July 20, 1882.1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



485 



forest stream, but they resembled each other in this; they 



both contained — 



"Here and there a lusty trout, 

 And hero aud there a grayling." 



How different those English streams, so protected, that 

 though fished for a thousand years, they still are fruitful, 

 eas ours, in half a dozen years from the time they are 

 open to the public, are stripped of their fish. The forest, 

 too, which grows on their banks, is fast being destroyed by 

 The wood cut off, the streams dry up, and 

 all becomes a barren waste. We ancient anglers have seen 

 this process going ou everywhere'. 



The grayling region is nol extensive, and the rivers even 

 within that district which contain the fish are not numerous, 

 so that with the reckless fishing which prevails, the time is 

 not distant when the last of them will have been captured. 



The question has been discussed, which is the strongest 

 and most active fish, the trout or the grayling? I have not 

 □ enough of the latter species to give an opinion, but my 

 jjnpression is that there is little difference in this respect. 



I think thai the trout will survive the grayling in these 

 waters; and when the trout are gone there will always re- 

 main the black bass and the pickerel, and for my own part I 

 consider the black bass equal to the brook trout in game 

 qualities, and as a table fish superior in this, that it buars 

 keeping better than the troul, and is less easily spoiled by 

 the bad cook: in country taverns. 



That surly aud disagreeable sage. Dr. Samuel Johnson, 

 was wont to speak disrespectfully of anglers, but the to. low- 

 ing passag- from his tale of "Rasselas" seems to ma to be a 

 good mottp for him that goes a-fishing: 



"Ye who listen with credulity to the whispers of fancy, 

 and pursue with eagerness the phantoms of hope; who ex- 

 pect thai ' jieies of the present day will be supplied 

 by the morrow; listen to the history of Rasselas, Prince of 

 Abyssinia." S. C. C. 



CAMPS OF THE KINGFISHERS. 



TJPPEP. AND LOWER WATERS OF INTERMEDIATE EASE. 

 IK SBYBKAX PARTS— PART VI. 



TIM and the Scribe went below to the scenes of their tri- 

 umphs of '80, below Pickerel Point aud opposite the 

 Upper Island, while Brother R. mustered courage to risk 

 himself in a boat alone and do a little fishing on his own 

 hook. The veteran and I went up lake, past "lover's land- 

 ing" (after Prank), and on up to deep water point, where we 

 stopped awhile to shore fish at the mouth of a little spring 

 brook, where Dan said the water looked very "fishy." Going 

 up we had felt of the water very carefully with poor results, 

 the fish, as it seemed, having changed their feeding grounds, 

 as all along this part of the shore the previous year I had 

 found the y& ook a pair of 



small-mouthed bass here of fair size (a fair-sized bass for this 

 lake should not weigh under three pounds), and crossed over 

 to Long Point to try for a pickerel along the bulrushes. 

 This point is a long, narrow strip of hard sand and pebbl«3, 

 pointing directly up the lake, is from one to six feet under 

 water, and is covered with a deuse growth of bulrushes that 

 reach out on either side until lost in the depths of the lake. 

 To the west the shore sweeps around in a sharp curve to 

 the toot of the hills, forming a deep bay, in which neighbor 

 Johnson, of the iNursery, said is usually to be found good 

 bass and pickerel fishing, but we did not stop to try it that 

 day, having a notion to fe 1 around the west shore below. 



We idled along the rushes, taking a bass or two and a 

 kmgface from here down to Buzaroo (corrupted into Buz- 

 zard's roost) Point, which is a sharp finger of laud, a few 

 feet wide, covered with scrubby, storm-beaten bushes, that 

 reaches a short distance straight out into the lake, nearly 

 opposite to where our camp w^as located. (In my last year's 

 letter to Forest axd Stream this was erroneously called 

 Long Point.) Here, twenty yards off the Point, the water 

 is SfTto 100 feet deep, and ft' soundings were taken it would 

 probably be found much deeper between this and the mouth 

 of the little stream on the other side. 



ng on Buzaroo Point we had a good view of the 

 lower end of the lake and the three islands and the green 

 shores, all the hardness taken out of the picture by a soft 

 blue haze that hung over wood and water, forest and stream, 

 as far as the eye could reach. 



Prom where we stood the shore takes nearly a west course, 

 bending gradually around to the south and the outlet below 

 the islands. Looking south we were nearly in line with the 

 east shore, so crooked is the lake at this part ; and just 

 across, less than half a mile, was Pickerel Point, off which 

 a year before I had many a tough tussle with some of the 

 most noted warriors of the bribe after which we named it. 



Here also Jim ana the Scribe had often lain in wait for 

 the sneaking raseals, and many of the craftiest of them had 

 they knocked ou the head and scalped (60 to speak), and yet 

 the cannibals multiply and wax fit by swallowing their 

 better neighbors and poor kin without the ceremony of 

 roasting. It is no rare occurrence for an able-bodied pickerel 

 to make a meal of a few aepheWS, a plump uiece or two, a 

 dozen of his grandchildren, and a half score of silly sunfish, 

 just to fill up as many odd cavities in his ever-craving bow- 

 els; and sometimes a heedless young bass will be caught off 

 its guard and lake bis way down his insatiable gullet. 



Back in the boat, we followed thetivudof the^hoi'e around 

 to the west ami south, fishing along down to a clearing opposite 

 the upper island, ivdiere we went ashore and drank from two of 

 the purest and coldest springs we had found in all our meau- 

 dermgs. I knew one of them the year before, and Ji 

 (the camp boy) and 1 had often slaked our thirst at it when 

 hunting frogs in the marshy meadow just back, The clear- 

 ing contains quile a lift!..- . ot Of lour or five families, 

 and one of the chief secrets of the thrift, enlightenment and 

 good sense of the people of Michigan— a school house. Pitch 

 your camp where there is a school house or two in the viciu- 

 ity. and you may sleep in security; for school house, ere 

 tolerably Certain to bring . 



The noise of a hsh breaking water along the rushes down 

 shore started us again, and" pulling out we took a course 

 across the lake and between the two upper islands. Prom 

 the springs aeioss to these two islands, and betweeu them 

 the water' h shallow end the bottom BCOOped out into pock- 

 ets or holes from a hundred feet to a hundred yards across, 

 and grown around with breaks of bulrushes in water of 

 from two two six and eight feet deep. These pock 

 Clear of rushes, and are perhaps ten to thirty feet in depth. 

 In some of these we took some very fine bass, and any day 

 after when we fell i go down there and find 



excellent sport We fished buck west of the little "loon" 

 island, crossed over to Pickerel Point, and were back to 



camp an hour before sundown, well satisfied with the day's 

 fishing. A half hour after, Jim and the Scribe came in with 

 a string of bass that "laid us clean out." and each of them 

 was as nappy as a schoolboy with a pocket full of fish hooks 

 and a new line. Brother R. had done nothing to spsak of, 

 and therefore had few lies to swap. 



The next day at noon we came in with more fish than we 

 could use in lour or live days, but they were not wasted, as 

 we divided with oar neighbors who came around in the 

 evening for a friendly chat. 



While at dinner Jim and I discovered that we each had a 

 toolh that was bothering us for trout, and after a brief con- 

 sultation we agreed that when a fisherman has a "trout 

 tooth" that worries him occasionally, the only thine: to give- 

 it relief is a trip to the first trout stream he. can reach, and do 

 it forthwith. Cedar River w r as only a matter of three miles 

 away, and in twenty-five minutes we were in a boat and on 

 our way to the outlet of the lake, the head of Intermediate 

 River. " At the head of the rapids we stopped a few minutes 

 to select a few clams from the bottom of the river, cut them 

 up into proper sized baits, and then on down through a lot 

 of saw logs, grounded here and there in the shallow" water, 

 until we shot into the back water from the dam at Bellaire. 

 This i am had ueen built after we left the year before, and 

 had backed the water up for some distance above the mouth 

 of the Cedar, the dead water extending up the Cedar for at 

 least eighty rods, but it still retains its distinctive features 

 of clearness and coldness. Jim remembered with perfect 

 clearness its extreme coldness, ami swore, a plain-featurer. 

 oath that he'd be d— ucked if he fell in this time, for hi 

 intended to steer clear of all slippery logs, and logs of any 

 im i ize that spanned the stream 



We could f'.rce our boat through the trees and brush and 

 loirs but a few rods above the mouth, where we left it and 

 made our way around through tjie woods and tangle to the 

 head of the backwater where we took a short rest aud a coo! 

 drink and rigged our tackle for a spotted-side. 



We had corns to the stream so late that we could not fish 

 much of it and get out of the woods before dark, and a 

 quarter of a mile or less ended the afternoon's sport with ten 

 as lovely trout as ever flirted frisky tail in crystal stream. 

 Truth compels the statement that Jim took only one little 

 suckling of five inches, which he tied in triumph to his 

 suspender and felt that his ambition was satisfied; he had 

 caught a spotted brook trout (none of your "speckled 

 beauties" for Jim; Jim's a man of sense) and'he had taken it 

 from about the worst stream to fish that can be found out of 

 doors. 



When we got back to the boat he found he had scraped 

 his trout off getting through some easy place in the brush, 

 Put he consoled himself with saying, "It was not much of a 

 trout anyhow, 'bout big enough for a bait for a good healthy 

 bass." As he hunted for his bass rod that he had hid under 

 a log near the boat, he went on, "I've got trout fishing 

 enough to last me a year; no more in mine; Cedar River is 

 too much for Jim. Do you know, Hickory, that the fools 

 are not all dead yet?" — snaking his rod out from under the 

 log — "and we are two shiniug lights of the survivors. Let's 

 get out of this infernal river and go to camp." 



At the head of the backw r ater in Intermediate I unshipped 

 an oar and using it as a pole pushed the boat by hard work 

 up the shallow, swift rushing stream to the saw-logs near 

 the head of the rapids, where we were forced to get out and 

 walk the logs and pull the boat through the tortuous channel 

 into deeper water above. A few yards out from the head of 

 the river to the west I "smelt a spring" and pulling in we 

 cooled ourselves with copious draughts from it, ancl chang- 

 ing places Jim laid himself out for a long pull to camp. At 

 the head of Lewis' Island he dropped the oars with, "Will 

 that camp never come in sight? I'm 'clean bushed,' how 

 would you like to handle her awhile?" Changing places 

 again we were soon around Pickerel Point, and as twilight 

 yielded place to the sombre shadows of night we walked 

 into the radiance of the camp-fire, hungry, and as Jim had 

 said, "clean bushed." 



The boys were waiting for a trout supper, and fortunately 

 the nine we brought in were enough for a fair mess all 

 around, and it took Frank but a short time to dress them 

 and place them upon the table smoking hot — a feast that 

 makes one's mouth water to think about. 



In clearing off the table Frank said he did not find bones 

 enough left to "tickle a kingfisher's throat." Jim and 1 

 had appeased the wrath of our trout tooth, besides giving 

 the boys a pleasant treat, aud we felt we had done, good that 

 day to ourselves and our- fellows. Our sleep that night was 

 sound and dreamless, and it took broad daylight and the 

 chatter and scolding of a little red squirrel, nearly over the 

 tent hi which Frank and I slept, to arouse us to a sense that 

 it was time for the camp to be astir. 



Breakfast over, the four elders took their ways to the 

 waters of their choice, Brother R. preferring to stay near 

 camp and spread himself on a school of sunfish that he had 

 got acquainted with the evening before. At one o'clock wt 

 went to camp for lunch, and to leave two good strings ot 

 bass for any neighbors that might drop in for a fresh fish o. 

 two. Jim'showed one that pulled the scale at exactly five 

 and three-quarter pounds— the largest one of bis career— 

 and wc knew by the satisfied grin that wandered back 

 toward his ears that he was tickled clear down as far as the 

 tickle could get for his boot toes. And then he told us about 

 one that he struck coming around Pickerel Point: "Why, i 

 thought at first I had hooked a sturgeon or a young mule, 

 and that ironwood rod o' mine just bent up like a bulrush in 

 a puff o' wind, trying to hold him out of the grass. It 

 cracked and snapped till I thought every minute it would 

 split, but I guess it was only the varnish at' the ferules. Talk 

 about your heavy fish, that was the heaviest one I ever felt 

 at the' end of a line. But he got away; guess he wasn't 

 hooked very well;" aud with this morsel of consolation and 

 a crumb of comfort in the shape of half a pound of buttered 

 bread crammed into his mouth, he lapsed into silence. 



In the afternoon old Dan and I worked our way along 

 down the west shore to the springs, and toward evening had 

 fished over to the east side, opposite the upper island, when 

 it suddenly clouded up and grew so black in the northwest 

 that we felt it were better if we were in camp. I lifted our 

 string of twelve or fifteen bass into the boat to lighten the 

 work, and taking the oars again, settled on the thwart for a 

 brisk pull around the point To camp. We heard a dull roar 

 aw.:v up the lake, fait could not make out just what it was, 

 until a few minutes later we saw the tree top-, 

 Buzaroo Point bending and swaying ! r a fierce 



blast of wind, and as it swept down oa the lake we could 

 see it was coming at a frightful rate. Before we could make 

 the shore, had we been so minded, it was upon us, and the 

 wdiole surface of the lake was white with foam and flying 

 spray as it was driven along by the furious gust. 1 kept the 



brave little boat head to wind, and in five minutes she was 

 pitching her bows into waves two and three feet high, with 

 thumps that threatened to kno:k a hole in her bottom; but 

 she proved herself a splendid boat in a sea, and f felt that, 

 mould the gale not increase in violence, wc would weather 

 it without serious trouble. I could see that old Dan was 

 -lightly uneasy — the first time in a long acquaintance — and 

 reading in my face that I knew it, he jerked his chin over 

 his shoulder 'toward the shore, and asked, "Do you think, 

 Hickory, we will have to pass the night in that infernal 

 swamp, with the mosquitoes?" I had eon ,.'; . ... i tgh in 



the little boat to say, "Keep a good grip on the s ait, Dan; 

 sit firm and keep cool, and we will go to oars 



don't break." Edging into the rushes, where the water was 

 only five or six feet deep, that in ease we should eo over 1 

 knew I could get my old comrade ashore, we fought our 

 way in the teeth of tlie gale, foot by foot, under the hardest 

 pul'l of my life. 



We forged slowly ahead, sometimes losing a little when 

 an extra vicious blast would strike us, then ahead again, the 

 gallant little boat beating the waves with resounding strokes 

 as she threw the spray over at a i . every plunge. 



I felt the need of "a leetle more muscle," 'bet after What 

 seemed to us a whole day, we round clI Pickerel Point, and 

 got the wind nearly abeam. This eased the dead strain at 

 the oars wonderfully, but it led us such a merry dance over 

 the foam capped waves that old Dan tonic a firmer grasp on 

 he seat and shut his teeth so tight that he forgot he was 

 "chawin terbacker." 



Around another little point we got sight of the camp and 

 all the boys standing on the beach looking for us. Wc could 

 see them swinging their hats and making frantic gesticula- 

 tions, but the gale roared so loud we could not heat the shout 

 that wc knew they seat up ou catching sight of us. Ten 

 minutes more and we struck the beach a few yards bt low the 

 stream, going in on a big roller, and the old fish-hawk got a 

 slight dampening before! could get him out of the way of 

 the next one. A general shake took place all round, for the 

 boys had really been uneasy about us, and Bro. R. vented 

 his thankfulness at his Uncle Dan's safe return with, "Bless 

 your old souls; here you are again, and sound as a dollar." 

 "Where were you two old loons wdien the zephyr struck 

 you?" asked Jim: and Old Knots said !r he knew Old Hick- 

 ory would have just sense enough left to hunt the shore, or 

 come to camp— just as the notion struck him." But we 

 knew that* under this shaft the twinkle in his eye covered 

 a thankful heart that the two old loqn-aticfl v, ere within 

 reach of his brotherly grasp. 



Jim's expression, "clean flushed." covered my case exaetly. 

 I was so worn out, and hot, and dry, that if was a question 

 if the little stream would furnish water to slake my thirst. 

 I dipped up and drank sundry and divers cups of" it, and 

 never tasted water sweeter than did that. 



The blow was at its height now, arid the tents, although 

 closed tight, w T ere puffed up like inflated balloons and only 

 for the thotough manner in which they had been staked 

 down, they certainly would have taken flight and gone sail- 

 ing over the tree tops. The flagsb-dl', a slender ash sapling 

 twenty feet high, bent low in the wind like a stricken reed, 

 while the flag shivered and snapped until we looked every 

 moment for it to split into ribbons. Up the lake as far as we 

 could see. the weaves were rolling live or six feet high while 

 the whole face of the waters was covered white with foam 

 and driving spray. 



\\ e had almost to shout to make each other hear, so loud 

 was the roaring of the gale and the noise of the rollers as 

 they beat on the beach in front of us and rolled over each 

 other up to within live yards of the tents, it was a grand 

 sight, and I'll venture not a "Kingfisher" but will keep it in 

 mind for many a long day. 



In half an hour after Dan ami I beached our boat it was 

 all over; the flagstaff straightened up, I he trees back of us, 

 relieved of the pressure of the gale, lifted their bowed heads, 

 bowed for a time in submission to the might of Old Boreas, 

 and wc caught a glimpse of the sun as he bid aa good night 

 from the tree tops'on the western hills. Old Knots said it 

 "wasn't much of a blow after all, just a cap full of wind, 

 loaned from the store-house of Lake Michigan, lie knew a 

 'blowhard,' that given a reasonable show, could blow 

 hard-er'n that." Just before the puff came tip Jim and Bro. 

 R. were in a boat tied to a stake a short distance above 

 camp catching sunfish. They heard the roaring, bul not 

 knowing what was coming they paid little attention to it, 

 until Knots shouted to them from camp to "look out!" when 

 glancing up the lake they saw a wall of foam coming like a 

 tast mall train, ancl not half a mile away. 



By the time theyuntied the boat and' got into the shallow 

 water in front of camp it was on them; and Pra I-:, miming 

 in, caught the painter of the boat and dragged them high 

 and dry on the sand, laboring under .lie. Scare. Knots 

 raid, "Bro. R.'s eyes stuck out so far you might have s n ared 

 them off with a grape vine." But the blow was over, and 

 the swells went down as darkntss came on. 



The best advice, perhaps, to give a brother who may be 

 Ashing up there is, to hunt a haven if you see it getting sud- 

 denly black in the northwest, and if you hear a r 

 quick for shore, uuless you have perfect confidence in the 

 seaworthiness of your boat and your ability to. ham lie it in 

 the roughest kind of water. 



ThatnightKnotsand Jim talked their affairs over and con- 

 cluded that as their vacation was aboutatan end, and 

 required their attention at home, they would start the next 

 afternoon. In the morning Frank and I fished ' 

 Beilaire and engaged a wagon to take them to Mancelona in 

 time for the night'train down, and after dinner went with 

 them and their baggage to the head of the rapids to meet, 

 the wagon. 



It is always unpleasant to lose old comrades ami con- 

 genial spirits from a party, and the attempt at a little hilar- 

 ity when it came lo the final 5lia I B I :i'i' a failure. 



'As Frank swung the boat into the stream, I 

 we could hear the boys floundering through the "bresh" ami 

 Jim '•a-eusdu'" rigorously at the mosquitoes, as was his 

 wont. 



Back at camp we found old Dan sitting on a camp stool, 

 his legs crossed, puffing solemnly at his pipe, and his face 

 longer 'n a fish pole. While we Were gone, he h 



■■!■" to row for him, ad aosstae 



lake below Buzzard's Roost, he had si 

 him to wondering how big a ba 

 had abond . ■ ■ . himself in, 



him over two or three acres of water for nearly half anhour, 

 and wdien he was finally led alongside 

 Jim would have said, they found" (hey had 

 iff in the boat 

 Dan instructed the neighbor to "li 

 c-a-r-efully, and not lose him." Reaching out, he took hold 



