2G6 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[May fi, 1880 



pcot for fleer the coming season was nevor better for 

 many years, and I have not known the partridges or 

 ruffed grouse to be so numerous in the spring tor ;i long 

 time. Adbion Ondack. 



♦ 



Cc/snectiout Lakhs.— We have an extended sketch 

 from the writer of the following notes, which we will 

 shortly publish :— 



A parly of three from Boston were the first visitors— 

 getting t 



followed 

 Col. Chas 

 after thei 

 lastly, a i 

 firmc'l, w] 

 for the 



deer and plenty of fish. My friend and self 

 next a Syracuse, N. Y., party (Kev. Dr. Beard, 



and Mr. Bacon), stopping but a few days : 

 i. Pro! - . A, \V. Wheeler, of New Haven, and 

 irty of four from Bridgeport, Conn., all well 

 ich fact rriay account for the scarcity of game 

 :t few weeli 



I floated with Norton twice only, shooting a * mc-k the 

 first night, and the last a moose in two-year-old), which 

 I left with Unole Tom, and base grace heard that it was 

 the last fresh meat seen in camp during the season. 



Prof. Wheeler wrote me that be floated East Inlet 

 twice for moose, and did not hear a sound, and goes on 

 to say. "The fact seems to be that all moosedom has 

 heard of your exploit, and the wise moose have held a 

 council, and decided to emigrate, for the time being, to 

 unmolested feeding grounds." 



I bad the advantage of being the first one to try the 

 new " ground," the aid of a full moon, and otherwise 

 perfect" night, and the luck of making a dead shot almost 

 by guess. 



Onester intends to improve upon his camp this season, 

 and to get a man and wife to look after the cuisine, and 

 to devote his time to guiding. 



Second Lake is a charming spot, and is still fresh (First 

 Lake is worn out). Deer arc not as plenty as about some 

 of the back ponds in the Adirondacks ; but there is usually 

 no trouble in supplying the wants of the camp. The fish- 

 ing is not as good as in other lakes — the trout average 

 Bins Her. It is a poor place for a person to go thinking to 

 find use. for a large amount of ammunition ; but, to any 

 one interested in natural history, and satisfied with a 

 reasonable, amount of sporting, the beaver works and 

 cariboo bogs will well repay a visit. P. S. P. 



Island Camp.— Island Camp is situated on an island 

 in Pike Lake, Wis., a few miles from Ashland, and is 

 the private property of a party of St. Louis sportsmen. 

 The quarters consist of a tine center building, in rustic 

 style, with a kitchen detatched. The island itself is 

 .-ibout two acres in extent; the lake surrounding is full 

 of bass and pike, and the streams and creeks near by, 

 itoound in trout. Deer are abundant in the adjacent 

 forests. 



♦ 



\ Pkkparixg for thk Black Bass Campaign.— Willis. 

 Texan, April 25t/i.. — Last year, or the year before, some 

 excellent articles came out in the Forest and Stream in 

 the interest of the black bass, but it seems of late that 

 this famous fish is losing ground in the columns of the 



Eaper. That will not begin to do. This old soldier must 

 ave Ins pension, nor should his fame and record die in 

 oblivion. I never read with more interest anything than 

 those lively essays upon the habits, characteristics and 

 methods ol capturing this wary fish. We, of the South, 

 know nothing of the trout proper, but we have the black- 

 bass in all our waters, and, although we regard him par 

 excellence the king of his tribe, yet we look iipon him as 

 the most cunning, arbitrary, tantalizing and uncompro- 

 mising imp that swims; and if any angler, between 

 Maine and Mexico, can write out a campaign programme 

 that will meet all the indications or requirements when 

 one goes lisbing for black bass, and that will bring tuck 

 to one's string, I, and the rest of us, will go out to him 

 with our souls and regard him not only as a public bene- 

 factor, but a " mutual friend "' to the whole body of bass 

 fishermen. I only want suggestions bow to get my hands 

 on some, four to six-pounders that have been standing off 

 about two feet, and licking their chops at the bait on un- 

 hook for the last live years, and no argument that I can 

 frame will move them one inch closer. I never used nor 

 saw a fly used for bass. Ihat land of science has not 

 been cast upon our waters yet, 1 shall try it on soon. 1 

 have a good outfit, now ; my boats are all newly 

 painted : 1 have rigged my rods (feed poles) with seventv- 

 — C,l silk-line, click reel (never saw 



five, feet of best oil-bra 



a reel before). I g 

 and gold." I tl: 

 Hallockv " Gaze 

 of feathers fron 

 cocks, peacocks, 

 like, and 1 have i 

 on earth. To ge 

 got a little nigge 

 he runs, 1 pull 



ok that i 



:,;.!,-, 



ake me a fly, a " grei 

 pattern, and read in 

 . etc.; then got a lot 

 i cranes, ibises, storks, herons, chicken- 

 wood-ducks, mallard, parrots and the 

 nade some of the prettiest flies and bobs 

 r a;, hand in practice with this reel, I 

 ■ to take hold of the line and run, and, as 

 id manipulate ; and when he has run off 

 enough hue to look well, I tell him to stop— the bass 

 always stops on Ins own account, at intervals— and when 

 he stops, I cause him to keep a taut line and turn the 

 windlass and reel him up, and so on until my lesson is 

 finished. I do this daily, and am becoming expert As 

 to casting and skittering, I knew that before, And now 

 with this " equipment/' if I don't fool these old chaps 

 ter of the present moon, 

 D. L. J. 



next, week, during th 

 then " the boohs are 



istqu 



•ong." 



TROLLING FOl; SALMON TROUT. 



HAYING often heard of 1lie glorious sport to be had trolling 

 for salmon trout (luring the summer months ou Lake Su- 

 perior, tour of us, utter mature consideration, concluded that we 

 Would find out for ourselves now muck there was in the wonder- 

 tul stories. The pro t.r consisted of James Mo Bean, Fred Jones, 

 ©eorgfl Hatt and the writer. October 1st, 1879, the day on which 

 we had decided to try our fortune, turned out dark and stormy, 

 the wind blowing halfajjttle from the northeast, but nothing 

 daunted bj the inclemency of the weather, wo put our tent and 

 traps aboard of the boat which we had been cruising with for the 

 glimmer (for want of a hotter), which is of abuild monopolized 

 by the fishermen of these northern lakes. They are cllncher- 

 trailt, ahOUtSalb keel, 7! ft. beam, sharp stern and sohocner-riygi:;! 

 w Hume a deck, but very staunch and seaworthy. We got under 

 weigh about II o'clock a.m., the wind, as I said before, blowing 

 half a gale fro™ ibe northeast, cut before we had run five mires 

 of the twenty-fire wo had to sail, it lu'led, and u terrific thunder- 

 storm, for which Thuudt i Ban ^Jke Superior, is noted, came on, 

 and there we lay roeloog about without wind enough ( j keep our 

 gills full, and the rain coming down in hucketsful. After about 



was this 



.- one 



line-on 





man. ne 



r.t th( 



the fish, 



one h 



sides of 



thobc 



spoon e\ 



-ery t 



at landii 



lg, dis 



two hours' drenching, the wind shifted to the northwest and we 

 got along better, the weather still remaining a 1 it Lie moist; how- 

 ever, ny four o'clock we were in Jarvis Hay, and after considera- 

 ble trouble in getting our boat over the bar, were safely moored 

 to trie batiks of the Jarvis River, a small river about sixty feet 

 wide at the entrance. An hour was spent In getting our traps 

 ashore and pitching our bell-tsnt to protect them, and while 

 Jones and Mac were cutting wood for a tire, George and the 

 writer concluded to try and get a fish for Supper. After rowing 

 for halt a mile in the skiff which wo laid towed down, we reached 

 the fishing ground. There, much to the writer's surprise, he im- 

 mediately had a bile. It would take an abler pen than mine to 

 portray the intense excitement of a tyro landing hi3 first fifteen- 

 pounder of this species; however, within fifteen minutes darkness 

 compelled us to desist, and we rowed for the camp with five beau- 

 ties lying in the bottom of the boat. When within hailing dls- 

 lance, we joyfully shouted our success to Jones and Mac, who 

 were the strongest skeptics on the subject. This was, of course, 

 received with derisive and scornful shouts and laughter, which 

 was not exactly turned to weeping on our landing ; but they were 

 almost wild with excitement, and wanted to go trolling then and 

 there, althoug'h it was by this time dark, so the reader uiny imag- 

 ine their mental condition. George now turned cook, and in a 

 very short time we were eating a meat consisting of boiled troat 

 and potatoes stewed witn pork gravy, the orthodox dish on these 

 expeditions, and 1 might here add that the fish that are caught 

 while trolling, and eaten fresh from the water, have a flavor 

 equal to the finest brook trout, which no one who has ever eaten 

 one in that way will dispute. 



After supper, and wnile enjoying our pipes, the whole subject 

 of course, was fish, and how many we were going to get on tho 

 morrow. In order to be early at the scene of action, 1; was unau- 

 ' no asly resolved to Toltow the instructions of the old proverb, 

 and go " early to bed," which we did w.tb a good fire blazing in 

 front of the tent. Now all was quietness excepting the crack- 

 ling made by the fire, and each supposed the others in the land of 

 nod, with dreams of gigantic fish to be caught on the morrow 

 loal ing through their brains. After two hours o" this, an impa- 

 tient exclamation was heard from one of the party fha.. too hca f 

 was unbearable, although memory suys that (he remar; was not 

 couched in as mild a formas I have written, when we a'l sat up 

 and found that the same sentiments imbued the minds Of the 

 quartette. So the conclusion now come to was, that it woi d re- 

 quire some Of Bass' bitter beer to counteract the etfet.is of the 

 heat, and that wo would not go to bed at all, in oroer to be up 

 early in the morning (excuse the hull). However, with smok'ng, 

 and spinning yarns of former adveniu cos had with rod and gun, 

 and many a midnight watch on deck, it was soon time for break- 

 fast. At the first peep of dawn, wo were all away to the ground, 

 where, after three ;hours' continued excitement, ibe skiff was 

 loaded down with twenty-two "whoppers." The modits operandi 

 owod, two sat in the stern, each with a trolling 

 ng from each side of tho boat— and the fourth 

 i, landed the fish and cleared the lines. In landing 

 ( to be very careful and keep them clear of the 

 t, Otherwise there would not bo a hook left on the 

 LB you lauvbtf o':e. Mae, who took the first turn 

 Inguished himself by the very scientific manner in 

 which he extracted tho hooks (generally tho whole three hook3 

 on the spoon would he firmly imbedded in tho upper |jaw of the 

 fish, and it required considerable labor to extinct them). 



The pangs of hunger, together with the necessity of discharg- 

 ing our cargo, which had brought the boat nearly to her gun- 

 wale, compelled us to land and enjoy another breakfast, of which 

 lieh was still the favorite portion. After an hour spent in salting 

 part of the fish (wo had no Ice with us, and were afraid to risk 

 keeping them alt fresh), we started out for a new place on the 

 other side of the bay, which wo had not previously explored, 

 where our former good luck followed us, and the result was 

 twenty-three more. 



All through the day one of Lake Superior's densest fogs had 

 been abroad. Often wo were unable to see one hundred yards 

 ahead. Nothing disturbed the stillness of nature, excepting the 

 noise made by ourselves, and the fog-whistle of a Royal Mail 

 steamer some four miles outamong the isla'nds, bound forDuluth, 

 thczctu'th city of the unsalted seas. But now tt lifted for a short 

 time, and a light breeze springing up, we concluded to start for i 

 bank where wo were anxious to arrive some time through th 

 night. After meal No. 3-which of course was in the natura 

 order of events— we started, but the few cats-paws yre previous!; 

 had, died ou t as soon as we got under weigh, and George am 

 Jones put oil again in the skiff— this time on an cxoloratory tour, 

 socking whom ;they might devour out of the fish lines. A few 

 minutes— half an hour— brought them back for a gun to shoot two 

 partridges which they had on a tree near the beueh. I forgot to 

 say previously that Jones and Mac, while exploring the r 

 before dinner, shot two of a covey of partridges which they had 

 raised, and they thought with these two wo would have a; tint 

 supper— this time fish varied with game. Months after, however 

 the joke came out : that what they had imagined to be partridge: 

 were two knols on a dead tree, which the fog had made loon 

 up when they had gone with the gun. The wind freshened up 

 to a stiff breeze, dead ahead. After two or three stretches 

 found that it was likely to be a wild night, and considering disorc- 

 tfoifaml a camp preferable to a stormy night in an open boat, we 

 headed for the skiff, pushed her up, and put for a harbor, the wind 

 having increased to a gale, accompanied by a terrific rainstorm 

 both of which lasted all night. Amile's sailing brought us to an 

 excellent harbor, but a very bad camping ground, the point ou 

 which we had to pitch our tent having been devastated by abush 

 tire, which had not only burnt the wood on it, but the. moss and 

 grass even, leaving nothing but rocks and gravel to camp on. 

 There being no choice, we got everything under cover as quickly 

 as possible, and started. to cook suppur— hard wort with the wet 

 roots ami driftwood, which was :i.ll the fuel wo had. For supper 

 we had some bouillon, a dish worthy of a Cunlunblcu. It consisted 

 of the two partridges, some bacon and potatoes, flour aud toma- 

 toes, all boiled together; and, although to some of your readers 

 BUCh a mixture may seem unpalatable, it wants only to be eaten 

 to be appreciated. Sleeplessness did not pervado the camp this 

 night, notwithstanding the bad camping ground and our clothes, 

 which were saturated— notwithstanding sundry waterproof coats 

 —and almost before we had finished our after-dinner smoke. 

 Morpheus had us all for his loyal subjects. Mae here again par- 

 ticularly distinguished himself, in spite of our assertions that it 

 Would he useless to attempt building a fire, as it would not burn, 

 ! ' "' Bded in kindling one, bad wood and all to the contrary, 

 roasted an ox whole ; and It burned till it hardly 



lefts 



Mm 



■ ng day 



ght and cheerful. For the first time since 

 leaving home we saw the sun. After, of course, a hearty break- 

 last we slatted again fur home. As the breeze was very light, 

 aud after being an hour sailing one mile, Mac and George con- 

 cluded they would go ahead in the skiff, and i ,-y some unexplored 

 ground for a last parting fish ; and whether it was the improve- 



ment or a better place, or both, that made the fish bite more 

 readily, they sneeocdedin beating our best luck, and iu eighteen 



minutes landed sixteen fish. These, with eight caught in the 

 morning while breakfast Was being prepared, and on i ' 



five, which weighed from nine to twenty-four pounds each— Mae 

 haying the honor of catching and landing the twenty-four 

 pounder, and he felt justly proud or his luck. 



Satisfied that we could now carry off the palm for a successful 

 trip, and a favorable breoze striking us, we hoisted all our rags, 

 and were soon booming merrily home, which we reached in good 

 time.togreet those of ouroitizens who, like inmost frontier towns 

 crowd around each returning sportsman, and had come down ex- 

 pecting to chaff us on the dnckiog we must have hud during all 

 theBtoruis, and, as they supposed as a natural consequence of the 

 trip, no fish: but their chaffing was turned into surprise when they 

 saw our wonderful success, and fish stories became the popular 

 excitement until the arrival of the next steamboat with the 



bi-v 



•ekly mail. 



The following information may be of interest : Where we. fished 

 the shore is formed of perpendicular cliffs ranging from one 

 to six hundred feet in height, and the beach is, in most cases, 

 formed of pieces of rocks, which have been dropping front the 

 sides since the days when Adam was a boy, making the beach run 

 into the water at an angle of about forty-five degrees. Our ex- 

 perience was (o row exactly over the spot where you could see 

 the bottom (about sixteen feet down— any divergence from this 

 rule was sure to bo attended with bad luck), and tho main speed 

 of from ono to two and one-half miles per hour. 



Although we continually had our lines out when sailing, wo 

 only caught one fish— which was when crossing a point, and with 

 the shoro as previously mentioned. 



To a lover of the picturesque and grand, tho route from here to 

 James Bay would possess countless charms— those stupendous 

 piles, Thunder Cape (1,900 ft.) to the righl. Mackay's Mountain 

 (1,300) to the left, and Pie Island (1,000 ft), almost ahead, form 

 truly noble sights, their perpendicular sides as changeful as a 

 kaleidoscope, according to the different positions and lights 

 thrown upon them ; while further on, countless islands and head- 

 lands meet the delighted gaze, which could be contemplated day 

 after day without any cessation of interest, as no two aspects are 

 alike; one time mirrored in a sea of glass, again tho angry tem- 

 pest lashing their feet with spray, while spring, summer, au- 

 tumn and winter each present such a contrast from the limpid 

 waters oT the lake in summer, to the eternal ice and snow of an 

 inmost arctic winter, while tho rarity of the atmosphere i dti i 

 landscape, twenty miles distant, seem nearer thanllen would in an 

 ordinrry climate; and, to a lover of nature, the trip amply repays 

 the time spent, should one never east a lino or land a fish. 



Prince Arthur's Landing. 3. T. M. 



Trout fishing opened in Pike Co., Pa., last Saturday. 



— • — 



— Address all communications "Forest and Stream 

 Publishing Company, New York," 



^ Brook Trout in Ponds. — Chrome hill. Lisbvrn, Ire- 

 land, April liith.— Editor Forest and Stream .•—Through 

 the kindness of a friend, I enjoy the valuable privilege of 

 perusing your interesting paper regularly; and many an 

 hour of pleasant reading I have had, the only drawback 

 being that so many miles of the " weary waste of waters " 

 prevent me from enjoying in propria persona', some of 

 the many " pursuits of pleasure " offered by your splen- 

 did country. I notice in your issue of Sotb March an ar- 

 ticle under " Fish Culture" by " A Practical Fish Cultur- 

 al." in which he states that trout, as a general rule, « ill 

 not thrive in ponds, I cannot agree with him : but, on 

 the contrary, aver that trout will thrive better in ponds 

 than in running water. In support of this statement, I 

 will give two instances which have come under my im- 

 mediate notice. A few years ago a new reservoir or i lata 

 was constructed to supply my neighboring town with 

 water. It gets its water by 'drains from the adjacent 

 fields ; none of these drains are three feet wide, and, ex- 

 cept in floods, they don't contain as much water as would 

 cover a pound trout. I placed some brook trout in tin's 

 pond, and another gentlemen bad a large lot put in. all 

 small. It is now teeming with fish ; and I k no v. oj them 

 being caught up to nine pounds weight. Again, a friend 

 of mine constructed a small dam, about one acre in ex- 

 tent, to Supply Mb bleach green with pure water. It has 

 no open inlet, except a run from a spring well a lew 

 yards from its bank. Well, three years ago 1 placed in 

 this pond fifteen small trout caught in a mountain stream, 

 none over four ounces weight. I heard nothing of them 

 till last autumn, when I determined to try if they were 

 living or not. So, taking advantage of a fishy-looking 

 evening, 1 sauntered down duly prepared, aud choosing 

 a dark-looking spot, shaded by some wiLlow bushes, I 

 tried a cast with a "willow fly," and scarce had the 

 feathery deception dropped on the surface of the slightly 

 ruffled water, when a swish of the reel, and twenty 

 yards of varnished silk spinning out, warned me that I 

 had a "sockdollager " on. In live minutes I had a beauty 

 on the sward that scaled four and three-quarters pounds. 

 Another try, and a three-pounder joined hia companion. 

 These 1 killed. On the following evening I caught eight ; 

 one of them I should say seven pounds weight/ — but I 

 returned all, as I did not wish to depopulate my pre- 

 serve, as I do uot believe they hai e bred, not having any 

 r unnin g water. Now in the' streams whence these trout 

 originally come from, I never beard of trout being caught 

 over two poimds weight, mostly all turning about four 

 to the pound, and these brooks are incessantly fished. 

 This proves, in my mind, that trout thrive, grow largo 

 and lusty in still waters. I think such an article as 

 " Practical Fish Culturist " writes might deter many 

 from forming a fish pond ; hence, I think it right to give 

 my experience in the matter, trusting you will pardon 

 me for taking up so much of your valuable space. 



Kjchjju) NrvEN. 



i ■» 



CoKNEcuCLT Salmon,— The Hartford Times says: 

 " We shall not, probably, get any Connecticut river sal- 

 mon this year, as these "fish arc all caught at the mouth 

 of the river and sent to the New York market— in viola- 

 tion of the law, too. On this account, we believe, the 

 legislature refused an appropriation of $2,500 to the fish 

 commissioners in aid of the further propagation of the 

 salmon," 



