May 15, 1884.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



309 



them ; his Jove for the depths of the forest is deep and genu- 

 ine, ami I think sometimes he spends more time watching 

 their habits than lie does killing fish. I judge so from his 

 creel when he comes home: he never kills 'for count. 



Mrs. Lucy J. T. 

 Hallock, Minn. 



MlNKOWB for Thotjt. — A great number of pike have 

 been lately taken by anglers, who are fond of the sport, from 

 the .New Jersey ponds situated near the city. I am sony to 

 state that the illegal catching of bass in the same State by 

 Philadelphians has reached the writer's ears. AVhy can not 

 two weeks more of patience be practiced, wheu all can fish 

 with a clear conscience? On the trout stream of Carbon 

 county, Pa., which your correspondent fished only ten days 

 since/there is a fair-sized dam, once used to furnish power, 

 but now abandoned by the lumbermau. The stream above 

 and below this dam is fished to death, yet still contains a 

 tolerable supply of trout, but all of them now doubly edu- 

 cated. The pond harbors many fish of large size, the water 

 beiDg very deep at, the breast. To this portion the trout 

 before the spawning season congregrate until they ascend 

 the stream. In this deep part of the pond they never rise 

 to the fly, no matter how skillfully cast, but iu the shallower 

 parts smaller ones at times take the fly freely and make good 

 sport. Occasionally a big fellow is hauled up by a bait fish- 

 erman sitting on the breast, who has the patience to wait 

 until his worm is swallowed by the trout at the bottom, and 

 his size always indicates the climensions of more below. A 

 plan I have proposed to my friend living near the stream, 

 who bye the bye is a true fly-fisherman, and has heretofore 

 vowed* he will' use nothing but the feather, has at last, been 

 accepted, and he will attempt to lure these "whoppers" with 

 the minnow and twelve-foot leader, his bait being caught 

 and carried to the pond from the Lehigh. I am anxiously 

 waitiug to hear the results of his attempts, and although 

 the minnow does not occur in the stream where these trout 

 exist, I feel confident the plan will succeed and a number of 

 large fish will be taken. Can any of your correspondents 

 inform me if they have ever caught trout in the manner pro- 

 posed? In England it is considered legitimate early in the 

 season. "Why should it not be here at times and under the 

 conditions stated? Nothing else will bring these big fellows 

 from this deep hole. — Homo. 



Vermont.— Highgate, Vt., May 3.— "Verily the world 

 moves," and it gives me great pleasure to say that since my 

 last letter to your journal, the net fishers in this vicinity 

 have been taught a severe lesson. Fish Wardens Atherton, 

 of Waterbury, and Tuttle, of Montpelier, have seized a full 

 dozen of seines, trap and fyke nets, and have arrested the 

 ringleaders among the fishermen, two of their number, 

 Herb. Donaldson and Nat. Sheets, have already been fined 

 $100 each, with costs, while the others arc under heavy 

 bonds to appear at the next term of county court. Wardens 

 Atherton and Tuttle's task has not been an easy one, but 

 unflinching firmness, backed by muscle and trusty revolvers, 

 has enabled them to conquer all opposition. Owing to the 

 extreme high water that we have had here duriug the past 

 month, spring duck shooting has been poor. The trouting 

 season opened here on the 1st inst. , but as the streams are 

 still full bank the catches have been small. Now that net 

 fishing is stopped and bass and pike-perch are allowed to 

 spawn and multiply, we may soon expect good sport in the 

 Missisquoi River and Lake Champlain, and fish food will 

 become to our citizens a common article of diet instead of a 

 rare luxury. — Stanstead. 



White Perch in Lake George. N. Y.— There are a 

 number of salt-water fish which, when they are placed in 

 fresh water, grow to twice or three times the weight they 

 would ever attain in salt or brackish water. The white 

 perch, Roccus americanus, is one of these fish. It is often 

 caught in fresh water weighing two or three pounds, whereas 

 in salt water a fish weighing a pound is considered large. 

 Knowing this fact, CaptE. S. Harris, Messrs. W. W.Lockhart 

 and 0. B. Lockhart, determined to place some in Lake 

 George. With thts object in view the two latter gentlemen 

 went to Sing Sing, where friends assisted them in'procuring 

 fish from fykes set for the purpose. On April 26, they left 

 with seven milk cans full of fine lively fish, and arrived at 

 Lake George the evening of the same day with the fish in 

 good condition. There was quite an assemblage of people 

 at the depot when the train arrived, to see the new fish ; 

 every one seemed pleased with their appearance. The gen- 

 tlemen feel well satisfied for the trouble they have taken in 

 first introducing this fish into the waters of Lake George. — 

 A. K. Fisher. 



Fisheso for Count.— Worcester, Mass.— A large and 

 enthusiastic meeting of the Worcrster Sportsmen's Club was 

 held on Thursday evening, May 8, at the Bay State House 

 to make arrangements for the annual "fish day" and dinner. 

 Asa R. Jacobs and R. L. Golbert were chosen captains and 

 Maj. L. G. White, H. E. Smith and II. B. Verrv, with the 

 two captains, constitute the committee to arrange all the de- 

 tails of the affair. Wednesday, May 22, was decided upon 

 as the day for the fishing, the dinner to be served on the 

 evening of the following day. In choosing up sides every 

 member will be chosen, and all who do not "go a-fishing," 

 but who attend the dinner, will be counted on the losing 

 side and also fined one. dollar ; and all members who neither 

 fish nor attend the dinner will be fined one dollar. All 

 money thus collected to be used toward paying for the 

 dinner. The club held its first fishing day festival last year 

 and it was a complete success. If this one is equally suc- 

 cessful it is safe to say all will be well satisfied.— W. S. K. 



Does the Rainbow Trout Migrate?— Since our edi- 

 torial note on this fish we have heard that two rainbow trout 

 have been caught in the Hudson, near Hyde Park. The fish 

 were taken by men who were "scapping" for the river her- 

 ring (alewife), and were sold to Mr. John A. Roosevelt, the 

 well-known bass caster of Poughkeep&ie, and they weighed 

 three-cmarters of a pound each. 



Buffalo, N. Y., May 6.— The perch fishing has not 

 fairly commenced as yet, although several strings of from 

 thirty to forty have been made. A continuance of the 

 pleasant weather that we have been enjoying for the past 

 few days, will warm up the bays and improve the fishing. — 

 W. A. A. 



Monson, Me., May 5.— The ice is all out of the lakes and 

 ponds in this vicinity. Our local anglers are already mak- 

 ing good catches of spotted trout. Spring fishing is ten 

 days earlier here this year than it was at the same time in 

 18S3.-J. F. S. . ' " .. 



Catalogue of William Mills & Son.— We have just 

 received the illustrated catalogue of fine fishing tackle of 

 William Mills & Son, 7 Warren street. New York. It is de- 

 signed for the retail trade and includes a complete outfit for 

 an angler, from a Leonard split bamboo to a boy's rod cost- 

 ing not more than twenty five cents, and from waterproof 

 lines to tents and wading boots, Reels, lines, hooks, and the 

 many other articles used by anglers are shown in great variety. 



Fly-Fishing for Shad.— 1 note your reply to ' G-. W." 

 with reference to fly-fishing for shad. I have seen them 

 taken at Ilolyoke at various times of day, especially at mid- 

 day and in bright sunshine. The white miller was used at 

 the end of a long hand line, in some cases, when fishing from 

 the bridge, from 200 to -100 feet long. The fishermen in- 

 formed me, however, that, like the black bass, they were 

 whimsical biters.— Milton P. Peirce. 



The Nf.verslnk Club, of which Mr. Alfred Roe is presi 

 dent, and Mr. W. Ilolberton is secretary and treasurer, has 

 leased four miles of the west branch of tne Neversink River, 

 two miles above and below Parker's. The club will make a 

 vigorous effort to preserve this stream and have begun stock- 

 ing it with trout. The rules of the club forbid any member 

 to take more than twenty -five fish in one day, and no fish 

 must be under six inches in length. 



<$m]\tnlinrt. 



THE MENHADEN QUESTION. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I wish to make a few remarks in regard to the menhaden 

 fishery, and call your attention to a few statements made 

 by your correspondent, Mr. Church. 



Aristotle, when asked what has a man gained by telling a 

 falsehood, replied: "Not to be believed if he speaks the truth." 



First. The menhaden is bait and food for nine-tenths of all 

 the hook fish along our coast. Mr. Church knows that thou- 

 sands of barrels of this fish are salted for mackerel bait yearly, 

 the bank and lobster fishermen use it, and the club houses 

 along the coast use it as feed and bait for bass fishing, Mr. 

 Church has a great deal to say about the tautog and porgies 

 which is not to be considered in the argument upon menhaden, 

 for it is neither bait nor food for these fish. 



Second. In the summer of 1883, Mr. Church fitted his fleet 

 of steShaers with small-meshed seines, to catch the small half- 

 grown fish along the New Jersey coast. He was censured by 

 those who knew it to be true, and they wrote that the meshes 

 should be restricted by law. 



The taking of these small fish was denied by the Church 

 Company in a letter printed in the Fall River Weekly News, 

 of Nov. 23, 1882, from which I extract the following: "Still 

 further our opponents make the apparently unanswerable ar- 

 gument that we drive the fish from their old feeding grounds. 

 I admit that they have deserted then old feeding grounds for 

 the time being, but contend that we have no agency in the 

 matter, and as a case in point to show how little we know 

 about fish, their habits, enemies, etc. , will cite what I saw the 

 past summer while fishing on the Jersey coast between Cape 

 May and Bamegat. About the first of August, the coast above 

 mentioned was packed with small menhaden, so small that 

 our nets were not fitted to catch them, and besides there were 

 plenty of large ones, so that we had no occasion to molest 

 them. Well, these small fish drifted up the coast from the 

 southward until they had passed the whole of the menhaden 

 steamers, and when ten miles north of Bamegat they stopped, 

 turned in their tracks, and went southward again, proving 

 conclusively to me that they had met the same unseen enemy 

 in the water which had drawn the large menhaden from their 

 old feeding grounds." 



This admits what I claimed in my article of Jan. 10, viz., 

 that there is a scarcity of fish, caused by the crowding of 

 this fish from the coast. 



In a letter written to Prof. S. F. Baud, and printed in the 

 "Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission of 1883," page 

 463, and signed by D. T. Church, in defense of taking these 

 small fish, he says: "* * * Hence, we shall catch all we 

 can of any size we can get hold of. By observation we know 

 that during ninety days of the year 1880, 30,000,000 barrels of 

 menhadeu were destroyed by bluefish and weakfish in Narra- 

 gansett Bay, and in a' tract of water only twelve miles long 

 by two miles wide. As the total catch with purse seines is 

 less than 3,000,000 barrels a year, it seems foolish to limit free 

 fishing. * * * I believe that more menhaden are destroyed 

 in one hour by fish than are destroyed by man in a year." 



Admit this foolish statement to be true, and that the fish 

 seeks its food for ten hours a day, it would take nearly 30,- 

 000,000 barrels a day to feed the fish along the coast. Now, let 

 us glance at the menhaden fishery for the past five years ; 

 from 1878 to 1S82 the steamers had crowded this fish from the 

 coast from Maine to New York. There were less'than 100 bar- 

 rels taken in the harbors and inlets of Rhode Island in 

 the season of 1883. In the season of 1883, as the fish were 

 coming on the coast, thick fogs and fresh gales protected the 

 fish from the purse seine at sea. True to its instinct, it 

 reached the inlets of New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island 

 and Massachusetts in a limited amount, and a few— the first 

 for five years— reached Maine. As the weather settled, the 

 steam fleet soon caught what they could in the inlets and 

 crowded the rest from the coast, where tliey could only be 

 reached by the largest steamers. With ninety of the fleet 

 pushed from the business of 1883, and 1,000 men thrown out of 

 employment, the remainder made a fair season's catch. 



This fish has decreased 90 per cent, within twenty-five years 

 from our shores. There have been more than 500 purse seines 

 pushed from the business, since the steamer was introduced, 

 for want of fish, yet Mr. Church teUs the public that they are 

 more plenty than ever; place his shark story with the above 

 statement. In my opinion, there could not be a man found 

 from Maine to South Carolina, who is acquainted with the 

 business, who would believe these statements if made under 

 oath. 



Protect this fish for ten years from the purse seine and fish 

 would be the cheapest food found in the market. The best 

 would not be more than ten cents per pound. If the Fish 

 Co mmi ssioners along the North Atlantic States would investi- 

 gate this subject they could tell the public that their labors 

 were almost worthless in comparison with what they would 

 be if this fish was protected so that it might deposit its spawn 

 in the inlets near the coast, for the fry of the herring, shad 

 and salmon is used up for food and bait. This demand was 

 supplied by the menhaden for our hook fish before it was 

 crowded from our coast. If there covdd be located 100 steam- 

 ers with oil works in the best places at New Foundland, Belle 

 Isle Strait and the Gulf of St. Lawrence to catch the numer- 

 ous schools of herrings that are found in these waters, it would 

 make the hook fishing as worthless there in ten years as it 

 is on our own coast. The man that would dare to speak in 

 defense of the hook fishermen of those waters would hear 

 from some one. of the steam fleet that there was no scarcity of 

 food fish nor of herring, and there was no law needed to pro- 

 tect this fish, for it did not spawn along the coast, but at the 

 North Pole; and that they were disciplining seamen for the 

 navy and the Government should send its revenue cutters to 

 protect them to fish against the public -wishes, and with many 

 other foolish statements. - - -- -.„. . 



With a word to your Pacific coast readers, I will close. The 



purse seine and oil works are already established on your 

 coast at or near Puget Sound to catch the herrings, which are 

 the food of your salmon, halibut, cod and mackerel. As 

 these herrings are used up the above-named fish will booh 

 leave your coast, the salmon first, for better feeding grounds. 



Fisherman. 

 Westfort IIakboh, Mass. 



MR. ROOSEVELT ON THE CARP.— Hon. R. B. Roose- 

 velt, of the New York Fish Commission, has been up to 

 the Caledonia hatchery and has eaten oarp. He said to 

 a leporter of the New York Herald: "A carp, taken 

 from the preserve where, he had been feeding on the 

 aquatic growth, not artificially, and consequently in the best 

 condition, was the first to fee experimented upon. He 

 weighed two and a quarter pounds, and was plainly boiled. 

 so that his flavor should not be changed either for the better 

 or the worse. The conclusion an ived at was that the carp 

 was not iu any wayxJisagi-eeahle and far better tlian no fish at 

 all, but that he did not compare with most of the native varie- 

 ties, such as the sucker or the bullhead . His flesh was exceed- 

 ingly soft and yet quite tough, leaving a sort of stringy resi- 

 duum after it was masticated. The flavor was not bad, and is 

 probably capable of uulimited improvement with condiments 

 and sauces. The fish not only gave good sport on the fight 

 rod with which it was captured, making many desperate runs 

 to escape, but also seemed so tame when taken out of water, 

 although it had never been fed nor fondled, that the captors 

 disliked to kill it. Ihis proved that its race could be made 

 interesting pets." 



THE OSWEGO FISHW AYS.— Oswego, N. Y., May 9.— 

 Editor Forest and Stream: I am pleased to be able to report 

 that by practical test the fishways placed in our river last 

 fall by the State, of the McDonald pattern, are a success. The 

 mullet, or red band sucker, a fish which is taken in great 

 abundance in these waters in the early spring but which have 

 never been found above the clams siDce they were first built, 

 is now being caught upon the first and second levels of the 

 river, conclusively proving that the ways must have served 

 their purpose. We have strong hopes that the salmon fry de- 

 posited this year by Col. McDonald, of the U. S. Fisheries, will 

 thrive, and if they do we look forward to the day when our 

 river will again be as noted as it was forty years ago, offering 

 sport to the salmon fisher without the expense of a trip to 

 Canada or Brunswick. We have this spring added 50,000 

 brook and mountain trout to the supply in our small streams. 

 We propose to keep Oswego a fishing county. — H. 



BLACK BASS FOR STOCKING.— There is a demand for 

 black bass of all sizes, for stocking new waters, and no one 

 seems to attempt to supply them in quantities at all times. 

 Occasionally we hear of some for sale and on announcing it 

 they are gone. Mr. Livingston Stone, Charleston, N. H, 

 sometimes fills orders but does not always have them. A cor- 

 respondent writes us that Henry Harris, Weverton, Md., has 

 three himdred for sale. 



r Mt Mmmh 



FIXTURES. 



BENCH SHOWS. 



June 10, 11. 12 and 13.— The Second Annual International Bench 

 Show Chicago, 111. Mr. Charles Lincoln, Superintendent. 



Oct. 6, 9, 10 and 11.— Third Annual Bench Show of the Danbury 

 Agricultural Society, Danbury, Conn. E. S. Davis, Superintendent, 

 Danbury, Conn. 



A. K. R. 



rpHE AMERICAN KENNEL REGISTER, for the registration of 

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

 Iished 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 81. Address 

 "American Kennel Register," P. O. Box 28.12, New York. Number 

 of entries already printed 1213. Volume I., bound in cloth, sent 

 postpaid, $1.50. 



THE VICARS TESTIMONIAL. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



After a very long delay I have the pleasure to inform the 

 subscribers to the above testimonial that a monument has 

 been erected in St. James's Cemetery, Toronto, over the grave 

 of the late Bloomfield H. G. Vicars, secretary and -treasurer of 

 the Dominion of Canada Kennel Club, whose lamented death 

 we all mourned after the first bench show held under the 

 auspices of the Dominion Kennel Club at Ottawa. The delay 

 has been caused by many circumstances, especially the depart- 

 ure from London of the secretary of the fund, and the tardi- 

 ness of the subscribers in sending in their subscriptions. I 

 will be happy to forward to any subscriber a statement of the 

 disposal ot the sum placed in my hands to be used according 

 to the wishes of Mrs. Vicars. 1 



The following is the inscription which met with her ap- 

 proval: "In memoiy of Bloomfield H. G. Vicars, Secretary of 

 the Dominion of Canada Kennel Club. Born Jan. 27, 1850. 

 Died at Ottawa, April 4, 18S3. This monument is erected by 

 those who appreciated his services to the club. Faithful unto 

 death." 



I hope this will meet with the approval of the subscribers. 

 J. S. NrvEN (Chairman of the V. T. F.). 



Toronto, Canada, May 1, 1884. 



THE CHICAGO DOG SHOW. 



rrVHERE will probably be a large number of dogs exhibited 

 JL at the bench show, to be held in Chicago next month, and 

 the managers are confident that they will close the season 

 with the best show that has been held 'in the West. 



There will be extra champion classes for setters, pointers, 

 and spaniels, that have won not less than three prizes at any 

 bench show, in addition to the regular champion classes. 

 Major Taylor will judge setters and pointers, and Mr. James 

 Mortimer ah other classes. Premium lists may be secured on 

 application to Mr. Charles Lincoln, Superintendent, Chicago, 

 111. There will be a great number of special prizes. Many 

 Eastern exhibitors have already promised to send their dogs, 

 especially so among non-sporting exhibitors. The month of 

 June is particularly well adapted for a bench show, as the 

 weather in Chicago" at that time is cool and pleasant, and the 

 building is capitally ventilated. Prizes will :be given for the 

 greyhound or deerhound showing the most speed, and there 

 will also be trials for setters, pointers, spaniels, etc., for re- 

 trieving; in fact, no pains will be spared to make this one of 

 the best shows of the season. Special arrangements have al- 

 ready been made with the various railway and express com- 

 panies and eveiwthing will be done to insure the comfort and 

 welfare of dogs and their owners. 



DANBURY SHOW.— The third annual bench show of the 

 Danbury Agricultural Society will be held with the annual 

 fan in Danbury, Conn., Oct. 8, 9, 10 and 11. An annex to the 

 main budding was built last year expressly for the bench 

 show, in which suitable pens are placed for complete accom- 

 modation of the dogs. Competent attendants, night watch- 

 men, food and all necessary care are provided by the Society. 

 Dogs are taken from and to the trains at the expense of the 

 Society. For full particulars of entries, prizes, and of ether 

 matters pertaining to the exhibition, applv to the superintend- 

 ent of the beach show— E. S. Davis (Danbury, Conn.). - - 



