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We fitted up our rods and I, hooking a 
large chub, dropped it into the current. It 
had gone scarcely 10 feet when—zip—went 
my reel and my heart. It was a saucy 
strike; first one way, then the other; leaping 
and shaking himself as a terrier shakes a 
rat. It was of no use. I had him. Aifter 
as game a fight as a 2 pound beauty ever 
made, I took him in. 
Hooking another chub I let him go. I 
was barely seated when I struck again, 
and in 10 minutes had another 2 pounder. 
Poor Bowery appeared dejected, but just 
fished all the harder, and before I could 
take care of the last catch and hook an- 
other bait, he yelled “I have him.” After 
a hard tussel, he landed a 3 pounder, with a 
deep chuckle and a “How do you like 
him?” 
“ T like him, do it again,’ was my an- 
swer, and he did do it again and again, 
landing three 3 pounders in succession. I 
wore the dejectedlook now. We eachcaught 
one more, making 7 in all, none under 2 
pounds, then we quit for the day. Many 
were the congratulations we received as 
we strutted down Falls street. 
Poor “Bowery,” he was accidentally shot 
through the heart, while duck hunting with 
a companion on the Niagara river, above 
the Falls. 
I fished the Niagara river the following 
summer, but missed ‘Bowery,’ more per- 
haps than most people were aware of. 
Wm. J. Robida. 

A PLEA FOR THE FISH. 
The fishes of our great lakes are each 
year becoming less numerous. Saginaw 
bay is an instance. In past years this bay 
swarmed with lake trout, white fish, pike, 
pickerel, bass and sturgeon. Within my 
recollection vast numbers of this noble fish 
were taken annually with the trap-net, and 
in many instances, their carcasses were cast 
upon the shores of the bay for crows and 
hawks. Now, a sturgeon is a rarity, and 
a good specimen commands a high price. 
The sturgeon and pike have left our bays 
and rivers, and I believe the sturgeon in 
a few years, will be extinct. 
Years ago, armed with a home-made 
spear, I used to saunter up and down the 
banks of ditches which flowed into the 
bay, in search of pike, and it afforded me 
great pleasure to capture a half dozen. 
Alas! they have nearly disappeared. I ven- 
ture to say that if the destruction of our fish 
is allowed to go on, all our best food fishes 
will, in a few years, be driven away from 
our great lakes, and the greedy fisherman 
compelled to hang up his net forever. A 
close season of Io years would be good, 
and at the end of that time, great restric- 
tions should be placed upon the use of 
nets, or any other method of wholesale 
slaughter. 
I apppeal to you who fish for pleasure, 
and not for gain, to unite against this de- 
struction of our fresh-water fish, before it 
is too late. 
The stocking of our lakes with the vari- 
ous food fishes is a grand work, but better 
laws must be framed and stringently en- 
forced to keep up even a partial supply. Let 
every reasonable person take fish enough 
for immediate use only, and let the good 
work of restocking lakes and streams go 
on, and in time there will be fish enough © 
to afford ample sport for all true lovers 
of the rod and reel! 
L. E. Richardson, Essexville, Mich. 

A SUPPER OF SHARK’S MEAT. 
In the summer of 1885 [ shipped on 
board a brig for Barbados, W. I., and while 
down there we found out a good deal about 
man-eating sharks. 
Homeward bound, in the latitude of Ber- 
muda, just after dinner, we noticed we were 
being followed by a shark. About 2 
o'clock the captain dropped a piece of fat 
pork over on a strong shark hook, fastened 
to a length of trace chain, to which a strong 
rope was attached, leading on board. 
The shark swam up, nosed the pork a mo- 
ment and then swimming just about the 
length of his head past the pork, turned 
over on his side and gulped the bait down. 
Then the fun began. He seemed to have 
the strength of a whale. He lashed the 
water to foam. He fought till he was 
dead. He measured only 7 feet, but it took 
2 strong men to pull him up alongside, 
then we put a_ strap on the main stay, 
hooked a tackle to that and hoisted him 
on board, kicking until the vessel shook. 
He knocked a sailor against the bulwarks, 
nearly breaking his legs. This aroused the. 
ire of a ferocious bull dog, which closed 
in just in time to get a whack from the 
tail of our prize, which sent him forward 
with his tail between his legs. No persua- 
sion could get him back to where master 
shark was having it out with the sailors. 
As soon as possible, our cook cut some 
steak from him and broiled it. It was the 
- tenderest and most savory thing I ever 
tasted. 
Geo. F. Hogen, Lynn, Mass. 

A CURIOUS POND. 
This section of Schoharie county, 5¢ 
miles from Albany, is, perhaps, as good a 
fishing and hunting ground as can be found 
in the State. Within 6 miles of this village 
are 8 or 10 lakes and reservoirs. They 
cover 20 to 200 acres each, and are stocked 
with pickerel, pike, black bass, strawberry 
bass, rock bass and perch. There are also 
several good trout streams in the vicinity. 
Strawberry bass seem little known except 
in this region. They run from I-2 to 3 


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