180 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[March 19, 1885. 



Louisiana as the 'sac-a-lai,' where it is also sometimes called 

 'chinkapin perch.' In the neighborhood of St. Louis, Mo., 

 it was called originally 'crappie,' by the old French habi- 

 tans. and still bears that name." Norris also gives a fan- 

 illustration of the Southern croppie. 



In Hallock's "Sportsman's Gazetteer" the compiler has 

 been singularly unfortunate, so far as the '-croppies" are 

 concerned. In the list of "Northern Inland Fishes" the 

 croppie is not mentioned, unless the description of the fish 

 given as "rock bass (Cf-utrarchit g amen*)," paga 373, was in- 

 tended to answer for the Northern croppie as well, for most 

 of the short account given is applicable to either; the color- 

 ing of the eye h certainly that of a croppie. and not of a 

 rock bass or -'redeye." And on page 328, in the list of 

 "Fishes of the "West," these two fishes are again confounded 

 under the same heading, as follows: "Straw bass, rock bass, 

 calico bass, goggle eye, or croppie {Ambiopliics jitpesPrtg)," 

 Following this "mixed title are half a dozen lines of vogue 

 description that might apply to either a croppie or a rock 

 bass. On page 378, in the list of "Southern Inland Fishes," 

 is a very brief description of the Northern croppie, compiled 

 from Hoi brook's "Ichthyology of South Carolina," and cor- 

 rect so far as it follows that excellent naturalist. But the 

 compiler forsakes Holbrook and mixes up the common names 

 of both species of croppie in the caption of the article, and 

 appends the technical synonyms of Pomoxis he.vacanthux 

 Agassiz, and Pomoxis rhomboid™, Linn. Now, Linnaeus 

 knew nothing of the croppie, but he applied the specific 

 title, rhomboides, to the salt-water bream, or pin-fish (Lagodon 

 rhomboides). It has never been applied by any author to the 

 croppies, so far as I know. Nor was P. he.mcauthus ever 

 used by Agassiz, He restored Rafinesque's name Pomoxis 

 for the croppie genus, and verified his description of the 

 Southern croppie, Pomoxis mimtfarw. He also stated that 

 Cealrarchus iiexacanthus, Cuv. and Yah, "belonged, un- 

 questionably to this genus," but Holbrook was the first to use 

 the title Pomoxi* hexacantlms. 



On the same page (888), in a list of "perches," the com- 

 piler has: "Silver perch, or speckled perch: called also 

 strawberry bass and calico bass. (See 'Northern Inland 

 Fishes')." As these are all names of the croppie species, one 

 would expect to find a description of one or both under the 

 head referred to; but on such reference we find only the 

 "rock bass" before mentioned, until we come to the "black 

 bass (Mwropterus /tigrira/us)." where, among the common 

 names used for this well-known fish, we find the strawberry 

 bass, speckled hen and spotted bass. Then, after descrip- 

 tions of the black bass and Oswego' bass, we read: "The 

 strawberry bass is a fiat : , deep fish, has a nose well turned 

 up, is thinner than the Oswego bass, and has black and ye] 

 low blotches/ 1 The compiler- apparently disgusted, tries to 

 wade out of the difficulty by adding -'However, in attempt- 

 ing to define differences, nothing is: accomplished toward 

 identification or separation, only confusion is increased. " 

 We should say so 



On the same page- and following the "silver perch," we 

 Und: "Sand perch,, or bachelor perch; called also tin -mouth 

 Taken from Virginia to Mississippi Apparently a cross 

 [sic] between the yellow belly and silver perch.'' Then fol- 

 lows a -very brief but fair description of the Southern crop- 

 pie, From the above it will be seen that the compiler of the 

 fishes of the "Sportsman's Gazetteer" could truthfully say 

 "only confusion is increased," and no doubt the reader is 

 by this time much of the same opinion, and is ready to 

 whistle with the vim and defiance of a ribbon-man on "St. 

 Patrick's Day, "Croppies, lie down!" 

 Cynthiana. Ky., March 11. 1855, Jamjsss A. llENSHALL. 



SNELLING HOOKS. 



I HEAR it suggested that tapered hooks are not "marked" 

 because, at and near the end of shank they are too slender, 

 but the marking could begin a little distance from the end 

 and be made effective, and I trust some bright manufacturer 

 will at once begin the improvement; no doubt his sales will 

 be increased. 



Mr. C. shows he has experience and skill when he states 

 that the wax or cement is an important factor to a well-tied 

 hook. I am ignorant of the wax used by fly-tyers; but, Mr. 

 C, would not your formula be improved by substituting 

 linseed oil in place of tallow? Linseed oil possesses the 

 drying element; tallow is of a different nature, I also ask 

 Mr. L. the same question. I have used the receipts given 

 by these gentlemen, and think they have merit. Did either 

 of these practical anglers ever experiment with a liquid 

 cement by adding to best oil copal varnish, gum mastic and 

 caoutchouc, and if they desired a wax or cement of greater 

 consistency, put in sufficient quantity of best resin and 

 beeswax? " If they have, I think they did not find it washed 

 off "easily by using soap and warm water." And this is 

 why they* will find it valuable when they fish in the lime- 

 impregnated waters of Maine. But 1 am often told there 

 is another trouble in this matter as'yet only hinted at. It is 

 said that with the cements in use, by having the tackle in 

 the water an hour or so and then out of the water for about 

 the same length of time, if put into the water again, and 

 even after ten or fifteen minutes a fish gives a tug at the 

 bait, away goes the fish and the hook with it. The moisture 

 and the drying having caused contraction and expansion of 

 the winding thread, the hook was no longer held fast. I 

 have experienced this difficulty many times when the hooks 

 were snelled by myself or bought from best tackle dealers. 

 It is under such circumstances I have lost confidence in 

 some of the formulas recently staled. 



Biting, crimping or fluting gut no doubt is a great adjunct. 

 It partly compensates for shrinking and swelling of thread 

 and gut. I perform the process with a little instrument 

 which flutes and flattens at one pressure of the hand. I take 

 stock in the flattening, as it forms a greater surface of con- 

 tact for the lashing thread and the hook. To reinforce adds, 

 no doubt, much to the strength. 



Allow me to suggest that if the gut length will not permit 

 forming the loop as you describe, one can lay a short piece 

 of gut on the long one, then tie the knot and you have the 

 desired result; but when completed does it look as neat to 

 the eye as if not reinforced? To singe the end of a gut 

 snell forms a knob that is hard to draw under well-waxed 

 windings. It is an old method but a strong one. T appre- 

 hend the difficulty with gimp is that the metal covering slips 

 from the silk ' 'body." If we take off the covering for one- 

 halE the length of the gimp that is to come in contact with 

 the hook, and thoroughly saturate the uncovered silk with a 

 cement, or wax. and then wind it upon the hook as has been 

 directed, Mr. Pickerel will not dislodge it when he makes 

 his wild rushes. White lead is one of the best cements 

 known to chemists. Has any one tested it for the purpose 

 Under consideration ? Lead \a ao element in some of our 



best varnishes. Caoutchouc is considered a better ingredient 

 in a cement than gutla percha. Gum mastic has properties 

 very peculiar to dissolve. 



Years ago an old angler gave me the recipe for the varnish 

 given by "Amateur." This sportsman called it the angler's 

 instantaneous cement. It is very fine when filtered. I have 

 used it, and thiuk better of it than of shellac alone. And 

 this reminds me. "Amateur" speaks of a knot, a diagram 

 of which with many others can be found on a page in Dr. 

 Hensball's book concerning black bass. I think said knot a 

 trusty one, and the aforesaid page a very valuable one. I 

 have had great comfort in studying it. Perhaps I am fond 

 of "knotty questions." My practice leads me to fully in- 

 dorse what "N." says of heating the hook. The blacking on 

 it is very slippery, and many cements will not thoroughly 

 adhere to it. "N. 's" method of holding the hook while heat- 

 ing is new to me. I think favorably of it and shall test it. 



I criticise none of the methods or processes given. I only 

 state my experience with them. I do not seek to instruct 

 my superiors. I have sought to make suggestions as food for 

 thought and experiment, and when you have wrought out 

 new discoveries and a cement for the period, please give an 

 account of your achievements through the columns of our 

 cd- worker the Fokrst and Stream. What would we ang- 

 lers and sportsmen do without it? J. ~W. T. 

 \ t e^t Britain, Coun. 



THE MODEL FISHING ROD AND LINE. 



IN a very excellent article, entitled "Fly-Fishing," in 

 Harper'* Magazine for April, our well-known corres- 

 pondent, Mr. Henry P. Wells, gives some directions for 

 casting the fly, and discourses in this way on the model 

 fishing rod: 



"The rod should be of the best, whatever material it may 

 be made from, Lancewood, greeuheart, bethabara, and 

 many other woods are capable of being converted into an 

 excellent fly-rod, provided the material is good of its kind, 

 and it has been f cushioned by the hands of a skilled work- 

 man. Bent and glued— or, as it is now more generally 

 termed, split— bamboo unquestionably stands first as a 

 material in the general estimation of experts in this country. 

 In the fly- easting tournaments held year after year at Cen- 

 tral Park in New York, it has gradually supplanted all other 

 kinds of rods, and certainly in it strength, lightness, and 

 that sieelv spring which is* the acme of perfection in a fly- 

 rod are found to a degree uuequaled in any other known 

 material. 



"These rods are made by gluing six strips- of Calcutta 

 bamboo together in such a way that a cross section of the 

 completed rod forms a hexagon. The rind of the bamboo is 

 placed on the outside, and is untouched in the manufacture, 

 since therein lie all the virtues that the material possesses 



"The variety of bamboo used for this purpose may be dis- 

 tinguished by "the charred marks on its yellow cuticle, with- 

 out which none seem3 to be imported into this country. No 

 one in the least familiar with this bamboo can have failed to 

 remark these burns, always present, yet never alike. To the 

 split-bamboo rodmaker they are a perfect nuisance, forcing 

 him to reject altogether many a cane otherwise excellent 

 So every one, surprised that so much labor should be expended 

 merely, as far as is apparent, to injure the cane, naturally 

 asks why this is done. 



Reasons are as plenty as blackberries, and so, of course, 

 there is no lack in this case. Here are a few samples, as- 

 signed by those wdio said they knew all about it. 

 "1. It is a religious ceremony. 



"2. They are roasted over a "large gridiron to kill the larvae 

 of boring insects. 

 "3. It is merely for purpose of ornament. 

 "•4. The bamboos grow in jungles matted together with all 

 manner of climbing and tenacious vines; before they can be 

 extricated the jungle must be fired to destroy these creepers. 

 "5. That the canes are roasted over a gridiron to burn off 

 the leaves and creepers attached to them, as the most simple 

 and expeditious way to get rid of them. 



"6. That it is done with a hot iron, each cane being treated 

 separately, merely to straighten them, 



"I have heard others, but these are quite sufficient for a 

 liberal exercise of personal predilection, my own being 

 toward a combination of the reasons numbered 4 and 6. 



"Different specimens of every variety of rod materia] vary 

 greatly in excellence, one sample being good and another 

 utterly worthless. Therein the integrity of the rodmaker, 

 and regard for his reputation, are the only safeguards to the 

 purchaser. Therefore it is cheaper in the end to buy from 

 the maker himself or his recognized agent. If they have a 

 reputation they will do their best to maintain it. Anony- 

 mous rods are like anonymous letters; they may be unexcep- 

 tionable, but usually they are not. Above all things remem- 

 ber there are no bar-gins in fishing tackle. If an article is 

 cheap in price, it is almost invariably cheap in quality as 

 well. 



"Comfort in use, efficiency in casting the fly, and power 

 to control and land the fish after it is fastened, all will admit, 

 are the desiderata in a fly-rod; strength to withstand the in- 

 cidental strain, and elasticity to recover on the removal of 

 the deflection caused thereby, being in all cases presumed. 



"It needs no physicist to assure us that with two rods of 

 equal weight, and respectively ten and twelve feet Jong, the 

 former will occasion far less fatigue than the latter, since 

 while the shorter arm of the lever is equal in both cases, 

 the longer arm. which is to do the work, is greater in the 

 latter- Nay, further, even though the shorter rod exceed 

 in actual weight, still it may retain its superiority in this 

 respect. 



"Killing power, and the ability to control the movements 

 of the fish, depend not on the length, but on the power or 

 stiffness of the rod; and this, other things being equal, 

 must be greater in a ten than in a twelve foot rood, since 

 the leverage against the controlling power is less." 



Of lines Mr. Wells says: "The American 'enameled 

 waterproofed lines' alone are used in this country for fly-fish- 

 ing. If Phariseeism is ever pardonable it is when a good 

 line of this kind is compared with the best produced in any 

 other country. If not decrepit through old age— and their 

 longevity is far in excess of any other lines — in strength they 

 leave nothing to be desired. Smooth as ivory on the sur- 

 face, they render through the rings with the. 'minimum of 

 friction. Their weight is sufficient to east nicely without 

 being excessive, and at the same time this is always uniform, 

 while their flexibility is just as it. should be — neither so great 

 as to foul the tip, nor so stiff as to cause inconvenience. In 

 short, they are as nearly perfect as the work of man's hands 

 is permitted to be. 



"They are braided from the best Italian boiled silk, and 

 water-proofed by a process the secret of which is jealously 



guarded. Their first cost is high, but in the end they are far 

 cheaper than any other. The temptation to economize is 

 great in the purchase of this essential, since lines in all re- 

 spects equal, to the eye, may be bought at half price. But 

 these are made from a thread spun from a "fluff" produced 

 by disintegrating old silk stockings, unbrella covers, and 

 such trash, in a machine, and are ntterly worthless for any 

 purpose except to rob the unwary of their money. There- 

 fore, buy your lines of a reputable house. Take the best 

 they have, and pay their price, and you will have no reason 

 to regret it." 



MIDWINTER IN THE ADIRONDACK^. 



THE longer I live in the woods, the more I regret the 

 waste and destruction I see, and 1 do think there is a 

 growing sentiment in favor of protection among all classes 

 except the lumbermen. Y T ou say you wish there was never 

 to be another tree cut, only as wood for the inhabitants. 

 There need never be a tree cut for that, enough blows over 

 every winter to furnish ten cords where one is used, but in 

 this, like every other thing of the kind, the poorer classes 

 must have the best or none, where it, costs nothing. They 

 think because a tree blows over it is good for nothing, so go 

 for the very best and most valuable one standing, in many 

 cases burning a black cherry, which if cut into lumber would 

 be worth from $100 to $300, to keep fire for one week. The 

 black cherry is the most valuable of any wood we have here, 

 that will make good firewood. 1 have an old Englishman 

 at work for me and it nearly drives him crazy to see so 

 much wood wasting. He is cutting up all the down trees 

 that he can find that are sound enough for wood, some of 

 them it is not very profitable for me to have him spend his 

 time on, only that they are where I wish to clear out such 

 stuff to let the sun and air in to dry up the land, so I let 

 him work. He fills up my woodbox with sprude and pine 

 chunks, full of knots and pitch, and I burn the spruce in 

 the big stove, and the pine in the fireplace. 



Up to Jan. 17 we had a very mild winter, but since then 

 we have had a tough one. To-da.yhas been one of the worst 

 I ever knew, 12' below zero all day, and the Methodist 

 minister from Duane came in to dinner. We filled him up 

 and sent, him out warm at least. We have had many callers 

 during the winter, so we have not seemed so much alone as 

 other winters. 



I have had several letters from Mr. Sherman since he was 

 here. I think his trip to the north side of the Adirondacks 

 has done some good, I think he has a better opinion of the 

 country and people than he had. I think bis selection of 

 a site for. the hatching works the very best that could have 

 been made. I am more than satisfied. If I get able to do 

 anything I will have built a small hatching house, and then 

 can help the State if the Commissioners wish any help. 

 My experience with wild fish in wild waters may be worth 

 something to them.; if it is it shall be freely given. 

 I am very anxious to see the thing well under way They 

 have every chance to make a success of the establishment, 

 and ought to do so. 



Our winter has been a good one foi the fish I i 

 known of any fishing through the ice, A Pi Fulier. 



MeachamLake. Franklin Co., N. Y., Jan. 36. 



Varnish For Boos.— Troy, N. Y.— Editor Forest and 

 Stream,; I trust that "M." will not get confused in his en- 

 deavor to harmonize and to put to a practical demonstration 

 all of the suggestions that have been so freely offered by 

 various correspondents. Mr. Wells very kindly dwells 

 upon the application of the varnish at greater length than 

 upon any description of varnish to be used, and his remarks 

 come very opportune, striking as he does the key note of 

 the whole trouble with the majority of amateurs. When he 

 says, "But I apprehend the amateur usually encounters 

 more difficulty from the manner in which he applies his 

 varnish than from the inferiority of the varnish itself." It 

 is absolutely necessary that the varnish be applied correctly, 

 still it is quite as essential that good material be used to 

 work with. Poor varnish will not, with the best applica- 

 tion, make good and enduring work. Most rodmakers can 

 supply good varnish. I have used various kinds, and that 

 procured from Thomas A. Chubb, I must say, gives me the 

 best satisfaction. It soon hardens, distributing itself very 

 smoothly and uniformly over the surface, and will stand a 

 great deal of rough usage. 1 speak from my own experi- 

 ence, and with eight or ten fine rods, most of them split 

 bamboo, considerable varnish is required every season to 

 keep them in fighting trim. — H. P. S. 



Bass in Black Pond. — Swedesboro, N. J. — "Homo" 

 inquires what I know about the bass in Black Pond. About 

 three years ago a man living adjoining, set a net and caught 

 a fish weighing 6£ pounds. I did not learn of it until 

 several days after, and started at once to interview him; he 

 showed me the dried head. I concluded it was a black bass 

 and had been a large one. We have no other authenticated 

 instance of a bass being caught here. Within the last fifteen 

 years many small perch have been put in the pond and 

 although a great deal of fishing is done by girls and boys no 

 perch are caught. Small suufish, a few ill-conditioned, 

 small catfish are about all they ever get. Many years ago 

 this pond was famous for the large perch caught. As they 

 do not appear now, and as the bass did not thrive, and as 

 the pond has a bad smell in the summer, we have concluded 

 that the conditions are not favorable for fish, and have 

 ceased making any effort to stock it. Can any one give 

 information where rock bass can be obtained for stocking 

 purposes and at what cost? We have good waters around 

 us, and have about concluded that to have fishing we shall 

 have to make some effort. — C. D. L. 



Tackle for Bass. — In answer to "W. G.'s" question 

 about light bamboo rods, I would say I have used a oi-ounce 

 rod for black bass with much satisfaction this summer. I 

 was not fortunate enough to hook any larger than one 

 pound, but took two at once. 1 would not use any heavier 

 rod for anything under two pounds, and would like a trial 

 with a three-pounder, I would risk the rod. I used the small- 

 est braided silk line and No. 5 Aberdeen hooks. I make iny 

 own rods, and was willing to break one to find out how 

 much it would stand. It is well to play the fish in a delicate 

 manner, however. — C. L. H. 



Pennsylvaeia. — Trout fishermen who reside in the interior 

 of Pennsylvania with whom I have talked, tell me they expect 

 to have a late opening of the season, as far as actual work is 

 concerned, as there is more snow on the mountains at this 

 writing than for many years. All this has to melt and run 

 off before they will think of putting their rods together. — 

 Homo, 



