FISH AND FISHING. 



49 



have a boat large enough to live on there is 

 no use in going. We saw some quails while 

 ashore and any quantity of gray squirrels. 

 We were a little early for coots but still there 

 were sufficient for good sport. 



A. S. Doane. 



A BOY'S FIRST TROUT. 



Dale St. Vrain is a mountain resort on 

 the North fork of the St. Vrain river, about 

 6 miles from Lyons, Col. The fishing is 

 good. The largest trout ever caught here 

 weighed 10 pounds. My big one weighed 

 only as many ounces, but I was as proud 

 as if it had been a 20 pounder. One bright 

 morning last August my father and I went 

 fishing, and my mother and sister accom- 

 panied us. I got the first bite and hooked 

 a fine fish. I pulled, but it felt as if I were 

 fast to a rock. " Hold on, Fred, you've 

 hooked a big one! " yelled my father, who 

 had just come up. He took the rod and 

 I scrambled down to a level place on the 

 river bank where we were to land my prize. 

 My father was so excited he dropped the reel 

 in the river, but after a lot of trouble recov- 

 ered it. I, too, began to get excited as I 

 .saw how large my fish was. At last my 

 father got down to where I was, and with 

 a yell of triumph we drew in the fish/ It 

 was a rainbow trout. I was the happiest per- 

 son at the Dale that day. I caught my fish 

 with a grasshopper, because they will not 

 take flies at this season. 



Fred. D. Anderson, Dale St. Vrain, Col. 



FOULING A TURTLE. 



While angling for weakfish at Somer's 

 Point, N. J., on July 5th, I had an experi- 

 ence not likely to be repeated. Mr. For- 

 rester, the captain, and I were in one boat. 

 A few friends of ours were in another close 

 by. We had had good sport, and were pre- 

 paring to go in when a weakfish took my 

 bait. Just as I got him in sight a huge sea 

 turtle, which I am sure would weigh over 

 100 pounds, rose to the surface, close to the 

 fish. In some he got my top hook fast in 

 one of his flippers. The tide was running 

 hard, and he apparently drifted with it, 

 without struggling. 



I had a heavy cuttyhunk bass line, and 

 stood a fairly good chance of bringing him 

 in, but, after a 20-minute fight, another boat 

 crossed my line about 100 yards astern of 

 us. I felt the boat's centre-board rubbing 

 my line just as the turtle made a last effort, 

 and broke loose. All I lost was 2 hooks 

 and a leader. 



Bunny, Mauch Chunk, Pa. 



HOW TO CATCH SNAPPING TURTLES. 

 Take an eel and cut into pieces 3 inches 

 long, leaving the skin on. Lay in dry salt 

 at least one week. Use No. 7/0 Limerick 

 hooks, tied on 4 feet of No. 3 cotton line. 

 Tie this line 18 inches from the butt end of 

 a stick 4 feet long. Bait the hooks, and 



stick this short pole straight down into the 

 mud, leaving its top above surface of water. 

 Choose a place where you know there are 

 snappers. You will find them in mill dams 

 or any place where they can bury themselves 

 in mud. Set your lines late in the evening, 

 and do not go to them before midnight or 

 in the morning. If there are turtles around 

 you will be sure to get them. "Try it, those 

 who are fond of snapper soup. 



W. B. S., Lock 53, Md. 



A BETTER NAME FOR IT. 



Editor Recreation: The " shovelmouth 

 cat " weighing lj 1 /^ pounds, mentioned by 

 D. T. Smith in Recreation some time ago 

 and referred to in September, 1898, Recrea 

 tion by Mr. Horace Beach, was doubtless a 

 specimen of the shovel-nosed sturgeon, 

 spoonbill cat, or paddle fish, as it is various- 

 ly called. Its scientific name is Polyodon 

 spathula, not Pollyodon folium as given by 

 Mr. Beach. It is known only from the Mis- 

 sissippi basin and Lake Erie, though but a 

 single specimen is recorded from the latter 

 basin. Mr. Beach is in error regarding its 

 presence in the Yang-tse-Kiang river. The 

 species found there is Psephurus gladius, a 

 member of the same family (Polyodontidse), 

 but a very different fish belonging to a dif- 

 ferent genus. 



The notes by Mr. Beach on the habits of 

 the paddle-fish are very interesting and val- 

 uable. Much remains to be learned regard- 

 ing the habits of this fish and any informa- 

 tion any reader of Recreation may possess 

 as to its occurrence outside the Mississippi 

 basin or as to its breeding habits would be 

 eagerly welcome. Has any one ever seen 

 very young examples, say 8 inches or less 

 in length? B. W. Evermann. 



NOT TO BE TRIFLED WITH. 



A little over a year ago fish and game pro- 

 tector Salisbury of Ellicottville, N. Y., went 

 after law violaters at Dunkirk and destroyed 

 nets of the Dunkirk fish company's, valued 

 at $1,500. The company kicked, claiming 

 the waters of Lake Erie were free to all and 

 that the state had no jurisdiction over the 

 fish therein. The case was taken to the su- 

 preme court where the decision sustained 

 Mr. Salisbury's action in destroying the nets 

 and pound nets within the half-mile limit in 

 Van Buren bay. The company settled the 

 case and paid the costs, $160. Western 

 New York violators are beginning to re- 

 alize that " Barney " Salisbury does some- 

 thing besides drawing his salary. — Little 

 Valley Spy. 



NOTES. 



There is fine salmon fishing on the 

 Umpqua river, in Douglas County, Or. 

 One can take a small boat at Scottsburg, 30 

 miles from the ocean, and float with the tide 

 to the sea. The fishing is superb, both go- 



