S88 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[June 12, 1884. 



Strike quickly now. No; he's off. Never let a fish run to 

 the end of the line without doing something. Either pay 

 out line, or better still, strike quickly. If you just hold still 

 he is not stopped sudden enough to set the "hook, yet he 

 thinks something is the matter and lets go the bait. 



Put on a fresh bait and give him another chance. Never 

 use a chewed or ragged bait if a good one can be had. There, 

 he has it again. See how the water boils up as he works his 

 fins. That is a sure sign of a large fish. Now strike. Don't 

 try to lift him; don't get his head above water. Let him run 

 a minute, but keep a tight line. Now tow him round to me 

 and 1 will take a short hold on the line and lift quickly. 

 There he is, and a big one, too. He is safe, but the hook 

 fell out as soon as lie was fairly on the bottom of the boat. 

 Examine now his big jaw. See that long slit made by the 

 hook. It would never have torn past his bony lips, but the 

 hook could easily have been shaken out if the line had been 

 slackened or the fish had floundered two seconds in the air. 

 What will he weigh? Say a pound and a half, a first-rate 

 fish, 



And this is another good one; no small fish are around 

 here. If there were, those big fellows would have some 

 dinner. 



Now, throw out beyond that group of lily leaves. Work 

 carefully, for the water is clear and shallow. There, that is 

 just right And see that little swirl teu feet off, and this 

 Y-shaped ripple going toward the bait. More slowly. There, 

 he has it. 



But the water is too shallow here for very large fish. See 

 these small ones moving off as the boat nears them. Let us 

 go across to that cove on the other side. I hear the fish 

 jumping there, and we may get a few on the way over. If 

 anything bites, strike quickly, for we will move 'too fast to 

 allow time for chewing. Ha! well hauled iu. There — no, 

 we were too quick for him, and as he was well lifted from 

 the water, he will probably not bite again now. But we will 

 mark the spot, and come around again in a few minutes, 

 after he has had time to recover. He is pretty sure to bite 

 again. This willingness of the pike to bite a second time, if 

 unhurt, renders a tough bait, such as we are using, of great 

 advantage. For if you jerk the bait out of his mouth with- 

 out hooking hira, you keep your bait and he loses it, He 

 wonders what became of it, and how it happened to get out 

 of his tight grip. Therefore, when he sees it again he is 

 likely to take it more quickly and savagely than at first. If, 

 however, you use a tender bait and leave it in his mouth, he 

 will not bite again till that morsel is stowed away. 



Now let us try along this deep channel. If any fish is 

 here, he is a big one, and lies deep. So put on a large bait, 

 and fish well under water. 



Can anything be nicer than this gliding along, over the 

 slow-moving, clear, coffee-colored, cedar swamp water, with 

 the pine-covered banks on all sides. This is practically the 

 primeval forest. We are fishing as the Indians might have 

 done had they possessed our tackle. What a peculiarly de- 

 lightful motion this sculling is. No noise, no apparent 

 effort. There is uo need of any hope of success to make our 

 situation all-satisfying. But we have the hope, and well 

 founded too. Wtm's that, a snag or a fish? A fish. Then 

 wait till he runs. He ought to be a big one, for this is very 

 deep water. Whew! how he rushes. Don't pay out any 

 line, keep the point of the rod down when he comes to the 

 top of the water. Hold him back from those weeds. Now 

 bring the line rouDd slowly. There he is, a good three- 

 pounder. Knock him on the head to stop his struggles. 

 See bow broad and deep he is, and what a paunch he has. 

 He must have just breakfasted on a fourteen-inek relation. 



Now let us turn toward the landing place, for the sun is 

 too bright lor further tishing. Stiaighten out the fish so 

 that we can see them. Sixteen iu all. One of three pounds, 

 two over one pound, none of them very small. That is first- 

 rate for a beginner. T. K. B. 



FISHING AT BUZZARD BAY. 



HOW often information, a direction or a letter published 

 in your valuable journal will give great enjoyment to 

 its readers, Let me thank one of your correspondents, "The 

 Doctor," for pleasant fishing jaunts, and many happy days 

 spent among the good kind people of Cade Cod. See For- 

 est and Stream, Oct. 24, 1878, page 245, correspondence 

 headed "Bass Fishing at Cohasset," signed "The Doctor." 

 When I read that very excellent letter it fully determined 

 me to make the same trip. I never filed away that number 

 of Forest and Stream; it is before me now" But not till 

 the summer of '82 did I carry out the full instructions so 

 carefully and truthfully given' in "The Doctor's" letter. I 

 took the Fall River boat to Fall River, thence by Old Colony 

 Railroad to Cohasset Narrows (now called Buzzard Ba^) via 

 Middleboro; stopped at Parker's comfortable hostelry; saw 

 the fish caught as "The Doctor'' describes; did not catch 

 any ourselves, not having proper tackle for striped bass and 

 bluefish, but determined to return next summer properly 

 armed. 



We, still following "The Doctor's" directions, took the 

 train down to that quaint old fishing town Provincetown. 

 Fresh salt breezes, hearty appetite and good people made the 

 trip a joyous happy one." The outlook from High-pole Hill 

 is indeed charming and very extensive; white breakers line 

 the shore, pretty Cape Cod Bay, sailing vessels, and the blue 

 ocean form a delightful picture from that eminence; and if 

 you are a single man be very very careful of the bright eyes 

 of those smart and intelligent young ladies of pretty Prov- 

 incetown. 



On my next trip to Cape Cod we varied the route, and 

 found it a very pleasant one. July 17, '83, found me aboard 

 the magnificent steamer the Pilgrim. A joy was in store not 

 anticipated by me. Down the wharf came Cappa's splen- 

 did baud, followed by that gallant body of gentlemen the 

 veteran corps of New York's favorite Seventh regiment. 

 The Pilgrim's great paddles turned, rounding the Battery, 

 boat and corps flags flying. 



Next morning we parted with the gallant corps, taking 

 railroad to the beautiful city of New Bedford, thence by 

 steamer to the bluffs of Martha's Vinyard, where if you wish 

 to stop a while, pure air, comfort, elegance and good society 

 await you. On again by steamer to quiet, sea-girt, pleasant 

 Nantucket, Another steamboat ride carries you to Wood's 

 Holl (salt-water fishing is said to be good here). Then a 

 short railroad ride brings you to Buzzard Bay. Now for 

 fish at last. Take a short stout rod, with 600 feet of cable 

 laid line on a large multiplying reel, go to the railroad 

 bridge, the tide rushing rapidly out to the bay, let out 100 or 

 ISO yards of liue (after baiting a strong hook with menhaden 

 or small eel) and when a bluefish bites, you will think for a 

 moment that a portion of Plymouth Rock has struck the end 

 of your rod- it will test your rod and reel, and well try 



your strength to walk to the beach at the end of the bridge 

 and reel your fish in against the rapid Waters, combined 

 with the power of a nine or ten-pound bluefish wishing to go 

 the other way. And what joy (providing you get the fish in) 

 to see his bright sides lie on the white sandy beach. It is 

 rare, exciting sport, as "The Doctor" truly writes. His re- 

 marks arc also quite correct about the striped bass fishing to 

 be had, also off the same bridge. 



Buzzard Bay is beautiful and healthy, with fresh salt 

 water breezes constantly blowiug over the cape. Yachting 

 is excellent. Sharks can be caught if parties like that kind 

 of fishing. We caught quite a large one off Whiff's Neck. 

 A pleasant visit can be made to Onset Bav (close by), where 

 is held the annual camp meeting of the Spiritualists. 



How I should like to see "Kingfisher" on that bridge at 

 Buzzard Bay, with rod and reel and 100 yards of line out in 

 the rushing, roaring out-going tide; a ten-pound bluefish on 

 his hook, rod bending and reel buzzing. I fancy hearing 

 him say, "Well, well, well! I onlv wish Ben, Dan and 

 Frank were here. Old Massachusetts for ever!" I hope 

 that "The Doctor" may see this note and know of the 

 pleasure his letter has given to at least one of your readers. 



WlLLOUGIiBY. 



Sport at Blooming Gkove Park.— On May 29 the even- 

 ing train on the N. Y. L. E. & W. Railway 'carried about 

 fifty members and guests of the Blooming Grove Park Asso- 

 ciation to Millville, where teams met them. Seventeen being 

 the limit, that number of the paaty drove up to the club 

 house, seven miles away, leaving the others at Mr. John 

 Deming's comfortable and delightfully clean and tidy house, 

 which is especially fitted for accommodating the club mem- 

 bers who choose to remain all night. Decoration Day, all 

 having arrived, some went fishing for trout, others walked 

 over to the breeding park, some joined in the rifle shooting 

 contest for a badge, others in shooting clay-pigeons ("mud 

 birds" as Dennis called them) also for a badg;e. (Scores given 

 elsewhere.) Our worthy president, H. W. Nason, captured 

 both prizes, then "went for the boys" in fly-casting, but there 

 met his equal in Mr. Frank Martin, who cast two feet further 

 than any of the other contestants, Mr. Nason coming out 

 second. There were some sweepstakes and private matches, 

 and any amount of fun of various descriptions. Evening 

 brought its indoor sport. Exchange of stories and very little 

 in the line of absolute feats. As far as could be judged all 

 were pleased with the housekeeping and gratified at John 

 M. Stellenwerfs method of attending to the wants of mem- 

 bers and guests. On the 31st, 20,000 trout fry, 400 yearlings 

 and two year old trout were turned out in the streams of the 

 preserve.' Fly-castiug— D. E. Martin 58 feet, H. W. Nason 

 56 feet, A. J. Post 53 feet, T. W. B. Hughes 50 feet, W. D. 

 Baldwin 48 feet, W. Fielder 48 feet, W. H. McCord 45 feet, 

 J. A. Van Elden 45 feet, G. Hodgman 25 feet. Afterward 

 Mr. John M. Stellenwerf, the superintendent, in a private 

 trial of five minutes, cast 82 feet. 



Fishing in Tennessee.— Memphis, Tenn , June 6.— It is 

 true, we catch no such different varieties of fish as are caught 

 in those beautiful lakes of the North, but for black bass and 

 speckled perch, I hardly think any lake can beat those in 

 our vicinity. Blackfish Lake is situated due west of item- 

 phis in the State of Arkansas, twenty -five miles from Mem- 

 phis, on the Little Rock Railroad. Its name is derived from 

 a peculiar kind of perch caught there, which is perfectly 

 black, and a gamy little fish. I have seen black bass caught 

 with line and troll in the lake, weighing, on pocket scales, 

 from seven pounds clown, also fine specimens of speckled 

 perch, weighing as high as five and one-half pounds. Last 

 season two friends and myself fished in this lake constantly 

 and our largest catch on a two days' fish, using Skinner's 

 fluted troll and cut bait (as we could not conveniently pro- 

 cure minnows) was two hundred and sixty pounds of game 

 fish. This, I think, your readers will admit to be a splendid 

 catch, considering we did not have live minnows. 1 have 

 not been able to visit the lake this season, owing to trie ex- 

 treme high water, but am making arrangements to go at the 

 earliest possible moment. Have heard of some very fine 

 catches made this year, the parties reported black bass 

 plentiful and biting well. We will let you hear from our 

 party when we return, for we certainly expect to make a 

 large catch. — J. S, K. 



Missisqtjoi Marshes,— Highgate, Vt., June 2. — The 

 wiiter returned Saturday from a trouting expedition in the 

 Megantic country. The cold weather and nigh water some- 

 what interfered with our sport, though our knowledge of the 

 ground enabled us to make a fair catch of S. fontmalk, 

 which opened the eyes of the natives. Mr. Parker Leach, 

 of this town, and Messrs. Louis Cabot and Harry Dutton,' of 

 Boston, have leased the Bullard marsh, which lies on the 

 south side of the mouth of Missisquoi River in this town. 

 This gives the club complete control of the Missisquoi 

 marshes, and they intend to protect these grounds during 

 the close season. Our thoroughly-determined fish warden, 

 Mr. F. H. Atherton, of Waterbury, Vt., up to May 10 had 

 seized in this vicinily nine trap nets, three fyke nets and 

 seven seines, and has succeeded in breaking the backbone of 

 the gang of outlaws who have been infesting our waters. 

 His task has not been an easy one, but his indomitable cour- 

 age has given him victory in every encounter with these fish 

 pirates, and he will pursue his work until he has completely 

 cleared out and stopped this illegal fishing, and I trust that 

 the sportsmen of this State will, in a suitable mauner, give 

 a public recognition of his services at an early date. — Stan- 

 stead. 



Sport in California. — San Buenaventura, Cal., May 24. 

 — Our sportsmen are all turning their attention to fishing 

 now. We have good fishing in the ocean, but few indulge 

 in it. The Ventura River, just at the edge of the town, is a 

 fine trout stream, and many an angler has wended his way 

 toward its source and returned with a fine basket. As a 

 matter of course, we have a few trout hogs here, One of 

 them caught nearly 300 in one day. The Santa Clara. 

 Sespe and Piru rivers, or creeks, in this vicinity also, con- 

 tain plenty of trout, especially the Ses/e (pronounced Ses'- 

 pee). No very large trout have been caught, most of them 

 averaging from six to ten inches. Our deer killing season 

 opens in July, I believe. We have an abundance of them 

 in some places. I know of a place within two or three 

 miles of this place where I can get one or more almost any 

 day, and will as soon as the season opens. But for all that 

 they arc not as "thick as hops" about here. — Typo. 



Mosquito and Black Fly. — We have heard many com- 

 mendations of the "black fly cream" prepared by A. S. 

 Hinds, Portland, Me., as an effective insect repellent. The 

 cream is advertised elsewhere. 



Mr. Hoagland will Welcome You. — In response to the 

 inquiry of a correspondent we print the following from the 

 New York Sun in reference to the Pequest. a stream which 

 traverses the picturesque valley of the same name, in the 

 county of Warren, New Jeisev : ' 'For manv years this stream 

 has been the favorite resort of a few fishermen, who have 

 Secretly known it as oik: of the best troutstreams in America. 

 The hospitality of the good old farmers along the stream, 

 with but few, if any, exeeptions, is proverbial. They seem 

 to try to outvie each other in their efforts to make the sports- 

 man happy while he is among them. The stream, as it 

 passes through the property of Mi-. Theodore Hoagland, 

 located about midway in the best fishing ground is simply 

 alive with trout of unusually large size. Two gentlemen are 

 said to have taken 289 trout in one and a half days' fishing 

 this spring, the smallest weighing eleven ounces and the 

 largest three and a quarter pounds. The trout here, seem to 

 be almost inexhaustible, owing to the many large springs 

 which empty themselves into the main stream just at this 

 point, thus affording an excellent feeding ground. Mr. 

 Hoagland is a wealthy, intelligent, amiable and hospitable 

 farmer, with a jolly red face, indicative that he is at peace 

 with himself and all mankind. Having comparatively re- 

 tired from active farm duties, he loves to devote his atten- 

 tion to the sportsman. He watches the stream for hours in 

 the hope of seeing an angler enter his grounds, for his most 

 exciting amusement is to observe an artistic fisherman cast 

 his fly, and he lends excitement to the sport by his demon- 

 strative actions wheu the artist succeeds in hooking a large 

 fish. Mr. H. is rather old to fish himself, but he entertains, 

 right royally, and expresses himself as being only to happy 

 wheu a real jolly sportsman favors him with a visit. Prob- 

 ably the best and pleasantest way to reach this stream is by 

 the way of Hackettstown. I have no doubt that the propri- 

 etor of the American Hotel will be pleased to aive the neces- 

 sary details. The ride over the mountain is very invigorat- 

 ing, and the view simply superb." 



The Maine Lakes.— Farming-ton, Me. . June 2.— I send 

 you copy of Phillips P/ionograph, with an item of one day's 

 catch of trout in Oquossoc Lake: "Mr, Barry, a guest of 

 Mr. Tuttle, at Lake Point cottage, brought iu a beautiful 

 specimen weighing 8 pounds and a fraction ; Frank Bacon, 

 a young novice, captured a plump 8 pounder; E. H. Samp- 

 son, Esq., of Boston, brought one to his net that scored 7^- 

 pounds; H. M. Whitney, of Boston, after a desperate strug- 

 gle landed a 7-pounder, and Col. Rockwell, also from the 

 'Hub,' killed one of full 5 pounds weight. Besides these 

 monster specimens a large number of lesser weight were 

 brought iu and served at the table in Kimball's best style. 

 Within a few days there have been taken from the little 

 steamboat wharf in front of the house one trout of 6 pounds, 

 one of 5 pounds, one of 3& pounds, and several of minor 

 weight, This is a record of which our visiting sportsmen 

 are justly proud." Oquossoc is the most accessible of the 

 Rangeley Lakes, being only two hours' carriage drive from 

 the end of the Sand River Railroad. A line of steamers 

 connects with the other five lakes that comprise the chain. 

 I think the best fishing is to be found on the second lake, 

 Mooselucmeguntic. A gentleman told me on my down 

 train this morning that he caught, the last day he fished 

 (which was Saturday, May 81), three brook' trout that 

 weighed 17 pounds, being of 8, and 3 pounds.— F. N. B. 



Trout and Water Snakes. — Elmira, N. Y., June 7. — I 

 noticed in Forest and Stream of June 5 au account of 

 "A. H. G.'s" experience with water snakes and trout. Five 

 or six years since, on Tim Gray's Run, a tributary of the 

 Lycoming, near Ralston, Pa., I was fishing down stream one 

 afternoon, and had nearly reached the mouth of the stream. 

 I cautiously approached a favorite pool, which was perhaps 

 thirty feet across and four feet deep at the center, and began 

 casting at the outer edge, gradually working toward the 

 middle. I was surprised that 1 did not have a rise, as I 

 alway? expected to capture eight or ten fine ones there. I 

 was about leaving when I had a rise from a small trout at 

 the further side of the pool. I cast four or five times at the 

 same place, getting a rise each time, as 1 supposed, from the 

 same trout, and at last fastened to him. But how hard he 

 pulled for a small trout! As I drew him near I found a 

 water snake over two feet long, fastened at about the middle 

 of a six-inch trout. I drew" them across the pool and as 

 much as a yard on the sand before the snake let loose, when 

 it made for the water before I could kill it. The marks of 

 the teeth were plainly seen on the trout. I don't say the 

 trout looked gratefully toward me as I tossed it back into the 

 water, but no doubt" it felt so. Now, tell me if you can, 

 why did that trout try so persistently to take my fly?— W. 

 M. S. 



Eagle River.— Milwaukee, Wis., June 3. — Included in a 

 party of three who were in camp at Eagle River, and who in 

 ten hours landed twenty-eight muskallonge, the aggregate 

 weight of which was 415 pounds, was Fred Taylor, the well- 

 known Chicago sportsman. Twelve of the scaly monsters, 

 weighing 195 pounds, were captured by Mr. Taylor, who 

 took them to Chicago and for two days had them on ex- 

 hibition in front of his place of business, nicely packed in 

 ice. During the time they were so exhibited it required the 

 attendance of two policemen to keep a passageway open on 

 the sidewalk, so great was the crowd attracted by the mus- 

 kallonge. A placard announced from whence they came, 

 on theXake Shore road, and it is noticeable that inquiries 

 from Chicago made to the Lake Shore's passenger depart- 

 ment, regarding rates, desirable fishing grounds, facilities 

 for supplies, etc., have materially increased in number since 

 Mr-. Taylor's free exhibition. 



The African Pompano.— In a late number of Forest 

 and Stream is a note on the so called "African pompano," 

 of our Florida coast, to which I may be able to add some- 

 thing. This large pompano, which is rather common in 

 Southern Florida and Cuba, is not an overgrown form of the 

 common pompano, but a distinct species;' nor, so far as we 

 kuow, has it anything to do with Africa or with the African 

 cdi/M gorePiisi-H, with which Dr. Giinther, and after 

 him several Arnerieau writers have confounded it. Its right 

 name seems to be Trachynotus fhadoptls. It is known in 

 Cuba as "palometa," which means dove, and in Florida as 

 • 'permit, " which is a corruption of palometa. There are four 

 species of pompano known on our southern coasts and in 

 the West Indies. (1.) Trachynotu* caroUnus, the true pom- 

 pano; (2.) Tiochyuotv.s rnodepua, the big pompano or permit; 

 (S.) Inxdu/iuAui r/iombokkti, the round pompano; (4 ) Tra- 

 chynolua ylaucus.. the gafftopsail or banner pompano.— 

 David S. Jordan. 



