370 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[TttRH 8, J88*. 



SaZmo gardnerii, another kind of rainbow trout, forty-two 

 inches long; not guessed, but measured it with a two-foot 

 rule, Chas. J. Smith. 



[We think our correspondent errs in assuming that Clark's 

 trout is the one which has been sent East so freely. All that 

 we have seen, or heard of, have been the coarse-scaled 

 species, Scdm-o iride-a,. It may be possible that some of those 

 that Mr, Stone has sent East* have been the clarkii, as Mr. 

 Smith says that he has seen that species in the Government 

 ponds in California, but those- disseminated by Mr. Frank 

 Clark, of Michigan, and by the New York Fish Commission, 

 are the other species, at least as far as our observation has 

 gone.] 



MINNOW PAIL. 



IT Is an old saying, "That everyday brings something 

 new;" and to-day I was shown "something ' which was 

 "new" to me, and which Twill endeavor to describe. For 

 the capture of various kinds offish live shrimps or minnows 

 are a necessity; and I have found it difficult to transport and 

 keep them alive, as well as to remove them from the pail by 

 landing net or hand without injuring them, or with sufficient 

 facility when fish are biting. 



To-day my friend, Col. D, H. Elliott, agent of the Florida 

 Dispatch Line, entered m}' sanctum, and placed a large pail- 

 like "contraption" on the floor, and remarked, "What do you 

 think of that?" Inquiring what it was he stated that it was 

 the "Al Fresco Minnow Pail." I examined it carefully, and 

 pronounced it an "admirable invention," and inquired "who 

 designed it." He replied "Myself." As I deem it useful 1 

 will endeavor to describe it. 



Material, copper; inside planished; height 14 inches; diam- 

 eter 12 inches; near the top two rows of holes one-eighth of 

 an inch in diameter and one inch apart; fixed convex top. 

 with a five-inch hole in the center; elevation of convexity of 

 top one inch above edge of rim; to outside of pail 

 tached two copper ears, and to these a stout copper handle 

 like that of a common pail. 



Inside and fitting closely is what may be termed a false, 

 bottom, side of same three" inches high, side and bottom per- 

 forated with holes one-eighth of an inch in diameter, and one 

 inch apart. 



A copper rod about the size of a lead pencil is bent at right 

 angles, like an inverted letter _q_; each arm bcinsr 15$ inches 

 in length; the arms pass through holes in the fixed lid. 

 and are soldered to the inside of the false bottom. 



A movable lid closes the opening in the fixed top, and the 

 center of the horizontal portion of the U-like rod is soldered 

 to the top of the movable lid; attached to the central por- 

 tion of the lid is a copper handle like that of an ordinary cof- 

 fee-pot 



The pail is filled with water by immersing it, or by filling 

 it at the aperture, in top of fixed lid. The minnow or shrim] 

 are introduced, and the false bottom lowered to its place, anu 

 the opening in the fixed lid closed bv the movable lid. When 

 not in use the pail can be tied to a stake or dock or lowered 

 to the bottom, a line and buoy being attached. When in use 

 it can be placed in the boat, or suspended from a row-lock by 

 a piece of cord. When traveling, if fresh water cannot be 

 obtained, that contained in the pail can be aerated by the use 

 of a tin cup, or simply by raising and lowering the false bot- 

 tom a few times. 



When the fisherman requires a fresh bait he simply takes 

 hold of the handle on the lid, and raises the false bottom until 

 it comes in contact with the top, when the minnows or 

 shrimp will be out of their element and laying on the perfor- 

 ated false bottom. When hooks are baited the false bottom 

 is lowered to its place, and the pail allowed to remain in or 

 suspended in the water by the side of the boat. 



In my humble opinion the "Al Fresco Minnow Pail" sup- 

 plies a much needed want. It can be made of copper, zinc 

 or tin by any tinsmith; or it can be ordered from the maker 

 in this city, whose name will be furnished, if desired, to any 

 of the readers of the Forest and Stream. Al Fresco. 



Jacksonville, Fla,, May 30, 1882. 



THE WEIGHT OF RODS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I have just been reading Dr. HenshalTs "Book of the 

 Black Bass." 



How amusing are his supercilious remarks (at page 329) upon 

 the proper weight, or rather lightness of trout rods. The doc- 

 tor has written an excellent work on black bass, and he says- 

 "I would here enter my protest against the lightest and 

 'withiest' trout fly rods, weighing from six to seven ounces, 

 being used or recommended for black bass fishing, " So far 

 so good. But then he goes on with this absurdity: "Such 

 rods are but toys at the best, and only admissible for finger- 

 lings or trout weighing from a half pound downward. I 

 know that some anglers make a boast of using such rods, 

 but it is on a par with some gunners who rush to the extreme 

 in light shotguns, and claim that a sixteen or twenty bore is 

 capable of as good general execution as the larger gauges. 

 Now these are born palpable fallacies, as great as that of 

 ' sending a boy to mill ' in the ' History of the Four Ki :gs, J 

 &s many have found to their cost. " 

 _ Poor Doctor 1 I don't know about the guns— perhaps he's 

 right, there — but I'll leave it for some master gunner to speak 

 for them; but as to a light rod, the poor man evidently has 

 not had experience, enough (with trout) to know what he is 

 talking about. To judge from the dark, penetrating eye and 

 great energy shown in the Doctor's portrait that adorns his 

 interesting book, he has lacked the patience to become skill- 

 ful in the use of a light trout rod, or else he has never seen 

 or handled one (I mean a light one of four or five ounces). 

 The Doctor actually expresses his preference for thrashms 

 around (after black bass, though, in this case) with a ten- 

 ounce rod, and enduring "the extra straining of the brachial 

 muscles," doing that all day, to the time consumed in the 

 operation; and to " the general demoralization and used-up 

 condition of the flexors and extensors of his arms." in simply 

 playing and landing a big black bass in open water ! 



If the Doctor plays billiards, he doubtless prefers a 

 twenty-ounce cue, and gets a great deal more of pleasure in 

 knocking the balls about in "Bowery style," to the delicate 

 and poor "general execution" to which Slosson and Sexton 

 and Vignaux have trained themselves, with a cue of twelve 

 to fourteen ounces. 



The Doctor is entirely too diffident about his flexors and 

 extensors, and too confident in the endurance of his brachial 

 muscles. [Doctors do like to use half a dozen technical 

 physiological terms for the same- part of the system— it 

 sounds learned — and once in a while, but not always, they 

 befog a lawyer with them.] 



The Doctor has yet to learn the delight and sweet reward 



of'controlling 'onesalf, and delicately handling" and killing 

 with a five-ounce rod a three-pound trout. There are a 

 dozen gentlemen in the Willewemoc Club who can do it ; 

 and all good fly fishermen (for trout) know that the lighter 

 the rod and the heavier the fish, the greater the pleasure 

 (provided you have the skill). I wish the Doctor more prac- 

 tice with a lighter rod, and more faith in his extensors, and 

 more delicacy of manipulation. Geo. W. Van Siclen. 

 New Touk. . 



THE FLY-CASTING AT^NIAGARA FALLS. 



V17"E nare J ust received proof sheets of the programme of 

 ▼ T the twenty-fourth annual convention of the New 

 York State Association for the Protection of Fish and Game. 

 We have had many inquiries about the prospect of their hav- 

 ing a fly-casting tournament at the meeting, and we find 

 there is to be one. Whoever is managing it has seen fit to 

 make but one class, open to all. and "not to follow out the 

 excellent arrangement of last year, whereby the amateurs had 

 a chance. To remedy this Mr. B. F. Nichols steps in an:: 

 offers, in addition to his free-for-all sweepstakes, a sweep- 

 stakes for amateurs, from any State — a new departure; thus 

 making three contests in all. * We-highly approve the plan of 

 Mr. N lc hols, which will bring some "hew men into the cast- 

 ing. We regard the fly-casting as the most important, use- 

 ful and beautiful of all the contests arranged by the associa- 

 tion, and it is usually given a very humble place. 

 The following is the programme: 

 FLY CASTING. 

 Wednesday, Jctne 14. 

 teodt and black bass. 

 At 1 o'clock A. M.; single hand casting, open to all members; en- 

 trance fee, 85. 



First prize— Conroy & Bissett, New York city, donate 

 one German silver mounted split bamboo fly rod; 



value S40 00 



We add cash 20 00— $00 00 



Second prize— Loomis & Plumb. Syracuse, N. Y,, donate one 



elegant gold bronze automatic reel , 50 00 



Third prize— cash $20 00 



Two Climas gun cleaners 3 00— 23 00 



Special Prizes for Trout and Black Bass Fly-casting. 



the b. f. nichols swesp3takes. 



Open to members of Fish and Game Protective Associations from 



any State. Rules of New York State Association to govern as far as 



applicable. 



153 



FREE-FOR-ALL CLASS— ENTRANCE FIVE DOLLARS. 



First- prize— One split bamboo salmon rod. 18 feet long, 3 pieces, 



■2 tips, in grooved wood case, and sack; value $i3 no 



Second prize— One split bamboo fly rod, 10 feet long, 3 pieces, 2 



tips, in grooved wood case, and sack, value 20 00 



Thira prize— One split bamboo minnow or trolling rod, 8}£ feet 



long, 2 pieces. 2 tips, all in grooved wood case, and sack; 



value ie 00 



AMATEUR SWEEPSTAKES— ENTRANCE THREE DOLLARS. 



Open to members of Fish and Game Protective Associations from 

 any Slate who have not won a prizs at this or a previous contest. 

 First prize— One split bamboo general rod, llj^ feet long; 

 weight, 10V£ oz., 8 pieces, 3 tips, all in grooved wood case, 



and sack; value $23 00 



Second prize.— One split bamboo fly rod. 10 feet long, 2 pieces, 



2 tips, all in grooved wood case, and sack; value.... 18 00 



Donated by F. Nichols, manufacturer of split bamboo fishing rods, 

 S Milk street, Boston, Mass. 



ANOTHER FISHY COINCIDENCE. 



CONSTANT reader as I am of your delightful and valu- 

 able journal, Fokest and Stream, I often note some 

 queer things from your correspondents; few "queerer," how- 

 ever, than the "Fishy Coincidence" in your last. It was 

 very strange, and I am tempted to relate a* companion to it. 



In Omaha lived a venerable Dutchman and his good 

 vrouw. He was called Hans, and was somewhat supersti- 

 tious, while she was named Katrina, and was skeptical. He 

 tells the story: 



"One night, while Katrina and I vas sleeping, I vas awake 

 mit my eyes all de vile by a leedle tog who howled by him- 

 self in" de pack yart. I vake oop Kctrina, und I say io her, 

 'Katrina, 6ometings vas goin' to happen, the tog he howl 

 so.' 



"Katrina she say, 'Co to schleep, you olt fool! te tog he 

 look py te moon. ' 



"I try to schleep, but I vas sure dot someding happen, und 

 my eye vas fast awake. The tog he bowl und howl, unci 

 Katrina she snore und snore for maybe half an hour, und I 

 dond can stand him no longer. I give Katrina a dig in de 

 ribs by mine elpow, und say 'Katrina, Katrina, aufstehen 

 und make a lite, te tog howl so I know someding must hap- 

 pen!' 



' 'Katrina yust kick like a mule, und holler, 'Get up oof 

 you want to, I won't leave de ped if de tog howl till dc 

 ewigkeit!' 



"So ven Katrina said dot she yust turned und snored again 

 till I tink de clock must stop or de shingles get loose; but I 

 coodo't sleep, cos I vas sure somedings vas goin' to happen. 

 Und ven I come down py mine shop in de mornin' und pick 

 ub a newspaper, vat you tink? Dere vas a man dead in Vila- 

 deify." Co, Incidence. 



Fisheries of Virginia.— Census Bulletin No. 381 con- 

 tains the statistics of the fisheries of Virginia, as gathered by 

 Col. McDonald, special agent. It comprises a series of seven 

 tables, embodying the figures for the year ending June 1, 

 1880. Table I. shows the number of men engaged in the 

 thirty counties in the shore and river fisheries as 3,682 and 

 the capital invested $340,855. Table II. gives the quantities 

 and values of the products of the shore and river fisheries, 

 as follows: Shad 3,171,953 lbs., worth .$134,496; alewife or 

 river herring 6,925,413 lbs., worth $76,300: sturgeon 411,558 

 lbs., worth $6,973; Spanish mackerel 1,609,663 lbs., worth 

 $112,699; bluefish 1,546.417 lbs., worth $3b,023; gray and 

 salmon trout (weakfish or squitague) 1,476,000 lbs., worth 

 §29,790: sheepshead 503,666 lbs., worth $26,648; miscella- 

 neous fish 4,486,279 lbs., worth $110,117. Of crabs we have 

 1,069,600 lbs., worth $32,088; clams (hard) 363,820 lbs., worth 

 $18,555; terrapin (estimating each at 3 lbs.) 165,600 lbs., 

 worth sis, 550; making a total of all kinds, including clams, 

 crabs, and terrapin of 21,729,969 lbs., valued at $602,239. 

 Tables III. and IV. give the number of men in the oyster 

 industry as 16.S15, their capital Invested as $1, 351,100,* and 

 their product as 8,237,537 bushels, valued at $2,340,588. 

 Table V. gives the number of men in the menhaden fisheries as 

 708 and the value of their vessels, apparatus and the factory 

 plant as $222,164. Table VI. gives the number of menhaden 

 as 143,353,600, from which was derived 203. 760 gallons of 

 oil worth $81,504, 10,273 tons of scrap worth $205,460, 

 while of the above number of fish taken 14.160,000 were 

 composted, worth $16,865, making a total value of 

 Table VII. gives a statistical summary of the above facts 

 arranged in a different manner, showing the sub-divisions of 

 the men and their catch into the different fisheries. 



Thouttng in Connecticut. — Putnam, Conn., May 29.— 

 Some of the largest strings of trout that have been taken for 

 years, in this and adjoining towns, have been caught within 

 the last two weeks, the continued rainy weather has raised 

 the water just right for successful fishing. Some of our 

 noted anglers have brought in baskets of trout that created 

 quite a sensation. One party caught thirty-five, one forty- 

 two, and another old veteran angler fifty-seven trout. We 

 have a brook running through "the northern part of this 

 village that used to be considered a very good trout stream, 

 but had been fished so much, that we supposed but few if 

 any fish remained, but an old angler thought he would give it 

 a trial, and to his great surprise, he not only filled bis creel 

 but his coal pockets also, with trout ranging from £ to If 

 pounds each. The news from Rangeley "Lakes of 7$ pounds 

 trout being taken at the Middle Dam, and a 100 pound catch 

 at Upper Dam, stirs up the fraternity here considerably, we 

 had not expected to go up until September, but the fever is 

 coming on strong, and rods, fly books, and tackle, are being 

 examined closely and some bright morning about the middle 

 of June, may find some of Putnam's old veterans up at the 

 lakes. If so. Forest and Stream will have to report large 

 catches of trout, as we have "been there" and know how ir°is 

 done. Most all of the parties that go to the Maine woods 

 from this place are merchants and manufacturers, and it is 

 hard to get away at this season of the year, so I suppose we 

 will have to be content with brook fishing for trout, and 

 black bass fishing in its season. — W. 



Bass in New Jersey.— The Newark Sunday Caff says: 

 'Among the best bassing localities easily accessible to Newark- 

 ersthefollowingmaybe meDtionedand rated nearlyin the order 

 named: Delaware Paver, in "Warren, Sussex and Hunterdon 

 counties; Greenwood Lake, Hopatcong Lake, Culvers, Long 

 and Swartswood ponds, in Sussex county ; Green and Splitrock 

 ponds, in Morris county; the Raritan River, the Passaic 

 River above Little Falls, and the Pompton River, above Two 

 Bridges. Special permission can often be obtained for fish- 

 ing in many small but well-stocked private ponds in the 

 northern counties, and immense sport secured. The Dela- 

 ware River is named first because it is reputed to be the best 

 bass ground in the Middle States. It is certainly the largest, 

 most popular, and probably the most visited bv anglers. The 

 Raritan, above tide-water, is said to abound in bass. The 

 Passaic is steadily improving, and although three-pounders 

 are rare, the prospects are that the fish will increase in both 

 size and numbers everyyear. The fishing at the lakes is well 

 known to all anglers, and but little can be said of it that has 

 not appeared in these columns. Black bass have almost ex- 

 tinguished the pickerel from all waters in which they have 

 been placed, as there is nothing more to the taste of a full- 

 grown bass than a half -grown pickerel, and the quiet habits 

 of the latter make him easy game for the prowling bass. 

 Other fish more easily avoid the destroyer, and multiply after 

 his advent as before. 



Habits of the Gar.— Indianola, Tex.. May 25.— While a 

 friend and myself were out for a little hunt last Tuesday 

 morning, 23d ult., and while walking in the marsh surround- 

 ing a lake in the vicinity of this town, the marsh being about 

 ankle deep with water fresh from a late heavy rain, we found 

 the marsh full ol gar fish, from three to five feet long, as 

 thick in places as they could lay together. They were so 

 thickly piled in places that when they wanted to move they 

 just slid over one another. They were about half to two- 

 thirds covered with water; no small ones among them. 

 They took no notice of us at all, although we stood almost 

 among them. There must have been thousands, they being 

 in the same condition, so far as we could see, and we walked 

 a mile or more in the marsh. The lake is about three miles 

 in length and about two in breadth, and is fed from the bay. 

 I have hunted and fished in this State for thirty years and 

 never have seen the like before. What were they doing 

 there? My idea was that they were spawning. Have had 

 fine rains, and look forward to having fine plover shooting 

 this fall. Some ducks still here. Geo. Armstuong. 



The Wa-Wa-Tanda Fishing Club.— The Wa-Wa-Yanda 

 Fishing Club, of Long Island, opened its club house for the 

 season of 1882 on Monday, May 29. The club boat con- 

 nected at Babylon with the 3 :30 and 4:30 P.M. trains from 

 New York- During the season it will connect with the 

 morning and afternoon train.s to and from New York except 

 on Sundays, and then the morning train only. A large num- 

 ber of members attended the opening and a very enjoyable 

 time was had between singing, feasting and the like. Many 

 of those who went to the opening remained over Decoration 

 Day. They spent their time in fishing, sailing and other 

 diversions. The officers of the club are Shepherd F. Knapp, 

 President; James A. Flack, Edward Kearnev and Charles 

 Banks, Vice-Presidents; Ambrose Monelle, Treasurer, and 

 Robert A. Van Wyck and R. M. Jordan, Secretaries. 



Carp in Moriches lis r. — A few weeks ago we recorded 

 the capture of a carp in Moriches Bay, which is the eastern 

 end of Great South Bay, L. I., and remarked upon the 

 freshness of the water there. It was thought to be merely a 

 stray fish which had escaped from some pond and had got 

 into the bay and was kept there by the increasing saltness of 

 the waters 'to the west. Last week Mr. Blackford received 

 another carp of three pounds' weight from Da del B. Cook, 

 of West Hampton, L. I., a little further east than the place 

 where the former one was captured. Mr. Cook writes to 

 know what kind of a fish it is, and rightly suspects it mav 

 be a German carp, He says that the fishermen report small 

 carp plentiful in the bay. 



The "R. W." Fly.— Syracuse, N. Y.— I have been try- 

 ing the fly known as the "R. W." (which, as you may know, 

 is short for Reuben Wood, the champion fly-caster), and I 

 regard it as the most killing fly for either trout or black bass 

 which I ever used. I went to a place on the Oswego River, 

 about four miles south of Oswego City, last week, and took 

 ten bass, nine of which struck the "S, W." Mr, John 

 Babcock recently went out on Seneca Lake and took eight 

 bass, all with this fly. He also regards it as the most kill- 

 ing of flies.— Central City. 



Extinction of Lobsters.— The Belfast, Me., Journal 

 says: The canning business is rapidly killing out the lobster 

 fisheries on the coast of Maine. Good judges say that in 

 three years more the factories will have to close for want 

 fish. "Over fourteen million pounds were caucht in 1879-80, 

 of which nearly nine and a half million pounds were canned. 

 Some of the packers are already moving to New Brunswick 

 and Nova Scotia, from whence lobsters will soon have to be 

 imported, according to present appearances. 



