188 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Ocr. 2, 1884, 
Weybridge, the water being twenty feet deep and as clear as 
glass, I did notso much as touch a barbel, but took with 
my single rod three magnificent carp, weighing respectively, 
8, 5, and 4 pounds; ten eels, nine large perch, and one 
bream; the carp gaye quite as much play as trout. These 
were all taken with the lob-worm, using chopped worms for 
ground-bait, 
Barr anp Rops.—'‘As a general rule, the red worm will 
be found the most killing bait, but they will at times prefer 
a well-scoured marsh-worm or lob. The majority of roach 
baits are also used for carp. Use a light stiff rod with fine 
running tackle and a light float, ascertaining the depth, if 
possible, the day before, when ground bailing, as recom- 
mended in the preceding chapter, so as to keep out of si@ht 
when you commence fishing, and disturb the water as little 
as you can. Throw in a few chopped worms occasionally 
while angling, fish on the botiom, and if in a stream strike 
immediately there is a bite: but if in still water, or a pond, 
wait a second or tio, till the float goes steadily under, and 
then strike gently, as carp do not take the bait so quickly in 
dead water as in a stream, where, unless it is taken directly, 
it is carried away by the current and is gone. 
Puayine.—‘‘When you have booked a good fish use him 
gently and patiently, giving him line, winding in and letting 
out, till he is exhausted, He is an exceedingly strong and 
artful fish, and will try every possible means to get around a 
post or stump, or into the weeds, so as to break the line.” 
Kerp Qvuimr:—"The grand secret in carp fishing is to 
Keep quiet and fish fine. Some anglers expatiate on the 
great merits of boiled green peas and pieces of cherries as 
very taking baits. One writer advises a worm and gentle to 
be used on the hook at the same time, so as to offer the carp 
a choice of baits; probubly, had he suggested that a preen 
pea and a cherry be first placed on the hook, it might have 
been better still; the carp could then haye taken yegetables 
with his dinner and dessert to follow. 
To CarcH Prusstan Canp.—‘There is another species of 
this fish, termed the Prussian carp, which seldom reaches a 
pound in weight; in shape and color it is similar to the 
ordinary carp, partaking very much of the nature of the 
goldfish and silver-fish, anil like them may be kept, when 
small, ina globe. They ure easily caught in ponds during the 
summer months witha small red or blood worm; fish very 
fine, with a No. 10 book and a very small quill tioat: It is 
essential that the bait should cover the cutire hook and look 
fresh and tempting. Fish two or three inches from the 
bottom:’”—[From the Modern Angler, London, 1883. ] 
A GAME Fise.—‘‘Carp are in season through March and 
Apvil, and therefore I have advocated the increase of them 
in the Thames, as they would afford good sport when the 
ordinary Thames fish are out ot condition. 
How Taxen,—'‘'To fish for carp the angler requires to be 
very quiet and unobtrusive, particularly when they are in 
ponds. Carp grub for their bait along the bottom, and if 
the angler keeps quiet and out of sight le may often see 
- them ywithin reach of his rod, rooting along the quiet and 
shallow water, with their tails or back fins above water. I 
have often taken them when thus occupied by softly casting 
my flout and tackle out a yard or two ahvad of them, in the 
direction they were traveling, and allowing the bait to lie on 
the botiom, when I have frequently managed to capture the 
rover, Carp will take both worms and gentles well at times, 
but farinaceous baits are more in fayor with the car} fisher- 
men of the present day; for it there happens to be a lot of 
small roach, perch, or eels in the same pond, as there too 
often is, these will, if worms or gentles be used for ground 
bait, hasten to the spot and eat wp most of it before the carp 
can find it out; and, added to this, when jou begin to fish 
the first miserable little eel or perch you take will drive 
many of the best carp away; and after you have taken two 
or three, there will liardly be a carp left, 
Barrs.—‘‘Carp will take a variety of baits, as worms, 
gentles, wasp grubs, plain and sweet paste, boiled green 
peas, and potatoes. ‘The last is the best bait that can be 
used, particularly with big carp; it should be about three 
parts, or rather more, boiled—rather a waxy sort being 
chosen—and the best way of bailing with il is to use a small 
triangle on a single thread of gut, with small loop to the 
other end of it, baying a good big loop in the line to Joop it 
to. Then take a baiting needle, and, bitching it to the loop 
of the triangle, draw the gut through the middle of the 
potato and pull the triangle up so as just to bury the hook 
points in the potato. Then cut the potato round with a knife 
neatly till it is about the size of a good-sized gooseberry, and 
loop it on to the line, the big loop allowing the bait und all 
to pass through easily. The best way of fishing this bait is 
with a very light ledger, a small pistol] bullet being quite 
heavy enough. The gut should be rather fine, but strong 
and sound, as a big carp isa doughty antagonist, and his 
first rush is not to be sneezed at. 1 have been broken in it 
many atime when 1 have been at all in difficulties; and 
carp, as they often run up to ten pounds or twelve pounds 
weight, and even larger, and have very powerful fins, want 
careful managing at first. They are, too, pretty cunning, 
and will run you into 4 mass of weeds if they can, 
DisrecarD Nipsies.—‘‘Never strike while a carp only 
nibbles. Wait till he drays the float steadily under, and 
appears to be going away with it; when, seeing all clear and 
in order about the line and reel for a rush, you may hit him 
smnartly, and if he is a hig one ‘‘look out for squalls;” as his 
mouth is very tough and leathery, you may play him firmly. 
Get him away as soon as possible from your pitch, so as not 
to frighten tle rest, and land him as far from the pitch as 
you can. Then come back to the pitch, quietly throw in a 
handful or two of ground-bait, and follow up with the hook 
as before, and probably in ten minutes, or a quarter of an 
hour, if the fish are well on, you may see your rush-tfloat 
- ‘nigelenigeling” again. The best ground bait, of course, 
for this work is boiled potato, 
Have Sevpray ‘‘Srors’.—“‘If fishing a pond, always 
bait two, and even three, spots if you can; so that when the 
fish are rather alarmed at one, you cup rest it and go to 
another, casting in a few handfuls of bait berore you leave, 
to draw them back again. Aways fish from the shore, too, 
if you can, as carp are shy of a boat, and any motion of the 
water easily alarms them, In fishing with the ledger ina 
stream you would discard the float, and fish as for barbel, 
by the feel. In whis case, when you feel a nibble, you must 
yield some inches of line and wail for the tug that announces 
the bite. This is held to be, by experienced carp fishers, the 
best and mosté killing method of carp fishing, particularly 
for big fish. ‘The great thing is to let the bait and line rest 
on the bottom for a foot or two. In this way the carp sees 
neither the line nor the book, as he cannot fail to do if he is 
curious in float fishing when the depth is exactly plumbed 
and the bait only just touches the bottom. 
Orr Barts —*‘l have heard a haricot beau, or cven a 
small broad bean, well boiled, spoken of as capital bait, but 
I never tried it. It seems, however, a very likely bait. I 
have no doubt, too, that a lump of pearl barley, such as we 
use for roach, would be & good bait, using half a dozen 
corns; and it would be a nice bait to ground-bait with, 
Froars, &c,—‘‘In float-fishing use as light a float as you 
ean, aud have the shots or sinker as far from the hook as 
you conyeniently can; and here, too, if you can do it, I 
always find that if four inches or five inches of the hook-cut 
rests on the bottom it pays best. A worm or other bait only 
just touching the boltom, with a row of shot ‘six inches or 
eight inches above it, is very likely to challenge the attention 
cf the carp, who at once sees something he is not accustomed 
fo, and becomes suspicious. To show how different it is 
when the line rests on the bottom, 1 once took a 7-pound 
carp on an eel line with a coarse string suood and worm 
bait. Carp always nibble a good deal at the bait before 
they tale it, and will often nibble off the tail of the worm, 
or suck off your paste and leave the hook showing without 
taking the hook at all, Jn using paste I prefer sweet paste, 
made up with honey or brown sugar, to plain, and I have 
heard of paste made of pound cake being greatly aifected 
by the carp, Poor old Bill Kemp, now with the majority, 
a capital old carp fisher at Teddington, used to put on a 
lump of this as big as a large gooseberry, and fish it with 
ledger tackle, and he used to tuke a greaf many fine carp.” 
—|From ‘‘Angling,” by Francis Francis, London, 1883, 
p. 48. ] 
“Professor Owen, who is a great adept in the art of carp 
fishing in ponds, has been kind enough to give me the result 
of his experience. Wis practice may be formulated thus: 
“1, The summer months are the only time of the year for 
carp fishing, and the best period of the day is between 
sunrise and about 7 o’clock, after which time they usually 
leave off biting. 
“2. The best bait is a brandling. 
“3. He has, however, found the following paste a by no 
means bad substitute; soft herring roe worked up with bread 
crumbs and wool, 
“4, He uses the ordinary bottom fishing tackle with a 
light float, and fishes about half a foot off the bottom. 
‘My own experience concurs almost entirely with that of 
Professor Owen, except as regards paste and bait, with 
which I neyer had any sport. 1 used formerly to use a 
plain bread crumb paste, but later experience has convinced 
me that if was a mistake, and that a well scoured brandling 
is the best bait both for carp and teneh all the year round. 
“Tn open waters, however, 1 employ it in a somewhat 
different way to that adopted by Professor Owen, placing 
the shot at about two feet from the bait and allowing the 
latter to rest, with about six inches of the line, on the bottom, 
The hook for this purpose should be a No. 7, and the 
collar of fine round picked gut, stained. The float should 
be a light porcupine quill, and it will commonly be found 
expedient to use a reel, as the carp is remarkably powerful, 
and without this precaution the tirst rush of a heavy fish is 
very likely to carry away the tackle. A few broken worms, 
thrown in from time to time, are the best ground bait; or 
whole worms, if the place is to be bailed beforehand, in 
which case the depth should also be very accurately plumbed, 
so as to ayoid any disturbance in the water when the angler 
comes to fish. Having thrown in the bait, it is the best 
plan to Jay down the rod until there is a bite, and not to 
strike until the float goes under or—the more common result 
—moves steadily away, 
“Tn very weedy places this mode of fishing is not practic- 
able, and then the best plan is to fish about mid-water, 
dropping the bait noiselessly in wherever a tempting looking 
opening in the weeds presents ilself.”—[From the ‘Modern 
Practical Angler,” by Cholmondely-Pennell. | 
WINNERS AT PREVIOUS TOURNAMENTS 
VW E give below the record of winners at the tournaments 
of the Rod and Reel Association: 
LIGHT ROD CONTESTS, 1882, 
Class A, Rods to be 51f0z. or less—H. W. Hawes, rod 44g0z,, 
distance S2ft. 
Class B, Rods not to exceed 4440z.—H. W. Hawes, rod 4140z., 
distance 78rt. 
B. F. NICHOLS CONTEST, 1882. 
All contestants to use the same rod, 10ft. 614g0z.—H. W. 
Hayes, distance 71ft. 
SINGLE-HANDED FLY-CASTING, AMATEUR. 
Class A, 1882—H. W. Hawes, rod 11.6ft., 9840z., Sift, (BR. C, 
Leonard cast 85tt. but failed on delicacy and accuracy). 
Class A, 1883—H, C, Thorne, rod 11.6ft., 8)40z., S0ft. 
Class B, 1882—R. C, Leouard, rod 11.6ft,, 100z., 851b, 
Class B, 1883—W_- E. Hendrix, rod 1].6ft., 100z., T8!t. 
Class C, 1888—Thomas Prichard, rod 10ft,, 44goz., SOft. Sin, 
SINGLE-HANDED FLY-CASTING, EXPERT. 
Class C, 1882—Harry Prichard, rod 10,44¢ft., 8o0z., 91ft. 
Class D, 1888—H. W. Hawes, rod 10.3fb., 43g02., 85%. 
Class H, 1888—R, C. Leonard, rod 11.6ft., 120z., S7it. 
SALMON CASTING. 
1882, open to all—H, W. Hawes, rod 20ft., cast 11Gft. 
1883, amateur—Ira Wood, rod 18.3ft., cast 95ft. 
1883, expert—R. C. Leonard, rod 18it., 2ibs. 120z., cast 124tt. 
STRIPED BASS CASTING (LIGHT), 
1882—J. E. Williamson, 2 casts, score 33 3-5, 
1883—H. W. Haves, 4 casts, score 100 45, 
STRIPED BASS CASTING (HEAVY). 
1882—J. A. Roosevelt, 4 casts, score 127 1-5. 
18s83—J, A. Roosevelt, 5 casts, score 157 2-5. 
ST. JOHNS BASS 
Editor Forest and Streams: 
As large scores seem 10 be the order of the day, Iam not 
disposed to have the fishermen who resort to the lower por- 
tion of the St, Julms River take a back seat, On Saturday 
last (Sept, 20) my friends H. M. Pryer and W. Castell fished 
at the White Shells, near Mayport, for one hour, on the bigh 
water slack, and landed eighteen channel bass averaging 28 
ponnds, aggregate weight 504 pounds, The result was not 
a fair test, for C, was recovering from a febrile attack and 
had not strength enough to play or handle a fish, P. being 
compelled to land and release the fish hooked by C. This 
was C.’s first experience in bass fishing, and owing to the 
duties imposed on P., he only hooked six ont ¢f the eigh- 
teen, Both P. and C. hooked braces; one of P.’s escaped, 
but C.’s were landed and weighed 70 pounds, From geores 
furnished, you will agree with me that the St, Johns River 
possesess unrivalled fishing attravtions for at least five months 
out of the twelve. AL PRESco. 
JACKSONVILLE, Sept. 23, 1864. 
FISHING. 
Or Course He Wiin.—The editor of the Germantown 
Telegraph has found out that a boy will dig over a square 
rod of garden ground for fish bait, and yet he could not be 
hired to work on a six-foot onion bed. 
LarcE Buack Bass.—Glens Falls, N. Y., Sept. 22,—An 
hour ago Mr, Cleyeland, a member of the Texas Club, sent 
me word to come to the hotel to see a large small-mouthed 
black bass taken from Long Pond that he had just purchased. 
Il went at ounce to the Rockwell House, where the fish was 
on exhibition. I weighed it, as did many others, and found 
it weighed plump 84 pounds, seventeen hours, alter itt was 
caught. Major Botts, also of our club, made the following 
measurements: Length 224 inches, sirth 184 inches, The 
length was from uose to fork in tail, for the purpose of com- 
parison with bass taken from the same pond and measuréd 
in same manner, The length from nose to joining of caudal 
I found to be 20 inches, The bass was caught by police 
officer Edward Reed, John Dibney and John Watson, all of 
this place, Mr. Dibney being the man who hooked the fish. 
The bait was a frog of medium size. 
fish to Mr. Blackford this evening, for it wiil be the largest 
smallmouth bass ever sent to New York, exceeding the 
published weight of the Ronkonkoma Lake bass by $ of a 
pound. Long Pond, or Glen Lake, is the water from whence 
Mr. Seelve recently caught the small-mouthed bass that 
weighed 114 pounds. Itis a pity that his fish was notshown 
as publicly as this 84-pounds fish has been.—A. N. Cxpyny, 
|On Friday morning we saw this fish at Mr. Blackford’s, at 
Fulton Market, and itwas a genuine smallmouth and a 
beauty. Jt will go to the Smithsonian, | 
Fisnryeg At BARNEGAT,—During the season of 1888. the 
situation of an old wreck, at no time visible above the water, 
was made plam to all who wished to fish around its timbers 
by a buoy anchored directly in the channel] of Barnegat Bay, 
about a mile from the inlet. At any time the best of fishing 
could be had at this spot. Sheepshead, blackfish, sea bass 
and flounders resorted to the pile of honeycombed and worm- 
eaten timbers, and amateurs, directed by the buoy, dispensed 
with the services of the bayman and fished solws. ‘This year 
the cute professional, missing his $2.50 per day, has liber- 
ated the buoy, and there remains no beacon to direct the 
economical city fisherman. For those who visit Barnegat 
Bay this season it would be advisable to haye this old wreck 
located by some one who knows. Old Cale Parker can do 
it if he wants to, and he will if he ‘‘gets wages.” No better 
fishing ground than this old wreck can be found in Barnegat 
Bay, but being nearer to the beach (not a hundred yards) 
than to the main land, it would be better to take up quarters 
at Barnegat City than at the village. I will warrant that 
during the coming week, providing it is not too stormy, an 
immense catch can be made there.—Homo. 
Wuo Is Hn? The New York Sun says: ‘A prominent 
member of the Rod and Reel Association, whose name is 
withheld from motives of pure charity, went fishing the 
other day. He caught nothing, and started home with a 
heavy heart. He dreaded the jeers of his friends, and es- 
pecially the gentle taps of his better half; but, reeollecting 
the power of wealth, he proceeded straight to Fulton Market, 
where he purchased a large bass, which he carried home in 
triumph. Next day that bass appeared agninst him at table. 
It was high, very high. The evidence was overwhelming. 
The puilty angler looked at his wife just as a eriininal looks 
at the Judge that is about to pass sentence upon him. With 
a queenly air she motioned to a waitcr and wayed the yeneta- 
ble fish out of sight. Then the culprit received his sentence. 
It was as follows: ‘My dear, when you go fishing again I 
would advise you to examine your fish before you catch it.” 
Two of A Kinp AND A Furn Hanp,—I had hoped to 
join **Wawayanda” and ‘Truthful James” at the “Elysium 
of perennial bass,” but couldn’t doit. I did stop a day or 
two at Detroit Lake, Mimn., and had a little fishing, con- 
spicuous among which was killing two black bass (big- 
mouth), one weighing 43, the other 4% pounds, at one strike, 
on an eight-ounce lancewood rod of my own make, This 
‘Jake park” revion of Minuesota is ‘‘chock full” of lakes and 
fish and ducks and grouse. If it isn’t the sportsmuan’s para- 
dise it’s the next thing to it.—H. P.U. 
A Bia Raneeney Trout,—Mountain View House, 
Rangeley, Me., Sept. 29.—Hditor Forest upd Stream; My 
friend, W. H. A. Childs, of 73 Maiden Lane, New York, has 
just beaten the year’s record here, haying taken on the fly a 
male brook trout weighing nine pounds and one ounce. He 
was ably seconded by his guide, Elmer Snowman, bringing 
the magnificent fish to net after an hour’s sharp contest. 
The Mountain View House is unequaled in the lake region. 
—GhORGE SHEPARD PAGE. 
Tur Comme TOURNAMENT.—''he preparations are fast 
being made for the angling tournament to take place on Oct. 
22 and 23, at Harlem Mere, Central Park, There will be an 
elegant assortment of prizes, which we will publish as soon 
as the prize list is made up. One gentleman has given $100 
in vash, and there will be medals and an assortment of rods 
and articles which anglers use, 
Nurs my Lake CHampuain.—We learn that one of the 
New York Game Protectors, name not given, seized and de- 
stroyed thirteen nets last week which were unlawfully set in 
Lake Champlain. 
Sisheulture. 
THE NEW YORK OYSTER COMMISSION. 
AST week the U: §. Fish Commission steamer ‘‘Lookout,”’ 
which has been loaned for a few weeks to the N. Y, 
Oyster Commission, took up a party of gentlemen, among 
whom were Mr. John Foord of the Brookly Union; Mr, Miller 
of the N. ¥. Limes; Mr. G. F. Moore, of Liverpool; Dr. Baker, 
and Mr, Fred Habirshaw, to inspect the work at Cold Spring 
Harbor. ‘he Union said: ' 
As Mr. Blacktord is now directing an inquiry in regard to 
the oysters in the waters of the State, several expeditions of a 
similar character have been already made by him. In addition 
to determinmeg what are the exact positions of the various 
oyster heds, it is Mr. Blackford’s duty to ascertain what may 
be the causes of the destruction of the oyster, and to find ont 
the best way of increasing the supply. The fish hatchery at 
Cold Spring, established some two years ago by Mr, Blackford. 
because of its proximity to the Sound, presents exactly those 
conditions necessary for the propagation of the oyster. 
Though legislative measures could be enacted which might 
protect the oyster, the more rational method would be to 
increase the supply by artilicial breeding, and toward this Mr. 
Blackford is devoting his attention. 
But a few years ago it was thought impossible to raise 
oysters in any other way than the one adopted in France. 
Here the “‘spat” : Z 0 
to attach themselves to tiles, or brush wood, and in this 
| condition they are removed to the oyster plantations 
I shall express the 
of the oysters are secured by allowing them 
