90 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Feb. 26, 1885. 



I wish I could see the so-called Otsego bass. That fish has 

 always been a mystery to me. Of course, it is not a bass. 

 It is strange how long a name will stick to a fish, no matter 

 how improper it may be. You will never get a hybrid from 

 that fish and the black bass, but you may with the white- 

 fish." 



lion. Emery D. Potter, Toledo, Ohio, late Superintendent 

 of Fisheries in that State, and one of the most successful 

 practical anglers in this country, says - "I have seen a great 

 many whitefish taken at Sault'Ste." Marie of Lake Superior 

 with a hook baited with a June or soldier fiy. 1 saw a 

 man take eleven in one hour in that way just before sunset. 

 Tlie fishing was done in a deep, still pool, adjoining the 

 rapids, the bait resting on the bottom, where the whitefish 

 invariably feeds. On opening I have found the stomach 

 crammed* full of these flies and their larva-. 



"When taken from their spawning grounds in November 

 there is no organic matter perceptible in their stomachs; 

 nothing but perhaps a teaspoonful of a yellowish gastric 

 liquid. It is very certain that at no time do they consume 

 a very large quantity of food, but what they do eat is of the 

 most nutritious kind, for they are always fat and plump. 



"The crustaceans found in greatest abundance in the deep 

 waters of the great Western lakes, are their principal food. 

 The cycops are the most numerous, and I presume they are. 

 found in equal numbers in Olscgo Lake, They are micro- 

 scopic entomostracans, and it is estimated that a cubic inch 

 will contain over ten million of them. There has also heen 

 found in their stomachs a small shelly mollusk that abounds 

 in deep lake waters. The ordinary shrimp is too large a 

 bait, and in my opinion w r ould prove a failure. 



"The soldier fiy, the June fly, or a small cockroach would 

 be my bait for all Goregord. If they got anything larger in 

 their mouths it would be an accident. With these I would 

 fish in the deepest waters, with my bait on or within four to 

 six inches of the bottom. A friend told me that he had 

 taken them near Kelly's Island, ia Lake Erie, with a small 

 cockroach, but with no other bait. They are gregarious fish, 

 going in herds, like the buffalo on the prairies, inhabiting 

 the deep, cold water in summer and in cold weather ap- 

 proaching the shore, where the water is colder than in the 

 deeper parts of the lake. Do not try to take the Otsego bass 

 with a grub, snail, crab or shrimp, for you will certainly lose 

 your labor. 



"The one taken with a shiner in your (Otsego) lake (a 

 splendid specimen weighing seven pouuds) must have been 

 afflicted with a terrible disease of the brain or stomach. 1 

 would have been afraid to eat him. At the Sault Ste. Marie 

 I have often seen these fish brought in by the half-breeds, 

 who said they took them with a 'soger fly.' It is a very 

 common thing, known to boys, who are said to take a'great 

 many in that way in water from twenty to thirty feet deep.- 

 It was here, too,* that, sitting on the bank near by with a 

 friend, we saw a man haul them in, baiting with a June fly. 

 This June or soldier fly is very soft and delicate, and may be 

 compressed into a small compass, being almost as delicate as 

 when in the larvae, on which the whitefish feeds. The com- 

 mon house fly might do, but it would be a pity to extermin- 

 ate him for the sake of a few fish." Elihu Phinney. 



COOFERSTCWK, N. Y. 



SOME REMARKABLE CATCHES. 



BY all means let us have some more reports of remarkable 

 catches. Here is a sample cast : 



A season or two ago the writer was fishing for trout at the 

 dam across the south branch of the Muskoka River at Bays- 

 ville, Province of Ontario. I had stationed myself on the 

 apron on the lower side of the dam where the water rushed 

 swiftly over an outcropping ledge of rock, and forming a 

 small whirlpool of some twenty yards in diameter, rushed 

 through the rapids below. I had already taken one or two 

 fine trout, and had suspended these in the water below me 

 by a string, having at one end a steel stringing needle which 

 was stuck~perpendicularJy into a crevice in the rock. Having 

 occasion to speak to a friend I laid my rod on the timbers of 

 the dam above me with the tip pointing up stream. The rod 

 was, however, scarcely balauced, and the instant my back 

 was turned, the weight of the butt and the reel drew it 

 downward, and it fell into the current only to be in- 

 stantly swept out of sight and into the pool below. Re- 

 turning a few minutes later, I could at first find no trace of 

 my tackle, but a careful examination showed that as the 

 rod had been carried swiftly by, the line had caught over the 

 needle which still remained firmly upright in the crevice. 

 Taking the line in my fingers 1 found that it rendered freely — 

 all too" freely indeed— for it came from between the well- 

 oiled pivots of my quadruplex multiplying reel. There were 

 a hundred yards of braided silk, and every inch of it ran 

 from the reel before the rod consented to show itself from 

 the foaming waters at the bottom of the pool. Then draw- 

 ing in the other end of the line I was not a little surprised to 

 find on one of the flies a handsome pound trout, which had 

 hooked itself in the general disturbance. The rod and 

 reel proved to be entirely uninjured and did gallant service 

 over the pools of that magnificent trout river for the next 

 four days. 



The only moral to be deduced is: Never neglect to tie your 

 line securely to your reel or you may be sorry for it. B. 



Toledo, O. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Several of us went to Irondequoit Bay for a day's fishing, 

 One of my companions hooked a fish and lost it by the 

 breaking of his line, losing some six feet with a snell hook. 

 Wc all thought and expressed ourselves that it must have 

 been a whale to have broken that sea grass fishline._ Sev- 

 eral hours afterward, and at least a quarter of a mile dis- 

 tant in the open bay, I pulled in a half-pound rock bass 

 with the identical piece of line and hook still fastened in his 

 mouth. I was thankful for the fish, and that I should not 

 have to tell father that I had lost part of his fishing tackle. 



Strange, is it not, with fishermen, that a fish hooked and 

 lost is always so much larger than when in the landing net. 



Irondequoit. 



Editor Forest and Stream; 



I was fishing in the Black Canon of the G-unnison. My cast 

 .consisted of a No. 12 drab gnat for the top fly, a No. 10 shoe- 

 maker next and a No. 8 brown hackle for stretcher. I had 

 been fishing for some time without success, when I at last 

 had a rise, and struck a large fellow on the shoemaker only 

 to lose, both lower flies and half of the leader. 



Tying on a new leader and duplicating my cast, I hooked 

 another and saved him. Found him hooked in the head with 

 the hackle. The next, missing the shoemaker, was hooked 

 jn the tail by the hackle. If you don't think a two-pound 



trout, can pull, hook one by the tail in swift water and report 

 result. My next also tried for the shoemaker and was like- 

 wise hooked in the tail by the hackle. Would have lost him 

 but lor the net, as the hold broke when close to shore. A 

 third was hooked in the tail and landed. This was getting 

 monotonous and was straining my rod, and I was about to 

 put the shoemaker on the end when a huge fellow made a 

 lunge at it and was also hooked in the tail, but by going into 

 the rapids, and the reel failing to let out line fast enough, he 

 departed with my entire cast, whereupon I reeled in and 

 quit, Thus I caught four trout without hooking one in the 

 mouth. What were their tails doing iu the vicinity of where 

 their mouths should be? Who can say? They were all 

 hooked at the first rise. Kokomo, 



Salida, Col. 



Editor Fared and Stream: 



The incident related by a correspondent of having several 

 times caught the same bass, reminds me of an enjoyable 

 day's fishing for black bass in the Oswego River at the head 

 of Battle Island, made memorable by James Fenimore Cooper 

 in "The Pathfinder." My companion and 1 with rod and 

 line had been capturing large gamy black bass at satisfac- 

 tory intervals, when through my awkwardness I allowed a 

 bass to ran under our boat, which disabled my rod, allowing 

 the fish to escape, and carrying with him a portion of my 

 tackle. We went ashore, had our lunch, repaired damages, 

 and returned to the same spot to renew hostilities. During 

 that afternoon in taking in a large bass I was surprised to 

 find my lost tackle firmly hooked in his mouth. Doctor. 



Oswego, N. Y. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Mr. Levison's remarkable catch reminds me of several 

 that 1 have made or known of. One is as follows: About 

 thirty years ago I was fishing; for crappies, or croppies as 

 they spell it now, among the islands of the Mississippi River 

 below Dubuque. I had caught two or three, and had strung 

 them on a string and hung them overboard beside the boat. 

 Noticing a heavy pull on this string, I felt of it and found 

 it gave more resistance than the small fish should, and throw- 

 ing it suddenly into the boat I landed an eight-pound catfish,, 

 which had swallowed one of the fish and so was taken with- 

 out a hook. Fred Mather. 



NEWLIGHT, OR SOUTHERN CROPPIE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In compliance with the request of "Little Sandy," in 

 Forest and Stream of Jan. 29, I desire to say a few words 

 about the "newlight" (Pomoxis annularis) as a game fish, 

 This fish is often confounded with the Northern croppie 

 (Pomoxis sparoides), and it may be well to notice a few dis- 

 tinguishing points as between the two species. Both forms 

 may be easily distinguished from all other fresh-water per- 

 coid, or spiny-rayed fishes, by having the anal fin as large or 

 larger than the dorsal fin, and the presence of about six 

 spines in each of these fins. (The newlight has six, and the 

 Northern croppie seveu, spines in the dorsal fin, normally.) 

 If the angler will keep these facts in mind he will have no 

 difficulty in identifying the genus. As regards the two 

 species, they are very closely allied, though they may be 

 easily distinguished by certain constant differences in form 

 and coloration. These fishes are scarcely mentioned in any 

 work on angling, and then only in a confused and unsatis- 

 factory manner. 



The Northern croppie (Pomoxis sparoides) is known also in 

 various localities as black croppie, lake croppie, calico bass, 

 strawberry bass, grass bass, silver bass, big fin bass, butter 

 bass, spotted bass, chincapin perch, razor-back, barfish, bit- 

 ter-head, goggle-eye, etc. Its body is oblong in outline, 

 quite deep— its depth being halt its length— and is quite 

 thin, or strongly compressed, especially along the dorsal 

 curve, hence "razor back." The mouth and eye are large, 

 though the head is shorter and mouth smaller than the South- 

 ern croppie or ' 'newlight. " It has seven spines and fifteen soft 

 rays in the dorsal fin, and six spines and eighteen rays in 

 the anal. The color is bright, silvery and metallic, olive 

 aloug the back, mottled with green, with many large purplish- 

 black blotches (as if made by the ends of one's fingers, hence 

 "chincapin perch") on the body, in no regular order, but 

 covering nearly the entire surface. The fins are also thickly 

 sprinkled by smaller blotches, and their presence on the 

 anal fin is characteristic of this species. It grows to a foot 

 or more in length, and to three pounds in weight. The 

 Northern croppie, as its name suggests, has a northerly 

 range. It is very abundant in the Great Lake region and 

 Upper Mississippi Valley and the northern portions of Indi- 

 ana, Illinois, Ohio and Missouri. It exists also in some 

 streams along the Atlantic coast from Pennsylvania to 

 Florida. It agrees in a great measure with the common 

 yellow perch in its geographical distribution. 



The Southern croppie (Pomoxis annularis) is otherwise 

 known as newlight, Campbellite, tin-mouth, bridge perch, 

 bachelor, sand perch, white croppie, timber croppie, speckled 

 perch, silver perch, spotted perch, goggle-eye, white perch, 

 sac-a-lai, etc. In comparison with the Northern croppie 

 this species has a rather more elongated body, being a little 

 more than twice as long as deep, and is also as much or 

 more compressed. Its head is somewhat longer, and mouth 

 larger and thinner, the membrane or skin about the mouth 

 being semi-transparent, hence "tin-mouth." The snout pro- 

 jects and curves upward, and there is a deep incurve near 

 the eyes, as in the Northern croppie, but the outward curve 

 or arch between the head and dorsal fin is more prominent. 

 In. coloration it is more silvery and paler, being olivaceous 

 and light green along the back, and very white and silvery 

 beneath. The markings are much smaller and not so 

 numerous, while the anal fin is scarcely, or not at all, 

 marked, which is a distinguishing characteristic. Iu some 

 localities this fish is quite pale and seemingly semi-trans- 

 parent. It has six spines and fifteen soft rays in the dorsal, 

 and six spines and eighteen rays in the anal fin. It grows a 

 little larger and somewhat heavier than its Northern con- 

 gener. This species takes the place of the Northern croppie 

 in the Lower Mississippi Valley and southern portions of 

 Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. It is quite abundant in Kentucky, 

 Tennessee and the Southwest generally. In central Ohio, 

 Indiana and Illinois both species co-exist. 



The croppies of both species are very handsome fishes, 

 and are of similar habits, frequenting deep, still waters, and 

 lurking in schools about weeds, brush, fallen trees, logs, 

 under dams, etc. There are no fish so suitable for small 

 ponds, with deep holes in them, as the croppies, as they mul- 

 tiply amazingly. Though not possessing game qualities in 

 any' degree, they are, nevertheless, great favorites with West- 

 ern and Southern anglers on account of their excellence as 

 panfish, and the readiness with which they bite, Their food 



consists principally of insects and their larvae and small 

 minnows. 



For bait-fishing the lightest tackle should be employed. As 

 croppies congregate usually in schools and are not very shy, 

 a suitable rod is one of natural cane, ten feet long, and weigh- 

 ing from four to six ounces. The line should not be larger 

 than No. 1 sea grass, or No. 1 twisted silk, and the hook not 

 greater than a No. 4 Sproat tied on very fine gut. As they 

 give little or no play, a reel is not essential. However, where 

 a cast of more than twenty feet, is required to reach their 

 haunts, a seven-ounce Henshall rod and a reel may be used, 

 with an "H" braided silk line. Small minnows, especially 

 shiners, are the best bait, which they take very gently, and 

 like the Arabs, "as silently steal away." 



This is^ no percoid fish that rises to the fly so readily 

 and certainly as the "newlight," and herein consists the only 

 real sport in croppie fishing, which is very fair on a light fly- 

 rod of five or six ounces Trout flies of neutral or subdued 

 tints are the most successful, as the brown, gray and ginger 

 hackles, the various duns, the gnats, the stone fly, gray 

 drake, queen of the waters, cinnamon fiy, etc. About sun- 

 set and later is the most favorable time for fly-fishing for 

 croppies, though they frequently rise well during the early 

 morning hours, and sometimes, especially if cloudy, at 

 almost every hour of the day. 



"Jay," in Forest and Stream of Jan. 15, writes enthu- 

 siastically and affectionately of the "newlight," and gives 

 the approved mode of cooking it. He also mentions an 

 opinion that is very current in Central Kentucky, that this 

 fish first made its appearance in tliat section about the time 

 of the rise of the religious denomination known there as 

 the "Campbellites" and "New -lights;" hence these local 

 names. However this may be for the Elkhorn and other 

 small streams of Central Kentucky, the "newlight" always 

 existed in the larger streams of the State, under several other 

 local names, as "bachelor," "bridge-perch," "tin-mouth," 

 etc., and was first described by Rafiuesque in 1820 from speci- 

 mens taken at the Falls of the Ohio River at Louisville. 



James A. Henshall. 



Cynthiana, Ky., February, 1885, 



VARNISH FOR RODS. 



Editor Forest and Stream:, 



In your issue of Feb. 12, "M." inquires how to make or 

 where to buy a really good varnish for fishing rods. He 

 can buy it of the rod makers. At least, B. F. Nichols, the 

 well-known rod manufacturer of Boston, advertises in his 

 catalogue to send small bottles of varnish by mail, I have 

 tried it and found it good. Probably other rod makers would 

 sell varnish. 



It is essential that the varnish be applied in a warm room, 

 and that the rods remain in a warm place for at least two 

 days. W. G. 



Spkingkield, Mass. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I have been employed siuce 1869 among varnishes and 

 paints of all kinds, "Some anglers use English durable body 

 varnish and give their rods a coat every season, others use 

 brown shellac, light hard oil finish and No. 1 preservative, 

 but the best thing to stand the water and rough use of a rod 

 exposed to camp life is spar composition. Any varnish for 

 a rod must dry hard. A varnish made from soft gum don't 

 dry hard and will scratch. Many anglers use too much of 

 such stuff on their rods. A small quantity is better than a 

 lot. No kind of inside varnish such as No. 1 furniture or 

 No. 1 coach should be used, but many do use them because 

 thev are cheap. Light hard oil finish will dry hard and 

 although we use it for "inside" work it will stand on rods in 

 good shape, as nearly any good carriage varnish will. If it 

 has too much gloss a little flour pumice stone will help it, or 

 rub it with a little oil and rotten stone, as the less gloss you 

 have the less it will scratch, and a light coat is always better 

 than a heavy one. If any one wants to keep a rod in good 

 shape a light coat of spar composition, light hard oil finish, 

 or any good carriage varnish such as we call body varnish 

 will do; and when you have to give the rod another coat, 

 rub off part of the old one with the fine pumice known 

 as flour pumice and a little water, or use fine sandpaper. 



W. A. N. 



Springfield, Mass. _ 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



If "M." will try what is called spar composition, I think 

 he will find it fills the bill pretty well. I have used it; and 

 although it is rather thick, I have had no trouble from chip- 

 ping or cracking. I used a rod finished with it all last sum- 

 mer. It gives the rod a finish like glass and water has no 

 effect on it. 



Would not the rubber cement that a correspondent men- 

 tioned last week be good for fastening ferrules in a rod? I 

 have used gutta percha in solution, whiting and several 

 other things, but never have found anything perfectly satis- 

 factory. Qi T. C, 



Pawtucket, R. I. ___^ 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



"M." asks me by name to inform him what is the best 

 varnish for fly-rods. 



This I cannot do, I am inclined to think the Japanese 

 lacker would be better than anything we have for tins pur- 

 pose, though I have had no opportunity to try it. 



Still I can suggest good varnishes, those wnich, if properly 

 applied, will so proteet a flv-rod that it may be exposed a 

 week to the weather, and be none the worse for neglect .. 



As far as the angler is concerned varnishes may be divided 

 into two classes— those in which alcohol, and those in which 

 turpentine and linseed oil are the solvents. In the former 

 the alcohol evaporates completely in drying, leaving the 

 body to which it has been applied coated with the gum in 

 almost, if not quite, its natural state. Such durabihty as the 

 gum has it retains; but nothing is added thereto. Therefore 

 in spirit-varnishes for the angler's use, a gum should be em- 

 ployed which in itself embodies in the maximum degree all 

 possible durability. No readily obtainable gum compares 

 with African copal in this respect. 



The best varnish of this kind I have ever seen is the 

 "Brown French Spirit- Varnish," sold by Wm. Zinnser & 

 Co 197 William street, New York city. It is far superior 

 in toughness and durability to the shellac. It hardens in 

 about four hours, and finishes well. 



But I apprehend the amateur usually encounters more dif- 

 ficult from the manner in which he applies his varnish, than 

 from"the inferiority of the varnish itself. 



Spirit-varnish should be laid with a soft brush rapidly 

 moved in but one direction only. If the brush is manipu- 

 lated after the manner of a house-painter, and the varnish be 



