io6 



RECREATION. 



put down and soon had a good supply of 

 smelt, which we kept in ice water. We 

 caught several good sized trout, but it was 

 1.30 o'clock before I hooked a salmon. He 

 went to the bottom at once and began to 

 sulk. We soon found that the fish had 

 made a circle around the boat and taken 

 in all of our lines and the anchor rope. The 

 anchor had to be drawn up and all the 

 lines cut away before we could free the 

 line on which I had my fish. All the time 

 this was being done the fish stayed at the 

 bottom. Soon after it began to pull down 

 the lake and towed us fully 400 feet. We 

 had out 200 feet of line and in no way could 

 I induce the salmon to come up from the 

 bottom. One of the party rowed us back 

 up to the fishing ground and then down we 

 went again. 



It was not until 4.30 o'clock that the fish, 

 which now had out 250 feet of line, made a 

 run toward the boat and jumped fully 5 

 feet into the air. He went down again, 

 taking out 200 feet of line; but he was 

 about exhausted and was soon safe in the 

 landing net. 



WHERE TO GO IN MAINE. 



Trout fishing is always good in the Dead 

 river region of Maine in May, June and 

 the latter part of July. There are a few 

 lakes here where trout, salmon and pickerel 

 take either fly or bait every day in the sea- 

 son. Generally the trout in such lakes run 

 small. The best lakes are 3 to 20 miles 

 back from the settlement and from 1,800 to 

 3,000 feet elevation. The country is moun- 

 tainous, Mt. Bigelow, 3 miles South of here, 

 being 4,947 feet above sea level, and the 

 second highest in Maine. Hundreds of 

 square miles of forest, . lake, meadow, bog, 

 farm and mountain land can be seen from 

 Bigelow. The Canadian boundary moun- 

 tains, Moosehead lake, Mt. Washington and 

 the New Hampshire hills are all in view. 

 People can not buy such pure water as is 

 wasted by our thousands of springs and 

 some of these will do wonders for an inva- 

 lid in 2 or 3 weeks. 



To the angler who also values the camera 

 this region is a paradise. The great amount 

 of large and small game to be found about 

 the waters early in the season gives many 

 a chance to make photographs that money 

 could not buy. If the camera artist is cool 

 and knows how to use a good outfit I will 

 undertake to do the rest. I am not only 

 a practical guide and hunter but can work 

 in sympathy with an artist. 



There are hundreds of old log driving 

 dams, tumble down hunter's camps, lumber 

 camps, canyons, cascades, falls, rapids, lakes, 

 bogs, rivers, streams, brakes, all rich pick- 

 ing for the camera enthusiast. 



Flagstaff, where Benedict Arnold laid 



over in winter camp, on his way to Quebec, 

 is a backwoods hamlet and is headquarters 

 for parties of anglers. The big cities can be 

 reached by telephone and telegraph, but you 

 can get away from all improvements of that 

 kind and live in any stage of primeval for- 

 est life you choose. 



The real hunter, angler and lover of na- 

 ture I advise to camp out or go on a knock- 

 about canoe trip. Those in search of rest 

 can go to the regular camps where you have 

 not only the rough comforts, but any rea- 

 sonable extras you may care for. 



Bring warm wraps and underclothing. 

 Our weather is clear and bracing nearly all 

 the time. Price of board and boats or canoe 

 run from $1 to $3 a day, and less by the 

 week or month. Professional guides work 

 for $3 a day and board ; canoe 50 cents a 

 day. You can get a boy or a fake for a 

 song, but you'll have to sing it and you 

 won't forget the song for some time. 



My only guarantee is to give my patrons 

 a square deal, and a successful trip. 

 Our interests are mutual and I am looking 

 for future business. I refer to Dr. R. Lee 

 Banister, La Fontaine, Indiana ; Ralph E. 

 Bassett, Bassett, N. J.; Geo. M. Wallace, 

 New Haven, Conn. ; Julius Berger, 368 Cen- 

 tral avenue, Jersey City, N. J. Buy your 

 return ticket on the Boston and Maine 

 railroad for Flagstaff. Make your arrange- 

 ments early, give me all details in first letter. 

 I will make special arrangements if desired. 

 H. R. Horton, Flagstaff, Me. 



CAN PICKEREL CUT? 



In your reply to Mr. Gordon Wrighter's 

 fish-snake story in March Recreation, I 

 note you claim that the stories of pickerel 

 cutting lines "are all rot." My occupation 

 being that of guide for 15 years, I have had 

 much experience in fishing, especially for 

 pickerel. I have always been observant, 

 trying to get at the scientific points in con- 

 nection with fishing as much as possible, 

 and I am sorry that I am compelled to 

 take exceptions to your remark. If I have 

 been of the wrong impression all these 

 years, and if my experience has been in vain 

 on this point, I wish to know it. 



I know that pickerels' teeth straggle 

 around some and are not set for cutting, 

 but still the teeth are thick on top of the 

 tongue. I doubt the ability of a 3 or 4 pound 

 pickerel to break a line that will sustain a 

 dead weight of 18 to 20 pounds, such as I 

 have seen severed by them many times. 

 My theory is, the fish either gets the hook 

 down in his mouth or gets it wound around 

 himself and drawn through his mouth. 

 While the line is at a tension it saws 

 through his mouth and is drawn across the 

 sharp, needlelike points of his teeth and is 

 cut, sometimes clear off, but often only deep 

 enough so it will break before the fish is 



