246 



RECREATION. 



Notwithstanding this, when the water cov- 

 ers the marsh near the mouth of the La- 

 moille river in early spring, the large pick- 

 erel go there in great numbers and alleged 

 sportsmen seek them in boats, armed with 

 shot guns, destroying the fish by cart loads. 



I have talked with many of these men 

 who regretted the practice as ruinous to 

 lake fishing, but justified themselves by say- 

 ing that if others were permitted to do it, 

 they might as well get their share. 



Old fishermen tell me that the fishing is 

 not what it. was. It is not so good as when 

 I first visited the lake, but it is much bet- 

 ter to-day than it will be if the slaughter 

 continues. There may be those who think 

 it policy to exterminate the pickerel in the 

 lake, but I fear it will prove a mistaken 

 policy, and that they will destroy one of the 

 principal attractions for city visitors. 



Camper, South Royalton, Vt. 



DESPOILING A TROUT STREAM. 

 Tacoma sportsmen who occasionally visit 

 the Skokomish river predict that this splen- 

 did stream will soon be ruined by the whole- 

 sale slaughter of the trout by Indians and 

 others who have no regard for the game 

 laws of the State. Evidences are abundant 

 that some persons have dynamited the 

 stream, while nets are frequently employed 

 to trap the fish. These methods are both 

 illegal and unsportsmanlike, and it is a 

 great pity that one of the finest trout 

 streams in this section of the country should 

 be despoiled of its supplies in such a way. 

 The explosion of a stick of dynamite will 

 kill every fish in a pool, the small young 

 trout as well as the large, and nobody but 

 a human hog would employ such a method 

 to secure fish. There is no doubt, however, 

 that it has been done, with the result at 

 times of killing more fish than the brute 

 could carry away. The fish and game war- 

 dens should put a stop to the violation 

 of the law in this manner and prosecute 

 the offenders if it is possible to detect them 

 and procure the necessary evidence. — Edi- 

 torial in Tacoma, Wash., Ledger. 



Know where that editor got his opinion 

 of fish hogs ? Know where he learned how 

 to class them? If not it is because you 

 have not been reading Recreation long 

 enough. — Editor. 



NIBBLES. 



Bass are abundant in most of the waters 

 in this vicinity, and decent sportsmen are 

 cordially invited to avail of the excellent 

 sport to be had here. We should all be 

 glad, however, if the fish hogs would stay 

 away. It would make you tired if you 

 could be here in the summer when the 

 tourists are busy. Some of them bring 

 in strings of fish 6 or 8 feet long, com- 



posed almost entirely of black bass, and 

 after being photographed and written up in 

 the local papers they bury the fish. I trust 

 we may soon have a law to prohibit such 

 slaughter. 



One day last fall a friend asked me to go 

 fishing with him, and we started the next 

 morning at daylight. We went to the 

 Chippewa river and began fishing, just as 

 the sun came over the hills. When the 

 first rays struck the water a big bass took 

 my hook, and after a lively scramble I 

 landed him. He weighed 4 pounds and 4 

 ounces. My friend caught one that 

 weighed 3 pounds and 8 ounces. That 

 made enough for both of us, so we quit 

 and went home. 



Neven Ward, Alexandria, Minn. 



We often see on our lakes great slaugh- 

 ter of bass. One man from Boston caught 

 142 one day and 78 the next. I gave him 

 such a roast that he would not show me 

 his 2-bushel basket after that. 



I wrote and headed a petition to the 

 commissioners and got our best residents 

 to sign it. The result is a special rule lim- 

 iting the catch to 5 a day to one boat. 



There is a period of about 3 weeks in 

 May or June, according to latitude, when 

 any old dub can load a boat with bass, for 

 they are all on the shore in about 3 feet of 

 water and will take minnows as fast as one 

 can cast them. The hogs came near clean- 

 ing out Hadley lake, on the shore of which 

 I live, and they will do&t at Belgrade if not 

 limited in catch. 



I influenced our local dealer to keep 

 Recreation, and the copies he sells are 

 doing good here by teaching people what 

 is a decent bag. 



James L. Robinson, Machias, Maine. 



My Ninth Annual Photo Competition closes 

 November 30. The time is growing short in 

 which to make and enter pictures, and I 

 trust all my friends who have participated 

 in previous competitions may be represented 

 in this one. A number of valuable prizes 

 are offered, and in addition to these all 

 photos used will hereafter be paid for at 

 the rate of 50 cents to $1 each, according 

 to actual value for illustrative purposes. 



"But," protested the prospective tenant, 

 "the house is awfully damp." 



"My dear sir," replied the agent, "that is 

 one of its advantages. In case of fire it 

 isn't likely to burn." 



"And there is no water in the well," con- 

 tinued the would-be renter. 



"Another advantage," said the agent. "In 

 case your children happen to fall in it they 

 will not drown." — Chicago News. 



