sib 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Tax. 25,' 1888. 



trout ranging From a quarter to half a pound, but if 1 east 

 beyond this line so much as a half dozen yardsT would 

 have mi brook trout response. When. the clearly defined 

 rivef winter line was vouched, the dainty (Hi seemed to halt 

 IIS surely us if Ihey bail run their hends'nguinst n stone wall. 

 Rut, by exti'iiiliii- mm cast beyond the outflow of tbe brook, 

 I would receive prompt responses from what . believed to 

 be sea trout. On placing them side by side the difference 

 in their appearance seemed to mc to lie something more lhan 

 the difference caused by the difference of the water in the 

 two streams. But both arc boaulttul fish, but, in sucha 

 side by side comparison, the sea trout is discovered to luck 

 the ri'eb lustre 4 »nd golden beauty of his inbro Saint; 

 cousin." 



■■.lust," I added, "as you will find tbe tiny fry jou see in 

 tin* little spring rivulets which empty into atroul lake to be 

 more beautiful iu form anil color than the larger fish you 

 liutl in the larger waters." 



I4 lt was long a question," mj friend rejoined, "whether 



Mid .civ .i nil musi-alonge wcrc'nol identical. Mow we know 



U ' n dti! B ih, and yel thev resombh :■ l> ■■ 



quite as closely as sea and brook trout. Among all the 

 trout I. have taken in salmon waters t never saw one thai 

 bore an exact, resemblance to the trout I have taken in real 

 trout brook waters, or lie, I leaped from the water to the fly 

 with the same vim which distinguishes the large brook trout 

 in our own northern lakes and rivers. 1 have no wish to be 

 dogmatical upon this subject, but 1 shall hold to my opinion 

 all the same." 



■■I do mil care to argue the question with you," was my 

 reply, "but I am not convinced. 1 agree with you in this, 

 however, thai, except salmon, I know of no risli ihal affords 

 better Spoil to the appreciative atlglor than sen Iron! rang 

 iug from three to eight pounds in weight." G D. 



WALL-EYED PIKE. 



IT do. 18 nol se.-m lo rue strange that lite wall-eyed pike has 

 received so little notice by those who report the pleas- 

 ure they get in taking game fish. In our Cedar Kivcr the 

 wall-eyed pike abound and grow to considerable size. I 



oavi si Ihcm often of, ight. uudteu pounds weight, and for 

 table hm' they are not easily excelled. Their flesh is white 

 and firm: tiny are without fine bones, and they nave a flavor 

 thai is line enough for the most particular taste. But when 

 we put 'them among game fish they must, take their place 

 near the close of the list. 



They do not take the bail generally with any amount of 

 determination, and when one is known to have taken the 

 bait, it must have plenty of line ami must not be struck 



until it has, bad time to swallow the bah and digest the 



hook, and then the chances are not more than even that it 

 is hooked; and now comes the only fun in the operation, 

 for it will make one run and then give up. and one can gel 

 as much sport in landing a while sucker, as this beautiful 

 fish. In fishing for them. 1 rice live bait (minnows), plenty 

 of line and a heavy rod, but have known a few to have 

 been taken with an artificial bait, though live bail is con 

 si.lered the In v.! generally . Mow let me say something in 



the way of protest in the manner that these and oO sh 



-arebeing killed in our river. Night spearing with a lamp 

 torch is a favorite mode with many of taking these fish, both 

 in and out of season, and the nature of the pike is such that 

 when once seetl from the boal can generally be struck, and 

 if not. by patient watching can soon be sceii again, and then 

 do not make long rims, as Ihey are not swift tish "mi loot." 

 It makes their capture most certain, more, especially as din- 

 ing the besl spearing season they are full of eegaor spawn, 

 i have known pike to be taken this way thai had a pound 

 or more of eggs in them, and this is not 'only true of the 

 pike trnl of the black bass, rock bass, perch, pickerel, etc., 



etc.. and also of the no,, game 11 di such as suckers, white 

 and black, red horse, buffalo, etc. 



Some of my friends will saw why don't vou quit li your- 

 self? Well! " 1 will when the rest do, aiid'ye! as much' as I 

 lore this sport I would gladly give it up if some way could 

 be brought about, to stop il al'logcl her. My personal experi 

 cueein this matter gives me a chance to see the damage done 

 to our tish interests,' and the general decline in numbers and 

 quality of our best tish, The true way of taking fisl, with 

 the rod has lost much of its attractiveness because of the 

 yearly wholesale slaughter of our gamiest fish. Might not 

 these' facts be placed before our State fish commission for 

 consideration, and have restrictions placed upon the i apture 

 of fish in Ibis manner, and insure to us for the future a sup- 

 ply of fish that would make the heart of the angler rejoice. 



Xature has done her share for us in giving us a beautiful 

 river, a natural home for fish, water clear and swift, banks 

 covered with trees and bushes, bottom lined with rocks and 

 white sand, and abounding iu the purest of springs. 



Wall. E. Pikk. 



i •icon. ks city. Iowa. 



SALVELtM'S (K;lASsA AND FoNTrNALIS, — Charlestowii, 

 X. If . .Jan. 20,-1 cheerfully acknowledge the mistake 1 

 made in my answers to ilcrr vou Behr. in calling the larger 

 trout of the Rangeley lakes "BalmooquasWr," and I beg to 

 apologize to JUr. Geo. Shepan! Page for having said any- 

 thing that might del uic! from the well-earned glory of his 

 exploit of catching what [should call, if 1 were not afraid 

 of making another mistake, the Largest fontmalis that was 

 ever seen. 1 knew that one of theTrotifs of the Rangeley 

 lakes was SakeHmu oquomsa, ami I confess that I got (he two 

 mixed up, and did for a lime cherish theinipressiou that the 

 larger trout was the oqumta, and the smaller. 



i mi however. Who has been through what. 1 have for 

 the past few- years in trying to keep | rack of the be\\ ildering 

 changes in the names of the Pacific Coast Salmonidic, has, I 

 think, some excuse for sufficient temporary aberration of 

 mind to confuse the twotrouts of the Kaugcicy lakes. It. is 

 related of a man who was traveling in Prance in the unsta- 

 ble times of that: country, that he stipulated with his land- 

 lord that a boy should rap on his door early every morning, 

 and inform him what the form of government was on that 

 day. We had on the Pacific Coast for a long time a very 

 .similar feeling about the names of that distant branch of the 

 salmon family, and its effect, on the mind was demoralizing. 

 J finally acquired the habit of feeling. sure thai the true name 

 of any specified Bsh was uot the name we had been calling 

 it. This appears to have been an adequate reason for re- 

 vising the names of the two Kaiigeley t routs. 1 was sorry 

 at. first (hat I made such a mistake, but as it has brought nut. 



three or tour most interesting ami excellent articles on tkO- 

 Deliwug t/g<«M»», perhaps, after all, it has done more good 

 than harm, and I will venture lo say that many of you, 



I '•'.' know more about Stdirliwi* uijua.ixit than 'they 



ever did before— and alf in consequence at my stupid blun- 

 der.— EirvjNG8T0H Stoke 



THE TROUT STREAM. 



CONCEtVEfi incaverii deep of earti aafl torn 

 Where midnight darkness reigns and nil is si 

 Save trickling drops, that, oozing iron, t'„- grou« 

 Like evening gath'ring dew on grass and herb, 

 Full frDin the vaulted roof with trickling splash. 

 No ray of sun, no beam of moon, or star 

 Looks down into the depths, to mark the track 

 Designed bj BatUre it Should nowh-nceforth, 

 As outward to the light it gropes its way 

 Through sand and shale, or fissures in the rock. 



Impell'd by -ii 6 



tee, it breaks the crust, 



Yet sealing up its tor 



nous channel's mouth, 



And wildly in its new 



found liberty, 



Leaps from the mono 



Hill -iM ■ a living spring 



of sparkling water, f 



on, wldeli crystal fuiint 



A tiny streamlet, fret 



iMlngon ,i„. brink, 



l.e;,,dsd.c,M, . . ..... 



. ■ inong rocks and fallen frees 



Andhotild, 



bieh, prone amid the stream 



Ity their nu,.-e Lull.- re 



dst the current's force, 



And iireas the ' 



g mass ot dashing spray 



As tumbling down to 



foaming gulf helnw- 



The woods resound tl 



p roaring of its fad. 



Thus on, ad.ovn a dai 



ksome course it runs. 



■Midst shade so dense 



of cedar cool and sweet, 



Delaying not, as fain 



some ugly log 



Would dam the pin-lit 



g brook by its sad fate. 



Or tree-top languish 



n its narrow Led. 



With noiseless glidilif 



through the swamp it steals 



.. ii 1 eii leaves, a 



nd snaky -looking roots, 



"ivixt miry borders, 



sdged with (homy brush. 



And creeping vines t, 



at clamber up the. trees. 



Thus far alone, but w 



ith a friendly voice 



i greets the merry ri 



Is that tumble in 



From neighboring sp 



•ings, to swell the tiny ttood. 



\ml sleep upon file li 



isom of its tide. 



As hand in hand the 



mingling waters flow ; 



Emerging now, the It 



nesrane shade it leaves, 



Where sighing winds 



and whispering zephyrs wake 



Strange tnianighl eel 



oes through the forest gloom 



And daytime seems b 



ut evening gloaming come. 



Thence out across tin 



fields, beneath the sky. 



Iu smoothly flowing s 



tream. twixl banks of green, 



Winds Ki-aeefuity ,1s s 



livery length along- 



Nou widiiiugout o'e 



shallow pebbly beds, 



Light rippling music 



rem tiles on the breeze, 



N.ir dies away, but tic 



ating down the stream 



It leaps from rift to r 



ft in gladsome piny. 



Through deep'nd cha 



met, narrow'd in its hounds 



By stony walls, that l 



se on cither side. 



The swift and silent c 



u-rent bears its way. 



To where the bronchi 



fg alder lowly droops 



Above a sunny pool, v 



here eddies whirl. 



And laughing, slip aw 



tv along the bank, 



isvrshelvingmadeby 



routs of branchless stub, 



at -! M.i. :,, .. I,. ; , i 



silence, looking down 



Into the pearly d-pth 



5, as if lo scan 



What fish ea leaping, s 



ho« their sdvery scales. 



i ii' rise to catch the li 



.-kless slimmer Mies. 



•fue stream flows on. 



lor slackens yet its pace. 



Through meadows gr 



■en, and fields of waving grai 



i in past the woody slope, where ton 'ring pines, 



At early morning catch first glimpse of dawn ; 

 Across the roadway, or hemadli tb. bridges. 

 Where Line come down to diink, or teams to cress, 

 As homeward or to village bound they go. 

 'file IhovI',,,.1 urchin, e« his way from school 

 Wades fearlessly across from bank to bank, 

 Willi splashing footsteps, through the mii-y clay, 

 Net minds the welting should heenaueeto fall. 

 W Oh cautions step, and skillful turn of wrisl. 

 The tireless angler wields his pliant rod, 

 And deftly easts upon tbe ripple's crest, 

 Or sweeps across the deep dark pools for trout, 

 Unconscious of tin- day's fast-speeding hours, 

 Till sun. reclining in the western sky, 

 Ity lengthen'd shadows, stretching tow'rd the hills. 

 And golden sunset, shimmering in the air, 

 Remind him that his holiday is spent. 

 With far off look, he sees the silv'ry stream 

 .MeaiiiFring slowly tow'rd the distant lake. 

 But dares not linger, so reluctant turns 

 His footsteps homeward with a well-filled creel. 

 The thrush on elm-top trills his evening lay, 

 Iu flute-like notes that captivate the ear; 

 Cool soughing winds come creeping down the gorge. 

 Foretelling dampness, and perhaps a storm; 

 Low mutt'ring thunder echoes from the cliff, 

 And lightnings flash along the sunset sky; 

 The raindrops patter on the forest leaves, 

 An d midnight darkness closes all the scene. 

 Canas'd.uoua, X. Y. C^T. .Mitch el. 



GAMENESS OF LAKE TROUT. 

 r |" , HE loss by "Mouatiquot" of his fly rod as toldinFoitEsr 

 I and Stkeam of Jan. 13, reminds me of a similar exper- 

 ience of my own at Second Connecticut Lake last, season. 

 Like his, my ill luck was also with my first fly rod, an eleven 

 ounce ash and lauccwood. Amasa Ward, the guide, and I 

 were fishing for 'dunge" or lake trout at tbe mouth of Beaver 

 Inlet. II was in l he last week of September. The line 

 storm had just passed over and had raised the lake about 

 two feel, above its usual level. We had fished the lake from 

 inlet to outlet with fly and with bait, by casting and by 

 trolling. But in vain, all legitimate angling allurements 

 known to us had been tried, but not a tish could we coax. 

 This had been going on for three days. I believe, how- 

 ever, I did one morning, catch a speckled trout of about a 

 pound while fishing for minnows. I was using about four 

 feet of line on as many feel of switch, standing OD a log at 

 I he boat house, when 'the rascal nearly jerked "me into the 

 lake before I sufficiently recovered from my .surprise to 

 return the compliment, 'Other than this the fish had beaten 

 us. Amasa said they bad taken to the woods, and ad- 

 vocated a pursuit of them with clumbers and clubs. He held 

 however, thai sometime, iu the course of twenty-four hours 

 they must: lake food, and if we might happen to be. around just 

 when they fell that way, we should stand a chance of get- 

 ii'," i t"w. I had perfect confidence in Amasa. What he 

 didn't seem to know about fin, fur or feather appeared to 

 me not particularly worth knowing, so by his advice, we 

 pushed over to Beaver Inlet about half an hour before sun- 

 down. We anchored the boat directly across the mouth of 

 the stream, with a weight at each end, over a clean swept. 



gravely bottom and in about five feet of water. We both 

 used fly. rods, ..'listing with minnows. 



Precisely as the sun dropped behind the hemlocks that 

 fringed the shore came a smart jerk upon my line followed 

 by a whizzing reel. A whole mmiicipalitv of air castles 

 constructed in the smoke of my pipe curling lazily upward 

 were tumbled to ruins instanfer. I knew if was a "lunge" 

 from his somewhat loggy movements and bull like -i rength 

 and fighting tactics, Thai! been told that the lake trout 

 were inferior as game fish, but 1 want no better fights rs than 

 they proved tlieinseives that night. Amasa said they were 

 unusually lively. I had landed my fish and was adjusting 

 my bait when Amasa became engaged. I took up the net 

 to assist him, first throwing my bait overboard and laying 

 my r rod across the boat, The commotion made in netting 



masa'a Bsh 80 rocked the boat that before I could prevent 

 it mv rod slipped over! card. Having landed Amasa'sflsh 

 we turned our attention to my rod. We could sec it lying 

 on the bottom at right angles with the length of the boat, 

 its nickel-plated reel [icing just discernible through the roily 

 water. How to get il was the question. We tried rod and 

 net, but no use. It eluded all attempt to lift it: and while 

 we looked, oh, horror! it began to move. The bait on the 

 othei end had been taken, and the thief was making for the 

 middle of the lake. Alas, thought I, that my first fly- 

 rod should come to such an ignoble fate. To lie and 

 rot on the muddy bottom of Connecticut Lake, the. 

 scorn instead of the terror of the finny tribe. But I 

 determined not to lose it without remonstrance, and 

 > i - i; ' tically clapped the hoop of the net upon its butt above 

 the reel, if checked the scamp, but I trembled. I deter- 

 mined not to lose the rod. however, if I had to go overboard 

 a fter it. Amasa picked up a minnow rigging that lay in the 

 bottom of I he boat, and as luck would have it. he Taught 

 mv line at the first cast. Gingerly he followed the line to 

 the tip. drew the rod to the surface, and handed it to mc. 

 The fish was still fastened. He had been good enough to 

 assist the operation by sulking, but a persuasive tension 

 roused his temper andT had a beautiful set-to with him for 

 about fifteen minutes. When landed he pulled the scales 

 down to three pounds. He was the heaviest of exactly a 

 dozen fish which we took that night. 



Perhaps this experience has been paralleled; ceitainly it 

 was a very unusual one. and that rod. however it may rank 

 beside future finer ones, will always be cherished as a mo- 

 mento of that night's experience. We each caught six fish, 

 the dozen aggregating something over twenty-five pounds. 

 The battle conti'nuedTboui two'hours. The twilight faded 

 into darkness and tin i ..,. .-i .'-.o v; r the tree tops. A large 

 part of the time it was so dark we could not see to use the 

 landing net. and could scarcely distinguish the rods in our 

 hands. Finally, to cap the climax, we each hooked a fish 

 about the same time, and after some lively work to keep 

 them clear of the anchor line, we managed to land them, 

 and consigning them to the car, we pulled up weights and 

 steered for Uncle Tom's. R. Field. 



well, Mass. 



M 



A TRIP FOR BLAQK BASS. 



Y brother and myself, two as devoted lovers of the rod 

 ,nd reel as onc'often meets, boarded the fast express 

 on the Lake Shore road one Friday afternoon, and in an 

 hour were chatting cheerfully with mother at the amply- 

 spread tabic, having been carried the thirty miles tha'l 

 separated my home and Cleveland in just forty-five minutes. 

 After satisfying Ihc inner man with'such food as only a 

 mother can prepare for most welcome sons, we withdrew 

 to the sitting-room and over our scgars. while we carefully 

 prepared our tackle, talked of the coming morrow, the 

 stream lo be fished, and of the many Ihings which, in joy- 

 ful anticipation of H fine day's sport, can only suggest them- 

 selves to the minds of such as Charlie a nd I. Having most 

 carefully prepared everything, we retired for the night, not 

 to sleep peacefully, however, but to dtenm of the strike, 

 the leap fatal I o 'some rant of the tackle of the unwarj 

 angler, and of the thrilling events which crowd themselves 

 into an excited mind bent on a glorious day's i'un. 



At about 4 o'clock in the morning 1 was awakened by my 

 mother's voice calling me, arid, giving Charley a dig in th'c 

 ribs, I. sprang out of bed followed by my companion, and 

 we were soon enjoying a good cup of coffee prepara- 

 tory to our start. We had about seventy-five of the prettiest 

 minnows that ever graced a bucket, kicking and struggling 

 among' themselves in the pail, and I cannot possibly see how 

 a bass could let one of those brown-backed chubs wiggle 

 under its nose without trying him a whack. 



We arrived at the river after the sun was well over the 

 tree tops and the fog was rolling up" from the surface of 

 the river in dense clouds, I was ready first, and with a 

 long cast, while my line was dry. I dropped my minnow 

 squarely in a most, inviting spofwdiere the water gurgled 

 and curled gracefully over a stump -partially hidden by the 

 overhanging" bank. 'When the minnow was ahout eight 

 inches from the water a bass of about one-half pound 

 weight made a desperate break for it, but so great was 

 his eagerness he missed it, and, describing a curve, felt 

 in a somewhat awkward position ou his side, but light- 

 ning was not quicker than his disappearance beneath the 

 surface again, My minnow -truck the water lightly and 

 the current hore it inward under the bank, and when 

 passing the stump I felt a violent jerk, and, taking my- 

 thumb off the reel, away he went with a velocity that 

 made my nerves jump and called into play my every 

 faculty, for I soon perceived I had hooked a veritable 

 monster. After running abotit eighty-five feet he turned, 

 and went for that hole again and nearly succeeded, too, for, 

 although I hung on for all I was worth, he kept on, hut 

 bv a quick deflection of my rod tip 1 led him by it and 

 started him across the river. After a long, fierce battle, en- 

 livened by t tvo or three desperate leaps. I landed him and 

 had the satisfaction of seeing him pull down 4f pounds on 

 my pocket scale. 



Charlie had been likewise engaged, but his fish run .-some 

 what smaller, but he evened things up by landing two to rny 

 one. Alanv times since that day have I caught that fish 

 o\ ct- again,' and t lie thought of it will make me fairly quiver 

 as I again see him now in the air shaking that hook fiercely, 

 ml again in the water: off he goes with a rush only to re- 

 peat his antics, [until the lauding net is slipped under him. 

 and his last chance is forever gone. Thus it. went On, 

 and at two o'clock, when we stopped fur a lunch and a 

 smoke, we had twenty-two, all told, ranging from four and 

 three-quarters to one ajld« half pounds. We took a vote 

 and decided we had done well enough, and after unjoinling 

 started for home, where we were met with joyful congratula- 

 tions, for mother and the rest are always glad when we are 



