November 24, 1881.] 



FOREST AND STREAM, 



333 



- Tits Fowl at Cubrituok.— Thfre was a heavy frost at 

 Currituck on the night of Nov. 14, and gunners all did well 

 the folowing day. Pri Bpecs for getting the birds to market 

 in good order are better than ihey have been hitherto. Oa'y 

 a few club members had started down up to that lime, but 

 the la?t of last week a numoer of geptlemen left for the 

 grounds. We hope to hear repor' s before long of fair hags, 



TrtAT MimnoAS Dicer Hunt— East Saginaw, Mich., 

 Nov. 12, 188i.— We did not me f with great luck owing to 

 continued bad weather, too many likes for l he deer to run 

 to, accidents to dogs, etc.. but as" we didn't go to hunt for 

 meat, but to have a good social time, we had it, and all re- 

 turned, voting it a very pleasant fortnight in the pines.— 

 II. B. R. 



Lnu Quail— Brooklyn, Nov. VI. —Editor Forest and 

 Stream: .Sir. David Beck, Carey's Ferry, Indian Territory, 

 writes that he lias live quail for sale. Should any ot your 

 correspondents desire to ..btain any, I cheerfully recommend 

 Mr. Btck to tbern, as 1 know him to be a most trustworthy 

 gentleman. C. Frkdrioks. 



!*a and §iver ^izhwQ. 



FISH IN SEASON IN NOVEMBEK. 



FRKSH WATBR. 



Black Bass, MierapUrus salmoide* 



and M, palliduu. 

 Mascalonge, Emx iwbilior. 

 Pickerel. /•;«« reheutatvu. 

 me or Pickerel, Emx teems. 



Yellow Percli, Percq fluviatilix. 

 striped Bass, Roccuk lineatm. 

 White Bass, Roccus c.'irysops. 

 Hock Bass, Ambleplites. (Two 

 species). 



Pike-perch (wail-eyed pU;e) i W nr-mouth., Chctnobryttus gulomu>. 

 fihZfirthinrf. am*ricanum, a. \ Grapple, Pciiimfs nigrm,,-. 

 yri&sum, etc. i Bachelor, Povw'xya annularis. 



I Chub, Semotilis corporaiiH. 



SALT WATER. 



Sea Bass, CenlroprirtU airariu*. ] Pollock, Poliachius carbonariiut. 

 Stuped Bass or EockUsli, Roccus Tautog or Blackflsli, Tautoga 



lineatuu. j onit%8. 



While PercU. Sfcrane americana. i Weaknsh 

 Bluensh or Taylor, Poniatomus rcjatu. 



saltalrix. I channel Bass, spot or Kedflsh, 



Scup or Porgle, Stenotomua argy- I Sciamops ocelttttus. 



r Squetague, Cynoscyon 



rops. 





Who hunts doth ott In danger ride; 

 Who hawks lives oft both far and wide; 

 Who uses game shall otteu prove 

 A loser; and who lulls In love 

 Is tetter d In tond Cupid's snare ; 

 My angle breeds roe no such care. 



William Basse. 



THE ENGLISH FLY CASTING TOURNAMENT. 



London, Nov. 1. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



On Saturday, the 29ih uf October, I took a run down to 

 the Welsh Harp to see the casting tournament. The day 

 was a most miserably wet one, tmd ibe wiud blew a gale; 

 consequently, every one except He enthusiastic anglers was 

 miserable and the attendance was not ODe tenth what it would 

 have been, had i he day In en tine. No ladies were preseut 

 and (he prevalence of umbrellas and watet proofs among the 

 lookers on showed that only those who were bound to enjoy 

 themselves despite the b.-astly weather held their ground, 

 and would not be driven off in any event. This was a source 

 of regret, as this was the first attempt to hold a tournament 

 of this kind in England, and was, no doubt, stimulated by the 

 great success of the one held last spring on Coney Island by 

 tue New York State Sportsmen's Association, under the 

 supervision ol Mr. Mather. 



The sapient wits who are fond, in a jaunty manner, of de- 

 scribing ihe science ot angling as a process io which there is 

 '• a fool at one end and a worm al the otbei" would have been 

 astonished and perhaps uiaghtened had they been present at 

 tnc Welsh Harp in ihe gale of wind and pitiless downpour, 

 watching the competitions in ihe anglers' tournament. They 

 would have then learned that there can be angling without 

 either a worm or a fool. They would also have found out 

 that there are other modes of angling beside sitting on a 

 grassy bank during a summer day, patiently waiting as the 

 hours go by for the disappearance of the gaily-painted float 

 as it travels down its allotted "swim." They might, have 

 learned that the exercises, of which specimens were given, 

 demand skill only to be acquired by long practice, and often 

 not acquired by that. It said much for the devotion of the 

 fifty odd anglers who braved the weather that they ventured 

 afield on such a day, and were not to be daunted by the most 

 adverse circumstauces. 



The tournament was originated by Mr. Marston, of the 

 Fishing Gazette, for the benelil of the Anglers' Benevolent 

 Society , and while the latter cannot be said to have derived 

 much pecuniary benefit from the tournament; there is no 

 doubt but it will be of benefit to it indirectly, in the way of 

 attracting attention to the existence of ihe society, and also 

 in popularizing such contests in the future. It was a grand 

 dBy for the employment of wading gear on land, and for in- 

 voking that spirit of heroic resignation which the angler, 

 more than spy other class of sportsman, has so often to put 

 inside his waterproof garments. Indeed, the spectacle of the 

 crowd, ankle deep in mud, outside the streaming lent, rods 

 and coat-tails blown in one direction by the blast, all blue- 

 nosed and puckered in the cold, yet buoyed up by the inter- 

 est they felt in the proceedings, was impressive and not a 

 little touching. Altogether it was a novel exemplification of 

 how much angling is verily the contemplative man's recrea- 

 tion. 



Your correspondent was an entire stranger, and simply 

 ^looked on and got soaked. As a test of skill the tournament 

 was not a fair one, owing to Ibe gale, in which no line cast- 

 ing could be done, and as many had come from a distance 

 at an expenditure of time, and mouey.it would have been 

 unfair to have postponed it. About two o'clock the party 

 took the held aud showed that they were full of enthusiasm 

 which no amount of rain or storm could dampen. Tie ob- 

 ject of the tournament -namely, the raisiug of funds for the 

 Anglers' Benevolent Society— could not fail to commend it- 

 Self; and it was to support it that gentlemen like Mr. 

 Spreckley, the chairman of ihe Thames Angling Preservation 

 Society; Mr. Brougham, its secretary; Mr, Alfred Jardine, 

 Mr. Whitel'uor, Editor ol 'the Sportsman; Mr. R. B. .Marston, 

 Mr. A. Allison, Mr- Ranscome, Mr. S. Morgan, Mr. Wheel- 

 don, of BeWs' Life i; Mr. Green, Mr Clench, of Mortlake; 



Mr. "Otter" Alfred, Mr. Arlington, and others undertook 

 the expedition. The cause is undoubtedly a worthy one. 

 From the very nai ure nf the Fport the brotherhood nf the 

 angle include a consuli rable proporti »n of poor men. Of the 

 ind certified members oi the angling clubs of the 

 metropolis probably more than a hall fi »hal is, for the 

 sake of convenience, kn w» as ihe wage-earning class They 

 ore in " populous city pent" during I lie long Injurs of the 

 working week, and spend the little leisure Ihey have in a 

 pastime than Which none is more itfnoceht, none more re- 

 freshing to the overworked, none more associated with the 

 humanizing influences of all that is sweet and soothing in 

 nature. The Anglers' Benevolent Si cu-ty is int. i 

 the needy in their distress, and the thanks of the club3 are 

 due to Mr U. B. Marston, the proprietor and editor of the 

 Cfaeette, for Ihe lime aud trouble he has unselfishly 

 devoted to its success. The tournament of Saturday, by 

 which it was hoped to raise a good sum of money for Ihe 

 society, was originated by him, and it is a pity that the 

 weather prevented the sale of thousands, instead of hundreds, 

 of the sixpenny tickets by which admission to the ground 

 was obtained. 



A small lent was provided for the judges and a large tar- 

 paulin was stretched ; yards in front of it for the 

 competitors to stand on, and a line was strcicUed from this 

 about, eighty yards to a flag. The line had parchment tags at 

 every two and a half yards, for they reckon casting io y«Tds 

 here, instead of feel. The line was guarded from intrusion 

 by hurdles which widened from the tarpaulin to allow lati- 

 tude iu eastinsr, which was on the ground instead of on water. 

 A pistol was fired as a signal to begin, arid the first contest 

 was an "amateur one for casting iu the Thames style." 

 There were lour entries, aud Mr. Pcwell won at 4oi yards. 

 Mr. T. Uoole wa3 second at 40A yards, and Mr. Da Costa 

 third at 40 yards. Next followed an amateur compel ilion in 

 the "Nottingham style, ' with an artificial bait weighing one 

 ounce, aud with a quarter-ounce lead on the trace, cast from 

 the reel similar to our 'Cuttvhuuk style." Twoentries were 

 made, Messrs. Martin and Little, and the latter won at 53J 

 yards. This was called the best throw of the day and no 

 doubt would have been better under more favorable circum- 

 stances. Even the professionals conceded Mr. Little's excel- 

 lence. 



Tbe "Nottingham style" is an handsome one, and far ex- 

 ceeds in beauty the " Thames style," with the line coiled at 

 the feet or held in the hand. Messrs Ned Andrews, Harry 

 Wilder aid his son, cast in the latter style, Mr. Wilder win- 

 ning at 50 yards, Andrews second at 45, and H. Wilder, Jr., 

 third, at 42J yards; they held Ihe line coiled in the hand. 

 Another Nottingham contest was won by W. Bailey, Jr., at 

 45 yards. 



A feature of interest, and one entirely new to me, was the 

 next contest, which was tbe easting with tbe forked slick, a 

 style entirely unknown in America, by Messrs; Leland and 

 Sawyer. They used a manufactured fork with a jointed 

 handle about five feet long, instead of a natural crotched 

 stick cut by the. stream, as is usually done. They coiled the 

 line at their feet and hung the "trace" over it, and swung 

 the sinker out by a strong throw. I failed to see the advan- 

 tage of this style of hsning over the Nottingham, or its 

 American equivalent, the Cultybunk. This forked stick 

 style is, I believe, peculiar to ihe anglers of the Welsh Harp, 

 who fish in this manner for pike. The live baits, which are 

 generally heavier than thos': allowed for Saturday's trials, 

 are often hurled an immense distance by this contrivacce. 

 The line is coiled out on the ground aud the rod laid aside. 

 The angler, with a short stick ant a brass f 'irk at the end, 

 takes up the line just above the float, and so slings it out. 

 The forked stickers on Saturday were, however, aF a disad- 

 vantage. Mr. Leland making but 4GA yards, and Sawyer (the 

 keeper) 4-1 yards. 



Some tly casting matches which were on the programme 

 were abandoned on account of the weather, but Mr. Marston 

 came forward and cast with Mr. Murphy more to fill up this 

 department lhan in the hope ot doing any long or artistic 

 work in the face of the storm. Mr. Murphy won at 24 yards, 

 beating his competitor by one yard The match excited 

 much interest, and one couid see that both gentlemen were 

 experts who would do themselves credit on a better day. 

 Some promiscuous casting then followed by several gentle- 

 men, all of whom seemed to be good ones, aud after an ex- 

 hibit of a professional style of throwing a bait with the line 

 coiled iu the hand, by Sir. II. Wilder, the party adjourned 

 to dinner. 



In the opinion of your correspondent, it was a great mis- 

 take to have the casting take place over grass instead of on 

 water. No man can recover a line from land as he can where 

 he has the resistance of water it) pull against, and tbe recov- 

 ering of the fly casters was very bad in consequence. Tee 

 contest was not as well planned as the last American one, 

 nor were the arrangements so complete ; but, no doubt, 

 great improvements will be made in future, and for a first 

 contest it was well done. 



At the dinner several happy speeches were made, but that 

 of Mr. Marston was the only one which had a practical 

 bearing. He suggested that an organization should be formed 

 for the cultivation of the coarse fish of the British rivers, 

 which would practically resolve itself into the establishment 

 of stud farms for carp, chub, perch, tench, barbel, bream, 

 roach, rudd, dace, gudgeon, aud perhaps pike. Depopulated 

 rivers could ihus be restocked, if thought desirable, and a 

 wholesome and little appreciated source of food supply in- 

 craased. They manage such things better on tbe Continent, 

 aud Mr. Marston promised to get all the information it was 

 possible to obtain from Germany. The idea was taken at 

 once by the assembled anglers, before whom a definite 

 scheme is to be laid at no distant date. Mr. Marston offered 

 to give live guineas as his own subscription toward starling 

 Such an association, which was not to be a money making 

 affair, but to have for its object the good of the public, especi- 

 ally the angling portion of it. He alluded to the fact that 

 the continent of North America is now being stocked with 

 carp from Germany, while in England little had been done 

 in fish culture except to hatch a few salmon and trout. His 

 remarks were well received, and after a jolly interchange of 

 thought and a renewal of old acquaintance, the meeting 

 broke up. Sat.vei.intts. 



Large Striped Bass. — The run of striped ba c s about the 

 eastern end of Long Wand has been good this fall. This 

 week the Blackford Fish Co., of Montauk Point, took 4,200 

 pounds Of this fish, three-fourths of which were specimens 

 weighing from fifty to seventy-five pounds each. On openic g 

 one of these large fish a mackerel was found inside it which 

 had been split down the back with a knife for salting, aud 

 might have been salted for all that is known to the contrary. 



Design for Rod Grips.— Mr. T. W. Chubb, of Post 

 Mills, Vt., a maker of rods, has patented a device for the 

 grip, dated Oct. 31st, 1881. The grip is cover d with 

 colored linen thread, braided on, instead of being wound, 

 after the manner of some whips. It is then heavily Vctf- 

 nished. 



— A monster octopus, or devil fi-h, has been captured 

 near one of the wharves at Bt. John's, Newfoundland, where 

 it ran ashore. It is ihiny-three feet in length from its tail to 

 the termination of the long tentacles. 



Jgislfcultnre. 



CARP RESIST QUICK-LIME IN THE TON"! 



Saudis, Miss., Nov. 14. 

 Editor Forest, and Stream ; 



A few weeks ago my father-in-law, while visiting Jackson, in. 

 this State, among other places, " took iu " the Insane Asvlnm and; 

 was perfectly carried away with a fish tale related to him by Or. 

 Mitchell, the highest official of the asylni 

 "whaley" but as niv father-in-law in cpiite 

 a strict member of the Methodist Charon, 

 man of unimpeachable veracity. I guess it i 



There is a email pond on the Asylum eto 

 stock water pond than for fish : nevi 

 and last December, or about that tii 



It sounds 



little! 

 gentleman andl 

 r. Mitchell ia a 

 Here it Is: 



made more for s, 

 •thelens n=h were put therein 

 also put 



Since that nothing more was thought of t 

 nier's severe and continued drought almost dried tbe pond— in 

 fact it got so low and the water became so heated by the ran that 

 it was thought that the fish must have died— at least so many of 

 them that two or three barrels of lime were thrown into it ; I kill 

 the obnoxious odor from the dead fish. The water was not mors 

 than twelve OT fifteen inches deep. Now, it seems that Dr. Kt 

 owns and; - : aggy, sad the tires on the wheels of that 



buggy became loose and the Doctor had them rolled in the pond 

 that the water might expand the rim of the wheels and ti 

 the tires. Tnev remained there several days, indeed, sediment 

 of flu- lime had Battled so thickly on them that they had a 

 whitened appearance. When the wheels were being drawn our, 

 flat wars, something fluttered by the man drawing them. He was 

 astonished, for he thought tbe lime had certainly killed all the 

 fish that the heat of the sun had not. But to -atisfv his curiosity 

 he waded around in the pond and with his hand.- caught two 

 carp, alive, iu good condition aud about fifteen inches long. 



Remember, these hVh had not been in there a year, aud harl 

 withstood both the heat of the sun aud the strong lime water- 

 Ever since my father-in-law heard that wonderful story of the 

 "carp in the lime pond " he has been raving for a fit-h pond. Ha 

 contemplates supplying his family aud neighbors with fresh carp 

 from almost a "puddle hole." If carp oan stand sui h treatment 

 as that and do well yi hat would thev do in a nice pond fed by 



W. H. O. 



[The fish would not do well in spring water. No water warded 

 only by the sun is too hot for carp. If you want to kill them with 

 hilt water yon must boil them, and bod "them hard. The warmer 

 the water the better the earn grow. No wonder that you reirard* 

 the lime story as a "little fishy."] 



THE NEW TORE. FISH COMMISSION. 



ROCHESTEB, NOV, Ifi. 



Editor Forest and Stream : 



At the New York State Hatchery we have completed during the 

 past summer eighteen new ponds, which were mnch needed to 

 accommodate onr increasing supply of brewing fish. 



The ponds are each twenty-one feet long by twelve feet wide and. 

 five feet deep. They are built entirely of lumber, both sides and! 

 bottom, as they can be kept cleaner and the supply of water can ba 

 rued to better" advantage. We have now a total of thirty-one 

 ponds, twelve of which contain California mountain trout, seven 

 brook trout, three McCloud River trout, two salmon trout j one - 

 containing hybrids (a cross between brook front and California- 

 salmon), land-locked salmon and large McCloud River trout. They 

 agree perfectly together. 



We have finished taking the spawn from the salmon trout, and 

 are now taking spawn from the brook trout and hybrids. All tha 

 fish at the hatchery are looking well, aud we shall have a large 

 supply of young fish for next spring's distribution. — Sets GREEN . 



LAND-LOCKED SALMON IN CONNECTICUT— Salisbury, 

 Conn., Nov. 17.— A fine land-locked salmon was caugl.t in tha 

 Twin Lakes, about ten days ago, by Mr, William W. Stillman, 

 Chief Clerk in the Selectmen's Onico at the Hall of Records. The 

 fish weighed four and a quartet pounds, and tras very gatney, 

 fighting for twenty minutes and only yielding when completely 

 exhausted. This. I balieye, is the second of these fishes ever 

 caught inthis State. The lakes wart stoc ad irit 4-locked 



salfnofi by our tish commissioners four years ago, and Sir. StUI- 

 man'a capture may be one of the original 



sion referred to iLr. Stillman and Oapt. Henry Audrus were fish- 

 ing tor black bass, and they captured twenty-four of them which 

 weighed forty pounds— K. 



EISHCULTDRE IN NEW YORK.— The assistants to the New 

 l'oik State Fe-b Commission returned from Lake Huron Nov. 8 

 with one million five hundred thousand salmon trout spawn, which 

 will bo hatched and distributed this S[ ring. 



Jln&ivers to (Correspondents. 



R7-NO NOTICE TAKEN OF ANONYMOUS COMMCNICATIO NK, 

 S. M. N., New York.— nave written (or the information. 

 W. N. S., Philadelphia, Pa.— The Colt or Smith S w 

 Geo. F.. Edna. Minn.— The seed is wild rice, out appears to be poor 



quality. Not too late to sow now. 



J. B. E., Belle Vernon, Pa,— See answers to your queries In Natural 

 History columns, issue ol Oct. ST. 



H. L. C— Johnstown, Ta.— Ttianks for pedigrees. The dogs are 

 very yyell bred ; I Hike exceptionally so. 



L. B. K.— Manton's "Taxidermy Without a Teacher' will probably 

 answer your purpose. Price 5a cents; tor sale at this office. 



C. W., Southport. L. I - 



ion your ow n build. Go into one ol the New York gun stores 

 i tesi , ii 

 E. L., Brooklyn, N. Y.—l. Your cun Is Clioke-Uood. 2 VfOUl 



They 

 tan do It In much better shape than you can. 



W., Uaokettslown, N. ,r. -Where can I R6I 

 i to 1'rul. Baird i 

 i,ini Ana. Ai'i'O to Mr. E. B. Blackford, Fulton .Maiket, New Yuri 

 city. 



W. v. p., New York.— Where can I And a Spanish setter? Ana. Do 

 you not mean pointer iusreafi ol set.'erV There Is no recognized 

 breed ol setters Known as Spanish, but the old Spanish nuUiter u 

 is one ol ilic oldest strains, 



