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FISH AND FISHING. 373 
IN DEFENSE OF THE STEEL ROD. 
In looking over my April copy I notice 
an article by F. G. Warner, Hartford, 
Conn., condemning the Bristol steel rod. 
It would seem that he has had little or 
no experience with this rod or he would 
never make the assertion he does. I hon- 
estly believe that with one of the best 
bamboo rods in the market a man can cast 
a fly but a few feet farther than with a 
steel rod. That is the one andthe only con- 
cession I have to make to the 16-strip, 
waterproof, glued, silk-wound, green- 
heart tipped and greener headed novice 
who invests in one for catching fish. As 
you personally know, or. Editor, I have 
been fishing the best waters of the North 
and Northwest, for trout, bass and sal- 
mon trout, for the last 25 years, and have 
used all kinds of rods,reels,and baits. Have 
given them the fairest tests possible and 
to-day I use none but a steel rod. They 
certainly would be a good investment 
for any sportsman, or for a fish hog, 
either; for he could keep right on catching 
fish while the man with the bamboo rod 
would be sitting in the shade mending it. 
In the rifle scabbard hanging on my sad- 
dle, under this tree where I write, is a 
steel bass rod 10% feet long, that I have 
owned and used every season for I0 years. 
I put it in t+ e scabbard alongside of the 
rifle and wiping stick, and have carried 
it thousands of miles that way, in perfect 
safety; where the man with the “everlast- 
ing and eternally” split bamboo would 
have to carry a small grooved stick of 
cordwood, and carry it carefully, to protect 
his silk-wound hobby. I consider the 
steel rod far superior to the average split 
bamboo rod in the matter of elasticity; 
it certainly has a great advantage in 
strength. As you know, our fishing here 
is mostly for rainbow and dolly varden 
trout, and it is no uncommon thing to 
have 2 of them on at once, weighing each 
2 to 4 pounds. With “Old Bristol” I can 
land both, where the man with the bam- 
boo treasure would likely have it totally 
wrecked at the strike. If he saved his 
fish at all he would have to haul them in 
hand over hand, as he would a Snake river 
sturgeon. As to a steel rod breaking. It 
may happen at times; but I have never 
known or seen one to break. Have landed 
15 pound salmon trout with mine and it 
was not even warped. 
There are very few streams here that 
I cannot cast a fly across. The steel rod 
certainly has the advantage among the 
brush. All the experts who have used my 
rod like it and praise it. They praise it 
for its light touch and its strength. To 
my personal knowledge it has been the 
one sole advertisement that has made the 
sale of over 20 steel rods, all to practical 
trout anglers, in Idaho and Montana, So 
far as I know all these men have been not 
only satisfied but highly pleased with their 
steel rods. 
A Bristol steel rod is like an old Sharp’s 
rifle, or a Cheyenne saddle—always to be 
depended on, no matter what kind of a 
round up you are on. 
Every summer when on my prospecting 
trips in the mountains I consider my steel 
rod as much a part of my outfit as my 
rifle, pick, or gold pan. When I go 
out next fall, to civilization, I shall have 
my films developed, and then will send you 
a picture showing what a steel rod did 
with a salmon trout, while Mr. Warner 
was catching mummychogs with his split 
bamboo. 
Mack W. Miner, Banner, Idaho. 

A peculiar looking fish was caught last week by 
Andrew Nelson, near McCarty’s point, and as yet no 
true name has been found forit. It measures 5 feet 8 
inches long, and at its head and back from it for about 
18 inches it is about 8 inches in diameter, and from there 
tapers gradually toitstail. Ithas a large fin running 
the entire length of its back, and has a large mouth, 
thickly studded with 2 rows of sharp teeth. Its throat 
is small and its body is without scales.—Cali/ornia 
paper. 
This description is too brief and indefin- 
ite for positive identification. It is almost 
certain, however, that the fish was a spe- 
cimen of the wolf-fish, whose scientific 
name is Alepisaurus @sculapias. 
This is a large, ferocious fish occasion- 
ally taken on our Pacific coast. The type 
of the species was speared at Unalaska 
by Robert King about 1882. Another was 
obtained at the same place by Dr. W. 
H. Dall. One was taken off Humboldt 
bay, California, by A. J. Wiley and J. B. 
Brown, and recently a fine specimen came 
ashore near San Luis Obispo, Cal. 
That it is one of the most ferocious 
fishes is evidenced by its remarkable teeth 
as well as by the stomach contents. The 
stomach of the example caught by Mr. 
King contained 21 individuals of another 
fish, Eumicrotremus orbits. 
The wolf-fish is not well represented 
in the museums of the world and every 
specimen caught should be preserved. 
Specimens taken in the Puget sound re- 
gion should be sent to the state univer- 
sity at Seattle or to Stanford university, 
Cal. Bie Vee Ts; 

SWINE AMONG THE SALMON. 
R. E. Miller and Joseph McCowan may relate tales 
of their prowess as fishermen with impunity. They 
have the evidence to prove their case. During one 
week at Capitola they caught 87 salmon, spending in 
all zs hours with the rod. Their best catch for one day 
was 24, the largest weighing 38 pounds and the smallest 
gounces. This is the banner catch of the season on 
Monterey Bay. 
And this is what Mr. Miller says anout 
it, in reply to an inquiry: 
