10 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Jan. 29, 1885. 



The harvest is everywhere abundant, but, alas! the glean- 

 ers are few. 



"Petra" sensibly remarks that "an excellent way to bring 

 out correspondence is to ask questions." 



Unless I am altogether mistaken, one of the chief pur- 

 poses of this portion of your paper is that all who seek light 

 on any angling subject may therein make their wants 

 known, and that all who have light on the matter may re- 

 spond, 



I Trill therefore ask a question; 



Who has had practice in working aluminum-bronze, and 

 how does it solder, tile, turn, behave between a forming- 

 punch and die, and draw into tubing? 



I am informed that a new process of production has re- 

 duced the value of aluminum from $1.25 an ounce to some- 

 thing like 50 cents a pound. The low specific-gravity of 

 this metal (2.60) is offset by Its softness, lack of stiffness and 

 elasticity, solubility in alkaline solutions, and its refusal to 

 solder. Alone, therefore, I think it merits little attention 

 from the angler. But its alloys with copper are quite an- 

 other matter. Aluminum-bronze — 10 parts aluminum to 90 

 parts copper — is said by some authorities to be the most 

 rigid metal known. It is of a red-gold color, tarnishes with 

 reluctance, is somewhat lighter than brass or german-silver, 

 and will solder. Unless there is some unexpected difficulty 

 in working it, it should be invaluable for reels and rod- 

 trimmings, its greater stiffness rendering it superior to 

 german-silver, while it is, or soon will be, much cheaper. 



One gentleman informs me that it is liable to crack at the 

 solder-joint during the process of drawing into tubes; while 

 another says it stands the much more crucial test of stretch- 

 ing on a mandrel perfectly well. I should be much pleased 

 to hear from some one with extended experience in working 

 this alloy, since both of the gentlemen alluded to gave but 

 the result of a single isolated experiment. 



Some experiments with phosphor-bronze have so occupied 

 my scanty leisure, that I have been as yet unable to try the 

 aluminum-bronze myself; but I hope soon to take it in hand, 

 and then should of course like the guidance of what others 

 have done. 



1 might say while on the subject, that these experiments 

 with phosphor-bronze, while not as yet decisive, are still full 

 of promise. 1 have made two reels from it, and am about 

 to test it in ferrules. When a conclusion is reached, should 

 it be worth publishing, you will probably hear from me. 



Henrt P. Weixs, 



.New Ioril, Jan. 86, 



A CHALLENGE TO FLY-CASTERS, 



Editor Forest and Stream; 



1 respectfully ask you whether there are any two men iu 

 the United States that can cast a fly further than I or my 

 son Thomas. As I am anxious to see this challenge taken 

 up, 1 am willing to throw on stream or pond, as made by 

 nature, from two different positions; that is, we throwing 

 with them from points chosen by them, and they in return 

 throwing from points chosen by us, adding total casts made. 



Harry Prichard. 



New York, Jan. 81. 



THE MOST KILLING FLIES. 



Editor Forest, and Stream: 



Ina short note in your issue of Jan. 15 ' 'Poke o'-Moonshine" 

 touches on the point of names for artificial flies and gives 

 the first public, howl about the way in which all but the 

 most prominent flies are named differently by different deal- 

 ers. Many flies are burdened with half a dozen names ; 

 sometimes there is the slightest difference of a thread, which, 

 as your correspondent says, a trout would never see, but it 

 does not amount to anything. We read of flies, in almost 

 every article on fly-fishing, which we never heard of before, 

 and which, no one "but a small circle knows of. For instance 

 Mr. Wells sneaks of the "Parmachene Belle," probably a 

 local Maine name, and in Vermont some fly-tyer may call it 

 the "Green Mountain," while in Nevada it might be known 

 as "the last chance." 



In his article on the grayling, in the Orvis-Cheney book, 

 Mr. Fred Mather first alludes to the evil by describing a fly, 

 and pretending that he does not know its name, "owing to 

 a defective memory and the vagaries of fly nomenclature," 

 he flings a stone into the camp of fly-namers, but does not 

 follow up the assault. "Poke-o'-Moonshine" quotes Hol- 

 berton's plate of "standard flies" as the standard. Is it any- 

 thing more than Holberton's standard? Do other tyers and 

 dealers recognize it as a standard and tie and name by it? 

 Take his royal coachman, it differs from the fly of the same 

 name as published by Orvis. The latter's has a tail and two 

 bunches of green and two of red on the body, while Hol- 

 berton's has no tail and only one patch of each color. Hol- 

 berton's "professor" has a patch of green near the head 

 which is lacking in Orvis's plate, while the flies called "Ab- 

 bey" by each differ widely. 



It is not necessary to go further to show the "vagaries" of 

 fly nomenclature which seemed apparent to Mr. Mather, 

 although he did not care to fight the vagaries as he should. 

 Perhaps he thinks it sufficient to hint at them and let others 

 fight it out. We have all met the difficulty mentioned by 

 Mr. P. O. Moonshine in your last, of sending to one dealer 

 for a certain fly, the name of which was learned at another 

 house, and getting something different. If a man always 

 trades at one" house and does not talk, write, or read about 

 flies, then it makes no difference what they are calied, but 

 readers of Forest and Stream want to know just what 

 flies are meant when a writer uses their names. Whether 

 the evil can be remedied or not it is hard to say, certainly 

 not as long as things slip along as they are. 



Write Hackle. 



Albany, N. Y., Jan. 19; 



Editor Fared and Stream: 



1 have taken much interest in the articles under this head- 

 ing, and beg leave to give my experience (limited as it may 

 be). I have made a special study of flies, but am a believer 

 in only a very few. My variety of trout flies can be counted 

 upon my fingers. Last summer I spent six weeks among the 

 headwaters of the Head River region, Maine, experimenting 

 with a profuse varietv of flies to satisfy myself. 1 have 

 found the following cast the most practical killer for all 

 times of day and kinds of weather, viz , Reuben Wood, 

 Lord Baltimore and red ibis, especially when the trout are of 

 large size. If fishing late in the evening, 1 occasionally sub- 

 stitute a coachman for Lord Baltimore. I invariably use 

 small-sized hooks and flies ; am satisfied they are the best 



1 always carry a cast made up of the following: Brown 

 hackle, red ibis, and a fly thatl have made for rue, similar in 



every respect to the professor, with the exception of the 

 body, which is red with gold tinsel (this fly, by the way, 1 

 use more of than any other). 1 find this cast takes better 

 when the trout run small. 



For bass I have found the polka, blue bass and split- 

 winged ibis the most practical flies. In this instance large 

 sizes. H. B. 



Boston, Jan. 16, 1885. 



Results op Unlawful, Fishing.— A Neenah.Wis.. paper 

 states that it has it on good authority "that no less than 

 2,700 barrels of fish were shipped from Oshkosh and points on 

 the east shore of Lake Winnebago in the year 1884 Of this 

 vast amount of fresh fish, mainly black bass, fully two- 

 thirds were caught illegally or contrary to the law. The re- 

 sult of this fish piracy is that Lake Winnebago has degener- 

 ated from its once famous reputation as a fishing resort to 

 a mere delusion to the angler with rod and line. It has be- 

 come a vital question to the interests of this whole section 

 whether or not the old reputation shall be re-established. 

 There would be ten summer visitors to this part of Wiscon- 

 sin where now there is one. More than this. If so protected 

 from Oshkosh fish butchers, the poor man in all this section 

 could occasionally secure a fine mess of fish for his family 

 where now they are dragged in by nets and shipped south to 

 keep a few fish pirates in work and money. Let some good 

 law be enacted and let that law be enforced to protect 

 the interests of Oshkosh. Neenah and all this section de- 

 mand it. We are glad to see many Oshkosh citizens inter- 

 ested in this matter, and among them Mr. G. F. Stroud. It 

 is time something in earnest was done in this direction." 



Barbless Hooks. — Sing Sing. N/. Y., Jan. 24.— In your 

 issue of Jan. 33, "Petra" wants 'to know what kind of barb- 

 less hooks I used. When 1 said barbless hooks were not 

 worth a cent, I surely did not think that the things that 

 "Petra" has been using for the last several years would be 

 confounded with mine. I meant a plain hook without a 

 barb, made of very finely tempered steel, with a very sharp 

 point. Who were the manufacturers of the hooks I don't 

 know, but I am pretty nearly certain that the firm that 

 made such things is bankrupt by this time, for it is four 

 years since I used the hooks. The hook that "Petra" uses 

 seems to have a slight savor of the pot.— Pete. 



The Germans place the carp above most all other fish tor 

 the table, and great numbers could be sold in New York city. 

 There is no fish so easily raised as carp if suitable waters are 

 given it, but cold lakes and trout ponds are fatal to it. No 

 doubt it will produce more food to the same area of water 

 than any known fish. Its introduction has been of great 

 value, especially to the interior and Southwestern States. 



STOCKING PENNSYLVANIA STREAMS.-Philadelphia. 

 Jan, 23.— Twenty-one hundred California trout were received 

 yesterday by the Pennsylvania State Fish Commissioner 

 Spangler, who has sent them to be distributed in the follow- 

 ing streams of this State: Bright's Run, a branch of the 

 Bushkill; Canadensis, a branch of Broadhead's Creek; the 

 Tobyhanna and Tunkbannock, branches of the Lehigh; 

 Octorara aud Fishing Creek in Lancaster countv, and branches 

 of the Perkiomen in Montgomery county. A" number of the 

 fish were also handed over to the Philadelphia Park Commis- 

 sion.— Homo. 



Uennel, 



FIXTURES. 



BENCH SHOWS. 



Jan. 2?, 28, 29 and 30.— Annual Dok Show of the New Brtmywick 

 Poultry and Pet Stock Association. Mr. H. W. Wisson, Secretary, 

 St. Johns, N. B. 



Feb. 4 to 11, 168P.— New York Fanciers' Club, Third Annual Exhibi- 

 tion of Son-sporting dogs, poultry and pigeons at Madison Square 

 Garden, Feb. 1 to 11, 18b5. Chas. Haiker, Secretary. 62 Cortlandt 

 street. 



March 5. 1885.— World's Exposition Dog Show. New Orleans, La. 

 Entnes close Feb. 23. L. F. Whitman, Superintendent. 



March 18, 19 and 2 ). 1885.— Second Annual Show of the New Haven 

 Kennel Club. E. S. Porter, Secretary, New Haven, Conn. 



April 7 to 10. 1885.— First Annual 'Dog Show N. E. Kennel Club, 

 Music Mall. Boston. J. A. NieUersou, Secretary, 159A Tremont street. 



April 21. 22 and 23.— Annual Dog Show of the St. Louis Gun Club. 

 W. A. Albright. Secretary, St. Louis, Mo. 



May 5, 6. 7 and 8, 1885.— Second Annual Dog Show of the Cincin- 

 nati Sportsman's Club, Cincinnati. O. W. A. Coster. Superintendent. 



May i 3, 14 and 15.— Third Annual Dog tr how of the Toronto Dog 

 Show Association. W. S. Jackson, Secretary, Toronto, Ont. 



^islimltnn. 



VITALITY OF CARP, 



SOME time ago we recorded a case where a carp wrapped 

 in a copy of Forest and Stream had lived for many 

 hours out of water. We now give two similar eases, taken 

 from letters written to Professor S. F. Baird. 



Wishing to examine some scale carp anatomically, says 

 Charles W. Scudder, of the United States Fish Commission, 

 on Jan. 2 I visited the central hatching station of the United 

 States Fish Commission in the Armory building, and called 

 for dead carp, as they would answer rny purpose as well as 

 live ones. Mr. J. E. Brown handed me seven or eight, 

 which were from one to three inches in length, and which had 

 been thrown out of the tanks as dead. These I at onroe put 

 into an envelope and carried home in my pocket. 



At least an hour later I removed them from the envelope 

 and put them in a wash-bowl of water for cleansing them. I 

 soon noticed that two of them were floating on their sides and 

 occasionally gasping. A half hour after this, for the purpose 

 of discovering now much vitality there might be in the two 

 in which I had observed signs of life, I placed in the mouth of 

 each one a drop of brandy diluted with an equal amount of 

 water. These I returned to the bowl, and paid no further 

 attention to them until six hours afterward. I then noticed 

 that the two which had received the tonic showed a marked 

 improvement, and were swimming on their sides nearly at the 

 top of the water. I then changed the water and administered 

 the same amount of brandy as before. On the following 

 morning, thirteen hours after the first administration of 

 brandy, and seven hours after the second dose, the two fish 

 in question were apparently fully restored, and were swim- 

 ming naturally and actively about the bowl, The restoration 

 proved to be complete. 



From a lot of .twelve hundred carp, writes Milton P. Peirce, 

 of Wenonah, N. J., to Prof. Baird, one of my assistants threw 

 out one hundred anu ten which he supposed to be dead. I do 

 not think they were dead, but only torpid, for one w T as left 

 floating in the tank when it was replaced in the store. A 

 small boy called who was going on the street-cars to a distant 

 part of the city (Philadelphia). The mechanics gave him the 

 supposed dead carp, which he wrapped in a piece of paper 

 and placed in his pocket to show to his chum. After reaching 

 his destination and playing a while, the two boys passed into 

 a room where the goldfish tank stood, when he thought of 

 his carp. The boys thought they would give the lady of the 

 house a surprise, and so placed the carp in the tank. An 

 hour or two later the lady discovered a strange fish swimming 

 in her aquarium in an erratic manner, and. upon inquiry, 

 learned from the bovs the almost incredible facts. Two 

 weeks later she called and related them to me. saying that 

 the carp was well, lively, eating readily, and growing rapidly. 



GROWTH OF CARP. 



SOME surprising evidences of the growth of the German 

 carp have recently been seen in New York city. Last- 

 week Mr. E. G. Blackford had on his slabs, in Fulton Market, 

 a lot of carp from the Potomac River, one of which, a leather 

 carp, weighed over fifteen pounds, aud a scale carp of thirteen 

 pounds. The fish are some that were captured at large in the 

 Potomac, having escaped from the Government ponds on the 

 occasion of a freshet which backed the water of the river over 

 the. ponds and released several thousand fish of four and five 

 niches in length. This occurred some tnree years ago. As 

 there were no carp in the river previous to this there is no 

 difficulty in tracing the origin of these fish and the date of 

 their escape. The daily papers had notices of these fish, and 

 many persons saw them. 



Another instance of their growth was seen when the 

 lower lake in Central Park was cleaned. Residents of the 

 neighborhood of Fifth avenue and Fifty-ninth street expressed 

 fear of a malaria epidemic because of the proximity of the 

 lake in its dirty condition, and it was ord ered to be cleaned This 

 necessitated the drawing off of the greater portion of the 

 water, which in turn required the transfer of fish. The 

 numerous carp removed were the results of increase from 

 15 imported German fish, about an inch in length, which 

 were presented to the Park Department, by E. G. Blackford, 

 State Fish Commissioner, and placed hi the lake in 1879. 

 Over 100 of the fish, weighing from 12 to 13 pounds, and 

 measuring over 25 inches in length, were taken out, and the 

 number left, consisting of minnows, all the way up to 10 or 

 15-inch fish, were estimated by thousands. One of the larger 

 fish, 30 inches long and weighing 13 pounds, was placed on 

 exhibition at a fish market on Third avenue, and is to be 

 served at a dinner to be given by a German society. The live 

 fish were transferred j» the upper lake in the park. 



A. K. R.-SPECIAL NOTICE. 



rpHE AMERICAN KENNEL REGISTER, for the registration of 

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

 lished every mouth. Entries close on the 1st. Should he In early. 

 Entry blanks sent on receipt of stamped and addressed envelope. 

 Registration fee (50 oeuts) must accompany each entry. No entries 

 inserted unless paid in advance. Yearly subscript ion $1.50. Address 

 "American Kennel Register," P. O, Box 2832, New York, Number 

 of entries already printed 1987. 



EASTERN FIELD TRIALS CLUB. 



''("'HE annual meeting of the Eastern Field Trials Club, for 

 X the election of officers for the ensuing year, was held at 

 the St. James Hotel, New York, last Thursday evening. It 

 was voted to amend the constitution and by-laws, making the 

 Board of Governors to consist of fifteen and that five shall 

 constitute a quorum. The treasurer's report showed that the 

 finauces of the club were in a very flourishing condition. Fol- 

 lowing is a list of officers elected:' 



President— J. Otto Donner, New York. 



Vice-Presidents— B. F.Wilson, Pittsburgh, Pa., aud Elliot 

 Smith. New York. 



Secretary and Treasurer— Washington A. Coster. Fiatbush, 

 L. I. 



BOARD OF GOVERNORS. 



Dr. H. F. Aten, Brooklyn, N.Y G. DeForest Grant, New York 



Dr S. Fleet Speir, Brooklyn, Luther Adams, Boston, Mass. 



N. Y. ' C. DuB. Wagstaff, Babylon, 



John G. Heckscher, New York. N. Y. 



H E. Hamilton, Hackensack, D. S. Gregory, Jr., 2d, New 



N. J. York. 



R. C. Cornell, New York. J. W. Orth, Pittsburgh, Pa. 



A. E. Godeffrov, Guymard, F. R. Hitchcock, New York. 



N. Y. Geo. T. Leach, New York. 



D. C. Berguudthal, Indianap- J. E. I. Grainger, New York. 



olis, Ind. 



A vote of thanks was tendered the retiring president, Mr. 

 Elliot Smith. The meeting then adjourned. 



THE HIGHLAND COLLEY. 



PLEASE, Mr. Printer, spell the word colley as I do, as that 

 is the proper way, not collie, which the Saxons almost 

 always pronounce as if spelled "eoolee;" that will do to begin 

 with. I am sorry to find that your correspondent, Mr. C. G. 

 Harston, has mistaken me in speaking of the old Highland 

 colley, which is quite a different animal from the Lowland, or 

 black and tan, or black white and tan dog of that name, and 

 1 hope to make myself understood, at least I shall try to do 

 so, if Mr. Harston's mind or mental vision is not too obtuse, I 

 think I can hammer my meaning into him. They are not 

 "almost any color except green" (the itahcsare;mine), the latter 

 color seems to belong entirely to certain parties who write on 

 and judge these dogs. Now, Mr. Editor, let me tell you and 

 your readers that I do not believe there is one Highland colley 

 in America, and I don't think they have as yet attracted the 

 fancy in the old country to any extent and strange as it may 

 appear, a very able writer on dogs some years back doubted 

 the existence of such a breed until the editor of the Live Stoch 

 Journal, then published at Ludgate Hill, London, issued an 

 engraving of one of these dogs in his paper. I wish a copy of 

 the Live Stock of that date could be forwarded to our editor 

 here and I am sure the publishers of the Live Stock will have 

 the warm thanks of many Highlanders. 



The pure old Highland colley is an animal possessing an 

 immense heavy and long coat. His coat sometimes is the 

 length of seven or eight inches, and he has long hah- hanging 

 over his eyes, similar to the fancy Skye terrier, or to make it 

 more plain to Mr. Harston, he wears his hah- like the New York 

 ladies" I hope he can comprehend that. He does not stand so 

 high on the legs as his Lowland brother, and he is shorter and 

 rounder in the barrel. He possesses all the fine qualities of a, 

 sheep dog. being naturally docile aud sweet tempered, he 

 never "grips" a sheep to hurt it, and will not only prevent his 

 own flock from going astray, but guard them against aU 

 danger. The fox that attempts to steal a lamb will never five 

 to repeat the action ii this dog gets hold of him. Many a hun- 

 dred times have I seen one of the breed go into a strange flock 

 and bring out one of his own sheep which had strayed, and it 

 was quite a common thing in my young day to send colley to 

 the mountains alone to fetch home his own flock. Neither 

 frost nor snow has any terrors for him; rather the reverse, for 

 often have I seen him lying in the winter in front of the 

 kitchen door and seeming to enjoy the covering of snowflakes 

 which were falling upon him, and 1 have known him to dis- 

 cover sheep, under huge wreaths of snow, that would have 

 ultimately perished had it not been for the sagacity of this 

 trusty servant. 



Not many years ago I met the shepherds in the service of 

 Mr. Gordon, of Bevaglie, going with sheep to the win terings 

 at the sea coast, and they had two of these dogs with them. 

 I have not seen any of them exhibited in Scotland, but I be- 

 lieve some were at Inverness; if so, any one writing the sec- 

 retary of the Inverness dog snow would. I have no doubt, get 

 a courteous answer. 1 know, as I have stated ffi a former 



