Sept. 10. 1885,] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



129 



Owpiecl and rnn by Mr, H. T. Kiralball. is a beautiful spot, 

 facing Baldliead Mountalu, with a piece of the hke between 

 and a wonderful growth of pretty trees cleared of underbrush 

 all about the place. There were tweiity-tive guests wheu I 

 was there, and wo bad chutch service ou Sunday, conducted 

 by Rev. Mr. Heath, from Hew Bedford. The landlord and 

 his good wife make you feel qrdte at home and show you 

 eteJy attention. A daily stage briug's the mail to Rangeley 

 frOni Plullips and the little steamel" bring.? it to Mouiitain 

 View. You can also telegraph from the head of the lake. 

 BHiTHEL, Me. [ 1. Gr> H. 



THE MENHADEN QUESTION. 



Ediior Forest and Strmm: 



I have foilowed with mucli interest the discussion of the 

 menhaden question as it from time to time appears in your 

 columns, and it seems to me, as the result of actual observa- 

 tion in the course of much cruising along our coast, that if 

 ten times as many steamers and men were engaged in taking 

 these fish as are now found in their profitfible pursuit, there 

 would still be no appreciable diminishing of the supply of 

 menhaden. 



The truth is, not that too many menliaden are caught, but 

 that they are simply frightened away from the waters near 

 shol'e (which locality they at certain seasons prefer) by the 

 constant hunt of the fishing steamers. If we enact and 

 enforce a law preventing the fishermen from liauling theif 

 nets within one mile of land, it is my opinion that one 

 seasoti, or two at most, will show us more menhaden ruffling 

 the waters of our harbors and inlets than liave greeted Om- 

 tyes for the past five years. 



Large bluefish unquestioilably do follow, kill and cat very 

 estensiVely the menhaden. Striped bass and codfisii do the 

 sarue, when they can catch them. And wherevei' the men^ 

 liaden go, the first named fish will follow. 



The whole thing lies in a clilmsheil. Bdnish the steam 

 fishei-men to the open sea, ohe mile from Ifiud, fthd the men- 

 haden will return to their old summfer haunts^ with an army 

 bf large bltiefish and bass following, to catch and be caught. 



RosLYN, L. I., Sept. 7. Tbtomas Ci^pham. 



THE COMING TOURNAMENT. 



AT the next tournament of the National Rod and Reel 

 Association, to be held in Central Park on Oct. 13 and 

 14, there is a prospect of having a change made in some of 

 the rules, although the Committee on Rules has not yet 

 I'epoi'ted. In the caisting for heavy bass the following has 

 been siiggestedi 



KeW York, July 2S.--Mr, li'raiiois JSndicott— Dear Sir: As 

 president of the Rod and Reel Association , I desire to call the 

 attention of yom-self and associates to a change 1 would sug- 

 gest in the nianner of making and recording the tests of heavy 

 ttndhgbtbass casting. 



The change suggested will, I think, induce numbers of gen- 

 tlemen to enter and try their sldll who have been kept out by 

 the fear of making all "theh- casts wide and of not appearing on 

 the record. My proposition is as follows; Have a distinctly 

 marked center line only, except sucii stakes as may be needed 

 to obtain the necessary right angles. Then record the full 

 length of each cast made, however much it may deviate from 

 the center line. Then record the deviation in feet from the 

 center line and deduct the deviation from the length of the 

 cast and the balance will be to the credit of the caster. This 

 table will show to every one just exactly what was done both 

 in distance and in -wide casting. This does away with any 

 lane and reduces the trial to a scientific record. I would pro- 

 pose the casting should be done over the ground, to enable the 

 measurements to be easily made. 



I would propose, if this plan shall be adopted, that it should 

 be made known as early as possible, that those practicing or 

 thinking of practicing could know what to expect. 



Please consider this a communication to your Association 

 for their consideration, and oblige, yours truly, 



\ W. H. Wood. 



GAMENESS OF THE BLACK BASSES. 



Editor Fared and Stream: 



Like all brother anglers the writer has been greatly inter- 

 ested in the discussion relative to the small and large-mouth 

 bass. During the past ten years 1 have taken hundreds of 

 either kind on rod and line', using minnows and artificial 

 ■flies, and am somewhat competent to speak knowingly as to 

 the game qualities of the fish. It may have been that being 

 particularly favored by locality, my experience differs from 

 others. My fishing for bass has been mostly on the St. Law- 

 rence River, from Lake Ontario to the rapids, and on the 

 numerous lakes and tributaries adjacent. I wish to speak a 

 good word for the large-mouth, commonly called "Oswego 

 bass." 



Pound for pound the small-mouth excels its brother, the 

 large-mouth, as a game fish, but in this respect only; taken 

 in cold or deep water, the large-mouth bass, when running 

 from two to six pounds, offers to the angler using fine tackle 

 as good sport as could be desired. The writer has from 

 choice angled for the large-mouth in preference to the other, 

 principally for the reason that the former were of good size. 

 During the past summer while fishing on a lake forming a 

 part of the St. Lawrence River, from one side of the skiff 

 could be taken the small-mouth of one and a half pounds, 

 and from the other side, in the same water, large-mouths, 

 weighing from three to five pounds. These fish were full of 

 life and game. 



The main difi'erence between the two kinds of black bass 

 heing, aside from weight, that when struck, the large-mouth 

 less frequently broke water, tliough they would sulk and 

 fight for every inch of line with as much determination as 

 «ver shown by the small-mouth, and the angler having one 

 •on his hook had business on hand. 1_ use a rod weighing 

 nine ounces, but prefer one an ounce lighter, of split bam- 

 boo of first-class make, and have not as yet broken or injured 

 one, though good luck has prevented accident several times. 

 To give the large-mouth bass an opportunity to make its 

 reputation as a game fish, I will be pleased to give brother 

 fishermen any information as to where they can i)e taken as 

 full of fight as any caught by OpiNicoiJ. 



Utica, N. Y., Aug. 31. 



Bditar Forest and Btream: 



Thanks to Mr. ET. P. Ufford for his kindness in giving so 

 full a description of his bethabara rod. I arraign ira Wood 

 for slander in his article on the "cod-mouth" in comparing 

 the large-mouth bass to a sucker. I don't think he has ever 

 taken them in Minnesota lakes, clear and deep, where 1 have 

 had several bass leave the water four times before landing 

 them. To see one leap three feet into the air and throw the 

 frog six feet when he shook himself would convert him. 

 There is no sucker .about the Mionesota large-mouth, not 



PoLi^ow Rib. 



THE ENGLISH TOURNAMENT. 



WE are under oblig.ations to Mr. R B. Marston, cdilor 

 of the Fiahiiiy Gim ilr. for an advn.nco report of tho 

 fifth annual FisJdiig (Inzeiic tournimienl in idd of the fund 

 the Anglers' Benevolent Association. We notice that our 

 friend Thos. B. Mills, of the fishing tackle firm of VYilliam 

 Mills & Son, 7 Wan-en street, New York, took part in the 

 casting. 



"In weather that was all one could wish for the tourna- 

 ment, which appears likely to become an annual institution, 

 took iDlace at the Pike and Anchor Fi.sliery, Pondcr's End, 

 Saturday afternoon, Aug, 33, There was a fair attendance, 

 and an average number of entries for the casting competi- 

 tions; while for the peg-down match no less than eighty -five 

 anglers entered. The spot selccUid for the tournament was a 

 large field, alongside of which runs a bit of the old river Lea 

 —one of the stretches Walton must often have fished. The 

 groimd on which the bait-casting took place left nothing to 

 be desired ; nor was there much to complain of in the fly- 

 casting stretch on the river, until the latter began to get 

 small degree and unbeautifully less, in consequence of the 

 supply being stopped by the miller, or same other spoil sport, 

 up stream. The fly-casting took place from a platform level 

 with the bank of the river, the latter running deep between 

 its banks. 



"The casting this year calls for no special remark, being 

 decidedly below the average, except in a few in.stances. The 

 aljscnce of Major Traherne, Mr. Malloch. and other former 

 competitor's, was disappointing^, and certainly detracted from 

 the results, Mr. Eelson, as will be seen, easily getting his 

 own way in the fly-casting, and evidently not casting his 

 full cast in all cases. In the casting for accuracy and deli- 

 cacy, a novel feature was introduced by Sir Randal Roberts, 

 who set the competitors the following problem : "You see 

 that bit of green weed on the oUier side of the stream; now 

 you are to imagine that a trout is feeding just off it, and the 

 position you take to try for him, as well as the casting, will 

 be considered in deciding the winner.' This competition 

 caused some amusement, at any rate, to the spectators. One 

 gentleman, whose casting under ditlicultie.9— viz., with a 

 borrowed rod too heavy for his liking-^was much admired, 

 backed into the field, then squirmed along the ground on 

 his stomach like a snake, taking advantage of a bush to 

 cover himself from the fish. Another rather stout com- 

 petitor endeavored to hide himself behind a young tree just 

 below the fish; others got hung up in bushes; and finally 

 Mr. Bennett woa with some extremely neat casts, which 

 not onljr captured the imaginary trout, but rose some actual 

 dace just where the trout should have been. Another inter- 

 esting competition was an extemporized affair, in the Not- 

 tingham style, between two expert members of the Fly 

 Fishers' Chib, who experimented with the flighty Notting- 

 ham reel for the first time. They beat all previous records. 

 Mr. W., after making his bait describe a parabola or curve 

 of the second order, deposited it one yard and a half from 

 his feet; the Rev. Mr. S. evidently imagined it would be 

 hopeless to beat this, so he described a beautiful hyperbola 

 with the weight, ,and lauded it three feet from his own. 

 This little affair afforded great amusement to all the specta- 

 tors, with the exception of one— the owner of the rod, who 

 evidently feared the competitors would either kill thera- 

 .selves or smash his rod, and of the two catastrophes hoped 

 it might not be the latter. 



' 'A reference to the result of the peg-down match will 

 show that nearly ninety anglers, most of them thoroughly 

 expert, fished for two hours with the sublimely ridiculous 

 result that only five of them caught fish, and that their com- 

 bined take only weighed eleven and a half ounces 1 This 

 match took place, not in the private fishery in the old Lea. 

 which was not extensive enough or the results would have 

 been very dilferent, but along the towing path of the canal- 

 ized portion of the Lea, disturbed by the passages of barges 

 and boats. Hence, doubtless, such a small mouse out of so 

 big a mountain." 



COMPETITIONS ON AVATER. 



Amateur Overhand Fly-casting with Salmon Rod not ex- 

 ceeding 16ft. in Length. — Two prizes. Entrance fee 5s. 

 First, Mr. Geo. M. Kelson, with a cast of 117tt. ; second, 

 Mr. R. B. Marston, 110ft, ; third, Mr. W. Thomas, y9ft. 4in.; 

 fourth, Mr. T. B. Mills. 99ft. 



Amateur Overhand Fly-casting with Salmon Rod not ex- 

 ceeding 18ft. in Length. — Two prizes. Entrance fee 5s. 

 First, Mr. Geo. M. Kelson, with a cast of TUft. ; second, 

 Mr. W. Thomas, 108ft.; third, Mr. Harris. 106ft. 6in.; 

 fourth, Mr. R. B. Marston lOaft. 



Amateur Switch Fly-casting -with any Salmon Rod. 6ft. 

 only allowed behind the competitor for the rod or line to 

 extend. Entrance fee, 53. Two prizes. First, Mr. G^o. M. 

 Kelson, with l7ft. 9in. rod, 102ft. ; second, Mr. W. Thomas, 

 with 18ft. rod, 96^. 



Amateur Fly-casting Competition with Single-handed Fly- 

 rod. — Three prizes. Entrance fee, 3.s. 6d. First, Mr. Geo. 

 M. Kelson, with a cast of 81ft. ; second, Mr, T B. Mills, 

 76ft. 6in.; third, Mr. R. B. Marston, 72ft.; fourth, Mr W. 

 Thomas, 67ft. 6in. ; fifth, Mr. E, Middleton, 67ft. 6in. ; sixth, 

 Mr. Watson, 61ft. 6in. (In this competition, Mr. Mills and 

 Mr. Kelson, both using a split-cane rod made by Leonard, of 

 New York, made a tie at 75 feet. In throwing off for first 

 prize, Mr. Kelson won as above.) 



Amateur Competition with Single-handed Fly-rod, in 

 Throwing Fly with Greatest Accuracy and Lightness under 

 Bushes. — Two prizes. Eatrance fee, Ss. 6d. First, Mr. 

 Bennett; second, Mr. R. B. Marston; third, Mr. W. Thomas; 

 fourth, Mr. E. Middleton; fifth, Mr. T. B. Mills. 



Amateur Fly-casting Competition with Double-handed 

 Trout Fly -rod. Length 14ft.— Two prizes. Entrance fee, 

 2s. 6d. First, Mr. Geo. M, Kelson, with cast of Soft. 3in. ; 

 second, Mr. R. B. M.arston, 81ft.; third, Mr. W. Thomas, 

 79ft, 6in. 



COMPETITIONS ON IjAND. 



Amateur Competition in Casting in the Thames Style. — 

 Three prizes. Entrance fee, Is. First, Mr. Hester, with a 

 ca.st of I08ft.; second, Mr. Granfield, 106ft. 6in. ; third, Mr. 

 Larkins, 101ft. 3in. ; fourth, Mr. Fitch, 94ft. 6in. ; fifth, Mr. 

 Hobden, 90ft. ; sixth, Mr. Da Costa, wide. 



Amateur Competition in Casting from Reel in Nottingham 

 Style. — Three prizes. Entrance fee. Is. First, Mr. May- 

 hew, with a cast of 138ft. ; second. Mi-. Ilobden, l'<J9f t. ; 

 third, Mr. Slater, 105ft.; fourth, Mr. Granfield, wide. 



Amateur Competiiion (open to Thames and Nottingham 

 style) in ca.siing toward a fixed mark, The angler casting 

 the bait nearest to the mark to take first prize; the next best 

 cast made by another angler the second; and the third best 

 cast by another angler to get: the third prize. Three prizes. 

 Entrance fee. Is. The judges placed a flag at 30yds. dis- 

 tance: First, Mr. Slater cast -vvithin 1yd. of the markiuNot^ 



tingham style; second, Mr. Granfield within IJyds. in 

 Thames style; third, Mr. Powell within l.^yds. iu Thames 

 style; fourth, Mr. Pitch within 2yd8. in Thames style : fifth, 

 Mr. Hester within 2;{-yds in Thames style ; sixth. \Ir. Foster 

 within 2iyds. in Nottingham style; seventh, Mr. Larkins 

 within 3yds. in Nottiiigliam stvle; eighth, Mr. Mayhew 

 within 4yds. in Thames .style. 



Amateur Competition in Casting in the Thames Style, 

 each competitor lo use the same rod, line, winch, and 

 weight, which, in Ibis instance, was 2oz. Three Prizps. 

 Entrance fee, Is. First, Mr. GraTifickl, with a cast of I39ft. 

 6in. ; second, Mr. Thompson, IGSft. ; third, Mr. Filch, 135ft. ; 

 fourth, Mr. Stidol ph. 135ft. ; fifth, Mr. Hobden, lH5ft. (In 

 throwing off the tie or third prize, Mr. Fitch a,nd Mr. Stid- 

 olph both made 139ft., Mr. Hobden, 117rt.). Sixth. Mr. 

 Powell, vpith a cast of 125ft_ 3in.; .seventh, Mr. Evans, 

 117ft. ; eighth, Mr. Larkins, 9GfL ; ninth. Mr. Archer. S7ft. 



Ledger Bait Casting toward a Fixed Mark. — Three Prizes. 

 Entrance fee la. First. Mr. Granfield cast within I8in of 

 the mark; second, Mr. Foster, 1yd. 4in. ; third, Mr Slater, 

 2yds.; fourth, Mr. Wood, 2yds. 2in. ; fifth, Mr. Mayhew, 

 2iyds. ; .sixth, Mr. Fitch, 3yds ; seventh, Mr. Parker, 4yds.; 

 eighth, Mr. Da Costa, 4yds; ninth, Mr. Hester, 4^^ yds,; 

 tenth, Mr. Powell, 5yds ; eleventh, Mr. Howes, 12yd8. ; 

 twelfth, Mr. Tibbatts, wide. 



Special Competition. — Two Hours' Fishing Match (Peg- 

 down), under direction of Mr. R Murphy. Twenty valiudjle 

 Prizes. Entrance fee Is. Finst, Mr. Hales (Pondcr's End), 

 3|oz, ; second, Mr. Wheeler (Wahham) 2J oz ; third, Mr. 

 Osborne (il ox ton Brother.s), 2ioz, ; fourth, Mr. Davey (Odrls 

 and Evens), 2ir oz. ; fifth, Mr. Day (Golden Barbel), 3oz, ; 

 (eigbty-five competitors). 



Keeping Helgramites, — Kansas City, Mo. ~ Editor 

 Forest and Stream: "D. T. G.'s" account of his method of 

 keeping dobsons in your paper of Aug. 30 brings up recol- 

 lections of my own experience, which may be of interest to 

 some of your readers. I have kept helgramites or dobsons 

 for months by the following method: I fill a tin, wooden or 

 earthen l)ucket with pieces of rotten wood thoroughly 

 saturated with water, having also about a,n inch of watfr in 

 bottom of vessel, and during the hot moutlis of siimrner and 

 autumn renew the water and rinse and wash the decaved 

 wood at least once a week, keeping in a cool place. By this 

 method I kept nearly fifty alive from the close of the bass 

 fishing season in New Hampshire last year until March fol 

 lowing, more than six months from the time I caught them, 

 and had I been able to have continued the experiment, have 

 no doubt could have preserved most of them until the open- 

 ing of the ba.ss season this year. They were quite lively 

 when I examined them in March. A few had evidently been 

 eaten by their fellows, as I discovered from time to time the 

 horny heads of some iu the vessel, the soft part having been 

 entirely consumed. Authorities say rhe tran=!formatiou from 

 pupa state to the horned corydalus {GorydaMs corimtus) 

 usually takes place in early summer. 1 have found the full 

 arown larva as late as Nov, 1 in Nevv Hampshire, and several 

 feet from the water, under conditions winch in(Jicate that 

 they had burrowed there prep-^ratory to the transformation. 

 Would the fact of their being disturbed and confined as I 

 treated them last winter arrest then- transformation and 

 Indefinitely prolong the pupa stage? — C. II. P. 



Catfish Rise to the Fly. — One year ago last spring 1 

 stocked a pond with brook trout fry and visited the pond 

 quite frequently for several weeks after to inspect them and 

 see what they were doing in the way of improvement, La'er 

 in the season I visited the pond to take a look at them but 

 could not see any; could see lots of sunfish and many other 

 kinds. I visited the pond one day this week and thought I 

 w^ould surely get a rise from a trout, thinking they would be 

 large enough to rise to a fly, I attached but two flies to the 

 leader, brown hackles, and the first cast I saw a swirl in the 

 water, and striking quickly hooked two dace, one on either 

 fly. I continued fishing for at least a half hour, and on mak- 

 ing a long cast across the pond my flies had scarcely touched 

 the water when there was a rush, and on striking I took a 

 large catfish on the stretcher and a chub on the dropper. 

 Did you ever hear of an angler having a like experience, and 

 is it usual for a catfish to take the fly ? I will also mention 

 that I did not see or have a single rise from a trout; think 

 they have all died; water is aljout four feet deep on an 

 average, and fed by under current springs. Lots of moss 

 grown up in the "pond. — Ah Look. [We have recorded 

 several instances where catfish have talien the fly, but the 

 instances are rare.] 



Long Island Coast Fishing.— Springs, Gardiner's Bay, 

 Long Island, Aug. 17. — But very few Spanish mackerel are 

 caught iu the pounds and nets of these bays, as the fish 

 wisely prefer to keep in deeper, outside waters. Neither are 

 the bluefish taken in great numbers in the pounds that line 

 these bays from Montauk Point to the headwaters of Peconic 

 Bay, a distance of more than fort v miles; the fish chiefly 

 caught being weakfish, porgies, flounders and butterfish. 

 One party of my friends here have five pounds, placed in 

 Fort Pond, Montauk, which they visit about thrice weekly, 

 taking from two to fifteen boxes of fish at each lift. These 

 fish are boxed up in ice and sent to New York, and the 

 raoney returns are made weekly. The returns for the last 

 three "months have been very good, so I suppose fish are iu 

 good demand in Fulton Market. The sea bass fishing in 

 these bays has been very poor this season, but in the waters 

 of the Long Island Sound the fish have been very plentiful, 

 and great catches have been daily made with the hook and 

 line. But for the last two weeks, during the hot weather, 

 the bass catch has greatly diminished, and this is owing per- 

 haps to the heated condition of the water. The fish must 

 have deserted the rocky shores for deeper and cooler ocean 

 tides.— I. McLbllan^ 



No Need of a Vacation.— My business prevents me 

 taking any vacation, and it is quite as well this summer to 

 have remained at home. I have all the same caught or 

 "killed" a great number of bass, and that too without being 

 away from my own kerosene oil lamp and feather bed a 

 single night. Fifteen minutes drive from my office takes 

 me to the liveliest, fattest, sweetest and most gamy bass I 

 know of.— SrBACUSE, 



Dowels vs. Simple Feeeules. — Cynthiana, Ky., Aug. 

 31. — In reading over ray article on "Dowels vs. Simple 

 Ferrules" iu your issue of Aug. 27. I find that I have i)iad- 

 vertently used the word "tenon" instead of "mortise,' wher- 

 ever it occurs in my hastdy-written screen. Of course 

 "tenon" is synonymous with "dowel," though my meaning 

 will be apparent to most readers. — J. A. HbnbhalI;. 



Hastih 



