308 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



tliew, and be of use through them to mankind. •' Good will 

 to Mations " is a beautiful duly. I subscribe mysolf, 



Von BenK. 

 Presidrnt of (lie Omman FifiJuHe:S Verein. 



RixFOED, ria., Nw. 1. 

 Bnrim von. Bulir : 



Slir Deau Sir,— Your letter undci' date of tlic lOtli of Octo- 

 ber, was forwarded to me through the courtesy of (he ForiEfix 



AND Si KEAM nnd rendicd me in <luc sp.isou. Allow me at Ihe 

 outset 10 express my henrly tliiiiiks fur vniirkiiidn.'ss in wril- 

 lllgnie, fis Will iisfrirllieviilualile iiilom'inlioii v(.u liiivc cn'rii 

 My ef,T-|M>vhieh are of (lie t^cale varielvi eonlinui: toil, rive 

 splendidly, and are u raarrel to all who 'see ihuin- espi-eiallv 

 those who saw them when I lirst procured I hem in Novein- 

 bei-last. when they were onlv ainMit iliree in<'hrs loni;— and 

 who now compare them. Manv of them are from tiiu'eii to 

 seventeen inches in length, aud'six to seven inelies in breadth. 

 They show no sii;na as yi-t of .tr„i„n; i„io winter quarters, 

 COniinc; for tlieir food re-ularly, and lliope to he sueeessful 

 in Clirryiup them througli the eool weather without their re- 

 sorting to the old habit, T hud om- natural ponds ar<' not e.v- 

 aetly fitted for them, us thev -m" Lmurallv dfeji, and not 

 easdy drawn off, with no vi;-i'!i- . i;i 1:1 ,,,. :;,,],.[^ Small fish, 

 such as minnowfi, and per- h _ > i laliil thnn, whiel'i 



were belter destroyed, as lin; , :;, ,,;.' , i,,jd n|-ion I lie i-ggs. 

 Turtles are also plenty, Iml viv ,uu<,i, ,!._, lUe best we ean'lo 

 destroy the pests. 



Your inlsirinaliou thai the carp devour their own cgtSfi was 

 new to me, .aiul has sugested the Idea to me that po'ssiblv at, 

 that time tliey need a different varietv of food, and I shall 

 about that tiiiie chance it to one composed more of meat. At 

 the siune time I can protect the buslies on which tla-v have 

 deposited their eggs from their depredations b\' a wire fence. 

 I expect they will \spawn in the carlv sprine-.'say March or 

 April. 1 will be much oliliged to you for any wiirks on iheir 

 cidture that you may send me, a.s 1 have i'riend.s who will 

 1,aice pleasure in translating them for uic, and the pulilication 

 of tliem may benefit others who have the fish in other por- 

 tiouH of the couTilry. You will, I urn sure, pardon me f(-ir 

 the liberty 1 luv^' i .1, -:; ii ■-, inliii,- a copy of vour letter to 

 the Fui:eoj ./ - - i , ■ ; - inli,ir;i(ion, as tlie information 

 given will hr . ,: ^:; I, : i.Miv ,,r its readers, and will very 

 likely be eoyiiuj ,i,i>-. a,,.,,,,' ,ilh,;i- ijaiiers, as the subject is one 

 that is attracting much at lent ion. Your allusion to the assist- 

 ance that has been afforded you by my countrymen is certainly 

 a compliment to them, and' 1 feel warnmted" in saying that, 

 (IS in the past, tiiey will in the future, do all in their jiower to 

 promote and strengthen the beautiful duty to whidi y" '''i^c 

 so pleasantly referred. Allow lue (,o subscribe my. ^.-if veuy 

 truly yours, ' 



Geo. C. Riatohd, 



[Note.mbbr18, 1880. 



THOSE RANGELBY SPA WIPING TROUT. 



l*OBTLAND,Me,, 3f<m. 13. 



Editor F.nv^l a,id Stream: 



In Foi'.icsT A,\-r.i Siream of Nov, 4, a correspondent ("Fair 

 Play "j writes of Rangeley Lakes a.s follow?, in criticising a 

 mode of bait fishing that he advertises to the uninitiated'as 

 being very deadly, etc.; "I^arties who had perndls to tish 

 out of seasou, granted them by ihe I'^ish C'omnussioners in 

 five days took over fifty lireeding troul, weighing in the 

 aegrcgate over two hundred |.iounds. Kvery tish was Itdven 

 oft the spaw7iing bed.s, and no man can say how many young 

 trout, whicli would have aided in the restocking of that great 

 flshiug resort, were destroyed by these captures." 



Lest " Fair Play " misapprehends the facts and by bis 

 strictures mislead others in their infereucea I will state briefly 

 that the tatting of those fish was in no sense a matter of sport 

 but of business. The fish taken under permits from the Coin- 

 mis,sioner8 were kept alive mitil ripe, their eggs tlien taken, 

 impregnated, and placed in a hatching house, a'^tid from ihose 

 eggs will he produced ninety-five per cent, yield of young 

 trout instead, of a probable increase of less than ten per cent. 

 had the fish bred naturally, leaving the majririty of ilicir ecgs 

 unimpregnated and only such of the balanc :-:; i I .Ir.s- 

 truction'tobateh young fish that would be e::i . ! ■ i biir 

 natiu-al enemies during the first few weeks of i in i ^ : i line, 

 when thev tu'C .so helpless. I'.ut it. seeivs idlf to npeai wluil 

 is pre.sum'ed to be well-known to ''Fair Play" and ail the 

 readers of Fouest and Stueam. In takine; (ish for the pur- 

 pose of artificial propa.giUion it is impractii.alile to depend 

 upon sportsmanlike method% It is purely a matter of busi- 

 ness to take the fish without iujury and release them alive 

 after the eggs are taken. 



The Conimissioners realizing fully the great evil thai would 

 nits for this purpose use all 

 ;;ss to honoralile men. We 

 I the nohbv^e obl!;i,i of Ihe 

 list all}' pos.sible abuse. My 

 and myself visited Han-'eley 

 ding that many of the fisli 

 I ream were ''.spent," having 

 weinstrucled Messrs. Stanley 

 Jclay but to catch the rlesired 

 peditious manner, authorizing 



result in any abuse of our j 

 precaution to intrust the bu.sin 

 must of noce&sity depend upoi 

 bolder of a permit to guard agai 

 colleague, Hon. E. SI. Stillwell, 

 Lakes early in Octolier, and tin 

 then being tid-Lcn at Rariu'eli y S 

 deposited their eggs ere ciinght, 

 and Henry to suffer no furl I, 

 number of fish in the most ■ . 

 the use of a net for the purpose. 



At the upper dam a fine lot of trout had been taken and 

 kept in confinement, and none of them were " spmU" fish. I 

 Btripp.'d a lot of 50.000 eegs in one day then', and liberated 

 the fish used. Mr. Stanley continued to strip all the fish 

 taken as fast as they became ripe, and placed the rggs in the 

 hatchins house. 



We tiave no reason to believe that any permds liave bcea 

 abused, and regarding the holders of Uie only permits granted 

 this year as sporlsmcti and gentlemen Ave must rely upon their 

 honor that the work shall be so guarded and conducted as to 

 accompli.sli all the benefits sought and protect ua from iia-ur- 

 ring the tiViuse that so often is the only recompense received 

 for our efforts to benefit Ihe public. 



Should there ever be any wrong committed under the cover 

 of permits granted by us for this important work of fish cul- 

 ture it is within the province and duly of every sportsman 

 and citizen to brmg to our knowledge the facts. J:iut we can- 

 not act upon mere^insinuations, nor prosecute v'iiilatioiis of 

 the law upon charges unsupported by evidence. 



We regard our permits as suliiciently guarderl and explicit 

 in their stipulations, and as this is pulilic business all tlie de- 

 tails are open to public knowledge. Permits to take trout in 

 October for the purposes of propagation at Rangeley Lakes 

 ■were granted to Messrs. H. 0. Stanley and the President -a 

 theOquossoc Angling Association, J. H. Kimball, Esq., ari i 

 a permit to tJike lake salmon in Dobsis stream and adja- 

 cent waters for a similar purpose was .granted Harvey Jewell, 

 Esq. The conditions of these permits require that " the fish 



shall be returned alive to the waters whence taken and none 

 destroyed for any purpose," and that "the eggs shall be prop- 

 erly taken from all such fi.sh ,uul hatched. Fnrf 

 " no eggs or younu- ti.sh .shalltie iliapo.sed of in am 

 e-xcept by and aeeonling to the written direelion of I 

 missioners." 



Tnder our (iresent laws it lies willun tlin powe 

 person ti,i bring offenders to justice, and Ihose iiiici 



of 



tlioenforennenl of our fish "and 



mind Unit an ollic-r i-^ , , ,•,,- 



less Ihere is evi.lrnn ,, 



eorrespon.lent "I'.a!:: i, , , 



olheer |o go |,, the 'locality ment 

 II iliAote his services to si 



la 



spirit to do 



"Od, The Coumi; 



.•d in 



lid b.'ar in 



inn. r, i , I , , .niiiions un- 



I 1 1 - To your 



I at Mopang 



■ vaspeeial 



n't Undone 



n . I, , niisolnt'elyiK. 

 than '■Ruagor" himself, 

 •■ to prove his as.sertious 

 .V. AVe do not have the 



■■prob, 

 dnr 1 



ble ea 

 uties 



.sonallv 



proset 



sion. 





If the iieee 



our I)c| 



ijirliiK. 



orL'aniz 



ed pol 



effect t. 



1 s|:ieei 



sj:ieei.al 



serviy, 



will 



ide 



• iiid eiaitinuous to [lei'iuil 

 nstables, but WO Will per- 

 ee is put into our p'iSses- 



|ipropriatious are grauled for the use of 

 late we can fiave at our command an 

 -e with whieh we can respond to good 

 plaints, mnlhave the nn-.ans to employ 

 verand whrfever it riuiy be need.-.l, and 

 id sure. ^\^: regret to say that there is 

 niueli \\r.rli left umloju-, but wo have truly a'ccouiplished u 

 great di-al with the few tools ttt Oiu: commaud. "With a more 

 eoinple-te ef|uipmeiit we can accomplish Still more in the 

 future. Wc Jiuvc the wUI aud know the way. Furnish us 

 the meaup. Eveisett Smi'iii. 



This plain and straightforward explanation by Com- 

 missioner Smitli must certainly convince our correajiondents 

 thai Ihore has been some error on Ihe partot their iuforniants, 

 or that they did not get at all the facts. The commission.ers 

 ai'c evidently doing their best to hicreasu the fishing. 



— H». — 



■TirE Cpi.Tur.B OP TUE Sir?^-Fisii.— We learn that Dr. J. J. 

 Seeley, of the, "Water Cure," Cleveland, O., has a pond de- 

 voted to the little fish which bear.s the above popular name. 

 The pond is an afire and a half in extent and the quantity of 

 "pumpkin scads" ill it is Sfud to be considerable. Whether 

 he " kiver.s" it in winter or not our informunt faith not. The 

 "sunny" is a lively little fellow, i' faith, and a handsome, 

 and the- Doelor tak<:s pride in him. Well, he was our first 

 love when we courted him with a pin hook, and many a 

 spanking from the nuilernal slipper he brought for luring us 

 to the muddy mtl I pon.d, to the complete demoralization of 

 trousers. All, me! >So long ago, and yet but yesterday. 



MoBKC'ABPi'OEDisTKrBtrridK.— The demand for this fish is 



incren.sing from all jiarls of the country, and for the first time 

 the U.S. FishCoxninission has been able to meet the demand. 

 They have been sent all ovit the Sonthern and Western 

 Slat'es, as well as to the East and Canada. .Mr. E. ft. Black- 

 ford, of Fulton Market, New York, is tlie distrihutiua- ascnt 

 fortheEa.st, His first lot were all called for, and this wei.-k 

 he has received from Professor Baiid twelve InnKked more. 

 Persons in adjacent States wishing a f: n. nnv ;i|ilily to him. 

 Dr. E. Rlerbug, of Cleveland, ()., In-, ni,,, t.,.\{.(.(iiy^rQ\y^, 

 hundred for disiribiition to applieai.i. "i i,;., su.;,.. 



CAi;e eoi; i iim ■ ' V .' nve//, 0,, Nov. 0.— We reeeive.l here 

 Monday, iln 1 i ; i 1,300 European carp thrnu-li the 

 Smitlisoniaii In, i n: ii n. of which Prof, Baird is the honorable 

 L'uardian. They aie lieing w<'ll distributed to the many ap- 

 plicants. The introduction of ihis cultivated fish I consider 

 as one of the best works to the [iresenl lime of the U. S. Fish 

 (i'ommission, and I doubt if Congress in Uie last ton years 

 has done better work for the interest of the people than the 

 appropriation it bas mado for the culture of fish and fish pro- 

 lection. Db. E. Sterling. 



FisHWATS are being constructed in the Contoocook, at 

 Hillsborough Bridge, N- IF. Salmon fry were put into the 



lieadwaters of that stream two years ago. 



^m and Miver MtHhitn^ 



GRAYLING ELSHING IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN. 



A YlSIT to the StcBGEOS' RlVBB. 



IN the latter pari of July last there were encamjjed on Ihe 

 banks of the ludiau River near where it deljouches from 

 Birrt Lake, the following geutlumen : Messrs. Duimioad and 

 Hubbard, from Columbus, Ohio; Prof. Franklin, of the 

 Michican University ; Mr. Keeney, of Cinclimad. Ohio: ihc 

 veteran steamboat cai-itain and fisher, David Smith, of Che- 

 Ixiyn .1 ' ,. , 1 1 1,, I, jifi^.j surfeiting ourselves with 

 lake I ! . ii|.iiyescorcsof pouiidsof maska- 

 loii-i : iial perch, we should try our skill 

 on lin _i, iiir-roii River, which was said to 

 be Iln ii -■ nni . I In ■■ :i I li iig about these parls. The 

 day ii I I n I i I, n laieof the uiost delightful 



of the -n:i-ini, nini h.-, i. mn- .niimiiyejjiijiJs vvilS tO be the 



crowning success of all our pleiusure excursions. Gettuig all 

 Ihiugs ready, our pack wagon well stored with food for the 

 inner man, and our camp equipage lashed to the box, Ave 



jumped into the boat tbnf ",1 - in, m:; iis across the river, 

 and in a trice were i n ,:,, 1 un- shore, llcrc we 



found our teamster n ■ i '1, 1 move; our wagon 



that was to jmnlile •.- ii ni ; ii, , , ,. , - ;jj,j woody road, made 

 up in size what it laekeJ 111 show, and its scats were not ovur- 

 beuding with ciisliions or springs. We rode "on top," and 

 experienced a kind e,f elevalioiTT that does not belong to the 



,-iirlll il innli e h ■veilinnl ;,'! llin ilnvterili iif a ehells per- 



over, yet in this country it was called a good tm-npiko. After 

 holding on for tvvo or three hom's and all lirod with the effort 



of keeping our equipoise, we halted at an ice-cold spring to 

 take a drmk and catch a mess of grass-hoppers for bait. 

 1 indmg oicr labors poorly compensated by individual running 

 aher and grabbing the little jmnpers, we conceived the idea 

 of eoralling them by means of a mosquito bar clo.se at hand. 

 Cbie taking hold ot each end and running in parallel lines and 

 hoMing the net per)ieiidieularly, we soon succeeded in gettinir 

 all of this kinil of living bait we needed. 



.'Vt the cry of " all idioard" we jumped on our lofly .seats 

 and were soon off agam through the woods and over the 

 plains for the Sturgeon River, disbud thirteen miles, and at 

 night-fall we were forced to campon Silver L.ake about three 

 miles distant from the river. Here we lost one of our wai'on 

 tires, and were lnonght to a preeii.itate halt, while all turned 

 out to help remedy t lie dillieultv. Ibiilding a hie'e camp-fire 

 both fur Ihe light .and to e..es,e„e ,ln- ;,,..k\ inosnuilo 011^ 

 veteran Captain Smith .sel :ili III 1. , i ,1 1 ihu' 

 the others with h.aminer ami in hi 1,1 ;,„, 

 tire to its lonely felloe. Thi-. mm 1. v, n <:,, ,],,,, 

 .nnl hog and coffee, crackers ami potatoes snjiji 

 ing meid, which was enjoyed with, a relish. 



»yas to me one of the pleaeaiit features of the tri, . , _ 



willing ai'ms piled up large logs and fallen Imesfnra back- 

 ground to the fire, causing it to throw its light and cheery 

 warmth directly into our tent, and by fastening hack the 

 front flies we had a warm, dry .and mviting bed to spread our 

 1' i'l'l ' • I ■ ' i " i;l,fs rest. Our camp-fire burned bright and 

 Cheini.i ', iiid lying on onr lowly beds we could look 



''"' ' ■ • -ind. see Ihe beautiful lake in the di.stance, 



and ihe en.uiging shadows caused by ils tliekering light made 

 abeautilnl and weird-iike pietiire, on whieh we gazed till 

 lii-eil natures' sweet restorer, balmy slec]., threw its sooth in"- 

 mantle over us, from whieh 1 did nut awaken till the eai-ly 

 morning gi-ay told us ot approaching day. 



The first sound that greeted us was from our musical friend, ■ 

 Hubbard, who sang "Come Jine the Huckleberry Picnic." 

 In a trice we were upon our _feet and shouting for Captain 

 iiir toilets for the ma- 

 a liltle from our pre- 

 ' bulk the potatoes. 

 lal doses. Never 



lilO 



ed the 

 niiiper,, 

 1- even- 

 np-fire 

 nd 



Smith to ImiTv u]i breakfast. We n 

 tutinal refreshments, whieh dilTerea but a 

 villus supper, e.vce|it the hog e.xeceded ii 

 The coffee was measured out in infinites 

 was coffee better or pork eaten with a km 

 plates and cups seemed more inviting tli 



r fishing I 



two inifcs out 



trees that gridiroi 



The only alternat: 



lallerlreesandl 



■d it for lh(^ 

 'e left was 1 



and polished silverware looked at li 



we started early ft 



ing it on foot. " At 



able for Ihe f idle 



quarter of a mih 



way wherever tl, 



the pa.ssable road beyond, 



this slow mode of loeomolion that we did 



of the north braiieh of the Stun 



the mornuig. Gathering toget Ik, _. „,..„... 



ried down the steep bank, and in a jiffy eomimau 



out for the little beunlies, and bets "were mtid 



should catch the first fish. Some tried the brown-baeked fiy 



others tlie er^isshopper while the veteran Capt. Smith esl 



'"■ ''" I'W liiiving been eaii,Ldit(ai the W-a}'- 



■! ■' II (osee the .ild pioneer wading into 



--■ ,1 - Inn, iMiil there near some fallen trunk or 



he (irst ti.na. In an instant a ripple is seen, the 



1, and whiz goes the line as it escapes from the 



first grayling is landed with three cheers for the 



iful eajilain. A moment more and a .shout 



relish. Our tin 



the finest C'liina 



lireakfast over, 



if 1 he parly tak- 



me impnss- 



spaee of a 



' 1 o !■ in a new 



iltedaf;eesstO 



I occupied by 



each the dam 



till nearly 11 o'clock in 



;kle we hiu-- 



ed throwing 



yvho 



sayed tl: 

 It wiis rea 1 1 

 the stream, 

 log to catch 

 hook is taki 

 reel, and th 

 gallant and 



at a hide distance, and Sir. Hublmrd is declared 

 viniier, he having landed a beauliful half-pounder. 

 had not yet come, though I felt all thcecstacy of the 

 :iin: Inning a few glorious nibbles I lived in hopes 

 list of successful an,gler.s. Rut no ! 

 fil.iriied ejaculation of "Another !" and 

 ■t becomes to me not only monotonous, 

 I conclude my fiy is not the thing 

 gamy beauties from their fa voritc haunts, an'd 

 ■ another kind bought of Mr. J. E. Long, of 

 ing ready, we make a graceful cast near an old 

 instant we feel the jerk, om- line spins out, and 

 caught a perfect beauty of nearly a pound in 

 ight, the largest yet taken. Three el ki- irv m' Inek fishing 



downstream; the others move up an nm 1 in, -.-.j. 



Our camping ground for the night :. II _ ,1 ,1,1 i. ridge two 

 miles below, "wliere the tiaylord "pike (io.,.-,e.-» ilie Sliirgeon 

 we fished till three o'clock, having taken all we coukfeoiii 

 venieolly carry, and now concluded to try a short cut throu'di 

 the wood to camp. Wo bad not traveled ov^r a quarlcr'of 

 a miiu when we struck a I hick, impenelrable jimgle. and the 

 concentrated smell of a dozen nunageries almost Stifled US. 

 Wc peered around in the dee]) shade and saw the sight of 

 bruin. Mie smelled, we saw imd we almost fn'i M 1 ir'nre.s. 

 ence, when it was put to vote whether 



of Inni n 1^1 ,r I I,,, the 

 Un ml -iin ,., ^, , -,.,itliesi 

 ■•Ano 



but absolutely invidious, 

 to entice thesi 

 exchange it f( 

 Detroit. Cet 

 log, and in an 

 uhav 



seeli our way back again to the 

 the others, 1 never knew a 

 iraous, and suiting the action t 

 I assure you your correspondei 

 though his spectacles were m 

 bear to stay Ihere, .so made tra 

 our pisealoiial eAereise in a li> 



1 and : 

 iha 



ol 

 uan- 



dam, so wc rcidly did 11. 



admire the cool and da 

 ,'aiil sundown the Capiai 

 i-araiiee. After having a 



ord weskediiddledamd 



lot liehiad ill that race. 



11 more. We couldn't 



jur way back, to enjoy 



ss iiromalie almosphcrc. Either 



the tish were :dl caught about 



thing bnt l.angh at each other 



ing valor thai animated eaeh. 



1 and his eomrade made their 



our bare csciipe we tugged on with our load of fish and 

 reached camp a little lietore dark. Our teamster had a tire 

 made, tents pitched and everything ready for a gorgeous sup- 

 per of grayling. The yomiger members of the party washed 

 or prepared the fish for the pan, while the older ones, under 

 the chrection of the Captain, were inteut upon saving as much 

 as possible of their persons from the malicious and persistent 

 attacks of the "no see 'ems," as they called the Uttlc gray 

 gnat tliat swarmed* like bees around us. One hmidi'cd'and 

 ninety-three grayling were the number taken, and we lived 

 On lhe,-e Iimi il II , e.iplives till the last one succumbed to our 

 insaii I i,i| , :,i Tiiii: spoiled usfor (Jio "hog and hom- 

 iny" lii il II I iiiiii,is;,riat, and the next day we spent in 

 convi; iiil ielli n, snip rehearsing the trials and trh,,,,. a, 1. ..f,-,„|. 

 grayling cxpedidon and enjoying the e,^^ r ,,,,y 



had licconie a real and most daring .ii.iveni 1 1 , ,ui> 



faces homeward we reached our camp on tin o : ir" 

 about used up as 



TnE Migration of Eels,— About this time, as the almanacs 

 say, look out for a movement of eels from the mill-ponds 

 toward salt water. All eels whii pretend to any style at aU 

 think it necessary to spend the fall and winter months near the 

 sea-shore, while the poor cousins go into the mud hoping that 

 the neighboring catfish will imagine that they are at N^cwport 



