June 93, 188 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



4 31 



to the small- mouth. Is it not possible that cross fertiliza- 

 tion might occur J If it be possible, then I know of no place 

 more likely than the stream mentioned, where both species 

 are very numerous, aud of necessity very intimately asso- 

 ciated at times, as when the water is low and the stream con- 

 fined to a very narrow channel. If I get a satisfactory 

 answer to this question I will ask some more. Salmon Rob. 

 Neytpoht, Ark., June 13, 1885. 

 ["Kingfisher" also discusses the subject this week.] 



THE OLD RESERVOIR. 



•Simple Truth his Utmost Skill. : ' 



— Sir Hairy Wbtton. 



r PHE letters that I have received this spring from angling 

 JL Mends at home and across the sea, reporting their 

 catches of trout., have made my own baskets seem smaller 

 than they actually were, by comparison, and I can assure 

 every one that they required a certificate of character to get 

 into respectable society after the six-inch clause was added 

 to the game law; but a day came when I could plainly see 

 that there was to be an end of small things. On that day 

 my old friend and fishing comrade for twenty Jive years, 

 Judge R., walked into my den, seated himself, blew a cloud 

 of tobacco smoke from his mouth as though it was escaping 

 steam and remarked judicially, "We are two blooming 

 idiots." I demurred. He overruled the demurrer, and I 

 told him to go ou with his evidence, that I appeared as at- 

 torney for one of the idiots. There was a lurid glare in the 

 off eye of the Judge that made me think the case ought to 

 go to a jury if my client was to get any show for a favor- 

 able verdict. Between snorts of disgust and sulphurous 

 exclamations the evidence was sworn in, but before it was 

 half in I flopped from defendent to plaintiff without any 

 retainer. 



The case can be summed up as follows: This village is sup- 

 plied with water from a mountain five miles away, where 

 there are two reservoirs on one of the best trout streams that 

 ever murmured, a stream that has in days gone by offered up 

 more than one trout that would weigh full four pounds. 

 One reservoir is near the foot of the mountain and is small, 

 but from it I have taken some decent trout, until repeated 

 cleanings made it hardly worth fishing. Two miles above 

 the first and on the top of the mountain a second reservoir or 

 pond was made about six years ago and this is half a mile 

 long. I never had been to the upper pond, but the Judge, 

 as a member of the Board of Health, made a visit to it the 

 day before he called upon me. I do not know what the 

 Board of Health went up on that mountain for except it was 

 for the ride, but whatever their object, I will wager a trade 

 dollar against a ginger cookie that the Judge did nothing 

 but sit on the bank and watch, hoping to see a trout break 

 the surface of the pond. Anyway, he came down from the 

 mountain charged with pure oxygen, nitrogen, and wrath, to 

 think that this pond, which must be full of trout— "old half- 

 way brook trout" — had been slumbering over our heads while 

 we had not sconce enough to think of it and fish it. We had 

 been looking down when we should have been looking up. 



The smoke from our cigars took ou a rosy hue as we 

 formed a plan to fish this pond, up among the clouds, that 

 was spread out before my mind's eye with its surface broken 

 by leaping trout and itsshorcs an unbroken wall of living- 

 green. I could almost hear the splash of the feeding fish , 

 and was tempted in imagination to weigh some of the'larger 

 specimens as I thought of the years that they had been 

 growing undisturbed. As the pond was village property we 

 must procure a warrant from the village to fish it, which we 

 did at once at a mysterious interview with the president of 

 said corporation, which ended by three men separating with 

 fingers on lips and faces looking as wise as owls. We had 

 a good thing and did not propose to give it away. We de- 

 cided to make the first draft on the coming Tuesday, and as 

 we concluded that we would take only eight or nine pounds 

 each at the first visit, it would not be necessary to start until 

 noon. If the Judge and I should drive out of town clad in 

 dress coats we could make no one believe we were not going 

 a fishing, so we could only hope to conceal our destination, 

 and to this end at the appointed time we started north, and 

 when well out into the country turned back and headed 

 west. 



There is one peculiarity about the trips taken by Judge 

 R. and myself, that it is generally a matter of perfect indif- 

 ference whether we got fish or not. We enjoy the ride, the 

 mountains, the blue of the sky, the green of the grass and 

 trees, the bloom of the wild flowers, and the sound" of every 

 living creature. Our tongues wag about other days, other 

 fishing and past shooting, when game was not scarce as it is 

 to-day. So as we jogged along and came to a long hill with 

 a high bank on one side and a ravine on the other the Judge 

 said: "It always makes me shudder when I come along 

 here to think of how you drove the big mares down this hill 

 that awful dark night when we just got our game in in time 

 to be counted. It was about here that your game bag went 

 out of the wagon!" 



That dark night was nineteen years ago. I had chosen 

 sides with Col. 2s. for a squirrel hunt, and all game had to 

 be in at 9 P. M. or it would be thrown out. The Judge and 

 I had shot over ground some distance away, and on our 

 return home stopped at a road house aud found a message 

 from a member of my side which said that the game was all 

 in except ours, and I was about 200 count behind. The 

 Judge had a score of 277 and I one of 364, the largest ever 

 brought in at one of our hunts. Feeling that we had won 

 we dallied at the hostel until a look at our watches told us 

 we had barely time to reach the rendezvous. There was a 

 hurry of iron shod hoofs, and we disappeared in the dark- 

 ness. The man who had that day carried game for me 

 wished to see the close of the hunt, and was riding home 

 with us. I told my companions to shut their eyes and hang 

 on, and if the wagon held together we would get our game 

 in. As we were going down the hill referred to, Andy 

 accidentally pushedTmy game bag out of the wagon with his 

 foot, and its contents were well scattered along the roadway. 

 Lighted matches enabled us to find some of the game, but 

 there was no time for a close search, and at three minutes 

 before nine o'clock we were at the hotel door. My message 

 was all wrong, for Col. N.'s side scored 2236. mine 2240. 

 Only a slight difference, but enough to win. 



The depression that we pass on our left that was once 

 Forge Pond, awakens memories that we could talk about for 

 days, and we feed upon them until we reach the mountain 

 and begin the ascent, the road leading through alternate 

 woods and clearings for a mile until we enter a sort of tunnel 

 of green like a triumphal arch, through which the sun shim- 

 mers. There is a break in the foliage at our right as though 

 a curtain had been drawn back to give us a peep at the plain 



at our feet and the town in the distance, while still further 

 beyoud the Green Mountains belie their name by rivaling 

 the color of the sky, to which they reach and touch. The 

 carpet of moss auddead pine needles muffles the footfalls of 

 the horse, so that we come across a male wild pigeon sitting 

 upon a dead limb and preening the feathers of its bronze 

 breast. Our appearance causes it to fly only a little dis- 

 tance where we can sec that it resumes its interrupted toilet 

 making. A sleek catbird is so unconcerned that T can almost 

 touch it with the end of the whip as we pass underneath its 

 perch on a white birch; but all too soon the left wing of the 

 dam which forms the pond bars our passage. One look at 

 the pond and our air castle tumbles into ruins. A recent 

 storm has changed the clear water into a good imitation of 

 bouillon, and we know that a trout cannot see a fly five feet 

 away, even if furnished with a water telescope. As we are 

 on the spot we can do no less than try a cast, hoping that a 

 few trout may be loitering at the surface. The scow Chat we 

 find full of water is bailed out and we embark; but "ho! what 

 ha hafternoon!" In the space of eighteen hundred and odd 

 years nothing has been discovered that so thoroughly saps 

 one's vitality and converts a comparatively young man into 

 a centenarian as the effort to keep on the upper side of a 

 cranky scow and at the same time cast, a fly. 



A bucking broncho once suspended me in the air like 

 Mahomet's cofhu and then threw himself on the top of me; 

 but that was a picnic compared to riding a scow that insists 

 upon turning bottom side up in thirty feet of wet water. 

 Two hours of fishless fishing satisfied us, at the same time 

 fitted us to till an engagement to walk a slack wire, and we 

 turned our faces toward the lower reservoir. There the 

 water was clear, too clear, in fact, for the small quantity we 

 found ; but beginning at the inlet stream, I whipped it faith- 

 fully down the left bank to the dam and along the dam until 

 I came to the spillway, which was perhaps twenty feet 

 across and the bottom* about four feet below the crown of 

 the dam. There was about an iuch of water on the spillway, 

 from which it poured upon the apron afoot below; the apron 

 was ten or twelve feet long, quite steep, and from it the water 

 fell to broken rocks about ten feet beneath. In the middle 

 of the spillway was a post, and from it extended short pieces 

 of plank to trie capstones of the dam at either side. When 

 I came to this trap I looked it over to discover evidences of 

 some one having crossed in recent years. The planks had 

 a very aged appearance, and I tested their strength as thor- 

 oughly as possible with my eye, and decided to intrust them 

 with 200 pounds of solid flesh rather than exercise said flesh 

 by a walk around the pond. I planted one foot safely on 

 the plank, but in bringing down the other (the plank was a 

 foot below the top of the dam) the broad welt of my wading 

 shoe caught a nail and chaos came. I made a frantic 

 effort to catch the post as I struck it with my 

 nose, and while descending head first I involun- 

 tarily pitched my Caledonia fly-rod into the pond, 

 so 1 did not fall on it. When the planetary display 

 (caused by the intimacy of my nose with the post) was over 

 I took an inventory. My rod had been carried by the force 

 of the water to the apron and was safely lodged. My Lev- 

 ison fly-book was above high-water mark, ditto my watch, 

 and these were my chief concern. Before I took the header 

 my nose was pure Greek, but afterward it felt as though it 

 were roarain' all over my face; it was not skinned as neatly 

 as a surgeon would have done it, but it was thoroughly done 

 and a fairly good job, considering it was done by a post. I 

 was disgusted, not so much that I had saved myself from 

 being shot like a bullet out of a gun on to the rocks below the 

 apron, but because above the din of the falling water I heard 

 a sound that came from the bank of the pond, and there 

 stood a human figure clothed in corduroy with head thrown 

 back and a gray beard pointing toward the horizon, its arms 

 were wildly'sawing the air, while the sound — a cross between 

 a fog horn and a kazoo — issued from the beard. I suppose 

 it was meant for an expression of hilarity. As soon as I 

 could get on the dam, for the boards of the spillway were 

 like grease and it was not an easy journey, I walked to that 

 figure with fire in my eye and water in my lower pocket 

 and shoes and demanded an apology for such injudicial 

 levity. The figure, after a time, said: "I did not laugh 

 until I found you were not going down the apron," and I "re- 

 plied, "Your explanation is satisfactory." We then adjourned 

 to the wagon and came home. There have been many un- 

 varnished tales, but mine has not even a priming coat of 

 paint, and if any one can discover auything about it that is 

 fishy, I would be pleased to have it pointed out. 



A. N.Chen icy. 



Glens Falls, N. Y. 



THE STRIPED BASS LAW. 



UNDER the head of "Fish Legislation" we referred, in 

 our last issue, to the new law of the State concerning 

 striped bass. Following this the New York Tinu-s of Satur- 

 day last gives the following interviews with prominent New 

 York marketmen, as follows : 



"A game law having been recently passed which makes it 

 a misdemeanor to sell striped bass from Jan. 1 to the 20th of 

 May, some of the leading wholesale and retail fish dealers in 

 New York were asked by a representative of the Times to 

 give their opinion in regard to this law. All were unani- 

 mous in condemning it. To some it was a matter of sur- 

 prise, as they had never heard about the passage of such a 

 law. 



"Mr. Eugene G. Blackford said: 'This latest amendment 

 to the game laws should be entitled "An act to suppress the 

 fish trade of New York city. " It deprives the people of this 

 State of one of the most important items in their food sup- 

 ply, as during that period striped bass are most abundant, 

 and are sold at lower prices than at any other time of the 

 year. During the months of March and April from one to 

 five tons of striped bass are daily received in New York from 

 Southern States, and the effect of this law will be to drive 

 not only the bass, but all other kinds of fisb that are shipped 

 from those places into the Baltimore, Philadelphia and Bos- 

 ton markets. 1 look upon it as very singular that the Legis- 

 lature or the Governor should approve such oppressive and 

 dstructive measures. I have made a careful estimate that 

 the result of this latest addition to our game law will have 

 the effect of driving from our markets fish to the amount of 

 at least $200,000 annually, which business will be gladly wel- 

 comed by Baltimore, Philadelphia and Boston, and no good 

 result is obtained in the way of protection.' 



"Mr. G. S. Laphear, of the firm of Moon & Laphear, 

 said: 'The law is a very unjust one, taking in the best sea- 

 son for the fish. Very few striped bass come at all from 

 New York rivers, but the bulk are from North Carolina, the 

 Provinces, Maine and Rhode Island. The bass come to 

 market from North Carolina with the first shad, and if there 

 js an embargo on them very few shad will come from there, 



It is the bass business which is the main one for the North 

 Carolina fishermen. It seems to me to be a shame that laws 

 of this kind are passed in Albany, quite without our having 

 any acquaintance with their character. The first thing wc 

 know is when they are printed. As the striped bass wiil not 

 come here, but will go to Philadelphia, Boston, New Haven, 

 Baltimore and elsewhere, it will spoil our general trade, be- 

 cause a customer who could not find striped bass with us 

 would give his orders for all other kinds of fish, such as cod, 

 haddock, halibut, crabs and shad, to parties who had a gen- 

 eral stock.' 



"Mr. Samuel "ft, Miller, of the wholesale Fulton Fish Mar- 

 ket, said ; 'It is the wickedest law ever made. 1 should not 

 think people could pass such a law, knowing that the time 

 when striped bass are excluded from market is just when 

 they are most wanted. I believe that the people of New 

 York State generally have as much right to eat striped bass 

 as those of New Jersey or Pennsylvania. But if this law is 

 enforced they will all go elsewhere. People who want to 

 eat bass will have then to go out of the State. ' " 



Fishing at Schroon Lake.— Schroon Lake, N. Y., June 

 29.— Editor Foredand Stream: Schroon Lake has lost nothing 

 of her fame of years ago, as our guides and hotel men are 

 earnest advocates of any law that will prove of benefit to 

 our interests and are alive to the fact that the life of the 

 entire region is dependent upon her fish and game. A 

 hatchery has been built by private contribution, and through 

 the kindness and courtesy of the State Fish Commission we 

 have been enabled to place in the lakes and streams herea- 

 bouts thousands of trout, bass aud salmon. California trout 

 placed in the brooks two years ago have been caught measur- 

 ing six inches in length, and these alone promise sport with- 

 out limit, in the near future. In April C. W. Burwell, a 

 gentleman who looks ahead rather than behind, placed in the 

 lake a lot of pike, sheepshead, salmon and trout. To those 

 who are considering a fishing excursion I would say that no 

 better sport can be found in the Adirondacks than here, and 

 if auv one doubts uiy statement let them inquire of Messrs. 

 S. P. White, 128 West Twenty-second street, Hon. Effing- 

 ham H. Nichols, I. P. Chambers, General Auditor N. Y. C. 

 & H. R. Railroad, or A. F. Cross, 21 Maiden Lane, 

 and thus satisfy themselves of its truth. The season for 

 speckled trout has now opened, and last week J. H. Wash- 

 burn, Vice-President and Secretary of the Home Insurance 

 Company, New York, in company with the experienced 

 guide, B, F. Wickham, caught in Sand Lake, twelve miles 

 distant, twenty seven trout, averaging in weight nearly one 

 pound each. This, while being a good catch, is not as good 

 as could have been reported had the weather been of a more 

 auspicious nature. In my next 1 will try and give your 

 readers an idea of the infamous dog law passed by a body 

 of men called the State Assembly, who, had they possessed 

 the average intelligence of the dogs in question, would not 

 have passed it. More later. — Ed. M. 



That Fishing Problem.— Albany, N. Y., June 20.— 

 Editor ForeM and Stream: "Piscator's" problem in your 

 issue of June 18 is very simple. He says, "One hundred 

 feet from shore the trout may be seen jumping/' If the 

 shore is wooded close to the half inch of water and mud of 

 unknown depth, fell two trees parallel to each other, and if 

 he can get them within two feet of each other he can walk 

 on them their full length, trimming the upper limbs off as 

 he goe3. That should bring him within forty feet of his 

 fish, and give him six inches or more of water; he can then 

 cast the other forty feet. Given, the woods too far from 

 water for such a bridge ; fell a tree from six to eight inches 

 at the butt, cut into two to four feet lengths, split through 

 the center once, carry the smaller pieces from the top of the 

 tree first, plant them flat side down in the mud a reasonable 

 distance apart. If the water deepens stop splitting the logs, 

 rolling them to their places. If the water gets too deep so 

 that his logs float, cut some saplings from two to three 

 inches at the butt, leaving the limbs on, and lay them out 

 first, then his slabs on top at the outer end, or last bent of 

 his bridge, lay the butts of his saplings outboard, else his 

 leader will catch in them as he lands his fish. At the outer 

 end of bridge he can build a crib on top of a good layer of 

 saplings, and keep out of the water while fishing. After 

 constructing his bridge or causeway, he can carry his material 

 for a raft into a sufficient depth of water, there construct it 

 and go where he pleases. — Ira Wood. 



"Skinned Stream."— Editor Forest and Stream; How 

 pleasant it is for us Litchfield county farmers when we take 

 up the Fokest and Stream: to find such articles as that 

 written fry "Stillaboy" in issue of May 25. He tells how 

 every day, when the law allows, the stream is skinned. By 

 whom? Every train that leaves the cities of New York, 

 Bridgeport and New Haven from April 20 to June 1 carries 

 from one to ten men, equipped with fishing tackle and bound 

 to the streams of Litchfield county. This" leaves from April 

 1 to the 20th and the month of June for stragglers. All 

 these persons come to fish our streams, running through our 

 farms, on which we pay taxes. If we don't wish to be sel- 

 fish and deny others pleasure even at our own expense, we 

 allow them to make paths through our meadows, break 

 down our fences and take our fish. Or if we do post our 

 lann, what a row they make about it! Not content with 

 this legal fishing, "Stillaboy" narrates with effusion how 

 three weeks after the stream has been skinned, he proceeds. 

 contrary to law, to save the horns and hoofs, even going up 

 the little spring brooks, where the fish have sought" cool 

 water, to catch the fingerlings. All I can say is I wish I 

 could catch him at it. He would have the most costly mess 

 of trout that ever he took. — Litchfield County Farmer. 



Destroying Drumfish. — Staten Island, June 20, — The 

 oystermen of Prince's Bay have opened war on the drums, 

 which destroy their oyster beds by chewing up the oysters. 

 On Friday last the bay was dotted with skiffs in which the 

 owners of the oysters were busy either placing their ears close 

 to the surface of the water or were occupied in making round 

 balls of flour and glue and throwing the latter into the water. 

 The drumfish make so much noise when crunching up the 

 oysters that a person can easily tell where the fish are feed- 

 ing by placing the ear near the surface of the water, when a 

 distinct drum-like or thrumming sound is heard. The balls 

 of flora and glue are said to be greedily eaten by the drum- 

 fish. The preparation is said to catch 'in the gills of the fish, 

 clog the gills up, prevent their operation, and causes the 

 death of the dreaded drumfish in about two days. — Pokeo'- 

 Moonshine. [We doubt the statement that flour and glue 

 will produce the resvdt stated, and suspect the use of poison, 

 of some kind.l 



