FOREST AND STREAM. 
man could live there in such a season was a question we 
were unable to answer. 
Here we spent several days, fishing in the lake chiefly, 
sometimes down the river, and at the dam and the rapids 
below. Unfortunately, we were early, or the season was 
late, and the water high. Consequently, the trout were all 
over the lake, and our success was only moderate. But we 
caught some very fine trout, and all that eight men, with 
voracious appetites, could eat, fishing as leisurely as we 
chose. We fished by trolling, baiting with the red worm 
(carried in from Fenton’s); also, by still fishing with the 
same bait, off from rocky points" and at the mouths of in¬ 
lets, and caught with the fly occasionally in the lake and 
on the rapids. Fly fishing in the lake, however, was a fail¬ 
ure, both with us and the Catskill party encamped near us. 
Half pounders and upwards, and occasionally a salmon 
trout, were taken by trolling, but the largest speckled 
trout—fourteen and a half inches, and weighing a pound 
and a quarter, with many others a trifle smaller—were 
taken still fishing off the rocks and on the reefs. The 
speckled trout were in good condition, of a beautiful, rather 
dark color, and of as fine flavor as any I have eaten any¬ 
where. Unfortunately, we were too early for that locality 
(last year I was too late at Meacham Lake and the St. Regis 
waters), and we did not have the glorious sport for which 
Smith’s Lake has in times past been famous. I confess to 
as serious disgust with trolling for speckled trout as for 
pickerel, and nothing but necessity will drive me to such 
base fishing again. 
Finally, early one beautiful June morning we started 
homeward, reaching Lowville, on the Black River Rail¬ 
road, in the early evening of the second day in time for a 
train for home. Some of us walked sixteen miles that day— 
from Ward well’s to Fenton’s, eleven miles, and thence, 
after dinner, five miles out of the woods. 
The trip was quite laborious, but in the main very plea¬ 
sant and satisfactory. Those who contemplate the like 
will be interested in knowing that parties of four are car¬ 
ried from Martinsburg or Lowville to Fenton’s for $G, and 
thence to Wardwell’s for $6. Riding is out of the ques¬ 
tion over the latter road (eleven miles) except as a last re¬ 
sort. Guides, with boats, charge $3 per day and board. 
It is well enough to know beforehand what is a fair day’s 
journey for a guide to make, and then to require its ac¬ 
complishment. Supplies of all sorts may be purchased at 
fair prices, and camp utensils hired at large prices at Fen¬ 
ton’s, but not blankets. Parties should write to Lewis, 
Fenton, or Wardwell, via Lowville, Lewis county, New 
York, for transportation, but probably can procure it at 
Lowville without difficulty, but at somewhat increased 
rates. N. 
Syracuse , New York , June 18, 1874. 
-- 
For Forest and Stream. 
BLACK. BASS TN FLORIDA. 
H EARING great stories of the size of the black-bass, 
or trout, as they are called by the Floridians, in 
Spruce Creek, a tributary of the Halifax River, I left 
New Smyrna with a boat and guide ‘on the 23d of April at 
9 A. M. to test the truth of these fish stories. We sailed 
down the Hillsboro with a westerly breeze to the Inlet, 
called Musquito from the abundance of that familiar insect, 
and passing through a narrow gut between two sand-bars, 
we saw a large turtle of the logger-head kind, which having 
been crippled by the attack of a shark, which had bitten 
off half of one hind flipper, had crawled upon the sand. 
It weighed probably one hundred pounds, and could have 
easily been captured, but we had no use for it at the time. 
Crossing the Inlet, we laid our course up the Halifax, into 
which near its mouth, Spruce Creek flows. At this place 
it is wide and shallow, winding through extensive marshes 
and mangrove islands, and much encumbered by oyster 
banks, many of which stretch across the stream. These 
oysters are large and well flavored, and so abundant, that 
hundreds of vessels could be loaded with them. Sailed up 
the creek for two miles, meeting only one boat, which was 
shark fishing. Then we stopped to get bait, and Lewis, my 
guide, with a few casts of his net procured for me a dozen 
mullet, the usual bait for all fishes in this region. Sailed 
on four miles further, when the banks began to be higher 
and wooded, and the water grew fresh, when I put out a 
trolling line with mullet bait, and caught a red fish or chan¬ 
nel bass of five pounds and two salt water trout of two 
pounds each, Gorvina ocellata and Otolitus Garolineasis. 
Here on the east side of the creek we found a bluff of 
coquina rock, some fifty feet high, covered with forest 
trees, and with its sides washed by water into curious 
forms. The river at its base is very deep, and is sv id to 
contain large fish, especially snappers and groupers. About 
a mile above this bluff, having put out a second line with 
a spoon, I took with it my first black bass, it was of about 
two pounds weight, and made the leaps characteristic of 
the species. Next I got a red fish of about the same size. 
I observe these fish caught in fresh water are higher colored 
than those of salt water, the back being of a rich dark 
brown, and the sides of bright copper color. The salt 
water trout taken here, are also of deeper colors, with 
larger spots than those taken in the salt water. Three 
miles further, rain coming on, we stopped and camped 
about 4 P. M. at a bluff on the west side, where the King’s 
road, one hundred years ago, ran from St. Augustine down 
the coast. After the shower we rowed up the river a mile, 
and got half a dozen more black bass and lost several by 
their habit of shaking out the hook as they leap. I got 
two dogfish, Amia calvn, a western acquaintance, and not a 
valued one, as this fish, though interesting to naturalists 
from being the only representative of an old world family, 
is worthless as food, and makes himself so odious by cut¬ 
ting lines and bfeaking hooks, that the angler regrets that 
it should have survived its kindred. 
We swung our hammocks between tw r o trees by the fire, 
and after a supper of bass, with bread and coffee, should 
have slept sweetly but for a band of hungry musquitoes 
which lighted by the moonbeams, found us out, and sung 
in our ears their detestable song. Next morning we started 
at sunrise, and trolled up the creek with hand line and rod 
and reel, both having spoons attached. On the hand line 
Buel’s propellor, in white metal; and on the reel line two 
brass flyers revolving round a brass wire—the latter seemed 
to be the favorite, and took more and larger fish. Got back 
to camp at, 8 A. M. with twenty-five black-bass and four 
redfish. The former were from one to three pounds weight 
find the latter of about the same size; we lost three bass by 
shaking loose the hook. As the weather looked threaten¬ 
ing we broke camp and returned down the river, taking 
four more bass by the way. We got entangled among the 
03 r ster banks at low tide, and lost an hour, the rain falling 
heavily. When we got out of these shallows, we set our 
sail to the breeze, and went down the river flying, almost 
running over a large aligator which lay on the mud, as we 
rounded a point. As we emerged into the broad Halifax, 
we saw two objects on the further bank which looked at 
the distance of half a mile like bears, but being quite near 
a house, Lewis thought they must be black hogs feeding 
along the beach, though they looked too large for hogs of 
this region. 
We learned afterwards that bears had repeatedly been seen 
on this very spot, and had carried off hogs from the man 
who lived there. So that if we had sailed down upon 
them, my guide had his rifle and hound in the boat, might 
probably have killed one or both. 
Having caught these black-bass, Grystes salmoides } in 
three rivers in Florida, the St. John, the Tomoka, and 
Spruce Creek, I find them to be of about the average size 
of the same species in the western waters, viz. from two to 
three pounds; and although they may grow larger here 
than in the western lakes and rivers, yet I am inclined to 
think that those weighing from fifteen to twenty pounds 
said to have been taken here, were estimated rather than 
weighed. S. C. Clarke. 
-- 
For Fo'i'est and Stream, 
GAME AND SPORTING IN TEXAS. 
^ -- - 
TATIONED at Fort Mason, Texas, Mason county, I 
went one August afternoon with my Lieutenant, 
three men, and Indian guide, or scout, south about six 
miles to the Llano River, to stop over night and have a 
little sport by way of an evening and morning hunt for 
turkeys. We soon arrived on the green banks of this 
small, clear, rapid, and beautiful stream—here not more 
than forty feet wide—when the tent was pitched, the horses 
lariated out to graze, and our “man Friday” (the cook) di¬ 
rected to cast his line into the sparkling waters and bring 
out some fish for our supper. The rest of us remained 
loitering in camp, but getting our guns ready for the little 
sport we anticipated just alter sundown, when the turkeys 
would come in from their rambles upon the prairies to 
water and roost upon the tall trees which lined the stream. 
As directed, our man Friday went down to the stream with 
his coarse and uncouth line, with a little raw fresh meat on 
the hook, and cast it in. Soon he had caught enough fish 
for our supper; that is, he had a nice string of about a 
dozen good sized pan-fish. Not wishing to cook them im¬ 
mediately he threw his string in the water to remain a short 
time, taking care to fasten the other end of the line to a 
stake stuck in the bank of the stream, whilst he went to 
camp, a few yards distant. Returning soon after for his 
fish, he was astonished to see his line jumping and bobbing 
about most frightfully. Hfe did not know what to make of 
it, but thought the turtles were eating up all his fish, where¬ 
upon he seized hold of his line and commenced hauling it 
in, but in the meantime felt something pulling back and 
jerking most desperately. He renewed nis efforts, and 
after a short but decisive struggle succeeded in bringing 
his antagonist to view, when lo and behold! he discovered 
that a tremendous yellow catfish was fastened to his line, 
whilst his cherished string of fish were nowhere to be seen, 
the big catfish having swallowed them all, “hook and line.” 
He halloed for help—called for the Lieutenant to come 
down quick with his pistol and shoot the big catfish which 
had swallowed all his fish. The Lieutenant, with pistol in 
hand, ran down and engaged in the fight. They soon got 
their antagonist partly above water, when Lieutenant H. 
gave him a shot through the head with his revolver, but 
too far in front to kill him. Most unfortunately, the ball 
cut off the line in his mouth, and the combatants parted, 
never to meet again—the fish back into the deep water, siill 
retaining his supper, and the other party to camp with an 
empty string as their show. Comment:—I have rarely 
seen two heroes more dejected and crestfallen than were 
the Lieutenant and Friday as they came into camp with 
the bare string only and related their singular and sad ad¬ 
venture. At supper, on salt pork, I tried to console them, 
but in vain, by repeating that trite but true old saying, 
“There’s many a slip between the cup and lip.’’’ “So may 
the cat well think,” dryly replied the Lieutenant. 
On another occasion my guide caught in this same 
stream, with hook and line, a yellow catfish weighing sixty- 
two pounds. It was so large that he hauled it into camp 
by a rope. These yellow cat are found in almost every 
fresh water stream in Texas, and of all sizes. They arc; 
very fat, hard meated, almost equal to the trout in flavor, 
and splendid for chowder. But to have spoken of fish at 
all in this article was not nW purpose. I have only thrown 
in an incident to my hunt. Now what about turkeys? In 
a few words I will tell you. 
A little after sundown they were heard coming by gangs 
into the bottom for water and to roost. What a chirping and 
rumpus they raised by their calls and cross calls, here, there 
and everywhere. It was Babel worse confounded. Now 
was our exact time for sport, as they took to roost. The 
scout and myselt seized our guns, sallied forth, and com¬ 
menced the fray. I used the single rifle, and got ten shots 
before dark, bringing down my ten birds. The guide got 
about as many more. Neither moved 100 yards after we 
got among them, but loaded and fired as fast as we could. 
As there was no moonlight by which to shoot more, we 
gathered our game and went to camp. 
The next morning before daylight we were under their 
roost, ard at the first “peep o’ day” we opened^ upon them 
again. What a confusion of notes and flapping of wings 
among the tree tops! What a fluttering and dangling in 
mid air, and what a walloping of the ground and beating 
of the earth as they fall one after another at our feet. The 
very ground trembles at their fall, and the noise thereof is 
heard afar off. Rest assured there was excitement and 
sport there tor awhile; but by sunrise the living had flown 
off to the prairies, and having killed enough w r e did not 
care to follow them up. A truce. We now collected our 
game, brought it to camp, took our breakfast from a roast 
turkey hot from the spit, packed the extra horse with our 
spoils, mounted our horses and rode into the Post by ten 
A. M., having turkeys enough to supply the whole com¬ 
mand, say two or three hundred pounds of meat. This 
was the result of less than two hours’ shooting by two per¬ 
sons, and was about an average hunt, in point of game, to 
others habitually made from this Post. A perfect stranger, 
recently writing from this place, informs me that the game 
is yet plenty there, and invites me to come down and have 
a hunt-with him. This is Texas hospitality—no more, no 
less. The people there are frank, generous, and kind to all 
who deserve their friendship, and strangers are always wel¬ 
come among them. This I add for thelnformation of your 
many readers, who may desire to go there to draw the trig¬ 
ger, cast the line, or recruit their health. In a few words, 
Texas is the only place I know of in the Slates where game 
may be literallg'piled up at leisure and pleasure by the real 
sportsman. The game is there, the open hunting grounds 
are there, and the climate is there. These all combine to 
perfection, especially during the months of October, No¬ 
vember, and December, when camping out is perfection 
itself, and everything just right. During the months of 
January and February, and sometimes March, a few days 
may be found when it is rather too cold in camp for com¬ 
fort, but this does not apply to the southern part of the 
State, and Gulf coast, where frosts seldom reach. Here 
one may bask in the almost continuous sunshine the whole 
year round and find good sport, either by land or water, in 
hunting or fishing. Yours truly, Old Scout. 
NEW MATERIAL FOR FLY RODS. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Being.a fly fisherman of thirty years experience, and an 
amateur rod maker for ten or twelve years—that is, I have 
made those used by myself, and a half dozen given to 
friends—I think the following may be of interest and ad¬ 
vantage to anglers and rod-makers: Some five or six years 
ago while walking in the vicinity of Catskill I cut a bar¬ 
berry staff, or alpine stock, as it is called in the polite age 
in which we live. It was left in my office or house for a 
year or so, when I chanced to take it in my hands. Being 
surprised at its lightness and stiffness, I planed off the 
bark, examined the fibre of the wood, which was close 
grained, springy, and of a beautiful straw color, and at 
once made a duplicate second joint for one of my fishing- 
rods. On trial it worked well and stood the test of several 
day’s fishing. The following winter I cut, a few more bar¬ 
berry sticks, from which, during the past winter, I made a 
butt and duplicate tips. The rod is three jointed—handle 
of rod of sumac, one inch in diameter for four inches, at 
lower end, for reel, one and Onc-fourth inches lor the next 
six inches; then tapering suddenly in the next two inches 
to the diameter of half an inch Into this handle, before 
shaving down, had been bored a half-inch hole to the 
depth of six inches, in this was inserted and glued the first 
joint of barberry three feet and a-half long; this tapers 
gradually to the first ferule, which is of the standard size, 
the taper of the second joint and tip is in the same propor¬ 
tion to the end of the tip. The rod is twelve feet long, 
pretty heavily mounted with German silver, and weighs 
just nine ounces. I have a rod of the same size of iron-wood, 
or horn beam, as it is sometimes called, with black walnut 
handle, that weighs eleven ounces. I have just returned 
from Sullivan County, where I used the rod for eight days, 
taking with it some hundreds of trout of small size, three 
to eight ounces. On one occasion while out, I hooked 
at one cast, two trout, weighing respectively thirteen and 
a-half and six and a-half ounces. Twenty ounce of very 
lively trout; in very swift water, I towed, or rather followed 
them about fifteen rods down the stream, when I drew 
them out upon the thickly wooded shore of the stream, by 
thrusting the tip end of the rod into a small opening in the 
woods, and trusting to the strength of the rod thus held to 
draw out the fish. It bent uniil it was not unlike a horse¬ 
shoe in shape; when the trout were safely landed, and tha 
rod relieved of the strain which had been upon it for ten or 
fifteen minutes, it was as straight as when it made the first 
cast. With the foregoing experience and tests, I am satis¬ 
fied that barberry is one of the best, if not the best wood 
used for rods, it is nearly as light as cedar, quite as stiff 
and quick in its action, not as liable to take a set as hickory 
or iron-wood, and is I think as strong as lance-wood. The 
butt and second joints should be, as in the case with my 
rod, made from sticks front half to three-fourths of an inch 
in diameter after the bark is removed. The sticks soon 
after been cut, should be secured by clamps to a joist or 
plank in such a manner as to straighten them, if crooked, 
as they usually are to some extent,and to keep them straight 
until they are thoroughly seasoned. In planing or turn¬ 
ing, care should be taken that the pith be as near as possible 
in the centre of the joint—the grain of the wood is thus 
concentric, and greater strength ami evenness of spring is ac¬ 
quired than if this caution is disregarded, or the joint 
made from a side or section of the wood. The tips must 
necessarily be made from a section of the stick— i. e. a 
quarter or half of it when split, or sawed. 1 used but one 
of the two tips thus made for my rod on my late bout, and 
have thus far found it equal to spit bamboo or lance-wood 
as regards strength and liability to set, and equal to the 
former as regards lightness. The small pin knots which 
are numerous in the barberry, are quite ornamental if the 
rod is unstained, while they seem not to impair the 
strength of the rod. 
A word in regard to the handle of the fishing-rod above 
described. 1 adopted it, or, I may say invented, for I never 
saw or heard of such a one uniil 1 made my first rod, for 
the reasons that I prefer the rod, when grasped, at least 
IF inches through—most of my rods are If. It is much 
less likely to cramp or stiffen the hand than if smaller, 
and by this plan could use light w'ood—butternut or cedar 
—for the handle, while hickory or iron-wood could be used 
for the first joint; thus securing a joint large in the hand, 
of great strength, and yet quite as light as those made of 
ash in the usual shape. I intend to test my rod with a five 
or six pounder in Canadian waters before the season clones. 
Possibly you and your readers may hear of it again if you 
wish to. _ v Fitz. 
New York , June 1 5th, 1874. 
-- 
—We are indebted to W. L. Puffer, Esq., of Brooklyn 
for a fine photograph of Santanta, obtained by him at 
Fort Sill, Indian Territory last summer. 
Forest and Stream. —We can commend to our readers 
who take an interest in out-door sports, this weekly paper, 
published in New York, as a journal which is excellent in 
tone, well posted upon the topics which it treats, and full 
of information upon subjects which pertain to the field and 
out-door recreation. It is not a sporting paper in the 
general acceptance of that term, but it is a vigorous advo¬ 
cate of those recreations which carry men to the forest and 
the stream, and which make men happier and stronger 
when enjoyed with the instinct of a true sportsman.— Boston, 
Journal, 
