220 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Philadelphia, May 9, 1874. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
The first regatta of the Philadelphia Yacht Club for this season will 
take place on the Delaware River Monday, May 18, to sail at 10 o’clock 
precisely. The race is to be sailed for prizes given by Mr. Albert Ebe- 
ner. There are two classes of yachts. All are 15 feet in length, the first 
class being from 5 to 6 feet beam and the second class 4 to 5 feet. The 
prizes are for each and the same for each, viz: First prize, one solid 
silver ice pitcher; second prize, one walnut chronometer 9 day clock; 
third prize, one solid silver castor. They are to start from Shackamax- 
on Street Wharf, sailing down the river, rounding the first buoy below 
the Block House opposite Fort Mifflin, and return, coming in between 
the buoy and the wharf, opposite Shackamaxon street, making a course 
of about 18 miles. The following entries have been made to Aprli 27: 
FIRST CLASS. 
Name. Captain. 
Wm. H. Clymer—Win. Roach. 
Albert Dager —A. Baisley. 
Albert T. Eggleton—G. W. Simons. 
Windward—Frank Dery. 
Tyler T-Iamlinton—John Lester. 
Benj. P. Sparks—Wm. Flick. 
Kate D. Eakins—Geo. Eakins. 
Lizzie M. Aadis—Wm. Alexander. 
Chas. S. Austin—D. Huber. 
Willie Kleintz—Frank Klelntz. 
Kate Leary—Ike Leary. 
Geo. Hoff—John Smith. 
Harry Strimmell—Thad. Chambers. 
Chas. W. Hillman—Chas. Bradley. 
Jonty Hillman—Henry Newlin. 
John F. Ohl—Joseph Wood. 
John Stiltz, Jr—Geo. Bratton. 
Yours truly, 
SECOND CLASS. 
Name. Captain. 
Leo Reinfried—Theodore Helm. 
Edward Ebener—Robt Rockey. 
Little Maggie—G. Gri'sson. 
Annie B. Riser—H. Abrahms. 
Geo R Jesson—J. Rihl. 
Elisa Brode—Edward Bower, 
John B. Brewer—J. Bradshaw. 
Chas. Abel—W. H. Vanderslice. 
S. A. Ma iner—W. Kirk. 
Ida May—L. Harstman. 
James Wignall—D. Ahern. 
S. A. Standi ford— T. Ledyard. 
Dollie Tilton—C. Tilton. 
Saltie—J. Rudder. 
Lillian—G. Bumm. 
Rich'd F. Riddell—John Lipton. 
George Lewis—J. Jones. 
Enchantress—G. Long. 
Jos- H. Leary—J. Vanderslice. 
John D. Sidcbotham—J. Dearr. 
William D. Wieland—W. Earley. 
Forrell B. Miller—C. G. Bodine. 
Julia—James C. Wigner. 
T. 
—Messrs. John Keeler, Wm. Mcfarlane, Owen Yan 
Winkle, and Thomas Fearon, the well known amateur 
crew of the Vesper Rowing Association, of Yonkers, will 
take part in the forthcoming Saratoga regatta. 
—The National Association of Amateur Oarsmen will 
hold a meeting at the Astor House, New York, on Saturday 
evening, May 16, when business of importance will be 
transacted. 
—Notwithstanding the cold easterly wind which pre¬ 
vailed on Monday last, a very large number of people as¬ 
sembled at Harlem to witness the barge race between the 
crews of the Nassau and Harlem Boat Clubs, The two 
steamers engaged for the occasion were filled to overflow¬ 
ing, the “ Seth Low ” being set aside for gentlemen unac¬ 
companied by ladies, and the “ Water Lily” for the lady 
guests of the two clubs. Arriving at the starting point, the 
Nassaus were the first to put in an appearance, followed 
very shortly afterwards by their antagonists. Mr. Jas. 
Watson, who was starter and referee, was enabled to give 
them the word “ go” at forty-one minutes past five, and off 
they went, the Nassaus catching the water first, and taking 
the lead. Both crews were in good condition, the Nassaus 
pulling a more finished stroke than their opponents, but 
the latter sticking close to them, and showing great pluck 
and determination; and so they went, until passing under 
the bridge at McComb’s Dam, the Harlems earned a slight 
advantage, showing half a length ahead on the other side. 
However, the Nassaus were not to be shaken off, but slowly 
crept up, until, at the finish, it was utterly impossible to 
say which was the winning boat. The suspense was ended 
by the information that the Nassaus had won the goblets 
and colors b y four feet. 
SUMMARY. 
Harlem River, N. Y., May 11.—Match for a set of colors, 
and a silver cup for each of the crew, between six-oared 
barges of the Nassau and Harlem Boat Clubs. Two miles 
straight away. 
Bow—Lindsay Watson, 
No. 2—George C. Power, 
No. 3—Frank G. Brown, 
No. 4—John A. Walker, 
No. 5—A. W. Montgomery, 
Stroke—Grinnell Willis, 
Coxswain—W. K. Foster. 
1 
► Nassau 
Bow—C. B. Pinckney, 
No. 2—N. S. Devoe, 
No. 3—H. Conklin, 
No. 4—C. W. Turner, “ Harlems 
No. 5—A. G. Scranton, 
Stroke—T. R. Keator, 
Coxswain—H. M. Knapp. 
Time—13 minutes 25 seconds. 
1 
2 
mid 
FISH IN SEASON IN MAY. 
Salmon, 'Salmo Salar. Salmon trout, Salmo confinu. 
Trout, Salmo fontinalis Shad, Alosa. 
Land-locked Salmon, Salmo gloveri Michigan Grayling, Thymallm tricolor 
Black Bass, grystes salmoicles , grystes nigricans. 
The amended fish law of New Jersey prohibits the taking of black bass 
within the State before the 1st of June. 
—We have news from Barnegat that weak-fish have been 
caught there in nets last week, and the baymen are paint¬ 
ing up their boats in anticipation of the coming of the blue 
fish, which generally strike in about the 20th of May, This 
year it is expected they will be a few days later. As soon 
as they come, our readers will be advised, as they always 
are of all kinds of fish in season. For the last ten days of 
May and beginning of June Barnegat Bay is generally liter¬ 
ally alive with large blue fish. Next week we shall print 
a very intelligent article, long deferred, upon Bluefisli, 
from a correspondent who makes Barnegat one of his chief 
cruising grounds. 
—The first striped bass of the season were taken last 
week on the “Plot,” (Jersey Flats). They averaged three 
pounds weight, and were taken with shrimp. Mummies, 
sand worms, shrimp, and sliedder crabs in season, are the 
killing baits for*bass. And just here, let us say that crabs 
are this spring very abundant in Coney Island Creek and 
along shore, which is always a sure sign of a plentiful run 
of bass. 
—Twenty-five fine bass were taken at Kingsbridge May 
10th from boat, with rod and line, by Messrs. Daniels 
and Creighton of Brooklyn. 
—The warm weather of the past few days has brightened 
the prospects of the angler. With an almost summer tem¬ 
perature the snow and ice have disappeared, and the winter 
blockade of the northern lakes and rivers is at last broken. 
The St. Lawrence is clear, and on May 10th the ice went 
out from the Saranacs and the North woods. 
The art of Fly-making. — Third Cant. — A certain school 
of fly makers tie on the wings, or more properly the wing 
last of all, and in making an elaborate fly it is the proper 
way, but in ordinary trout fli es, as I shall presently show, 
the wing should be put on immediately after wrapping on 
the gut. Some old-fashioned makers maintain that a pair 
of wings should be put on, each one seperately. This is 
certainly unnecessary for most of the natural flies we observe 
on the water, if alive, have their wings folded together, 
appearing as one. Especially is this the case with the 
Ephemeridae, which are most numerous. 
Let me ask the reader to cast his eye on the plate below. 
He will observe that the fibres incline towards the top end 
of the feather. Now each of these, on the sides where they 
come in contact, if examined with a microscope, will be 
found to contain a regular series of little hooks, if I may 
so call them, forming a connection or interlocking with a 
similar series on the adjoining fibre. On this interlocking 
of the fibres, with the arrangement of the feathers, and the 
oiling which the bird gives them, depends its ability to 
shed water as from the roof of a house, and a duck to 
swim and dive and still remain dry. If you cut out a sec¬ 
tion (figure 2), and, doubling it, form figure 3, the fibres at 
the outer end of your wing will be of an unequal length and 
require pinching or clipping off of the ends after it is tied on. 
You will therefore, holding the stem of the feather in your 
left hand, stroke back the fibres gently and gradually, forc¬ 
ing the little hooks to lose the original connection with 
their fellows on the adjoining fibres and form others until 
you get them to stand out at right angles with the stem. 
After forcing as many back as will form your wing, clip 
them off with your scissors and double them with the 
under side of the feather inward, your one wing, repre¬ 
senting a a pair of wings , is ready to tie on. 
In imagination, I hear some old fogy of a fly-maker say 
“that ain’t the way,” and if he agrees with me asks “why all 
this to do, and why your illustration.” Well it maybe plain 
to li im, and tyi ng a fly may be as natural as using his teaspoon, 
or putting liis mug of beer to his mouth. He may be a 
much better fly-maker than I am, but can he write down 
on paper how to make his flies ? I can assure him it is no 
easy task to tell how I make mine. But to put on the 
wing. If it is the last thing done, holding the smoothly 
folded mass of fibres together between the thumb and fore 
finger of your right hand, lay it on the back of the hook, 
the ends of the fibres extending as far back as you pro¬ 
pose to have the length of the wing, pressing it down firmly; 
then bring the forefinger and thumb of your left hand into 
action, and releasing the hold with your right take two or 
three turns of your wrapping silk; look to see if it sets 
right, and then with one or two more wrappings, close and 
neat, you fasten off with the invisible knot, as described 
in my last paper in finishing a hackle; and so your fly is 
complete. 
The foregoing is the English mode; but let me describe 
another, and, I think, more secure way of putting on the 
wings of trout flies. I think it originated in Ireland. It 
is now generally adopted in this country. Holding the 
hook as already described, take four or five turns of the 
wrapping silk, about two thirds of the way up from the 
bend to the head, then laying on the gut continue wrap¬ 
ping, but closely, leaving just enough of the hook to fasten 
and finish off; lay on the wing, the convex edge beneath, 
and the end in the reverse direction, i. e ., outward along 
the bare gut, then, holding the wing firmly in position, take 
two or three turns of the wrapping, being careful that the 
wing does not turn over towards the opposite side of the 
hook, look at it to see that it sets properly; continue down 
the shank with a half dozen or more turns, and then clip 
off the root ends of the fibres, which of course are point¬ 
ing towards the bend of the hook. Your wing is now se¬ 
cure, with the point or end reversed. Continue wrapping 
over gut and hook until you come opposite the point of the 
latter; then put on your tinsel, clipping off the surplus end, 
then your dubbing, extending it well up towards the head, 
and leaving the space to be occupied by the hackle about 
half as much as that so occupied when tying a fly without 
wings. Here you fasten in the hackle firmly, winding it 
on up to the point where you commenced tying on the 
wing; secure the end of the hackle with three turns of 
your wrapping, clipping off the surplus end, then double 
back the wing into its intended position, take two or three 
turns over the head or but end, and finish off with the in¬ 
visible knot, as described and illustrated in last number. 
A quicker way of putting on the wings is, after strokim, 
back the fibres, and bringing them at right angles to the 
stem of the feather, to double them into the*shape of tl 
wing, and then, with a quick jerk, pluck it by the took 
from the stem. The wing is then laid on, and the fly r>ro 
ceeded with as just described. The wing should extend' 
backward just so far that the tip of it comes immediatelv 
over the bend of the hook. The fibres of the hackle should 
hardly be long enough to reach the same place, and the 
hackle itself should not be more than two thirds the leno-th 
of stem required for a hackle or palmer fly. 
One would suppose, before he tried it, that the wing cut 
or torn from the stem, as described, would be square a! the 
j tip end when tied on. A trial will prove that the end will 
f be oval or elliptical, resembling the wings of a natural fly 
The learner, of course, will find that in tying back the 
\ wing, if the turns of the wrapping silk are too near the but 
i end of the head, the wing will set too perpendicularly and 
J that if the turns of the wrapping are too far back it will 
j set too close to the body. The body in a well proportioned 
5 fly extends rather beyond, opposite the point of the hook 
If the wing is too long it should be shortened by a vDor- 
1 ous pinch of the thumb nail and forefinger. 
{ I had forgotten to mention that in making a body of mo¬ 
hair, fur, or pig’s wool, the requisite quantity, after a little 
pulling, is placed in the palm of the left hand and rolled 
into the shape of an oblong cone. The smaller end is then 
applied to the lower end of the body, and twisting or spin¬ 
ning it in with the wrapping silk it is wound up the body 
which is to be increased in bulk as you near the space in¬ 
tended for the hackle. The wild hairs of the dubbing 
should be clipped off, so also should awry fibres of the 
hackle after winding on. The picker (a darning needle 
stuck head in into a small cork will answer for this little 
implement), when required, is brought into requisition in 
arranging and straightening the irregular fibres after wind¬ 
ing on the hackle. 
The mode of clipping off the but ends of the wing as 
close up to the head of the fly as I have described, answers 
in most cases, for instance for a hurl, or mohair, or fur 
body, but when we intend to make a floss body the surplus 
part of the wing should be clipped off in a direction slant¬ 
ing towards the bend of the hook; so that in wrapping over 
it with the floss the body will taper, handsomely increasing 
in bulk as it nears the place where you intend to fasten in 
the h-ackle. In tying flies one becomes appreciative of the 
minuteness of spaces, and in putting on tinsel, or in the 
length of (lie body, or in finishing off at the head as much 
as may be occupied by one or two turns of the finest wrap¬ 
ping silk, is easily judged of. 
Tails. —In putting on this little “caudal appendage,” as 
Mr. Sparrowgrass would have termed it, much nicety is to 
be observed. Of course it is placed precisely on top of the 
hook, the fibres of feathers of which it is composed should 
curve upward and sit gracefully. If it be a plain body, as 
in the fly, called the hare’s ear, it is tied in on completing 
the wrapping on of the gut. If tinsel ornaments the end of 
the body, it should be put on first, and then the tail. If 
the body is intended to be wrapped with tinsel, it should 
hang loose while putting on the tail and then wound spir¬ 
ally over the dubbing with two, three, four, or five turns, 
as the case may be. 
Repeating in part the directions already given for the 
bodies of the flies let me remind the learner "that the mate¬ 
rial fastened in last is wrapped on first. Suppose for in¬ 
stance you wish to make a winged fly with a palmer body: 
After the tail is on, tie in the end of the hackle, and then— 
firstly , wrap on the dubbing; secondly, the tinsel; thirdly , 
the hackle, following close behind the turns of the tinsel; 
and it makes a better looking fly to wrap the hackle much 
more closely on getting up under the wings; making it a 
little more “buz” as it is frequently termed. A fly is said to 
be buz when the hackle is wrapped on thick and it looks 
“bushey” as we Americans would term it. 
Some makers use two or three half hitches in finishing 
off at the head. The invisible knot is as easily tied and 
much more secure. 
Let me describe as briefly and as plainly as I can the 
proper mode of using a pair of scissors. They should be 
such as I have described. Do not put your finger and 
thumb into the bows or oval openings, but lay that part of 
the implement in the palm of your hand and with the 
thumb and fingers work the blades. A little practice in 
this way will enable one to pick out and clip off a single 
fibre of the hackle or wing with great nicety. Every fly- 
maker has his own method, learned of others in part, and 
in part adopted as his own invention; the foregoing direc¬ 
tions may therefore not accord with the mode of some who 
may read this paper. I can only say it is my method, and 
that I am always ready and anxious to learn of others a 
better way of performing any of the little minutiae I have 
described. Thaddeus N orris. 
—The North River shad have come at last in fair quan¬ 
tity though not remarkable as to size. In the Connecticut 
River the catch has been both large and fine. We saw in 
Fulton Market some twenty-five fish, all dressed, weighing 
ninety-five pounds; this is above the average. The Porgee 
or Scup ( Pogrus Argyops) has come too in large numbers. 
An immense school was struck off Narragansett beach, and 
the catch was so large, that in New York this excellent 
little pan-fish had to be almost given away. Mackerel 
abound. Last week they were worth $20 per 100, this 
week by the arrival of some eight fishing vessels, the price 
has gone down to $5 per 100. This fish is working North. 
Those now in market, though excellent for immediate use, 
are not in good condition for curing. Mackerel must live .for 
a while in the colder waters of the Banks, before being in 
proper order for selling. Salmon rare, the Kennebec yield 
not heavy, and the price pretty high. Trout from Maine 
and Canada are coming in fair quantity. 
We would call the attention of our Boston friends, and 
those desirous of preserving lobsters, to the fact that great 
quantities of these shellfish, not weighing a half of a pound 
are exposed for sale in our markets. They are brought in 
small smacks from Maine and Massachusetts, against the 
law and are sold at miserable prices. Mr. Bergh is defend¬ 
ing the rights of the turtles. To-day w T ith unloosed flip¬ 
pers, they can flap away with their arms, and fan them¬ 
selves at their leisure. It is questionable whether they do 
not hurt themselves more this way when at liberty, than 
when they are tethered. 
