SE 
a 
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FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Aue. 7, 1884. 
how to do it, how they have done it repeatedly, There are 
numerous establishments in this country that manufacture 
saws and planes and other tools for the carpenter; yet had 
we a job of nice paneling or other work to accomplish, we 
would employ the skilled carpenter and joiner to doit. It 
would be somewhat out of the line of business for the manu- 
facturer of the tools used to instruct the workman. 
Not content with a diversity of instruction advising two, 
three, and I know not how many wads between powder end 
shot; the last outgiving, directed seemingly to the owners of 
full-choke guns, is to divide the charge of shot by partitions 
of wads; this, they tell you is to insure distribution; other- 
wise the whole charge might ball up and go in a body, as it 
were. The plain inference to be drawn from this is that you 
have a gun that shoots so close that in short-range shooting 
and at game that is easily knocked over it is absolutely ne- 
cessary to make the gun scatter. Like Proctor Knoit's 
“model statesman,” this is the “model gun” that we have 
all eard about from time immemorial—put the whole 
charge in the crown of your hat at a hundred yards, you 
know. It isthe old standard lie that the sporting world has 
been struggling with for years. Modern refinement simply 
steps in to give it a new garb, 
Then, we have ‘‘two-eyed shooting.” LIinfer from the 
tenor of the articles on this subject that every one who pre- 
sumes to close one eye in the act of aiming his piece at the 
game, is an antiquated fogy, an old-school sportsman and 
all that, True, you are doing exactly what the vast majority 
of your companions are doing, and always have done; but 
then. we are told, we are using but half the power with 
which nature has endowed us. Indeed! Do we not use 
both eyes in discovering our game and watching its flight or 
movement, and in calculating with critical nicety the 
proper moment to put ina shot? The gun is placed to the 
shoulder, an instantaneous sight taken, and before you can 
recover the arm both eyes are in full play to discover the 
effect of the shot. 
Akin to this we have cross firing or shooting from the left 
shoulder. The majority of folks look upon left-handed 
people as laboring under a disadvantage, Left-handed people 
there are and those too who are ambidextrous, but the 
meagre few who are such, either through some freak of 
nature or acquired habit, can scarcely claim an advantage 
over the rest of the world. 
Next we have a set of double-triggered, electric flash, 
sharp set of fellows, who pull trigger while in the act of 
bringing the gun to the shoulder—to save time, you know. 
Ltake it that this Instruction was for those who used the 
outside hammer guns. The hammerless is said to be so 
much quicker in its action that I fear those pupils who have 
learned the knack of quick trigger pulling will have if all to 
uolearn. The advocate of this snap shooting gets ahead of 
"Prank Forrester.” Frank tells his pupils to blaze away 
ten feet or ten yards ahead of the quarry, according to its 
speed of flight or movement, etc. As well blaze away ten 
miles ahead, so far as chances of obtaining the game is con- 
cerned, BAckKwoops. 
PENNSYLVANIA GAME. 
§ notices of the prospects for next autumn shooting are 
the order of the day, I will inform your readers that 
I jook for a more than usual share of sport at the opening of 
the season. 
Quail and rabbits are plenty, especially the latter. When 
out in the evenings, training my beagles, they seldom fail to 
start from four to six in Jess than an hour, very near our 
town. Right here allow me to say a word of praise for my 
imported beagle Minstrel; he is one of the best trained dogs 
Tever followed, possessing the best of trailing powers, sure 
and reliable, and an indefatigable hunter. I expect some 
rare sport with the beagles after November 1, and hope to 
give you an account of a rabbit hunt with beagles some time 
next fall. Squirrels are reported numerous, and I shall, 
with the aid of my new Baker, try to get myshare of them, 
Very few snipe were seen or shot here this season, and their 
familiar “‘scaipe” and erratic flight will soon be among ‘‘the 
things that were” in this vicinty. The writer has at last, 
after considerable hard work, succeeded in interesting a sufli- 
cient number of our sportsmen in the organization of a gun 
club. A meeting will be held this week, when the necessary 
committees will be appointed to draw up a constitution and 
by-laws, efc., ete., and officers elected. Although among 
the members there are some fine field shots, yet [ think that 
our first seore at the trap will be remarkable for its numer- 
ous foose-eges. A, C. KRUEGER. 
WRIGHTSVILLE, Pa., July 30. 
He Amep aT tor Hwavs.—Hditor Horest and Stream: 
Having been used to 4 gut all my life, I have, as all other 
sportsmen, made some crack shots. While out squirrel 
hunting one day I saw two wild pigeons in the top of a tall 
oak tree, one sitting above the other. I crept up under the 
tree and, getting them in range, touched the trigger of my 
old rifle, and almost instantaneous with its whip-like crack 
down they came, one with the side of its head off and the 
other one shot through the neck. In another instance, some 
quail were sitting under a currant bush. I managed to get 
fhree of them in line and took the heads off two of them, 
and caught the third one low down in the neck. I also shot 
the head off of aruffed grouse on a run preparatory to taking 
its flight. I aimed to take the heads off of all the above. 
They were no chance shots.—BUCKEYE. 
Woopocock Anour Rocupster.—Rochester, N. Y,, Aug. 
4.—Woodcock shooting began here, under the law, the Ist 
inst,, and the reports from men who went out are satisfac- 
tory. It is the general belief that fellows of the baser sort 
had been shooting before the close season was over, as only 
scattered birds, and they very wild, were found on certain 
grounds where numerous broods were known to have been 
reared, Two well-known gunners brougit to market on the 
2d thirty-eight birds, another couple who drove out from 
the city returned with ninetven, and from these figures the 
record runs down to nothing. One man bagged four wood- 
cock and a snipe.—H, Rh. 
Minnesota GAmn.—Pillsbury, Minn,—Game prospects 
are excellent. Every little slough has broods of young 
ducks, now more than half grown, while coveys of pinnated 
and ruffed grouse are frequently found. Bears are reported 
more numerous and far more bold than for years past. 
Within a few days three have entered as many door yards in 
broad daylight. Owing in part, perhaps, to the absence of 
suow during the last open season, deer sign is plenty.—J. 
FRANK LOcKE, 
North Caroiiya.—Belvidere, Aug, 1,—The outlook for 
game in this section seems very favorable for next fall, Old 
quail are extremely abundant, and unless the recent heavy 
rains have seriously injured them the coveys of young ones 
will be full. Deer are generally increasing, though several 
cases of killing out of season have been reported. We have 
a State law prohibiting the killing of deer at certain times, 
though it is ‘hard lines” to some of the old-timers and not 
respected by them as it should be, After the 15th of August 
the open season begins, and I am looking forward to a week’s 
hunting in the Alligator River section, where deer and bear 
are quite plentiful,—A. F. R. 
InDIANA GAME.—Fuirland, July 80.—Woodcock have 
been fairly abundant—that is to say a bag of six to ten birds 
might be easily made in a evening’s walk by the sportsman, 
if acquainted with the habits of the bird. The dry weather 
m July concentrated them in a few favored localities. 
The prospect for quailis yery good, Many old birds are 
even left over, and the season has certainly been unusually 
favorable for hatching and rearing the young chicks. The 
Jaw, too, I think, was fairly observed in this vicinity by gun- 
ners during the close season, There may have been some 
ae g = farmers’ boys, but not to any considerable extent, 
‘WoopcocKk,”—One afternoon we were going throuch the 
woods, when we met aman who inquired what we were 
shooting. I told him that we were hunting woodcock 
When we had gotten quite a distance from whtre we 
met him J heard him calling me to come. I went back and 
inguired what he wanted. ‘“‘Come on,” he said, “here is 
one of them woodcocks.” I went up to him and asked him 
where it was. ‘‘Look on that old dead tree.” I did, and 
saw a red-headed woodpecker. 1 told him that was nota 
woodcock, but he knew better. JI then showed him a wood- 
oe aa he said that was a snipe.—G, W. B., (Washington- 
ville, O,). 
Bay Brrps at BARNEGAT.—A week spent at Barnegat 
satisfies me that the day has passed when bay bird shooting 
can be had at that point. Being there during a flight of cur- 
lews, yellowlegs and ‘‘fat- birds,” I saw that the flocks 
were passing ones and would not stop. Unfavorable winds 
direcied their course in such a direction on their southern 
journey that it was impossible to get in the line of flight 
near enough to decoy them by whistles or stools. Some few 
birds were killed, but only enough to remind one of the sea- 
sons gone by.—Homo, 
Sea and River Sishing. 
TROUT IN OREGON. 
OME again, and this is how it happened. A friend of 
mine who was making the camp-fire his home during 
the summer, thereby seeking to secure that boon we so much 
covet when once deprived of it, and which we so little prize 
when ‘tis ours—health—called upon me during the rattle and 
clatter of the ‘‘glorious Fourth,” and at my request stopped 
with me a day or two to rest himself and team. So after 
the din and noise was over, and the smell of powder from sky 
rocket, China bomb and fire cracker was gone, and we were 
quietly seated at home, after recounting tome the enjoyments 
of his trip, our conversation naturally turned to bygone 
days and sport with gun along the coast, and of our success 
among geese, mallard and canyas-backs, At length my 
friend abruptly said to me, ‘‘Fred, I never yet caught a 
trout,” Iwas astonished, as I knew him to be a good shot, 
and recalled the manner of life he was now leading, camp- 
ing on the bank of streams that were literally alive with 
these delicious beauties. But he stontly declared that trout 
would net bite his hook, though he had often tried to catch 
them both with well baited hook and tempting fly without 
success, while others had caught them al] about him. He 
said, however, that he at one time came very near capturing 
a fine prize, but just as he was about to grasp the fish it 
broke loose and bid him good-bye. 
He said: ‘I had been fishing from a log which stood in a 
splendid pool whete the water poured over a huge rock, 
making just the nicest ripples imaginable, while my wife 
was busy gathering beautiful specimens of ferns and mosses 
from the rocks along the water’s edge. 1 had cautioned her 
that she would scare the fish with her big straw hat, but she 
laughingly said, ‘There is no danger of that as the fish all 
know me. But now,’ said she, ‘instead of scaring the fish 
the shadow cast by that hat will make them think.a shower 
is coming and they will come out to feed, So look out or 
you will get a bite.” My hook had been carelessly drifting 
during this speech when, great Jerusalem! 1 had a bite. 
Away went hook and line through the water as I tugged 
stoutly at the rogue that was trying to steal the march upon 
‘me, and rob me of that choicest fly for which I had paid a 
fabulous price at a country store the day before, and in my 
excitement 1 came very near plunging into the pool head- 
long, to drive off the audacious robber, Just then! thought 
of the big hat and called Joudly to Sarah Ann to come to my 
relief with the hat as a landing net. She just laughed out- 
right at the thought. In my excitement I had clambered 
down to the water’s edge and was reaching out my band to 
take in the prize when he let go, and in the most tantalizing 
manner imaginable waving me an affectionate adieu both 
with fin and tail, departed, leaving me dejected to mourn the 
inconstancy and fickleness of all things beautiful. This was 
ny first and last bite.” 
After some further consultation, it was finally agreed that 
we should take a trip to a well-known forest stream and 
spend a few days capturing these coy denizens of the ripple. 
This being settled to the satisfaction of all, we retired to rest, 
After a day spent in getting things in readiness for the 
trip, July 8 found our company—consisting of Ed. H., Mrs. 
H., your correspondent and Mrs. C.—nicely robed in camp- 
ing attire, with all the paraphernalia for a fishing excursion, 
rolling along over one of the finest roads to be found in any 
country, past fields of waving grain just turning to yellow, 
past farmers busy hay-making, the perfume of the curing 
grass mingling with the ever balmy air of Oregon, making 
the ride enjoyable beyond description. Our destination was 
the McKenzie River, or the north fork of the farfamed Wil- 
lamette, an almost ice-cold stream that has its origin in the 
Cascade range of mountains and flows out from the ice 
glaciers at the foot of the Twin S.ster, whose lofty peaks, 
clothed in the white of eternal snows, stand forth in bold 
relief against the blue sky directly ahead, distant about sixty 
miles and in plain view. ‘The day was glorious, clear as a! 
bell and balmy as the ‘‘Spicy Isles.” At 12:80 we reach the 
river bank and halt for Junch. 
While Ed. cares for the horses and builds the fire, I hastily 
adjust my rod and line, and with a single brown hackle 
attached to the leader, staited for the stream. I had made 
but few casts at the head of a fine ripple, when 4 splash, a 
sirike, and the war begins, but the combat was unequal, and 
after a shurt fight a fine trout lies at the bottom of the creel. 
Two more soon follow, which are handed over to Mrs. C., 
and in half an hour we sat down to a meal fit for a prince, 
the three fish being sufficient to satisfy a good appetite after 
our morning’s ride. The McKenzie trout aycrage large and 
are very fine; they are the rainbow, or as we call them, the 
“red side” species, and are truly delicious, and I know what 
I am talking about, having caught the brook trout of the 
Atlantic States from many waters. This species caught in 
the Willamette are not so good, being softer and coarser 
grained. 
“All aboard,” and away we go up the river; now through 
bottom land in places quite rough. At 3 P. M. we cross the 
river on a ferry, and again halt to catch a few fish for 
supper, as we shall go into camp about thre miles above. A 
short walk up stream brings us to a nice gravel reach, alon 
which are rapids and pools, making excellent fishing oth 
Assisting Ed. to udjust his rod, reel and line, aud giving 
him some instructious about casting, ete., 1 turn my atten- 
tion to getting my tackle ready for work, when an exclama- 
tion from Ed. calls my attention to him, and, lo! he has a 
fine trout hooked, which he succeeds in landing in good 
shape. Then comes a lusty hurrah for the first trout, which, 
by the way, was not the last, as he soon became quite an -_ 
expert fisherman, After catching plenty for our use, we 
return to the Wagon to find that the ladies have not been 
idle, but have gathered a nice lot of black raspberries, which 
grow wild here in abundance, and with the prospect of a 
feast, we start for our camp ground, 
The next. two days we fished from a boat with fair suc- 
cess, Our dinners are just superb; trout nicely biowned, 
fat and crisp, California quail broiled, the results of rod and 
gun, and not the least among our delicacies are berries fresh 
from the hillside, gathered by fair hands, _ 
Thus time flies swiftly, and ihe moment has arrived for 
our departure and return home, With reluctance we 
bid farewell to the old camp ground and return to the plain 
realities of every-day life. How sweet have been the mo- 
ments spent here, and how we shall treasure them in mem- 
ory. 
Before closing this sketch Jet me relate an occurrence that 
will go to settle a question much discussed in Forms AND 
STREAM some time ago, to wit; how a trout takes a fly; 
whether he takes it directly with the mouth, or whether he 
dashes the fly into his mouth with his tail, While fishing 
from the boat a fine Jarge fish made a rush for the fly and 
missed it, At the next cast he made a desperate plunge 
and away went the line at almost lightning speeed, 
fifty, seventy-five, eighty feet of lime, out before 
his speed could in the least be checked, and I began to think 
that fish, boat and all, were bound for salt water to be food 
for sharks and whales, when lo! he changed his course and 
came for the boat as though he expected to sink it, but veer- 
ing to the mght, started for the ice slaciers with a determina- 
tion that seemed unconquerable. So the battle raged for 
some time, and 1 cannot tell what the result might have 
been had not a lucky dip with the landing net captured the 
valiant warrior as he passed near the boat, And now behold, 
the whole thing was made plain and the vexed question 
decided, for the hook was fast in the flesh just above the 
tail fin, showing conclusively that the mode of taking the 
fly was by striking with the tail, but in this case he struck 
above the mark in bis impetuous haste, and therefore took 
the fly at the wrong end, I claim the honor of settling this 
problem. 
The trout of the McKenzie, as I before intimated, are 
superior to any I have taken on the Pacitic slope, the water 
being so pure and cold and the amount of food so abundant 
they are always in the finest condition, fat and solid In 
the summer, when there is no surface water running into the 
river, its waters become so perfectly clear that a ten-cent 
piece would be plainly visible at a depth of over thirty feet, 
where there is no rippling of the surface. There are no 
muddy banks, and the bed of the stream is composed of loose 
rocks, from the size of the huge boulder to the small smooth- 
washed pebble. The stream is very rapid, and in places 
rushes over these rock barriers with an almost"deafening 
roar. One cannot force.a boat up over these rapids, and it 
is hardly safe to descend them except by the most expert 
boatman. : ; 
After you pass up the stream, about twenty miles from its 
mouth, the valley becomes narrow aud rocky and hemmed 
in by lofty mountain ranges, covered chiefly with cedar and 
fir down to the water's edge. Deer are very abundant in 
these forests, This valley is really the hunter’s paradise, 
The trout of the McKenzie are the gamiest fish I ever drew 
aline upon; they make some of the wildest dashes when 
hooked, vaulting several feet into the air, then going fo the 
bottom, usually making several of these desperate plunges 
before leading off, and then fight long and well, aud will 
average from one-half pound to one and 4 half pounds, and 
sometimes reach two and two and a half pounds weight, 
and are truly a fine and gamy fish. F. W, A. ©. 
Event Crry, Oregon. 
WHY NOT THE WORM? 
Hditor Forest and Stream. Ee 5 
‘Kingfisher’s” letters are exceedingly interesting, giving a. 
natural account of camp life and fishing and traveling 
experience, 1 read them about the first thing when the 
ForEST AND STREAM comes to Land, and agree with bim in 
his views, especially on the cold water question; of course 
it don’t make any difference whether 1 do or not. Butt 
must say 1 think he strains things considerably in_his last 
letter when he speaks of the utterly ridiculous idea of bait- 
ing for bass with ““wums.” He puts on a minnow or fog 
and drops his bait into the water. The other fellow puts on 
a worm or wornis; and likewise drops in. 
Now, if “Kingfisher” hooks a bass (which he didn’t) like 
the other fellow, it is to be supposed that K.’s bass, knowing 
that he has been properly baited for and that it is incumbent, 
on him to make things hot, immediately opens the show. 
The line cuts the water with a ziz-z-z—the bass makes for 
the weeds—the tough and pliant little 8-oz. bends to the last 
second of endurance—the neryes are strung—the bass 
yields—here he comes—look out—turn the boat—there he goes 
—sec him jump, shake his head, show his teeth—down he 
goes—give him line—sings the reel —back he comes—look out 
for slack—under the boat—give him butt—over and over— 
Lud 
