Deobmbbe 15, 1881.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



391 



got and §iver jgishinfr 



FISH IIV SEASON IN DECEMBER, 



Blaok Bass, Kieropterita mlmoides 

 and M. pollidui. 



Masealonge, Knox tmbilior. 

 Pickerel, Knox rettcutatva. 

 Pike or Pickerel, Kmx lunus. 

 Pike-perch (wall-eyed pike) 



SUzouthium (imericotmm, & 



griuumi, etc. 



War-moutn, GhiBTiobryttuBgu&oifttg. 



Crapple. Pnvwxyi nitjrmnacirfatu*. 



U-.i' 'helnr, P,i,iim.i/.",7ii«i/,''i,-7'. . 



Chub, Semotilis ettrparalis. 



Smelt, Outturns mordax. 



rfea. Bush, (.'.!iiU.. 7 i/'i:,tif' a(rart««. 

 :-i ',,.■ i:.i. ■. -,!■ i;.-, ■ i ',■„.■.■-,. 



iineofow. 

 While Perch, Jfortrne anxrieona. 



SALT WATER. 



Pollock, PuUachiuH carbonarius. 

 Tautog or Biacfcnsh. Tautono 



onilix. 

 Weakfish or Squrtague,Cyn(7«c;/M> 



retjaiiit. 

 Channel Bass, Spot or Redflsh, 



Bciautop vcellalu*. 



The fisherman has a harmless, preoccupied look ; he 1b a kind of 

 vagrant whom nothing tears. All his approaches ace gentle and In- 

 direct. He tunes himself to the msandeilng, soliloquizing stream? 

 he addresses himself to It as a lover to ills mistress ; he woes ii and 

 stays with till he knows Its hidden secrets. Where it deepens his 

 purpose deepens ; where It Is shallow he Is Indifferent. He knows 

 how to Interpret Its every glance and dimple; Us beauty haunts him 

 for days.— John Bukkocohs. 



ANGLING QUOTATIONS. 



AS long ago as our issue of October 13 wc published an 

 editorial article beaded : "Are They of Any Use ?" la it 

 we referred to the choice extracts from brothers of the angle 

 which had then headed our columns of "Sea and River 

 Fishing" for six months previous. It was, in sort, a wail of 

 despair at the fact that during that time none of our readers 

 had ever acknowledged their existence in any way whatever, 

 and was intended to find out if they had read tbem, and if it 

 was really of use to continue thumbing volumes of forgotten 

 or unforg itten 1 re in order to pick out the plums. 



We have had several responses to that article, some of 

 which have been published, and one, on a postal card, which 

 said in the m >st laconic manner : " Quotations well selected. 

 First rate. Keep on. Head 'em first thing." That was en- 

 couraging and to the poiat. It was written by a man who 

 never writes a word for publication and who will read his 

 first printed words now with surprise. 



The most comforting and valuable one, on this subject, we 

 have just received from our longtime correspondent, Mr. S. 

 C. Clarke, the veteran angler whose frequent valuable Contri- 

 butions to our columns would, if collected, make a most in- 

 structive and readable book on fishing in Southern waters. 

 Mr. Clarke not only writes encouraging words to us, but, what, 

 is of greater value, sends some quotations for use ; some of 

 which are new to us. He writes : You complain of the 

 want of recognition of your itigenious collection of matter 

 for the fishing column of your paper. To show that I ap- 

 preciate the industry therein displayed, I send a few extracts 

 from a note-book in which I put down all that I find relating 

 to angling in the course of my reading. Perhaps you may 

 find something among them fit for your purpose. 



In Plato I find this on angling : 



Then you and I have come to an understanding, not only about the 

 name of the. augier's on, tint atiout the definition or the thing. One 

 hall ot all art was acquisition.. One half of Mor being the hind which 

 utt ikes with a hook inward, is the kind which Is denoted angling 

 — aspaueutike. (I'ht Sophist, vol 3, p. 4S0. Jowett's translation. ; 

 Who has not seen the scarus rise, 

 Lecoyed and caught, by fraudfui flies? 



Martial. 

 Around the hook the chosen fur to wind, 

 And on the burn a Bpeckled feather bind. 



/Kl.IAN. 



The above quotations show that fly-fishing was known to 

 the ancients. 



Rive me mine angle ; we'll to the river, there 

 I will betray fawny-liiined fishes. 



AST. AND CI.EOP., ACt. II. SO. 5. 



The pleasant'st angling Is to see the llsh 

 Cut, with their g, ikieu oars, 1 he silver stream, 

 And greedily devour me treacherous bait 



Much Ado About Nothing, Act, III. Sc. 1. 

 which seems to refer to fly-fishing. 



[Other quotations sent by Mr. Clarke are reserved for the. 

 head of the column.] 



FRESH WATER FISHERIES AT THE BERLIN EX- 

 HIBITION. 



WE have received Part III. of the Official Report of the 

 International Fishery Exhibition at Berlin, 18S0, by 

 Dr. A Metzger.* 



We have already reviewed Part I., Fishculture, and Part 

 II., The Sea Fisheries, and have yet to notice two parts 

 more, Fishery Products and Water Animals, and the scien- 

 tific portion of fie exhibition. In the report now under 

 consideration, as in all the other official reports, the exhibit 

 of Germany occupies lire largest part of the book, making 

 forty -eight "octavo pages in the fresh-water fisheries, while 

 the remaining thirty, nine are devoted to the exhibits of 

 Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland, 

 Great Britain, Russia and ihe United States, averaging less 

 than five pages each. 



Among the singular methods of taking river fish in nets is 

 the " Stockergarn!" used on the upper part of the river We; er. 

 It has long pouches, much like the fingers of a glove (fig. I, 

 p. 9), and the "Loak" (tig. 2, p. 12). The latter is like a 

 three-cornered dip-net with a long handle ; one side is opened 

 and provided with leads and is pursed by a line ruuning up 

 the handle; it is only used for small bottom fish, called 

 barben, or barbel in English. Traps for salmon, eels and 

 lampreys are figured. In the Italian Department, a " frog 

 rod" was shown, being a simple rod and short line (hook ?') 

 with a piece of frog skin, or parchment, on the end. 



In Sweden the salmon fisheries are the most important, 

 twenty-four streams yielding about $175,000 yearly. 



In Norway are only thirty species of fish,; namely. 8 

 salmouoids, 12 cyprinoids, 3 percoids, 2 sticklebacks, and a 

 cottoid, a piki , eel-pout, eel, and the small river lamprey. 

 Of the saluionidffl, the salmon, lake-trout and brook-trout 

 are g> iteially distributed, and from the principal part of the 



• Amtliche Berlchto | uber die. luternatlouale-Austellung | Zu 

 Berlin lssi). | (seal of the society) III. | 8uss\\ asser liselierei i von I Dr. 

 A.'Mei.7ger. | in it, in d-u v.e.xr, gedruckteD holzschmtten. | — 1 Berlin. | 

 Verlag von Paul Parey, 1 18S1. 



inland fisheries, there being no less than nine thousand salmon 

 fisheries, whose catch amounts in the aggregate to $500,000. 

 The saibling is found in the north, where Ihey are of interest 

 by their habit of migrating like the salmon, from the rivers 

 to the sea. The southern limit of this habit is the Sjonen in 

 Northern Helzeland (Nordland), south of this they are only 

 known as a fresh-water fish, never visiiing the sea. The 

 grayling is found in great numbers soul h of the Dovre, in 

 the streams of the Oesterdalen and Gudbrandsdalen, north of 

 the Dovre, it occurs in the streams of Finmarken. 



The fresh water fisheries of Denmark and Holland are not 

 very important. 



Great Britain showed some salmon traps (salmon putchers), 

 of wicker-work, of which, in 1874, 255 were licensed at 2s. 

 Cd. each. At the mouth of the Severn, and in the Bristol 

 canal, millions of small eels (elvers) are taken in spring, as 

 they are ascending from the sea, on their montee, and are 

 sold from one to two-pence per pound ; or offered boiled and 

 pressed into cakes in the neighborhood of the traps. 



Very interesting plates (figs 12, 13., pp. 80, 81), are given 

 of taking the " Weisslachs," Ooregonus leiusichtlvys, in 

 Russia, through the ice. The fish, which comes from the 

 Caspian Sea, is only found in the Volga during December 

 aDd January. A tripod is erected, and a pole with one end 

 weighted is swung on it like a well-sweep. A toggle is 

 erected near the hole and the light end of the polo, with its 

 line and hook, is bent down and caught under the toggle. A 

 fish biles, and, on the principle of a rabbit snare, he loosens 

 the toggle, and is swung up in the air by the weight at the 

 other end of the pole. 



The gill-nets, pounds, and seines of the United States are 

 described and illustrated, but no mention of the angling 

 exhibit is made. The illustrations and typographical work 

 are most excellent. 



AN ANGLER'S GUIDE. 



WE find on our table a small "Angler's Guide" published 

 in England * The book appears to be very 

 largely an advertisement of the fishing tackle house of G. 

 Little & Co., whose price list forms an appendix It is a 

 handsome little work, and the twelve pages of colored litho- 

 graphs of flies are finely executed on heavy paper. The 

 famous "Alexandria" and rninnon flies, whose work has 

 been so deadly in some waters of England as to call forth 

 protests against their use, are illustrated. This reminds us 

 that it may not be out of the place here to say that a prom- 

 inent dealer in fishing tackle, who is also a skillful angler, 

 told us that he did not consider the " Alexandria" particu- 

 larly killing, in American water. 



The illustrations of tackle are very fair, but those of the 

 fishes we cannot speak highly of ; the salmon and the gray- 

 ling are particularly and remarkably bad. A table of the 

 " fence months," or close seasons ; the weights under which 

 the different fishes must not be taken ; tbe power of river- 

 keepers ; and the different fishing stations, with names of 

 of fishermen, railway fares, etc., are given. Also the tollage 

 on boats; annual tolls ; ordinary times of high water at the 

 different stations, and much other information. 



•The | Angler's Complete Guide | and Companion i | balng | A Prac- 

 tical Treatise on Angling | and it-., iteqiilre.m'ncs, | with | beaatlfully 



"•;Ri.ai[ai.i ilh;:-' r.jl,l,,a .. la ool-a',-:. of ill j a rH'iHa) ha, ' aar I |, |.,,-_ 



ent months, and highly | finished engravings of all other necessaiT 

 tackle. | By «. Llltle. I f scroll! | London : | Published bv the Author, I 

 IB Fotter Lane, K C. | W. rate, Hogarth House ; (i and 10 St. Btlde's 

 Avenue, Flee;, St. | simson ,t Co., Market Place, Herr.lord. | 12 mo. pp 

 1S9 with 40 pages advertisements and " Opinions of the Press." Cloth, 

 full gilt. 



TENNESSEE FISH NOTES. 



Nashville, Dec. 9. 



THE carp sent here on Thanksgiving Day by Professor 

 Baird, to Col. Geo. F. Akets, have been distributed ; 

 upward of fifty persons were supplied. 



A gentleman, whose name I could not learn, received here 

 a few days since five hundred salmon-trout for his ponds. 

 They were in flue condition, measuring from four to six 

 inches long. I understand that the ponds are splendidly 

 built, and fed by two or three of the coldest springs in the 

 country. This is a move in the right direction. 



Mr. William McConnell and son received the right from 

 the Fish Commissioner of Middle Tennessee, Col. Geo. F. 

 Akers, to seine Red River for a number of bass to stock a 

 series of ponds they have built near here, and which they 

 propose to exploit as a business. The same parties say that 

 they inteud constructing a hatchery, and do things on a 

 grand scale. Nous verrons. 



Our fish market on Saturday was very handsomely sup- 

 plied. On the stall of Andy Meadus were at least twenty 

 varieties of fish, from the diminutive "sun perch" to the 

 superb "salmon." Oysters of excellent quality are being 

 brought here from Mobile and Biloxi, in addition to the 

 enormous quantities from Baltimore. If some of our female 

 ancestors, who a century or less past wore oyster shells as 

 jewelry, could wake up and see the cart loads of the iheu 

 great curiosities, they would want no better evidence of our 

 progressive state. 



The Cumberland Angling Club are determined to have a 

 nice place to amuse themselves. They have a very large 

 pond, well stocked with game fish, within four miles of 

 town, on the banks of which they have erected a handsome 

 club house, and where every comfort will be provided the 

 members. A. carp pond has also been dug, and is now 

 stocked with the little fish sent out here lately. 



Another association is being formed with a view of imita- 

 ting the above, and from what, I hear their ponds will be 

 something grander than any yet built here. The season is 

 now over for angling in our streams, and the Waltonians 

 have gone into winter quarters, there to spin yarns and make 

 plans for the next spring's campaign. J. D. H. 



Flying-fish and Cokohs. — Perhaps the most toothsome 

 denizen of ihe sea for air) is the flying-fish. Barbados is 

 the place to get them — even the bumboat women bring off 

 ready-cooked flying-fish alongside newly arrived ships among 

 their stock in trade of bananas, shells, guava paste and 

 pepper-punch. The Barbadian fishermen catch them at 

 night by means of a net spread after the fashion of a sail in 

 their boats, and it is no uncommon occurrence for one or 

 more to fly in through the open ports of a vessel at. sea when 

 she is low ill the water or rolling gently. Every one knows 

 the big conch shells — some as large as a man's hat — which 

 are brought home from abroad, and stuck about in all sorts 

 of inappropriate places, from grates to greenhouses; and 

 every one has heard that in many lands they are blown like 



a horn to summon catlle or used as war trumpets ; but every- 

 body does not know what delicious soup the original imnaes 

 of those shells serve to make. Sea, as well as land, slugs are 

 used for this purpose, loo.— Chambers' Journal 



NIGHT FISHING. 



Washington, D. C, Dec. 12, 1881. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I saw in your paper of the 8tb an article on night fishing 

 for trout in England, in which I am much interested, al- 

 though not a trout fisher myself, as there are none of these 

 fish in I his vicinity. I will give you what I know of fishing 

 at night for " rock," or striped bass. This experience is en- 

 tirely confined to fishing off the Anaeostia or Navy yard 

 bridge, spanning the Eastern Branch of the Potomac on tide 

 water.' 



Rock fishing commences here in the monlh of July and 

 ends with cold weather, generally in November. The rock 

 caught, in the early part of the season are of small size, say 

 from five to eight inches long, but in the latter part, of the 

 season they increase to fifteen and sixteen inches. Of coursp, 

 I change hooks, commencing in July with a No. 2 Aberdeen, 

 a charming little hook for small fish. The best bait is a 

 young smelt, about time inches long, but as the rock always 

 goes for the head of the bait, I have caught small ones with 

 smelt which were too large to be swallowed. As to the best 

 time to fish, I have found a half-full flood tide to half-down 

 ebb tide the time ; as the rock likes the swift water most. 



I have found that in very clear water, and particularly 

 after a bright moonlight night, the fish would very seldom 

 take ihe hojk in the daytime, and, therefore, have tried 

 night fishing, which, on account of the gas lamps on the 

 bridge, is not a very unpleasant task. I would place myself 

 directly under one of the lamps for two reasons : first, to be 

 able to bait my hooks well ; and, second, to fish iu the water 

 illuminated by the light, and in this manner have been very 

 successful on dark, but never on moonlight night?, the moon- 

 light enables the fish to feed over the whole "river, while at 

 dark nights they seem to come to the lights of the bridge to 

 sou and find their food. 



One morning I went to the bridge at four A. m., just, in 

 time to see the lamps extinguished, and leaving me in total 

 darkness. I commenced fishing, but could get no strike un- 

 til daylight appeared over the hills in the East, after which 

 time they bit lively, enabling me to carry a fine lot of fish 

 home for my breaklast, 



From what I have scm I don't think rookfish can see, or 

 will feed in the dark. I hope this argument may be kept up, 

 as fishing is my greatest pleasure, aDd requires a small 

 amount of exertion, and is very interesting if treated as a 

 science. C. A. K. 



Voracity op Pike. — The following story, which we take 

 from the London Sporting Times, illustrates not only the 

 rapacity of the pike, but also the entire truthfulness of one 

 writer for the English sporting press, it can, no doubt, be 

 re-lied upon. He says : "A curious incident happened at 

 Warner's Welsh Harp last week. Mr. George Sothnm, the 

 popular lessee of Croydon racecourse, who has been staying 

 at Warner's, was out early wilh his gun and shot one of the 

 bobtail blue rocks which had escaped the battue of the 

 previous day. The rock fell in the water, and, on approach- 

 ing the spot, the well-known shot was surprised to see an 

 enormous jack of some 20 pounds draw the bird under water 

 and disappear ; but this was not all, for on the edge of Ihe 

 water were a sow and pigs looking out for their matutinal 

 meal in the shape of dead bait left by the fishermen. One 

 of the youthful porkers, anxious to secure a fish floating at 

 a little distance from the edge of the water, stepped in, 

 when he was seized by an enormous pike, who dragged him 

 out of his depth, where he was joined by another member 

 of the finny species. Then came the tug of war; and the 

 pig being fat, and one of Warner's own breeding, was 

 wedged so tight into the mouths of both pike, that, unable 

 to breathe, they were choked, and in this state were both 

 dragged ashore by the worthy Oxfordshire farmer. 



Whitefish Take the Ho^k. — Niagara, Canada. — In re- 

 gard to whitefish taking bait I will say that some three years 

 ago several were caught off the steamboat wharf here, I 

 think it was in May. The small boys who caught, them were 

 fishing for herring, using minnows for bait. — \Y. B. L. 



OKiGtjr of the Name Salmo. — Scaliger has tbe following 

 line, which shows the origin of Ihe name of the^eam Sal?no : 

 Et salmo pictus aureis freguens guUis, "And painted Salmo 

 with his goldm spots." — C. 



Jfisf(Cttltttre. 



DISTBIBTJT1NG CARP IN TENNESSEE. 



'THE trials of a Fish Commissioner, who not only serves with. 

 out pay, but also without a dollar of money from the State to 

 work" with, is set forth in the following correspondence, which) 

 with the preliminary remarks, we tako from the Nashville Amer- 

 icon : 



Within the last few days, Col. George F. Akers, State Finn 

 Commissioner, ban distributed between eleven and twelve hun- 

 dred Gorman carp to at least fifty differenl parsons, n ho, own- 

 ing suitable ponds, propose engaging in the lit -. aribnof this 

 most excellent variety of food flab.. The instructions received 



from the United States Fish Commission 1„ jn( | g, 

 number of fish to be given to each applicant, and the. char a ai ol 

 ponds into which thev were to be placed, only a comparatively 

 small number of persons could La si.;, | Ii 



were the prime causes for the v.jxationr, to which the good- 

 natured Colonel was subjected. (Scarcely a single applicant railed 

 to want more fish than his quota, and bnt few who were not dis- 

 satisfied at, not getting them. Then the question of aei gave rise 

 to much discussion, to say nothing of the thousand and one ex- 

 planations demanded us to the mode of breeding, feeding and the 

 general management of them. These vexations, however, were 

 more than counterbalanced by the many ludicrous remarks, opin- 

 ions and incidents connected with the taekof dibtribulloii. One 

 party complained that " the mong man (fas notified lhai tl 

 were here, and ihat ids ten pair roust behellcni 

 fur 'em ; that ho can't quit his family till .: :!1 jrits 



over the mumps." Another wrote: ''J have « pond in which 

 tbore are several varieties of fish— white perch, ininner perch mid 

 buffalo. The latter kind is immense. 1 caught wOn weighing 

 twenty-four pounds. Hearing as the carp grows bigger than that 

 I wanted to try a few of em on." 



" Obey instruciions from Washington with regard to my fish," 

 writes another. 



