SIO 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[M:vy 14, 1885. 



gathered at the bote] some were old acquaintances, and 

 •while smoking our cigars after supper we had an experience 

 meeting on the piazza. There Was but one complaint and 

 that was universal; there had been a dead calm for several 

 days and but few bass taken, as the fishing was in compara- 

 tively shoal water where the fish could see each motion of 

 their would-be captors. Even as we were talking there 

 came a fresher air from lakeward, and before bedtime there 

 was a gentle beating of the waves upon the shale beach. After 

 inspecting the bait — crickets, crayfish, minnows and frogs — 

 and learning that the boatman we had telegraphed for would 

 present himself at an early hour we, as "Nessmuk" says, 

 "prepared to turn in." 



Back Bay deserves to be distinguished as a lake of itself. 

 It is about 'twenty miles long and five wide, and is separated 

 from the lake by the islands of North and South Hero on the 

 west; upon the south it is cut off from the lake by what is 

 called the sandbar bridge; upon the north there is an opening 

 into Missisquoi Bay, which, in its turn, opens by a narrow 

 strip of water— Alburgh Passage— into the lake. Between 

 North and South Hero is "The Gut," a still narrower pass- 

 age, and this and Alburgh Passage form the only communi- 

 cation between the lake and the bay. The charts of the 

 United States Coast Survey show that no streams of import- 

 ance flaw into the bay from Vermont, but there is every 

 indication that the bottom abounds iu springs and the water, 

 to my surprise, is as clear as crystal. From a hasty exami- 

 nation of the soundings, as shown on the charts, 1 should 

 judge nearly one-half the bay had a depth of water of from 

 live to forty feet, and there are innumerable reefs, shoals 

 and sandbars, furnishing acres upon acres of breeding and 

 feeding grounds for the black bass. If there are weeds and 

 other noxious water growth, I did not discover them. There 

 is fine grass to be sure, but the bottom is largely of boulders, 

 gravel and sand— 



"And the deep pool hath not oozs and sludge 

 To mar your fishing." 



As I read the series of entertaining papers in Foxiest and 

 Stream entitled "Camp Flotsam," i became deeply inter- 

 ested in one of the many admirable descriptions therein 

 found. "Wawayanda," in making a trial of a new rod. 

 casts over a bed of water weeds and moss, and fastens to 

 two black bass of a total weight of lour and a half pounds, 

 which immediately take themselves into the moss only to 

 emerge when clad in ulsters of weeds and wraps of moss. I 

 have witnessed such proceedings, and the description was so 

 real that the bending of "Wawayanda's" rod gave me a 

 severe pain under the pectoral fin caused by the fear that its 

 maiden cast would also be its last. I breathed a sigh of re- 

 lief when the bass were captured without injury to the rod, 

 and ray thoughts brought Back Bay vivialy before me as 

 free from this particular style of handicap. I do not know 

 how many times I have challenged fish to combat in places 

 that I knew must give them almost every advantage, and 

 when safely out of it resolved that I would not again subject 

 a rod deliberately to such an imposition, but 1 presume I 

 shall contiuue. to be too weak to resist the temptation ; if I 

 do, the resolutions shall have justice done them on each oc- 

 casion. I was tempted and fell during the trip I am trying 

 to write about. Should I fail to mention the particulars, it 

 will be because the editor's patience gives out before my 

 paper. 



Situated within easy distance of the hotel are Butler's, 

 Knights, Gull, Wood's, Pop Squash, Potter's and Diadama 

 islands, Gull Island Reef and Long Point Shoal. These are 

 all favorite fishing places, and 1 presume thpre are others 

 deserving of recognition; but I have named sufficient places 

 for a firot-class retail business, or even catching bass by 

 wholesale. Of the places visited, Diadama Island pleased 

 me full as much as any for the variety of fishing ground 

 about it. Stretching out northward is a shoal of sand and 

 gravel with a sudden pitch toward the east into deep water 

 and grass. On the west is a collection of huge boulders that 

 forms an attraction for bass, and on the northeast is a rocky 

 shoal extending to Butler Island, half a mile away. On the 

 east of Wood's Island is a sandbar reaching midway to the 

 main shore, which makes the finest bottom for fishing when 

 the bass are on it. Perhaps the most extensive ground in 

 one bunch is Gull Island or Middle Reef. Soundings 

 developed rock and rock and grass in combination. West 

 of Gull Island the shoal pitches down into the deep water of 

 the steamboat channel, and by anchoring on the edge of the 

 shoal the bass are intercepted as they come out of the deep 

 water to feed in the shallows. 



We found that it was the custom to get breakfast about 7 

 o'clock and make what we considered a late start, for the 

 Texas Club believe in being on the fishing ground by day- 

 light in the morning in order to catch the larger black bass. 

 The first morning we did as the Romans did ; even then our 

 boatman did not put in an appearance. Without the 

 boatman, who had been engaged for us, we would have to 

 content ourselves with a good oarsman, but one who knew 

 nothing about where, to fish. All the anglers had departed 

 except Mr. W. W. Ladd, Jr., of New York, who very kindly 

 waited to see that we were properly provided for or to put us 

 on to the grounds himself. The gentle wind that had sur- 

 vived the night gave evidence of an early death, and all were 

 eager to avail themselves of its last moments; therefore, Mr. 

 Ladd's politeness was being exercised at the expense of his 

 fishing, and we took the oarsman and pushed off. Diadama 

 was our destination, and it was three miles away. We 

 anchored near the boulders of which I have spoken, and im- 

 mediately I had a strike from a bass of three and three-quar- 

 ter pounds, and the Major followed suit with one just apound 

 less. The next one was of the same weight, 'also to the 

 Major's rod, and then I just had time to catch three in rapid 

 succession that varied little from two pounds each, when the 

 wind failed utterly, giving us an opportunity to compare 

 notes. Every fish made a vigorous fight, leaving nothing to 

 be desired, so far as we could discover. Even a pike (E. 

 Indus) seized my bait and made a rush and leap after the 

 manner of a bass, The only thing lacking was wind to 

 ruffle the surface of the water, beneath which we could see 

 a score of big bass lazily sculling around, perfectly indifferent 

 to everything we offered them. We wished for wind with 

 such vehemence that we overdid the matter, as we found the 

 next day. There was nothing to do but to row around, 

 armed with Mr. Ladd's chart, and examine the different 

 fishing places. This became monotonous after a time, and 

 we headed for Butler Island and luncb, to escape the heat 

 and reflection of the sun upon the mirror-like water. We 

 had missed the best fishing of the day by our tardy start. 

 Mr. Ladd's boat showed several fine bass, and while we were 

 lounging and smoking after our lunch Mr. A. Lee Wager 

 and a friend, on their way to shore to escape the heat, paused 

 long enough to say that they had three bass of over three 



pounds each, and Dr. Ferber and Mr. Louis Giles, fishing 

 together in the first boat out that morning, had caught 

 about a dozen large fish, but there had been no strikes since 

 the wind ceased. 



While we rested in the shade we saw several bass make 

 rushes into the shoal water near our landing place to prey 

 upon the small fish playing about, which proved that they 

 would feed if the water was still, provided there were no 

 steel intestines inside the minnows, and they were sharp 

 enough to make discrimination between those tied to a string 

 and those not. Just as the sun was sinking we pushed out 

 to have another try at them with our rods. There was no 

 wind, but we hoped for aid from the twilight. Several 

 anchorages were drawn blank, when half an hour after sun- 

 down we anchored near the steamboat channel west of Gull 

 Island ; directly north and about thirty feet away was a 

 channel buoy sticking from the water at an angle of about 

 45 , and pointing a little to my right on N. E. After tryiug 

 all about us without a strike from a bass I remarked to the 

 Major that I believed there was a bass directly under the 

 leaning buoy waiting for a chance to wind some one's line 

 around the stick, and I should gratify him. Putting a cray- 

 fish on ray hook I dropped the "craw" and hook within a 

 foot of and almost under the leaning warning post. The 

 bait had hardly settled a foot beneath the surface of the 

 water when such a swirl as the blade of an oar will make, 

 replaced the widening circles caused by the plunge of the 

 crayfish. Striking, as much at the sight of the swirl as in 

 response to the, communication telegraphed up the fine, I 

 was fast to a good fish. There was a whir of my reel, and 

 from the other side of the buoy appeared a four-pound bass 

 shaking his head as though he were a terrier worrying a rat. 

 I was using a new Nichols bamboo rod that had tasted 

 its first blood that day, and although it was comparatively 

 untried, I knew the family characteristic from the use of 

 its brother. As the bass jumped I saw only too plainly that 

 the line from my reel to the fish formed an obtuse angle 

 with the vertex of the angle down in the water under the 

 stub. Quicker than I can write it there was another leap, 

 and this time it was a right angle that the line made, with 

 the vertex in the same place. I saw that it was a mathe- 

 matical bass, and I expected the next demonstration would 

 be an acute angle or a circle around the buoy. I was not 

 idle during these exercises in geometry, but getting to the 

 bow of the boat I pulled in the slack of the anchor rope 

 with one haad and held the reel up with the other, so that 

 the next figure described was a straight line and a curved 

 rod. Reeling rapidly, I managed to get the bass barely past 

 the danger signal, but he discovered his error and tried to 

 regain his vantage ground. With my rod erect aud thumb 

 on reel, I backed the leader against the strength of the bass 

 and won. The struggle was worth the price of admission 

 while it lasted, and although it is half-past two o'clock in 

 the morning at this very writing, the thought of the contest 

 tempts me to hurrah just once, even though it wake the 

 family. If fish were provided with eyelids, I don't think 

 that black bass would ever use them to veil their eyes, for 

 When the hand of man has brought them low, 

 They look the defiance they can no longer show. 

 That was not premeditated. In fact I did not know it 

 was loaded until I stumbled over it; then, I admit, 1 at- 

 tempted to change the architecture of the two lines, but. 

 when the paper looked like one of Balzac's proof sheets, I 

 gave it up and fell back upon the original inspiration. The 

 treasurer is the poet of the club, and his training as a verse 

 builder enables him to keep in stock a sufficient amount of 

 poetic license to properly weigh all fish that escape. 



We reached the hotel after dark that eveuing to find that 

 the treasurer had arrived, and that Dr. Ferber's boat was 

 high hook with fourteen bass, twelve of which weighed 43£ 

 pounds. The next morning the president pushed out in 

 solitary state, leaving the treasurer and secretary to join 

 forces. I neglected to state that before leaving the Gull 

 Island shoal or buoy the previous evening we baited the 

 ground by throwing over the dead crayfish in the bait 

 bucket, in consequence of which this anchorage promptly 

 returned ten bass of 26J- pouuds. Diadama Rocks aud 

 Wood's Island sandbar returned eleven other bass weighing 

 26f pounds, or a total of 53 pounds for the day. Before the 

 morning was half gone the returns from a week of wishing 

 began to come in in the shape of wind. Fishing was out of 

 the question, and we pulled to the hotel, just beating a heavy 

 shower from the west. After dinner, the sea having gone 

 down, we weut to Wood's Island bar, where the fishing was 

 excellent until another heavy shower came down as though 

 there was a break in the sky water-works. This was fol- 

 lowed by wind in such force that we concluded that New 

 York must have joined Vermont in the petition for a breeze. 

 One bass that Mr. Cleveland caught when the wind was 

 blowing its hardest made six vigorous jumps from the water, 

 and when exhausted it turned side up to be seen sixty or 

 seventy feet away on the crest of wave after wave that tossed 

 and caressed and fondled it and held it back with the assist- 

 ance of the wind until it gathered fresh vigor to make 

 another valiant but hopeless fight. It was a splendid fish, 

 but when safely in the net the treasurer decreed that it 

 should go back to the water it was so loath to leave, and 

 there remain to breed others of its kind for anglers of a later 

 day. 1 fished but little this second day, and such fish as I 

 did catch I returned to the water, for it was evident that we 

 were to get more fish than we ought to keep, and as it was 

 the treasurer's first day he could not be expected to throw 

 all his fish back. 1 was not idle, however, as I had some of 

 the treasurer's own poetry that 1 read aloud to him in instull- 

 ments of one stanza, until he offered me a large part of 

 Texas not to repeat more until I could get the president 

 alone in the boat. This gave me a sure thing on the Lone 

 Star.f or I knew the president would give me the balance of the 

 State and part of Mexico if I would contract to postpone the 

 recital indefinitely. It was good, satisfying poetry, very 

 little of it satisfied every one, but it was getting too familiar. 

 1 did not see any bass brought in that would weigh less 

 than one pound each, and very few of the pound size; but 

 there were too many fish saved for the number of people to 

 eat them. No matter how plenty the fish may be, such fish- 

 ing should be discouraged, Last winter the Vermont Leg- 

 islature passed a law that forbids the catching of, or having 

 in possession, any bass less than ten inches in length; but 

 there is an unwritten law that should also be observed— do 

 not retain more fish than can be eaten while they are at their 

 best. If the desire to catch more cannot be controlled, re- 

 turn the excess to the water. 



The boats at Back Bay, although rather large for racing 

 purposes, are perfectly safe, and the men handle them with 

 as much skill as the famed St. Lawrence boatmen. Our ride 

 in from Wood's Island bar was through a sea that frequently 

 presented a wall of water between the Major's boat and our- 



selves, and the wind was on our beam, but we did not take 

 in water faster than I could bale it. The boatman explained 

 this by saying he never could become interested in a series 

 of magnificent fishing exploits— the treasurer did most of 

 the talking— and express the pioper decree of admiration 

 without taking in a little water. When we reached the hotel 

 the treasurer found one of those telegrams that follow a man 

 everywhere, and he was obliged to take the back track in 

 the morning, so we concluded to go in a body. Some one 

 caught a sheepshead, or really a fresh-water drum, during 

 the day, and our boatman took out its ear bones and pre- 

 sented oue to Cleveland and one to me lor 'lucky stones." 

 Every angler ought to have one. We have carried ours for 

 six months and are both alive to-dav; but there are some 

 few things in which the lucky stones are not potent. 



The club left Back Bay in the morning, and reached St. 

 Albans safely; but at Burlington we missed the train for 

 Rutland, whereupon the Major suggested that lucky hones 

 did not work well on land. We then took steamer for Port 

 Kent to catch another train on the Canada Railroad, and 

 when within a half mile from the dock, we saw the train 

 depart from the station, the Major remarked that they did 

 not work on the water, aud it must be that iu order to receive 

 benefit from them we must leurn to fly. 1 still think they 

 will work if we can discover the proper' combination of ele- 

 ments. Having missed the train at Port Kent, we drove to 

 another Lake View House— I think a pot-shot in Northern 

 New York would bag several Lake Views— near Keesville 

 for dinner, and then went through An Sable Chasm. We 

 managed to strike the Montreal sleeper in spite of the lueky 

 stones, and reached Glens Falls early in the morning, Mr. 

 Wager wrote me that the day we were in search of a train 

 of cars or a steamboat (for we missed one steamer that I have 

 not mentioned) that would take us home, he was fishing in 

 a high wind at. Back Bay, and caught twenty-one bass 

 weighing forty-four pounds. The bass that Wfi caught 

 proved themselves gamer than any other pond or lake bass 

 that we have taken. A. N. Cheney. 



Glens Falls, N. T. 



SWELLING HOOKS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



As Mr. Cheney has not replied to the questions asked by 

 "J. W. T," under the above caption, in your issue of March 

 19, I will venture a few remarks, although I well know that 

 either of these gentlemen is better qualified to discuss this 

 question than 1 am. "J. W. T " asks whether the wax 

 would not be improved by substituting liuseed oil for tallow 

 (my receipt says lard). He says linseed oil possesses the 

 drying element. For that reason I would not use it. 1 am 

 using this season wax that I made last year, and I find it 

 unchanged. I have not used the wax he mentions, and nave 

 no douDt it is a good one, but the difficulty of removing it 

 from the hands is an objection, The wax I am using is not 

 my own invention. I adopted it on seeing it recommended 

 by a well-known English angler, whose interesting contribu- 

 tions have recently adorned the pages of Forest and 

 SiKEAM. The wax I have found perfect for the purposes 

 for which I have used it up to date. When it fails me I 

 will, like "J. W. T.," look for something better. 



I inclose two snooded hooks, tied with this wax, which I 

 used last season. They are complete wrecks, but the waxed 

 silk wrapping, or at 'least that part of it which was not 

 chewed off by the fish, is still there, aud the gut still adheres 

 firmly to the hooks. On one of these honks about one-third 

 of the wrapping is gone, the worn off paTt being in the 

 middle, leaving two ends of the thread entirely loose and 

 unprotected. I have tried and failed to pull the gut from the 

 hook, and request the editor to do the same, and if he fails 

 also, to send the hooks to "J. W. T.." for a final test. These 

 hooks and snoods have been wet and dry many times and 

 show no effects of expansion and Contraction complained of 

 by "J.W. T." Astothe "knotty" question, these snoods will 

 show the kind of knot I Invariably use not only for loops, 

 but for joining gut lengths together to make leaders. It 

 may be trimmed as closely as possible and will never come 

 open. 



The hooks are Harrison's No . 4. sproat, and I had a num : 

 ber break off just under the beard, like sample inclosed. I 

 think they are tempered too hard, and that too much temper 

 in a fish hook is worse than none at all. E. A. Leopold. 



Nobristown, Pa., May 8. 



A HOME-MADE MINNOW NET. 



IN your last issue your correspondent, "L. R. K.,"asks 

 how to make a net to catch minnows. 1 will describe a 

 net which I have used for the past three seasons, and which 

 I think possesses several points of superiority over any other 

 which I have seen. It is made from a worn out umbrella, 

 only the steel bows and the ring which slides on the handle 

 being used. An ordinary sized umbrella with eight bows is 

 the proper kind to use. Take the umbrella apart, remove 

 the small clamps from the bows, the clamps I refer to are 

 those that attach the ends of the braces to the bows, fasten 

 the upper ends of the bows to the ring, or tube, which 

 formerly slid up and down the umbrella handle in opening 

 and closing. This fasteniug is effected with a piece of stout 

 wire, just as the braces had been fastened at the same place. 

 The net is octagonal in form and fastened at the eight 

 corners to the other ends of the bows. To spread the net use 

 a hard wood block, three inches in diameter at the large end. 

 One end is trimmed down to such thickness as to fit loosely 

 iu the tube, aud long enough to extend through about an 

 inch when the net is spread. Insert the block from under- 

 neath, and force up between the bows until the net is spread 

 taut, and the bows sprung out slightly. Bore a small hole 

 through the block just above the tube and insert an iron pin 

 to hold it in place. A nail or a wood screw will answer the 

 purpose, aud must be so loose that it can easily be removed 

 with the fingers. The netting must be flat, not bagging. 

 Ordinary mosquito netting will answer the purpose, and 

 should be white, or a very light shade of color, so you can 

 see when the minnows are over your net. 



Attach a short striog to the middle of the net, to which tie 

 a small piece of stale bread, Put a stone the size of a hulled 

 walnut in the net to sink it. Where the water is from two 

 to three feet in depth allow the net to set tie to the bottom, if 

 deeper- the net may be suspended by a cord. If fishing from 

 the top of a perpendicular wall the cord may be held iu the 

 hand, but if from a sloping bank, a handle five or six feet long 

 will be necessarv. The net must be raised with a quick, 

 strong pull. Every part of the net frame must be: strongly 

 made or something" will give way. A hard pull will catch 

 the large minnows; a slow, easy pull will catch only small 

 ones. If they are slow about coming to the net, a few 



