Jtoe 29, 1882.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



42S 



spent an hour or more with a school of pickerel, taking 

 them until their capture ceased to he sport. 



A glance at the ami told us we had loitered too long on the 

 way to go further up that day without being late in camp 

 again; however, had we struck another chief of the tribe, I 

 have no doubt we would have stayed out until morning, if 

 necessary, and fell: little the worse'for it. 



We fished along around the east shore, took a couple of 

 pass, and went ashore at Bower's house to hunt a spring, as 

 the last hour in the broiling sun had well-nigh parched us 

 with thirst, 



Taking the path from the landing up to the house, I soon 

 "smelled out" the spring a few rods south, at the foot of the 

 low hill; and I won't say how much I drank of it, but Jim 

 is not much off in his estimate of the writer's capacity for 

 water that goes to the spot. Filling the old-fashioned army 

 cup brimming full, I took it down to Dan and went back to 

 the house to hud some one to take our fish off our hands. 



The most noticeable features about the place were a shift- 

 less, "wulhless" looking dog that roused himself out of a 

 sound nap at my approach — too lazy to bark or coax more 

 than a couple of listless wags out of a burr-infested tail, and 

 too good-natured to bite — a tub two-thirds full of water, and 

 dead sunfish— a pig-pen right alongside the front door, con- 

 taing a fat, grunting porker — and a cow stable built against 

 the rear of the house; thus making it handy for a change of 

 moot villainous smells. 



A knock brought "Uncle Bower," an aged, bent man, to 

 the door, and after getting him to understand that we wished 

 him to accept our fish, he went with me to the boat and we 

 loaded hi in down with fish enough to last him and his good 

 dame and a neighbor or two a week, or as Dan said, "enough 

 to keep him sortin' fish bones for a mouth." 



Glad to have disposed of our fish in a way that would do 

 our fellow creatures some good and not look just wasteful, 

 we said good bye to the pleasant old gentleman and pulled 

 across the lake to pick up our other string of fish. 

 , Going down Dan fell into a streak of sport that was en- 

 tirely new to him and greatly to his pleasure. I pulled the 

 boat along at a moderate speed ten or twelve feet from the 

 wall of lily pads, and with twelve to fifteen feet of line clear 

 of the rod he would jerk or skitter the dead frog along on 

 top of the water, sometimes raising it a foot or more from 

 the surface. Every few yards, or at most rods, a bass would 

 make a dash for it, f requently leaping for it while in the air, 

 and when one was hooked I stopped the boat and waited 

 while he was led alongside, when after disengaging the hook 

 he was dropped back into the water, a few only of the larger 

 ones going on a stringer for camp. After half a mile or 

 more of this (to Dan) exciting sport I got tired of taking 

 them off and dropping them back, and meekly suggested that 

 some things had limits— even skittering for big-mouthed bass 

 might run against a boundary line somewhere, and as my part 

 of the spoils amounted to little more than ' 'gnawin' of a bone, " 

 while he was feasting off the fat of the land, stuffing him- 

 self with woodcock, and trout and terrapin, so to speak, the 

 partnership looked a trifle one-sided. Agreeing to this view 

 of it he pointed out a certain landmark where he would let 

 up, and we -would try it again some other day. 



Out into White's Lake, we pulled over to the mill and 

 gave our neighbors there a good share of our fish, keeping 

 enough to make the boys' mouths water when we got to 

 camp, in case they had been leaj lucky than we. We fished 

 little going through White's; took two or three bass and a 

 pickerel— a fighter— and as the sun kissed the eastern hill- 

 tops good-night, and fleecy wreaths of white mist began to 

 creep along the shores in the twilight, we floated out on 

 Sisson's quiet bosom, and in a few minutes were resting our 

 cramped limbs on the little beach in front of the camp. 



The boys were all in, and happy as a ground squirrel with 

 apeck of beech-nuts in his winter store house, but rather 

 disappointed at the results of the day's fishing. 



After leaving camp in the morning they'were overtaken 

 down the lake by Aleck Benway, in his boat, who was out 

 for a day's sport with rod and spear, and at his invitation 

 Brother R. had eagerly changed his cramped quarters in the 

 bow of the little skiff for a more roomy and comfortable 

 place in Aleck's little boat, which was a marvel of speed 

 and seaworthiness, and could, he boasted, show a clean pair 

 of heels to anything on the Lakes, either under sail or with 

 him at the oars. She was indeed a beautiful little boat, with 

 easy graceful lines that the eye of a sailor would love to linger 

 on, and being built entirely by Aleck and his brother, she 

 was the pride of his heart. 



After the swap, Jim and the Scribe had fished all around 

 Sisson's Lake, with about the same luck that Dan and I had 

 experienced two days before. 



Going on down into Hanley's Lake, they fished that with* 

 better success, but still they were far from satisfied, and 

 after a lunch at camp they went up stream and fished White's 

 nearly to the saw-mill and back. Here they found the fishing 

 better, but not to compare with that of the year before, 

 around and above the islands at the foot of Central, and they 

 went back to camp ready to east their votes for a move in the 

 morning, either up or down. 



Brother R, had acquitted himself just about as we had ex- 

 pected he would do. 



The first bass he caught was a pickerel that dashed under 

 the boat, smashed the top joint of his Uncle Dan's best rod, 

 and got away; "leastways" that is the way it was told in 

 camp. He was equal t» the emergency, however, for he con- 

 cluded that pickerel fishing was too high up in the art for him 

 to begin with, and tying on a stnJU hook he joined Aleck in 

 "histm' out sunfish' with what was left of the broken rod. 

 Tiring of this they went below into Hanley's, and Aleck— as 

 related by Brother R. — gave an example or two of bis mar- 

 velous skill with the spear. These spears have usually three 

 to four barbed tines of slender steel, welded on a short shank 

 with a socket, into which is fastened a slender shaft or handle, 

 of ash or white cedar ten to fifteen feet long, and very light 

 and tough. Going down through the river Aleck "called 

 Brother R. to look at a healthy-looking sunfish simniug him- 

 self close alongside B sunken log, and poising his spear he 

 hurled it with unerring precision a distance of full twenty 

 feet, impaling the little fish and leaving the spear quivering 

 in the log. Next he threw the spear twenty -five feet or more 

 and transfixed a four-pound pickerel swimming leisurely 

 along outside the lilies, and a couple of others met their 

 death at lesser distances, all of which was to Brother R's 

 profound astonishment, 



To such wonderful- proficiency in throwing a spear do 

 some of the dwellers along These' lakes attain that they diS- 

 dain the slower and to them less exciting method of procur- 

 ing a mess of fish with rod aud line, but provided with a 

 epear, and a toich in the bow of the boat or canoe if by 

 night, with a comrade to paddle, they will kill a dozeD fish 



in less time than it would take to find bait for a half day's 

 fishing with pole aud line. 



In spearing by daylight the weapon is often thrown several 

 yards from the boat, and if a large pickerel or maskalonge is 

 struck, fish and spear disappear from sight and remain 

 under water until the buoyancy of the handle brings them to 

 the surface. Occasionally the handle will pop up a quarter 

 of a mile away, and then "tall paddling or rowing "sets in" 

 to get in reach of it, and if the fish is mortally hurt, ho is 

 soon dragged into the boat; but sometimes they go under 

 again and iead the boat a merry chase before spear "and fish 

 are secured. In the hand of an expert like Aleck it is almost 

 certain death to any fish coming in reach, and Brother R., 

 having in mind his experience of the forenoon, went back to 

 camp profoundly impressed with its superiority over the rod 

 as a sure thing on pickerel at least. 



That night, when the last man had relieved himself of the 

 day's accumulation of fish 1 — ore, aDd we had discussed the 

 question of moving camp, eleven o'clock was creeping on 

 and we Went to bed undecided to go up or down. 



Kcnofishbb. 

 [to be continued,] 



MAINE WATERS AND ROUTES. 



ARTICLES from different writers have frequently ap- 

 peared in the Forest and Stream regarding the 

 Rangeley Lakes and their tributaries, how to get there, 

 the beautiful scenery along the route, the fine stage and 

 hotel_ accommodations, etc., etc., usually winding up with a 

 glowing account of the wonderful fishing and hunting in 

 some specific locality, all of which no doubt possesses a good 

 portion of real significance, at the same time some policy 

 may be discovered, and each one has his pet route and 

 place. But to take a general and broad view of the matter, 

 these lakes and wilds of Maine are nearly all in the same 

 latitude, and extend the whole length of the State, from New 

 Hampshire to New Brunswick, bordering on the Province of 

 Quebec, or the Canada line, a distance of over two hun- 

 dred miles, presenting a very large field for sportsmen and 

 tourists. 



To be perfectly familiar with this vast wildness would re- 

 quire one[s lifetime of fifty years, so it may be expected of 

 one to give a true account, of only a portion. Our real 

 knowledge only extends from New Hampshire to Moose 

 River, embracing Parmacheene and the Rangeley chain of 

 lakes, together with the Seven Ponds, Chain of Ponds, Tim 

 Pond, King and Bartlett Pond, Spencer Ponds, Jim Ponds, 

 Flag Staff Pond, etc. But this narrative is intended mainly 

 for the Seven Ponds, Massachusetts Bog and vicinity, em- 

 bracing facts gleaned from three famous hunters and trap- 

 pers, viz. , Warefield, alias Kit Carson, alias David Crockett, 

 alias Whitman, Haines and Cr03by. These gentlemen have 

 spent several winters in this very remote section, including 

 the one last passed, besides guiding sportsmen during the 

 summer months, and they are all inhabitants of Rangeley, 

 Franklin county, Maine, and are well-known to many 

 readers of Forest asd Stream. These hunters spend 

 their winters in the vicinity of these ponds, for the purpose 

 of trapping otter, bear, beaver, mink, sable, lynx, fisher, 

 etc., of which there are an abundance. It is the usual cus- 

 tom to spend a few weeks the first of the winter in securing 

 their winter's supply of moose, caribou and deer meat, and a 

 good supply may be found at their home camp any time 

 during the winter, all taken of course before the closed time, 

 as guides are not supposed to violate the fish and game 

 laws. 



These ponds nestle among lofty and magnificent moun- 

 tains, known as Snow Cap, White Cap, and the Boundary 

 mountains, on the top of which the boundary line between 

 Maine and Canada runs east and west in a zig-zag course to 

 suit the convenience of these peaks. 



It is but a very few years since sportsmen had never cast 

 a fly upon these waters, and as yet only the shores of those 

 most accessible have been marked by their footprints. 

 Though the distance from one pond to another vary from half 

 a mile to one mile apart, yet as Warefield remarked to U3, no 

 sportsman's rod had ever cast a shadow upon either of the four 

 of the most northerly and westerly of these mirrors among the 

 mountains, for the most fastidious sportsman as yet has 

 never failed to satisfy himself with the greatest abundance 

 of trout and game found within the limits of the nearest 

 approach of these lakes. Nor'west Pond is the uppermost of 

 the chain, and is truly on the divide, as it has two distinct 

 outlets, one flowing into the Dead River and thence into the 

 Kennebec River; the other into the Rangeley lakes and 

 Androscoggin River. Adjacent to this pond is Massachu- 

 setts Bog, dotted with pools of water, literally alive with 

 speckled trout, the weight of which on an average is two 

 pounds each, and around this bog the moose, deer and cari- 

 bou have beaten paths. 



In August last year a Frenchman, from Canada, shot two 

 large moose in open daylight near this bog in one day. In 

 March, 1881, the above named hunters built a very fine 

 camp, fourteen feet square, at Nor'west Pond, which will 

 accommodate a small party, and this last winter built three 

 fine boats from pine boards winch they sawed from pine 

 logs fully three feet through. There was 'no saw mill within 

 thirty miles. Warefield describes it thus ; he says : "We cut 

 the trees on the slope of a hill, laid skids one end on the 

 ground, the other end on a prop six feet high, rolled the logs 

 out near the props so they were six feet from the ground, 

 then with a whipsaw, one man above and one below the log, 

 we sawed out our boards by hand power, as was the custom 

 in olden times." 



Messrs. Grant and Richardson have several fine camps and 

 boats at the more easily approached of these ponds, and 

 Kennady Smith also has a camp and boats at one of them. 

 The number of sportsmen visiting these ponds has rapidly 

 increased annually, as have also the accommodations, and if I 

 am rightly informed, Messrs. Grant and Richardson, pro- 

 prietors of the Kennebago Lake House, are this year running 

 a camp at these ponds, in connection with their hotel at 

 Kennebago Lake, and parties are not under the necessity of 

 taking in any luggage except their rods, guns, etc., thus sav- 

 ing a large amount of hardship which has had to be endured 

 heretofore. 



We don't feign to be some foreign sportsman, and unin- 

 terested in the travel to this great hunting and fishing 

 grounds, but give all the information possible for the benefit 

 of sportsmen and readers of Forest and S i-ream, as has been 

 our practice for many years; and we stand accountable for 

 the truth of all we say. We don't advise any to attempt to 

 visit Seven Ponds unless they are strong and healthy, for 

 there is no way to reaoh them without hardship, though a 

 road has been cut out from Tim Pond, a distance of nearly 

 fifteen miles, yet the surface of the ground is in its natural 



state, and any one at all acquainted with the country knows 

 that it is quite as easy to walk aa ride over such a road. 

 The glowing accounts which have appeared in Forest and 

 Stream in regard to trout fishing in Tim, King and Bartlett, 

 and other ponds, tributaries to Dead River, are substantial 

 facts. But when it is claimed to be the superior route to the 

 Seven Ponds, it is not correct, according to reports of truth- 

 ful men who have tried both routes. The distance from 

 railroad, by way of Dead River, Tim Pond, etc., to Seven 

 Ponds, is seventy miles, at least; while by the Rangeley and 

 Kennebago route, from railroad to same ponds, is less than 

 forty -five miles, and the stage and hotel accommodations 

 much better. By this last route one is able to reach Seven 

 Ponds one day sooner, beside saving twenty-five miles' 

 staging. 



It is but just that sportsmen and those visiting these places 

 should know the facts regardless of any personal interests, 

 and any doubting these statements 'will do well to in- 

 vestigate for themselves. The different routes to the«e 

 great sporting grounds, viz;. : Upton, at the foot of Umbagog 

 Lake, Andover, leading to south arm of Richardson Lake, 

 Phillips and Rangeley and Kingfield, North Anson and 

 Eustes, each and all have their attractions and friends, and 

 are all superior routes to certain points; and yet no one 

 route is the best for all; and truly it is not our purpose to 

 induce any to go any way other than for their own personal 

 interests. Yet since the telegraph and narrow-gauge railroad 

 from Farmington to Phillips have been established, thus 

 cutting the stage ride down to seventeen miles, the Phillips 

 and Rangeley route takes the lead, and is much the quickest, 

 cheapest and easiest route to the following points, viz : 

 Greenvale, Rangeley, Mountain View House, Haine's Land- 

 ing, Bemis Stream, Indian Rock, Parmacheene Lake, Ken- 

 nebago Lake and Seven Ponds. In going to Upper Dam it 

 makes but little difference, the cost is about the same eitner 

 way. 



In the six lower lakes the ice goes out nearly all at the 

 same time, thawing away first around the inlets. The boats 

 commenced making trips all within two days this present 

 season. In Parmacheene and Kennebago the ice goes out 

 from three to five days later. A telephone line is now being 

 constructed from Phillips to Rangeley, and will probably be 

 extended to Indian Rock the present season. The poles are 

 nearly all set and the wire will be applied soon. This will 

 be a great advantage to sportsmen. 



The fishing season is late this year, on account of the ex- 

 tremely cold spring; but the last few warm days has shown 

 that trout are still abundant, and many boxes h ive been 

 taken home, some containing seven and eight pounders. As 

 an example, I might mention Messrs. Chace and Sargent, ox 

 Haverhill, Mass., who own a camp at Haines's Landing, and 

 have had as guests for a few days Rev. Wm. T. Hub boll, 

 Buffalo, N. Y., and Wm. T. Plaisted and son, Somerville, 

 Mass., making a party of six, including Mrs. Chace. The 

 party were encamped for a week, and took upward of two 

 hundred trout, the largest of which weighed eight pounds 

 two ounces, and ten of the number averaged over seven 

 pounds each. Mr. Plaisted is well known to many readers 

 of Forest and Stream, having been a conductor on the 

 Boston & Maine Railroad for nearly thirty years. He is a 

 thorough and genial railroad man, and is well-nigh the front 

 as a trout fisherman, having takjn last week from Moose- 

 luckmaguntic Lake fish weighing as follows: One 7 lbs. 

 2 ozs., one 7 lbs. 5 ozs., and one 7 lbs. 14 ozs., beside fifty 

 others weighing from one to two pounds each, the smaller 

 ones all returned to the water. 



Trains leave Boston for Rangeley Lakes via Boston & 

 Maine and Eastern Railroad at 9 A. M., arriving at Phillips 

 at 7 P. M., thus saving thirty minutes from former years. 

 Fares have been reduced to Phillips and return $1 ; so tick- 

 ets are now sold from Boston to Phillips and return for $10. 

 Stage fare from Phillips to the lakes, $1.50. 



Phillips, Me., June 1 6, 1882. SAMUEL Farmer. 



I have just returned from a week's sojourn at Tim Pond 

 and the Seven Ponds. Notwithstanding that we went too 

 early by two or three weeks, we had very fair sport with the 

 gamy trout of that section. Mr, Smith has several new 

 camps ready, and spares no pains to make the fisherman's 

 stay pleasant in every respect. His son's wife has charge of 

 the Tim Pond camp, and her table is first-class in every 

 respect. To those who have never visited these ponds we 

 say, give them one trial this year and our word for it you 

 will repeat your trips annually. There is no limit to the 

 trout in these waters. F. Haines. 



Beddkford, Maine. June 8. 



FISH AND GAME IN COLORADO. 



I HAVE just returned from a short trip to Middle Park, 

 having taken over 4,000 young New England trout and 

 liberated them in the waters of Grana River, They were 

 the first to cross the dividing range in this State. Only three 

 were lost in transit, although taken over on the second day 

 after the road was opened through the snow ior travel. 

 Mountain streams are all veiy high from the late and heavy 

 spring snows and frequent rains since. This gives assur- 

 ance of good fishing after the season fairly opens, say by the 

 10th or 15th of July. 



There is plenty of game in the park. Residents say it is 

 more plentiful than a few years ago. I found the people 

 using wild meat almost exclusively, and there is doubtlesB 

 some waste that ought to be stopped. I heard of some 

 slaughter of elk and deer for their hides the past winter and 

 spriag, and saw one wagon load of elk hides brought in that 

 could hardly all have been taken from animals necessarily 

 killed for meat, as they represented but a single family of 

 persons. I was told of another party who killed about sev- 

 enty-five elk for their hides, 



I saw two men who were trapping heaver. They had 

 several fresh skins, but complained of poor success. An- 

 other party of three men came in while I was there with 

 their season's "catch," They wintered about Egeria Park 

 and on the headwaters of Yampa River, and complained of 

 doing badly. The reason they gave was that a party of 

 trappers from Utah worked over all that part of the country 

 last summer, from Green River eastward to the Gore Moun- 

 tains, and then backward in the fall over the same ground. 

 They swept it clean. This trapping of fur-bearing animals 

 in the summer season, when they are raising their young, 

 ought to be prohibited by the severest penalties. 



The same part,, told me that trout had been almost totally 

 destroyed last season in the Roaring Fork of Grand River 

 by blasting. Also, that the same practice had greatly re- 

 duced their numbers in Eagle River and William's Fork of 

 the Grand. The development of new mining camps in the 

 vicinity is the cause. W N B 



Dknveb, Col., Jun« SI. 



