April 10, 1884. J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



209 



twenty to thirty bass at this point in halt a 'day, A lady 

 eaugfr't one there wllile out with a party from Wilkesbarre 

 and Harrisburg that-weighed over four pounds, Dr. Bco- 

 ville. of Wyul using, caught large numbers last season that 

 weighed fouf and five pounds each. 



Every man who reads (bis article and wishes a good time 

 let him go to Wyalnsing or Brownton nest summer. It will 

 be well to engage rooms now for the month of July, as there 

 may be stich a rush as to make it an impossibility if put off 

 Loo' lair 



We went, home with renewed strength and bronzed faces 

 and bauds. We shall be there next season if we live. 



M. M. Brown, M.D. 

 Ithaoa, N, Y. _ 



OPENING THE SEASON IN NEW HAMP- 

 SHIRE. 



I HAD often read and pondered over the sketches of the 

 Opening day on trout fishing, but being fully aware of 

 the uncertainty of the results on so bleak and generally 

 stormy date .'is April 1, 1 had never ventured out. But this 

 year 1 determined that if railroads were not blockaded by 

 snowstorms I would go and have an opportunity to realize 

 till there might be. of sport or discomfort. 



I went; and mark the favorable conditions: no black llies, 

 no mosquitoes, no midges, and no ice needed to keep my 

 fish. 1 had a good little catch, no such score of weights as 

 given by the members of Long Island clubs, taken from 

 their waters, hut thirty good fish with a big one that weighed 

 a pouud, and all bright, beautiful and wild. Fifteen of these 

 I brought home alive, and in my aquarium they attract the 

 admiration of the multitude, and awaken the dormant love of 

 the sport iu the heart of the old timer as he gazes long and 

 lovingly on them. 



Listen: "Ah! Brook trout! beauties — wonder where they 

 were caught? I thought 1 wouldn't do any fishing this year; 

 but 1 guess I must take a week or so." 



No. Si — "Hello, dim-, cr,me over here. See that? Boss fish! 

 I broke one of my best rods last year on a big one. I must 

 be looking over my tackle; I haven't been feeling well all 

 winter, and must get away early this season and have a long 

 trip." 



These expressions, together with the usual "Where did you 

 catch them?" and "How many did you get?" "1 wish I had 

 been with you," etc., show how deep and universal is the 

 love for the brook trout. 



1 have also to-day added to my family seven live trout 

 from the famous Monad nock Lake, Dublin, N.H.,tue classi- 

 fication of which has again become an open question this 

 winter. I have a fine opportunity to compare the two varie- 

 ties (?) as to outward markings, but as specimens have re- 

 cently been forwarded to Prof. Baird for a decision, 1 will 

 for the present call them the "no name" trout. The people 

 of that vicinity are justly proud of their beautiful lake and 

 its fish, and as jealous of non-residents as they are proud; 

 but before they again order off a fishing party I would sug- 

 gest that at least one of the three wardens may be made 

 aware of the change of close time from May 1 to April 1 ; for 

 that old law of the date of 1879, which they carry about in 

 their pockets and read over the heads of "the boys," won't 

 count, and may get themselves into trouble. M, 



Bromfield House, Boston. 



Pkoteotion ik New- Jersey. — A meeting was held last 

 evening in the law office of Senator Griggs for the purpose of 

 forming an association which will look after the enforce- 

 ment of the lish and game laws in this county. It is a well- 

 known fact that fish have been illegally caught in the Passaic 

 Biver aud in the up-county lakes for some time, and that the 

 laws governing the killing of game have also been violated in 

 a most outrageous manner. The meeting last night was a 

 very successful one, although a number of the prominent 

 sportsmen of this city could not attend for private reasons. 

 These will, however, join the movement at the next meeting. 

 County Clerk William M. Smith was elected president, 

 Charles A. Shriner secretary, and Henry Keenan warden. 

 Posters were ordered printed aud distributed, warning all 

 violators of the law to cease their illegal practices. Another 

 meeting for the purpose of forming a permanent organiza- 

 tion will be held on Thursday of next week in Mr. Griggs's 

 office. The work of the Assosiation was mapped out last 

 night. Individual members of the Association or persons not 

 belonging to the Association, but iuterf sted in the protection 

 of game and fish and the enforcement of the laws, will report 

 to the secretaiy all violations of the law which come under 

 their notice. An investigation will follow, and as soon as 

 the necessary evidence has been collected the warden will 

 make a complaint before some justice of the peace. Senator 

 Origgs has offered his services in the prosecution of all cases, 

 an offer which was gladiy accepted by the Association. The 

 Senator is one of the most enthusiastic sportsmen in the 

 State, and by the prosecution of the violators of the law he 

 will make a warm friend of every lover of the rod or gun in 

 New Jersey. The Association proposes to prosecute vigor- 

 ously every offender, aud by so doing it is hoped to put a 

 stop to all illegal methods of capturing game and fish. — 

 Pakrson Prets, March 29. 



Tkotjting on Lotmg Island.— South Oyster Bay, April 2. 

 — The trout season opened quite favorably here. Lakes and 

 streams are numerous, and they all contain more or less 

 trout. Mr. Stanley caught seven very nice trout, weighing 

 5$ pounds; Mr. Clinton only caught four, one of them weigh- 

 ing two pounds, aud the others one pound each. Some'of 

 the other sportsmen did quite well also, but the rain to-day 

 interfered with the fishing. The trout I speak of were 

 caught in public streams and not in a preserve; taking that 

 into consideration it is not so bad. There were as usual 

 some big fish lost, but that don't count. We generally do 

 better on the first day, but the weather has been too cold 

 lately to expect good sport. — Geo. Kilian. 



Tkotjting in Western New Yoek.— Onondaga County, 

 April 4— Trout fishing opened on the 1st with a record of 

 a few good strings. The veteran trout fisher, Charles Bebee, 

 caught thirty-three on the 1st, whese aggregate weisht was 

 thiee and one-quarter pounds. He also'took two California 

 mountain trout of three and four ounces each. Some per- 

 sons from Syracuse brought in between fortv and fifty fair 

 trout. On the 2d, a friend and myself fished two brooks 

 and took twenty trout of quite good size. The two largest 

 weighed one and a half pounds. I also took a mouutaiu 

 trout of about two ounces in weight. — Geo. A. Kn afp 



Thotjt and Electricity.— In one of the tanks belonging 

 to Mr. Blackford in Fulton Market, is a collection of live 

 trout from James An nin, Jr., of Caledonia, X. Y., one of 

 which is a lake trout, of four pounds weight.' The tank i* one 

 of those that have an electric light suspended in the water, 

 and is made of slate with glass on the front and I) ick. An 

 iron pipe enters a hole near the top of one end for the supply 

 of water, and another pipe connects at tin; bottom of the 

 oth< i- end There is a hoard cover which keeps the fish from 

 jumping out. One morning since the trout show the Jish in 

 this particular tank were noticed to be in a state of excite- 

 ment, which was so violent that the passers-by stopped to See 

 what was the matter. They rushed about, and tried to jump 

 out for about two minutes, "and then turned on their backs. 

 One of the attendants jumped to take out the fish, and on 

 putting ids bauds in the water received a shock which nearly 

 lloored him. Recognizing the cause of the trouble he took 

 out the wire, which had become, detached somehow, and he 

 left, the fish in the t/mk to see if they would revive. In 

 twenty minutes they recovered and were swimming about 

 as if nothing had happened. No doubt a few minutes more 

 in the electric current would have killed them. 



Michigan Fish Laws.— Detroit, April 5.— Editor Forest 

 and Stream: Your correspondent, "S. E. B.," calls upon me 

 to state why the Fish Commissioners allow the slaughter of 

 fi-h to go on in violation of the law. In the first place, the 

 Commissioners have no more to do with the enforcement of 

 the law than any one else has. If "8. E. B." will read the 

 law lie will see whose duty it is. To ask the Commissioners 

 to attend to the enforcement of law. and pay their own ex- 

 penses for the benefit of men too cowardly to" act themselves, 

 is absurd. We give our time to the work of the Commis- 

 sion without charge now, and it takes a great deal of labor 

 and time to carry on our work. Will "S. E, B." please tell 

 me where he finds the law he quotes and the authority for 

 saying the Commission will prosecute, etc. I do not know 

 of any such law nor of any act on the part of the Commis- 

 sion that could even. give color to such a report. When the 

 law is passed making it the duty of the Commission, and 

 they to be paid for their time and expenses, they will see 

 that the law is respected. We hope to be able to have a law 

 passed creating game and fish wardens, etc.— A. J. Kel- 

 logg, Fish Commissioner. 



Salmon in Scotland. — Editor Fond and Stream: A 

 letter just received by me from Herny Wiight, Esq., secre- 

 tary to the Duke of Sutherland, states that the salmon fish 

 ingin Sutherlandshire, Scotland, this season is exceptionally 

 good. He writes: "One of my frieuds was there for seven- 

 teen days, fished fifteen and caught seventy-eight, weighing 

 790 pounds. A party of six fishing one river showed over 

 fifty salmon, on their return to the hotel, in one day, and on 

 the other rivers it has been proportionately good. I told 

 one man at Brora (near Dunrobin Castle), who fishes with 

 nets for the market, that he might go to Loch Brora and 

 have a haul. He did and got 398 fish, weighing 3,9(30 

 pounds. I don't mean in one haul, but one day's hauling, 

 say eight or ten hauls. The country is beginning to look 

 lovely, the fruit trees just coming into full bloom, and the 

 giass green." — Geo. Shepaud Page. 



A Fly Preventer,— A common prescription to keep off 

 flies and mosquitoes is a solution made by soaking or boiling- 

 quassia chips in water. Although highly recommended by 

 some of those who have tried it, it nevertheless often proves 

 ineffective. Something like the quassia remedy in its char- 

 acter is the following, taken from the Sydney (Australia) 

 Tribune: "A reader, Natnoi River, states that he has found 

 that by washing his hands and face in a weak solution of 

 bitter aloes, he has escaped annoyance from the attacks of 

 mosquitoes, even in localities where they are most trouble- 

 some. He has also found that his horses benefited in a like 

 manner by giving them a wash down with the same liquid." 

 We print it lor the purpose of asking our readers if any of 

 them have ever tried it, and if so, with what result. To many 

 people the ordinary smear of tar and oil is only less disagree- 

 able than the insects themselves. 



A Handsome Trout. — On Monday we received a box 

 containing one two and three-quarter pounds trout, sent with 

 the compliments of Mr, A. Weeks. The fish was taken near 

 Locust Valley, on the north shore of Long Island, where they 

 have access to salt water. It was as shapely a fish as one 

 ever sees, and its light silvery sides shaded off to a delicate- 

 pink underneath. It was a fish that should have been im- 

 mortalized on canvas. If, as is claimed, the trout of Long- 

 Island are the handsomest in the country, this was one of the 

 most beautiful of Long Island trout. 



The attention of salmon fishers is called to the Boston advertise- 

 ment for fcferee or four ro'da*. "" It is froai a gentleman wabai wa larov. 



effizlfcnlture. 



AN ENGLISH FISHCULTURAL FARM. ' 



LAST week we noticed the arrival of 10,000 eggs of the Eng- 

 lish trout at the Cold Spring Harbor station of the New 

 York Fish Commission. The following is an account of the 

 place from wiiioh they came, written by Mr. R. B. Marston, 

 of the London Fishing Gazette: 



The other day, in response to a long-standing invitation, I 

 paid a visit to Mr. T. Andrews, the pisciculturist, of Westuato 

 House, Guildford, in order to see his place generally, and to 

 arrange about a shipment of 10,000 English trout eggs, which 

 are to be sent as a present from the Fishing Gazette to the 

 American Fishculture Association. 



I found Mr. Andrews in his hatching house busy looking 

 over his magnificent stock of ova and fry. Fish-breeding seems 

 to agree with Mr. A., for he looks the picture of a man who 

 takes things easily, and always seems jolly and contented. 

 One woidd hardly suppose that he had the care of the finest 

 fish farm and breeding-place in England, and a large business 

 besides. He commenced fish-breedmg as an amusement many 

 years ago, and soon found such a demand tor his eggs and 

 fry that he had to go in for it thoroughly, and it now pays 

 him splendidly. In addition to his large hatchery at his 

 house, he has, a few miles off, a system of no less than forty 

 ponds fed by springs, and ranging in size from two acres down 

 to a few square yards. In these ponds he keeps his yearling 

 trout and his parent fish, and some idea of the magnitude of 

 his fish farm may be got from the fact that at the present mo- 

 ment he has about 40,000 trout in these ponds. IS ot having 

 seen them, I must reserve a description of the ponds for 

 another visit; suffice it to say they are all admirably arranged, 

 are staked to prevent poaching, and the water can all be 

 drawn off by means of iron sluice valves, and they are, be- 

 sides, so efficiently watched that poachers have no chance. 



In the hatchery, Mr. Andrews has facilities for hatching 

 over two millions of eggs during the season, and his annual 

 "output"— if I may use this expression— often exceeds that 

 number. Last vear Mr, A. sold half a mtlliou trout fry and 

 year lings,, and. about a million eggs, and his prides for eggs 

 range from 20s. to 40s. peV 1,000, fcT fry from o0s. to 60s. per 



1 ,000. and for yearling fish (5 to 8 inches in length), from £30 

 to £45 per 1,000. 



He has at present about nino hundred thousand splendid 

 trout eggs of various kinds in his troughs and trays. It was 

 to me extremely interesting to witness this w< alth of embryo 

 trout life. Six hundred English trout eggs stocked the 

 streams of Tasmania and New Zealand; here around me were 

 sufficient to stock: a universe. The ova was o£ different sizes 

 and color, from a pale yellow to a deep orange. .The largest 

 eggs were a lot of hybrids, produced by crossing S. ferox and 

 S. salvelinus (char). Then came a fine lot of great lake trout, 

 which Mr. Andrews had obtained from Dr. Zenk. Some of 

 these had already hatched out in a most promising manner. 

 A cubic inch of ordinary (medium size) trout eggs number 

 about 125 — i. <?., five rows deep of twenty-five eggs. A gallon 

 measure holds about 40,000 "fine" eggs. Mr. Andrews finds 

 that equally goid results are obtained by using "trays" in- 

 stead of the old-fashioned "troughs." He can rely, as a rule, 

 on an average of over ninety per cent, of fry from every hun- 

 dred eggs. As an instance of the advantage of the trays over 

 the troughs. I may mention that while a trough 8 feet by 7 

 inches will only hold successfully about 7,000 eggs, trays 1 foot 

 by 3 inches will contain 135,000, In addition to this, the trays 

 aro infinitely cleaner and more easy to manipulate. The trays 

 are made of finely-perforated zinc, coated with ordinary tar 

 varnish. Five of these trays fit into a wooden box, w' ich 

 contains the water, and are made with a flange turned out- 

 ward; this is important, as the flange then supports the box 

 when it is let into its place, and there is no difficulty in pour- 

 ing out eggs or fry, as would be the case if the flange turned 

 inwards. A tray 12 inches long, 6 wide and 3 deep will hold 

 :,i 1,01 ii) e;igs. and the water comes to within half an inch of the 

 top, and the eggs lie 15 deep. 



The following, respecting the cost of a box with five trays, 

 will be useful: 



s. d. 



Wooden box, 3 ft. by 5 in. deep 7 



Five trays, at 2s. 6d. each 12 6 



Lead piping, etc 1 



Total £16 6 



Mr. Andrews is fortunate in having a supply of excellent 

 water, which is made to pass through three largo cisterns, and 

 thus settles down before it reaches the trays. He iuforms me 

 — and it is a hint worth remembering— that water from a high 

 pressure i3 too highly aerated, is unfit for respu-ation, and 

 kills the tish. The following information is also most valuable : 

 For twenty-four hours after being stripped from the fish, eggs 

 can be washed and manipulated almost with impunity \ then 

 for three or four weeks and until ''eyed" they are extremely 

 delicate, and should be disturbed as little as possible. When 

 fairly "eyed," they will stand an almost incredible amount of 

 judicious manipulation; indeed, Mr. A. once upset a box of 

 25.000 eggs onto the floor and then swept them up without 

 appreciably injuring them. In the garden are several large 

 tanks for holding yearlings and other trout. Mr. Andrews 

 netted out some of these to show me, including some very line 

 fontinalis. It would be impossible to imagine finer or more 

 healthy-looking fish— not a trace of the imperfect gill covers, 

 showing the red gills, as is so often seen in artificially-reared 

 trout which have not been properly treated. I asked him 

 what his opinion was of fontinalis, and he replied that they 

 were splendid fish for ponds or any water where they can be 

 prevented from escaping, but that they certainly do not 

 answer in English rivers. This fully conforms what I have 

 repeatedly stated in this paper. 



Mr. A. related to me a most encouraging instance of how a 

 river may be re-stocked. Some years ago he set his heart on 

 a stream which he knew was capable of feeding trout to anv 

 extent. There were none in it then, as they had all been killed 

 by the chemical refuse from a mill. The mill did not pay, and 

 had been converted into a harmless factory of some kind, and 

 the river had gradually regained its aquatic vegetation, and 

 with it insect life. Without faying anything to any one, he 

 placed about 20,000 fry into this stream, and in three years' 

 time the river was so well stocked that a gentleman wrote to 

 the Field to point out the wonderful manner in which a stream, 

 if left to itself, will reproduce trout when the injurious refuse 

 has been done away with. 



Mr. A. quietly stepped in aud explained the wonder in a very 

 much more, rational manner. He still continues, every year, 

 to put a few hundred yearlings into it, and it is now probably, 

 for its size, the best bit of trout water in the county of Surrey 

 — the fish running vej-y large. 



In another case, he turned about twenty-five brae- of trout 

 (averaging two pounds each) into a tributary of the Way, and 

 now fish of four, five, and even eight potmds, are not uncom- 

 mon. 



It is pleasant to know that one who has unostentatiously 

 done so much to increase that splendid fish, the trout, is him- 

 self an ardent and skillful fly-fisher. I spent a long time look- 

 ing over his rods and flies, of which he has enough to stock a 

 tackle shop. He showed me a capital fly-rod, made to his 

 order by Mr. Bowness. It had duplicates of second, thud, and 

 top joints ; these are carried by placing them so that the ends 

 rest in a corner of a big "Freake" bag, the tops rest over the 

 left shoulder, and Mr. A. is thus prepared for any accidents, 

 and be gives his fish no more law than his tackle will permit. 

 I confess, for my part, I should not like to be encumbered with 

 any spare joints except a top in the landing net handle, as I do 

 not remember having an accident with any other joint but 

 once, and that was in dace-tishing at Teddington, when a 

 heavy chub took the fly, and the quick strike required for dace 

 smashed a bad bottom joint. But even Mr. Andrews' precau- 

 tion would not have availed in this disaster, as he does not 

 carry a duplicat e butt. 



THE GOLDEN IDE, OR OBFE.-Mr. Hugo Mulertt, of Cin- 

 cinnati, in speaking of this fish, recently said: "This is a fish 

 Avhich is but little inferior to the trout in gameness as well as 

 on the table ; and then notice his brilliant colors. He is called 

 the gold orfe, and is pre-eminently the aristocratic game fish 

 of the world. He is to be found in the pond of every German 

 nobleman, and, T must say, is worthy of every honor. These 

 fish swim in schools near "the top of the water, and in conse- 

 quence are particularly fitted for fountains and ponds. They are 

 perfectly hardy, may be left in the ponds all winter, and in a 

 couple of years will sometimes reach the length of three feet." 

 The recent flood in the Ohio River earned away a great stock 

 of fancy fish from Mr. Mulertt's ponds, near Mill Creek, 

 Among them were Japanese kingios, fringe-tails, telescope fish, 

 golden orfe. and many other rare h'shes. His loss is very 

 great, and is to be regretted, as he is the only iishculturist in 

 America who makes a specialty of ornamental fishes. 



MCDONALD FISHWAYS FOR SCOTLAND.— The Tay 

 Fishery Board have decided to place a McDonald fish way on 

 that river, and Col. McDonald will sail for Scotland in June to 

 superintend its construction. This was suggested bv a writer 

 in the Scotsman, who said : "There are at least a dozen fish- 

 ery districts in Scotland where impassable waterfalls shut out 

 good spawning ground, and in the great majority of these 

 districts there are district boards; and if the McDonald fish- 

 way be really as valuable a discovery as it is stated to be, why 

 should not these boards arrange among themselves, and com- 

 bine to bring the inventor over and let him try to open up the 

 hitherto untouched spawning grounds on our upper waters? 

 But it is not only to natural obstructions, in the shape of 

 waterfalls, that the McDonald fishway would apply. It would 

 also be invaluable, if its claims are well founded, in enabling 



