Feb. 7, 1884.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



31 



THE BEST COLOR FOR LEADERS. 



SOME EXPERIMENTS TO DETERMINE IT. 



EVERY angler has heard, or taken part in discussing the 

 best color for leaders, and, if it be permissible to judge 

 of the experience of others hy "ne's own, then such discus- 

 sions invariably amount to the expression by oue of a doubt 

 whether the color makes much difference, and a more or 

 less ready assent to this on the part of the others, Never 

 has the writer met any definite opinion od this subject based 

 upon anything stronger than a guess. 



"This is not .'is it should be. Why cannot anglers discuss 

 the mysteries of their craft with the fervor that "The Choice 

 of Hunting Rifles" excites in those who seek their recreation 

 in that direction. 



As in past years, so every evening last September, a band 

 of anglers, from many distant cities and States, gathered 

 around the camp-fire at Parmacheene Lake in Maine, many 

 of them artists in the use of the fly-rod, and true sportsmen 

 all. xVnd when the subject of this article had again and 

 again been brought up, again and again with the same nega- 

 tive result, the writer determined that before the next sea- 

 son he would try to devise some method, if not to determine, 

 at least to throw some light on this question. 



His experiments have been 'tried for the information of 

 himself and friends. The results are published in the hope 

 that others may be induced to investigate the matter, and 

 that lively discussion and an ultimate solution of this ques- 

 tion may follow. 



It seemed necessary to view the leader from the same 

 direction as the trout. So a water-tight box was made 38 

 inches long, 6 inches wide, 4 inches in the remaining direc- 

 tion, all inside measurements, and painted mud color insida. 

 One end was left open, and the other closed with a thick 

 plate of glass. A frame was provided in which the box 

 would swing like a cannon on its trunnions, and so arranged, 

 that though the normal position of the box was perpendicu- 

 lar with the glass below and the open end above, yet itcoidd 

 be inclined and the upper end directed to any part of the 

 sky. 



For the purpose of experiment, uncolored, coffee-colored, 

 and mist-colored leaders of three shades were procured. Also 

 three samples of No. 4 enamelled water-proof line, yellowish, 

 greenish and browuisli in color. 



The box was tilled with water, the samples moved about 

 upon and beneath the surface, while the writer with his head 

 and the glass end of the box wrapped in a dark cloth, a la 

 photographer, directed the apparatus toward the sky, and 

 noted the result. 



From viewing the under surface of a body of water con- 

 tained in an aquarium through the lower portion of its glass 

 sides, it was expected that the under surface of the water in 

 the box or tube might look like a mirror, and vision of any- 

 thing above the surface be cut off. Such was not the case. 

 Objects above the surface could be seen distinctly as through 

 a glass window. 



The variously colored leaders were all alike conspicuous to 

 a surprising degree, so much so as to cause wonder that a 

 fish should ever rise to anything connected with them, and 

 this whether above, on, or below the surface of the water. 

 It seemed as though the coffee-colored leader was the most 

 visible ; but otherwise one could not be told from the other, 

 all difference of color seeming lost. Then some drawn mist- 

 colored leader was tried, quite dark in tint and as fine as a 

 hair. Though about as plain to sight as a pencil mark on 

 white paper, yet it was apparent that its small diameter 

 made a great difference in its favor. 



During all this, the idea was gradually gathering force 

 that these experiments only tended to show how the object 

 appeared when viewed by a fish lying directly beneath it. 

 And upon trying some flies, and finding that only with diffi- 

 culty could the gaudy be distinguished from those sober in 

 color, the box was dropped and light sought in another 

 direction. 



A bath tub of considerable size, its length facing a window 

 and the sky, was filled with water to the depth of fourteen 

 inches, Two mirrors were submerged in the water, one at 

 each end of the tub, and so inclined that by looking down 

 upon them the reflected image of anything in or upon the 

 water could be readily seen. A joint from a rod was used 

 to manipulate a short fine and the leader to be experimented 

 with; and, by moving it to and fro in the water, it could be 

 viewed at almost any degree of obliquity. 



Here, again, the results were a surprise. Though I have 

 always used a colored leader, still I had supposed color was 

 of questionable utility. Such seemed not to be the case. 

 The coffee color was still the most conspicuous, but it was but 

 little more so than the natural colored gut, which latter in 

 all positions and angles looked like a streak of silver. The 

 mist-colored leaders in some positions had the same appear- 

 ance, but always it seemed in a less degree; while at times, 

 and at certain angles and directions of motion with refer- 

 ence to the light, they seemed to more or less disappear. 

 The darkest tinted, a decided azure, gave the best result. I 

 was unable to determine with satisfactory certainty in what 

 positions in reference to light, etc., this partial or total dis- 

 appearance took place. It certainly did seem that when the 

 leader was moved toward the light it shone the most, and by 

 the refraction of transmitted light, and I attributed the 

 better Tesult given by the darker leader to its greater opacity 

 to such light. A piece of iron binding wire, black in color 

 and, of course, totally opaque and of about the same diam- 

 eter as the leaders, was, however, plainly visible in all posi- 

 tions, though not more so than uncolored gut. Indeed, I 

 incline to think that at all times the least conspicuous leader 

 that can be made may be plainly seen from some directions, 

 while at the same time invisible from others. 



Here, again, I was impressed by the great difference in 

 result caused by varying the diameter. This dimension ap- 

 pears in the water to be much enlarged, and my experiments 

 are emphatic as to the utility of fine tackle. This was de- 

 monstrated beyond question by the drawn gut; i. e., gut 

 drawn through a plate, which, as before stated, was quite 

 dark in color and hair fine. 



The various samples of line were all equally visible — 

 "plain as a pike staff"— and not the slightest difference in 

 favor of oue over the other could be detected. 



It is to be understood that the appearances described 

 are those shewn by reflection in the mirror; also that all 

 gut used in experiments as to color was of the same 

 diameter. 



Quite a number of interesting phenomena presented them- 

 selves during this investigation, but it seems better to pass 

 them by at present, until by repetition and variety of experi- 

 ment mistaken deductions may be avoided. Indeed, while 

 writing the foregoing, an apparatus has suggested itself 



which it would seem ought not only to settle this question 

 definitely, but afford practical information as to the visi- 

 bility to trout of objects situated above the water. But this 

 must be used in the open air, so longer days and a tempera- 

 ture above freezing must be awaited. 



In the mean time, if those who dye leaders would be kind 

 enough to forward to the Fohest and Stream office 

 samples of any color they wish tested, they will confer a 

 favor. These should be about three feet long, and as near 

 as possible No, 27 or 28 Stubbs wire gauge in thickness, so 

 that difference in diameter need not be taken into account 

 in the comparisons. It will be readily apparent that when 

 two samples differ not only in color, but in thickness, it 

 would be difficult to apportion to the thicker a just allow- 

 ance for the difference. 



The moral deduced for my own guidance from the above, 

 is offered to others for what' it is worth. 



In the first place, neither anglers nor trout are anything 

 like as smart as is generally supposed. The wiles of .the 

 former are by no means so well concealed, nor are the senses 

 of the latter so very acute to perceive them. Use an azure 

 or mist-colored leader, of considerable depth of color, but 

 above all things let it be fine in diameter. The strain of the 

 largest trout is trifling. The best of those that, swim in the 

 Rangeley Lakes cannot pull one pound on a flexible rod. 

 (This article is not intended for "derrickers.") Upon trial 

 last June, with, a ten-foot rod drawing on a spring balance 

 with one hand, butt away from body, the strongest among a 

 half dozen anglers, and he a man of muscle, could with his 

 utmost effort — such an effort that the rod fairly quivered — 

 scarcely raise a strain of 1£ pounds. The experiment ' was 

 tried at my instance to convince a sceptic, and I myself took 

 a pull and pulled "my level best." The very next morning 

 1 took a trout of five pounds and two ounces after a twenty- 

 minutes' fight, and I am confident that at no time did his 

 pull at the outside exceed half a pound. 



The thickness of leader habitually used in the Rangeley 

 region »f Maine — and there if anywhere a large leader is 

 excusable since the trout are there "larger than elsewhere— 

 is simply preposterous. Of course one should be prepared 

 for the largest, trout in the swim. If he is five pounds, a 

 leader that will stand 3| pounds strain with a spring balance 

 is ample to withstand the roughest treatment that a flexible 

 rod can inflict. If after a 10-pounder, a 5-pouud test will 

 meet every emergency. This can be had with very thin gut 

 — No. 2? or 28 Stubbs wire gauge. With thinner gut than 

 this, last September a friend fastened a trout of 4J pouuds 

 (weighed to the ounce, not guessed at) in a dangerous place, 

 and not only held him without giving an inch of line, but 

 hung to him until his guide took the boat into clear water 

 and towed the fish after — water slack and small salmon 

 fly. 



Last June with such a leader a trout of l 1 pounds was har- 

 nessed 4 inches in front of the tail at the head of heavy 

 rapids, with what the lumbermen call "a driving pitch" on. 

 Down current he went, taking nearly 45yards of line. Then 

 he was stopped, and derricked up against the current with- 

 out a pause, unhooked, weighed, and returned to the water, 

 larger fish only being at that time desired. 



if any reader unfamiliar with this wire gauge, should 

 wish to know the thickness referred to, it can be had by 

 calling for wire of that number at any hardware store, btit 

 ask for Stubbs gauge, as there are others, and like numbers 

 do not represent like sizes in all such measuring instruments. 



But, and every letter of this "but" should be in three-inch 

 capitals, such a leader, after it has been coiled up, whether 

 perfectly frosh or after use, should never be attached to the 

 line without first testing it with a spring balance. I think 

 this equally true as to every leader of whatever caliber, but 

 light leaders only are now under consideration. In these 

 days when spring balances which are accurate— at any rate 

 mine has been proved so— and which will weigh every two 

 ounces up to ten pounds, can be bought for 59 cents, an 

 angler should as soon think of being without one when on 

 the war-path as without a pocket-knife. 



Soften two leaders in cold or tepid water, not hot water, 

 since it dissolves the gluten and itflpairs the strength of the 

 gut. While a friend holds one loop of the leader on a match 

 or similar slip of soft wood without sharp edges, hook your 

 spring balance into the loop at the other end. Let each grasp 

 the leader between his thumb and finger as far toward the 

 middle as he can comfortably reach, so that if it breaks you 

 may not have to hunt up the ends, and then put on the 

 strain. It breaks at half a pound? Well, sometimes it has 

 accidentally received a sharp bend when dry, and the gut 

 has been partially cracked into. Tie it up, and try again. 

 It stands lour and a half pounds? That is enough for any- 

 thing to be taken on a trout-rod. Put one leader to your 

 line, the other wind round your hat, so that if you foul a 

 snag and are obliged to break the first, you will have the 

 other in reserve. 



A friend last September was about to cast his first fly in 

 Maine waters. Besides leaders fit to hold a shark, he had 

 half a dozen nice ones that he had bought for Adirondack 

 fishing. He was recommended to test, and if strong enough, 

 to use the latter. Not one on the first test stood over half a 

 pound. Some broke three times, but not one failed at last 

 to come up to 4£ pounds with less than 9 inches loss of 

 length. Gentlemen who have been in the habit of using 

 heavy leaders, try it, and you will have no cause for regret. 

 I have made four trips to the Rangeley region and beyond, on 

 this theory and practice, two of five and two of three weeks 

 actual daily fishing, and I have not lost a single fish during 

 that time by the breaking of my leader. 



There; I have said my say, 'and have given about all I 

 now know of the matter. 



Is there uo other willing to ventilate his views on this, or any 

 other kindred subject dear to the angler? There are a hun- 

 dred things the fraternity thirsts for knowledge or* Take 

 the subject of dyeing or coloring gut. Some black inks give 

 the right color, but I find a loss of from 15 to 30 per cent, in 

 strength from any method of coloring 1 have yet discovered. 



Why cannot some one try this and give us the results. 

 Soak his gut soft, tie in a loop at each end, pull it with 

 spring balance till it breaks, knot it together and color, 

 break it again in same way, compare its strength before and 

 after, and he will soon hit on something that will be a boon 

 to all, except possibly, the dealers in such articles. 



What is the use of the customary dowel-pin in joining 

 trout rods? For fourteen years I have been making rods as 

 an amateur, and as yet I have discovered nothing in its 

 favor. Who is_ the apostle of the dowel-pin? Subjects 

 bristle on every side, a discussion of which would be profit- 

 able. Remember the dealers rely largely on the fishermen 

 to suggest improvements. There is no one who has had any 

 extended experience in the field who does not know some- 

 thing worth telling, and to tell it is a duty he owes to the 



craft, And now is the time to do this, when we can only 

 angle in our dreams, and everything relating to it is relished 

 as is the spring by him who wanders in the desert. 



Henry P. Wells. 



New York City. 



TROUTING ON THE BIGOSH. 



A NIGHT IN CAMP. 



AS JACK and I reached camp Uncle Ben had supper 

 ready, and the Doctor and the Colonel were just row- 

 ing in. A peep into the boat showed that they had not 

 fished in vain, for there lay three lake trout of about four 

 pounds each and some fish of other kinds, which they were 

 disputing about, but the Colonel was too hungry to want 

 them identified, or even talked about until he had an inter- 

 view with the bean soup, broiled trout and potatoes roasted 

 in the ashes. The account that, the Doctor gives of the 

 Colonel's appetite on this occasion appears to be so much 

 exaggerated that I will not record it, believing, as I do, that 

 it was prompted by a disappointment iu the disposition of 

 the last trout and baked potato. Besides, I hold firmly to 

 the opinion that for a man who has gone to the woods to re- 

 gain appetite and health, one quart of bean soup, half of a 

 three-pound trout, eleven baked potatoes, a loaf and a half 

 of bread and four cups of coffee ought to make a fair supper 

 during his first week out, or until he has fairly come into 

 his appetite. The Doctor certainly should understand this 

 question better than I, and never should have allowed him- 

 self to reach for the last potato at the same time the Colonel 

 did, and, when he missed it, to ask Uncle Ben what time he 

 intended to have breakfast. 



The stars were on duty by the time the pipes were lit, and 

 the light evening breeze' lapped and rippled under the boat, 

 while from the opposite shore a deep-throated bullfrog sent 

 echoes which reverberated from shore to shore. We smoked 

 in silence, taking in the beauty of the moon-rise which, re- 

 flected on the rippling water, seemed a stream of molten sil- 

 ver. A bat wheeled round and across the moon and amusfe- 

 rat plunged sullenly from the bank into the water, startling 

 a youthful frog, which squeaked with fear as it skipped over 

 the surface and disappeared. The low, liquid note of some 

 small night bird came through the trees like a lost note from 

 some elfin flute, and the fiendish laugh of an owl on a dead 

 pine floated across the water, suggesting a demon strayed 

 into paradise. 



The Doctor refilled his pipe and puffed in silence, ab- 

 sorbed in contemplation of the beauty of the scene. Even 

 the unpoetical Colonel seemed wrapped in delight, and all 

 were taking in the pleasures of the summer night that ap- 

 pealed to both eye and ear, when from the cove at the east- 

 ern end of the lake there arose a cry at once so weird, un- 

 earthly, and startling, that the Colonel dropped his pipe and 

 asked'in a low tone,""What is that?" 



No one answered, for all knew the sound except the 

 Colonel and Jack, and we enjoyed his surprise. A few 

 moments of silence and the sound eame again, louder and 

 longer. "What in the world is it?" again asked the Colonel. 



"It's one o' them air loons," answered Uncle Ben; "he's 

 lost his mate. Keep still and you'll hear her answer him 

 soon," 



Once more the call sounded, louder and clearer, and a low 

 gutteral answer came from the other side of the point, and 

 all was still again for a moment. A fleecy cloud drifted 

 across the moon, and when it had passed and the full rays 

 again silvered the treetops and the lake, the frog rolled out 

 its basso-profundo, the wood thrush trilled a iow and sweet 

 tremolo, and the lonesome owl expressed his contempt for 

 their music by a scornful laugh. But the loon remained 

 silent. It had found its mate, and was satisfied. 



The Doctor knocked the ashes, which had long been cold, 

 from his pipe and started for bed. All followed, each too 

 full of his own thoughts to say much, except Uncle Ben, 

 who deemed it his duty to break the silence by saying: "By 

 gosh, this is a beautiful night." Some one said "yes," and 

 then Jack asked ; "How about the strange fish? Will you 

 look at them before going to bed?" 



"No, Jack, not to-night." And we slept to the rippling 

 music of the water on the beach and its rhythmical lapping 

 under the boat. Fred Mather. 



TAKING SMELTS THROUGH THE ICE. 



ON Monday afternoon a Journal representative took a 

 tramp up the river among the smelt fishers. There are 

 twenty-three cosy teats on the ice, fifteen of which are in a 

 cluster, or rather in a row, close together off Kaler's mill. 

 Four tents are off Beaver's Tail and the others are scattered 

 along the western shore. The fishermen all said: "This is 

 the best season for fish we ever knew, or at least for many 

 years." As soon as the ice was of sufficient strength the 

 fishermen placed their tents thereon. The smelts were there 

 in plenty and took the hook readily. In fact, before the 

 river was frozen Mr. Fred Cottrell caught large quantities 

 from the shore with a line attached to a pole. Entering the 

 tent of Mr. Joseph H. Trussell, one of the successful fish- 

 ermen, he politely gave us his chair, and with a board across 

 the head of a small keg he improvised a seat for himself. 

 His tent is a frame about five feet square and six feet high, 

 at the ridge pole covered with drilling. The covering is 

 painted to better protect the fishermen from the wind. A 

 small coal stove is at one side, the pipe leading out through 

 the roof. The fire not only keeps the tent warm but heats 

 the fisherman's dinner. The floor is boarded, with the ex- 

 ception of a square space with a corresponding hole in the 

 ice. Through this opening and made fast to a rack above 

 four lines are suspended, each having a single hook. The 

 lines used in outdoor fishing have each two hooks. The 

 lines are kept down by a lead sinker, to the lower end of 

 which the snell and hook are attached. The hooks are 

 baited with clam worms dug from the flats. Seated on a 

 chair the fisherman thumbs his lines with as much comfort 

 as though by the fireside in his own house. 



Some of the tents are double and contain two fishermen 

 with a double set of gear. The single ones are considered 

 the best,as two persons will make more or less noise. The 

 fish bite better on the ebb tide when they are moving doAvn 

 the river. This cannot always be relied upon, however, for 

 some .days they take the hook readily and at other times 

 sparingly. It has been observed that the smelt bite better on 

 cold, stormy days. Last Saturday as many as sixty pounds 

 per man were caught. At such times the fisherman lias 

 brisk work with his four lines. Mr. Trussell thinks there 

 are two different varieties of smelts — one he classes as the 

 school smelt and the other as the permanent smelt — those 

 that are always to be found in the river. The school smelt, 

 he thinks, moves about from place to place and take the. 



