454 



FOREST AND SI. ,£AM. 



come to the surface, and getting hold of H, found the fish still fast, and 

 killed it, 



September 20, 3876.— Julius Seeley caught in Long Pond a b.iss weigh- 

 ing 7 lbs. 10 ozs.; bait, small perch. Do not Know condition of weather. 

 September 7, 1876.— Fished Long Pond. When first anchored, about 

 B a. m ., water smooth as a mirror. Anchor hardly down before I got a 

 strike on my 8 oz. bass rod that indicated a large fish. When nearly 100 

 feet of line had been deliberately taken and I was forced to strike 

 without the fish once halting to gorge the bait, I was gratified to see a 

 large tish show himself twice, at the end of my line. After getting him 

 nearly to the boat, he made two runs, each time taking the most of my 

 tine. When I finally reeled him close to the landing net, he jumped 

 from the water, and spit out the bait— a five-inch perch. Upon exami- 

 nation, 1 found that the bass had swallowed ;the bait only to the hook, 

 which was crosswise of the perch under the back fin ; and there held 

 on and made his fight without once being pricked with the hook, and it 

 WaaOnly lie proximity of the net or boat that made hint repudiate. 

 •The lisli waa estimated by the boatman, Julius Seeley, to weigh over 

 six pounds. I did not weigh him. Later in the day there was a slight 

 breeze from the northeast. 



September 17, 1S76.— Went to Long Pond. Got on the fishing grounds 

 about 7 a. sr. Wind N. N. E., and blowing a gale. Anchor would not 

 bold. While looking for heavy anchor on shore, Julius Seeley, who an- 

 chored on same ground as I had drifted from, caught a bass weighing 

 0& lbs., when his anchor rope was broken, and he, too, came ashore. 

 He nsetl perch for bait. The day was pleasantly warm, and sky clear. 

 August 12, 1876. -Pished Long Pond. Largest bass 8% lbs. Used sil- 

 ver shiners, had no perch of suitable size for bait. Wind east of north. 

 The fish was caught in the middle of p. m., on grass bottom. 



I fish in water from fifteen to twenty feet deep, and anchor between 

 a patch of weeds and deep water, to intercept the bass on their way 

 from the deep, cool water to the weeds, where they find the small fish 

 on which they break their fast. 



Fish in such a place in the morning and evening for b'g ones, and the 

 balance of the day, if you choose to sit in the sun, find grass bottom 

 and go for the small ones, three-fourths of a pound upward, with the 

 chance of once in a while striking one of two or three pounds. Put on 

 a float the length of your rod from the hook, care being taken not to put 

 on too heavy a float, and use a light sinker. W r ith a heavy float or sinker 

 your bait is soon used up. In catching perch for bait, set them in shal- 

 low water near the shore; those caught in deep water are darker in 

 color, not so conspicuous, and will not live as long as you are putting 

 them ou the hook. A shallow water perch will live longer than a m in- 

 now, and there is not the danger of throwing them off the hook. For 

 small bass, minnows are as good as any other bait fish, and tougher 

 than gold or silver shiners. A sucker is equally good, but the fishing 

 in different waters will differ even with the Oswego basB, to which I 

 refer in the foregoing. 



When you come to a black bass that grows In rapid water, you must 

 " Stand down the hall." He Is a gentleman of the first water, and en- 

 titled to respect. He wants a bill of fare every day, and he makes his 

 own selection. Don't go fishing on Saturday with Friday's menu alone; 

 If you do, commence at the bottom or the top, and go through it, you 

 may strike him somewhere between hultres and cafe, and— you may 

 not. 



It you fish with bait, go to some bass river, and where the current is 

 strong at the foot of rapids, with comparatively smooth water— perhaps 

 there is a bend in the river, and the chanael is deepest just off shore. 

 Anchor just above the " hole," in the early morning. If the current is 

 not too strong, put on your float so your hook will almost touch bottom. 

 Stick your hook through the tail of a fresh water crab or crayfish, throw 

 it overboard, and look out for a squall. If the current carries your bait 

 on the surface, take off your float and drop your bait on the bottom. 

 " But my crab has got under a stone my hook is fast." All right, don't 

 try to pull it out, light your pipe, but be quick about it, get hold of your 

 rod and admire the beauties of the morning, or— By ttiesbones of the 

 Imperial Bacchu3 ! what a break he made ! lie nosed that crab out of 

 his hole in a hurry, and he is as full of business as St. Nicholas the night 

 before Christmas. He is a Cash-in, and now it is the freedom of the 

 black-waters from which fie came, or into port dead, (Brother H., this 

 is owing to the turkey I ate for dinner, and if the higher powers let me 

 off with " six months," I won't be found here again). A man has his 

 hands full, or fonr of a kind, to beat a black bass. In such a place as I 

 mention above, a baBs will make his presence known at once, for that 

 is what he is there for, to feed on what comes down the stream. I have 

 found crayfish the best bait, and most ccttain to take in rivers with rocky 

 bottoms. When you have fished the first place and it is 10 o'clock, go 

 ashore and rest in the shade nmil 4 r. k.; then joint your fly rod, and, 

 from the boat, cast toward the shore and over the pools, and give the 

 bass their dessert. 



In 1872, fishiug with Col. Jeptha Garrard, I was casting with three 

 flies on my leader, and saw a small bass rise close in shore at my 

 Btrel ctier. I hooked him, and he did not Bhow again, but became sud- 

 denly a two-pound bass instead of a one-pound fish, and h e soon increased 

 still more. As we were fishing below a fall and above some very rough 

 water, and I was using an eight-ounce fly rod, we had to shoot the 

 rapids or break something, and shoot we did. When the landing net 

 went under that baS3 he was three bass, and weighed nearly 1% pounds. 

 In this connection let me say that in November, 1816, the types of F. ahd 

 ,^. made me say that Col. Garrard caught a black bass on his fly rod 

 weighing three pounds, and it was the largest of which I had any knowl- 

 edge caught in the Hudson. If you will please make that bass weigli 

 five pounds (don't use shot, or you will infringe on the patent of Mr. 

 John Van Bu-ki-k of Washington) the statement will be correct. 



Much of what I have written will be old newa to many, but if we get 

 at the true inwardness of bass fishing, those, who know it all must be 

 patient with those who don't, while they air their ideas; and, too, we 

 must make notes of days that are drawn blank, as well as those we mark 

 with a red letter. 



It would almost seem as if the large bass go In pairs all the summer. 

 Seeley, that I mention above, while fishing a year ago last summer, 

 caught, at two different times, two bass that weighed about six pounds 

 each, and once, one of about the same weight, and lost another. I did 

 this last myself in Lake George in 1875. Ton see that on the day3 when 

 the wind was noted, it came from between north and east. 



If " Splasher " will send me his address, I will be pleased to send him 

 some tied hooks that, I think, are the best bass hooks used ; and if he 

 wilt come here and catch some bass that I will show him, or tell me how 

 to do it, I will make my thanks loud and strong, if "my left lung is 

 nearly gone." 

 I agree with "Splasher" that a bait fish, of whatever kind, must 

 i Ij ; and it needs looking to frequently, If it is auythlng but a 

 i Which I consider the best bass balt-and I am not alone in this 

 Opinion— tot large bass, a perch will live longer than any other tish; 

 gberj and Balling with two rods, on one a perch, oil the other a 

 „■ or shiner, or gold shiner, or silver shiner, the perch will be pre- 

 -., ge bass use large bait. If one of your minnows gets cut 

 or mutilated In any way, the jig is up for that bait, unless the bass are 

 very hungry, l wsv« caught a baas on a dead flsh-I don't remember 

 that 1 ever tried. Yon can do as you like with the pronoun in flnst per- 

 son singular that occurs so often, it is beyond me. Glkns Falls. 



fag and %nn. 



GAME IN SEASON IN JANUARY. 

 Hares, brown and gray. Wild duck, geese, brant, etc. 



FOU Ff.ORIOA. 



Deer, Wild Turkey, Woodcock, Quail, Snips, Ducks and Wild Fowl. 



" Bay birds " generally, Including various species of plover, sand 

 piper, snipe, curlew, oyster-catcher, surf birds, phaiaropes, aVOecet" 

 etc, coming under the group Limicolce, or Shore Birds. 



gentlemen wishing to join a first-class shooting and fishing 

 association can hear of a favorable opportunity by addressing Game 

 this offlce,-[4d», 



New Hampshire — Nashua, Jan. 16. — Weather favorable 

 for protection of quail ; grouse abundant ; good bags the last 

 month, Not so much fox and rabbit hunting as usual at this 

 season? owing to the bare ground. Webb. 



Massachusetts— West Newbury, Jan. 7. — "Whistlers numer- 

 ous at upper end of Plum Island. Some little game in woods 

 about here. Teal. 



Pennsylvania— Mahonlngton, Jan. 7. — Shooting season 

 just closed. Largest bag of quail in county reported was 

 fourteen brace to two guns. A fair breeding stock left over. 



A. 



SJiaron, Bee. 29. — The Messrs. Cole, who have just returned 

 from Michigan with 21 deer and one bear, report game plenty 

 there. Good bags of grouse and quail have been made by 

 several of our sportsmen. Elmeb. 



Maryland— Cumberland, Jan. 12.— Quail have been very 

 plentiful this season notwithstanding that numbers perished 

 last winter from cold and want of food. We have also had 

 good woodcock shooting. Some of the largest deer ever cap- 

 tured iu these parts have been killed a few miles west of us in 

 the Alleganies and the adjoining counties of West Virginia. 

 Wild turkeys are very plenty, and pigeons (in the glades on 

 the B. and O. R. R.) so thick that there was no sport in 

 shooting them. The squirrels last fall in their emigration 

 destroyed a great deal of grain; as high as six and eight be- 

 ing killed on one shock of corn before the others scampered 

 off. So plentiful were they that they would swim the river 

 and come into the city, numbers being killed in private yards. 

 Panthers seem to be rather plentiful. They are quite numer- 

 ous in Garrett County (the glades adjoining us), and some 

 were killed by sportsmen last fall. Hinek. 



Floeida — Lentes Lodge, Jan. 1. — Several enthusiastic sports- 

 men are^it Enterprise, they are making good bags of quail and 

 ducks. Owing to warm weather, ducks not so plenty as usual ; 

 red- heads, blue wing teal and golden eyes afford fair sport. 

 Quail not so plenty this year as last, owing, I think, to the 

 very wet summer killing the young ones. Beer and turkeys 

 very plenty, saddles only 8 cts. per lb. The fast steamer, 

 Wate Lily, that formerly ran on the Harlem River, now car- 

 ries the mail on the Upper St. Johns. She seldom varies ten 

 minutes in her schedule. 



St. Augustine, Jan. 5. — Snipe, quail, and deer shooting 

 good. 



Texas— Galveston, Jan. 4. — Game abounds with us this 

 season. j\ g. fj. 



Missouri— Powelltm, Atchson Co., Jan. 1.— The shooting 

 here in the Northwest has been simply elegant this fall. 

 Chickens and quail in abundance. Old Sol Ohl, the cham- 

 pion snipe hunter, has made some huge bags. E. T. P. 



Ohio— Woodstock, Jan. 11.— Weather favorable for the 

 quail crop next season. T. M. O. 



South- Western Ohio, Jan. ldth.—Om hunting season has 

 just closed; game has been exceedingly plenty, partly ac- 

 counted for from the fact that we were restricted from hunt- 

 ing for two seasons past. Quail were more numerous than 

 any season in my recollection. The season lasted one and a 

 half months : the weather during that time being_ all that 

 could be desired, no snow having fallen, for which I am very 

 thankful, as it prevented the wholesale destruction of game by 

 "pot hunters." The farmers here have had a very severe at- 

 tack of the "posting fever," and are swearing vengeance on 

 any one hunting on their premises. About a half dozen 

 sportsmen have been arrested, most of them pleading guilty 

 and paying their fine of from §7 to $10 and costs ; one, a 

 market hunter, not pleading guilty, was bound over to court 

 in the sum of $100. There has been some stock crippled too, 

 milch cow shot in the udder. But I find there is no hunter 

 these farmers detest as much as the market hunter ; one such 

 person in our neighborhood has done more to set the land- 

 owners against hunters than all the sportsmen put together ; 

 he shot between five and six hundred quail and shipped to 

 city market. There is talk of passing a law this winter not to 

 allow any hunting for five years— we tell them quail will be 

 so thick they will bite them/ Some of our sportsmen made 

 good scores during the season— two, three, and some four 

 hundred quail ■ a fair shot could bag from fifteen to twenty- 

 five quail in a single day's shooting. " Daybreak." 



Michigan— Detroit, Jan. 12.— W. Smith and R. Gay yes- 

 terday bagged eight rabbits out of nine started. 



Red Rufus. 



Wisconsin— Hebron, Jan. 5.— Game this fall was almost 

 totally defunct, owing to the fine weather which prevailed 

 during the month of November. Few mallards and very 

 wild; no good bags made. Amateur. 



A Good Manx Snipe.— The New Orleans Picayune is re- 

 sponsible for what it calls "the greatest shooting exploit ever 

 performed in this country." On the Teche snipe are abundant. 

 A gentleman owning an estate there, so our authority affirms, 

 is in the habit of shooting on the wing 300 snipe a day. Late- 

 ly this sportsman in six days killed 1,960 snipe. Allowing 

 six hours per day to the hunt, this would give about a snipe 

 every minute. As our readers have been frequently informed 

 by our Southern correspondents, snipe are found in enor- 

 mous quantities in Southern Louisiana. Conceding the mere 

 ability of the person who shot all these snipe, still we doubt 

 as to his possessing true sportsmanlike proclivities. Such 

 wholesale slaughter we cannot mention with pleasure. 



—The Cuvier Club of Cincinnati gave its usual re- 

 ception to its friends on New Year's Day. Very numerous 

 invitations had been issued— for the Cuvier does not throw 

 open its doors to mobs— and the elite of the city looked in 

 upon its cosy quarters and did justice to the elegant cuisine. 

 Ihe callers numbered about a good regiment— some 800 per- 

 sons. Its own membership is about 400, and the future of the 

 club is promising. R , Et Bucaigne. 



Audubon Club.— Chicago, Jan, 9.— Editor Forest and 

 Stream—The Audubon Club, of this city, held their annual 

 meeting Jan. 8. The Secretary's and Treasurer's reports 

 show a membership of forty names on their rolls, no debt, 

 and a comfortable cash balance in the Treasury. The follow- 

 ing officers were elected for the ensuing year : Chas. Kern 

 Pres.; W. T. Johnson, First Vice-Pres.; Greene Smith' 

 Second Vice-Pres ; Geo. Barnard, Sec.; Abner Price, Treas 

 Board of Brrectors— S. H. Turrill, Thos. Stagg, J. J. Gilles- 

 pie, Chas. Morris, N. C. Hinsdale ; Br. N. Rowe, Kennel 

 Manager, Action was taken in regard to the State Sports- 

 men s Convention, to be held in June, and the following dele- 

 gates and alternates were appointed : Belegates— Chas. Kern 

 S. H. Turrill, Abner Price, N. C. Hinsdale, W. T. John- 

 son. Alternates— Br. N. Rowe, Chas. Morris, Chas. E. 

 Felton, Alex. Cook, Thos. Stagg. The Board of Birectors 

 were instructed to caU a club shoot at the earliest practicable 

 moment. There is a prospect of an early match at glass 

 balls— teams of eight or ten men— between the Audubon and 

 Chicago Clubs. q. g 



South Brooklyn Sportsmen's Club.— At a meeting at 

 their rooms, 933 Third Avenue, S. B., the 7th inst., the fol- 

 lowing officers were elected : Francis Juif, Pres.; John Ma 

 rony, Vice-Pres. ; Paul A. Bassinger, Secy, j Gus Boysen, 

 freas.; John Castlehune, Sergeant at Arms. 



Ferrisbubg (Vt.) Sportsmen's Club.— The officers 01 uus 

 efficient club who have been elected for the ensuing year are • 

 President— Walker Field ; Vice-President— M. E. Hall • 

 Secretary— R. E. Robinson ; Assistant Secretary— Wm, c' 

 Bradburry ; Treasurer— Byra W. Field ; Executive Commit- 

 tee— J. A. Cadwell,;Eeuben Parker, F. A. Woodbridge, Daniel 

 R. Young; Chaplain— Brevet-Rev. Joseph Birkett. 



Our New Year's Ducks.— We are frequently called upon 

 to acknowledge the receipt at this office of the kindly remem- 

 brances of our friends. All kinds of fish and game have 

 graced first our sanctum and then our table. Visions of a like 

 savory gift came before us, as, New Year's eve, we opened a 

 .box sent us by M. C. Wedd, of Rochester. But, alas! the 

 ducks were unpalatable— wooden ; in short, stones for bread. 

 Our thanks are due, but what can we say with an empty 

 stomach ? Wooden decoys are all very well in their place, 

 but don't tantalize a hungry editor by such inedible gifts. 



Ira A Paine at Providence.— Mr. Paine has just closed 

 a most successful engagement in Providence, at the Opera 

 House, where he has been smashing the glass balls for the 

 last week. The sportsmen generally in Providence, to whom 

 glass ball shooting was novel, have expressed themselves as 

 delighted with this new amusement, and in Rhode Island 

 glass ball shooting will soon be the rage. 



Where the Wild Pigeons Are.— Correspondents teH us 

 that the pigeons were roosting on Tionesta Creek, east of the 

 Alleghany River, in Forest and Warren Counties, about a 

 month ago. A week ago they were roosting about six miles 

 back of President, Venango Co., Pa. Several flocks flew 

 over Petroleum Centre within the last few days. Trappers 

 could have caught them here by thousands during November 

 and December as they would come down to tame birds, and 

 they flew in vast numbers mornings and evenings. Pigeon 

 hunting and good sleighing seldom come together. 



Still Able to Shoot a Little.— On Saturday afternoon, 

 Jan. 19, Capt. Bogardus will shoot a match with Dr, Talbot, 

 a well-known amateur shot. Capt. Bogardus gives Talbot 

 50 broken balls in 100, Talbot to shoot at 50 balls, Bogardus 

 100 balls to be sprung from one trap, screened from view of 

 the shooter, and arranged to throw the balls each time in a 

 different direction. Both to use the same gun, not to weigh 

 more than 7£ lbs. Capt. Bogardus will at any time shoot a 

 match with Paine, giving him some odds. 



W. & C. Soott & Sons' Guns at -Schuyler, Hartley & 

 Graham's. — Such admirable specimens of arms made by W. 

 & C. Scott & Sons, as were exhibited to us by Messrs. Schuy- 

 ler, Hartley & Graham, we have rarely ever seen before. In 

 some respects these guns were exceptional as to weight and 

 bore. Fancy breech-loaders 5± lbs. to 5 J lbs., 26 to 28 ins. 

 long, with a 20 bore, and loading with a shell charged with 

 2 to 2} drs. of powder and f of an oz. of shot ! Such beauties 

 we are comparatively ignorant about in the United States 

 where heavier guns are more in demand. Such small bores 

 and light weights are, however, coming fast into use in Eng- 

 land. As they are modified choke bores, of course they hit 

 hard and true, but may require greater skUl on the part of 

 the shooter. These small bores may be considered as the re- 

 finement of sport. The barrels are of the finest laminated 

 steel, with bar and rebounding locks, top snap and double 

 bolt, extension rib, large head strikers, patent fire-end fasten- 

 ings, pistol grip, with horn heel-plate. As to exquisite finish 

 and beautiful work, these guns are unsurpassed. All that 

 patient and conscientious skill can do for barrels locks 

 breech movement, has been expended on these arms. 'Messrs' 

 Schuyler, Hartley & Graham exhibit a Scott & Sons' gun of 

 heavier weight and bore, an 11 lb. gun with a 10 bore 34 in 

 barrel, which was made specially for the Paris exhibition! 

 This arm is, undoubtedly, the choicest gun we have ever set 

 eyes on. Perhaps Messrs. Scott & Sons never built a more 

 perfect arm. 



With a Remington Rifle.— A correspondent from the 

 State of New York writes as follows • " I shot a deer at sixty 

 rods with a Remington rifle, 38-100 short cartridge. I put 

 the ball through and through the deer. I am sure to kill 

 whenever I get a ball from a Remington into a deer. He 

 always drops in his tracks. 



Fond of the Woods.— James P. Williams, Esq., Cashier of 

 the National Bank of Schoharie, is an ardent sportsman. For 

 the last twenty-two years Mr. Williams has not missed fishing 

 or hunting in the Adirondack region. His sojourn is generally 

 of a month. It speaks well of Mi-. Williams' love for a life in 

 the woods, and we hope he will long be able to seek the 

 sylvan glades of John Brown's track. 



