205 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
the Michigan grayling into notice as a sporting fish. Mr. 
John Y. LeMoyne of Chicago, preceeded him sometwo or 
three years in taking them with the fly. This was, ‘ *Mirabile 
dictiL ,” in the river Jordan, (I always had faith as a Metho¬ 
dist that there was fishing in Jordan,) a stream connecting 
should be clearly and perfectly stated. Sending in. charges 
based only upon hearsay, must tend not only to embarrass 
the actions of the commissioners, but may in many ways 
hamper their future efforts: 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
a long time to be let alone. But we are expecting to see tbe ice leaving 
us now any day. It has been very poor all winter, but the first day of 
April gave it a new hold, the thermometer at 6 in the morning indicated 
9 deg., and did not get above 13 deg. during the day. The spring birds 
have been here some time. The song sparrows were singing very lively 
yesterday morning, but before noon it began one of our worst snow- 
some small lakes east of Little Traverse, and accessible 
partly by small steam tugs towing rafts of lumber and then 
by canoes. With a seven ounce Norris rod Mr. LeMoyne 
killed them there ll ad nauseum ” about five years ago. 
Thad’s Norris. 
- + -- 
—Dr. T. J. Curie, of Walnut Hill, Kentucky, has kindly 
submitted for our examination a mechanical contrivance of 
his own, which he regards as an improvement upon any 
of the present modes of splicing or connecting the several 
parts of a fishing rod for use. It is a combination of a 
ferrule and hinge-joint. The joints very much resemble 
the joints of the old-fashioned sun-shades that ladies used 
to carry, sometimes before the face, sometimes over the 
head, and the joined parts of the rod are kept in place 
just as the parasol handle was, by a sliding ferrule, which 
can be passed over them. The principle advantages 
claimed for this invention are that it unites the parts firmly 
and prevents them ever being thrown apart while making 
a cast, inasmuch as the hinge joint holds them inseparable. 
Frankly, we have not been captivated by the invention. 
Mechanically, the uniform elacticity of the rod (in light 
rods) is totally destroyed, and its usefulness as a fly-rod 
made nil. As a “ pole ’ 1 ’ 1 it is an undoubted success. Our 
judgment may be at fault, but our criticism is honest. 
—A member of the Scorpion Club, of Cedar Rapids, 
Iowa tells us there is good fishing there of all kinds, espe¬ 
cially of black bass. He says:— 
“Our fish in this season are black bass, (salmon I call 
them,) wall-eyed pike, pickerel, which they call pike, mon¬ 
ster cat fish, channel, yellow, and white perch, and musca- 
longe; one caught on the 27th, weighed twenty-seven 
pounds, caught with a spoon hook. In the spring they go 
north, and when in the fall they go south, then is the fish¬ 
erman’s opportunity. One gentleman, President of the 
Scorpion Club, caught ninety-two pounds m two hours. 
Our bait is black suckers, and a minnow called a yellow fin, 
marked like a yellow perch, on the sides blue. They stay 
till about 10th to the 20th of July and then totally disap¬ 
pear. How bass will go for them in the -spring! You 
can count minnows by the tens of thousands. 
\ In the following letter our correspondent S. D. E. extols 
the attractions of the north shore of Lake Superior, which 
have received frequent mention in this journal. He says 
truly:— 
The scenery on the north shore of Lake Superior is hardly surpassed 
on this continent. In some place: the rocks rise to the height of from 
five to twelve hundred feet. A great number of rivers, large and small, 
seek an outlet in this lake, and all are alive with trout. The very names 
—Garden, Goula, Agawam, Steele and Nipegon—set my heart beating 
with memories of the speckled beauties. For good sport in the rivers 
it requires just the right height of water. If too high, the pools are deep 
and the fish scattered; if too low the fish leave the rivers for the lakes. 
The surest time for success is between the 1st of July and the 15th of 
August. Fpr twenty seasons I have cast my “lines” in these pleasant 
places. I much prefer what is termed rock fishing, sometimes from the 
shore, but usually from a boat. The fish thus caught often weigh 5 lbs. 
or more, in good condition, strong, and game to the last. They always 
mean business when they take the fly, and rarely fail of being well 
hooked. We can, if we desire (and I always do desire), have rare sport 
with a four pound fish for twenty minutes at least, and in the poor fel¬ 
low’s struggles he will often dart away with fifty yards of line. I have 
taken hundreds of pounds of brook trout in this wild unfrequented re¬ 
gion. I have no recollection of ever getting a “rise” at midday when 
the sun was bright. Take a cloudy day with the surface of water 
slightly broken, and with an alluring fly the largest, liveliest trout one 
ever beheld will make the enthusiastic fisherman actually dance and 
shout with joy. The most reliable fly for these waters is the “brown 
hackle” with a large body; strong leaders are necessary. JudsonBro. 
rods are unequalled. 1 have a four-jointed rod (their make), which I 
have used fifteen years and it is now in working order. I have another, 
weighing ten ounces, which I have used five seasons. With it I have 
safely handled two trout weighing together eight po unds. In my opin¬ 
ion the only reel worth having is made in Frankfort, Ky. The “copper- 
colored native” does not require such an elaborate outfit. With a rude 
pole which has no joints, a short twine and full of knots, and red flannel 
for bait, he mutters some thing, which being interpreted, means “come 
hither,” and they immediately rise. Last season I made my annual pil¬ 
grimage to my favorite haunts. Left Detroit on the evening of the 5th 
of July; arrived at Lake St. Clair on the morning of the 7th; fished the 
Rapids as usual two or three days. Then old George (who has been my 
faithful half-breed for fifteen years) put camp equipage and one week’s 
supplies on board a Mackinaw boat and we started for Gros Cap. We 
were absent five days, and then returned to the Sault with 190 pounds of 
brook trout, not one weighing less than 21 pounds. We took three 
hundred pounds of ice, so the fish were in splendid condition. I avail 
myself of this opportunity to inform the fraternity that whoever goes the 
way I go will find at the Sault all kinds of provisions for camping, but 
no tents and no suitable fishing tackle. En route take rest and lodging 
at the “Chippewa,” Sault St. Marie, Everything neat and wholesome, 
and mine host and hostess Smith ready and willing to serve. S. D. E. 
—The position of a Commissioner of Fisheries, is one 
which entails no small amount of trouble. Aside from the 
details, of a strictly official character, the amount of active 
work required in policing the various rivers and streams, is 
immense. One great source of annoyance to an efficient 
and. honest officer, desirous of doing his work thoroughly, is 
derived from the complaints of well meaning persons, who 
too frequently bring forward charges of infringements of 
the fishery laws, which cannot be substantiated. Some¬ 
time ago we gave in the Forest and Stream notice of 
certain complaints directed towards the condition of cer¬ 
tain rivers in Nova Scotia. We believe now that such com¬ 
plaints were altogether of too sweeping and general a char¬ 
acter, and we publish herewith a letter from the Commis¬ 
sioner of Fisheries of Canada in regard to the character of 
such complaint, which we thoroughly endorse. We would 
the more particularly call the attention of our readers to 
Mr. W. F. Whitcher’s letter, because, as our own rivers, 
we trust, will shortly be under proper surveillance, it may 
be wise to inform all the friends of protection that when 
charges of infringement of the laws are made, all the facts 
Accept thanks for useful information respecting the Margaree River. 
There are peculiarities of a local nature connected with this stream which 
render it very difficult to deal vigorously with any matter affecting con¬ 
trol of the salmon fishery. Hasty or inconsiderate action might really 
produce more harm than good. But it may be possible, by judicious 
enforcement of the fishery laws, to remedy the evils complained of at an 
early date. The department took immediate steps with a view to ascer¬ 
taining certain facts and understanding the exact condition of things. 
Occasion is taken to remark that any definite information of neglect 
of duty, or violation of the fishery laws, within the knowledge of readers 
and correspondents of Forest and Stream will be thankfully received by 
me, and will meet with courteous and discreet attention. Specific state¬ 
ments in such cases promote the public interests and are serviceable to 
officials. But vague stories and random assertions can serve no practi¬ 
cal purpose. 
It would be preferable if persons knowing of circumstances which de¬ 
mand official notice should promptly inform me, instead of hurrying into 
print. Experience teaches me that these reports usually prove exagger¬ 
ations, and being inaccurate in some particulars, afford a plausible pre¬ 
text for general denial. 
Unlike Dr. Richardson’s narrative respecting the Margaree, which re¬ 
lates facts, the “resolutions” of the Halifax Fishery Protection Society, 
printed in your last issue, ignore such vulgar materials. If, instead of a 
general allegation about neglected inland fisheries, the society would in¬ 
form this department of the “many of our streams and rivers” which 
“are illicitly netted and speared,” and of the “numbers of mill-dams 
unprovided with fishways, and many others with quite inefficient con¬ 
trivances for the free passage of fish,” it would be easy to investigate 
each instance and remedy the abuses specified. But as it is, nothing 
further is accomplished than to sow broadcast through the press intan¬ 
gible charges, calculated only to annoy, and to discredit among stran¬ 
gers a public service of domestic character without affording the slight¬ 
est assistance to those concerned, or benefitting any person at home or 
abroad. I hope these sportsmen shoot more accurately with their guns 
than they do with their society pen. They remind me of the reckless 
fowler, who fires wildly at the flight and wounds several birds w’ithout 
touching the one at which he should have aimed—feathers the net result. 
Yours, W. F. Whitcher. 
Ottawa, Canada, 14th April, 1894. 
-<«>- 
u TROUT-BATTING WITH MICE. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
I was talking one day this 'Week on the subject of flyfishing with Mr. 
Brainerd Howell, the genial and gentlemanly Deputy Surveyor of the 
Port, (and by the way Mr. II. is a very enthusiastic as well as successful 
disciple of Walton, and has one of the most complete and extensive fly- 
books, with other fixtures to match, I ever saw) and he spoke to me in 
regard to a letter he had recently received from a friend, and as it con¬ 
tained an item that might be of interest to your readers, and the same 
being your opinion, you will “make a note on.” 
Doctor Dart, of Highland, while fishng in a stream last season in Ulster 
county (or Sullivan, I do not remember which) was fortunate enough to 
secure a large trout in which, upon opening, he found the body of a field 
mouse. This, to an inventive and wide awake sportsman, was sufficient 
to start a train of ideas that would eventually lead to a certain result. The 
Dr. knew that in this pool or deep hole of the stream there were some 
large trout, for he had secured one; but no fly, however well he might 
cast it, would tempt another. Upon reaching home that evening he set 
his traps and caught three field mice, and on repairing to the stream the 
next day he hooked one through the skin of the small of the back to his 
fly line and gave a cast towards the middle of the pool. The line being 
light gave the little fellow pretty free scope, and he swam lively for the 
shore. But behold! Almost immediately there were several grand 
rushes from different directions. Poor mousey disappeared, and the de¬ 
lighted Dr. fastened to, and after scientific play, successfully landed a 
two-pounder. This was repeated with the other two mice, the Dr. cap¬ 
turing in a very short time with this unique bait three of the largest and 
finest specimens of the salmofontmalis that had been seen in that region 
for years. 
What think you of ridiculus mus as a killing bait? And would it not 
be advisable for us to take along a small cage of Muridae in our extensive 
trips to those regions where the big ones are that you so glowingly de¬ 
scribe in your book, the “Fishing Tourist?” Hope some one will try it. 
Jacobstaef. 
- ^ -*- 
Meacham Lake, Duane, N. Y., ApriI27, 1874. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
Our mutual friend “Haviland” has often requested me to give you a 
few lines from this, “my home. ” 
Since Nov. 25th I have been entirely alone, and have had a fine chance 
to note the condition of the game. During this remarkable winter the 
deer have not been obliged to yard it at all; have been roaming the woods 
as in summer, and everything in the way of small game has been in sight 
almost every day. In March I found and killed two woodchucks. I 
never saw them in this country before the middle of April. Partridges 
are very plenty, and unless we have long continued rains to kill the 
young broods we will have fine shooting this coming season. The deer 
are fat. You may wish to know how I know it. Three weeks ago a 
pack of wolves drove a fine doe on to the lake, about two miles from the 
house, and killed it. I saw one of them at it and thinking it was a dog, 
drove over to it and found they had eaten all but one hind-quarter, and 
that showed more fat than many killed in October. The wolves have 
since killed two sheep for one of my nearest neighbors, six miles away. 
My nearest neighbor is five miles away. And here let me say I have 
known of but one deer being killed in tbis town since the close season 
began. The game laws have been pretty generally respected in this sec¬ 
tion during the past year, although everybody grumbles at them, as made 
by men who know nothing of wild game or the necessities of the people 
living in these gamelregions, some of whom must starve but for the deer 
and fish. There has been very little fishing through the ice. I tried it 
one day and caught twenty-six pounds of speckled trout, and one salmon 
trout weighing five pounds. The prospects for the season are very good. 
The ice has been so light and free from snow that the fish have been bet¬ 
ter able to feed, and are in fine condition for this season of the year. 
I have had reports from the Raquette River and Saranac Lakes. They 
have been taking great numbers of pickerel during the winter. These 
sharks were put into Long Lake in the year 1866, and have increased and 
wandered out into every water they could reach, and have been carried 
into other waters by guides who are too lazy to work, but who can sit 
and haul these worthless fish from waters once filled with trout. We do 
not know that they are in any of the St. Regis waters now, but expect 
they will be soon. In conversation with Paul Smith, a few days ago, I 
told him the only thing we could do was to fight the pickerel with black 
bass. As soon as I am sure the pickerel are in St. Regis waters I will 
put bass into this lake, but dislike to anticipate them by putting in bass 
before they are needed. 
Two years ago I hatched and turned into the lake about forty thousand 
young salmon trout. Last season I put into my hatching boxes about 
two hundred thousand eggs; think I saved at least three-fourths of them, 
and I am now under obligations to my patrons to hatch and turn into 
the lake at least fifty thousand each year. I may be obliged to put in an 
extra fifty thousand for the pickerel, but hope not. 
The “sporting season” promises to be an early one, and from all sides I 
hear the questions: When can we come? When will the fishing begin? 
I can only answer.as soon as the ice is out. From October to May seems 
a long time to hang up the rod and gun, And to us in the woods it seems 
storms; since last November a fall of six inches of snow; to day has 
been bright and warm. 
To all over-anxious hunters and fishermen I can only say, Don’t get 
excited; get your guns and tackle in good order, come prepared to kill 
the “big buck” and to catch the “big trout;” they are waiting. I once 
caught the “big trout. ” Haviland once asked me to try his new rod. I 
did, and caught a speckled trout weighing 4£ pounds. I gave it to H., 
who sent it to the maker of the rod—Wm. Reed, Boston. 
A. R. F. 
-4- 
i \ Toledo, Ohio, April 29 1874. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
I enclose our new game law for this State, thinking it may be of use to 
you. I was very much pleased with the article on the Grayling in your 
last issue, and would say that you can find the trout and grayling in the 
Jordan, a stream twenty yards wide in Antrim county, Mich. I caught a 
grayling and trout at once,having a bobber and dropper on my line. The 
grayling weighed a pound and the trout a pound and a quarter on the 
scales. The grayling is as gamey as the trout, and, so far as my expe¬ 
rience goes, is not so easily handled as the trout, being very active and 
strong in the water. S. H. S. 
<}■ *71 Broadway, N. Y., May 2, 1874. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
I see one of your correspondents wishes information on the subject of 
chub fishing. I have caught the Silver Chub or Fall Fish in great num¬ 
bers in Canandaigua outlet, where they, as well as the black bass, are 
very plentiful. They are not as gamey as-the trout or bass, but still on a 
light trout rod they are very active and not to be despised. There is but 
one way of catching them worth speaking of, and that is with a fly; any 
fly will do, such as the professor or grizzly king. Canandaigua was 
once a salmon and trout stream, but now the water is too cald and dams 
to many for either of the above fish, but as I said before the chub and 
black bass are very numerous and.afford excellent sport to the fly fisher. 
The chub rarely exceed a pound ffnd the bass two pounds in* weight, 
though in Canandaigua Lake I have often taken the black bass weighing 
3 and 4 pounds on a light rod. Yours truly, W. C. 
ANNOUNCEMENTS. 
Woman, Love and Marriage. By F. Saunders. N. Y. 
G. W. Carleton & Co. 1874. 
Chadwick’s American Cricket Manual for 1874. Robt. 
M. DeWitt. New York. 
The American Rowing Almanac and Oarsman’s 
Pocket Companion. By Fred J. Englehardt, boating editor of the 
Turf, Fietd and Farm. 
The second edition of this work comes to us at rather late date. It 
contains an immense amount of useful and practical information to boat¬ 
ing men, also a series of maps showing the rowing courses at Saratoga, 
the Upper Hudson at Troy, and the Harlem River. 
Winefred’s Jewels. By Mary Atherstone Bird. Phila¬ 
delphia. H. W. McKinney &Co. 
Somewhat sensational in character, but nevertheless written in a very 
forcible and highly entertaining style. One does not tire in the reading of 
Miss Bird’s novels; they are full of incident,lively in character, and upon 
the whole improving and reformatory. 
Clouded in Mystery. By M. A. A. B. Philadelphia. 
H. W. McKinney & Co. 
This is a tale of English life in which there is a “mystery,” the solving 
of which makes up this pleasant story. The subject is quite ably 
handled, and we sincerely hope the author will again take the pen and 
give us another work as interesting as is the story, once “Clouded in 
Mystery.” In this work there is a sprinkling of good and bad. Villainy 
is here vividly portrayed in all its natural deformity; but it is of an en¬ 
tirely different character from that we find in “Winefred’s Jewels.” It 
is very readable. 
The Life of Edwin Forrest. With personal recollections. 
By James Rees (Colly Cibber). Philadelphia. T. B. Peterson & Bro. 
The public, since the first announcement of this accurate and highly 
interesting reminiscence of the great actor, have been looking for its ap¬ 
pearance with much interest. Edwin Forrest, the great delineator of 
life and its varying passions, has for years held a firm place in the es¬ 
teem and affection, not only of the friends of the legitimate drama, but 
also of others in the public and private walks of life. Mr. Rees is per¬ 
haps better qualified to write a true, impartial life of his friend Forrest 
than any other man, from the fact that his acquaintance with the great 
actor commenced with the days of his early boyhood. Enjoying, as he 
did, the closest intimacy for the long period of fifty years, he knew w T ell 
the man of whom he writes, and we are gratified to take up a work, not 
only very reliable for its accuracy, bnt which is to be regarded, as we be¬ 
lieve and trust, as a true and veritable transcript of the inner as well as 
professional life of a truly great man. This work contains a fine statu¬ 
ary likeness of Edwin Forrest, makes a volume of over 500 pages, is 
printed on good paper, and will find a ready sale to every one who was 
the friend of Edwin Forrest. 
Popular Science Monthly. N. Y. D. Appleton & Co. 
The lovers of science, of reliable and philisophical research, have in 
the number for May one of the best for the season. It contains thirteen 
articles, and where every article deserves a separate notice we can do 
no better than heartily commend the whole. 
Pen Pictures of Europe. By Elizabeth Peake. J. B. 
Lippincott & Co. 
Although written as a series of pen pictures or sketches, and observa¬ 
tions of travels, many of the scenes described by her having previously 
been viewed and written upon by other tourists and travelers, are never¬ 
theless fresh and entertaining. Freely illustrated by 66 full-paged, 
plates of places seen, some of them are very good indeed, while in 
others we find less merit, and though somewhat striking in 
themselves, we are not well pleased with them. We love the bright, 
sparkling freshness of tone that pervades this work, and a racy picture- 
esqueness not found in the descriptions of guide books for travelers; and 
this is a book no traveler over these places of note should be without. 
It is a pleasant companion for an hour. We commend it to our European 
tourists. 
Pet; or, Pastimes and Penalties. By H. R. Haweis, M..A. 
N. Y. Harper & Bros. 
Our friends will remember Mr. Haweis as the author of one of the 
most genial, as well as pleasant books of the day, under the title of 
“Music and Morals.” His new “Pet” will be found one of those pleas¬ 
ant, improving compositions, in which the duty of doing right in prefer¬ 
ence to wrong is forcibly illustrated in the autobiography of Ben the 
boy-lover of “Pet” with much freshness. These “pastimes and penalties” 
run along together with a judicious commingling and a childish sim¬ 
plicity not lost sight of during the entire narration. A rare and fact 
noting book. 
Adventures of an Attorney. By Sir George Stephen. 
Boston. Estes & Laureate. 
We welcome this re-publication as one of the many entertaining vol¬ 
umes of the day. The “Adventures of an Attorney” in search of prac¬ 
tice has already taken a deservedly high position in the literary world, 
and its graceful, genial humor, and quaint professional style will secure 
it favor, particularly among law students and young barristers. 
