150 



FOREST AND STREAM, 



[Bkptbmbbe 23, 1881. 



prised Bt the change wrought in the county thus unfavorably 

 charaeterized ; for more than five hundred miles of good 

 roads and a railrosd are within ils borders, and it is well 

 fitted to charm the tourist, the sportsman and the artist, to 

 whom it presents attractions not lo be found elsewhere in 

 Great Britain. The angler, especially one wlm is not rich 

 enough to rent a salmon river, will flud it quite a fisherman's 

 paradise. 



A chapter on flies and fishing tackle precedes a detailed 

 description of the county and the island of Handa. There 

 are some fishcultural notes in the book, to which we will re- 

 fer at another time. 



CAN A FISHERMAN BE A CHRISTIAN ? 



THE above query runs tlirough my mind as I sit and lis- 

 ten to the wonderful fish stories interchanged between 

 two friends of mine — ardent lovers of spoits piscatorial and 

 who have just returned from the Michigan fishing grounds. 

 The te dcncy with a fi-herman is to exaggerate — the corn- 

 par live minnow b> comes a huge fish; the average bass 

 swells into something less than a whale. Even those most 

 scrupulous in the ordinary walks of life, when they capture a 

 fish weighing »ix pounds and seven ounces, are apt to let their 

 conscience stretch enough to cover the odd nine ounces and 

 call i he fish a si ven-poundi r. Let a fisherman meet with an 

 ordinary run of "hick" and he forth«ih relates marvelous 

 tales i f catches, such as even that snake, which aome one 

 tells of in last week's Fokest and Steeam, as having been 

 caught with five young rabbits in its interior atrangements, 

 would not be able to swallow. 



Now, what is the reason of this almost universal preva- 

 lence of magnific .tion— to call it by a polite name — in the 

 storicB of fishermen, when it is so seldom to be met with in 

 the other branches of recreation affected by sportsmen ? Who 

 ever heard i >f a follower of Nimrod, on his return from a 

 hunt, relating to his friends that hehadldl ed'hree squirrels, 

 each as large as the s { ze of a church, or bagged a quail meas- 

 uring eight fiet from tip to tip of ils wings? or who ever 

 heard of a canoeist standing in the midst of an admiring and 

 open-mouthed throng of neighbors swearing that he had pad- 

 d ed eighteen mies an hour up -tream and against a heavy 

 head wind in a do it of the Nautilus pat' ern ? Aud yet ibis 

 is just what we have to S'and iu the way of gutta pereha 

 toleB from our fishermen, young and old. Is there an undis- 

 covered principle in honks and lines and rods and reels and 

 flies that leads their owner's tongue into ways that are dark? 

 or does some peculiar odor invest the finny tribe, which, be- 

 ing absorbed by the fisherman, renders him for the time be- 

 ing oblivious to all considerations of truthfulness, so far as 

 the number and weight of his fish are concerned? Scientists 

 should examine into this rmuter and report for the benefit of 

 a suffering people. 



Just here one of my two friends fires across the desk at the 

 o'her: "Say, don't you remember that 14f-lb. bass which I 

 caught that day at the upper end of Buw.ard'8 Lake ?" Then 

 comes the answer : " Yes, that was a beauty ; but I heat you 

 with the 15-lb. pickerel which I hauled out of Jimpson Weed 

 River the day it rained so hard." 



Which is why I hold my head and groan and inquire — Can 

 a fisherman be a Christian ? Okange Fhazhk. 



[We answer thit there is no reason why he cinnot. Would 

 you tie the soaring spirit of the angler, who sit-< upona slump 

 all day and never gets a bite, by the rules which govern Nim- 

 rod, whose active body heated by the chase depresses his 

 imagination ? Would you bring the fisherman's poetic soul 

 down to ttfe level of steelyards and tape measures ? 



The angler fcorns such materialistic things, as be dnes the 

 mechanical measuring of his mountains and the estimating 

 of th" quantity of water which falls over his favori'e cascade 

 What plain practical people prefer to consider prevarication, 

 is to the angler merely a recognized poetical license ; and his 

 enthusiasm is too great to cold'y ca'culate by tables of 

 weights and measures, like groveling scientists and gropers 

 after facts. He be ieves his stories thoroughly, and they do 

 not harm his fellow man, who, not thoroughly imbued with 

 bis spirit, smiles at his enthusiasm. Augliug is the only 

 sport which does not pall upon a man as he grows older. It 

 is one of which he never tires. The aged angler is more en- 

 thusiastic than the younger man, and its quiet soothing influ- 

 ences, interrupted by the sudden excitement of hooking a 

 large fish, make him keenly alive to impressions which may, 

 like a poetic vision, be magnified in its relating. The poet's 

 eye, in a fine frenzy rolling, magnifies hills to mountains 

 and a waterfall to a cataract, yet none complain of him. 



This is the only answer we can make to our correspondent. 

 We hear enlarged stoties ; ami always allow for the person- 

 ality of the etcher of great fishes. He is so entirety harm- 

 less and derives so much consolation from the narration of 

 his exploits th.it it were a sin to compel him to carry weights 

 and measures and then a^k him to step up to a notary and 

 certify to his statements.] 



THE SALMON RIVER COUNTRY. 



Boibk Babraoks, Idaho Territory, Sept. 7. 



I AM the only one at tie Post wh omakis any preten- 

 sion of fishing with flies, and the people in town usu- 

 ally take the cheaper and less amusing method of hooking 

 with grasshoppers. In the fishing line I had magnificent 

 sport iu July and August. In July I was up north in what 

 is called "Little Salmon Meadows." Th J Little Sdraon 

 abounds with fine mountain trout, averaging about 2£ pounds. 

 It was no uncommon thing for me t" have two and some- 

 times three on my line at a time. You can imagine my 

 light s'x jointed rod under such a strain. Fifty of those fel- 

 lows w,is a fair day's fishing. 



In August I went south from here and in a stream called 

 Big Sprmg Creek I caught 150 in a day, but smaller than 

 those in the north. About fifteen of the men went fishing 

 with gra- shoppers and in the afternoon returned with 1,100, 

 more, than enough for the command for two or three days. 



The shooting was also good. Ducks, geese, plover, an- 

 telope, deer, etc., in abundance If some of yourEistern 

 people could take a trip into the Salmon River country and 

 Payette Lakes during July, August and September they 

 would have flue hunting and fishing. W- R. P. 



ADMrRAJL Coffin's Lobsteb Bbt. — Apronos of the dimin- 

 ishing size of lobsters, which is now engaging the atten ion 

 of our New England fisculturists, is the story which General 

 Jamta Grant Wilson wri es to the Cape Ann Advertiner : 

 'Sir Isaac Coffin, a British Admiral, and a member of the 



family which held a famous reunion at Nantucket, Aueust 

 16, was born at Boston and, when a child, lived for some 

 years on Cape Cod Sir Isaac came to this country so< n 

 after the war of 1812 and, during the v -yage, he state 1 to 

 the officers of his flagship that when they reached Cape Cod 

 he "would show them lobsters that weighed ninety pounds ! 

 The mles of a quarterdeck do not permit you to flatly con- 

 tradict an Admiral, but still some doubt and distrust was 

 visible on the countenances of the Captain and Lieutenants 

 who stood around. " Well," said Sir Isaac, "if you doubt 

 if, I will make you a wBger tint when we reach Cape Cod. I 

 will produce a lobster that weighs ninety pounds." The 

 wager was made under the gracious permission of Ihe Ad- 

 miral, and when they arrived there Sir Isaac ico rjd he 

 Cape, but he could not find any lobster that weighed ninety 

 pounds. Sohesaid: " Well, they don't happen to be here 

 just now, hut I wid obtain the affidavits of the old fisher- 

 men to Drove that there are such lobsters." And he produced 

 a pile of affidavits showing that, when they were fishermen 

 in early times, lobsters that weighed ninety pounds were as 

 common as huckleberries on the Cape. Then it was left to 

 an umpire to decirle which had lost and which had won, and 

 by him so concise a judgment was given that, if now living, 

 it would entitle him to the vacant Judgeship in the Massa- 

 chusetts Supreme Court if all his decisions were equally good. 

 His decision was "affidavits are not lobsters." 



Hatiitb of Lakk Trout — Rochester, Sept. 16. — I am occa- 

 sionally in receipt of letters from parties residing in the vi- 

 eini 1 ;? of lakes having been slocked with salmon trout, com- 

 plaining that none or very few have ever been taken, and in- 

 quiring the rea'on why. 



Salmon trout require the purest water of any fish that I 

 have ever had any experience with, and they will not do well 

 in waters having a much less depth than one hundred feet, 

 for Ihe reas m that they require a very uniform temperature 

 of water, and as the surface warms up during the hot sum- 

 mer months, they must have access to thr cool depths beyond 

 the penetrating heat of the sun. If not, suffocation sets in 

 and they are killed. 



Another reason why they are not heard from more arises 

 from the fact that they are in portions of the lake almost 

 uninhabited by other fish, and there is not one chance in a 

 hundred of one being taken while fishing for other varieties. 

 Even in waters where they ore quite numerous they are diffi- 

 cult to cstch, and it requires considerable experience and 

 skill to induce them to taKe the bait and bring them to the 

 landing net successfully. Skth Gtckbjj. 



Fish is Market.— Smelts, from Bathurst, Me., have ap- 

 peared in limited quantities in Fulton Market this week, an 

 extremely early date for them. Mr. Blackford also received 

 a lot of grilse, of 2A to 6 pounds, and some salmon, from 

 the same place. They were not a go n d lot, however, and 

 some of them were said to be landlocked salmon. The mo >n- 

 flsh, Par/pMppus fal/er, from Chesapeake Bay, are plenty 

 and of large size and fine. Scallops are also coming in. 



Tiik only Gourami is Dead.— A few weeks ago we no- 

 ticed the arrival ip New York of a live male gourami, con- 

 signed to Mr. K. O. Blaekfotd by Mr, Cai bonnier of Paris. 

 Tb:s was the first one of these fishes which ever reached our 

 shores alive, its mate, which was shipped with it, havingdied 

 just outside Sandy Hook. Mr. Blackf >rd l ook excellent c ire 

 of the stranuer, but it was exceedingly poor and would not 

 eat. He offered it cabbige, lettuce end other succulent veg- 

 etation, which it ia said to eat in its native waters in India, 

 but it declined them all and died. 



Wk abb Toasted.— Here is a neat Vast from " Old Hick- 

 ory -." The old reliable, "Forest and Stream" — May its 

 shade never grow less nor its Btream run dry. 



" No hospital needed for patients that use Hop Bitters, as they cure 

 BO speedily at home. 



For a good Razor go to C. L. Rltzrnann, 944 Broadway, New York.— 

 Adv. 



Jgislfcultun. 



[Continued from page 353, Vol. XVI.] 

 EPOCHS IN THE HISTORY OF PISH CULTURE.* 



BY PROF. G. BKOWN OOODK. 



LIX. 1871— Estatdishrnentofthe United Stales Fish Commission. 

 —On the 9th of February, 1871. Congress passed a joint resolu- 

 tion which authorized the appointment of a Commission of Fish 

 and Fisheries. The duties of tbo Commissioner were thua defined: 

 "To prosecute investigations on the subject (of the diminution of 

 valuable fishes) with (he view of ascertaining whether any and 

 what diminution iu the number of the food-fishes of the coast and 

 the Jakes of the United States has taken place ; and, if bo, to 

 what causes the same is due ; and also whether any and what pro- 

 tective, prohibitory or precautionary measures should be adopted 

 in the premises, and to report upon the same to Congress " 



The resolution establishing the office of Commissioner of Fish- 

 jes required that the person to be appointed should be a civil 

 officer of the Government, of proved scientific and practical ac- 

 quaintance with the fishes of the coast, to serve without addi- 

 tional salary. The choico was thus practically limited to a single 

 man for whom, iu fact, the office had been created. Prof. Spencer 

 F. Baird, at that time Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution, was appointed and entered at once upon his duties. Up 

 it. 18,80, *470,200 had been appropriated tor the use of the Com- 

 mission. [Seen. BbowS (iooiie. The First Decade of the U. 8. 



■ ; I I. mission; its plan of work aud accomplished results, eci- 

 entitii' and technical. Proceeding* of the American Association 



,,-,- ;>,,■ I,;, ,i, m of Science, XXTX, 1SS0, pp. 56 -574. Forest 



'and Stukam XV, pp. 85-7. Chicago Field, XIV, p. 58. Nature 

 (London), XXII, pp. 597-9. Circular Deulsctier Fisclusrei Verein, 

 1880, pp. 190-7. Report Smithsonian Institution, 1880, pp. 140-9.] 



LX. mil— Introduction of Shad into the Great Lukes.— The in- 

 troduction of shad into the" Great Lakes was accomplished in 1871 

 by the New York Fish Commission, a quantity being placed in 

 the Genesee River, a tributary to Lake Ontario. [Report U. S. F. 



IiXl! 1871— Introduction of Shad into the Mississippi.— -In 1871 

 shad were introduced into tributaries of the Ohio and Mississippi 

 rivers bv the U. S. Fish Commission, by the hands of Mr. Seth 

 Greer, and Mr. William Glift. (Report U. 8. P. 0., II., p. xvu,] 



T.XII 187 1 -Establish me,,! of the S ibnon Breeding Establishment 

 at Urland, Me.— This was erected at the joiut expense of the Fish 

 Commissions of Maine, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Report 

 U. 8. F. O., IX, p. lsvi.] 



•A paper lead hefore the American Fishcultural Association, and 

 here reprinted from advanced sheets ol the U. S. Fish Commission, 

 FaxtVUL 



LXV. 181 1— Jnrenio:. 

 hich was an im proven 

 Atkins, was perfected 



LXHT. 1872 — Importation of Rhine Salmon. — A gift from thS ( 

 German Government, of 250,000 epgs, aud 500,000 obtained hy par- 1 

 chase, brought to {his country under toe charge of Dr. Heesel, iutiv. 

 ing late in the fall. The4,000 or 5.0U0 which ivere sound were planted 1 

 in a tributary of the Delaware. [Report 17. S. F. C, part if.. J 

 xxii.] 



LX1V. 1872 — Beginning of Hie Propagation of California* 

 Salmon. — This work, begun at the suggestion of Mr, R. E. Rooafts • 

 velt, was accomplished in October, 1872, for the U. S. Fi.-h Cora- 1 

 mission bv Mr Livingston Stone. [Iteport U. 8. P. <:.. IL, siirij ' 

 of the Green Trough. —This device: 1 

 it upon the former used byCosteaflW 

 1*72. in the progress of experiments on I 



hitefish. [Milnkr : Report U. 8 P. ri.. IL, p. 546 556.] 



LXVL 1872— The Invention of the Holton Fish-Spawn Hatcheri-l 

 —The Holton Fish-Spawn Hatcher, devised iu 1872 by Marcellng! 

 G. Holton, patented March 18, 1873, is of much importance in the I 

 hatching of whitelish eggs. [MiLNUt : Roport U. S. F. C, II,, p. 

 516. plate liv.] 



LXV1L 1872- 7'fte Work of Propagating Fish Undertaken try J 

 die V. S. Fish Commission— At the suggest iou aud thnm-h th« I 

 Influence of the American Fish Culturist's Association. | Iteport U. I 

 8. F. O.. II., xvi.] 



LXVIII. 1878— Invention of /V. IF. Clark's Fish-HatchingA 

 Trough. — This important piece of apparatus was devised in 18,'S I 

 and patented March 3, 1874, [Milneu : Report U. 8 F. C, II. p;J 

 546, pi. xv ] 



LXIX. 1872— Invention of the Clark Transporting Case.— l 

 This device was successfully used in transporting whilefi-h eggs to 

 California. [Milnek : Report U. S F. C. IL, pp. 547-9.] 



LXX. wn- Invention of the Williamson or California Hatch- 1 

 ing Trough. — This apparatus, similar to the Clark trough except 

 that the water flows from below instead of from the top, was inr^l 

 vented about 1872. [Milveb . Report U S. F. O, II . p. 517.] 1 



LXXL im— Introduction of Whilefith into Calif on, ia.-JM 

 February, 1872, the U. S. Fish Commission shipped 210,000 white- I 

 flsh eggs from t lsrkstou, Mich., to San Francisco. [lienort U. 8. 

 F. 0., IL, p. 550 ] 



LXXII. 1812- Establishment at the Salmon Breeding Establish- 

 ment at Buckspnrt. Me.— Iu 1872 the exteu-ive salmon breedinja 

 establishment at Bucksport, .Me., was erected nuder the directioal 

 of Mr. (I. G. Atkins, and at the joint expense of the Fish 

 ''ommission of Maine. Massachusetts and Connecticut, and of tin 

 United States Commission which contributed funds to 'he amoniit 

 of half the expense. This establishment in 187 , passed euiireljl 

 under the control of the United States Comujission. [Report. U. 8.S 

 F. C., IL, p. xviii.] 



LXXII. 1873 - h irst Propagation of the Striped tej.-InJIUfl 



1873, Mr. M. G. Holton succeeded in propagating this species arti- 

 ficially at Welden N. C. [Report U. 8. P C. Part II., pp. 553-554W 



LXXIII. l!>73— TAe California Aquarium Car.— In 1873 NrVfil 

 Livingston Stone, under the auspices of the U. 8. Fish CouiiuiM| 

 sionand that of California, fitted up an Bquarium car in whiol 

 it was proposed to carry many species of fish to California. Th 

 car was capsized, June 8, in the Elkhorn River, Nebraska I 

 1874 the experiment was repeated in behalf of the Califom 

 Commission. [Report U. 8. F. t ., II , xxxvii. 



LXX1V. 1873— Establishment of the Ohio Fish Comr 

 The Ohio Fish Commission was established in June, 1873, by t 

 appointment as commissioners of John H. Klipi art, John Husm 

 »nd Dr. E. Sterling. By act of April 20, 1H7G, Ihe conni 

 its present form was organized. Up to l>-80 §29.000 had b-e 

 voted for fishcullure. [Reports of Ohio BtntePish Commissi 

 (I.) 1874 ; I. (1875 6) 1877 ; II. (1877) 1878 ; IU. (Ia78) 1879 ; IT! 

 (1879)1880 ; V. (1880)1881] 



LXXV. 1873— Establishment of the Wisconsin Fish Comm 

 sion.— In 1873 an appropriation was made by the Legislature tn 1 

 expended under the direction of the U S Commissioner of Fish 

 eries. In 1874 William Welsh, A. Palmer and P R. Hoy » 

 elected commissioners. Up to 1880 538.800 had 1 ecu voted fc* 

 fishculture. [Repo-ts : I., 1874; U., 1875; III., 1876; IV., 1877 

 V., 1879 ; VI.. 1880.] 



LXXVI. 1873-4— Cdxtujve of the La.vo-Lo^ked Salmon. 



Establishment of the Hatching Station of Grand Lake Slrea 

 Experiments were' begun at Sebec Lake, in 1873, under the auspic< 

 of the Massachusetts, Connecticut and United States Fish « 'on 

 missions, and a station erected under the direction of Mr. H. ] 

 Leonard. In 187-1 this was transferred nnder the same auspices U 

 Grand Lake Stream, aud placed in charge of Mr, C. G. Alkini 

 | Report 11. S F. C, IV., p. *25.] 



LXXVIl. Wli— Attempts to Transport Living Shad ( 

 Atlantic.— The first trip was made nith young lish by Messrs Fie 

 Mather and A. Anderson, in August, 1874, who lost the flsh te 

 days after going to sea: the second by Messrs. IL W. Welchor ailf 

 Monroe A. Green, who attempted to carry the eggs, which 

 wore destroyed before they reached the steamer. [Report U. S. F. 

 O., III., pp." 328, 330,338-9.] 



LXXVIII. 1874— Success fnl Prrpaqo'l,,,, of the Oipiasm Trovt.^ 

 In October, 1874, the Maine Fish Commission obtained 30,000 eggl 

 5,000 of which were sent to Now York. [Maine reports. Boosb 

 velt and Gkees. Fish Hatching and Fieti Catching, p. 136.] 



LXX1X. 1874— First Attempts to Propagate Grayling.— to 

 April, 1874, Mr. Fred Mather visited the Au Sable River, Mich, 

 to experiment ou the propagation of the grayling. From the la 

 to the 3d no ripe flsh were found. He took 180 adult flsh allTj 

 to his ponds at Houeove Falls, N. Y. (Foiost an'ii Stream, vol. | 

 IL, p. 164.] On the 80th of April, 1871, Mr. Seth Green visited tho 

 river for the same purpose. Finding that the fish had finisherU 

 spawning, he dug some fertilizer] eggs from the bottom of IhM 

 river, whiah he subsequently hatched. [Roosevelt a.no Greek. 

 Fish Hatching and Fish Catching, pp. 133-135 ] 



LXXX. Wi— Propagation Of tile Sea Boss.-ln September, 



1874, the eggs of the Sea bass. I'enlroprisles alrariu-i, were suc- 

 cessfully fertilized at the U. S. Fish Commission Station at Noauk, 

 Conn.. * Thev did not hatch, however. 



LXXXI. 1874— Establishment of the loica Fish Commission,' 

 The Iowa Fish Commission wus establish, d bv net of the I egislature 

 March 19, 1871. S B. Emails. Ti. F. Shaw imd C. A. Harris «er 

 appointed commissioners. Up to 1880 $22,750 hud been appropri- 

 ated for fishculture. [Reports (biennial), I., (187-1-5') 1876 ; It 

 ( 1875-6 and 1876-7) 1877 ; III. (1^77-8 and lS<8-'.li 1880.] 



LXXX1I. 1OT5 — First Art>firin! Impri-votlvi, Of Grcy'in 

 Eggs.— In April, 1875, Mr. Pred Mather niario a second attempt tp 

 take grayling spawn on the Au Sable River. Mich. He found then 

 ripe from the 6th to the 10th and 10,000 were impregnated an 

 afterward hatched, by P. N. Clark at Northville, Mich., and hire 

 self at Honeoye Falls, JJ. Y. [Forest AMU Stream, Vol. IV., { 

 214.] 



LXXXIIL 1875— Intention of the Mather Hatching Cone.— It, 

 principle of suspending eggs in water by a stream, admitted at th 

 bottom of a cone, and therebv hatching them m bulk instead of in 

 layers, was discovered in 1875 bv Mr. Fred Mnlher and his assis 

 ant, Charles Bell. [Forest ant. Stheam, Vol. VI., p. 19; Report U 

 S. F. C, HI., p. 372-370. IV., p 1,(112. | 



LXXXIV. U15.~ Hatching of Nurgeon.-ln 1874 efforts w 

 made hy Seth Green in behalf of the New York Cummi-Mon 

 hatch sturgeon. In 1875 I heir efforts « ere niccessf ul [Rooi 

 VELT AM> Ghien. Fish Hatching and Fish Catching, p. 164 ] 

 ^LXXXV. 1875 -IuceiUiou of Chases Self- Picking Apparalus.- 

 This iugi-nions device tor the. removal of dead epgs from hstchmj 

 jars was invented M Oreu M. I base, of Detroit, Mich. [Repot 

 U. S. F. C, rV., p. 1,012; VI., p. 616.] 



LXXXVI. lHl-,—£.-iuL!i.>hnmnt of Ho- Minnesota Fish Comm 

 sion.— This Commission was created in IS'. 5, David Dav, M. D, 

 Horace Austin and A. W. Latham, being appointed commissioned 

 Up to 1880 $22,500 had been appropriated for fihlnullnre. [Re 

 ports: I., 1875; U., 1876; III., 1877; IV., 1878; V., 1879 ; VI 

 aud VII , 1880.] .■ ., . 1 



LXXXY1I. 1S75— Establishment Of Ihe Virginia I i>h Cmnmi9-\ 

 sion.— The Virginia Commission was organized in 1875, Hon. Alex,. 

 Moselv, Dr. W.B. Robertson and Dr. M. O. Ellztj beiiig no) ou.leo. 

 Commissioners. [Reports: I., 1875; II. , 1876 ; 1H., 1877 ; IV., 

 1878 ; V., 187y ; VI., 1880 J 1 



LXXXVHL 181G-11-7X— Restoration of Salmon to the Conneuli 

 out River.— In 1876 a single salmon was taken ia the Comiectkut: 



