372 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



LJiJHE 4, 1885. 



presume it must have gone as food for other trout when that 

 Osgood patent folding boat quietly folded aud left me 

 standing in five feet of ice cold lake water. The afternoon 

 I speak of ihe trout seemed to be off their feed, and it was 

 hard work to got a rise of any kind, even with the most 

 favorite and alluring flics. At last in sheer despair I sat 

 down to look for the most unlikely outlandish fly in my 

 books. I ran across this one, simply a black and white 

 feather lied to rather a large hook, no body, simply a black 

 feather on one. side and white on the other. Well, I put it 

 ou, more I think with the idea of scaring the fish to death, 

 than of catching them. I cast out my "forlorn hope," let 

 it sink somewhat and was drawing it in, when it suddenly 

 stopped. I though! I had a snag or black bass, but quickly 

 found out it was "a lively old (rout and proved after a game 

 fight to be one of the largest I ever caught. Nor was he the 

 only one who seemed to have an attachment for "forlorn 

 hope'* (such I named the fly) as 1 had splendid sport till 

 dark, and with two other flies on my leader, generally 

 favorites, did not take a fish. Now, why was it? Black 

 prince, coachman and in fact nearly every fly in my books 

 were tried in vain, till in anger I picked out "forlorn hope." 

 Surety trout and women are "queer creeturs." 



The hackle that "Cyrtonyx"' speaks of from the hairs of 

 a deer's tail is also a favorite of mine, that is in fishiDg for 

 Micrapterus salmoidcs. I found it a very taking lure in 

 Florida fishing, killiug more than the red or split ibis. 



Let us have more talk on flies, and do some enterprising 

 brother angler agitate the idea of having a standard for flies, 

 so that the angler far away from large towns and cities can 

 send an order and receive something that has a slight 

 resemblance to what he desires. Sport. 



Chicago, May 13; 



The Fish Law fob Lake George. — In our last issue we 

 mentioned the fact that a singular law had been passed 

 which, while professing to merely protect bullheads, prac- 

 tically forbids all fishing in the lake until July 1. On this 

 subject the Glens Falls Republican says: The publication in 

 last, week's Republican of the new law relative to fishing in 

 Lake George has caused considerable commotion among 

 anglers, and not a little conflict of opinion as to its interpreta- 

 tion. The clause creating most discussion is that which 

 says: "Nor shall any person expose for sale, or have in his 

 or her possession, any bullheads or other fish caught or 

 killed in the waters of Lake George, or hi the waters of the 

 inlets or creeks emptying into the same, between the first 

 day of April and the first day of July, in any year." It is 

 thought that portions of this clause were inadvertently or 

 surreptitiously inserted, as there was no call for such a 

 sweeping prohibition. We are quite certain that the words 

 "or other fish" were not in the bill while it was before the 

 Assembly, and that it was not the intention of those having 

 charge of it that they should be there. Bills have been 

 wrougfully altered by designing persons during their 

 progress toward final passage, and it looks as if this measure 

 was "doctored" after it left the House, and that it slipped 

 throu«jh the Senate in that condition. According to a law 

 on the statute bo' >ks the open season for catching salmon 

 trout in Lake Geoge begins May 1. Another law provides 

 that brook trout may be taken in any of the public waters of 

 the State from May 1 until September 1 of each year. Does 

 the bill just passed annul the provisions of these statutes? 

 The law itself admits that the words ' 'or other" does not in- 

 clude all other fish, for it makes it unlawful to catch or kill 

 or have possession of pickerel caught in r,ake George from 

 Feb. 15 to June 15 only; so that after June 15 the law would 

 give the right to fish for pickerel, showing that the intention 

 was not to include all fish in Lake George by the words "or 

 other fish." The word trout is not used in this section of 

 the law, neither is trout mentioned in Section 21 of the orig- 

 inal law of 1879, which this new law seeks to amend. The 

 original section is entitled "Bass," and only speaks of them 

 and muscalonge, and the section as amended by this new law 

 mentions bass, muscalonge, pickerel and bullheads only. 

 Can it be said that these general words used in this law can 

 be intended to prevent fishing for all kinds of fish within 

 the time stated, when Section 20 of the Laws of 1879 regu- 

 lates the closed season as to lake trout, and the law does not 

 assume to change or amend that section? Neither does it 

 assume to amend Section 19 of that act in regard to brook 

 trout. It is a well-known rule and maxim of law that a pen- 

 alty cannot be created by the use of such general words "or 

 other fish" as used in this law. This is well illustrated by a 

 ease cited by Blackstone in his Commentaries, Vol, I., page 

 88: "By the statute 14 Geo. II., c. 6, stealing sheep or 

 other cattle was made felony without benefit of clergy. 

 But these general words 'or' other cattle' being looked 

 upon as much too loose to create a capital offense, the 

 act was held to extend to nothing but mere sheep." 

 Some people may ask why the bullhead and no other flsh is 

 mentioned in that clause of the law, and certainly it would 

 be hard to answer the question. Many things are shrouded 

 in mystery and past finding out, and especially the meaning 

 of some laws passed by the average Legislature, but judging 

 only from this act itself, aud the incongruous mass con- 

 tained in it. we should say at once that the framer of it was 

 egotistic; that his main point in framing the law was prin- 

 cipally for his own protection, and generally for all other 

 fish. ' 



Thanks for Angler's hows,.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 My hearty thanks are due to "Von W." and "A. N. O," 

 Who so kindly answered my queries about attaching flies 

 with small loops as droppers. "Von W." describes a mode 

 and says: "It is a very simple operation, and I wonder he 

 has not seen it himself " I have seen it, and I also saw some- 

 thing else, namely, that while this mode will do very well 

 for bass, it would not do at all for trout, because these 

 additional loops increase the quantity of gut, thus rendering 

 the delusion which we offer to the trout about as apparent to 

 him as to the angler, if not more so. Hence I ruled out this 

 method for trout. I had also seen for myself a mode some- 

 what similar to that described by "A.' N. O," but his is 

 better, and the better way was that for which I was search- 

 ing. To both gentlemen, but particularly to Mr. Cheney, I 

 send thanks. — M. 



Chautauqua Lake. — Jamestown, N. Y., June 1. — The 

 legal fishing season ou Chautauqua Lake opened to-day and 

 big catches are reported on all sides. One sportsman landed 

 a 80-pound muskalionge, aud others filled their baskets with 

 from half a dozen to twenty yellow bass. Large parties of 

 anglers are coming here this month from neighboring cities, 

 attracted by the excellence of the sport. The fish laws have 

 been enforced for two years, and in consequence the waters 

 of the lake teem with pickerel and black and yellow bass. 



A New Angling Club.— A club has been formed to buy 

 a tract of land in the Southwestern Adirondacks, some six 

 miles long by five wide, including Wilmurt, Pine, Big Bock 

 and smaller lakes, and some miles of West Canada Creek. 

 It wdl take the entire real and personal property of Hon. O. 

 B. Matteson, in Hamilton county, N. Y., his Mountain Home, 

 lodge, ice houses, stables, horses, carriages, bedding and 

 household furniture. The capital stock will be $60,000, and 

 the membership will be limited to twenty. The incorpora- 

 tors are: Hon. Warner Miller, Hon. Wm. B. Evarts, Gen. 

 R. U. Sherman, Fred Mather and Charles A. Dana. On 

 Monday night last the above gentlemen with some of their 

 families left on a special car for the Mountain Home, accom- 

 panied by Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Blackford, Mr. and Mrs. John 

 D. Hewlett, Judge Carter, Nathaniel Wilson, Capt. William 

 Dunning, Amos Cummings and several others, to inspect the 

 property. 



What Bait?— Pittsfield, Mass., May 25.— Editor Fw>est 

 and Stream: There is a large trout brook within a few miles 

 of our home running partly between two mountains. As the 

 water tumbles down the mountain several large basius or 

 pools are formed. 1 know for a certainty in these basins are 

 very large trout, one to two and a half pounds and over. 

 Will some reader tell us through Forest and Stream what 

 these fellows will accept on a hook? Very seldom will they 

 rise to a fly. Worms they will not notice. One was shot 

 yesterday by a youngster, weight one pound six ounces. 

 There is no guess with me about it. There are plenty there 

 and fine ones, but they won't bite. If any one can help me 

 get on to them, I will promise him a good string (delivered 

 express paid).— Squatter. 



The Queen's Birthday.— Montreal, May 26.— Fishing 

 season opened poorly, very small catches being made all 

 round. Queen's Birthday being a holiday here," thousands 

 of lovers of the art indulged in an outing, and that was about 

 all. No fish. Keasons probably are late season aud high 

 water. Netters are reaping a harvest. If we hope to pre- 

 serve our fish we must follow in the wake of Vermont and 

 extend our close season to June 15 instead of May 15. Some 

 large maskinonge were brought in, but the writer surmises 

 they were taken in a gillnet. A forty-two-pounder seen at 

 Lacbine looked as if he had been in a fight with a net ; but 1 

 suppose we must believe he was caught in a sportsman-like 

 manner.— Lachine. 



Flies fob Striped Bass —Baltimore, Md., May 18.— 

 Editor Forest and Stream: In your paper of 14th' inst. 1 

 notice that "Homo," in speaking of putting rockfish in the 

 Schuylkill, says rock will readily take the fly. 1 have been 

 trying to find out the kind of fly for rock for some time, 

 without success, as they (the rock) will take the fly in the 

 "Upper Patapsco, and I have delayed going as I could not get 

 the right fly. Have been told that one with purple in it is 

 good. Please advise me the colors, or if that is not possible, 

 where to get them.— Rock. [Red and yellow are good 

 colors.] 



Philadelphia Notes.— May 30.— Some of our bass fish- 

 ermen, unable to wait until the law is out, have already wet 

 their lines, and the streams being in the best of condition, 

 not a few fish were taken last week. At Shawmont, on the 

 Schuylkill, one angler basketed four three pounders, and at 

 Perkiomen I hear more have been taken. The Shawmont 

 bass were caught with minnow bait, and those at Perkio- 

 men with fly. Rockfish angling still attracts many on the 

 Delaware. At any of the wharves up the river good-sized 

 fish can be taken with either shad or sturgeon roe.— Homo. 



* 



HIBERNATION OF THE BLACK BASS. 



[Read before the American Fisheries Society.] 

 BY DR. JAMES A. HENSHALL. 



riTHAT both species of black bass (Micropterus) hibernate, 

 X in the northerly part of the country, is a fact too well 

 known to admit of a doubt. But. notwithstanding the evi- 

 dence heretofore adduced in support of this fact, the occa- 

 casional catching of a black bass during the winter season, in 

 the North and West, is sometimes heralded by correspondents 

 of the angling papers as a proof that former observers have 

 been mistaken, and that these fishes, or at least the large- 

 mouthed species, do not hibernate. Perhaps the term hiber- 

 nation is not well understood by these writers, which may 

 account for their hasty and erroneous conclusions. 



Hibernation does not necessarily iinply, as supposed by 

 some, a state of complete torpidity or profound sleep during 

 the entire winter. To hibernate, according to Webster, is "To 

 pass the season of winter in close quarters, or in seclusion," 

 and that this is just what the black bass of both species do, in 

 northern and western waters, every one who has given the 

 subject any intelligent investigation is prepared to admit. 



Hibernation of animals is influenced, doubtless, by condi- 

 tions of temperature and food supply, and the duration, ex- 

 tent or degree of this period of repose or seclusion is augmented 

 or diminished by the particular state of these conditions. In 

 the opinion of the writer, hibernation of animals is influenced 

 as much (if not more) by the supply of food as by the state of 

 the temperature. This is proven by the fact that while the 

 black bass hibernates, other fishes in the same waters are 

 active during the entire winter; and this fact may be ac- 

 counted for by a lack of the principal food of the hibernating 

 species, and an abundance of the particular food of the non- 

 hibernating species, for it is not likely that the temperature, 

 per se, would affect one species more than another. To illus- 

 trate: The principal food of young black bass (say from six 

 months to a year old) consists of insects, and of adult bass, of 

 crawfish and other Crustacea, and both of these classes of food 

 are very scarce during the winter months in the North and 

 West. On the other hand, pike, pickerel, pike-perch and 

 other exclusively piscivorous fishes hnd an abundance of cer- 

 tain species, as minnows, yellow perch, etc. 



To be sure the black bass feeds on minnows and yellow 

 perch occasionally, but not to any great extent, nor for choice: 

 its weak, brush-like teeth are not so well adapted for a fish 

 diet as the canine-teethed flshes above mentioned. And this 

 is one of the strongest arguments in support of the fact of their 

 hibernation, for were the black bass as piscivorous as many 

 would have us believe, there would be no necessity for their 

 winter seclusions on account of a lack of this Mad of food. Of 

 the two species of black bass the large-mouthed bass feeds 

 more upon minnows than the small-mouthed bass, and hence 

 is taken oftener during the minter. In the extreme Southern 

 States the supply of crawfish and insects is constant, conse- 

 quently the oiack bass does not hibernate in that region. 

 Among the hibernating mammals the black bear, in the ex- 

 treme South does not undergo the winter sleep of his Northern 

 brethern because he finds his food abundant at that season. 

 And even in the North, during mild winters when food can 



be procured, the black bear has been known to depart from 

 his usual habit, and has been killed when roaming abroad 

 when he should have been asleep in his winter den; but such 

 rare exceptions merely prove the rule, and do not disprove 



r ^ Ct * ttlG Dlack ,jear is a hibernating animal. 



in Europe the German carp are typical hibernating fishes, 

 burying themselves in the mud at the beginning of winter, 

 them heads together in circles and their tails out. which are 

 kept m motion more or less constantly. But American fish- 

 cut turrets state that while the imported carp hibernate pro- 

 foundly -then- descendants, on the contrary, are more active 

 during the winter, and the disposition to hibernate grows less 

 with succeeding generations. This I bebeve to be more on 

 account of an abundant supply of food than upon the temper- 

 ature for most carp culturists are liberal feeders from "the 

 tact that carp will grow more rapidly than other fishes if 

 well red. 



German authorities are of the opinion that the carp takes 

 no food during the period of its hibernation (from four to six 

 months), though it has been proved that it does not diminish 

 m weight during this entire time. I do not believe it possible. 

 for an animal to abstain entirely from food and maintain a 

 uniform weight for a period of several months, even though it 

 sleep never so profoundly. (The black bear goes into winter 

 quarters excessively fat, but comes out in the spring weak and 

 emaciated ) I am of the opinion thatthe German carp derives 

 its nourishment during hibernation from the mud in which it 

 is buried, for it is well known that all of the Gyprinidce. Ca- 

 tosiomidm, etc., feed more or less upon the mud of the bottom, 

 or at least upon minute organisms contained therein. This 

 view seems plausible in connection with the fact that in Eu- 

 rope, carp kept in tanks for sale during winter rapidly lose in 

 weight unless fed generouslv. In American waters, though 

 frozen over during the entire winter, there are always some 

 forms of vegetation, larva; and aniuialculas, to be had by herb- 

 ivorous and bottom-feeding fishes, as carp, minnows, suckers, 

 sturgeen, etc., consequently these fishes are moreorless active 

 during the coldest weather, and some of them in turn furnish 

 food for the piscivorous tribes during the same season. 



The writer has elsewhere stated: "During a residence often 

 years m Wisconsin, where fishing through the ice is constantly 

 practiced during the winter, and where tons of pickerel, pike- 

 perch and yellow perch were so taken in a single season, I 

 never knew of a single black bass being so taken except very 

 late in the winter or in early spriner, say in March, just before 

 the breaking up of the ice; and even those instances were of 

 rare occurrence, and happened only during unusually mild 

 weather; and these same waters, be it remembered, afforded 

 the tinest black bass fishing during the summer and fall." 



The above applies to the usual fishing grouuds of the lakes 

 and streams of Wisconsin with the water of moderate depth, 

 from four to twelve feet, which are frequented by the black 

 bass, large-mouth and small-mouth, in common with the non- 

 hibernating species in spring, summer and fall, but only by the 

 latter in winter, the bass retiring to greater depths at the 

 beginning of wintei and remaining until spring, and where 

 they can be taken by the initiated with the right kind of bait; 

 but as 1 deem such information of no special advantage, 

 except to the poacher and lawbreaker, I think it best and 

 proper, for obvious reasons, to withhold it. From personal 

 observation I am pretty familiar with the habits of both 

 species of black bass at all seasons of the vear, in all of the 

 States east of the Mississippi (except the New England States, 

 New Jersey and Delaware), and with the exception of the 

 Gulf States, I am convinced that both species of black bass 

 hibernate in a greater or less degree, according to the supply 

 of food in the winter season, or in other words, according to 

 the climate. In these exceptional States, during the hottest 

 weather, they retire to the deepest and coolest water to be 

 found, and undergo a condition of rest and seclusion (aestiva- 

 tion) analagous to hibernation ; perhaps an inherited instinct. 



In the foregoing hastily- written paper I have endeavored to 

 show: (1) That hibernation of fishes (and other animals) is 

 influenced more by the supply of food than by the tempera- 

 ture ; for it is well authenticated that fishes can endure ex- 

 tremes of temperature that would prove fatal to other verte- 

 brates. (They have revived after being frozen in ice, and on 

 the other hand, they live in apparent comfort in the water of 

 hot springs of a temperature of above 100 degrees Fahr.) (2) 

 That both species of black bass hibernate in the northern 

 sections of America. 



Mr. Goode— Mr. President, I should like to say a word or 

 two on this question of hibernation. It seems to me that hiber- 

 nation is by no means a voluntary act, as might possibly be 

 inferred from some things whiehDr. Henshall has said. It is 

 purely a matter of physical cause and effect, and the question 

 whether the black bass will hibernate in a given latitude 

 depends on the depth of water and the presence of warm 

 spots at great depths in that particular body of water. Eveiy 

 fish has, I think, a certain limit to its powers of activity, a 

 certain limit which varies with different species according to 

 a scale of temperature. Many of the southern fishes which 

 come to our northern coast in summer, are in the fall seen in 

 the cold tidal bays partially torpid. In such a state they can- 

 not feed. It is the torpidity which prevents their feeding 

 rather than the lack of food; audit seems to me that in almost 

 every case the fish has no power to escape from that degree 

 of cold which produces torpidity. From reliable testimony I 

 learn that black bass are taken under the ice in some of the 

 northern lakes, and have no doubt, that in other lakes not so 

 deep, the fish become toipid before the ice forms on account 

 of the shallowness of the water. I think, therefore, that Dr. 

 Henshall's theory is somewhat exaggerated. He niay have 

 heard of fish feeding during the period of hibernation. I am 

 not, however, inclined to believe that they ever do this. I 

 certainly very much question the possibility of carp feeding 

 during the period of hibernation. It is generally known that 

 they are then buried in the mud at the bottom of the water. 

 This is a very interesting question, and one whose solution in- 

 volves a great deal of experimenting. 1 should, however, 

 hardly like to see the question settled upon hypothetical 

 grounds before such experiments are made. 



Mr. Mather — This question of the hibernation of fishes is one 

 concerning which I have no special knowledge. I have, how- 

 ever, paid some little attention to it, having been recently en- 

 gaged in endeavoring to learn the geographical range in which 

 the black bass hibernares. As touching the question of tem- 

 perature and food, I know that on our New York coast, in 

 Long Island Sound, there are some fishes which are active all 

 winter, and others which bury themselves in the mud. The 

 tautog, or blackfish, practically hibernates. I do not think it 

 takes a particle of food during the winter. Flounders go into 

 tne mud, and so does the eel, which latter buries all excepting 

 its head. All the eels that are taken there in tho winter are 

 speared, the fishermen sounding in the mud with their spears. 

 In the middle of April they come out and aretakenin eel pots. 

 The tomcod and some other fishes are active all winter. It 

 always seemed to me that some fishes might be more sus- 

 ceptible to the influences of temperature than others. In lakes 

 north of the fortieth parallel we know that the black bass 

 does not feed much during the winter. Occasionally a speci- 

 men is taken with hook and line. Dr. Henshall's theory con- 

 cerning hibernation is certainly a new one. to me, viz., that the 

 question is one of food and not of temperature, and is one, I 

 tnink, which will bear considerable examination before it be 

 accepted as the correct solution. 



CARP IN THE SUSQUEHANNA.— An European carp of 

 the mirror variety, weighing five and a quarter pounds, was 

 caught in the Susquehanna River below the dam here in a 

 seine, on the 15th inst., the first known here, and a source of 

 wonder to the old fishermen.— A. F. Clapp. 



