June 4, 1885.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



371 



is easily waded and you can go down to the main Potomac, 

 some twelve miles, and have good fishing. 



I have been iu the Adirondacks, at Lake George and. other 

 places, and have never struck such a place for fishing 1 as 

 this. 1 boarded with Mr. John T, Vance, who gave me a 

 room fit for a prince to sleep in, and Mrs. Vance makes tlie 

 grandest wheat bread I ever eat. The bass I caught the day 

 before were served up in first-rate style at the nest morning's 

 breakfast. Since I was I here the* Baltimore & Ohio has 

 built their road from Green Spring to Romney, which lands 

 passengers just in front of the door of the house where I 

 stayed. One can leave Baltimore iu the morning and get 

 to their house in time for supper. While this is a quiet 

 place, yet there are visitors calling and staying over almost 

 every night, for Mrs. Vance lias a large circle of acquaint- 

 ance* and she keeps up the old style of Virginia hospitality. 

 For those who want to drink, carouse and carry on in high 

 style, this is not the place, as nothing of that kind is toler^ 

 filled there. Churches, stores and other conveniences are 

 found at Romney. There is also a good supply of minnows, 

 grasshoppers, toads, helgramites, etc. John Geobge, 



No 87 West Lombard St., Baltimore, Md. 



MAINE AND NEW BRUNSWICK WATERS. 



MANY lovers of fishiug are doubtless already tryiug to 

 decide upon a place where they may cast the fly for 

 a few weeks of summer vacation. Remembering the time 

 when I shonld have been very glad of some definite and re- 

 liable information to help oiie in selecting a place where I 

 could spend to the best advautage my short vacation, I am 

 minded to give something of this kind from my own experi- 

 ence. Of course, there is no lack of suggestions in the so- 

 called guide books, but many of these wilfbe found, on trial, 

 simply "a snare and a delusion." But I know whereof I 

 affirm, and I herewith give a list of a few good streams and 

 lakes in Northern Maine and New Brunswick, which I have 

 visited, some of them several times, with brief descriptions 

 of them, and plain directions for reaching them. 



First is the chain of lakes known as the Fish River Lakes. 

 The best Avay to reach them is to go first to Portage Lake. 

 To do this take the cars at Bangor for Presque Isle, and 

 thence by stage to Ashland, twenty-three miles, thence by 

 private conveyance to Portage Lake, ten miles. There is a 

 good road all the way. No difficulty will be found in pro- 

 curing boats and guides at the lake, but if one wishes to 

 write and secure these beforehand, the postmaster at Ash- 

 land, Mr. Mooers, or Mi 1 . Jarvis Hayward, of same place, 

 would undoubtedly attend to it. Arrived at Portatje Lake, 

 one could fish this first or cross it and proceed directly to 

 Big Square Lake. This is the first in the chain, but cannot 

 be reached except by way of Portage Lake, the second iu 

 the chain. The thoroughfare between the two is about 

 eighteen miles long. Big Square Lake is as pretty a spot as 

 one could wish to see, and as it is off the common route of 

 fishermen is a errand place for sport. I have visited it twice 

 and found abundance of fish. There is also a fair chance to 

 find game. The trout are many of them large, and the 

 fishing places easy to find. There are two streams that run 

 into ihe lake, and the trout lie at the mouths of these in 

 such numbers that the fisherman, though a novice, can soon 

 catch all he wants. From this lake one has the current in 

 his favor through all the thoroughfares between the rest of 

 the lakes. Portage Lake, to which we must now return, 

 has many good fishing places, but as it is more frequented 

 than Big Square Lake, oue is not so sure of finding plenty 

 of fish. All through the other lakes will be found good 

 fishing and fine scenery. I need not try to point out the 

 different fishing spots, for the guides well know them, and 

 also if the fislierman has had experience he can judge for 

 himself where are the likely spots for trout. This chain of 

 lakes extends about eighty miles, and you pass out by Fish 

 River, which luns into the St. John river at Foit Kent. 

 Twelve miles down the St. John brings you to Edmonston 

 (or Little Falls), where one can take the cars for Bangor. 



If the tourist wishes to avoid the ride from Presque isle 

 to Portage Lake, he can reach these lakes in another way, 

 and go through them in the opposite direction from that 

 already mentioned, and then come back again to the starting 

 place. To do this it would be necessary to take the cars at 

 Bangor to Edmonston and thence by boat twelve miles to 

 Dickeyville. From here four miles will bring him to one of 

 the lakes where a boat and guide can be procured. A few 

 miles below Edmonston Green River empties into the St. 

 John. This river is full of trout. Tbey are not very large, 

 but the quantity makes up for the size. 



Another good trip is to go to the headwaters of the Resti- 

 gouche River and fish it down. To do this one would need 

 to take the cars at Bangor for Andover, N. B., where canoes 

 and Indian guides can readily be obtained for about $1.50 

 per day. From Andover go up the St. John to the mouth 

 of the Grand River. Before reaching this you pass Grand 

 Falls. These falls and the scenery around are indeed grand 

 beyond description, and the tourist may well reckon on 

 spending a day at least to wander amid such wonderful 

 displays of nature's work. 



Arrived at Grand River (which is about fifteen miles above 

 Grand Falls) you go up that about eighteen miles and reach 

 a '-waugan" or small stream, which soon brings you to the 

 "carry," which is about three miles and not very difficult. 

 Then down another "waugan" of about eight miles, and 

 your canoe emerges from the damp overhanging bushes of 

 the waugan into the magnificent Restigoucke. Here at the 

 headwaters are plenty of good-sized trout, and after passing- 

 down the river some twenty miles, salmon fishing will be 

 found. These salmon pools are all owned by the proprietors 

 of the river shore, and the owners have the exclusive right to 

 catch salmon. But the trout are free, and also no one objects 

 to the tourist casting a fly for salmon in the passage down 

 the river. It is a large and beautiful river, with no difficult 

 rapids, and will well repay the sportsman for a visit. There 

 are several smaller rivers flowing into it, all of which have 

 good trout and salmon fishing, notably the TJpsalq'uitch and 

 the Metapedia. 1 have been on all these rivers more than 

 •once, and speak from experience. At Metapedia, a village 

 at the mouth of the river of that name, is a good hotel. Mr. 

 Frazer, the landlord, is a most obliging person, and will 

 make one's stay with, him very pleasant, At this point the 

 cars can be taken for the return home via St. John. 



But if the tourist does not care to take the Restigouche 

 from its headwaters as first described, he can go directly to 

 Metapedia, which is a station on the Intercolonial Railroad, 

 and distant about ten hours' travel from St. Johu city. 

 Plenty of boats and reliable guides can readily be obtained, 

 and also Mr. Frazer can supply permits for salmon fishing, 

 as he has the control of some pools. Making your head- 

 quarters at the hotel, you could go up the Upsalquitch or 



Metapedia, or some of the other smaller streams and stay as 

 long as desired, and return and try another. The railroad 

 runs close to the Metapedia River its whole length, and the 

 fisherman can have, his boat put on the train at Metapedia 

 Station and carried free of charge as far up that river as he 

 likes to go, paying fare only for himself and guide. Then 

 he puts his boat iu and floats down at his leisure toward the 

 hotel. My boat was taken up to the headwaters, over fifty 

 miles, without charge, and this is the rule on the road. 



The Tobique River flows into the St. John at Andover. 

 Take cars at Bangor for Andover and there procure canoes 

 and Indians. If' one wishes to secure these beforehand, 

 write to Mr. Allen Perley, the laudlord of the hotel at And- 

 over, who will attend to the matter promptly. The Tobique 

 is not large, but it is a charming river. The water is as clear 

 as crystal, and the scenery in many places exceedingly wild 

 and grand. There are two rapids where the river dashes 

 through high walls of rock in a way to make one dizzy to 

 look at. 



The tourist will probably prefer to walk around these, but 

 the distance is not great. The Tobique Indians are good 

 guides and perfectly familiar with all the fishiim; places on 

 the river. It is fairly well settled for about thirty miles 

 from the mouth, but for the remaining thirty miles to the 

 forks the settlers are few. Many Small streams flow into 

 it. and good trout fishing is found at the mouths of these. 

 There are also plenty of'salmon iu the river, but it has never 

 been fished with the fly especially for salmon, and the 

 "pools" are, therefore, not known. I have been up this 

 river several times and hardly ever failed of taking one or 

 more salmon by chance when trolling or casting for trout. 

 The Indians spear large numbers of them. 



At the. forks, sixty miles from the mouth, the river 

 branches into three streams, called the N. and S. branches 

 and the Mamezekel. The latter is very small. About 

 twenty mile3 up the N. branch is the "salmon hole," the 

 headwaters for the salmon, The Indians often visit this 

 place to spear. Bears are quite plenty on these branches. 

 About twenty-seven miles from the forks up the S. branch 

 we reach the Tobique Lake. It is quite small but is a per- 

 fect gem. High hills, densely wooded, slope regularly down 

 to the shore on every side, and the little lakelet protected by 

 this sheltering wall is always smooth and placid, The water 

 is very deep and clear. In the middle is a tiny, rocky island 

 about twenty-five or thirty feet long, where the voyager can 

 camp and enjoy a brief paradise, free from flies and 

 mosquitoes, it is impossible to imagine a more lovely spot 

 than this little lake in the far backwoods. There is good 

 fishing all along the S. branch of the Tobique, but only one 

 fishing place in the lake itself. 



Then if one wishes he can keep on from here and go into 

 the Nipissiquit Lake, by a "carry" of about two miles. 

 Nipissiquit Lake, the headwaters of the river of that name, 

 is not so beautiful as Tobique Lake, but the fishing here is 

 something marvelous. I have stood on the shore and in a 

 short time caught so many trout that I was ashamed to take 

 any more, as it seemed like wanton slaughter. Every time 

 1 would cast the fly the water near where it struck would he 

 alive with trout - jumping for it. If by accident I dropped 

 the fly close to the bank right at my feet, some daring fellow 

 would seize it. From this lake you pass into the Nipissiquit 

 River, a very rough, rocky stream, but witli good scenery 

 and plenty of trout, some of them very large. 



A journey of about eighty miles down the river brings you 

 to Grand Falls, where the river plunges down in clouds of 

 spray over a high and abrupt precipice. These "Grand 

 Falls" have neither the height nor the volume of water of the 

 Grand Falls of the St. John River, but still the view of them 

 and of the wild and picturesque scenery around, is enough 

 of itself to repay one for the - journey. Below the Grand 

 Falls salmon are plenty. It is about twenty miles from the 

 falls to Bathurst, at the mouth of the river, and a rougher 

 twenty miles of navigable river it would be hard to find on 

 the face of the earth. But with a staunch canoe and a trusty 

 Indian it is the most exhilarating sport to shoot these fre- 

 quent rapids, and one soon becomes accustomed to them and 

 enjoys them. At Bathurst the cars of the Intercolonial 

 Railroad can be taken for home via St. John. The head 

 waters of the Upsalquitch (to which 1. have alluded before) 

 can be Teached from the Nipissiquit. The "carry" between 

 the two rivers is about three miles long, and is situated about 

 fifteen miles below Nipissiquit Lake. The Upsalquitch is 

 about fifty miles long, and is a fine river for trout and sal- 

 mon. I found this carry rather difficult, and also we were 

 obliged to "shoe" the canoe^for part of the headwaters of 

 the Upsalquitch. 



I once took a trip from Andover up the Tobique River to 

 the forks and return, with four ladies and two boys in the 

 party of eleven. After going up the river by the road about 

 twenty miles we chartered a fiatboat, which, towed by a 

 span of horses, took us to the forks very comfortably in 

 about five days, fishing as we went along. At meal-time we 

 would land and cook our gipsey meal on the shore and camp 

 for the night on the banks. The ladies enjoyed it very 

 much, and the boys were wild with delight all the trip. We 

 were absent from Andover ten days and came back a healthier, 

 if a blacker, crew than we started. A party of Philadel- 

 phians, with ladies, passed us on their way through to the 

 Nipissiquit River. Indeed, it is not at all unusual for ladies 

 to take this trip. 



The Miramichi River has two main branches, the north- 

 west and the southwest. Of the former I cannot speak from 

 personal observation, but it is said to be a good river for 

 salmon. It can be reached by a long, hard carry of twelve 

 miles from the north branch of the Tobique River, or by the 

 way of Fredericton and stage to Boiestown. The southwest 

 branch is the best river for salmon that I was ever on. Tne 

 pools are numerous and very accessible. The trout fishing is 

 also good. This branch can be reached in two ways. One 

 is to take the cars at Bangor for Fredericton, and thence by 

 stage or private conveyance forty miles to a settlement on 

 the Miramichi, about four miles above Boiestown, where Mr. 

 Wm. Wilson lives. Here are quite a number of settlers, and 

 boats and guides can readily be procured to go up the river. 

 Like all the New Brunswick rivers, the salmon pools here 

 are controlled by the owners of the shore. But the voyager 

 passing up or down the river is not molested if he doe's not 

 interfere with those who may be on the spot. 



The other way to reach this river, and in some respects 

 the hetter way is to go to the headwaters and so on down 

 the river. To do this it would be necessary to engage boats 

 and guides to meet you at a place called the Forks, about 

 forty miles above Wilson's. This can be done by corres- 

 ponding with Mr. Wilson. His address is Mr. Wm. Wilson, 

 McDonald's Way Office, Miramichi River, above Boiestown, 

 Bloomfield, 'N. B. Write some time ahead, as postal com- 

 munication in New Brunswick is not so rapid or sure as in 



the States. Mr. W. is a very reliable person, and one can 

 be sure of honest and prompt dealing in all negotiations 

 with him. It would of course be necessary to state the date 

 for the guides to be at the forks. Then two days before that 

 date, take the cars at Bangor for Woodstock, N. B. Here 

 ascertain the name of the station on the N. B. R. R. where 

 you are to get off to cross over to the Miramichi. I do not 

 remember the name, but it is some twenty miles above 

 Woodstock, and the conductor on the train will know which 

 it is. The railroad was not built when I made this trip. At 

 this place you can procure a team to take you across to the 

 forks of the Miramichi, tweuty-four miles, to meet your 

 guides. From the forks good fishing will be found all the 

 way down to Wilson's, forty miles. Here you can take a 

 team for Fredericton or go on four miles further down 

 river to Boiestown and take the stage. 



There are many other lakes and streams in this part of the 

 country where good fishing can be had. One who has never 

 visited this region will be surprised and delighted at the 

 beauty of the scenery in many places, and also abundantly 

 rewarded for his labor in the pleasant work of casting the 

 fly over these streams and lakes. Of course black flies and 

 mosquitoes abound; but with proper precautions in the way 

 of fly poison and a well-arranged sleeping outfit, one need 

 not suffer any great discomfort. For the benefit of whom 

 it may concern I will give the recipe for a mixture that I 

 can strongly recommend : 



OH tar Yi ounce. 



Oil clove 1% drachma. 



Oil pennyroyal y& ounce. 



Spirits camphor 1 £§ ounces. 



Ammonia water 2 drachms. 



Olive oil to make 8 ounces. 



Add castor oil 1 ounce. 



Mix well. 



Use this freely on face and hands and the black flies will not 

 touch you. it is the best fly poison I ever used, and is not 

 disagreeable. 



For the benefit of campers out I will also give directions 

 to make a sleeping outfit, which will save all annoyance 

 from mosquitoes by night. Take some cheap blankets and 

 cut out five pieces each 6 feet long, 3^ feet wide at one end 

 and 34 at the other; also another piece, same width, but 2 

 feet longer, for bottom. Sew up the sides and narrow end 

 of these pieces, leaving the 3^ feet end open, making a bag, 

 into which one may crawl feet first, under one, two or more 

 thicknesses of blanket, according to weather, and sometimes 

 in this region one is glad of the whole of them. Sew on 

 over these blankets a piece of thin cotton cloth of following 

 dimensions: 8 feet wide at one end and 2^ feet at the other, 

 and 7 feet long. Sew the narrow end to the narrow end of 

 the blankets, and the sides to the sides of the blankets, leav- 

 ing the 8-foot end slack to be hauled up to the top of the 

 tent, making an A shaped covering when the bed is ar- 

 ranged. Have a good-sized piece of mosquito netting sewn 

 on the wide end of the cotton covering, loose enough so that 

 the sleeper can easily crawl under it, and long enough to be 

 tucked under the pillow (and by the way, always take the 

 pillow; it pays). With such an arrangement for sleeping 

 one can rest comfortably, safe fiom the attacks of the buz- 

 zing mosquitoes. It is easily arranged, perfectly convenient, 

 gives plenty of air, and every ounce of weight is utilized. 



Lewiston, Me. Wm. H. Washbttrn. 



WAX AND VARNISH RECIPES. 



THE beeswax, resin and lard recipe for wax is a very 

 good one, but I find it is much better to increase the 

 amount of beeswax and all but omit the lard, putting in a 

 very minute quantity. The grease is objectionable in all 

 waxes, especially when one is fly-tying, as it is detrimental 

 to the finer shades of silk. When the color of the silk is of 

 no importance, there is scarcely any wax superior for rough 

 work to the ordinary shoemaker's kind, which, in order to 

 allow of its perfectly penetrating the silk, should be dissolved 

 in methylated spirit till of the consistency of gruel. The 

 binding silk should be placed bodily in this solution and the 

 superfluous liquid removed between the finger and thumb. 

 The spirit of course evaporates, leaving the wax hard and 

 the silk perfectly waterproof. As to varnish, there is noth- 

 ing, even for dark woods, which is superior to shellac and 

 spirit, to which a little gum benzoin is added. The shellac 

 and spirit should be put in a warm place and shaken occa- 

 sionally till the latter will take up no more; then the benzoin 

 pulverized is added, and after it is dissolved and the solution 

 has stood twelve hours or so, the clear should be decanted 

 for use. In applying this to rods a brush should not be 

 used— a pad of cotton in a piece of old linen is the best 

 means of application, and a half a dozen coals will not be 

 too many if a beautiful polish is desired. Another very good 

 varnish for light woods, termed in England the "Crystal" 

 varnish, is thus made: Equal parts of Canada balsam and 

 spirits of turpentine; warm the balsam till quite fluid and. 

 then add the turpentine. Shake the mixture well and place 

 it in a warm situation. It is ready for use next. Here is 

 another better than the last, if possible. Reduce gum copal 

 to powder, and mix with it equal parts of oil rosemary till 

 the two form a jelly, then add. absolute alcohol gradually, 

 shaking the mixture. A water bath greatly assists. A 

 capital waterproof varnish foi fly-tying is made by dissolv- 

 ing pure gutta percha in chloroform. The rubber must be 

 finely divided. Don't get this too near the nose for any 

 length of time or you will find yourself getting sleepy. 



J. Hakhlngton Keene. 



THE MOST KILLING FLY. 



Editor Foi-est and Stream: 



I am glad to again see an article on "The most killing fly" 

 and from the pen of one who has kept such close record, and 

 evidently "speaks whereof he knows." 1 have had three very 

 pleasant years acquaintance with Satmo mvginalis, fishing 

 almost daily during the entire open season and over a stretch 

 of country extending from the far end of Gunnison county, 

 Colo, , to the borders of old Mexico, and it is a pleasure to 

 be able to agree almost in toto with "Cyrtonyx." 



I have kept no record save in my mind, but think on the 

 whole if I had to take nvy choice between the black prince 

 and coachman, I would cling to the prince, and more 

 especially for Colorado waters. I have had exactly his 

 experience with most of the popular Eastern flies. I don't 

 think I ever caught a mountain trout on a red or split ibis, 

 though I have often tried them for experiment. One fly 

 that I have found very good, especially in ponds and lakes, 

 is the silver doctor tied on a rather large hook. If you have 

 not tried the doctor, try it, "Cyrtonyx," and you will find him 

 "bad medicine." I have my fly-books by me while writing, 

 and have been vainly searching for a fly that gave me great 

 sport one afternoon late last season, but I can't find it, and 



