Aua. 19, 1886.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



67 



BLUEFISH AND MENHADEN. 



THE fact that the bluefish is largely clependent on the 

 menliaden for its food is so well known to all who 

 know anything of our salt-water fishes that no argument 

 is needed to sustain the assertion. It is very curious, how- 

 ever, to see the different positions taken by the local 

 papers on Long island in regard to the destruction of tine 

 menhaden by the steamers which capture them by tlie 

 hundred milUons for their oil. TheGreenport Wafchmmi 

 is one of the organs of the oil men, and often tries to prove 

 that the capture of the menliaden in vast quantities has 

 no effect on the food tishes, and other papers deny that 

 the latter a re ever taken with purse nets and either pressed 

 in the oil factories or sent to market. In a late issue the 

 Watchman tells of "a small quantity" of bluefish being 

 taken by the steamer Sterhng, which averaged less than a 

 pound each, and were brought to Gx-eenport and delivered 

 to Ca.pt. Willard Griffing, of the Sback Eastern Star, by 

 whom they "were barreled in ice and shipped to Fulton 

 Mai-ket." 



The South Side Signal, in commenting on this says that 

 this is a little cn-cumstance which the Watchman would 

 rather not speak of and "instead of setting down the 

 number taken as 'a quantity' it would have been a little 

 more satisfactory if om* fiiend had named about the 

 number of wagonloads of fish tliat were taken in that in- 

 nocent and accidental little 'haul.' No doubt there was 

 'lively work' with the steam scoops hauling them on board; 

 no doubt there was 'lively work' in shipping them off; no 

 "wonder this '(luantity' of ijsh(of course presumably small) 

 glutted tlie market and broke the price from 15 cents to 3. 

 Yet in another column of the same issue of the Watchman 

 we are gravely told that 'purse-nets do not take any con- 

 siderable quantities of edible fish' * * * 'that the fish- 

 ermen do not get enough of such fish to supply their own 

 tables.' We have it on the authority of men who have 

 been employed for years on the menhaden steamers that 

 the catch of edible fish in the purse-nets is often enor- 

 mous; that frequently weakfish, bluefish and sea bass are 

 taken by the ton, and that not one-tenth of these fish so 

 taken can possibly be marketed, and when it is possible 

 to reach a market the fish are in such poor condrtion as 

 to be almost worthless; that not one 'catch' in ten is ever 

 reported; and that generally it pays better to let them go 

 in with oil and manure stock and say nothing about it. 

 It is time— high time— there was soraethmg said about it; 

 it is liigh time tliis outrageous and cruel waste was effec- 

 tually stopped!" 



The Signal is doing good work in this matter of pre- 

 serving the fishing of the Great vSouth Bay, and of our 

 coast generally, and natiu-ally excites the ire of those 

 whose interest lies in conveiting a valuable little fish, 

 upon wliose existence our market fishes are dependent, 

 into oil and fertilizers, and it thus defines its opinions on 

 this subject: "First, let the fish come into the bay; sec- 

 -ond, give them a reasonable chance to spawn; third, keep 

 the inlets and lower channels free from every kind of 

 obstruction, whether it be bunker steamers, old mowing 

 machines or nets; fom-th, then let the fish be free to who- 

 ever can take them. This, in om- judgment, is the only 

 way to break the present lock-out and put an end to the 

 rapid depletion that threatens a total stop to fishing if it 

 continues. With these simple and reasonable observ- 

 ances, there will be plenty for all, and every fisherman 

 will get his share. Has the Watchman any better plan 

 to propose ?" 



This is sound logic and will be approved by every one 

 who wishes to see om- bays and harbors swarm with the 

 valuable fishes for wliich they were once famous, and it 

 will be opposed only by those who have a pecuniary in- 

 terest in the oil factories and menhaden steamers which 

 ai-e destroying the food on which the better fish thrive, 

 and for which they seek om- shores in the summer season. 

 Shylock puts the case squarely before those who would 

 rob and ruin him when he says: "You do take my life 

 when you do take the means whereby I live," and this is 

 what the oil men are doing to our best migratory fishes. 



ST. LAWRENCE ANGLERS. 



ALE^NDRIA BAY, Aug. 10.— [Special]— The annual 

 meeting of the Anglers' Association of the St. Law- 

 rence River was held in the parlors of the Grossmen 

 House, Alexandria Bay, with President J. J. Flanagan in 

 the chau-. Thirteen names for membership were pre- 

 sented. The report of the Secretary, W. W. Byington, of 

 Albany, was presented in writing. An abstract is given 

 below: "During the suinmer of 1885 it was deemed best 

 to aid the State game protectors by employing a siDCcial 

 protector to act under the direction of the'officers of the 

 Association, and Daniel Starring, of Alexanckia Bay, was 

 employed at a salary of $50 per month, with actual ex- 

 penses. He makes weekly reports of all his movements. 

 Prior to three years ago there was some excuse for viola- 

 tions of the law. People along the river were in almost 

 total ignorance of the laws, but at present all residents, 

 tom-ists, guides and net fishers know perfectly well what 

 ■the law is. The law is now never violated except by men 

 who intend to break the laws of the State. The tinie has 

 come when more attention should be paid to prosecution, 

 but it is difficult in waters so extensive and varied as those 

 of the St. Lawrence to actually prove crime on the mur- 

 derous net men. V/e know who they are, but it is difd- 

 oult to get suflicient information to prosecute. We should 

 employ skilled detectives from time to time to apprehend 

 men who are so determined to ruin the river. The whole 

 mimber who have paid money to the Association as mem- 

 bers is 248. Dm-ing the Association year of 1885, 163 paid 

 annual dues, and since the last annual meeting 63 new 

 members have been added to the list." 



The report of William Story, of Albany, Treasurer, 

 showed a balance of $408.61 in the treasury Aug. 10, 

 1885. There Avas received during the year $878.99, and 

 the expenses amounted to $586.71, leaving a balance Aug-. 

 4, 1886, of $495.89. * 

 The Chau-man of the Executive Committee, John M. 

 Quimby, of Albany, made a brief report, after which the 

 President stated that Gen. Rodney C, Ward, of New 

 York, had offered the member of the Association taking 

 the largest small-mouthed bass tliis season a first-class 

 fishing rod. 



After remarks by H. S. Chandler, of New York, upon 

 the necessity of Canada's co-operation in regard to fish 

 protection in order to secure the best results, the following 

 was adopted: "Resolved, That a committee of two be 

 appointed to confer with the Canadian Commissioners 

 of Fisheries and ask them to co-operate in preventing net 



fishing in the St. Lawrence River, to make the open season 

 for bass fishing begin June 1, and to assist in all matters 

 l^ertaining to the preservation of fish in said river." 



M. B. Hill, of the Clayton Fish Hatchery, stated that 

 4,000,000 fish, includmg trout, whitefish, salmon trout, 

 Califorjiia trout, Avall-eyed pike, ciscoes and a cross be- 

 tween brook and salmon trout had been hatched this 

 year. California trout to the number of 400,000 had been 

 put in the river this year. The meeting elected officers 

 as follows for the ensuing year: President, J. J. Flana- 

 gan, Utica; First Vice-President, Andrew C. Cornwall, 

 Alexandria Bay; Second Vice-President, Gardner M. 

 Skinner, Clayton; Secretary, W. W. Byington, Albany; 

 Treasurer, Wm. Story, Albany. Executive Committee — 

 John H, Quimby, Albany, Cliairman; Charles W. Ci-oss- 

 mon, Alexandria Bay; C. J. Hudson, R. H. Southgate, H. 

 S. Chandler, Wm. j. Cassard, A. D. Wilhams, Wm. C, 

 Harris, Geo. T. Hasbrouck, New York; R. P. Grant, Clay- 

 ton; W. H. Thompson, Alexandi-ia Bay; E. H. Britton, 

 Toroiito, Ont. ; James jSaton, James C. Greenman, Utica; 

 Geoi'ge L. Crandall, Binghamton; Wm. Hayden, Colum- 

 bus, O.; H. H. Warner, Rochester; James T, Story, 

 Albany; II. E. Morse, Clayton; Hon. Irving G. Vann, 

 Syracuse; Judge D. C. Labatt, New Orleans and Louisi- 

 ana Point; H. R. Heath, Nobby Island and Brooklyn; 

 Advisory Counsel, Hon. Fra,nklin M. Dauaher, Albany. 

 Messrs. Chandler, New York; Clarke, Jersey City, and 

 Britton, of Toronto, are a committee to obtain the co- 

 operation of the Canadian authorities with the Anglers' 

 Association and other organizations in the matter of fish 

 protection on both sides and the adjustment of dates for 

 the close and open seasons. 



The annual excursion of the Association was the sensa- 

 tion of the week and the most successful of the series of 

 enjoyable reunions. This year the management was for 

 the first time m the hands of the Alexandria Bay anglers. 

 The excursion party started from Alexandria Bay and 

 took in all the landings on the American side, and' then 

 they went to the picnic gj-ounds at Island Mary via the 

 Cariadian Channel. This pomt is at the foot of Wells 

 Island and is made an island by the little canal or shute 

 dug by the oarsman through a low point to save three 

 miles or more rowing in crossing from the American to 

 the Canadian channels. It is a spacious and beautiful 

 place. Tables 180ft. long with seats accommodated over 

 230 guests. Additions to the party from small boats, 

 steam and sail yachts, increased the number of the party 

 to about 450 people. 



Editor Covert, of the Cleveland (O.) Leader, Judge Le- 

 batt, a venerable jurist from New Orleans; Congressman 

 Gilfillian of Pennsylvarua; the Messrs. Hayden, the mil- 

 lionaire coal and iron men of Columbus, O., and Fairy- 

 land; Hon. N. W. Hunt, of Rye Island and Brooklyn; 

 Vice-President Townley, of Round Island Park Associ- 

 ation: Dr. Morris, of Albany; Capt. Doran, of Rochester; 

 Capt. Matthews, of Toronto; Charles W. Crossmon, Man- 

 ager Clemmes, Mrs. Hopkins, of Leavenworth, Kansas; 

 and many other ladies and gentlemen who know how to 

 give and to enjoy happy excm'sions of this kind, took 

 pains to thank and compliment Messrs. Cornwall and 

 Thompson and the off cere of the Association for the 

 pleasm-es and good management of this reunion and 

 excm-sion. Better still, a large number of new members 

 were gained by the trip, and all are more interested than 

 ever iii the fish protection movement. At 2:30 P. M., over 

 $3,000 worth of nets, captured by protectors Steele and 

 Starring, were fired on a liigh point of rocks, under the 

 direction of Chairman Quimby, of the Executive Com- 

 mittee. Fish pirates cannot stand many more heavy 

 drams of this kind upon their costly but contraband gill, 

 fyke, hoop and other forms of nets. Hereafter in addi- 

 tion to the confiscation of their nets they will be subject 

 to fine and imprisonment. The members of the excm- 

 sion party started for their various stopping places 

 at 5 P. M., very happy and very weary with the 

 day's exei-tions. The management of the excm-sion and 

 reunion reflects great credit on the Alexandria Bay 

 anglers. 



Mr. High's Salmon.— The following letter received 

 yesterday by the Hon. W. H. Harper is sufficiently ex- 

 planatory: "Mic-Mac Salmon Club— Dear Harper: I 

 sent you by express a 30-pound salmon which I killed to- 

 day in the Restigoache River after an exciting contest of 

 two hours and three-quarters by the watch. He was 

 hooked in one of the ventral fins, having missed the fly 

 in rising, which gave him full play with all his strength. 

 You may infer something of the natiu-e of the contest 

 when I tell you that he pulled my canoe, containing my- 

 self and two Indians, three miles down the river before 

 he was brought to gaff, and fish and fisherman were 

 almost equally exhausted when the struggle was over. I 

 have had him frozen, and hope he will come tlu-ough in 

 good shape. Please distribute him among my friends on 

 Prairie avenue, and if possible let them see him before he is 

 cut up. I am fully persuaded that a man who has killed 

 a 30-pound salmon has not lived altogether in vain. I 

 trust that you may make as good a race for Congress as 

 the fish did for the Atlantic Ocean. — James L. High. 

 P. S.— He measures 41 inches in length."— C/wcago 

 Tribune, Aug. 11. 



Mastigouche Fishing Club.— Montreal, Aug. 13.— A 

 gentleman and his wife from New York, who have just 

 returned from the Mastigouche lakes, where they have 

 been staying for the last four or five weeks, report fine 

 weather, very few flies or mosquitoes, and excellent sport 

 Avith the trout. The lady succeeded in capturing one 

 afternoon last week, four fine trout that aggregated ll|lbs. 

 The largest Aveighed a Uttle over 41bs. Their weights 

 were 41bs., S^lbs., Silbs. and 21bs. They were caught in 

 Lake Mum-oe, one of the reserved lakes belonging to the 

 Mastigouche Fishing Club. The largest trout caught there 

 this season previously was taken by Mr. Sinclair, of New 

 York, and weighed 3jlbs. I was the fortunate recipient 

 of the handsome 41b. trout ca,ught by Mrs. S., andean 

 speak appreciatingly of its fine qualities. I leave for the 

 lakes this P. M. to try and find its mate.— Henry W, 

 Atwater, Secretary M. F. C. 



Indian Point, Chateaugay Lake, N. Y.— Trout fishhag 

 is fairly good, the guests of the house catch all they want 

 to eat. A gent just came in from Plumadore Pond, and 

 brought as a resmt of two hours' fishing with one rod(fly- 

 castiag) 23 trout weighing 81bs.; they saw three deer. 

 Deer are numerous here at the lake, and people are pre- 

 paring to hound them in September.— R. M. Shutts. 



' The Carp as a Game Fish.— Mt. Sterling, Ky., Aug. 

 Q.— Editor Forest and Stream: Some time ago, a year or 

 more, I saw an article from "Little Sandy," showing up 

 the Guinea fowl as a game bird. Now I want to place on 

 record the German carp as a game fish. Yesterday Rev. 

 H. H. Sneed and myself drove out to a pond that I 

 stocked with carp four or five years ago, when Kentucky 

 liad a fish commission. We wanted to try some of the 

 new fluttering flies (and they aj-e fine). We ca.ught twen- 

 ty-eight black sunfish and one German cai-p weighing 

 ipj. Mr. Sneed called out, "I have a large fish of some 

 kind, come with your net." I rushed to his assistance 

 and soon had him in the landing net. I saw at once it 

 was a carp, and found the fly well hooked inside of his 

 mouth. He made a powerful resistance and did not seem 

 to get weary in a two minutes' struggle, when I scooped 

 him in. The pond was constantly resounding with their 

 splashes brealcing after black flies. I think they will 

 afford good sport if cultivated some. I hope "Little 

 Sandy" will try them.— BiG Sandy. 



An Odd Trio.— Chatham, N. Y., Aug. 13.— Certainly 

 the curiosities of angling will never end, nor the most im- 

 probable fish stories cease to be told. The last is the true 

 tale of R. H. Fiuch, a member of the Forest and Stream 

 Club of this place. With a few angle worms he baited a 

 line to which were attached three hooks, and cast them 

 into the papermill pond near here. In a few moments he 

 was sm-prised Avith the following trio: An eel 26in. long, 

 a trout ll|in. long and a rock bass Sin, long on one line 

 and at one haul.— A. J. F. 



The Most Southern Trout.— I owe to my friend, Pro- 

 fessor Lupton, two specimens of a black spotted trout 

 from a locality far south of any wliichhas hitherio yielded 

 Salmonidce. They are from streams of the Sierra Madre, 

 of Mexico, at an elevation of between 7,000 and 8,000ft. 

 in the southern part of the State of Chihuahua, near the 

 boundaries of Durango and Sinaloa. The specimens are 

 yoimg and have teeth on the basihyal bones, as in Salmo 

 purjmratus, which they otherwise resemble.— D. Cope 

 in American Naturalist. 



A Good Trout.— A brook trout weighing 21bs. 3oz. 

 was taken at Big Indian, Ulster county, N. Y., within 

 half a mile of the hotel, last Saturday, by Mr. William 

 Dubois. This is a large trout for those mountain streams 

 and is tlierefore remai-kable. Mr. Dubois sent the fish in 

 to Mr. Cliarles T. Austin, who sent it to Mr. Blackford, on 

 whose slabs we saw it last Monday. It was a male trout, 

 and its protruding lower jaw indicated that many years 

 had elapsed since it had absorbed its yolk-sac. 



Denver, Colo., Aug, 18.— Messrs. L. B. France and 

 Geo. W. Kassler, of this city, have just returned from a 

 month's fishing in Middle Park, Bgeria Park and the head 

 waters of White and Yampa rivers. They report having 

 had a grand outing and found all the trout they could 

 wish. They visited the noted, but almost unknown 

 Trapper's Lake, the mountain-locked head of White 

 River.— B. 



Illinois River.— Lacon, 111., July 24.— Sportsman's 

 I)leasm-es are quiet here at present. Our fish laws were 

 better eirforced this spring than ever before, with the 

 result that we are having fine sport with the rod. A better 

 string of fish can be taken to-day in the Illinois River than 

 at any time for thirty years past.— BYRNE. 



Cape Vincent, N. Y.— Mr. Thomas J. O. Donohue, ot 

 New York city, caught the largest pickerel of the season, 

 181bs. 2oz.— J. O. P; 



Thomas L. Pritchard, well-known%s an expert fly- 

 caster, died last week at his home in Brooklyn, N. Y., 

 aged 23 years. 



Forest and Stream Fables. 



^mwevH to ^atteH^andeni^. 



STo Sfotice TS'ken of Anonymotis Correspondents. 



S. A-. "W., Toronto, Can.— We are unable to give the offsets of 

 the canoes at present. 



W. D. A. Jh., Montclair, N. J.— Petrel was illustrated In the 

 Forest and Stream of Nov. 30 and 27, 1884. 



Henrv, Phila.— a yacht 40 by 12ft. would cost upward of $3,000 if 

 properly built and equipped. The Coot is 31ft. long, the Pilgrim is 



21ft. wn.tATliriA 



term 

 a pair 



si find 



A\ . 0, W., Charlottesville, Pa. -In the U. S. Fisheries reports I 



this remark: "Fishculturists have made many efforts to hatch 

 the eggs of the black bass and have never succeeded." Is that 

 correct. Has not that art been discovered yet ? Ans. It is correct . 

 There is no inducement for practical men to try to take the eggs of 

 black bass artificially, because they watch their nest and their eggs 

 hatch well in a state of nature. Where waters are to be stocked 

 with bass this can be done by introducing the fish themselves. 



R. B. S., New York— 1. The trout season in the State of New 

 York closes on Sept;. 1, except in the Adirondacks, where it is open 

 until the loth. 2. You may find black bass fishing near Stevens 

 Lake, but we do not know of any. For these fish you need either 

 a^bait-rod or a fly-rod according to your style of fishing, although 

 the latter can be used for bait in still-fishing but cannot cast a 

 frog or minnow. Use a reel and sUk line, bait with helgramites 

 minnows or frogs; see our reply in Aug. 5. 3. The partv mentione(l 

 we cannot recommend. 



Catboat Wave.— The positions are not given definitely enough 

 on the diagram to decide the point. B should have given way in 

 time if possible, but if he Avas near the shore on port tack, witliout 

 water to luff when A came on his quarter, then he could have 

 hailed A to go about and give him room. Port tack must give 

 way, and the fact of a collision is proof that the boat on the port 

 tack was not far enough aliead to justify an attempt to cross, but 

 no boat has a right to force another ashore, and if hailed in time A 

 must give room to B to clear the shore. 



F. L. C, Brooklyn, N. Y.— I claim that pickerel very seldom grow 

 over 61bs.; my friend that they often have been caught weighing 

 ISlbs.; who is right? Please tell difference between pike ana 

 pickerel. Ans. Both of you may be right, as no donbt you are 

 speaking of two species of the pike family. The names "pike" and 

 "pickerel" are so applied to different fishes that it is difflcult to 

 say what fish is meant unless we know the locality where the fish 

 is foimd. See "Adirondack Fishes," by Fred Mather, in our ad-< 

 vertised book list, you will find this matter gone over at length 



A soft, velvet texture is imparted to the skin by the use of 

 Glenn's Sulphur Soap. For skin diseases it should be used f reelv 

 Never take a bath without it. It is also especially useful as a 

 means of bleaching and purifying woolens, cotton, etc. Hill's Hair 

 and WTiiskor Dye, black and brown, 50 cents.— ^du. 



