282 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Nov. 4, 1886. 



Addrcsss all communications to the Fores^t and Stream Pub. Co. 



COAST FISHING IN SUPERIOR.-I. 



IT is not often one sees of late years in the Foeest and 

 Stream any accounts of trout angling in Lake Su- 

 perior. It may be that the tribe of Lake Superior fisher- 

 men does not increase. To those, few though tliey be, 

 ■who know the waters and the shores of that great lake, no 

 ■word of appreciation is needed. Apart from the salmon, 

 the quest of whicli has not yet fallen to my lot, and after 

 some experience with the bluefish, the striped bass, the 

 black bass, and some others of the game fishes of this 

 continent, I feel confident in calling ti-out the game fish 

 of them all. Of com'se i cannot include the fiugerlings of 

 NewEngland and most Middle States brooks in this descrip- 

 tion. I never found pleasure in taking such small fry be- 

 yond the mere outing. 



Probably Superior fishing is kno^wn only to the few. 

 Even the wonderful Nepigon with its glorious trout and 

 its magnificent scenery shows upon its'portage trails the 

 ti-ead of less than half a hundred anglers annually — this 

 year but few over twenty-five fishermen having ■visited 

 that river. And one can coast the entire north shore of 

 the great lake and much of the south shore, and camp 

 each night in places yet untrodden by the fisherman. 

 And, unless he stops at some of the few" towns or settle- 

 ments on the nortli coast, he can go from Duluth to 

 Sault Ste. Marie without seeing a white man. Several 

 times have I coasted over four hundred miles of that 

 coast in the angling season and seen no brother of the 

 gentle craft other than my own comiaanions. Can it be 

 that anglers have not heard of Superior waters? 



When my fii-st ti'ip to the lake was made I had never 

 cast a fly." My trout had been taken in boyhood days 

 with angleworm or grasshopper for bait, when and where 

 reels and jointed rods were unknown. Later black bass 

 fishing had been -with live bait or minnows, and I had 

 prided myself upon inventing the overhand cast in that 

 pursuit, until I found others who had been wise longer 

 than myself. So it happened that my first Su]3erior fish- 

 ing was done with a bass rod and mediiun sized Fi'ankf ort 

 reel, and a fly that somehow I cotildn"t put where it ought 

 to be. In fact, that trout could be taken anywhere but in 

 brooks or small rivers was not part of what I considered 

 my rehable infoiTaation. My first fishing wliich was 

 about Bayfield was perhaps better rewarded than its skill 

 deseiwed. One or two trout in thi'ee or fom* days' fishing 

 weighing a pound or so each, caught in lake waters, made 

 a revelation. There were trout then, but ways and means 

 were inadequate, and their habits and habitat were as yet 

 a closed book. 



After all these years, however, I dare not say the book 

 has been widely opened — at least to me. I have indulged 

 in nmnerous theories, each of which was brought, by 

 force of circumstances, to some rude if not untimely end. 

 My first trout was taken in the lake near the shore, where 

 a pebl:ily bottom led up to a sandy beach at the foot of a 

 low cliff. Since then they have taken the fly off sandy 

 bars at the mouth of some small brook; in water of un- 

 known depth off bold, rocky shores, miles from any 

 stream; on bottoms strewed with giant boulders, near 

 softly sloping shores; on pa^raig stone bottoms; on fairly 

 smooth rock bottoms; at points where single rocks jutted 

 out of the water a mile or two from island or mainland, 

 and in sandy basins or pockets, sm-rounded by rocky 

 shores. And there have been many melancholy failures 

 in just such places; indeed, it may be said in the same 

 places at other times. In fact, other than that there are 

 some places along the coast where trout cannot be found, 

 one can be sure of nothing in coast fisliing. Po.ssibly 

 others of wider experience may have better theories and 

 better jiidgment. Mine are not satisfactory. 



The first real sm-prise was just outside of Black Bay, We 

 Irad coasted slowly along between the islands, stopping 

 occasionally to try a promising point, but getting no rise. A 

 lake ti'out or two had fallen to the lot of the troller. while 

 I was trying a few casts from the bow for practice as we 

 were making slow time under a light breeze on a line with 

 an island shore and about 100ft. away. Suddenly there 

 ■was a flashing in the air, followed by a rousing sjilash 

 and a failure to hook the fish. Another cast was more 

 successful with a smaller trout. Tiu-ning a point into a 

 sheltered cove we made camp, determined to try the near 

 waters. 'While our voyagers predicted failure, it was 

 failure only in fishing from the shore. Fi-om the boat we 

 took a number of fine fish — the largest 31bs. and none less 

 than lib. The average was neai'ly 3^1bs. Here the shore 

 was high, smooth, wave-washed rocks -vrith Uttle narrow 

 tongues of pebbly beach. 



Further along to the northeast, a few miles distant, we 

 f oimd a little brook coming do-wn from the heights of 

 Isle St. Ignaoe, with gently sloping shores. Fi-om a pool 

 just above the mouth a fine lot of U'out were taken, weigh- 

 ing from I to l^lbs. each. Outside on the sloping bar 

 where the water in reach of a cast from the shore was 

 nowhere over 3 or 4ft. deep, we took a number of fine 

 fish, none going larger than the smaller ones caught in 

 the pool not 30ft. from the edge of the lake. 



I do not know of any one fishing the south shore of St. 

 Ignace. My little experience at the southwest point of 

 the island, or rather of one of the islands connected with 

 it bordering on Nepigon Strait, leads me to believe the 

 unexplored region (if it is unexplored by fishermen) very 

 promising. But as my theories have all come to naught 

 I ought not to confess having any belief about it. I hope 

 to try it some day. 



Nepigon Bay has not proved good trout water. It is 

 unproraising, slightly clouded from shallowness, but 

 many streams coming in from the north have good fish. 

 But some of the streams are warm and are the homes of 

 pike (wall-eyed) and pickerel, of which there is abtmd- 

 ance. Nor does every clear and cold strea^m along the 

 lake have trout, while there are cool red ones which have 

 abundance of small fish. I have found no large trout in 

 red streams, but I have tried no stream above the shore 

 falls, or ftu-ther than a mile or two inland, excepting the 

 Nepigon and one or two smaller ones. 



One of the finest of the many fine fishing localities is in 

 the neighborhood of Pic Island. Camphig one or two 

 nights near the point west of the island in a sheltered 

 bay, I took my rod and a single fly about sunset one 

 evening and stroUed along the rocks until near the point 



marking the entrance to the little bay. A trout of Slbs. 

 rewarded the first cast, not a dozen yards from where the 

 boat was lyhig in the water. But the place was promis- 

 ing. A few other small ones fell to our lot in the few 

 minutes fishing. 



Right along the main, land north of Pic Island is a 

 stretch of boulder-covered bottom reaching up to a stony 

 and pebbly beach, similar to that along Cor bier (called 

 Kirby in the vernacular) Point at the mouth of Bache- 

 wanung (or Bachewana) Bay. The land for some distance 

 back from the lake up to the foot of the mountain seems 

 to be of alluvial formation, through which runs a smaU 

 brook, the mouth of which is hardly seen from the passing 

 boats. The gi-ound at the brook mouth is frequently used 

 for campmg, and I have spent many pleasant days on it. 

 There are large trout along this s"hore to the west, but 

 none have been taken to my knowledge du-ectly to the 

 east, for at least a mile. Indeed faitMul fishmg for 

 several seasons along this shore east and west achieved 

 nothing, and not even a rise rewarded my exertions, 

 Avhatever may have been the results to otiiers at other 

 times. But one day in coasting, when there was quite a 

 heavy swell coming in from the southeast and we were 

 making from the bay around the point toward the camp- 

 ing groimd, I thought I would try once more for luck. So 

 taking a stand on tlie bow with one arm arotmd the fore- 

 mast of the Mackinaw boat, I cast the fly toward the rocks 

 on which the swell was breaking, A huge trout rose and 

 was hooked in plain view, and carried away the frayed 

 leader which had done service along the coast and in 

 numerous rivers for the last hundred miles. There were 

 other trout in company, and a landing was soon made for 

 shore fishing. Several trout were taken ranging from 

 two and a half to four and a half pounds, and all within 

 an horn-. Fiurther east along the main land and from 

 numerous island points we had good success both in fish- 

 ing from the shore and from the boat. H. 



AN OCTOBER DAY. 



BY THE OLD MAN OF THE HHjL, 



"AN October day," repeats the Cynic, and there are 

 xJl- little quotation marks in his accent, implying sar- 

 casm. " 'An October Day!' have we not had enough of 

 'October Days?' Are we not subjected to an avalanche of 

 variegated rhetoric on the recurrence of every 'October 

 Day?' Can we not have a rest?" 



We have to smile a little and remark that an October 

 day is one of those rare things that may become trite but 

 never grows stale, and admonish him that he should have 

 a little patience wMle others are prating over their foibles, 

 and then presently when he shall become enthusiastic 

 over his plethoric bags of game or his fabulous draughts 

 of fishes, we will be magnanimous, too, and deal no 

 severer criticism than an eloquent silence or at most a 

 surreptitious gape. 



It is not, however, of some vague, abstract October day 

 we would sjieak, but of this partictdarly beautif'ol one 

 that lies spread below us from the suinmit of the hill. 

 We are brought to pause at once, for there are no adequate 

 words near us. The poor adjectives of our acquaintance 

 are threadbare from being bandied back and f oi'th, preach- 

 ing then- mercenary commendations of every cheap 

 occasion. Tliey have no eloquence for such a matter as 

 this. We never so coveted the poet's gift. The atmos- 

 phere is clear, meUow, fmity, with a sparkling bead. 

 Could you stand here now inviting it to the innermost 

 recesses, to displace eveiy atom of dust-laden, city- tainted 

 breath you would feel your lungs expanding by inches 

 and such a mental and physical inflation as would set you 

 to seeking some Herculean task to test your new-foimd 

 strength. 



The sun lies yellow on all the hillsides, in such warm 

 contrast to the last few cold, colorless days that the flock- 

 ing robins are persuaded to postpone then- southern de- 

 partiu-e, while here and there a family of grouse that 

 some days since had thought to resign themselves to 

 winter quarters are peering up through the withered 

 leaves, their little prognostications all gone astray. 



The upper slopes are quite faded out, the barren waste 

 of stalks all ch-ooping and lifeless, no sign of animation 

 excepting here and there a feathery pollen drifting aim- 

 lessly about, accompanied by a belated butterfly. The 

 distant acres are populous with well-favored yellow 

 sheaves dislTibuted about in all sorts of whimsical atti- 

 tudes; some gathered in sympathetic companies, each 

 anxious to lend his neighbor a willing shoulder; others 

 braced at reeling angles against the gi'oup, or prostrate 

 where they sank in clisjointed heaps, and aU evincing a 

 deplorable" inability to stand alone. 



Here and there among the trees we catch a glimpse of 

 the country road, a mere cart road that seems to saunter 

 along with" its straggUng stone walls and antiquated zig- 

 zag fences crumbling among the tangled vines. A group 

 of barberries with beauty carefully preserved at tliis age 

 of the season, are flatmting then- gay pendants over more 

 soberly bedecked neighbors. An occasional wild cheriy; or 

 chestnut sapling is standing sentinel beside the bars which 

 now are down, for the aftermath is gathering and all the 

 trees ai-e redolent with sweet-smelling wisps snatched 

 from the loaded wain. 



The Sim is half STink now and peering horizontally 

 across the horizon, while all the trees are matching skill 

 in casting shadows at the distant mountain. A chUling 

 wind has just aroused and comes moaning down the 

 valley, starting the leaves in clouds before it, that all day 

 long have been fluttering down to loiter awhile neai" the 

 parent stem and then go eddying off to congregate in 

 rustling heaps in all the hoUo-^v places. Now they are 

 hurrying away to join the rushing throng, soaring awhile 

 in great commotion among the bending trees, then grad- 

 ually falling, bedraggled in the muddy road or scurrying 

 across the pasttu'e where every clump of bushes intercepts 

 a few, and finally settling down in the lea of some shelter- 

 ing wall, where a few days later the first fall of snow 

 blots them out, the last vestiges of tl-iis October Day. 



It was our first night out, and L. and I had pitched 

 our tent on the shores of as pretty a lake as the State of 

 Maine can boast of; the camp-fu'e was lending its cheer- 

 ful influence to the scene, and the box of good things 

 from home had been well sampled. But it was unani- 

 mously agreed that something hot oijght to be cooked to 

 finish "off with; "but," says L., "you ■will have to do it, 

 for I couldn't cook a green snake so that it would taste 

 decent."— Black Spot. 



"NESSMUK'S" POEMS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I inclose your order with, pleasure. Of cotu-se, we all •msh to 

 secure a copy of "Nessmuk's" poems; by all, I mean the readers of 

 Forest akd Stream who liave so long been charmed with his 

 ■v\Titings. We have studied with infinite pleasure his prose pen 

 pictures of the fair scenes of Nature; scenes of forest and hay shore 

 and prairie, valley and mountain and woodland camp; entering 

 ■svith him into the sportsman's paradise, so very dear to hunter, 

 fowler, angler, trapper and tourist. And now we are to admire his 

 pen pictures in verse, reproducing in measured line and musical 

 rhjTue the scenes we loved to contemplate, presented in the more 

 attractive form of verse^ ISAAC McLellan. 



"Nessmuk's" manuscript volume of poems is to he put into hook 

 form hy the Forest and Stream Publishing Co. Tlie book will 

 be of about ISO pages, with a portrait and autobiographical sketch. 

 The poems cover a ■^^lide range of subjects; their titles have 

 been printed in previous notices, and some of the poems 

 thenaselves were published in these pages two weeks ago. 

 The price of the book, to advance subscribers, will be 

 fl. Subscriptions at that rate will bo received until Nov. 14, 

 after that date the publishers reserve the right to advance the piice. 

 Subscription blanks will be furnislied on application, or the form 

 printed elsewhere may be used. As already intimated, we should 

 like to see the publication of the poems made a more than usually 

 successful literary undert4iking. "Piseco" forwards a subscription 

 for five copies conditioned upon our receipt of nineteen other 

 subscriptions of five each. We should be happy to record the 

 rounded twenty. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 



THE SPORT OF HAWKING. 

 Ill.-The Cyrfalcon. 



THE three great Northern falcons (Hierofaleo)— the 

 gyrfalcon, the Icelander and the Greenlander — ap- 

 proach very closely to one another in form, coloration 

 and habits. The tliree kinds are now generally consid- 

 ered to be but local races, or at most mere varieties of one 

 species, and as such they will be here considered. The 

 gjTfalcon {Falco sacer, Forster; Falco gyrfalco, Linnaeus) 

 which specific name also includes the Iceland, Greenland 

 and Labrador falcons, is by far the largest of the true 

 falcons, the female measuring 24in. or more in length, the 

 male about 2iin. less. The wing is lOin. long from carpal 

 joint to tip of longest feather. A fine female of this 

 species will weigh nearly 41bs. The tarsus is feathered 

 half way down, there being only a bare strip on the pos- 

 terior surface of the leg. The color varies considerably 

 from ahnost pm-e white, barred -svith faint plumbeous 

 markings, to a dark brownish lead color, marked -with 

 darker tranverse bars. This species has the peculiai'ity 

 common to all the true falcons, of having the bands on 

 its plumage longitudinal up to the fii'st moult and ti-ans- 

 verse thereafter. In the character of the beak, feet and 

 wings the gyrfalcon closely resembles the peregrine, 

 being a true "long- -winged," "dark-eyed" hawk. 



The flight of the northern falcon, although perhaps less 

 rajjid than that of the peregrine, is grand and majestic in 

 the extreme. Its power of foot is tenible, and the force 

 of its stoop often sufficient to kill a heron at a single blow. 

 It is byfar the best "footer" — i. e., game killer — of all the 

 falcons, surpassing even the royal eagles in this respect. 

 It preys mainly upon seagulls, waterfowl and ptarmigans, 

 and is fearfully destructive to the latter species. As re- 

 gards man it is a bolder bird than the peregrine, often 

 being seen in tlie im m ediate neighborhood of the smaller 

 settlements of British America. It is almost as ditiicidt 

 to stalk and shoot, however, as the wary peregrine him- 

 self. The nest of this species is built up"nn naked and in- 

 accessible cliffs, or occasionally in the tops of the highest 

 pine trees. The parent birds are ferocious and reckless in 

 the defense of their nest, and are able to beat off most 

 intruders. The nest itself is a rough affair, much like 

 that of the peregrine. The eggs are laid in early May, 

 often while the rivers are yet frozen and the ground 

 covered with snow. The ground color of the eggs is 

 yellowish brown, which is almost concealed, however, by 

 the numerous blotches of deep reddish brown upon it. 

 They measure about 2.| inches from pole to pole. The 

 gyrfalcon is found throughout the northern region of 

 both continents, and is seldom found south of the oOth 

 parallel of latitude. These birds have, however, bred in 

 Vermont, and are not exceedingly rare in the northern 

 New England States during cold winters. 



When the sport and art of falconry were at their height 

 the gyrfalcon was considered a royal bii-d, thought fit only 

 for scions of reigning houses to own and carry. Enor- 

 mous sums were paid for the falcons, and they played an 

 important part in the royal pageantry. They were flo-wn 

 at kites, herons and sometimes at lesser game, though 

 strong enough to take hares, ducks, geese and even more 

 powerful quan-y. Kite hawking was for centmies a 

 favorite sport. 



The capture, taming and training of the adult northern 

 falcon in no way dift'er in method from that advised for 

 the haggard peregrine, except that the royal bird is more 

 savage and untamable than his wanderin'g relative, and 

 therefore requires even more care, patience and gentle- 

 ness. It is even doubtfully safe to have an unhooded 

 gyrfalcon on its block where young children are about, 

 the proud bird fiercely resenting any famiUaiities from 

 those to whom it is not accustomed. The rule never to 

 tease or u-ritate any hawk applies more strongly to the 

 gyrfalcon than to any other si^ecies; it is seldom that any- 

 thing can be done -with a bird which has once been made 

 the victim of a practical joke or the hke. 



Because of the intractable temper of this species it is 

 better to ti-ain the eyas, or nesting falcon, than the hag- 

 gard or wild-caught adult bird. It -will probably be gen- 

 erally found necessary to be lowered by a rope from above 

 in order to reach the eyrie. The young birds are put into 

 a covered basket well lined with hay, and are then pulled 

 up by the assistants above before their captor, who will 

 probably have enough to do to fi^ht off the parent birds. 

 In this basket, which should be darkened by being cov- 

 ered with dark cloth of some kind, the eyases ai-e carried 

 to then destination, being fed three or fom- times a day 

 with small pieces of perfectly lean beef, pigeon, rabbit or 

 the flesh of any small bu-d. 



Arriving at then- future home the yoimg birds ehould 

 be placed in a roomy box or basket nailed again.st the in- 

 side wall of an outhouse at about the height of a man's 

 breast from tho floor. A broad shelf must be added to 



