308 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Jan. 20, 1887. 



the writer came in from sea through a fleet of 300 to 400 

 mackerel schooners in Massachusetts Bay, whose catch 

 for the season in those waters were some 400,000 barrels. 

 Now the fishemien of the Bay towns have to go to Cana- 

 dian waters for a fare, exposed to the insolent outrages 

 of the officials of the Dominion, which the admixustration 

 seems powerless to prevent, or too timid to resent. Some 

 years ago the writer spent two summers in Newport, E. I. , 

 and used to go out twice a weelc with the handline fisher- 

 men. Two men in a boat could at that time take from 

 100 to 2001bs. of tautog, scup, seabass or striped bass in a 

 day, and make good wages. At present, as I am informed, 

 these fish ai-e so scarce in those waters that few men 

 remain in the handline business. The young and middle- 

 aged men go West, and those too old to remove are poor 

 at home. This change is attributed by those interested 

 to trap and pound nets set along the shores, and to the 

 operations of fishing steamers, wliich capture everything 

 near the sm-face, and hundreds of industrious men are 

 thrown out of employment to fill the pockets of a few 

 capitalists. 



8o it goes everywhere. On the Grea.t Lakes, where in 

 1851 110,000 barrels of whitefish and trout were packed 

 and sold in the Western States, besides the large fresh 

 daily needs of the Lake cities, unlimited fishmg with nets, 

 seines, traps and ])ounds, have so depleted thoae waters 

 that ic is often difficult to supply the markets with fresh 

 fish. 



As to the value and importance of the guano industry, 

 the economic aspects of converting valuable food into 

 fertilizers, seems to be about on a par with that Western 

 industry which wastes a thousand pomids of good buffalo 

 meat to get a hide worth five dollars. No doubt, as urged 

 by the defenders of the fishing steamers, there is a large 

 capital inserted in the business, but if that business can 

 be shown to be an mjmy to the community it will have 

 to go. The direct effect of these steamers upon the valu- 

 able bottom fishes, hke the cod, haddock and hahbut, may 

 be trifling, but by destroying or driving away then- natural 

 food, the menbaden and heiTing, there is danger of the 

 former being led to abandon our shores. 



These fisheries that are so rapidly disappearing have an 

 important national value as nurseries of seamen. The 

 fishermen of New England had from the earliest times a 

 world wide reputation for skillful and bold seamanship. 

 Oiur small but brilUant navy in the war of 1812 was cMefly 

 manned from the fishing towns of Massachusetts and 

 Rhode Island, and the frigate Constitutioii, which in that 

 war performed the um-ivalled exploit of capturing in 

 single combat three British frigates and a sloop of war, 

 had a crew of Marblehead and Cape Ann fishermen, and 

 it was a common saying in the navy, that that crew were 

 able to go into action without officers, such was theu- in- 

 telligence and seamansliip. Supposing cm- merchant 

 marine and oiu- navy to be reconstructed, where are such 

 crews to be found? Even in the war between the States 

 our navy was in most parts manned by foreigners. 



No great nation ever before had such a great inheritance 

 as om-s, in coast line, in navigable waters, in fisheries, in 

 forests, in game, and in rich lands. Some of these re- 

 soiu-ces remain unimproved, others are being rapidly 

 exliausted by the rapacity of the few and the mdift'crence 

 of the many. S. C. Clarke. 



Makietta, Georgia, Januaryi 1887. 



A FISH TALE. 



THE London Fiahing Gazette has a very humorous 

 pictm-e with the above title which depicts owe con'es- 

 pondent Mr. A. N. Cheney turning away from the recital 

 of a "big one" by his friend Mr. Wm. D. Cleveland, who 

 with smiling face and elevated hands is showing the size 

 of a salmon he lost. The scene was Clenden Brook, on 

 the ujjper Hudson, which has been recently stocked with 

 salmon by the U. S. Fish Commission. They had been 

 taking a few parrs to send to Prof. Band, when Mrt 

 Cleveland said: "I was unfortunate in losing the largest 

 salmon that rose to me, otherwise I have greatly enjoyed 

 catching these little fellows." 

 "How large was the one you lost?" 

 "About so long" — holding up his hands quite two feet 

 apart. 



"Why, man alive! the oldest salmon in the stxeam are 

 but little more than yearlings, and they cannot by the 

 most maiwellous growth exceed 8 or 9in. ; those we have 

 taken are barely 7in., and they are of full size." 



"Is there anytlfing else in the stream?" 



"Yes, chubs; and if you raised a fish as long as you 

 have indicated, it must have been a chub." 



"Did I say it was a salmon that I lost ?" 



"Yes, you said it was a salmon." 



"Then I will adhere to what I said." 



Lake TKorx and Siscowet.— Strathroy, Out— Editor 

 ForeM and Stream: Perhaps in my note which appears 

 in your issue of Dec. 3, I made a mistake in calling the 

 trout of Lake Superior landlocked salmon. There arc 

 two kinds there, the lake ti'out, commonly called salmon- 

 trout, and a fish very similar and quite as large; he is 

 cxDmmonly called up there, red trout. He is very much 

 like the salmon {Salmo salar); his flesh is pink, and I 

 think on the table equal to liis salt water cousin. 

 What I want to know is the proper name of this 

 fish, and will he take the fly.— L. H. Smith. [The 

 only trouts known to exist in Lake Superior are 

 S. fontinalis, or brook trout; S. namaycush, variously 

 called lake trout, Mackinaw ti'out and salmon trout; and. 

 the S. siseoivet, sometimes called siscowet salmon. It is 

 possible that the last named fish is the one to which oiu' 

 correspondent refers. They will all take the fly, but the 

 two latter species go into such deep water dru-ing the 

 angling season that they do not usually rise to flies, either 

 they do not see them or do not care to go up through the 

 warm water after them. We have taken lake trout with 

 the fly in shallow waters soon after the ice had left the 

 lake, but a few days afterward tliey had left for the 

 cooler waters of the deeper parts. We do not think they 

 will rise to the fly in summer.] 



Mr. Francis Francis.— Our English exchanges 

 chronicle the death of the well-known angler 

 and author, Mr. Francis Francis, at his home 

 at Twickenham on the day before Christmas. Mr. 

 Fi-ancis had been the angling editor of the London 

 Field from 1856 until the summer of 1883, when a 

 paralytic stroke caused Mm to resign labor. In 1863 he 

 pttblished "Fish Cultm-e, a Practical Guide to the Breed- 

 ing and Rearing of Fish," a work stiU consulted and 

 quoted from , Mr. Francis being at that time the director 

 of fishcultm-e to the Acclimatization Society of Great 

 Britain. He attained wider fame by his "Book on 

 Angling," first pubHshed in 1867, and wlfich ran through 

 five editions, the last appearing in 1880, He also wrote 

 many other books, tales and stories, as well as a few 

 novels. In private life he was highly esteemed, and was 

 a man with hosts of friends. Not only as an angler and 

 an author was he distinguished, but he was also an 

 authority on horticultm-e and flowers, anailist, an athlete, 

 and a lover of outdoor sports. Mr. Fi-ancis was sixty-four 

 years of age and leaves a widow, three sons and three 

 (3aughters. 



MattawaFish and Game Club.— This new club of 

 MontTcal, Can., has leased a tract of coimtry in the Mat- 

 tawa district. The preserve contains twenty-five square 

 miles of heavily wooded cotmtry, broken up with a series 

 of small lakes, in which are abundance of ti'out. These 

 lakes are natural ponds and are wooded to the watei*'8 

 edge. On the property the club have two guides and all 

 the paraphernalia for winter or summer sport. They 

 propose building a small hunting lodge and in the mean- 

 ti'me have a tent, which serves the same purj)03e. They 

 pro|)oso giving a grand house waxming in June. The 

 members are, Messrs. M. S. and G. E. Blaiklock, G. Ross, 

 Smoaton White, R. Greenshields, C. McEachran andR. A. 

 Allen. 



Virginia. — Lexington, Jan. 11. — Dming the past sea- 

 son large numbers of black bass were captured by the 

 disciples of Izaak, who follow the sport of fishing in this 

 section. Since the introduction of bass into oiu- waters, 

 some fifteen years ago, they have increased greatly in 

 numbers and have afforded fine sport, but they have 

 driven out or devoured many of the native fish, notably 

 the silver perch, laa'ge numbers of which were formerly 

 caught in the waters of the James River. — ^T. M. S. 



The Adirondacks. — Bartlett's Hotel, well known for 

 the past thkty years, situated on the portage between 

 Upper Saranac Lake and Round Lake, has changed pro- 

 prietorship. Mr. Bartlett has retired, leasing the property 

 for five yeai'S to Mr, George Fowler, who takes possession 

 March I'next. Excellent sleighing here and cold weather. 

 — R. 



HAiiE's Honey of Hobehound and Tab softens the cough:, 

 relieves the windpipe and bronchial tubes of mucus, tones the 

 lungs and tlie membranes of the throat, and restores to tiie orgaua 

 of respiration theu" natural strength and vigor. Pike's Tooth- 

 ache Drops euro in one minute.— ^c?t>. 



Address all coimmmicatiom to the Ftyrest and Stream Pub. Co 



Add/ras all communicat/Ums to the Forest and Stream Pub, Co. 



THE NEW YORK TROUT LAW. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The qtxestion of the boundary Une between the two 

 divisions of the State in which the opening of the trout 

 season shall be April first and May fitst respectively, is 

 one requiring some consideration. The diffictilty, of 

 course, is to determine the best line. We are here about 

 sLx miles south of the New York Centi'al, and eighteen 

 miles south of the Erie Canal. We are also seven miles 

 from Spring Creek, on which are located the State hatch- 

 ing house and Annin's hatclfing establishment: and upon 

 the Oatka or Allen's Creek, into which Spring Creek 

 flows eight miles below us. At Anniu's the fishing is 

 good during April, the trout rising freely to the fly, as I 

 presume they would even in March, as the creek is open 

 an winter and is not raised by the spring rains or the 

 thawing of the snow to a sufficient extent to interfere 

 with the fishing for more than a day or so. The Oatka, 

 which still contains a few trout, can not be fished usually 

 until the first or middle of May on account of the high 

 water. South of us, in the southern part of Wyoming 

 county, the land is some 800 feet higher than bere and 

 the season nearly three weeks later. The streams are not 

 so much affected by high water in the spring, however, 

 so the time for fishing might be said to open there May 

 1st, few fish being taken in April, though this year 

 proved an exception in spite of the law, many fish being 

 taken in the unusaally warm weather of April by the 

 natives, ^vho were generally ignorant of the fact that the 

 season did not open until May. 



The difference in altitude seems to have full as much 

 influence in this part of the State as the difference in 

 latitude. C. 



Editor Forest and Stream : 



The writer has felt impelled to take exception to 

 law requiring the 6in. meastu-ement of trout, much 

 to his sorrow. During the past few years the two day 

 trips to the backwoods, on trouting bent, have yielded 

 nothing to bring away. I only love to fish the rilTles. 

 wading down along the leafy avenue where the sunshine 

 and shadows dance, and where the bu-d songs can be 

 heard, and have fotmd, after rigid application of rtile 

 measurement, that G-in. trout do not frequent such riffles. 

 Others may go to the stagnant beaver meadow pools and 

 secure the'fathers of trottt, haunting the bank of a fav- 

 ored spot for hours, btit I camiot so fish. If the meas- 

 urement were 5*in. I could have trophies to carry away 

 in fair quantity; if it were 5in., an abundance. While ft 

 seems a small ijoint to struggle for, I would that the law 

 could fix upon .5*in. If it is deemed sufficient to come 

 down to Sin. I know of several fishermen (not what I 

 deem "hog" fishermen) who wotild be much gratified. 

 It seems to me so useless and cruel to " go a fishin'," and 

 tlu-ow back after mutilation so many trout to secure from 

 three to five that measure 6in. , that I think I will not go 

 hereafter tmder a 6-in. law. Do not consider 3.ne wholly 

 depraved. I have for several years used earnest efforts 

 in stocking streams in this vicinity, and wiU continue so 

 to do if protection for two years can be afforded by law. 

 Trout the third year, in June, wiU not measttre 6in. 

 Hope you may insert the article. Angler, 



Watbrtown, N. Y. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Northern New Yorlcers and Adirondack inhabitants 

 don't believe in your dividing lines for laws. It mixes 

 up things. No sir! Have one law for the State at large 

 and serve all ahke. As "too many cooks spoil the broth," 

 so too many laws prodtice technicahties wliich allow 

 violators to escape. Delta, 



Adirondacks, Jan. 13. 



We understand that the six-inch trout bill has been 

 ah-eady introduced by Mr. Coggeshall. 



THE MENHADEN STEAMERS. 



Editor ForeM and Stream: 



My old friend, kinsman, and fellow angler, Isaac Mc- 

 Lellan, having made in a Long Island paper an ingenious 

 plea in behalf of those modern destroyers of fish, the 

 menhaden steamers, perhaps you wiU allow me a few 

 words in reply. 



The assertion that "the wide ocean is the free, grand 

 pasture of the fish, where they collect in myriads," may 

 be correct, but hard to XJrove since they are not seen there 

 by man, and it is the opinion of many naturalists that 

 mid-ocean is a lifeless waste of water. The experience 

 of the writer in long sea voyages confirms this view. Mr. 

 McLellan argues that as the number of fishes destroyed 

 by man's devices are greatly exceeded by the amotmt 

 devoured by rapacious fishes, that therefore the first cause 

 is unimportant. In other words, that as the bltiefish, ac- 

 cording to the estimate of Professor Baird, devour ten 

 thousand million fish every day, that therefore the men- 

 haden companies should be allowed to consume many 

 other millions. The first destruction being caused by a 

 law of nature, which cannot be set aside; the second by 

 the rapacious greed of man. These animal destroyers 

 have always been at work, and the balance of ocean life, 

 like that on the land, has been preserved until interfered 

 with by htiman agency. 



Twenty years ago the great plains of the West were so 

 covered with herds of bison, that railroad travel was 

 often disturbed by them. All but a few scattered bands 

 have been in this period destroyed — slaughtered for then- 

 hides — the carcasses being left to rot on the ground. 

 Twenty years ago salmon so abotmded on the coasts of 

 Oregon and Washington Territory, that it was thought 

 no impression could ever be made on them by the arts of 

 man. Canning houses were established, everything was 

 capttu-ed, and now the sujoply is so reduced that the I 

 industry must be removed to Alaska, to be followed by the 

 same destruction there. To come nearer home — Mr, Mc- 

 Lellan can remember, when fifty years ago in his native 

 Boston, a boat could leave Long Wharf in the morning 

 and return before dark loaded with codfish and haddock, 

 taken six miles from the city. The market fishermen of 

 to-day have to go outside the capes of the ba^. In 1886, , 



Landlocked Salmon,— Chicago, HI,, Jan, 5.— Editor 

 Forest and Stream: The landlocked salmon does not ex- 

 ist in Lake Superior, as you very correctly remark in yotu- 

 comments upon the query of L, H. Smith; but I cannot 

 agree with the assertion that it only exists outside of the 

 State of Maine wliere planted. Some of the liveliest spoj't 

 I ever enjoyed with rod and fly was catching landlocked 

 salmon in Kootenai Lake, British Columbia, where this 

 rare and gamy fish is found in groat abtmdance and 

 where it gi'ows to immense size. Out of a catch of half 

 a hundred in one day's fishing I selected seven that aggre- 

 gated llOlbs. in Aveight. The fish bears a close resem- 

 blance to the Columbia River salmon, with the same full, 

 rich color, and is, beyond any question, exactly what its 

 name indicates — a, landlocked salmon. — I. N. Pbyto^'. 

 [We made a slip of the pen, or of the memory, in our first 

 reply to Mr. Smith, and we are intcre-sted to see how 

 quickly om- many wide-awake contributors criticise it. 

 Mr. Charles Hallock and "Monatiquot" are both coiTCct 

 in their remarks, and we knew that the "wininnish" was 

 the landlocked salmon, and had no intention of declar- 

 ing it to be a distinct species. In the East we use the term 

 "landlocked salmon" for the Salmo salar, var. sebago. 

 This fish, in fact the Atlantic salmon (S. salar), does not 

 exist on the Western coast, and, therefore, it must be 

 some other species which Mr. Peyton finds called land- 

 locked salmon in British Columbia, possibly the S. pur- 

 pur atus or the S. gairdneri.l 



Thos. H. Chubb, Post Mills, Vt., publishes a new and 

 extensive illustrated catalogue of his new angling goods. 

 It will be useful to intending outfitters. The presswork 

 is by Hii-am Atkins, of Montpelier. 



LOBSTER PROTECTION. 



FFrom Report of the Massachusetts Fish and Game Commissioners 

 for isse.] 



THE rapid decrease in the number and size of the lobster, 

 notwithstanding that the law has been fairly and in 

 some cases vigorously entorced, has created a strong feeling 

 in favor of a closed season. 



Lobsters 10>^in. long, if they breed at all, are not suf- 

 ficiently matttfe to cast any considerable amount of spawn. 

 The lOKin. law, while it I'cgulates the lobster to a market- 

 able size, do :'S not provide for any increase in number. A 

 good many arrests have been made, developing the fact that 

 there is .sufficient interest in the unlawful traffic to raise 

 funds to carrj' one case to the Supreme Court on pomts of 

 law, where it is now pending. Whatever may be the decision 

 of the court, .some change in the law increasing the size, and 

 making a closed season for one or two months, is absolutely 

 necessai-y, if Ave are to protect this valuable crustacean. It is 

 a simple coium on-sense matter in which the Legislature should 

 not allow any prejudice or local interest to interfere to pre- 

 vent the passege of a law which will be for the public pood. 



Mr. F. K. Shattuck, of Boston, has /liven much attention 

 to the enforcement of the law, and his report is herewith 

 submitted in full. If all the deputies had been as active as 

 he has been, the traffic in short lobsters would have been 

 speedily ended. . -, . 



For the information of those who are interested ni the preser- 

 vation of fish, game, and insectivorous birds, we would state 

 that Chap. 91, Sect. 3, Public Statutes, gives the nght to the 

 Commissioners to appoint deputies to enforce all laws 

 protecting them. It is desirable to have such deputies in 

 different parts of the State; but as there is at present only a 

 small appropriation that can be used to pay such deputies, 

 the work necessarily must be to a considerable extent a labor 

 of love. It was under this authority that Mr. baattuck's 

 vigorous work ivas accomplished. _ ^ j 



Mr. Shattuck reports: "Since my appointment as deputy oij 

 lobsters^ June 19, 1885, I have sought in a measiu-e to fuia 



