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FISHING ~ 
treasurer, Dr. C. F. Browne, Racine Fly Cast- 
ng Club. 
At its September meeting, the Anglers’ 
Club of New York voted to join the National 
Association. 

Big Michigan Smallmouth 
While fishing in Long Lake, near Cheboygan, 
Mich., in August last, Mr. Wm. E. Shoemaker, 
of that city, madea catch ofa nine-pound small- 
mouth black bass. He packed the big fish and 
expressed it to the office of the State Fish Com- 
missioners at Detroit, and received the following 
letter of acknowledgment from the office of the 
commissioners: ~ 
“DEAR Srr: Your favor of the 17th was re- 
ceived last Saturday. The big bass also arrived 
Saturday afternoon in perfect condition and is 
now in the hands of a taxidermist for mounting. 
This bass isa genuine smallmouth, and is a 
record breaker for this State by nearly a pound, 
so far as we are informed. It weighed exactly 
84 pounds when delivered to the taxidermist 
and surely must have weighed at least nine 
pounds when taken, as a shrinkage of one-half 
pound after being out of the water a couple of 
days is not too much to expect. A small-mouth 
bass was taken from Lake St. Clair within the 
past two or three years that weighed approxi- 
mately eight pounds shortly after being taken 
from the water, so that your fish tops that one 
by nearly a pound when weighed under corre- 
sponding conditions. On behalf of the Fish 
Commission I wish to thank you for sending us 
this fish. It will be displayed in our office as 
soon as it is mounted. Very sincerely yours, 
SEYMOUR BOWER, 
Superintendent.” 

What Happened to the Ciscos ? 
According to reports from Lake Geneva, 
Wis., some great disaster has overtaken the 
Lake Geneva cisco, which has added greatly to 
the fame of the lake. During the last few days 
of July they died by thousands, and their bodies, 
drifting ashore, were gathered by the pailful 
and basketful and buried. Most of the dead 
fish were about one-third to one-half grown, 
few or none of the larger ones being seen. 
The old residents and fishermen say they 
cannot account for. it, and none can offer any 
adequate explanation, though some think it may 
be lack of proper food. 
The habits of the cisco have changed greatly 
in the past few years. Formerly they could be 
caught only with the cisco fly, which came early 
in June, and at that time the lake was thronged 
with fishermen, and the fish were caught by 
375 
hundreds. Old farmers have told about backing 
lumber wagons down into the water’s edge and 
catching half a wagonload of ciscos. When the 
flies left the ciscos left, and were not seen again 
until the next June. 
Of late, however, they have been caught 
through the ice, and at other seasons of the year 
with ordinary bait. This catastrophe, whatever 
it may be, is a matter of great regret, as it has 
certainly thinned the ranks of these fish so 
highly esteemed of every one who has made 
their acquaintance at Lake Geneva. 

A Defender of the Carp 
Mr. R. S. Johnson, superintendent of the 
United States fish hatchery at Manchester, 
Iowa, invites destruction at the hands of the 
anglers of the Hawk Eye State by a bold retort 
to the carp nuisance agitators. He also shows 
himself quite conversant with the harmless 
amusement of making canned “salmon” of 
these “‘innocent” fish. Says Mr. Johnson: 
“The carp does not thrive off the spawn of 
other fish, as has been charged against it, nor 
does it eat young fish of any description. The 
carp isa vegetarian. His food is the roots of the 
tender plants at the bottom of the rivers, creeks 
and bayous, and he burrows after these with his 
long snout much as the hog wallows in his pen. 
The carp is not Vicious or quarrelsome, but can 
put up a stiff fight when backed into a corner 
and squared away. He is a great, awkward, 
lumbering fellow, the yokel among fish, who is 
innocent of wrong and void of offense when let 
alone. 
“Tt isamusing to hear the comments passed in 
public upon the carp asa food fish. At the sug- 
gestion of eating carp, horror is written on 
every face, but the chances are, especially if the 
guests are at a high-class hotel, that the fish 
served under various cognomens will turn out to 
be carp, carefully dressed and appetizingly pre- 
pared. Why, the carp is fast taking the place of 
the salmon in this country. It is cheaper and 
just as palatable, and its flesh can be colored to 
match the salmon shade exactly. The flesh of 
the two fish is much the same in fibrous quality, 
and thousands of people are eating canned carp 
who fondly imagine that they are enjoying the 
toothsome salmon.” 
Have at you, Mr. Johnson! We want none 
of your carp, either ‘‘backed into a corner and 
squared away” or served as canned ‘“‘salmon.” 
The great State of Iowa is rich, rich in her 
natural resources; all she asks of you is that you 
give her sons and daughters fish in the waters 
of the State that need not be ‘‘backed into a 
corner and squared away” to induce them to 
“‘put up a stiff fight.”’” Iowans want to fish for 
