FOREST AND STREAM 
311 
sight of Muncy and Hughesville, and fifteen miles from 
the city of Williamsport, Pa. There are fifteen acres of 
forest and a half mile of stream and ponds. As to lodg¬ 
ings, you can take it al fresco in a tent or at the hotel. We 
like the association of trout and good company. It is as 
peculiar as it is American. You can go from Philadel¬ 
phia, by the Reading railroad to the Muncy trout ponds. 
—It is said that the fishing at Grand Lake Stream, Maine, 
was never better than it has been thi^ month. Mr., Heill, 
of Calais,killed fifty-eight land-locked salmon in one day and 
others report success quite as worthy of record. The 
Dobsis club during the visit to their camp had excellent 
Toronto, June 12, 1874. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
When I wrote last I mentioned the fact that there was a 
little lake (Geneva) in Wisconsin which is full of grayling. 
To-day a gentleman from there states that a dam at the out¬ 
let of a little lake near Troy in that State had given way 
and that the inhabitants had taken away the grayling in 
cart loads. 
Judge Potter, of Toledo, told me yesterday that he took 
two grayling last July in the St. Mary’s River, near Point 
Aux Pins, while fishing for trout. 
Yours ever, James IT. RicharLson. 
P. S.—I got one of Orvis’ rods, the light one, and find it 
a beauty. 
sport, the size of fish killed being very much above the 
average, running, from two to three and three fourths 
pounds in weight. 
—A party of Boston gentlemen just arrived from Moose- 
head Lake represent the fishing as unusually good. The 
best localities they found were Moose River, North Bay 
and Spencer Bay. At Moose River they took seventy-tAvo 
trout, weighing from one to three pounds. Misery River 
is also a good stream. 
—Our attentive correspondent, Dr. Ken worthy, sent the 
following fishing notes from Barnegat one day too late for 
publication last week :— 
tV Two weeks since I communicated with you from Barne¬ 
gat, and reported our catch of blue fish, and remarked that 
”tlie fishing was poor. ” You published an extract, from 
my note, and stated that you considered such fishing good.' 
Now, -sir, although you may be an experienced fisherman, 
t am prepared to prove that you are very “poor” authority 
as far as “good” blue fishing is concerned. 
Since my communication appeared I have met a number 
of Tie readers of Forest and Stream at Barnegat, and 
through the boatmen have heard from others who have 
visited this locality. All seemed disposed to receive my 
statement as a “fish story,” but upon inquiry, and testing 
the matter for themselves, they found my statements true 
to the letter. 
I have just returned from another trip to Barnegat, and 
have enjoyed what I call “good blue fishing.” Late last 
Thursday night I received a telegram from Capt. Joel 
Ridgway to this effect;—“Large bine fish plenty; come.” 
I arrived at Barnegat on Friday evening, and commenced 
•squiddihg on Saturday morning at eight A. M. Three P. 
M. found me sore, crippled, and demoralized, and very 
willing to cry quits. Upon our arrival at the landing we 
'counted the catch, and found that we had captured 268 
Mi. Capt. Ridgway landed five, and “Al Fresco” 268. 
Weighing the fish: was too much of an undertaking, so I 
obtained the opinion of several old fishermen and fish deal¬ 
ers, and the lowest estimate was 1,200 pounds. 
Monday morning was calm, and I commenced squidding 
'at half past nine, and abandoned the sport at half past 
three P. M. Upon counting the day’s catch I found That 
■Iliad personally landed 261 fish; estimated weight, 800 
pounds. 
Tuesday found me pulling and hauling blue fisli at half 
past seven A. M., and at half past eleven it was blowing a 
gale, with the dust flying half mast high. Deeming pru¬ 
dence the better part of valor, I beat a hasty retreat in 
search of dry garments. Upon arriving at the landing we 
counted results, and I found that I had captured 158 fish, 
estimated at. 600 pounds. 
Although tlie weight was estimated by old fishermen and 
fish dealers, I am convinced that they weighed more than 
the figures given. Fishing time, Seventeen hours; numoer 
of fish landed by one pair of hands, 677; number of fish 
landed per hour, 89; weight landed per minute, two 
pounds. This, Mr. Editor, I call “good fishing.” 
I must confess that I am an active man, and lost no time 
in eating, drinking, or smoking. My success I attribute to 
• good tackle, and the efficiency, knowledge, and seaman- 
like qualities of that prince of boatmen, Capt. Joel Ridg¬ 
way. 
I have tested the qualities of most of the hotels at Bar¬ 
negat Bay, and if you or any of your friends should feel 
disposed to visit that locality I would advise them to try 
the Mullen House, kept by King, at Pitman. 
Ax. Fresco. 
CANADIAN LEASED RIVERS. 
New York, June 20, 1874. 
Editor. Forest and Stream:— 
To save trouble and disappointment to many who may 
have determined, (after reading your correspondent, W. E. 
F.’s glowing description of his salmon fishing at “Middle 
Landing” last year,) to try the Nipessigiiys River this 
season, I would like, to say that the place is leased and not 
free, and that all the room there is already spoken for. 
If you would kindly make it understood that every 
salmon stream on the Bay of Clialeur worth going to, is 
already leased, you would do a service to those who might 
otherwise direct their steps thither only to he disappointed 
to find the sport unattainable; and at the same time many 
lessees the disagreeable necessity of refusing applications 
from those who may have come all the long distance for 
nothing. Neither experience is a pleasant one, I assure 
you. 
You understand the fact; hut Americans—accustomed to 
free fishing in our woods—find it hard to believe that sport 
is not open to all on the wild rivers of Canada. 
Yours truly, Amsterdam. 
—The Kentville, Nova Scotia, Chronicle mentions the 
fact that four English sportsmen have taken thirty fine 
salmon at Gold River this season, Avhich is significant, inas¬ 
much as some of our correspondents who fished that river 
last season reported it barren of salmon, having either not 
seen or heeded our directions to .go early. 
-- 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
Muirkirk, Md.. June 17, 1874. 
I saw a communication in the Forest and Stream that black bass 
could not be caught with a fly at tittle Falls of thq Potomac. I have 
bot fished there, but can say that on the 20th and 21st of May at the 
weac Falls of the Potomac I caught eight black bass with flies, landing 
Purs twice. The water being high the fish did not take the fly very 
Wel1 ’ Yours truly, C, E. C. 
Dixfield, Me., June 15, 1874. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
I returned from the Rangely Lakes yesterday, having stopped there 
three days.. Found the Ashing excellent and large. A few warm days 
will bring them to the surface, and will also bring the black flies and 
mnsquitoes. The fishing for the past week has been done entirely in 
the lake. The most successful mode is by trolling with a minnow. We 
found the fishing good in any place where we tried, whether near the 
shore or in the - middle of the lake, not very difficult, the size of fish rang¬ 
ing from one to six pounds. The season is nearly two weeks later than 
usual. We took 2,000 land-locked salmon from my hatchmg'-house at 
Dixfield and turned them into the Rangely waters without the loss of a 
single fish, and that over a road of sixty miles without a change of 
water. I hope to see the day when the land-locked salmon will be abund¬ 
ant in those waters, and think they will grow as much larger accordingly 
as the brook trout do compared with other sections on this continent. 
' Truly yours, Henry O. Stanley. 
( NORTH CAROLINA COAST FISHING. 
* 
Cape JIattkras Light Station, May 16, 1874. 
We are permitted by courtesy of Prof. Baird to print 
tlie following interesting letter:— 
Professor Spencer F. Baird, Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, 
Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D. C.: 
Sir —Your communication of 27t,h ultimo is now before me, in which 
you express a desire to engage my services in obtaining information in 
regard to the different kinds of food fish that frequent the waters of this 
portion of the “Old North State.” I can only renew my offer to yon in 
a letter of a previous date to “furnish you all the information within the 
narrow limits of my experience.” In your letter- whose receipt is here" 
by acknowledged—you. speak especially of the bluefish {Tailor), true 
mackerel, Spanish mackerel, the sword-fish and sear-herring. 
The Bluefish, or Jailor, is found in the waters of North Car¬ 
olina all the year round. It is seen and caught in great abundance from 
first of March until last of December, and to some extent in the months 
of January and February. Those taken in spring and summer are about 
one-quarter to one-half grown, and are generally caught in the Sound— 
never very near the Inlets. They are canght in small set nets or drag 
nets of large dimensions as to length and depth. Seines are not used for 
them until the full grown fish, commonly called hero “the Big Tailor,” 
make their appearance, which is in November. The Big Tailor gener¬ 
ally come by sea from the north, and are seldom seen in the sounds. 
Their approach is foretold by the Fatback, which make their appearance 
about two days ahead of the Tailor, and when the body of the Tailors 
arrive on our coast they have ahead of them schools of Fatback that 
would measure acres in dimensions. The Fatback are driven in by the 
Tailor next the surf or beach, and if the surf is rough they are washed 
ashore in large quantities. The Tailor is taken in seines, put out to s.:a 
from large flat-boats or skiffs made for the puipose, in smooth weather; 
but in rough seas the fishermen have anchors planted at sea a sufficient 
distance from shore to allow a seine to be handled at the full length of it 
to sea. A hawser is attached to the anchor by means of a block through 
which it passes. With both ends leading on shore, passing through a sec¬ 
ond block attached to a “Sampson post” on the beach. One end of the 
warp is made fast to one end of the seine, and it is hauled off into the 
sea and back to the shore immediately. I have known thousands to be 
landed at a “set” in this way. I have seen them so numerous in the 
surf that hundreds have been caught in a few hours by men with spoons 
made of large wire,long spikes, old bayonets, and last.fall a little brother 
of mine.canght five in ten minutes with a common yard rake, walking 
along the surf; and they were so numerous that some of the ladies who 
were at the seine for curiosity’s sake, caught several in their hands 1 . 
They seemed to be so eager after the bait (fatback) that the sea would 
wash them up oil the beach, and in many instances recede and leave 
them on dry land. In such times they may be seen for miles at sea with 
their tails and fins above water. It is strange some one here does not 
prepare extensively for salting this fish for the market. There is not a 
permanent fishery for them on this, coast. There are, however, large 
quantities of them caught and sold from here. They generally sell for 
from 2 to 4 cents per pound, and as high as 50 cents per fish. I’ney are 
sold in this State to farmers principally. 
The true Mackerel is seen and caught in our Sounds in August, 
September and October, hut in small quantities. 
The Spanish Mackerel is seldom seen in the Sounds. It is caught in 
.small quantities near the shoals at the point of the cape. 
The Sword-fish is also seen and sometimes caught in the Sounds, but 
is never made use of hei’e. It is sometimes seen at sea in large quanti¬ 
ties in November and December. 
The Scudder, or Sea-herring passes our coast, but is never seen in the 
Sounds, and never canght. i am not prepared to give any information 
in regard to the time, place, or any circumstance connected with the 
spawning of any of the different species of fish named above. We have, 
in addition to those referred to, several other species of food fish, 
which are caught to a great extent and are excellent food, some of which 
are the Spot-bream or Pinfisli, Hogfish, Yellovvfish, Trout, Speckled 
Trout, Sea Mullet, Sheephead, Red-drum, Hake, &c., which I will treat 
on at another time. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
A. W. Simpson, Jr. 
i 
f^nnwerji J| a (£er mnhmfg. 
B. Todd, Middletown, N. J.—Get “Fishing in American Waters,” by 
Genio C. Scott. Think the price is $2.50. 
E. D., Boston, Mass.-^Canfurnish back numbers from date of first is¬ 
sue of the paper. 
W. H.,Brooklyn—Please tell me in your next issue when law for wood¬ 
cock is off in Massachusetts? Ans. duly 4th. 
Keno, Rome.—Where can 1 go and have real sport blue-fishing? Ans. 
At Barnegat. See columns of this paper this week aud a month past. 
Smith.— How can a canoe be taken from New York by canal to the 
nearest point on the Ohio River? Ans. Does any reader know? 
L. S. G., Boston.—Is there good shooting at bay birds ou the New Jer¬ 
sey shore in September? What would be the expense of getting there 
and shooting, for say a week? Ans. 1. Yes. 2d. About-$25. 
J.D. and S. T. and Others.— Think we can procure you a copy of 
“Superior Fishing.” Being out of print you may have to pay more than 
the original price of publication. 
J. W., Philadelphia. -Have your shells 2$ inches long so that they can 
reach up-to the “taper” m the gun. Do not cht them off. Use Hall’s 
patent creaser. Dupont’s No. 5 is pretty nearly like Curtis & Harvy’s 
No. 6. 
W. & Co.—While we should be much pleased to accept your advertise¬ 
ment in these hard times, we must decline it, as we cannot conscien¬ 
tiously advocate the use of reflectors or other devices for fire-hunting or 
“jacking” deer. 
Boston.—I s there good fishing at Moosehead Lake the last two weeks 
in August, and what kind? Are there any black bass? Ans. August 
and September are the best months. Trout in the streams and “lakers” 
in the lake. There are whitefish, but no black bass, we believe. 
A. J. K., New York.—Is Conshocken a nice place to go to this sum¬ 
mer? 2. How far is Germantown Junction from Philadelphia? 3. What 
is the fare from New York City? Ans. 1. It has no prominence as a 
summer resort. 2. About 6 miles. 3. $3.15. 
F. N. S., Brooklyn.—What do they charge for board in the Adirondack 
Mountains for a boy of 17? 2. What kind of game is there to be found 
and is there good fishing? Ans. Board $2.50 p6r day for good-sized 
boys of 17. Deer and bear, rabbits, squirrels, for game. Yes; good 
fishing. Good place to go to. 
A. F. & J. P., New York.—Is there any trout fishing in the Catskill 
Mountains in the vicinity of Cairo? Ana. Not familiar with vicinity of 
Cairo. Fair fishing, though not first-rate through the Catskills generally. 
2. What would be the expense for ten ‘days from New York City? Ans. 
Eight to twelve dollars a week for board. 3. Are the accommodations 
(hotels, board, &c.) at Waretown, N. J., as good as at Barnegat? Yes. 
P. W. T., Washington.—Do you know of any good fishing places 
either in Baltimore or St. Mary’s county, Md.; il so, how can one get to 
them? Ans. Good fishing in Britain’s and Choptico Bays and all along 
shore of Potomac River. Take stage from Washington to Leonardstown, 
St. Mary’s county. See Forest and Stream Sept. 25th and Oct. 2d. 
J. B. R., Philadelphia.—Please inform me to which county or coun¬ 
ties, this State, there is the best deer hunting, and where in Pennsylva¬ 
nia would you advise me to go for the most sport? Are deer plenty in 
McKean county? Ans. Best deer counties in Pennsylvania are Mc¬ 
Kean, Elk, Potter, Sullivan and Lycoming. 
C. W. A., Newark.—Which is the best manner to keep shrimp alive 
any length of time? Ans. Pack in damp seaweed and they will live 24 
hours. 2d. Would you fish with this bait with sinker, or make casts, 
as with a fly? Both modes are used. 3d. Will pickerel take a fly? Yes. 
4th. Does the yellow bass take Re fly? Takes anything, we believe. 
W. D. N., Philadelphia.—We do not think for comfort you ought to 
shoot 5 drachms from the gun you mention, with H oz. shot. The cali¬ 
bre 10, weighing about 8£ pounds, is not adapted to the charge. The 
limit would be 4 to 4f drachms of powder and l£ oz. shot. With this as 
an outside charge good shooting can be made. 
Reader, Brooklyn.- Do silver fish ever turn to goldfish, and do gold¬ 
fish live peacably with eels? Ans. Silver and goldfish are two vari¬ 
eties of carp and are often seen in aquaria with eels. Where can I get a 
good ferret, and about how much I will have to pay for it? Ans. Fred. 
Mather, Honeoye Falls, will send yon one, or inquire at Reiche’s, 55 
Chatha-street, for informaiion. Price, possibly $1 50. 
F. W. K., New York.—For striped oass in Hackensack, fish off the 
bridges with bamboo trolling rod, 150 feet line at least, float, shrimp, 
shedder, or minnow bait, small sinker to keep book under tbe tide; reel, 
of course. The bridge at “English Neighborhood,” Northern Railroad 
, of N. J., is a favorite stand. Just now the water is thick, and we cannot 
learn that bass are being taken with hook in either rivers or bay, al¬ 
though this is the proper season. • 
J. L., Galveston.—1st. Under the law as interpreted at present your 
yacht should carry as many life preservers as passengers, and a licensed 
engineer, pilot and captain, even if no passenger-! are carried for hire. 
2d. Liability for injury depends upon many circumstances, and no gen¬ 
eral opinion will hold. Efforts a,re being made to procure amendments 
to the inspection laws that will favor yachts. The present law is almost 
prohibitory to small yachts and launches. 
Idaho. —An Idaho correspondent speaks of a new and undescribed 
species of fish Rat was last summer discovered to inhabit a small lake 
in the mountains, on a tributary of Peyette River, weighing from five to 
ten pounds, in shape much like a shad, and having a skin and scales of a 
deep blood-red color. The meat is of a bright yellow color, and delicious 
to taste. Can you give me any information concerning the fish? Ans. 
Cannot be identified; description probably incorrect. May be a sucker. 
G. N. B., Delphos, Kan.—Think the ICO grains of powder too heavy a 
charge. To make anything like accurate shooting, the rifle you speak 
about, like all others, must be carefully wiped out and cleaned after 
every discharge. From the load yon put in you used very fine powder: then 
total combustion would be possible, but with heavy recoil and stripping 
of ball with coarser grained powder, it is likely that all of it would not 
burn. Can recommend Hazard’s powder, or the Laflin & Rand. What 
is the weight of your express ball? 
Chlexifuge. —Canyon not give me a nicer preventive against black 
flies than the “nasty tar and oil” which you recommend in your “Fishing 
Tourist,” something that is nice forladies. I don’t mind the tar for my¬ 
self? Ans. Here is a remedy which we have received from North Car¬ 
olina; we have not tried it, but we doubt its efficacy: Essence oil ver¬ 
bena, one drachm; cologne snirits, not cologne water, ninety-five per 
cent; one pint; mix and agitate for twenty-four hours, then add distilled 
water four ounces, and filter. Bathe the face, neck aud hands well, and 
mosquitoes will not trouble you. 
D. McG., Harnsville, Mich.—Between the two American rifles we can 
see no difference. See scores made by both rifles in Forest and Stream. 
Know Pape’s rifle only from drawings, but believe it to be an excellent 
arm. Double rifles very little in use in the United States, and would not 
be likely to be as accurate as single guns. No advantage in them, when 
for game yon could get a Ward Burton magazine arm, with any number 
of charges in it. The last Creedmoor report can be sent you for 35 cents 
—cost and postage. 
D. AY. C.. Boston.—Can you give me the fare, or what it would cost 
from Portland to Rangely, via Farmington and Phillipstown? Ans. 
About $12. Can I hire a canoe on Rangely Lake? Ans. Boats on the 
lake. What kind and size of flies shall I take for the first of August to 
catch trout? Ans. August dun, blue professor, ibis, orange fly and 
cinnamon fly, white miller and coachman. Do you think that the “mo¬ 
dern splice” on the tip joint of a trout fly rod better than the brass and 
ferrule? Ans Many expert anglers prefer them. 
Jerseyite. —Where can I get a guide book, description,'or something of 
that sort of the different places along the shores of Connecticut, Rhode 
Island and Massachusetts, with a large map attached, and what is the 
title of it? Don’t know of any that meets your view, but would refer 
you to Savage’s Dictionary of New England, Farmer’s New England, 
Historical Sketches of Suffolk County, Guild’s Index, Apply 
to Sabin, 84 Nassau street. 2d. Where are the best fishing 
grounds? Ans. South Oyster Bay, the coast of Rhode Island and 
Vineyard Sound. 3d What tackle do we want? Ans. That for striped 
bass will do for general fishing; you want heavy sinkers, too. 
Alex. C.—I? the name “Ephemera,” frequently referred to in Norris t 
“American Angler’s Book,” the nom de plume of an author, or the title 
of a publication? If the latter, is it in print? Where can it be obtained, 
and what is the price? 2d. Will the grayling thrive in water of a tem¬ 
perature exceeding 45 to 50 deg. Fahrenheit? Ans. Ephemera is the 
nom de plume of a writer who contributed largely to Bell's Life,m Lon¬ 
don, twenty-five years ago. His “Hand Book of Angling” and subse¬ 
quently his “Book of the Salmon,” published by Longman, Brown, 
Green & Longman, Paternoster row, London, 1S50, if to be had in this 
country, will most likely be of Scribner & Co. If not, they may procure 
L Can’t tell the price. 2d. Grayling will thrive in any water suitable 
for trout; perhaps in water of rather higher temperature. Young trout 
require colder water than old and large trout. The latter will be in good 
condition where it is as high as 70 degrees. 
F. L. M., Philadelphia.—What would be the expense of a trip to Nee- 
pigon Bay, and can board be had there for a couple of young men who 
are accustomed to roughing it, but cannot take a camping outfit? Can I 
find any shelter near the lake without going up the river? Ans. About 
thirty dollars (ample) to Toronto and return, and thirty-five Rom Red 
Rock and return to Toronto. A good boarding house kept in comfort¬ 
able style by Robert Crawford at foot of, the river. No houses qt shelter 
u l> stream for forty-five miles. Board about a dollar a day. Incidentals 
of trip ten dollars. 
