April 3, 1884.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



189 



"What fly had you been using all this time?" inquired 

 Jack. 



"A vellow drake, for the day was dull, and the overhang- 

 ing bushes deepened the shade, and in such cases a light fly 

 is usually the most killing. After losing this fly I put on an 

 oak fly, a small fly with a yellow body and a brown wing, 

 although I had more of the kind lost; I cannot, say why The 

 change was made, unless to try the merits of the two, and I 

 cannot say which proved the most killing on this day. There 

 are no doubt certain (lies which are adapted to different days, 

 although there is much nonsense in I he rules laid down by 

 different persons, and these rules vary as much as the 

 persons. The idea that each month has its own killing flies 

 is sheer nonsense, a fly that is good on a bright day in the 

 spring is good on any bright day, although it must bo 

 admitted that trout are fickle in their tastes," 



Here the Colonel snored so loudly that I was aroused from 

 what I considered merely a lethargic state, but what both 

 Jack and the Doctor declared was sound sleep. Our heated 

 debate over this question roused the Colonel, who said : "Co 

 on with your story, Doctor, I'm listening." and was indig- 

 nant when the party laughed at him and accused him of 

 sleeping. 



r 'I haven't slept a wink," said he. "I know what you 

 were balking about. You were telling Jack that a light night 

 followed by a dark day made the iish feed/' 



"That was an hour ago, wasn't it, Doctor'?" said Jack. 



"Well, it's all the same, 1 heard it; but for goodness sake 

 let up on that dry, musty old lecture, and sing us a song. 

 "What do you say?" (This question to me.) 



"A song by all means. We can hear all the lectures we 

 want at home, curtain and other, but a camp-fire is no place 

 to bore a man with 'turns of the wrist,' and how the big one 

 would have been caught if if hadn't been for the turn he 

 gave the leader around the root. 



And so it came to pass that the Doctor's lecture was cut 

 off and he was made to sing, for both the Colonel and 

 myself vowed that we would not be bored any longer. 

 I told him that we— for I knew that I had the Colonel to 

 back me — liked to catch trout, real live trout, or to see him 

 take them, but to sit and hear a man catch post-mortem 

 trout, which no oue but himself enjoyed, was more than we 

 could stand, in camp at least. He took the hint and be- 

 haved as decently as any of us during the remainder of the 

 evening. Fred Mather. 



I GOOD WORK IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



' PHE Committee on Fisheries of the Massachusetts Legis- 

 L lature, has reported a bill making the close time for 

 trout and land-locked salmon begin September first, instead 

 of October first, as under the existing law. This will make 

 the season for catching these fish begin April first and end 

 as above. The bill is altogether likely to become a law, as 

 it will meet with but little opposition. The marketmen will 

 not oopose it. since they have not been in the habit of doing 

 anything in September" trout. It has been generally agreed 

 among the friends of the trout that so scarce have these fish 

 become in Massachusetts, that another month should be put 

 on for their protection. 



A hearing was had on Tuesday, before the Committee on 

 Agriculture, in regard to the lobster question. A close time 

 is earnestly desired by those who see that the lobster is dis- 

 uppearing* before continuous fishing, but such a provision is 

 opposed by fishermen and dealers. There is little prospect 

 of getting a close time at present, though other sea-board 

 States have one. But those who would save the lobster hope 

 to have the Commissioners of Inland Fisheries made to have 

 charge of the lobster also. The present lobster laws of the 

 StateTare easily evaded, for the reason that there are no offi- 

 cers vested with authority to look after them. With the 

 Fish Commissioners in charge, it is believed that much of 

 the illegal catching and selling can be stopped. The exist- 

 ing laws of the Commonwealth forbid the retaining of any 

 female lobster bearing eggs, caught when fishing in the 

 month of July. But the fishermen evade the law by brush- 

 ing away the eggs with a corn brush, although the law pro- 

 vides that such lobsters must be immediately returned to the 

 water alive, under penalty of not less than $10 nor more 

 than $100, or by imprisonment in the house of correction for 

 not less than one nor more than three months. The law 

 prohibiting the sale of lobsters less than ten and a half inches 

 in length is constantly broken for the want of proper officials 

 to enforce it. Indeed, its enforcement has been for some 

 time spasmodic, being done by the earnest friends of the 

 protection of the fish, during intervals of business and mo- 

 ments snatched from business, when reports of glaring 

 breaches of the law come to their ears. At such times the 

 dealers have generally succeeded in hustling the small lob- 

 sters out of sight, and escaping the punishment. 



Special. 

 Boston. March 81. 



THE DOWEL QUESTION. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I notice in your issue of Feb. 21 a letter from Mr, H. P. 

 Wells, of New York, deprecating the use of the dowel pin 

 in fly-rods, as having a tendency to weaken the joints, and also 

 on account of the difficulty experienced by an amateur in 

 I repairing a breakage w T hen angling at a distance from a pro- 

 fessional" rod maker. 1 will not attempt to follow your cor- 

 respondent in all the imperfections and difficulties he refers 

 ^to, but may say that I have a rod which is so constructed 

 as to obviate ail the difficulties referred to. It is fitted with 

 the new waterproof lock joint, patented by Mr. E. Perk, and 

 purchased from a local firm, in which is now vested the sole 

 right to manufacture. 



The patent lock joint referred to possesses all [the advan- 

 tages of the "Irish screw ferrule" without its disadvantages. 

 Instead of the screw, a stud is placed on the inner or male 

 , ferule, which fits into a groove in the outer or female fer- 

 f rule, thus making it a perfect lock and waterproof joint 

 without weakening the rod; it is moreover readily adjusted 

 without the tediousness of screwing as in the Irish ferrule, 

 it is impossible for it to get out of order. 



The ferrules are tapered as in the case of ordinary fer- 

 rules, the "dowel," which is the great source of weakness in 

 ordinary rods, is superseded by a small stud at the end of the 

 Rbner ferrule, which only requires a bore of one third of an 

 inch instead of one and a half, and sometimes two inches, 

 and thus adds considerably to the strength without interfering 

 BWiththe pliability so necessary in a good fly-rod. 



As an angler and lover of a really first-class fly-rod, I send 

 you these remarks in reply to your correspondent, as likely 

 to benefit my brother anglers. ' Angler. 



'■ebditch, England, March 3, 1834. 



COMPARATIVE WEIGHTS OF FLY-ROD 

 MATERIAL. 



BELIEVING that to some of your readers exact informa- 

 tion in reference to the comparative weights of the 

 more commonly used fly-rod materials, would be of interest, 

 the following specific gravities were computed with the kind 

 assistance of Mr. E. S. Hopkins and Mr. W. G. Levison, of 

 the Cooper Institute Laboratory. 



Distilled water was the standard. The determinations 

 were made with great care, aud are believed to be reliable, 

 for the specimens tested, to within at least, the third decimal 

 place. Different samples of the same species differ some- 

 what from one another in weight. The woods which were 

 the subject of this experiment, were carefully selected for 

 the express purpose of fly-rod making, and were, as far as 

 was possible, the very best of their kind. It is, therefore, 

 believed that the following determinations more correctly 

 represent the comparative weights of such material as is 

 used for this purpose, than would any samples selected at 

 random in the wood market, or any table computed there- 

 from. 



The split bamboo was of excellent quality, of my own 

 preparation, The six-strip hexagonal piece was taken from 

 an old and well-tried middle joint. The angles of this were 

 slightly rounded. The four-strip piece was put together 

 with the rind inside for the purpose of comparison. 



The cedar was taken from a very choice piece from 

 Florida, 



The different materials are arranged in the table in the 

 order of their weights, the heaviest first. To facilitate com- 

 parison on the part of such as may be unfamiliar with the 

 use of specific gravities, the weight of a cubic foot of each 

 is also given, in pounds and hundredths of a pound. 



Weight of one 

 Material Specific Gravity. Cubic Foot. 



Bnakewood 1.-8718 ' 85.7-1 



Bethabara 1.2140 75.98 



Greenheart 1.090S 68.18 



Lancewood 1.0335 6-1.59 



Split bamboo, 6-strip, hexagonal, rind 



outside 0.9915 61.96 



Split bamboo, 4-sttip, rind inside 0.9678 60.49 



Iron wood (hornboam) 0.8184 51.15 



Hickory 0.7963 49.78 



Ash 0.7786 48.66 



Mauoe 0.6607 41.29 



• Cedar 0.6396 39.98 



At the first convenient opportunity it is proposed to com- 

 pute a table of comparative elasticities. Will some of your 

 readers be kind enough to supply me with a piece of first- 

 class ironwood (hornbeam) for this purpose? It should be 

 from three to four feet long, and so as to admit of being 

 planed to a true square of three-eighths of an inch. Similar 

 pieces of the smooth and shag-bark varieties of hickory 

 would also be thankfully received. But to be of any value 

 for this purpose the wood must be well seasoned, and fairly 

 represent the merits of the species to which it belongs. 



Henry P. Wells. 



New York, March 29, 1HS4. 



It was Legal.— The paragraph in your last issue, from 

 one "C. G. G.," is entitled to a reply from its embodying a 

 slander upon a gentleman, Mr, Hannibal Hamlin. Mr." Ham- 

 lin did not go to Moosehead Lake, but to the West Branch 

 Ponds, some few miles from Katahdin Iron Works. He 

 brought home a few dozen small trout, which, as a citizen 

 of Maine, he had a right to take under the following law: 

 "Provided, however," that during February, March and 

 April, citizens of the State may fish for laud-iocked salmon, 

 trout, and togue, and convey the same to their own homes, 

 but not otherwise."— E. M. S. (Bangor, Me., March 23). 



Philadelphia Notes.— The big shad seine at Glouces- 

 ter, N. J., fishing shore has been overhauled and tarred, and 

 wise ones expect a much better season than last year. An 

 exhaustive lecture on "The Fishes of the United States" was 

 given several evenings since before the biological aud 

 microscopical section of the Academy of Natural Sciences 

 by Mr. Lockington.. The lecturer used preserved fishes to 

 the number of one hundred and more to illustrate his lec- 

 ture, and it is hoped he will be induced to continue these 

 discourses.— Homo. 



Gold Medal at Calcutta.— We learn that Messrs. S. 

 Allcock & Co., of Redditch, England, have received at the 

 Calcutta International Exhibition for fish hooks, fishing rods, 

 and fishing tackle, a gold medal and first class certificate' 

 this being the highest award. 



^intymlttm. 



PROGRESS IN FISHCULTURE. 



THE Century Magazine for April contains an article entitled 

 '"Progress in Fishculture," with twenty-three illustra- 

 tions, by Mr, Fred Mather. It shows what has been done in 

 the last ten years, both in Europe and America, in the way 

 of implements to simplify the work, and notes the important 

 steps in bringing new fishes to yield their secrets of propagation 

 to the fishculturist. No attempt is made to give statistics of 

 the numbers of fish hatched in any land, as the different re- 

 ports of governments and States furnish these. The article is 

 Avritten more to show the general reader what has been done 

 than to enlighteen the expert, and this is all that can be ex- 

 pected in a popular magazine article. 



The limits of the article forbid more than the briefest men- 

 tion of the many noteworthy things which have been done 

 and discovered within the last ten years, and the only thing 

 of importance which seems omitted is the introduction of 

 the trout of Em-ope, Salmo fario, into America, from both 

 Germany and England, and which promises to be of great 

 value. Possibly the article was in type before the arrival of 

 these fish, 



-There are so many things of interest to the fishculturist in 

 the article that we cannot select any for quotation, those in- 

 terested will read it. In closing it says that fishculture "has 

 not cheapened fish food to any extent, owing to the growth of 

 population, but it has increased the supply in American waters, 

 which were becoming exhausted in both the older and some 

 of the newer States, and promised to become entirely barren. 

 It restored the salmon to the Connecticut River, where they 

 were taken and sent to market for three years, until the rapa- 

 cityof the fishermen exhausted the supply by cutting off the 

 fish from them spawning grounds. It has placed shad in San 

 Francisco markets, where they were before unknown, and lias 

 materially added to the supply of our lake and river fishes, 

 and now promises to increase those of the sea coast." 



The illustrations and diagrams show most of the important 



Eoints described, and, like allot the Century'' & work, are well 

 one. The picture of the New York State hatchery at Cale- 

 donia, was made just before the new building was put up, 

 therefore the latter is not shown. "Jagging salmon," and 

 "stripping shad," are good character sketches. 



SALMON AND TROUT FOR WESTERN NEW YORK- 

 On the 25th of March the transportation car of the U. S. Fish 

 Commission left the hatchery at Wythevillc with salmon for 

 the tributaries of the Oswego River.' On the way 250 rainDow 

 trout, 50 Rangeley and 50 common tront, all one year old, 

 were planted in a tributary of the Shenandoah, in Clark 

 county, Va. The stream was a limestone brook which is well 

 preserved, and Col. McDonald thinks that these yearlings will 

 prove of as much value for stocking purposes as one hundred 

 times the number of fiy. The car then went by way of Har- 

 risburg and Williarnsport to Oswego, N. Y. t where it was met 

 by Mr. Lester Wright of the Leather-Stocking Club, and 500 

 yearling rainbow trout were placed in Lewis Creek, a stream 

 controlled by the club. Three miles above Fulton 70,000 Pen- 

 obscot salmon were placed iu Eleven-Mile Reach, near the 

 mouth of Ox Creek. 



TROUT IN WISCONSIN.— The State Fish Commissioners 

 deposited 40,000 young trout in the streams in this vicinity 

 yesterday, March 25. Waupaca has some fine streams in a 

 radius of eight miles that are suitable for trout, and we antici- 



Eate fine, fishing in a few years, if the fish do well, and we 

 ave every reason to think they will.— C. F. C. (Waupaca, 

 Wis.). 



THE PENNSYLVANIA COMMISSION.— The Fish Com- 

 mission of Pennsylvania has nearly finished the work of re- 

 moving the fish from them abandoned station at Marietta to 

 the new hatchery near Allentown. They have begun the dis- 

 tribution of trout from them western hatchery at Cony. 



r Ait Mennel 



FIXTURES. 



BENCH SHOWS. 



April 3, 4 and 5.— The Cleveland Bench Show Association's Second 

 Bench Show. Charles Lincoln, Superintendent, c. M. Munhall, Sec- 

 retary, Cleveland, Ohio. Entries close March 24, 



April 28.— The St. Louis Gun Club's Bench Show, St. Louis, Mo. 

 Entries close April 14. J. 31. Munson, Secretary. 



May 6, ?, 8 and fl.— Tiie Westminster Kennel Club's Eighth Annual 

 Bench Show, Madison Square Garden. Entries close April 21. Chas. 

 Lincoln, Superintendent. R. C. Cornell, Secretary, 54 William street. 

 New York. 



A. K. R. 



rpHE AMERICAN KENNEL REGISTER, for the registration of 

 -*- pedigrees, etc. (with prize lists of all shows and trials), is pub 

 lished every month. Entries close on the 1st. Should be in early. 

 Entry blanks sent on receipt of stamped and addressed envelope. 

 Registration fee (25 cents) must accompany each entry. No entries 

 inserted unless paid in advance. Yearly subscription .§1. Address 

 "American Kennel Register," P. O. Box 3832, New York. Number 

 of entries already printed 1010. Volume I., bound in cloth, sent 

 postpaid, $1.50. 



EASTERN FIELD TRIALS CLUB. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The quarterly meeting of the E. P. T. C, for social inter- 

 course, exchange of views and experiences, and to promote 

 friendly discussions on general shooting topics, has been post- 

 poned until May, and will be held some evening during the 

 holding of the New York show, at Madison Square Garden, 

 and notice will be given through the mail one week previous 

 to every member. This postponement was effected to give 

 many of our non-resident members, who will probably attend 

 the show, the opportunity of meeting the club members while 

 in New York. Washington A. Coster, Sec'y and Treas. 



Flatbush, March 29. 



i. C. S. ASSOCIATION. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Please publish the following notice to the members of the 

 International Cocker Spaniel Association: 



In accordance with the provisions of the constitution and 

 by-laws of the above association there will be an annual 

 meeting of the I. C. S. Association at Natatorium Hall, in the 

 city of St. Louis, on the 22d of April next, during the bench 

 show to be held in that city. The executive committee of said 

 association will hold its annual meeting on Wednesday even- 

 ing, April 23 at the same place. As business of importance 

 will be presented it is hoped that every member of the com- 

 mittee will be present. The judiciary staff, as provided for by 

 the constitution, should be elected at this meeting. 



E. C. .Franklin, Sec."" and Treas. 



St. Louis, March 29. 



CHAMPION BEAGLES. 



Editor Forest and Stream; 



Being an admirer and owner of beagles I should like to ask 

 for an expression of opinion, from those interested, upon the 

 following subject, and that is asking our bench show managers 

 to adopt a different rule— to apply only to beagles— than the 

 one already adopted, which is as follows: "A dog to compete 

 in a champion class must have won a first prize at * * * 

 and a dog having won a prize at any of the above named 

 shows cannot compete in an open class when there is a cham- 

 pion class for its kind, but must compete in such champion 

 class." For the following reasons I think under the rule 

 quoted it cheapens the honor champion, for, as is very often 

 the case, a dog is entered in the open class with perhaps only 

 one or two (sometimes none) competitors, and being the best 

 of the class ^at times a poor one), is awarded first prize. When 

 the dog is entered again for competition it must enter in the 

 champion class, when the same thing might be repeated, and 

 it win in that class, then it is proclaimed a champion beagle. 

 1 think it will be to the interest of the admirers of the beagle 

 to adopt a rule having a dog win tAvo or three times (two at 

 least) in an open class before competing in a champion. I, as 

 an exhibitor, would willingly agree to such a rule, and would 

 then look upon them with pride, and value a dog who won 

 champion as one who was entitled to the honor. It is for the 

 breed I am writing and not any personal glory (for I have won 

 twice in the open classes with Bush and Myrtle), and under 

 such a rule dogs would find their proper places. 



W. H. ASHBTJRNER. 



' POINTERS AT CINCINNATI. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In your issue of the 18th inst., under the caption of "Setters 

 and Pointers at Cincinnati," Mr. Munson says of Lamplighter, 

 who got a vhc. (a Ranger ex Queen), "He is a good looking, 

 big dog, but coarse, as the general run of Banger dogs." 

 While he has an undoubted right to give an honest opinion of 

 dogs that he has seen, and those exhibited more particularly, 

 I do object to an erroneous impression being given of what 

 has not been seen— "the general run of Ranger dogs." (Your 

 report of Lamplighter says ' 'he was a very useful looking 

 dog.") The Ranger dogs are too well known among pi'actical 

 sportsmen who use them afield to uot appreciate that quality 

 Mr. Munson terms "very coarse." The many first prize win- 

 nings at bench shows held at Chicago, New York, St. Louis, 

 Boston, Baltimore, Syracuse, St. Paul and San Francisco, with 

 the field trial winnings at the Pacific coast of Beautiful Queen 

 (a Ranger ex Queen) second in free for all, his grand progeny 

 a first and second there too, stamp Ranger one of the most 

 successful stud pointers of America. The breeding and selec- 

 tion of this blood (the "Ranger dogs") has been especially for 



