1 July 15, 1880. J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



460 



\vni,\ do Bears Bhotci Foam?— I have just seen the 

 man who caugfc t the young bear cubs. They n ere taken the 



'-'Oth of j'Viin.'HN i.i i :.v two men, South and Philander 

 littu ■■! ontague, who wove gathering spruce gum 



in the big woods ten miles west of LowvilW.Oti Tug Hill. 

 They heard the CU&S orying in the den. under the. roots of 

 a large tree, sent a boy with them home lor shovels, axe 

 and ■■! :-ini : then, cutting open the mouth of the den, the 

 bear attempted to defend it, but they shot and killed her. 

 They found two; cubs m the den, and took them home 

 and kept them for three days before they got their eyes 

 open. From that they supposed them to be six days old 

 when taken. They were very small then, have grown 

 fast since, ami on the 20th of May one weighed thirteen 

 and one quarter pounds. EL W, I I'ayt, 



The Sniu.iMiTY OF Faifca,— L&ttnttn, Mo., June, 1880, 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— I noticed in your paper of 

 Aug. 28th, 1S?U. a little article concerning horsehair 

 snakes. Of course Dr. Evarta must be correct as regards 

 horsehairs; but to my certain knowledge the human 'hair, 

 under favorable circumstances, will veritably transform 

 into snakes. A circumstance I shall state took place 

 more than twenty years ago with an aunt and uncle of 

 mine. They had combed in the evening, wetting their 

 hair from the same bowl of water, and letting it remain 

 until morning, when to their surprise two hair snakes 

 were meandering in the water — one black and the other 

 light, corresponding to the beads from whence they 

 came, You can easily test the matter. 



^ Mrs. F. McC. 



Pffit Smi'Iiiitisi.s.— In March, .187!). I caught a red squir- 

 rel, ami April I'.llb f fou ml four young ones in her nest 

 which were born that day; two lived and grew finely 

 until some two months old, when Dick was caught, and 

 lulled by a cat. DUley, when some three months old, 

 was left alone, as I let the mother go, when she disap- 

 peared and was seen no more until last winter, when I 

 was chopping wood near the same trees where i caught 

 hi r before. 1 reset the old trap and she was again a 

 prisoner, and I took her from the box trap, with my 

 hand ungloved, and placed her in with DUley. She 

 seemed to know her, as she did not hurt her, but would 

 let her play around and with her. I gave her to a neigh- 

 bor's girl, and she kept her about two weeks and let her 

 go. That was about as long as I kept her with Dillev. 

 Dilley was gone some four days last March toward the 

 lie. inoidh. and came home, when 1 placed her in 

 her cage. May 0th she had live young squirrels. As 

 she had her liberty, she would go up stairs and all 

 around the place. She had her young up stairs, when I 

 took them and placed them in the cage. She did not 

 like that, so 1 took them back several times and killed 

 two through rough usage. I have now three nice ones, 

 smart and lively, yet this year their eyes came open four 

 days sooner than last year. Last Year they were thirty- 

 five days old, this year only thirty-one days, when they 

 could see. I would be pleased to hear more from any 

 One wjao has bad experience with all other varieties of 

 squirrels, black, fox and gray, etc, L. E. W. 



New York, J live. 1th.— Editor Forest- and Stream:— 

 Some few years ago, when quite a boy, 1 made the 

 acquaintance of two young men just from New Hamp- 

 shire. Until they came to this city they had livi?d in the 

 backwoods, and it was my delight to listen to their 

 descriptions of life in logging and maple sugar camps. 

 Among other things 1 was told that in felling frees it was 

 a common thing to find a squirrel's winter quarters 

 stored With beech-nuts, and shelled at that. This 1 can- 

 not vouch for. but I believe it to be true, as the young 

 men were and are still of good moral character, 



Nbmo, 



lot and J?w^ tgishing. 



Salmon Trou 



Ijand-loeked 



Uhivcri. 



fimtimtlls. I Mnskalo 



; i :,„,,,. Pike or: 



Salnw innflnts. I Youow ] 

 Soiiuou, Satmo I 



SAt.T WATEH. 



.Sen Bass, ('i::iriiprLiU,ialrariiv<. 

 Sheepslicad, Armtxxt/rguA promt- 



toci'l'/lidux. 

 Striped IIilss, RotttU linn,:ntiw. 



Oero, Cyhium retjalc. 

 Bod in.. Santa ivamus. 

 Kingtish, MnnticirrM nelndoxu* 



— Address all communications to " Forest and Stream 

 Publishing Company, New York." 



FLY-FISHING FOR BLACK BASS. 



/ FOURTH PAPER— FLY-BOOK. 



AMONG the necessary adjuncts to the ny-lisbei 'a out- 

 lit are the fly-book, landing-net and creel. The 

 former is now made in many patterns and sizes, and of 

 various grades of quality and material. Those with the 

 "Hyde, or metal clip, for holding the flies at fulllength, 

 are the best and most satisfactory. 



There is nothing better, neater, or more substantial in 

 this line than Abbey & Imbrie's " Southside " fly-book. 

 ! i is ii iiale of Paissia 'leather, with parchment leaves, pro- 

 vided with the metal clip, and two leaves of heavy, por- 

 ous cloth for drying wet flies. It is also furnished with 

 large pockets, and compartments for leaders. It has a 

 capacity for a, hundred flies, and is made of a uniform 

 quality which is of the highest grade, 



The "Holberton" fly-hook of Conroy, Bissett & Malle- 

 son is one similar in style and construction, and is a first- 

 rate article. The price of this book depends upon the 

 material used in its construction, and its capacity for a 

 greater or less number of flies. One holding four dozen 

 is large enough for all practical purposes. 



A few snellcd hooks should be carried in the fly-book, 

 to use w itli such natural bait as grasshoppers, beetles or 

 dragon-flies, in case the artificial fly does not prove suc- 

 cessful. Sproat hooks are the best, either Harrison & 

 Son's or T. Hemming & Son's, the latter firm, I omitted 

 to state in my article on hooks, somehow, make hooks 

 i^very wa y equal to those of HarriBon, 



I,AN11IN0 NF.TS, 



For fly-fishing, a. short bandied net is the best 

 should be as light, as possible. Those with wooden rims 

 are as good as any, though the folding ring nets are 

 more convenient and porl'ublo. The net should be of 

 good depth, and of rather course mesh. When the Ash- 

 ing is done from a boat, the long handled net is prefer- 

 able, but when Ashing a stream by wading, or from the 

 bank, the short handled net is more easily carried, and 

 answers every purpose better than the long one. 

 RIGGING THK CAST. 



The beginner being now provided with all the tools, it 

 is in order to put his rod together, attach reel, reel-line 

 and east and proceed to business. In rigging the east, if 

 the leader is provided with loops at each end. and for 

 drop-flies, proceed as follows : to the small end of the 

 leader attach the stretcher or tail-fly by passing the loop 

 of the leader through the loop of the snell and over the 

 fly, then draw- together. Three or four feet from the 

 tail-fly attach the dropper or bob-fly in the same manner, 

 that is, put the loop of the snell over the loop of the 

 leader, and push the fly through the latter loop and draw 

 tight ; or, if the leader is not furnished with loops for 

 this purpose, slip a knot of the leader (about three or 

 four feet from the tail-fly) apart, and after making a 

 round knot in the end of the snell of the 11 v. put it through 

 the opened knot of the leader and draw' together ; tin's 

 will hold firm, and the dropper liy will stand at right 

 angles from the leader. 



If, however, the gut lengths of the leader are tied by 

 hard, close knots, instead of the slip knot or double 

 water knot, then the snell of the dropper must be at- 

 tached close to, and above a knot of the leader, by a 

 single knot or half-hitch, a round knot, having previously 

 been made in tire end of the snell, to prevent the half- 

 hitch from working loose ; this is probably as good and 

 safe a way as any. 



The east is now ready, for I do not advise the use of 

 more than two flies. If, however, the angler wishes to 

 employ three, the third fly. or second dropper, must be 

 attached three feet above "the first dropper, and in this 

 case the leader should he nine feet long. But the begin- 

 ner will have all he can attond to with a six feet leader 

 and two Hies. The leader having been previously 

 straightened by soaking in water, or rubbing with India- 

 rubber (the former method is to be preferred), and at- 

 tached to the reel-line, the angler is now armed and 

 equipped as the law directs, and ready for 



CASTING Tltli FLY. 



Casting the artificiality is performed by two principal 

 motions, a backward and a forward one. The former is 

 to throw the Hies behind the angler, and the latter is to 

 project them forward and beyond. That is all there is 

 in it. These are the main principles involved, and the 

 first or backward motion is merely preparatory to the 

 second or forward one, the latter being the in ost im- 

 portant. 



But the style and manner of making these two mo- 

 tions axe all-important, for upon the correct, skillful and, 

 I might say, scientific performance of them, depends the 

 success of the angler. The main objects of the two mo- 

 tions are, first, to get the line and cast behind the angler 

 in a straight line, without lapping or kinking, and, sec- 

 ond, to project the line forward without snapping off the 

 tail-fly, casting it perfectly straight, without confusion, 

 and causing the flies to alight first, without a splash, and 

 as lightly as the natural insect dropping into the water. 

 This can only he done by the novice, with a short line, 

 about the length of his rod, and he should not attempt a 

 longer cast until he is perfect in this. When he can lay 

 out his short line perfect ly straight before him, without 

 a splash ever}- time, lie can then venture further. 



But we are getting along too fast ; we must go back to 

 first principles— the two motions. 



The backward and forward movements are each made 

 in about the same length of time, but while the former 

 is a single movement, the latter is a double one; that is, it 

 is divided into two motions, or parts ; though these two 

 forward motions are made in the same length of time as 

 the hackward movement. 



I will now try to explain these movements more ex- 

 plicitly, but it is extremely difficult to convey the exact 

 idea without diagrams. 



The prospective fly-fisher having his rod, reel and cast 

 in readiness, stands near the bank of the stream, with a 

 clear space of fifteen or twenty feet behind him. Hav- 

 ing the line about the length of his rod, to begin with, he 

 takes the hook of the tail-fly between his left thumb and 

 forefinger and stretches the line taut ; then by waving 

 the rod slightly backward over the left shoulder, and at 

 the same time releasing his hold of the tail-fly, the line 

 straightens out behind him, the right elbow meantime 

 being held close to the body, as the backward movement 

 is made with the wrist and forearm entirely, The posi- 

 tion of the right hand during this portion of the cast is 

 with said hand grasping the rod just above the reel (the 

 reel being at the extreme butt, and on the under side of 

 the rod), and with the reel and palm of the hand toward 

 the angler, the thumb looking toward his right shoulder. 



When the line and leader arc on a straight line behind 

 him, which the beginner must learn to judge and time 

 exactly, without looking behind him, he brings the rod 

 forward with a gradually increasing rate of speed, until 

 the rod is slightly in advance of him, say at an angle of 

 15" off the perpendicular ; then, for the first time, the 

 right elbow leaves the body— and, at the same time, the 

 rod is turned in the hand in the oppisite direction, that 

 is, with the back of the hand toward the angler, so that 

 at the end of the cast the reel is below the rod, while the 

 hack of the hand is upward — and without stopping the 

 motion of the rod, the right arm is projected forward to 

 its full extent and on a line with the 'shoulder ; this is 

 the second part, or motion of the forward movement, and 

 consists in merely following the direction of the flics 

 with the tip, of; the roil, so as to ease their rapid Might 

 and allow them to descend without confusion, and" to 

 settle upon the water noiselessly , and without a splash. 

 Thus, we see that the backward movement is in one time 

 and one motion, and the forward movement in one time 

 and two motions, as the military have it, or according to 

 the formula of time as above given. 



Sometimes these movements are made straight back- 

 ward and forward over either shoulder, or over the head, 

 hut the best way is to make the backward movement 

 over the left shoulder, and the forward over the right, 

 shoulder, the hue thus describing an oval or parabola ; "by 



(hi is method the flies are not; So apt to be whipped off, and 

 it is withal more graceful, more en mjlr. 



i-iui, die ysofcasting ail coin,-' into play 



at Certain (inns and under peculiar circumstances : anil 



the rod will be held more or less to one side ..Mi 



or more vertically, as particular circumstances or emer- 

 gencies demand. For the novice must remember Chat 

 trees andbushes anaraolcs Find winds to con- 

 tend with in fly-fishing, and, moreover, as he becomes 

 proficient he will ehoo.-.e his own style of easting, for no 

 two anglers cast the fly exactly alike. Then there is the 

 sidewise cast-, where the line is not thrown behind the 

 angler nt all. but to one side or the other: but 1 have 

 not space nor facilities here to eider I nllv into the merits 

 and details of the various ways of casting ; they must be 

 learned by practical experience. 



We will now presume that (he tyro IttW perfected him- 

 self in casting a short line, and ran throw Ids iail-lly into 

 his hat nearly every time ;u a distance Of fifteen feet— card 

 rigid here lei me say, I ran ol tl o an ;lin< bn _■ ■ ho 



declares that lie can cast his tail-llv info a glass of water 

 at fifty feet, every time! It can't be done. Mi 

 shy of the long-range fisher who insist- thai lie can east, 

 a hundred feet with ease. 1 1 can't be done. The longest 

 cast, with a single handed rod, I. ever saw, without 

 "loaded" flies, was eighty-one feet, and I believe the 

 longest on record is Betll Green's eighty-six feel, 

 while at the last tournament held by the New York Stale 

 Sportsman's Association seventy feet won the first prize. 

 When the beginu: i ■. tiea I Ins fly into his hat, eight 

 times out of ten, at f.r!\ feet, heis a fly-fisher, atad so 



far a,s casting ft concerned, a, good one. 



But let us go back to our tyro, who has now beootne 

 proficient with the short line, and it is time to lengthen 

 his cast, winch is done in kills' way : After casting," and 

 roving his flies on the surface by zigzag, jerky motions, 

 to the left or right, and without provoking "a rise, he 

 pulls off from the reel with the left band three or four 

 feet, of line, and lifting his rod, slowly at first, by a grad- 

 ually increasing motion lifts the leader and flies-, and 

 throws them backward oyer the left should, r as before 

 described. The resistance of the Hies, before they leave 

 the water, takes the extra length of line from the rod. 

 audit is unfolded behind the angler into a straigbtline 

 when he Casts it forward over the right shoulder. ' 



In this way the line ia lengthened a,l every cast, if ue- 



Buttho angler should never Jet his Hies touch the ground* 

 behind him", but must so time the mm eiuent as to propel 

 the line forward at exactly the right moment to prevent 

 this. 



Another caution : The angler should never attempt to 

 cast his flies lev main strength, for this will accomplish 

 nothing but confusion, audit takes but little force to re- 

 trieve or east, the flies, with a, well-made, sprim-v and 

 pliant rod. The rod, moreover, must never be 'carried 

 back over the shoulder to a distance exceeding an angle 

 of logoff the perpendicular, for the backward throw is 

 really accomplished by the limet.lie rod is m a vertical 

 position, and this might be said, also, In a certain extent 

 in regard to the forward movement or cast proper : for 

 by the time the rod is 15° off the perpendicular in the 

 other direction (in from; the main pari of ihe cast is 

 made, and the second part of Ihe forward movement is 

 only tO follow the flies u illi 'he point of the rod. to ease 



their flight as above mentioned; n.is latter part, of the 

 forward cast can no more aid or extend the flight of the 

 Hies than "pushing" on the reins can increase the speed 

 of your horse. 



1 have now- in the fewest words possible, and in the 

 simplest manner, endeavored to explain il,. 

 of casting the fly, and I trust the beginner will • 

 understand it. "it is almost impossible to di u ,, ,', 



clearly and satfsfl cfe rily by mere words. One hour with 

 a good fly -fisher will teach the novice more than a hun- 

 dred written pages. I have purposely omitted many little 

 details of nicety and precision, which would only tend to 

 confuse instead of enlightening the beginner in the 

 noble art of lly-tishing. J. A. IIgnsiiaJJ,. ' 



Cyntluana, ky., Jidy 2d, 



BLACK BASS VS. TKOUT. 

 j Lawtoxvii.i.i;, da., June, 32d. 



A "Strange StUffi a ilitlVivuee there sl..,ulrl |,e 



"t'Wixt twee.he , nun and I wecllr ,lec" 



FINDINd in recent i.-su.'s of FOREST ADD STEBAMthe 

 old controversy revived anent black bass and n ■;' 

 and finding also some rather peremptory and uni . i 



doubts from Dr. Hensha I land otbergentl '.,,,, , 



ing former articles written by myself for your paper 

 ("Black Bass'' and "Black Bass Fishing"), I must ask you 

 to hear me. 

 In one of those articles I stated that a black bass proper 



;eth. 



Il 



ill -land or fall 

 trued ichthyolo- 

 (M, Sttlmoidus 



could not be found in any str 



reiterate that statement, and say that I 

 on the scientific evidence of the. best, inf. 

 gists in the United States, the t 

 ami C*. otmriiiH) to be dissected b 



I want this vexed question set at 

 at rest, forever. 11, is true that WC 

 South called trout, which, to superb 

 those who are not to the ''manner b 

 bass, and bite at all things that his c 

 ing, of course, the fly, but which ar 

 than they are salmon, It is (me th 

 side in some streams, but in no Soiu 

 can be found in Kentucky and Misso 

 even in Tennessee, in waters that emr 

 but in no others. The moment you c. 

 brook iu your pursuit of speckled tl'. 

 swells gome river that empties into I 

 bye to all black bass Asians:. There m 

 bass in any stream th; 

 of Maryland. And there never will be. 



Dr. Uensha.il speaks of the striped ba-;s (R, ohj/sops) 

 as never weighing over two pounds. Now this is un- 

 kind. 1 believe I first had the honor, through the solici- 

 tation of t'has. 1 hillock, Esq., former editor of 1'okest 

 ANn Kthf.am. of introducing the fresh water si rip.. I M ■„ 

 rf the BUblio, No noiire was i;d,. : j, of il 



the articles were written by sir 



.... the interests of scientific iebfhyo'logical nmn" "a- 

 clature, Something, indeed, for the truth, if it can be 

 found in this captious, deceiving world. Nothing fo 

 triumph, for if lam wrong 1 earnestly desire to be s« 



II. shall be set 

 nave a flab at the 

 ial observers and to 

 rn,"look like black 

 ■n.gcnerwill.inehul- 

 no more black bass 

 t they exist side by 

 tream. They 

 together. and 

 ito the Ohio, 



tlu 



to the nol 

 of course 



man, win 

 thing fo: 



