Srpt. 7, 1883.1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



109 



''mud toboggin" at all, and many and amusing have been 

 the failures of adventurous young foreigners, f have several 

 times been nearly smothered in the soft deep mud before I 

 would confess that it wfiut't intended for nifl ever to use i me, 

 The principal part of the "catch" of these fishermen is a 

 tiny shrimp about an ineh long, but they let nothing pass 

 theni, their bodies containing worms, sniV.ll shellfish, irnd 

 various other iubabifauls of ' the mud. The Slightest evi- 

 dence of life is sufficient to catch the eye, when (if moving 

 rapidly) they stop by Sticking the foot, 'that for the moment 

 i8 doing duty as pro'pellor. deep into the mud. This oauaOB 



the "toboggin" to swing round as s pivot and "heave to." 

 If the mud is comparatively shallow thev will leave their. 

 craft and dig foi whatt vet inaj ha*e attracted their attention, 

 if not, then they kneel on the "toboggirr" while digging. 

 Ei Goodrich. 



SHARKING AT NANTUCKET. 



THE hunting of the shark, liy its excitement and colossal 

 dimensions, about corresponds to the noble chase of the 

 buffalo or the grizzly on shore, anil is an experience well 

 worth traveling to Nantucket for. Every Self-repeotiag 

 tourist carries 'home a shark's jaw or some of the shark's 

 curved teeth as trophies, and small boys have their wonderful 

 pockets filled With assorted teeth and' scraps of shark's skin, 

 on which they sharpen their knives as on so man)- whet- 

 stones. To catch a shark you stop the boat while out blue- 

 fishing and drop the line down in those shoal places off-shore 

 where the sharks chiefly lie in wait, but the blue-fishing 

 company generally object to this and prefer to stay by their 

 Original Spot. A better way, and erne partaking more of the 

 typical island flavor, is to sail down the harbor to the little 

 p'emnsula of Wauwinet. and, crossing the narrow strip of 

 sand, re-embark on an oldwhalebo.it and at a mile off -shore, 

 drop anchor at the favorite summer resort of the sharks. 



Hunting the- shark is the nearest approach to "sitting on a 

 mountain to bob for a whale.' since the Norcross boys 

 present you with "On feet of stout clothes line and an iron 

 meat hook for tackle, aud impale eight or ten perch on the 

 long-barbed hook for bait. When our nine lines were 

 streaming out from the boat's side, and each one was braced 

 for the coming struggle, first one female head and then a 

 second was bent in pensive attitude by the gunwale. My 

 own head was swimming, and sea and sky were rolling 

 together, when a shout from the man in the liow drove every 

 notion and sensation away, aud we all stood up and shouted 

 with excitement. The rope came Slowly in. and soon the 

 big fish was floundering on the surface, ciiuruit.g the water 

 white all around, and drenching us with the spray. The 

 Noreross boy seized a club, his brother held the line, and 

 after a succession of blows on his pointed nose, the shark 

 was hauled aboard, its jaws wide open and its ravenous 

 career ended. 



After the first catch there was a subdued excitement all 

 around, and no one thought, of the ground flwelj again. The 

 Harvard prize man announced that he thought he had a 

 bite, and, hauling his line cautiously, he found a little yel- 

 low crab clawing at the tempting bait. The shout of laugh- 

 ter was drowned by my own "shriek of victory, as there 

 came a jerk from the other end of my rope. 11 may lie 

 cruel and murderous sport, but there is a savage excitement 

 in waging war against such wild beast*, and pulling in that 

 shark was equal to holding a runaway horse. With braced 

 feet, it handover hand, the line gradually shortened and the 

 body of the shark was seen darting around in the water. 

 "Look out or y*ou'll laud him in your lap." cried the yachts- 

 man, "and if he comes in some of us will have to get out." 

 The little boys danced, the men shouted and the ladies stood 

 up audshrieked in chorus with me, while the shark lashed 

 the waters with his mighty tail and sent the spray all over 

 us aud the boat seats. The Noreross boys took the line and 

 drew my prize in, hammered him on the" head with a club, 

 aud putting another hook in his back, pulled him over and 

 stretched lum out. There he lay, his nose at one side of the 

 great whaleboat and his tail hanging over the other, nine 

 feet long from tip to tip, a good-for-nothing lump of a fish, 

 weighing SOU pounds.— Jiaii tw-kd Utter to tiw St. Jj>nin h'lohr- 

 Democrdt. 



BASSING IN PINE LAKE. 



PINE LAKE, Michigan, has uo reputation as ground for 

 black bass, though Intermediate Lake, only three 

 miles away, is famous for these fish as well as for pickerel 

 and maskalonge. As interesting angling literature as I have 

 read is the series of letters from the "Camp of the King- 

 fishers' upon Intermediate Lake, in Forest .\sd Stkicaiu. 

 But the best sported the "Kingfishers'' was, I am sure, no 

 better than I enjoyed last Saturday afternoon on the "South 

 Arm" of Pine Lake. 



The entire, day was one of '"speriences." It began with 

 an attempt to reach the fishing -gTounds by means of a sail- 

 boat, This came about from the offer of a young man, elec- 

 trified apparently by some four-pounders T had brought, in, 

 to take me there with his boat, if I would only show him 

 where the "there" was. We accordingly started Saturday 

 forenoon and arrived in Charlevoix at 1 P. M„ having missed 

 the fishing-ground by about four miles. I was more than 

 ever of the opinion that when I don't care where 1 go and 

 whether I go anywhere I'll take a sail boat, while the youug 

 man was so disappointed with his boat, that he didn't fall in 

 with my suggestion to take, the afternoon steamboat directly 

 to the fishing grounds. As for me, I was determined that 

 mv '■hoppers" so laboriously secured should not be wasted. 

 so the '3:30 P. M. boat found me embarked with skill towing 

 behind. (By the way, if anyone would he m a frame of 

 mind to sympathize with the, old hen in her surprise and dis- 

 appointment when she misses 1he grasshopper she was so 

 sure was her's, let him try to gather in enough of the lively 

 insects in question, for a fishing trip.) 



With iny-ombarkation begun a new series of " 'speriences" 

 and it would have brought tears to your eyes to see me 

 struggle to prevent my skiff from going under the stern of 

 tti" steamer as the latter hacked off from her dock. Fortu- 

 nately, a fellow passe, _-, f seized Be by the arm and saved 

 my boat from the screw, and me from a ducking. Of course 

 the boat was half full of water when I reached mv fishing 

 grouud, but a few minutes' diligent bailing made that all 

 right, and 1 was ready for work. The- bass was ready, too, 

 it "seemed, as 1 struck one soon, and was kept busy until the 

 steamboat returned. I'll attempt a description of the cap- 

 ture of but one, a four-pouudcr, not because he Was the 

 largest, (1 have taken much larger) but because he was the 

 most active. I was anchored in thirty-five feet of water, as 

 deep as my anchor l0 pc would commend. Outside, the 

 bottom dropped off very suddenly to a great depth, and I 

 was tislung in this deep" water wilit perhaps twenty yards of 



line. Inside there was a mass of pickerel weed and other 

 aquatic plants, My rod is an eight-ounce split bamboo, 

 made on the Hensh'all pattern. The fish in question seized 

 my bait, with a rush, aud it hardly needed the strong snap I 

 gave him to set the hook in. nis very first move was char- 

 acteristic. Instantly he struck for daylight, aud leaped into 

 the air with a spring that said, "Whoop, here I am, catch 

 me if you can." It was the best leap I ever saw for a bass. 

 He put all his fresh power into it, and fairly tumbled back 

 into the water. T am sure be went four feet in the air. 



From this first sample of bis vigor aud spirit I was pre- 

 pared for a grand rush. 1 was not disappointed., My habit, 

 is to hold my fish very snug so that it is rarel) r indeed one 

 makes a run of thirty yards, but this one carried out Cull 

 fifty yards, fighting for 'every inch, and at the end rose 

 rapidly', making anolh'f grand' leap into the air. This run 

 had been made away stei tiw.-ml ot the boat, but still in deep 

 rater. Now he returned instantly over the same course, 

 nd his speed was such that 1 had to ply my multiplying reel 

 rith desperate enemy to keep up with him". When just op- 

 posite me, he turned'and darted under the boat toward the 

 weeds. Of course I "gave him the bull," and my first 

 thought was, not to let him have an inch of line, but bis 

 ierce tugs convinced me that the chances were good that my 

 •od would shut up like a jack knife, so f letiny line slip 

 axiwly under my finger, Unfortunately for my chances. I 

 ,vas standing at' the bow when he made" his rush under the 

 boat, so that I could not pass the line under that end without 

 fouling the anehor rope, so chat for a few seconds the hue 

 awed and hiss, rj ominously over the keek I soon passed to 

 tie stern, and so got out of that predicament. Hut in the 

 aeantime, the bass hail buried himself deep among the 

 veetls and seemed inclined to stay there. However, he did 

 lot sulk very persistently. A s't rong pull slarled him again, 

 nd once more he ror,e in his wrath' This time the thirty 

 ■ards of line was hung (as it were) with a washing of weed-.. 

 Uiother rush under the boat carried him into deep water. 



And now began some tactics thai have succeeded more 

 than ouee in my experience with black bass. Swimming 

 near the surface, he kept turning on the hook, this way and 

 that, rolling, too, over on one side and then on the other. 

 No other device causes me so much anxiety. But this lish 

 i loo securely hooked to escape even in this wav. Twice 

 after this he dai'ted under the boat, but was too nearly tired 

 out to reach the weeds. A. third feeble rush was made, but 

 1 drew him up uear the surface, and holding the landing net 

 in his course, I lifted him gently in out of the wet, This 

 was but one of many tussles with big fish that afternoon, 



though uo other was so prol god and exciting as this. 1 



shall not attempt the expression- of surprise that I had 

 caught such fish in Pine Lake, that 1 had Caught I hem with 

 such bail, that I had lauded them with such ta.ekle, ete. A 

 native came paddling by while I was struggling with one. 

 He was overflowing with sympathy and surprise.' aud, when 

 I fim.lly "scooped up" my "fish, ludke out, "Well, I'd rather 

 fish than eat, and I've been fooling 'round this point for 

 years, but I never caught no such fish as that." I must tell 

 yon of one singular thing that occurred, and with that close 

 this, to me, unexpectedly loug letter, for a few minutes 

 during my fishing 1 threw my line into the shallower water 

 among the weeds. There I had a nibble that I thought must 

 rorn a perch or rock bass. I snapped sharply, and sure 

 ugh found I had hooked a rock bass, or rather two, the 

 line passing through the lip of one, while the hook was fast 

 u the side of the other, 

 Charlevoix, Mich. T. It. Willahd. 



LIGHT AND HEAVY RODS. 



"yOL'R light vs. heavy rod discussion is really instructive 

 X and amusing reading, as it brings out so many inter- 

 esting and comical stories, that would hardly be put on 

 paper without some such incentive. 



For my part 1 see the justice of both sides of the rod dis- 

 cussion, and my rod case always contains both light and 

 heavv rods that I use as the humor takes me, or as my ex- 

 perience teaches me will give the best sport at each varied 

 fishing report, the size of the trout and the peculiarities of 



t i,. w '• being taken into consideration. My heavy rod 



saved me three noble brook trout weighing 8|, 4j and ..j 

 lbs., in an unfrequented lake uear Bounce's sv<, ... ; \_ 

 Lake resort (Adirondack's), last May, when no tackle on a 

 fi-oz. rod would have been reliable, But the next evening 

 on Seventh Lake, with leaping trout all around me, anything 

 but a light rod would have seemed a profanation. There is 

 one idea connected with this discussion that I have not seen 

 brought in, and that was embodied in the excuse the 

 sometimes guide, always around old coon, Capt. Parker of 

 Forked Lake, gave me' when I suddenly came on him, fish- 

 ing with a heavy pole, and large hook, 'in Constable's Eddy, 

 Eaquette Biver, one May morning several years ago. 



"Honest John." my guide, whispered: "Ask "for some 

 worms and lift the houghs when I run you close." I did so, 

 and saw over twenty brook trout stacked crosswise, not one 

 under a pouud in weight and several about three pounds. 

 Naturally indignant I expressed my opinion very freely of a 

 guide that would thus skin all the best holes early, before his 

 sportsman customers came; when in reply I received this 

 bttrof wisdom: "1 am spring poor; I go out to Blue Moun- 

 tain Lake this afternoon, and trout bring twenty cents per 

 pound at the. hotels there. I take my biggest hook, that 

 nothing but the biggest trout will take, and catch my re- 

 quired'weight of fish in the fewest possible number, leaving 

 the pools full of the sizes you fools can catch with vour 

 light tackle." I also have heard Alvah Dunning say he 

 never uses a small hook, as then he never is tempted to keep 

 small trout ; and many guides argue, with truth on their 

 side, that if none but large hooks were used, and all trout 

 under say one-half pound returned to the water, that the 

 trout in the lakes and streams would be inexhaustible; but 

 that the small hooks and light tackle, used by fancy sports- 

 men catch anything that comes :doug. and thus, to catch 

 ten pounds, destroy what, would be one bundled pounds or 

 more in a few years. Looking at it from this point of view , 

 when I afterward fished Baquettc Biver I used a heavier 

 rod and found fine sport, after mv trout were hooked, in 

 leading them to some pool where John could get the lauding 

 net under them, and then go back and get another. Whereas 

 any one with experience knows that if a two-pound trout is 

 hooked by a six-ouuee rod and allowed to thrash around tor 

 half an hour or more, running up and down the river, 

 through the water in every direction, tangling lines if any 

 one else happens to be fishing there, that the fish are. more 

 or less scared aud many less will be caught. All the talk 

 and fine writing on some, one lish that ' 'took an hour to bring 

 to net' sounds very nicely and looks well in print, but a 

 show of :». dozen such on a platter looks better in camp, and 



fills a place that otherwise has to be filled either by the 

 canned beef brought in, or from the well-baited buo_y that 

 bus often to be resorted to, 



Now I have had many years experience in tin- Adiroiidaeks, 

 and can truthfully say "(and for five years "Honest John" 

 can vouch for me) I have never taken D trout in an unsports- 

 manlike manner, and yet have never eaten a meal there 

 I have never taken in any r canned meat, but, 



no party I have ever been with ha 

 fishing. Still, I arn sure that the f. 

 could never call me a "trout hog." 

 well coined word. Although 1 1> 

 other camps that were poorly siippl 

 time that 1 ever caught fish that we 

 Your correspondents are eoverin 

 and to me their letters increase in interest with ev 

 ber. "Splasher's - ' "Deer Hunting in Michigan," al 

 firms my long deferred resolution to still hunt dl 



had to resort to ijuoy 

 .neicst sportsman living 

 vliiclc by the way, is a. 

 ive often given lish to 

 ed, T can call to mind no 

 •e not used. 

 ' about; all the ground. 



Adirondacksfhis fall, instead of h 

 done for past years, but when I remen 

 and diverging streams that even th 

 hunt on a dark day, except in som. 

 chance of always getting around to 



uuecrla 



the 



berth.. 



'If 



■ tin 



ichigau. it diss 



•'.■ a trial at it. 



id sfrai 



as I have 

 gh mountains 



r.r.. aol still 

 ud where the 

 ght is more 

 ght running 



f Northern M 

 time 1 surely shall have atrial at it. "H. 1). W. L.'s" "Put 

 Yourself info Condition" is also timely, though we in the 

 country keep ourselves in fair condition, if we have sense 

 enough to think at all on the subject, wdiich, I am sorry to 

 say two-thirds the business men never do cither, in city or 

 country. It seems unaccountable to me that men cooped up 

 in offi rerj day, wit] no i KOrciso, arid necessarily poor 



radical change necessary . If they would read your paper 

 hat it would imbue than with the desire to 



at least try what others seem so thoroughly to enjoy. 



Jo. 



r, N. T., August 88, 186& 



S. N. 



A TRIP TO NORTHERN MICHIGAN. 



HOW pleasant the change from the busy, bustling city to 

 the quiet of the green woods. The singing murmur 

 of the trout stream, or the dash and hurtle of the broader 

 Stream. So we found it toward the close of the fishing sea- 

 son. The brain was stretched to its tension with the con- 

 tinued wearying rush of a city life, and the body run down 



and needing rest. 

 The Eastern Exprest 



and Indiana sleeper . 

 night's rest. Bright a 

 down almost in agrov 

 of Summit City. A e 

 the woods. The. oidy 



of the roosters and the clucking of hen, 

 inclining air toned up the system, ? 

 made us hungry enough to devour 

 We found ' a "place for breakfast 



i from Chicago and the Grand Bapids 

 ave us a quick- passage and a good 

 ad early in the morning we were put 

 j of magnificent, maple trees at the site 

 ty here meant the abnormal quiet of 

 nd greeting us was the screaming 



ato 



and prepared lo go 

 boy had acconipaui 



attempted a life un 

 and after getting th 

 started for an unku 

 because it was in 

 even the roadways 

 task. Following the directions give 

 tramp happily struck the creek — a vc 

 brush grown." full of bends and turn? 

 holes, overhung with brush, and lot 

 ;gcd up and made the first cast. The thi 

 •1> ■ 



p. The 

 us, and, forth 



canvas. We 

 ;s into shape d 

 n trout stream 



woods, aud I 

 these dense f< 



bile the clear fresh 

 1, confess if we must, it 

 dry crust. 



nd' then pitched a tent, 

 ,vife and twelve-year-old 

 ■ first time in their lives, 

 were eager to go fishing, 

 :>wuedafishii:g sni I 



I mean to us unknown 

 ) find the way through 

 rests is something of a 

 in, we after a four-miles 

 •citable Michigan stream, 



full of sand drifts and 

 :1: but we soon 



land* 



nd as 



ami a lively t 



We struck prompt! 



high-colored and game, ; 

 fished on until the shade 

 was trending downward: 

 We had caught euougl: 

 trout in two hours' fishing o 

 sidered good, especially atfhi 

 We have speni days on the 

 the Boardmau Biver, the M: 



1 a half f 

 handsom. 



ut, 



for 



tin 



Lake Mict 



tested by y 

 old time name. <_; 

 The guests of Oeo 

 last season 8,000 h 

 son up to August 

 caught 10,03? spec 

 deed a fisherman's 

 families with the 

 clams at high wat 

 daughters are soon 

 is nothing fussy or 

 are surrounded wit 

 My 



nd enjoyed taking tl 



le fine fish taken 



•egioii of the 1; 



t kii, Rapida 



i of the Ilinglish 

 /an vou ask f 



a picture. We 

 icd us the sun 

 aad five miles to walk. 

 ■e breakfast. A dozen 

 an unknown stream wc con- 

 close of August, 

 le trout brooks and have fished 

 Biver feeders for the fa- 



s splendid 

 M these strea 

 chain cmptyii 



e fish. 



. aud 



: into 



tit- 



s' Camp, maintain their 

 ylhing better than this? 

 :e Dyer, at Elk "Bapi.ls, caught, during 

 ,-k bass, and over ?,, 500 trout. Tie ea 

 II, the guests of the stone house had 

 led trout and bass. Elk Bapids is iu- 

 lOme, where gentlemen can take their 

 , and the youngsters are as happy as 

 .-. Geo. Dyer and his good lady 'and 

 a the confidence ol the Children. "There 

 entrained about the place, but the guests 

 children, and enjoy their company. 



pleasant one. For 



eight summers we have fished through various portions of 

 this northern region, aud come home each time more en- 

 raptured with its many beauties; its clear, cool air, its 

 lovely nights, and its many trout streams: but above all, its 

 pleasant social people. The hotel keepers in this region do 

 not attempt to "skin" you, but charge moderate prices, give 

 ai the worth of your money: make yptu feel at home, and 



rdially 

 you will if th 

 found gentler 

 star ascends t 

 uorthe 



o you to come . 



fates willpe 



en with like ta 



te summer sky, 



idbi 



ids 

 nit., ft 



■ fan 



again. Aud c 

 at these places arc 

 , early, when the dog- 

 r steps to this cool, 

 lies with them to enjoy 



Normal. 



the rest and quiet of tiffs land of brooks find fit 



c'huauo, Illinois; 



Casadias Salmon. — Ottawa, Canada, Aug. 28. — Fishing 

 parties are preparing to camp out, and several American 

 parties from Boston and New York have arrived, aud start, 

 for The interior hikes to-day, where trout and other good lish- 

 iug.ean be found. I saw a gentleman from the vicinity of 

 Combermere, on the upper Ottawa, who informed me "that 

 the deer were reported by the woodsmen to be more plenti- 

 ful than they ever had been known to be for many ys a and 

 duck hunting is reported as splendid. I think" "when the 

 superior hunting and fishing to be found in this part of 

 Canada are better known, there will be a huge influx of 

 parties in here during the seasons. Some live huudre.l 

 American excursionists visited Ottawa ou Saturday last and 

 were highly pleased with the place. Ottawa is becoming a 

 favorite place for tourists and visitors, — W. 



