself is an immense structure some 

 fifteen hundred feet in length, built to hold the water of 

 the upper lake back to gam sufficient water to sluice the 

 logs. "Some years logs to the value of $2,000,000 are run 

 through this dam and down the Androscoggin to market." 

 The stream on which the dam is located is a very pretty 

 one, and its clear waters rushing through the clean boulders 

 below the dam, making both rapids and deep pools, is un- 

 surpassed for the hauuta of trout. But north of the dam at 

 the head of the stream forming a rece>s in the lake above 

 is the celebrated trout cove from wnich more large trout 

 have probably been taken than from any similar or equal 

 amount of water in the World. The trout come into the 

 cove out of the "Big" lake to spawn at the head of its out- 

 let, which runs directly out of the cove and through the 

 dam. The fishing is accomplished here both from boats 

 and from the shore. At the dam is a most excellent camp 

 for bo irders, where the angler may have a good room to 

 himself, and food prepared by the best cook in the region. 

 When the weather becoms frosty the fish begin to run in 

 from the lakes and up the streams to spawn, usually about 

 the first or middle of September, sometimes not until Oc- 

 tober. After the equinoctial storm the angling is generally 

 very good. When the trout first come in from tbe lakes 

 they appear lazy and lie quietly near the bottom of the 

 water in the deep pools and are perfectly indifferent to 

 the angler's wiles. 1 have counted dozens of great fellows 

 grouped together in the water b'dow the apron of the dam 

 so close to me that i could have reached them with a broom- 

 handle disdaining to notice either one's presence or a bait. 

 This lameness is sometimes taken auvantage of by — I was 

 about to say anglers, but will not throw a stain on the 

 name— those who come here to fish. They tie their hooks 

 together (which, by the way is against the law) wrap a lead 

 around them for a sinker, lower them under the fish and 

 jerK them suddenly up into its side or belly. This was 

 done last year to my knowledge by a guide who did go 

 that his employer might have the sport of playing the poor 

 creatures. He was soon warned by indignant anglers to 

 quit, which he did, carrying a wash-tub full of jigged fish 

 with him regardless of all fish wardens. The water is so 

 clear near tbe upper dam that one can see the females 

 clearing a space in the sand or gravel . in the swift water 

 for a nest. I recollect two eight-pound fish that were 

 spawning whose every movement 1 could watch. There 

 they remained near their nest for several days perfectly 

 oblivious to all lines until a guide "jigged" one of them. 

 Pardon an enthusiast tor running on lor such length. 1 

 wish 1 could consider this article finished, but I leeJ con 

 strained to mention a fact that will invariably tend to 

 sadden every lover of the gentle art. It is well known 

 that the pickerel is an inveterate enemy of the trout. The 

 two cannot exist together unless in huge livers where the 

 currents are so swilt as to prevent the pickerel, who does 

 not like quick water, from inhabiting them; but even then 

 they will frequent the eddies and devour the young fry. 

 Introduce pickerel into a trout pond, be it ever so well 

 stocked, and in a lew years there will be few trout left. 

 Several cases have come under the writer's observation, of 

 which at present it will oe unnecessary to mention more than 

 one. About seventeen miles from the second lake of the chain 

 is Roxbury pond, a large sheet of water several miles in ex 

 tent. Ten years ago it was well tilled with fine speckled trout, 

 often taken from it in large quantities, some of the fish weigh 

 ing several pounds apiece. Some fooiisb person thinking n 

 would ue pleasant to have pickerel also in the pond intro- 

 duced them iorthwith. To day trout aie rarely seen there, 

 though pickerel swarm of goodly size. Not only have the 

 trout been "cleaned out" in the poud by this fresh- water 

 shark, but out of its inlet and several miles of. its outlet. 

 Borne years ago, at no very distant ptiiod ; pickerel ap 

 peared in Umoagog lake, the first of the Kangeley lakes, 

 and now are very abundant in its waters, which are ad- 

 mirably suited from their muddy nature to that fish. One 

 of the oldest guides is firm in tbe belief that they have 

 found their way into the next lake above Welokennaba- 

 cook from several signs he has seen of them. The heads 

 of several of this n&h were found near upper dam, prob- 

 ably left there by some party. But this statement argues 

 little or nothing, as these fish may have been caught miles 

 away. If they have got into Welo— good-by trout-fishing 

 in a few years, although trout will occasionally be caught 

 for a long period, yet not in sufficient numbers to attract 

 the angler. Having once got into Welo there is nothing 

 to keep them from the next of the chain. Between Welo 

 and Umbogog tbere is a very rapid stream some five miles 

 in length up which 1 have clten heard anglers declaie 

 pickerel could not swim. The pickerel, however, is, when 

 necessary, a fast swimmer and could undoubtedly stem the 

 currents in the spring when the water is high by resting in 

 the eddies whicn occur every little distance. But allowing 

 thai they could not find their way up stream it is no reason 

 to suppose pickerel are not in the upper lakes. The pre- 

 sent hshing law allows no fishing from October 1st to 

 February l.t. If memory serves me aright the close time 

 formerly extended until March 1st. Now during the sum- 

 mer and fall the people living in the vicinity, who are 

 mostly farmers, are obliged to work up their crops and 

 have no lime to fish, while in the winter they have leisure, 

 but the law forbids any fish-taking during the greater part 

 of that season. It is no doubt tantalizing fo see the "city 

 folks" skimming the cream off what they consider their 

 property while they canuot take any share in it, and they 

 have a good deal of feeling about it that does not, how- 

 ever, extend itself to individuals in the least, for the coun- 

 try people around the lakes are very kind and hospitable 

 A couple of winters ago the fish wardeu at Audover village 

 near me lakes, heard of some men fishing on one ot the 

 chain during close lime, and proceeding hence brought the 

 offenders to justice and had them fined. The men swore 



vengeance that they would put pickerel into the lake, and 

 went away in terrible anger. If my information is correct 

 it is not the first time similar threats have been made about 

 putting in pickerel. If the latter fish has got into the two 

 beautiful lakes of which I have spoken one of the best 

 trouting regions in the world will be ruined, and then with 

 nothing left but to stock it with black bass. I hear of 

 "fresh-water salmon" (land locked, I suppose) that have 

 recently been taken in the upper lakes weighing from one 

 to four pounds. They were introduced from Sebago Lake. 

 Trout culture on the big lake or Moosealucmaguntic to a 

 considerable extent is engaged in under the direction of 

 several gentlemen, among them Mr. Geo. Sheppard Page, 

 of New Jersey, the President of the Oquossoc Angling 

 Association. They have a hatching house and several 

 breeding ponds. Last year they obtained from spawn 

 some 250,000 young fry. Mr. Henry O. Stanley, Assistant 

 Fish Commissioner of Maine has charge of their culture, 

 and as he has been able to produce 95 to 98 per cent, of the 

 spawn it is unnecessary to speak further of his skill. 



AKdLER. 



Brookline, Mass. 



.+•-» — — , 



For Forest and Stream. 



BEAR BAITING IN CALIFORNIA. 



IN the early days of California when bull and bear fight- 

 ing was called sport by early settlers, the lassoing of 

 the bear was really sport, apart f>om the brutal fight after- 

 wards. In the first place a bear was baited by killing a 

 bullock on an open spot near where bears were common; 

 then bv taking pieces of meat and dragging them a mile or 

 more in different direction^, returning to the starting point. 

 As soon as a bear came to the bait word was sent around 

 to those expert with the lasso, when they would meet at 

 the ranch where the bear was bailed, leaving in time to 

 place themselves before night, 'generally on the full moon, 

 all but two of the party stopping lour or five hundred 

 yards away from the bait. Two ot the best with the lasso 

 advanced within 200 yards and dismounted to watch, care 

 being tak> n to have the wind blowing from the direction 

 they expected the bear to come. As soon as a bear came 

 and began to feed, the two men on watch re-mounted, that 

 being the signal for all to be ready for a dash. Only these 

 two would first advance on a slow walk till the bear dis- 

 covered them, when with a yell they would dash after him 

 at full speed. Then the rest, joining in as quickly as pos- 

 sible, Bruin was his own master but a few minutes, as the 

 first lasso put on him rolled him over, and the others picked 

 up his legs with their lassoes till he was stretched flat on the 

 ground with his legs pointing to the four points of the com- 

 pass. To keep him alive he had to be secured to a tree. To 

 do this he was dragged backwards to a tree of suitable size, 

 those having the lassos on the hind-legs, going each side of 

 the tree, and dragging the bear until his tail touched the 

 bark. One then fc dismounted and made a lasso last to his 

 hind-legs, taking what a sailor cabs a close hitch from one 

 leg to the other, till its length was expended, leaving a 

 space of about two feet between; then the lassoes were 

 slackened and the bear was at liberty to walk around the 

 tree, always keeping it behind him. When they wished to 

 nave a fight a three year-old bull was lassoed and brought 

 to the spot near the bear and tied down. The bear was 

 again lassoed by five, one lasso on the neck and one on 

 each leg, and brought to the buil, when they were made 

 fast together by a rope fastened to the bull's fore-leg and 

 tbe bear's hind-leg, with a space of 20 feet between 

 them. The lassoes were then slackened and quickly clear- 

 ed of the animals, when they got up to fight for their lives. 

 A young bull with sharp horns stood an even chance with 

 the bear which was generally killed, or often both were 

 left dead on the field. Thos. H Estey. 



For Forest and Straem. 

 ARTIST-LIFE IN THE ADIRONDACKS— II. 



it 



WHEW! how the wind blows! And how the rain 

 is falling!" 1 exclaim, as from sleeping soundly 

 in my tent I am awakened by the flapping of the canvas as 

 it sways to and fro and tugs at the cords as the wind rises. 

 1 think every minute that the cords will part and my tent 

 "go up like a balloon" and leave me very, very wet. But 

 no, the ropes are strong, the wind whistles and shrieks by, 

 the rain pours in torrents upon my canvas walls, and 1 

 bless the man who makes good waterproof tents and stout 

 cordage. How nice it seems to be lying snug in warm 

 olaukets, knowing you have a good tent over you, and you 

 rather urge on the fury of the gale, for the splash of the 

 rain lulls you to sleep again. .Next morning the wind is 

 still blowing and we feel it in its fury, as our camp is situ- 

 ated on high laud, with no obstructions to break the beat 

 of the storm. How the waves roil and dash against the 

 shore, their white crests looking like serried rows of teeth! 

 The tali trees bend and crack, and the wind shriek?? like 

 the wail of some spirit seeking a resting place. There goes 

 a tin kettle with a guide in lull chase! And now some tin 

 pans go sailing off into the lake. Others strew the ground, 

 and tne guides skirmish around to capture lost dishes, and 

 we find that we shall have to take our meal in the guide's 

 shanty. So with cup of coffee in hand and plate of beans, 

 Hied trout, and hot biscuit we seat ourselves upon a log in 

 the hut, and find things tolerably comfortable, although 

 the gale is howling outside. The hounds eye us askance, 

 as much as to say, "What nice biscuits they are," toss 

 Watch and Zigel each one, and it is gone at a gulph. They 

 put on a satished expression which says, "Good sample; 

 we like it, give us another," and thinking kindness won't 

 go uniewarded when they are after a big buck, we toss 

 them each another, and still another, until Hank says "Ef 

 you keep gtvin' them dogs so many biscuits you'll clean us 

 out of our breakfast, or I'll hev to go to bakin' agin." So 

 we finish — winding up with a huge chunk of maple sugar, 

 and the guides sit down to their meal, and we wend our 

 way to our tent. 



It occurs to me that that string of trout caught down at 

 the dam this morning will look nicely painted, and I set to 

 work, soon busy forgetting the wind and rain as the colors 

 of the fish began to appear upon the canvas, the bright 

 golden and crimson spots, the dark hue of the back and 

 head. This will be an addition to my collection of sketch- 

 es. "By golly ! them are natural as life," and I turn and 

 behold flank looking over my shoulder and praising my 

 work. In the alternoon the wind dies down, the rain stops, 

 and the west is one mass of crimson as the sun sinks in his 

 western bed, and the violet and purple run up the moun- 

 tains; every wavelet of the pond is tipped with gold. An 



eagle poises itself over yonder hill, and we draw close 

 around the fire, for the nights are "cold and chill." 



I ask George Skiff to tell us about his adventure with 

 the rebels. George, by-the-way, is a great stutterer: "t 

 was down fighting the rebs in the rifle pi-pi-pits," be be- 

 gins, "when all re-re retreated and lef-lef-left me and an" 

 old not ho-hold man alone; an-an-and the ol-oF-old man lie- 

 he he stri-stri-strips himself of everything and star starts 

 and ru-runs. Ne-ne-never seen a man ru ru-run so in all 

 my life. I cou-cou-could hear the rebs hoi holler to him- 

 'Ru-ru-run you Yan-Yankee! Lo-loo look at the cu eu- 

 cussrun!' And I thought if an old-old old man cou-cou 

 could ge-het away I could. And I up and ge-hets; never 

 kne-kne-knew I could ru ru-run so-so-so last. The rebs 

 hol-hol hol-ered to me-me-me, 'Sto-sto stop, you Yan-Yan- 

 Yankee you lo-lo long leg-leg legged de-de-devil! sto-stop, or 

 we we-we'll sho-hoo lioo-shoot!' I ye-hel helhelled back 

 T ha-ha hadn't go-got time.'" Well done, George, that 

 was good running. And then he tells about how he was 

 out on picket one day when it w r as raining hard, and had a 

 shoddy India rubber blanket which wet through every 

 few minutes. He was shivering with cold when an officer 

 left his blanket, a "span nice new one and thick," near 

 George, who was concealed in the bushes, and went into 

 the woods a short distance, leaving his horse and blanket. 

 So George slipped out and picked up the blanket, slipped 

 it into his haversack, walked quickly down the road and 

 was on guard in sight of everyone. By and by the officer 

 came along, tearing mad, the rain spoiling his good clothes 

 and wanting to know of George if he had seen a man pass 

 with a new rubber blanket. ".No," sa>s George; "haven't 

 see-see-seen anyone," and the officer went off swearing. "I 

 had a ne-hew blan-blan-blanket tha-tha that wi-will ke-ke- 

 kee-keep me dry instead of that ol-ol old tin in ting and the 

 officer co-co-could ge het plenty more," says George. Here 

 is another one of his stories: "A man once as-as-asked me 

 how-how-how far it wa wa-was to Ma Ma-Ma-Malone, and 

 I begun to-to tell him fo-fo-fo-fo-fo— oh damn it, go a a- 

 head, you-you ca-ca-ca-n ge-het there be-fore I can te-te- 

 hell you! and the man nearly fell off the se-seheat 

 laughing." 



The other morning I was watching for deer on a point 

 near camp. It was a lovely, still day, the sky blue, with 

 white drifting clouds, and the shores aud mountains clearly 

 reflected in the bright waters of the pond, which lapped 

 the beach at my feet. A kingfisher rattled away— raised 

 his feathery crest, and wondered who was looking at i.im. 

 An eagle screamed sailing far up in the sky, and now and 

 then a lone duck scudded swiftly past. The roar of the 

 dam below me was heard, as the water plashed over the 

 rocks, and a thrush twittered and jumped on a bush near 

 bv. Suddenly I heard the hound's clear note ringing out 

 far up the mountain's side, clear and full as a hell. lam 

 all attention. What is that snapping the twigs comiug 

 down the mountain? I stand like a statue until the bushes 

 part, and out leaps a three-year old buck with his horns 

 yet in the velvet, and dashes into the water from yonder 

 point not over ten rods away; but he sees me, and instead 

 of swimming across to the shore where I stand, as he at 

 first intended, he turns hugging the shore, and makes 

 for another point. Waiting until I think him clear of the 

 point he leaped from, I shove off the boat and pull my 

 best. The deer turns again for the shore he has quit, 

 as I was afraid he would, and I strain every muscle for 

 that short distance, but find it is of no use, and reaching 

 for my rifle I aim and fire as he jumps from the water, but 

 like a flash he's up the bank and away. I put the dog on 

 again, but he ruus up the Saranac river towards Rainbow, 

 and is safe, while I row back to camp, a "sadder and a 

 wiser man." C. C. Markham. 



Mound Pond, Sept) 12th. 



"- —" ■ ♦ - 



That Dam. —The Massachusetts and New Hampshire Fish 

 Commissioners were to meet at Lawrence about the middle 

 of the month to look over the new fishways at that place, 

 ^vhich, in the opinion of Col. Webber, who has seen them, 

 are erected in accoi dance with the best views on that sub- 

 ject. We hope that Messrs. Brackett & Co., will settle the 

 question finally, so that the public will no loDger be an- 

 noved with this dam business. 



—The State Fish Commissioner of Iowa "is engaged in 

 transferring and propagating choice fish from the Mifasis- 

 sippi into other rivers in Iowa. 



—The Massachusetts shad fishermen have waked up to a 

 knowledge of the fact that while their Connecticut neigh- 

 bors have had an unusually abundant catch of shad the 

 past season, they have had rather poor pickings — the result, 

 they think, of the extension of the dam in the Connecticut 

 river at Enfield. Besides checking the course of young flsn 

 down the river, this dam is threatening to do considerable 

 damage to the meadows between Enfield and Spriugneia, 

 and active measures are to be taken for the protection oi 

 the endangered interest. — Ex. 



Fish Raising.— Dr. G. K. Hitchcock, of this city and 

 father-in-law of Howard Coit, E*q., at his country residence 

 in the Napa valley, has utilized a picturesque mountain 

 stream, flowing near his door, in the propagation ot ta&e 

 and brook trout, salmon, etc. A portion of the stream lias 

 been diverted from its channel, and a series of small pone 

 constructed beneath the dense shade. The ponds swarm 

 with splendid trout of from six to eighteen inches iir leD £J"' 

 each pond containing fish of nearly the same size. He tec 

 them on minced liver, and some of the fish are so tanieuiai 

 they will take food from the hand of their keeper. 



Dr. Simms is preparing to enter upon fidi culture on n 

 farm near Santa Kosa. He has an abundance of wai 

 which will be conducted from the hills back of nw *™ 

 dence to ponds which will be provided for carp, Cahiorni 

 and Eastern trout, and any other rare fish that he may u 

 able to obtain. t 



Yolney Costen and John Leonard, former r? 81 ^ 11 " " 

 Healdsburg, are stocking a small lake in Mendocino count; 

 with mountain trout. The lake 'is situated on the SUQ ?° 

 of the ridge, between the Russian and Big rivers aDt> 

 eighteen miles north of Lkiah. It is three fourths <n 

 mile long, and from three to four hundred yards wiae. 

 Pacific Life, SanFranemo, 



