4 6 



RECREATION. 



ed by miles of marsh and woodland, fur- 

 nishing fairly good trolling for big mouth 

 bass and grass pike. From about Septem- 

 ber ist to November 15th perch are caught 

 in large numbers in both the. Shiawassee 

 and the Saginaw rivers. It is a sight to 

 behold during our perch run to see the 

 docks and river fairly alive with men, wom- 

 en and children of all ages, sizes and colors, 

 from every station in life, and with every 

 conceivable kind of tackle out for a few 

 hours' sport with the little toothsome fel- 

 lows. I counted 216 boats filled with 

 anglers during a 6 mile run last September. 

 Commercial fishing is prohibited in the 

 tributaries, but in the Saginaw it com- 

 mences November 15 and ends April 15. 

 The annual catch is amazing. It consists 

 of suckers, mullet, perch, rock bass, sun- 

 fish, wall-eyed and grass pike, bullheads 

 and carp. 



Commercial fishing has been the bone 

 of contention between Saginaw county 

 sportsmen and the market fishermen for 

 several years. The latter have won out at 

 every Legislature, except losing the tribu- 

 taries 7 years ago ; but the sportsmen have 

 not lost all hope of abolishing net fishing 

 entirely, as the Saginaw is the only inland 

 stream in Michigan in which it is allowed. 



We have miles of duck marsh, and over- 

 run land practically does away with spring 

 shooting here, as no waterfowl get here be- 

 fore the season closes, April 10th, except a 

 few merganser ducks. 



I thoroughly agree with Mr. W. L. Stew- 

 ard in February Recreation relative to the 

 destruction of small fish by herons and 

 kingfishers. I also add the merganser, or 

 sawbill ducks. A friend killed a heron and 

 found about 30 little grass pikes in his 

 pouch, and I have seen half a pint of little 

 fish come from a merganser duck's mouth 

 after he was dead and hanging head down. 

 Lee Mann, Saginaw, Mich. 



MY TROUTING DAY. 



It was an ideal spring morning and every 

 thing foretold a delightful day in the woods. 

 A turn in the trail leading down a steep 

 incline took me to an old bridge be- 

 neath which flowed a crystal stream fed by 

 many cool springs. There I expected to 

 make my first effort at the trout. 



Hastily adjusting my rod I approached 

 a curling patch of white foam held back by 

 a half submerged log, and made, with 

 pork for bait, my first attempt to hook a 

 brook trout. I cast the hook above the 

 eddy and like a flash a streak of mottled 

 beauty shot from beneath the log. With a 

 vigorous jerk he was thrown clear of the 

 water on the sand at my feet and in a mo- 

 ment he was mine. He was the first I had 

 ever seen. A second cast was equally suc- 

 cessful. 



With varying results I fished the wind- 

 ing stream as its course led through almost 

 impassable underbrush, occasionally throw- 

 ing a trout high among the branches, en- 

 tangling my line in overhanging limbs. 

 Thus the hours passed unnoticed until 

 hunger and fatigue reminded me that it was 

 time to eat. Selecting an old tree trunk 

 I spread my lunch and there in the quiet 

 depth of the forest I ate. A half hour was 

 given to rest during which a number of 

 Canada jays assembled around me and pro- 

 tested at my long repast. A red squirrel 

 ventured near, and, with curious eyes, gazed 

 on the intruder. His curiosity satisfied, he 

 scurried up a tree where he gave me an 

 acrobatic exhibition among the branches. 



The slanting sun admonished me to re- 

 trace my steps, so I started on the return, 

 taking my time and fishing the most likely 

 places. They yielded an occasional prize 

 and at length I found myself back at the 

 old bridge. There I took an inventory of 

 my catch and found I had 14 trout. I was 

 proud, mosquito bitten, happy; the happi- 

 ness born of honest recreation and love of 

 nature. 



Dr. C. T. Thomas, Trout Creek, Mich. 



CARE OP CANVAS BOATS. 

 I have never noticed in Recreation any 

 information as to the proper care of a 

 canvas folding boat, or how to repair one. 

 The solution, or preparation, on the outside 

 of my boat has partly worn off. 



L. A. Place, Chicago. 



ANSWER. 



If your boat requires waterproofing the 

 best thing to use is common kettle-boiled 

 linseed oil of a pure quality, which can be 

 bought at any paint store. Use with the 

 oil about y 2 a cup of burnt umber, of de- 

 sired color, to a quart of oil. Stir it well 

 and apply with a brush, being careful to ap- 

 ply it only to the part which is worn. One 

 coat is sufficient. Many people spoil their 

 canvas boats by continually daubing them 

 when the boats do not need it. This forms 

 such a coating that it cracks the canvas 

 when folded, and the waterproofing itself 

 becomes so thick that it cracks. The canvas 

 is then destroyed. Leaving the boat in the 

 water or on the shore where the air gets to 

 it does no harm. Neither does it hurt a 

 boat to fold it and put it away, provided it 

 is thoroughly dried before folding. To fold 

 a canvas boat while the canvas contains 

 more or less dampness and pack it away, 

 will rot the canvas. Many canvas boats are 

 waterproofed with a quick drying process 

 which does not penetrate and fill the fiber 

 of the canvas. Such waterproofing is not 

 right and will not stand. It will quickly 

 wear off from the surface and the boat will 

 leak. The waterproofing should thoroughly 

 fill the fibre of the canvas. — Editor. 



