June 21, 1888.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



435 



which was heightened by a fly-covered fell hat of broad 

 and undulating brim.. Lester was an expert and enthusi- 

 astic angler, and at once began the task of inculcating 

 Billy into the mysteries of "trunning the fly." Paddling 

 up to whore a tiny brook oozed out into the lake he in- 

 formed William that there always a school of little trout 

 to be found here, "first-rate fellows to practice on." Bil- 

 ly thrashed and yanked as all beginners do, but time and 

 careful instruction brought the desired change finally, 

 and they left the school of shavers in search of larger 

 fish, college fellows at least, and Lester being somewhat 

 of a wag, changed Billy's flies, remarking that professors 

 were no good to catch such trout. Billy cast near a 

 bunch of weeds and, doubtless thinking of rolls or beef- 

 steak, allowed the flies to sink a foot or more underneath 

 the water. Recovering himself with a sigh he raised the 

 point of Ids rod and — swish! he had hooked a past-gradu- 

 ate at least! Lester grew excited, and issued his com- 

 mands in a sharp and impressive way. Billy would wind 

 up the line and then the trout would unwind it. When 

 Billy was reeling in the line would hiss through the 

 water, and when the fish was reeling out Billy would do 

 the hissing. Nip and Tuck never saw such a battle be- 

 fore. Finally, on a short line, the trout started directly 

 for the boat. It was then that the guide's true Adiron- 

 dack blood came to the rescue. "Give him the butt, 

 Billv!" yelled Lester. Ye gods ! a Billy urged to use 

 the butt! Lester had evidently never attempted to remove 

 a tomato can from the stamping ground near Central 

 Park. The trout was saved though, finally, and weighed 

 nearly — but Billy will be delighted to tell you the whole 

 story, 



George, my man, was not made for a guide. He had 

 altogether missed his calling. Large, loose-jointed and 

 lazy he was more fitted to be guided , and by a strong 

 arm, too. than to guide. He had a luxurious couch fitted 

 up in his end of the boat, upon which he would loll by 

 the hour. Resting upon his paddle over some place de- 

 signated by him as "likely," he would lazily watch me 

 cast again and again, assuring me that perseverance 

 on my part would catch more trout than push or paddle 

 ton his. 



We were three days on the lake and river and managed 

 by hook or by crook (here synonyms of the fly and gen- 

 tle earth worm) to catch about 50 pounds of trout. This 

 number will not look large in print I know, but it did 

 look satisfying and beautiful, as bedded in moss and ice, 

 the trout were boxed for our friends in the city. The 

 hills blue in the distance, the wooded circumference of 

 the lake, the river sentinelled by the unshrouded ghosts 

 of Lip] ess trees rising everywhere from its surface, the 

 air that we could almost taste as it swelled out our lungs, 

 the drowsiness tha,t fell and the vigor that returned with 

 the sun, the sport that was tangible, all these helped to 

 write a book of memories without which we would not, 

 even Billy would not have sufficient foundation upon 

 which to erect the plans and dreams of other days to 

 be passed in forest and on stream. Fun. 



SPEAKING OF TROUT. 



C1HARLESTOWN, JS1 . H., May 27.— "Speaking of 

 > trout," the season has been late. Two weeks ago, 

 the 13th, was a warm day and a perfect swarm of anglers 

 was out and a good many trout were taken, but when, 

 hearing of the success I tried a couple of Vermont brooks 

 two days later I found nothing but brooks full to the 

 brim of ice cold water. 



Two more unsuccessful visits to brooks on this side of 

 the Connecticut River followed on the 18th and 21st, but 

 on Friday the 25th I tried again , going out four miles on the 

 hills and striking the head of a little feeder, which flows 

 into what is down on the maps as Great Brook, and un- 

 doubtedly was so before the forests were severely thinned 

 out. The first start was not promising, the marshy cold 

 spring basin in which the brook heads was full enough 

 of water, but no signs of fish. Passing through a little 

 belt of woodland I came to an open pasture on the side- 

 hill, down which the brook plunges in a succession of 

 rapids and cataracts, and here I began to find the trout 

 in the swift water. 



Basketing half a dozen, some 6in. long, in this pasture 

 I came to a "bench" or plateau on thesidehill of primeval 

 forest, full of fallen and decaying trees, through which 

 the brook loitered sluggishly in wide, flat stretches, where 

 1 could see the fingerlings darting about, but got nothing 

 worth basketing. Through this bit of woodland I came 

 to another sidehill pasture, which yielded me half a 

 dozen more, and I reached the main brook just before 

 sunset. 



My first cast brought me in one of ^lb. , which was fol- 

 lowed by two more of the same size and three a little 

 smaller, before I reached the long, willow-grown meadow, 

 which stretched down to the farmhouse, where I had 

 directed my young companion, who drove me out, to 

 leave our horse, and meet me, after fishing the meadows 

 each way. 



As we had a long, hilly drive to take, and I knew I had 

 all I needed for breakfast, I stopped fishing, and hurried 

 down a side road to the house, where I found my com- 

 panion, a city boy, had soon got disgusted with fishing, 

 after going up over the ground, or rather water, I 

 had just come down, and only getting one, and was 

 up on the hill with my friend the farmer, looking at his 

 cattle. 



My friend H. told me that there had been somebody on 

 the brook every day for a fortnight, and on the Sunday I 

 spoke of he counted eleven fishermen. 



A mile of steady climb brought us up out of the brook 

 valley to the top 6f the river range of hills, just in time 

 to see a 60-mile sweep of the Green Mountains, lighted 

 up with the pink hues reflected from the fading, rosy 

 clouds above them, and half an horn's quick trot, down 

 hill every step, winding round the many curves of a more 

 than usually well kept mountain road, brought us into 

 the village, by the light of the just rising full moon , to 

 find the lamps all lighted in the windows, and the labors 

 of the day at an end. It did not take many minutes to 

 dress that dozen and a half of trout, and stow them in 

 the ice-chest, wdience they appeared on table yesterday 

 morning, to furnish a sweet breakfast for half a dozen 

 people, and have "a few left over" for the cook. 



Von W. 



This Bt.defish Season has begun in earnest in the 

 Great South Bay and other waters. One party last week 

 caught 69 fish, weighing from 2% to 51bs. each, and many 

 of them 3 to 3£lbs. 



MAINE WATERS. 



I^HE fishing season in the Maine waters is by no means 

 over. Indeed to the fly-fishermen the season has 

 but just begun. But the season of trolling and bait fish- 

 ing for trout and landlocked salmon is about over. It 

 may be said that this part of the season began late, for 

 the ice was unusually late in getting out, as has already 

 been chronicled . But this part of the season has also closed 

 early. The departure of the ice was soon followed by 

 south winds and warm weather, and it is safe to conclude 

 that the great trout soon sought the cool and deep waters, 

 where they always spend the hot months. Still the sea- 

 son has thus far been a wonderful one, considering that 

 the trolling part of it has been very short. It has been 

 wonderful in the number of trout, as well as landlocked 

 salmon, caught, even if the size of the trout has not 

 been quite up to the average. The record at the Andros- 

 coggin lakes hardly boasts of above eight pounds, up to 

 this writing, but the number of really large fish — up to 

 four and five pounds — has been great. It is probably 

 true that the number of tons of fish taken out by fresh 

 fish dealers has never been greater. The ears of the 

 average fisherman are probably wide open when he hears 

 me speak of fresh fish dealers, but he will pardon my 

 obtuseness in being entirely unable to separate a man 

 who goes to the Maine waters and fishes early and late, in 

 order to get a certain number of pounds of trout to take 

 home — in being entirely unable to separate such a sports- 

 man from the fresh fish business. He certainly is in that 

 business for the time, and he fishes for sucli people as 

 either cannot or will not go to the waters themselves. 

 The market fisherman does no more. Fishing for the 

 camp table is one thing; fishing to put on ice and take 

 out as trophies, is another thing. 



But to the scores. Mr Edgar W. Curtis, of Meriden, 

 Conn. , had his usual good luck at the Middle Dam. He 

 took, in not over two days' fishing, five trout, the united 

 weight of which was over 501bs. Still neither of the 

 trout went above six pounds. This was a catch which 

 well satisfied that gentleman, and he staid but a day or 

 two longer. Loomin Sargent, of Upton, was his guide. 

 Loomin says that he had an easy time, simply watching to 

 see Mr. Curtis fish in the rapid waters below the Dam. 

 Mr. C. D. Chase, of Northumberland, N. IL, again had 

 good luck, though last year was his first with the big 

 trout, as he so readably told the Forest and Stream last 

 summer. Frank Dunn, of Andover, was again Mr. 

 Chase's guide, and succeeded in rowing him into success 

 with an eight-pound trout. There are other records of 

 big trout and big catches at the Middle Dam, at which 

 point the fishing has been unusually good this year. Mr. 

 Hempstead, of New London, Conn., is there now for a 

 stay of several weeks. This is about the twenty-ninth 

 annual visit of the same gentleman to those waters, and 

 he is very careful not to break the record. Does he go 

 to Em-ope or to the South, as he frequently does, his 

 trips or voyages are always timed so as not to inter- 

 fere with the annual to the Androscoggin lakes. This 

 year his friend, Dr. Scales, of New York, was with the 

 veteran sportsman, and the Doctor got several large trout 

 and a landlocked salmon that weighed about six pounds. 

 His profession called Dr. Scales back early. Both these 

 gentlemen are w r arni friends of the Forest and Stream. 

 Mr. Labree, of Webster, Mass. , with his son and their friend 

 Mr. Young of the same place, have made then: annual 

 trip to the head of Richardson Lake, or rather this was Mr. 

 Young's first visit to these waters, but the fourth or fifth 

 annual of Mr. Labree and his son. They had good suc- 

 cess, taking in all about ISO trout, though the size of a 

 part of them was not among the four-pounders. It is a 

 curious feature that the trout began to run small at the 

 head of the lake as soon as the south winds began to 

 blow, mentioned above. 



Mr. and Mrs. Shaw of the Andrews House, South Paris, 

 Me., with their friends, a gentleman and his wife — I have 

 not his name — took a week's outing on Richardson Lake. 

 They camped in a lumber camp, just above the narrows. 

 The ladies found it rather lonesome in the camp, so they 

 spent nearly all the time on the water trolling. They 

 caught a very large number of trout and burned then- 

 faces almost to a blister. But all the same they had a 

 jolly time, and gained health enough to last them a year. 

 A tremendous thunder shower, partly on the lake and 

 scudding for camp, was one of their experiences. They 

 were drenched to the skin, but no colds were taken, 



A peculiar record was that of Warren W. Rawson, of 

 Arlington, Mass. Mr. Rawson is a wealthy and a retired 

 farmer. None are better known to the produce trade 

 than he. He visits the Maine lakes annually; in fact, he 

 was born in that State, like many another good man, who 

 later in life has made a business mark and fortune in 

 either Boston or New York. Mr. Rawson points out the 

 old homestead from the car window, with true reveren- 

 tial feeling. He told us a story, in his unique way, about 

 how he paid a visit to the place last year. "A woman 

 lived there — not very rich," said Mr. Rawson. " My fam- 

 ily are all gone. But I found out that she was something 

 of a third cousin to me, and I gave her $5, as a remem- 

 brance of her relations. The woman was so happy and 

 so surprised that she cried like a child. This completely 

 upset me, and I like to have cried too. How to stop her 

 I didn't know, unless it was to threaten to take the money 

 away. So I told her if she didn't stop crying right off, I'd 

 take the money right away! Didn't mean to, but I couldn't 

 bear to see her cry!" But to Mr. Rawson's trout catch. 

 It has already been published in the papers, but the re- 

 porter said, " A man named Rawson, or Arlington — " just 

 as though a gentleman of Mr. Rawson's sterling qualities 

 was not Avorthy of the title at least of Mr. Rawson. Well, 

 Mr. Rawson was fishing one morning at Bemis Stream. 

 He had on two hooks, one baited with a minnow and the 

 other with a worm. " To give the trout then choice," as 

 Mr. Rawson said. A trout that proved to weigh nearly 

 foxu- pounds took the minnow, and, as Mr. Rawson was 

 playing him to land him, another trout, which proved to 

 weigh eight pounds, seized the worm and was hooked. 

 Then came the tug of war. Mr. Rawson's rod was broken, 

 I believe, but both trout were landed after a fight of a 

 couple of hours. This all happened before many of the 

 other fishermen were stirring. Mr. Rawson was putting 

 in practice his early habit of rising early to carry his big 

 wagons of produce to Boston, before the other farmers 

 got in. 



One of the best catches made by a lady this year was 

 that of Mrs. Wardsworth, of Blue Hill avenue, Boston. 

 Mr. Wardsworth makes an annual trip to the Andros- 

 coggin lakes, rarely missing a season. This year Mrs. 



Wardsworth went with him. They were of the Eugene 

 Clap]) party, before mentioned in the Forest and Stream. 

 Mr. Wardsworth was completely set in the shade by his 

 wife. She took an eight-pound trout, There are other 

 scores and scores. I have onJy mentioned a few such as 

 happen to fall to my ear. The season has certainly been 

 a very interesting one, and the fly-fishing has but just 

 begun. The Kineo Club, made up largely of Boston 

 merchants of prominence, is now on its annual trip to 

 Moosehead. Mr. J. Walter Sanborn took a 2 Jib. trout 

 there Friday, a large fish for that lake on the fly. But 

 this club does but little fishing other than with the fly. 

 In a private letter Mr. Sanborn says that " the By-fishing 

 is expected to be better in a day or two, though they are 

 rising fairly well now." Among the members of the 

 club present this year are J, B. Thomas, Jr.. John F. 

 Nickerson, John P. Woodburv, Wm. S. Hills,' Chas. E. 

 Lauriat, J. Walter Sanborn, Henry H. Beal. C. S. Dar- 

 row, and C. J. H. Woodbury. Special. 



TOMAHAWK LAKES AND LANDLORDS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I have yearly been in the habit of seeking new places 

 for fishing in the Northwest, and this spring I concluded 

 to visit the Tomahawk Lakes in Wisconsin, and knowing 

 at this season of the year many are seeking information 

 regarding new places, I give it briefly: 



These lakes have heretofore only been accessible over 

 trails some twenty-five miles from Eagle River Station, 

 and been fished only by Indians or by parties who camped 

 upon the shores at great inconvenience. The Chicago, 

 Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company has just com- 

 pleted an extension on its Wisconsin Valley division to 

 Minocqua, and Messrs. Mann Bros, have built a hotel 

 near the depot, immediately beside the shoi-e of one of 

 the lakes from which all are accessible, giving over one 

 hundred miles of shore fishing. The country is so new 

 that the ordinary maps give no idea of the number or 

 extent of the lakes, which can be easily readied from 

 Minocqua, in most cases through thoroughfares connect- 

 ing these iakes sufficiently large for boats, and in only a 

 few cases are portages necessary. The lakes are sur- 

 rounded by high lands, generally quite heavily wooded. 

 Mann Bros, keep as good a hotel as can be expected 

 under the circumstances, are expert fishermen them- 

 selves, know the entire system of lakes and will cheer- 

 fully give all the information required. Tbey have a 

 supply of boats and guides and practice no extortion. 



I have never visited any place I can so readily recom- 

 mend as Minocqua for extent and variety of fishing, and 

 I have had as much experience in fishing over the Nort h- 

 west as most gentlemen have. The water in all these 

 lakes is clear as crystal, and the fish are remarkably fine. 



I went there May 21, in company of Geo. W. Hale, and 

 we returned yesterday, June 3. During nine days' fish- 

 ing we caught 46 muscallonge, 102 pike and 898 black 

 bass. I sent home one muscallonge lO^in, long, and the 

 pike averaged the largest I ever saw. We caught a number 

 of small-mouthed bass weighing nearly four pounds each. 

 We caught enough to satisfy us and to cause us to desire 

 a rest. I propose to visit these waters again within ten 

 days, when I think the fishing will be even better than 

 during our stay. - J, Frank Lawrence. 



Chicago, 111., Jxrne 4. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



As a sportsman keenly interested in preserving the fish 

 and game of our country, it has occurred to me that a 

 very effective method of doing this is to advertise the 

 fellows who butcher fish and game for market, far and 

 wide. I have done this in a number of cases that have 

 come to my knowledge, and with seeming good results. 

 A fellow who has been netting, spearing or trapping fish , 

 or killing them with dynamite for the paltry sum he gets 

 for them, or who has killed a doe with her young or 

 butchered a poor famished deer by crusting after it in 

 February or March, don't like to have his offenses advei - 

 tised in the newspapers. If the sportsmen would com- 

 bine and give the widest publicity to any acts of fish or 

 game butchery that they happen to come across, much 

 good might be accomplished. 



Northern Wisconsin has the finest lake country in the 

 world, but the great curse of it so far has been the native 

 pot-hunters who have butchered the deer in the yards in 

 the winter, and netted, trapped and speared the fish in 

 the most wholesale manner. As fast as the new railroad 

 lines have opened up new territory they have been fol- 

 lowed by a race of small hotel keepers, who have indis- 

 criminately slaughtered the game and fish during the 

 close season, and then during the hunting and fishing- 

 season they have entertained for lugh prices the sports- 

 men who visit this section. One would suppose that 

 their own interests would prompt them to do what they 

 could to preserve the fish and game. Instead of doing 

 this they kill the deer and depopulate the lakes and 

 streams of their fish just as fast as they can. 



There are several little towns along the line of the Mil- 

 waukee, Lake Shore and Western Railroad whose inhab- 

 itants have almost lived on the money left with them 

 by sportsmen from abroad, and yet the natives coin- 

 bine to violate the game laws in the most outrageous 

 fashion. 



I have in mind now the firm of Mann Brothers, w ho 

 have established a hotel and sportsmen's headquarters at 

 the new town of Minoqua on the extension of the Mil., 

 Chicago & St. Paul R. R. in Oneida county in this State. 

 This firm holds itself out to entertain sportsmen, and yet 

 during this last winter and spring the firm have had the 

 Indians and certain white fishermen, netting, spearing 

 and trapping fish for them through all the country 

 around Tomahawk Lake. I have myself seen in the 

 market bushels of fish with the spear marks on them , 

 shipped there by this firm. I am certain that the firm 

 has sent to market tons of bass, pike and muscalonge 

 during the last winter and spring, taken illegally. Tho 

 damage they have done in this way is incalculable. On 

 the 1st of May, after having made what they could in 

 this way, they opened then- doors to the sportsmen, and 

 have since been entertaining swarms of them. Many 

 sportsmen who have learned of the practice of the firm 

 have given them a wide berth. ^ I have taken some pains 

 to advertise them among the sportsmen of my acquaint- 

 ance, and I shoidd like to have the Forest and Stream 

 help me by publishing this article. I think that these 

 vandals can be made to realize that they have committed 



