Makch 30, 1832. | 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



171 



foil have your reels to attend to, Get each one (but 



lv one at •■! Mine) firmly in your lefi hand, then rip the 



q'I y. How does i( run? That one seems to stick! 



,-houkt think it did. Now get out your screw-driver and 



re, take the reel apart, get a saucer and put some fcero- 



ii hi it, awl then with a rag get to work and soak nil 

 as on which there has been any oil: in a short time 



;!! find the old gummy oil getting soft. Take a few 

 ■- of soft pine, wood, sharpan the ends, and. with these 

 i through every cog and socket and clean them out 

 . lake dry rags and polish every part till they 

 ine like glass, but don't use any gritty substance (ike 

 miioe stone or whiting— nothing but oil and elbow grease. 

 Now apply a small quantity of tine machine oil where 

 'eded. put your reel together, see that everything is in the 

 ilit placo. Now try how it goes. Ah! that is just the 

 ing! She spins like a top, No sticking now, and no rattle 

 that, 



Go over every one the sameVay. Don't put any more oil 

 i ihan is necessary to make things run smooth. 'A little is 

 pd; any more is "flippers flappers," as the girl said when 

 e tried to say superfluous. 



Now, brother angler, I have probably told you nothing that 

 new to you. If you arc a careful man you have doubtless 

 tended to all these matters; but in my own experience I 

 [ye found good fellows, fine fishermen, who are sadly negli- 

 ni in regard to these things, and lo thin class the foregoing 

 ggestions are offered. But I cannot lay aside all the 

 of our art without a few thoughts— pleasant 

 i niories of pleasant hours enjoyed with ihom in the past, 

 Why, there in the comer stands my "Old Reliable" rod. 

 bade it myself; rough looking it may lie'; no shame to it, 

 r it has done a great deal of work in its day, and is good 

 r more of the same, it has been to the funeral of half a 

 sen other rods, and will outlive more of them still. In one 

 iv. yes, ninety minutes, I took on that rod sixty-two weak- 

 h and never missed one. f have had dogfish that, when 

 tee in the boat, 1 could hardly hold; have had bluefish 

 ray up the scale in weight, blackfish, seabass, kingfish, and 

 irgals of all sorts and sizes come up the line on that rod. 

 xhere is my flyrpd, made to order for me and sent home 

 Idle I was lying on a sick bed very near death. When it 



I was so feeble ihat I could not lift it, but- it did me as 

 ttjjh good as my medicine. It was laid near my bed where 

 could see it; and often my good wife, while watching 

 Bide me, would at my request put it together, just to let me 

 ii i would swing, and then in my ingratitude I would 

 utier. "Women ain't any good in fixing fly rods." 

 There's my pet bait rod, good and true every time; what a 

 lly light I had with the first trout I got on it. I was fish- 

 g On South Branch of the Moose River from a ledge of 

 cka te\i or twelve feet above the rapids when it struck, and 

 e had such a idee time; it was full of fight, and I had him 

 here there was plenty of room to ran, but he had me foul, 

 ft 1 had to get down off those rocks lo land him, and as 

 fen as I would start to clamber clown he would make a 

 esh run for fife; hut he was finally put away in my basket 

 g captive pound trout. 



And so (in through the whole line, they all remind us of 

 ropy hours and good times in the past. 'They deserve good 

 ire. and if given that they will pay good dividends in the 

 me way in the future. J. R,, Jb. 



THE TROUT OPENING AT BLACKFORD'S. 



r I'M IE openings of the Grout season at Blackford's, inFul- 

 X ton Market, New York, have become famous the world 

 over. Each year he has exceeded the previous one in the 

 beauty of (he display- and the extent of country from which 

 he has drawn his exhibit. This year he will reach the climax, 

 in tin- line of beauty at least, because he has the new market, 

 aud will devote his whole space to trout, while carrying on 

 ... regular business in his temporary quarters outside. 



AtnOBg I lie features of the show this year will be the ele- 

 gant display of 500 live trout by the South Side Sportsman's 

 ('lub of Long Island, in large aquaria. The club will also 

 have, a live rainbow trout of three or four pounds weight on 

 Khibition, as well as many dead fish. The Suffolk Club, 

 Esq of Long Island, will make a large display. Mr, Armis- 

 tead. a famous trout-breeder of Scotland, has promised fishes 

 from that country. Mr. B. B. Redding, Fish Commissioner 

 of California, will send Dolly Varden trout, SaZveUnus mat- 

 in i. also "McCloud river" trout (rainbow?), Carson river, 

 and Taboe trout. Prom Mr. J. Ostreicher, Elcho, and Mea- 

 chain and Blakesly, Humboldt, Nevada, will come "Hum- 

 boldt river trout," Sahno rfrirkii, and quinnat salmon. Of 

 'urMiMr, Bedding writes that they are the best trout 

 he knows of. and hopes that Mr. Blackford will take pains to 

 display the fish, so Unit people at the East will know the fish 

 by sight at least. Specimens of fish are expected, also, from 

 the works of the Now York Fish Commission at Caledonia. 

 _ Mi - . James Annin, Jr., of Caledonia, N. Y., will, in addi- 

 tion to his display of trout, show trout eggs in process of 

 batching. The United States Fish Commission will exhibit 

 Lon fry from a week to six weeks old in hatching jars; 

 B are from the lot now being developed at Mr. Clapham's 

 :hery at Roslyn, L. I.,, under the care of Mr. Fred. 

 her. with which Professor Baird intends to stock certain 

 irs in New York. . 



ic invitations to the troui opening this year are elegant 



imo lithographs and represent "the spirit of the water- 



" A troui. is leaping on a pool below a fall and the fairy. 



io is the presiding genius of the place, seizes the oppor- 



inity to expand her dragon-fly wings while standing on the 



backed I he fish. The picture was drawn for Mr. Blackford 



H Pan Beard. On the third page occurs the following invi- 



V'ui are cordially invited to inspect all the procurable, 

 t of trout which I shall have on exhibition and for 

 sale on the first day of April at my new establishment in 

 RUton Market. 



The exhibition will be under more auspicious conditions 

 than formerly, as it will not only celebrate the commence- 

 ment of the I rout season, but will be the occasion of the 

 Spuing of our magnificent stalls in the new market build- 



Hxamples of fishenlture from all the leading fishculturists 

 and Fish Commissioners of the United States will be dis- 



i: a hand which is distributing flsh to the 

 and is emblematical of fishenlture. 

 Ladies have heretofore thronged the "trout openings," 

 lis of the old riekety market and its filth; 

 ImUcUug and its dean asphalt floors we 





THE FIRST TROUT OF THE SEASON. 



TTTTHAT an indescribable charm there is about I he first 

 T T trout of the season. What an awakening to the true 

 inwardness of life rests upon that initial fish, lie ho lag, little, 

 or the fruit of w r orm or fly. The first grouse* or quail, or 

 woodcock no more Compares With him than faylegs midnight 

 with the vernal noon, ft is the epoch of >: 

 in which the soul leaps from the pent up confines of the win- 

 ter into the glorious freedom of a new day and a new life. 



After a long, busy season of inanition— excuse the paradox 

 — in which life has been made up of work ami 

 amusement, when the gun and rod bang idly on their hooks, 

 how delightful to have suddenly thrust home the fact that in 

 a few days the trout season will open. What a shaking off 

 ;:f wintry associations— how ev: rythuu. in nude i; a;<\ even 

 to the smallest details, nothing is forgotten: the split; Shot so 

 essential in bait-fishing are stowed away in the little pocket 

 of the old shooting-coat; the drinking-cup is lucked in its 

 accustomed place; the extra leaders, snells. and flies are care- 

 fully unraveled and looped ship-shape in the fly -book— and 

 the angler, having arranged everything to his 'satisfaction, 

 waits in a dreamy, contented (never impatient if he be a true 

 disciple) sort of way for the opening day. On April 1st, at 

 early dawn, we find him with trembling fingers adjusting a 

 fat grab to his hook; before him ripples the stream whose 

 waters have paid tribute to his skill for many years. Still, 

 in spite of past experiences, he has the same old trouble get- 

 ting read\ fe.r thi first east he did twenlt vears age. Tut at 

 last the tackle is satisfactorily arranged,' and With heating 

 heart the lure is carefully dropped into the same old "riffle" 

 and goes dancing down to the head of the same old pool, 

 and quick as a flash, as has happened oft before, is seized 

 and borne beneath the overhanging bank. It is hut the work 

 of a moment to land him, for there are uo big fish in the 

 stream— and the first trout of the season slips into the yawn- 

 ing creel. 



It were folly to attempt a description of the joys attendant 

 upon his capture. Only those who have been there may 

 know what a delicious litillation courses through the nerves 

 as the rod tip nods and the line cuts the water like a knife. 

 Anglers! pity those who know not the delights of trout- 

 flshing, and thank a kind Providence that He lias implanted 

 in your hearts a love for this gentle craft, Practice it while 

 you have opportunity, and so shall your life be sweetened 

 and your days lengthened, and as each succeeding year rolls 

 round you shall again and again revel in the unalloyed bliss 

 of the first trout of the season. 11. W ,'l). L. 



TROUT FISHING AT SPOKAN FALLS. 



I INTEND to have a time -with the two pounders in the 

 Spokan in a few days, and after we move camp will 

 tackle the prairie chickens, as there are flocks of them where 

 the new camp is to be. I have seen a few ducks in the Tule 

 Lakes about here, and the old settlers say there will be more 

 of them later on. 



"Gustavus Snooks" has a near relative living here in the 

 person of a storekeeper. His first exploit was to select the 

 finest rod and tackle in the store, walk to the river, slap his 

 line into the water and immediately hook a two-pound trout. 

 As soon as he felt the fish be gave one tremendous yank, 

 broke his line, snapped his rod in four pieces, and then both 

 feet slipping he violently assumed a sitting posture, demol- 

 ishing a large silver tobacco box in the hack pocket of his 

 breeches, the presence of which sayed him from becoming a 

 total wreck, by breaking the force of his sitting down. 



Two day r s after he selected another rod and sallied forth, 

 this time accompanied by his dog, and bound for a beautiful 

 place for casting, which "I had pointed out to him. On his 

 arrival he put his tackle together, braced himself firmly, 

 (after, as a wicked man in town avers, carefully folding his 

 coat and placing it on the ground so as to break his fall in 

 case of another two-pounder) and prepared to make his 

 first cast. 



In the meanwhile the dog had seated himself a little ways 

 behind him, with both ears cocked up and with an intensely 

 inquiring expression of countenance, was closely watching 

 the proceedings. "Gustavus" having "a good ready on," gave 

 a grand flourish with his rod which threw the line back of 

 him, and drove with his forward motion for a big cast one of 

 the hooks in the ear of the dog, who Immediately set up a 

 loud ki-yi, and bolted frantically back to town, dragging line 

 and rod after him. "G." was utterly astonished" by this 

 unexpected disappearance of his rod", and for an instant- 

 stared intently at the cloudless sky above him, probably 

 thinking "it was angels!" When realizing what had oc- 

 curred, he filled the surrounding atmosphere with big, big 

 d's, and started after the dog. He found portions of the rod 

 and line along the road, and on reaching town discovered 

 the dog on the top of a lumber pile with one hook in his ear 

 and another in his back, wildly pawing his head and howl- 

 ing for relief. 



"G." has since very much improved, owing to my able 

 (ahem !) tuition, and now brings in as good a basket as any 

 of his fellow townsmen. Occasionally the memory of former 

 days arise and he mourns the loss of two good rods, and in 

 an absent-minded sort of manner refers to himself as dinged 

 fool and mumbles incoherently about a dinged dog and a 

 dinged hard rock, and is thrown into violent fits of anger if 

 some one innocently asks him how he dented his tobacco 

 box. E. T. S. 



Laws for the People, Not for Pirates.— -The Bald- 

 winsville, N. Y., Gazette recently said : "But there is another 

 thing that affects many, and that is a feeling that, the game 

 laws exist, not for the people, hut for a party of city sports- 

 men, who will descend on all our trout streams on 'the first 

 of April, and cany home all they can catch of fish of a finger's 

 length or under — mostly und<M\ There is a deep-rooted but- 

 unwise feeling among our rural population against all game 

 laws, and this will not be overcome by violent acts. Those 

 whom the city papers sometimes denounce as pirates ftD I 

 roughs, telling baseless stories about- their terrible deed-. 

 simply exercise what they regard as a natural right, We 

 believe still, that if they could test the advantages" of some 

 restrictive measures, they would in time be found among 

 the intelligent and strong supporters of laws even more bene- 

 ficial. Prof. Baird, U. S. Fish Commissioner, makes friends 

 of the fishermen, and they help instead of opposing him. 

 We recommend his reports to the attention of die JoU/rnttl, 

 and his example to the Syracuse Fisherman's Club." To 

 this the Syracuse Jivd-un', always the friend and champion 

 of law-abiding sportsmen, replies; "Our friend is mistaken 

 iu his first conclusion. The game la-. - 



and onposed r " "' U with nets '■■'■ 



- |p,(j and child !- I 



limes to catch fish with hook and line, and if gome do not 

 choose to avail themselves of the privilege, they ought not to 

 find fault With those who do. Is the Gktet I 1 ,: a bet ter friend of 

 the outlaws who with fist- and pistols have defied the law, than 

 of the 'city sportsmen' who observe I lie laws, harm nobody 

 and secure a little needed recreation? And docs it suppose 

 that Prof. Baird 'makes friends' with such fishermen as at- 

 tempted to tak.o the life of George Crownhart, at Oneida 

 Lake? Not much! We believe in-laws which provide for 

 an equal distribution of fish aud game, that is, one which 

 gives all the people an equal chance, and permits none to 

 rob the majority of their rights. The contest with the pirates 

 who have so effectually cleared out Oneida Lake that a fish 

 can scarcely be caught with a hook, was long and some of 

 the time desperate, but In the end they were beaten, and 

 many of them are now going to the shores of Lake Ontario 

 to continue their nefarious work. Are these men to lie in- 

 vited by the Legislature to return and continue their robber- 

 ies under the authority of law? If net fishinn; is to be legal- 

 ized, it is time to abolish hatcheries and all means for stock- 

 ing lakes and streams. We cannot believe that either oi" the. 

 three sportsmen's clubs of this city have given Mr. Alvord's 

 hill countenance, and we are equally sure that the Gfagetfc lias 

 been greatly misled. " 



How a Two Pound Pickerel Chased a Yoitng Lady 

 Forty Rods on Dry Ground. — Several years ago, when 

 recovering from a long and dangerous illness, I went home 

 to my father's, in Maine, for a visit, and to be "missed up" 

 by the dear old mother. One day I wanted to go down to 

 the Saco River, a quarter of a mile away, and try for a fish, 

 but the nurse said uo, 1 could not go unless some one would 

 go along to pull me out.if I tumbled in. 1 .had been to the 

 river two days before, and in consequence of a sudden attack 

 of vertigo had fallen into the water and nearly perished. 

 Finally I coaxed my sister, a young lady of seventeen, to go 

 with me, and off we started, each equipped with a bamboo 

 rod. My sister had never caught a fish larger than a finger- 

 ling trout, and was withal somewhat inclined to be nervous 

 and easily frightened. Reaching the. river I sat down on a. 

 log to rest, having first put a frog on my sister's hook. 

 Down the bank she went and gallantly made her first cast; 

 almost instantly she cried out, "Oh! I've got a bite!" 

 "Pull then," I answered, and pull she did, bringing the open 

 countenance of a two pound pickerel above" the surfr.ee. 

 Frightened at the appearance of the monster she gave one 

 tremendous shriek and precipitately fled up the bank, for- 

 getting, however, in her alarm to let go the rod, which she 

 dragged behind her with one hand. Of course the pickerel 

 followed right after, for he was securely hooked. As she 

 reached the log where I sat convulsed witli laughter, she gave. 

 one "lingering backward look of sadness." saw the pickerel 

 coming on at a hand gallop, gave another terrible shriek, and 

 "lit out." for home, still unconsciously clutching the rod. 

 Once in about every ten jumps she would look behind, see 

 the fish "faint, yet pursuing," scream, and redouble her 

 endeavors to escape. As best I could I followed on, now 

 alarmed myself, fearing evil effects to the pursued. On the. 

 side of the hill, forty rods away, I found the fish, (the line 

 had broken) his mouth crammed with dirt and leaves, and a. 

 little farther on found my sister too utterly exhausted to run 

 longer. She soon recovered from her fright, and proudly 

 carried home her catch, but as she is still somewhat sensitive 

 about that experience, please don'f. send her a postal card to 

 the effect that. I have let the cat out of the bag. — J. Frank 

 Locke (Pillsbury, Minn.). 



An Epistle to Trout Fishers. — Now, as the season 

 draweth nigh when the disciples of the " Gentle Art" go 

 forth with rod, reel and creel, "to entice the mountain trout, 

 to engulph into their denticulated nostril a barbed hook, on 

 whose point they have affixed a dainty allurement." Listen 

 to the voice of wisdom speaking from years of experience. 

 When thou gocst forth take with thee a variety of bait, for 

 the trout, of all fishes, are the most undecided as regards 

 their diet. When thou castcth thy bait upon the waters, 

 and it should come to pass that instead of falling like a snow- 

 flake where thou intendest it to fall, thou 'diseoverest it 

 dangling from a grape vine on the opposite side of the 

 stream, be not weary in well-doing. And I beseech thee 

 that in tliy peregrinations through the rhododendrons that. 

 line the banks of the stream, wheu thy hook taketh hold on 

 everything wdthin reach, and a great iuany that are out of it, 

 when thy lancewood tip tie broken, and thy line like a fly 

 net is woven among the underbrush, to remember the third 

 commandment. But if peradventure too much of a same- 

 ness in this line should occur, then shalt thou be privileged 

 to say llaiUy, and when thou sayest it, mean it. Now I ex- 

 hort you, my brethren, that you do not unnecessarily en- 

 large either the size or the number of thy catch thai thy" days 

 may be long in the land and thy end peaceful. Neither 

 angle thou for numbers lest thou be' tempted to take those 

 that are good for naught except to count; always bearing in 

 mind that a basket half filled with fair-sized trout is prefer- 

 able to one filled with fingerlings. And 1 enjoin upon thee 

 never to catch trout to sell lest thou lose thy self-respect. 

 ' 'Then art thou poor indeed. " And finally, my brethren, if 

 you have not already done so, subscribe for I he" Fockst and 

 Stream, that thou mayest learn what flies io use' in the dif- 

 ferent months, and where to purchase the finest tackle, thin 



shall thy children rise up and call tie- -- l T/aak 



Wa Ito n ,— SANcno Panza . 



Badly Tied Hooks.— Mill Springs. Ky.. March, '82,— 

 The morning of the 4th inst. was so delightful, char and 

 warm that. I readily assented to my little son's proposition 

 that he catch a bucket of minnows and we would go a-lishing. 

 At noon he reported bad success, but at one o'clock, when 

 the mercury indicated 80 deg. Fab. in the shade, we start d 

 on our eight miles' jaunt to the river with but half a do/a m 

 good minnows in a' bucket containing eighteen or twenty. 

 The first cast was made at four o'clock, and v-hm fche 1*1. 

 good minnow was mangled we had five pike-perch Bteung, 

 two of which weighed respectively eight and eleven pounds'; 

 The roe from the larger weighed 2.jlhs. Te .. large ii-h were 

 lost by Hie abominable indifferent manner in which the hooks 

 had beenyjied to the gut- — and they were purchased of nnr of 

 the boss establishments of your riparian village, What can 

 be more exasperating than to see that you have a il ll lli " 

 when landing aet is brought to the front and you Eeel that 

 almost as- good -\< strung, to cxperiencea general 

 ■ and discover your lead and Hoar flying through 

 -I from a -catapult? 1 eon fi-'s that my feeble 



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