310 



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FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Mat 18, 



thing wasfull] prepared we Started down the lake. The sky 

 was clouded oVbr, and every few moments a few drops of 

 ram tell, Hut as we had brought alonirrubbra- coats the damp- 

 ' act -noticed very much. Aid too, we were bent on 

 catching fish. We put out the trolling Lines at the sugges- 

 Wn of. our boatman, but as the wind was blowing affand 

 kicking up a little yea, and we. were going at quite a rapid 

 rate 1 did not expect to catch anything. As we approached 



i lew sand: pciut Miaa k gave a sudden scresc (and all 



who have been out fishing with a voim- lady as a compan- 

 ion have heard this self-same scream) and cried, "I've got 

 one. I took the line and soon discovered that we had 

 hooked our first tish. Alter hauling in about Mxty feet of 

 very damp and heavy line, I at last brought to the surface a 

 very small but very lively bass. Pearl smiled in a very 

 knowing way, as much as to say, "that's nothing we arc 

 a I tar larger game. " The bass was dropped into the fish box, 

 and as the signs were favorable we let go our anchor. 



.-.hz-.pok-s art now taken out and We prepare fcr business 

 And they are indeed "poles." Behold them! A long cane 

 .-nous degrees of crookedness and elasticity, an enorm- 

 ous elm, k Ime, at the end of which dangles a heavy piece of 

 le-i<l I 8 ■ * more of brass wire. ' The hook" is a lon-- 



shauked affair that resembles u grappling iron. And we are out 

 bass rishmg. How this tackle would' have amused Gov 

 Alvon! or Reuben Wood! I have fished for bass in the St 

 Lawrence, Oswego River and Lake Ontario, so when 1 saw 

 Pearl's rough tackle I simply stared. 



When I cxpressedsurprise' he elucidated as follows: "Well 

 you see, the, bottom of this 'ere lake is full of weeds and 

 Snagfi, iijii if you use any of these 'ere flimsy poles, the bass 

 will run into a bed of weeds and slay there. * We have these 

 big poles so we can yank 'em." Before we sot through the 

 morning's fishing we discovered the reasonableness of his 

 argument. 



Three frogs are captured from a pail, and, amid many 

 squeaks and wriggles, put upon the hooks. We are in- 

 structed to "keep 'em moving, and not to let them get in the 

 grass." Then all wait for the first bite. Soon our" boatman 

 starts and gives a lively tug at his pole, aud in about one 

 minute a fine bass leaves the water and in a very unsports- 

 manlike manner is dropped in the boat. Now the sport be- 

 gins. We caught six or seven nice ones in about a half 

 hour. One frog would hist until he was torn from the hook, 

 so there was no rebaiting. - I remember distinctly that I 

 caught one small rock bass, the lady and James the re- 

 mainder. 



We now drifted down the lake, and, as it began to rain, 

 landed at an island aud sought, the shelter offered us by a 

 company of campers. We had a very pleasant reception, 

 and were soon comfortably at home. One of the ladies, for 

 we found a number among the campers, played the guitar, 

 so we passed the time in singing college songs and telling 

 fish stories. Soon the rain ceases to fall, and Pearl appears 

 with the announcement: "Now is just the time to fish," We 

 bid good bye to our newly-found friends and are soon asjain 

 on the -water. We now pushed through a bed of weeds'and 

 entered what is called a "pocket." This "pocket" we found 

 to be a small pond, surrounded on all sides by tall weeds. 

 Here Pearl said we would find big bass and pickerel. We 

 enter very quietly and carefully, drop the anchor, put on 

 fresh frogs, and are ready for work. And we. found work 

 at once. We were about thirty feet from the weeds, and a 

 bed of lily pads ran out to the boat. At once the boatman 

 hooked a long-snout. In a very few moments the lady and 

 myself were laboring with the same kind of game. Then 

 we got two fine bass which weighed three pounds each. 

 There was a lull of about twenty minutes, when a sharp 

 snap and a word from James (which sounded like a quota- 

 tion from Burns cut short at the most emphatic part) caused 

 us to look around, and we saw him make a sudden lunge for 

 the bow of 1 lie. fioat, aud for a few moments all that could 

 be seen were his rubber boots and coat tails. It seems that a 

 large bass had taken his bait in such a preliminary manner 

 tha t the pole broke just above his hands, and he had to make 

 quick movements in order to recover i he part that the fish 

 claimed. We found on our return that this bass weighed 

 just five pounds and a half. And he was a beauty. About 

 this time, as I was talking about our second capture to the 

 yojing lady, she informed me that I "had a bite." And I 

 did have one. First my line began to move off in a, very 

 slow and deliberate manner, and for a few moments it 

 seemed as if I would follow both pole and line into the 

 water. I soon recovered myself and struck. What a strike 

 it was! It seemed as though I had hold of the steamer St, 

 Louis. I knew I had a large fish, and yelled to the boatman 

 to weigh the anchor and get into deep water as soon as pos- 

 sible. From pact experience, I was certain that the fish, 

 which I knew by this time was a large one, would try to get 

 under the boat, and then thought'"good-byc to pole and 

 line." Well, we soon got into deep and clear water, and 

 for about ten minutes what fun! "First heat:" Pole and line 

 victorious. 2d : Fish very gamy, and bound to get under 

 the boat and break things. 3d: Boatman getting anxious 

 and fish weakening. At hist we see a dark line in the water, 

 a Hash of light, and all exclaim, "Good gracious, what a 

 monster!" And he was large. Wefound his lordship, when 

 strung up and weighed before an admiring crowd at the 

 hotel, to tip the scales at justeleven and a half pounds. This 

 is the largest pickerel ever caught with a rod and line at 

 Luke Minnetonka, at least so said mine host at the "Lake 

 Park." We caught about two dozen bass after this, and re- 

 turned in time for dinner. 



Our catch consisted of thirty -seven fish in all. The aggre- 

 gat weight was fifty-seven pounds. When we arrived' at 

 the landing, Pearl and a friend strung- the fish on a rope, 

 and putting them on an our between them, marched up to 

 the hotel. We were met by a host of friends and congratu- 

 lated upon our success. Everyone looked in open-mouthed 

 surprise at our monster, aud the exclamations of wonder 

 were not few. We were hack in time for two o'clock din- 

 ner, which we Cully appreciated, but not to that extent that 

 we did the honor of having the biggest catch of the season. 

 Qurt.i,. 



Red Snapper. — The New London, Conn., Tekgram of 

 May 10 reports the catching of a red snapper. (Lntjrn>"n 

 .'','/.) t au'rht somewhere off the New England coast. 

 Tii fish Weighed I m pound.. This U not the Brsl red suap- 

 per which h,\< beer taken in this neighborhood, although the 

 fish proper belongs to the marine fauna of the South. 



Fishing Club house foe Sale.— In pur advertising col- 

 umns will be found a rare chance for a small club or a 

 in Lvati ■■:' " '■!!' to buy an established club house and 

 aqcesso i bargain. 'The location is so near New York 



ANGLING IN THE ADIRONDACKS. 



THE weather lias been very unfavorable. this spring so far 

 for trout-fishing, and but few, if any, trout have been 



caught in this vicinity as yet. According to all ace- 



are having about, the same kind of weather now, the first of 

 May, as they had on Long Island the first of April, Tues- 

 day, the 2d, we had quite a snow storm, and in the 

 mountains south of here I am informed that, it fell to the 

 depth of six inches. There is considerable old snow in the 

 woods yet, and the ice is not out of many of the ponds and 

 lakes. 



A number of sportsmen went to Meacham Lake the first of 

 the week to troll for salmon trout, but found it still covered 

 with ice. Among them was Mr. Reuben Wood, of Syracuse, 

 N. Y. There have been quite a number of salmon caught 

 through holes cut in the ice. I am informed, at Meacham 

 and Chateau gay lakes, both during the past week; but I 

 should judge that there would not be much sport in that 

 way of angling. Just after the full moon in May is con- 

 sidered the best time to troll for salmon trout, and if the ice 

 is not out of the lakes soon, the best of the trolling season 

 will be over before any one will get a chance to take any in 

 that manner of fishing. As far as I am concerned myself, I 

 care but little whether we have any trolling or not. It 

 affords much more sport to take a good-sized speckled trout 

 with a fly rod and tackle than it would to bring the largest 

 salmon in the lakes to "gaff" by trolling. In former years I 

 practiced trolling for salmon' considerable, and caught a 

 great many in that manner in the Chateaugay Lakes twenty- 

 five and thirty years ago; but of late years my fishing has 

 been confined entirely to angling for speckled trout, and 

 mostly with flies. 



As soon as the weather moderates and the ice and snow 

 water gets out of the ponds and streams I intend to take a 

 trip to the 16-mile level of the St. Regis, for a week or ten 

 day's trout fishing. It seems that there are manv sportsmen 

 who are anglers that have the impression that there is no 

 longer any portion of the Adirondacks where the -waters 

 afford good trout fishing. But such is not the ease. I know 

 of quite a number of streams and also several ponds in the 

 northwestern part of what is known as the St. Regis district, 

 whose waters will afford as good trout fishing now as I have 

 ever found during the thirty years that 1 have frequented the 

 wilderness. 



The 16-mile level near Blue Mountain, Franklin county, 

 affords as good trout fishing during the months of May and 

 June as one could wish for, and is" easy of access. A good 

 road leads to it from the Ogdensburg and L. C. R, R., dis- 

 tance twenty-five miles. Brushton is the nearest station on 

 the railroad to it, where there are two good hotels near the 

 depot and a good livery connected with each, where a suit- 

 able conveyance can be procured to take parties to the level 

 or any part of the wilderness. A large hotel is within a 

 short distance of the Level, where good accommodations can 

 be found at moderate charges, board $1.50 per day and other 

 charges in proportion. Good guides aud boats with camp- 

 ing outfits are furnished when wanted. The house has been 

 neatly finished off inside throughout the past year, and the 

 accommodations for sportsmen are now as good as at any 

 house of the kind in the Adirondacks. It is called the Blue 

 Mountain House, being pleasantly located on an elevated 

 piece of ground on tho side of Blue Mountain high up above 

 the surrounding country, commanding a tine view of it for 

 miles around; Henry Phelps is the proprietor; address, St. 

 Regis Falls, Franklin county, N. Y. 



I have spent the greater portion of each season for the past 

 four years on the Level, most of the time in camp, and I 

 believe it to be as good a locality for trout fishing that is any 

 way easy of access, as can now be found in the Adirondacks. 

 There are several streams and a few ponds in the wilderness 

 west of the Level that do not have a hook cast into them by 

 a half a dozen different anglers from one year's end to the 

 other, and where the trout are as plenty now as they ever 

 were. But the angler who attempts to fish in those waters 

 must expect to have a rough time of it traveling through the 

 unbroken forest where there is no road or path to show them 

 the way. But the Level is easy of access, a wagon road 

 leads directly to the landing at its foot from the Blue Moun- 

 tain House. There is also good trout fishing in the two miles 

 of rapids below the falls, and in the four-mile level below 

 them. Through the months of May and June, until the 

 water gets warm, the fishing is good in all parts of the 

 stream, but after the warm weather sets in in July, the trout 

 all gather at the spring holes, as they are called, places in the 

 stream or pond where a spring brook empties in, or where 

 there is a spring at the bottom. The trout can be seen in 

 large numbers in these holes on a clear day when the sun is 

 shining so that its rays strike the bottom of the hole. 



At this time of the season trout fishing is not as good here, 

 as it is only at certain times when the weather is favorable, 

 that they will take bait of any kind. By going to the holes 

 early in the morning, near sunrise, and at night, at sunset, 

 I could most always take a few fine trout with the fly, But 

 it was seldom at this time of the season that they would take 

 sunken bait. I would advise all anglers that contemplate 

 taking a trip trout fishing the coming season, that if they can 

 by any means get away in the months of May or June, "to do 

 so, for they will find far better fishing in these months, let 

 them go where they may. This has been my experience at 

 least in the thirty years and over that I have followed trout 

 fishing. And the sooner one goes after the ice and snow 

 water has all ran off and the streams settled to their natural 

 level the better. 



Until the present time the territory about the headwaters 

 of the three branches of the St. Regis River has been but 

 little troubled by the greatest " curse " of all to the Adiron- 

 dacks, the lumberman. And I was in hopes that it waa go- 

 ing to remain as it is, one of the largest tracts of unbroken 

 wilderness to be found now in the Adirondacks. But 1 am 

 sorry to state that the probabilities are that it has DOt Ions to 

 remain so. A large lumber company from Michigan, lucked 

 by Eastern capitalists, have just purchased the whole terri- 

 tory bordering on the three branches, comprising in all many 

 thousand acres of timbered land. They intend to build two 

 steam mills at the falls, on the middle branch. ;md build a 

 branch railroad from these to some point on the Ogdens 

 burg and L. C. R. R, They will commence business at 

 once, and before the trout fishing season is ovr, I i 

 see scores of men at work around my old camping ground. 



It is a .great pity that the State did not reserve the whole 

 of the Adirondack region for a park and a hunting and fish- 

 ing ground. I would advise those anglers who are thinking of 

 visiting the 10-mile Level and vicinity tor do so the coming 

 season, as they will probably not find the fishing as good 

 season, The lumbermen have destroyed all the fish- 



there is but few left now that is good for anything in North- 

 ern New York. 



The hotel keepers endeavor to make anglers believe who- 

 live at a distance, that the trout are as plenty in the waters 

 that are near them as ever. But all old anglers know 

 betten I can find to-day better trout fishing within threi ti 

 five miles of the railroad, than can lie found in the waters 

 near many of the largest sporting houses that are from twenty 

 to forty miles away from the railroad. But very few anglers 

 from out of the county have ever frequented the Ifi-iuilc 

 Level, especially in the months of May and June. Most of 

 the sportsmen that have been there from a distance came in 

 August to hunt deer, so that this stream has not been fished 

 to death like many of the of hers, and besides there has not 

 been a first-class stopping place near it until lately, which is 

 one reason that it has not been frequented more. " 



Aukkk Ojtdack. 

 Neah the Adirondack*, Mayl. 



The Eyesight of Trout.— In respect to that wonderful 

 eyesight which Walton says is "keener than the hawk's." 

 In the first place. Walton was not a very expert trout angler, 

 and, though we love and revere him for his kindly nature, 

 there are matters in his deductions and doctrines which We 

 have learned somewhat more of now than was known 200 

 years and more ago. Most certainly a trout's sight is not 

 keener than a hawk's, nor anything iiear as keen as a hawk's. 

 Nature never meant it to he" so. because there was no neces- 

 sity for it; and nature always graduates the means to suit 

 the end. A hawk needs to see his prey in grass or heather 

 when hovering in the air a mile or more off. A trout only 

 needs to see it some three or four feet or so away, and I am 

 quite of opinion that a trout's sight is not nearly so keen as 

 it has been represented to be. It' is true that if you come 

 suddenly between him and the bare sky behind, at a distance 

 of, say, twelve or fourteen yards, he will see you instantly 

 and cease rising, but increase the distance to" seventeen o'r 

 eighteen yards; and he does not see you nearly so well, and if 

 you stoop, I believe, not at all. I think it is a question en- 

 tirely, in that case, of the angle of refraction between the 

 air and the water. In fact. I believe this, that a i rout can 

 see you just so far as the angle of refraction enables him to 

 sec you, and no further, and this will of course, to an extent, 

 be affected by the depth of water he lies at. But what in- 

 duces me to doubt the sharpness of his sight is this : If 1 

 stand with my back to a tree or hedge, so that I make no dis- 

 tinct outline on the sky, and do not otherwise attract atten- 

 tion; the trout cannot see me, and I can raise him easily al- 

 most under my rod-point; but if I move three yards away 

 from the tree or bush, I cannot. Now, I think that proves 

 an eyesight much less keen than a hawk's. Nature meant 

 the fish to get his living in the water and on the surface 

 thereof, and constructed his eyesight accordingly. She did 

 not in her scheme take into consideration the fact that there 

 might be rod-fishers on the river banks, and in another ele- 

 ment; who would be inimical to the tish, and against whom 

 it would be necessary to provide fish with special powers of 

 vision. No doubt a fish can sec his enemies in the water as 

 a hawk could see his in the air, and no doubt anglers have 

 educated the fish to an extent to beware of them also; but it is 

 an imperfect extent only, by reason of the difference of ele- 

 ment and by reason of anglers not forming an item in the 

 scheme of creation.— London Fidd. 



The Rainbow Trout.— I noticed a short article in your 

 issue of April 13, written by "H. R. G." in regard to the 

 rainbow trout, and fearing that if the gentleman should Sver 

 come in sight of one of them again that he might not re- 

 cover, I will endeavor to explain a little why the rainbow 

 trout sent from California to Mr. Blackford, 'which he hud 

 on exhibition in New York were, as he, "II. R. G.," called 

 them, great black ugly beasts, as I was acquainted with 

 the. fish and the manner in which ihey were taken from the 

 water before they were shipped from Calif Oinia, In the first 

 place the fish were taken from the water right in their 

 spawning season, a time in their lives "' i I U show, I 

 think, to their worst possible advantage. Being taken at. 

 that season of the year from our pure, cold McC'lond River 

 water, killed, packed and shipped across the continent, a 

 distance of some four thousand miles and part of the way 

 on stages over rough mountainous roads, I think it no won- 

 der why they should not present a very bright, fresh and 

 grand appearance. I do not want to underrate the Eastern 

 trout in the least, for we, all know them to be fine, but I do 

 defy "H. R. G." or any other man that lives, to exhibit: a 

 more beautiful trout, or a trout that, would be called by the 

 majority of the people a liner flavored trout for th lie 



than can be found in the United Slates trout ponds of Cali- 

 fornia. And, taking them on an equal footing with the. 

 Eastern trout in both those respects, there comes the advan- 

 tages which all must .admit to be in the ci an First, 

 that the rainbow grow to a much larger size than the East- 

 ern, as they very frequently weigh upward of ten pounds. 

 Second, that they will thrive and do well in streams 

 where the Eastern trout will not, and are a great deal more 

 hardy fish in every respect, Third, that their eggs can he 

 more successfully matured aud hatched wdiere Eastern trout 

 eggs would die at once, Taking these advantages, and others 

 that I might mention, into consideration, I think "H. R. G.'s" 

 -udgment a little hasty. — L. W. G. (MeCloud River, Cal.) 



"Gentles."— What American angler who has read in 



Walton of a "horn of gentles" has noi at first wondered what 

 they might be? Later" he has learned that this i b attgiei 

 name for what the outside world calls "maggots." They 

 have not found favor here because Americans, after aiiain- 

 ing manhood, seldom fish for small brook fish. We find by 

 the Baltimore ttibs that Marylandars use them in gudgeon 

 fishing. We cannot approve the popular name flint the 

 Baltimorean gives them; "hunkidori," is not an improve- 

 ment on that used by Walton, who carried them in 

 horn. The New s says : The use of "hunkidori'' (vnjgflrly 

 called maggots) as bait has had to overcome a great prejudice, 

 and has succeeded in great measure. TJoispreludice 

 on an erroneous idea as to the sources whence the rj 

 able wrigglers are obtained. The method pursued in their 

 production is to obtain a piece of meat and subject it to the 

 proper treatment for the production of the. maggot. It is 

 then placed in a sieve and its living contents sifted into a 

 vessel of cornmeal, in which they are allowed to remain until 

 they have cleansed themselves* of corruption, They are. 

 passed through two additional meal baths, and come i D 

 clean as if their birth hael been of a nature less obnoxious to 

 squeamish stomachs. They are then sold as gudgeon bait 

 and prove, par excellence, the attraction tbl 'idle 



fisiuntoi.. basket, 



