374 



RECREATION. 



for blue gills, and I use the common black 

 field cricket for bait. They can be found 

 on pasture lands under sticks,- stones or 

 anything that affords cover. 



F. L. Caris, Meadville, Pa. 



It was reported to me that Cleve Rich- 

 ardson and Herman Bennett, of Gorham, 

 N. H„ caught 260 trout in Peabody river. 

 I wrote these men, asking if the statement 

 were true, and received the following let- 

 ter: 



The report you received was correct. 

 We caught the trout out of a stream known 

 as Nineteen Mile brook. I have been out 

 twice since then, once fishing Moose river 

 about half a mile, catching 27 trout, and 

 the other time fishing Moose brook one 

 mile and catching 55. 



C. L. Richardson, Gorham, N. H. 



It is not necessary to use much space 

 in talking to you. You are a disgrace to 

 your community and should be run out of 

 it. — Editor. 



I was one of a party visiting Star island, 

 St. Clair fiats, for a few days' recreation. 

 June 1 we procured guides and went to the 

 fishing grounds. Fishing not being to our 

 taste, we started on an exploring expedi- 

 tion through the passages between the 

 numerous islands. We went still West of 

 West passage, against the advice of the 

 owner of the launch which we had rented. 

 We saw 2 natives in duck boats spear at 

 least 25 black bass off their spawning beds 

 in less than 30 minutes. Our boatman said 

 that in case a game warden showed up, 

 those fellows would take to the tall weeds 

 ashore and escape. He said, also, that 

 hotel people bought the fish, paying 8 cents 

 a pound for speared fish and 10 for others. 

 E. L. Barton, Gibsonburg, O. 



Can someone advise me where I can 



procure an artificial bait that can be used 



successfully in taking blue and channel 



catfish? If there be such a bait, what is it? 



D. Smythe, Newark, Mo. 



ANSWER. 



I regret I do not know of any artificial 

 bait that can be used successfully in taking 

 catfish. Blue and channel catfish are bot- 

 tom, or deep water, feeders almost entirely, 

 and, as a rule, the best bait for them is live 

 minnows or worms. They are frequently 

 taken with fresh beef or salt pork. — Editor. 



In the New York Times of July 3 Mr. 

 John F. Doyle, of New York, gives some 

 instances of catches other than fishes while 

 angling with the fly, suggested by an ac- 

 count in the preceding issue of the hooking 

 of an owl. Mr. Doyle mentions the cap- 



ture of a bullhead on a fly, and is not aware 

 of similar occurrences. I can add a small 

 item. Two years ago I took a catfish of 

 moderate size on a red ibis in the Potomac 

 river at Washington. Possibly inquiry 

 would result in accounts of similar experi- 

 ences. 



M. C. Marsh, Washington, D. C. 



I wish you would suggest in Recreation 

 the stocking of the lower portions of our 

 large trout streams with European grayling 

 and rainbow trout. The rainbows would 

 thrive, and the characters of the parts of 

 streams referred to would suit grayling ex- 

 actly. Why should we have only a short 

 period of good fly fishing in this country? 

 We should have it during all the more quiet 

 months. 

 Theodore Gordon, West Haverstraw, N. Y. 



There are 2 men near Concord, N. H., 

 who are better posted on the fish and game 

 laws than before. They recently went into 

 court at Stoddard and parted with $155 and 

 31 short brook trout. For each short trout 

 found in their possession they were fined 

 $5. The fishermen gave their names as M. 

 Cheney and William Cram.. 



They will hereafter fish for big trout ex- 

 clusively. 



Clinton, la. — Arb McDonald dropped a stick 

 of dynamite from a boat into the Maquo- 

 keta river for the purpose of killing fish. The 

 dynamite exploded directly under the boat and 

 McDonald was blown to atoms. John Ralston and 

 Peter McCabe, who were in the boat with Mc- 

 Donald, had narrow escapes. They will have to 

 stand trial for violating the game laws. 



Thus another lawbreaker meets a well 

 deserved fate. — Editor. 



With a Shakespeare rod and reel I have 

 improved from 60 or 75 feet to over 100 

 feet in bait casting. Can cast that distance 

 every time without any trouble whatever. 

 The Kentucky and the other high grade 

 reels are good but Shakespease Standard 

 and Professional are equally good. 



H. B. Landgraf, Washington, D. C. 



Game Warden George Story came here 

 recently and captured 2 fish hogs, 100 feet 

 of seine and 150 pounds of fish. Mr. Story 

 is doing excellent work, and the good re- 

 sults are already seen. 



Wm. Tubb, Emerson, la. 



Will you please ask your readers through 

 Recreation what food they find most suit- 

 able for catfish, black bass, and pike when 

 confined in separate ponds? 



H. L. DeWitt, Riverside, Pa. 



