July 19, 1888.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



515 



WORDS ABOUT "FOREST AND STREAM" WORK. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The splendid fight that the Forest and Stream has made for 

 our National Park entitles your paper to the commendation of 

 all lovers of the bold, the beautiful and grand in nature. 1 have 

 twice visited the Park, and from my own observations know the 

 necessity of the Congressional action that you through your 

 journal are insisting upon. It is not a personal matter that our 

 Park shall have the protection suggested by you, but one of great 

 and vital importance to the millions of Americans who will people 

 our country when the last of this generation shall be slumbering 

 in death. Then go on with the good work, and tho people of this 

 great country will rise up and shower blessings upon you for your 

 henellcent labors ou their behalf. C. A. Walker. 



CARLiNVrLLB, niioois. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Having bought your paper for over five years, I Bud I like it 

 more all the time. The manful fight you make upon the silly 

 game laws enacted by some States must meet with hearty ap- 

 proval from all true lovers of the dog and gun, sportsmen who 

 welcome a good law and keep it, John C. Shai/lcross. 



FrAnkford, Pennsylvania. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I wish I could write more fully in regard to the increased num- 

 ber of birds this season. That it is a fact there, can be no doubt, 

 and if any one human agency is to be credited it is Fortest and 

 Stream. Jkkome Burnett. 



Washington, D. C. 



'm mid Hirer Jjfishmg. 



Angling Talks. By George Dawson. Price 50 cents. Fly- 

 Rods and Fly-Tackle, By H. P. Wells. Price $3.50. Fly- 

 Fishing and Fly-Making for Trout. By J. H. Keene. 

 Price $1.50. American Angler's Book. By Thad. Norris. 

 Price $5.50. 



MORE ABOUT LAKE EDWARD. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



An article in your number for June 38, entitled " A 

 Sportsman's Paradise," is a very seductive and taking 

 lure for the angler whose largest trout lias hitherto come 

 from some small stream. The first cast of that Lake 

 Edward fly hooked two, and the writer who was one of 

 the oi would like to say a word on the subject for the 

 benefit of anglers. Perhaps the better as well as the 

 shorter way will be to refer the reader to the article in 

 question and then modify some of the statements therein. 



In the first place, there is but one daily train each way 

 between Quebec and Lake Edward. This train leaves 

 Quebec at 8 A. M., and arrives at Lake Edward at 1:50 

 P. M. Returning, the train leaves Lake Edward at 12:15 

 A. M. (midnight) and arrives at Quebec at 6 A. M. This 

 is all right if one knows it, but it gives no time for 

 breakfast on arriving at Quebec en route for the lake; 

 and if the angler stops to get that or anything else he 

 will be liable to a delay of 24 horns. 



Again, the trout in that lake will not rise to the fly at 

 this season of the year, and my boatman told me that 

 they cannot be thus taken at any season. The black flies 

 are a perfect terror, and they flourish from May to the 

 last of August. We were told that this is the " cold fact " 

 by every resident of whom we inquired. 



"in the third place, the deep water is at and near the 

 lower half of the lake— from seven to thirteen miles 

 from the settlement. Consequently one must row this 

 distance daily, and return; or else he must camp near tho 

 lower end of the lake — at this season of the year — in 

 order to catch any trout. Early and late in the season 

 large trout are taken in the upper portions of the lake, 

 but while the weather is warm the trout retire to the 

 deeper waters. Camping on those beautiful shores — for 

 they are exquisite — would be purgatory on account of 

 the flies and mosquitoes. The latter were not at all 

 troublesome at the settlements while we were there— and 

 we were told that they are never very numerous. There 

 are no worms there nor can they be obtained nearer than 

 Quebec, and the natives do not even catch minnows for 

 sale to the fishermen. One must catch his own bait. 



These are reasons why this lake is not and never will 

 be a " sportsman's paradise." 



The ride from Quebec is pleasant, the scenery for about 

 one-third of the 113 miles being really grand. I have 

 already alluded to the beauties of the lake. It is a gem; 

 and were it not for the flies it would be the fisherman's 

 paradise still minus one important requisite. It is one 

 thing to take a large trout with an 8oz. bamboo rod with 

 bait and a sinker at the' end of your line; and quite 

 another thing to entice the dark speckled beauty with 

 the stretcher and drop flies. 



There are plenty of trout there and large ones. We 

 took 21 in six hours, including the time wasted in catch- 

 ing minnows for bait. Of these the largest weighed If 

 lbs. The 21 averaged a little over lib. ; 14 averaged li 

 lbs. We also caught some between i and fib, that were 

 returned to the water, and four much larger ones were 

 hooked and lost. Two of these were seen. A No. 5 N. 

 Y. trout hook is not strong enough for the large trout in 

 this lake. They have a way of carrying away tackle 

 and especially breaking hooks without making any 

 undue strain upon the line that I have never encountered 

 before, and I suspect that extra strong snells and hooks 

 are absolutely necessary to hold the larger ones. 



We did not go far enough down the lake to get to the 

 deeper water, as we planned to get an earlier start on 

 the second full day (we vainly spent a half day in trying 

 to induce some of them to rise to the fly), but the black 

 flies were so numerous and relentless that my friend pos- 

 itively refused to remain a day longer, although he is one 

 of the most ardent trout fishermen I know. We were 

 prepared with " repellants" of two kinds and with tarle- 

 ton head nets, but the fly "' got there all the same." 



Salmo Fontinalis. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Since the publication of my article regarding Lake 

 Edward in Forest and Stream, dated June 28, 1 have 

 received a number of letters convincing me that I over- 

 looked two important items, and now, as a courteous re- 

 ply to several inquirers, I beg to say that there are no 

 professional guides at Lake Edward. Save at the little 



clearing surrounding the railway station, the entire 

 country is an unbroken wilderness, and has not yet felt 

 the tramp or need of the tutored guide. Depleted waters 

 like the Rangeley Lakes require capable and careful 

 guides to discover the few fish still supposed to be 

 secreted in those once splendid waters. Boats can be 

 seemed at Lake Edward from Mr. IToolihan, superin- 

 tendent of the construction company's store, for which a 

 charge of $1.50 per day is made, and after half an hour's 

 pull the angler drops anchor and goes to work. Favorite 

 spots in Lake Edward have not yet been discovered, as one 

 place is as good as another, and. all rank A No. 1. The 

 building at the station which I have dignified by the title 

 of hotel, is merely a little two-story log house, crude and 

 primitive in the extreme, but half a dozen good beds and 

 three plain but substantial meals daily will be at the dis- 

 posal of visitors. 



Mosquitoes and black flies are plentiful there "allee 

 satnee," as at other similar resorts, but disappear after the 

 middle of July. Ruffed grouse are found in the adjacent 

 forests, and occasionally a caribou is met. Grouse are in 

 season after September 1, and caribou after October 1. 

 Trout can be taken until October 1, but I do not know if 

 they take the fly freely. All my fish were taken with 

 minnows in June, and I think this bait will prove success- 

 ful at any time. New Yorkers can reach Lake Edward, 

 and avoid Montreal, by way of New Haven, Springfield, 

 Newport, Vt., and Quebec. Leaving New York at 9:15 

 A. M. (Grand Central Depot) the train reaches Quebec at 

 6:45 on the following morning. A transfer of one mile 

 is requisite, and the 8 A. M. train on the Quebec and Lake 

 St. John Railway reaches Lake Edward at noon. The 

 fare is about $14 from New York to the lake. Anglers 

 will have no trouble in passing the customs, as there is no 

 duty on tackle carried for personal use. 



I have read the letters in Forest and Stream written 

 by Messrs. F. C. Barker and Chas. A. J. Farrar. Readers 

 of the paper should understand that the first named is 

 Captain Barker, who owns and runs the steamer on 

 Mooselucmaguntic Lake, and Farrar runs the steamer on 

 the Richardson Lakes, and hence they should be expected 

 to come out in print in defense of their native heath. I 

 know Captain Barker quite well, although he would not 

 recognize me were we to meet, and I have always heard 

 him spoken of as a courteous and obliging gentleman. 

 When I said that "good fishing at the Rangeley Lakes 

 was a thing of the past" I told the plain unpainted truth, 

 which has long ago become clearly evident, and no reput- 

 able angler will deny it. Farrar's insolent abuse proves 

 only the material of his own composition and is a fair 

 example of the conduct he has displayed about the lakes 

 for the sixteen unfortunate years he claims to have been 

 visiting them. 



The question arises, why did I say "good fishing at the 

 Rangeley Lakes is a thing of the past"? Let us see. It is 

 absolutely safe to estimate that twenty persons fish the 

 various waters of the Rangeley Lakes each day during 

 the season. This includes guides, visitors, loggers, camp- 

 ers and residents, and is a low figure. One hundred 

 would be a fairer figure. From June 1 until Oct. 1 there 

 are 120 days, and this would give a total of 2,400 persons 

 who fish during the season. Out of this large number 

 we hear of forty or fifty individuals who are lucky and 

 catch a good string of trout. More than 2,000 are disap- 

 pointed. That is one reason why I say "good fishing at 

 the Rangeley Lakes is a thing of the past." Another rea- 

 son is that I am personally acquainted with a most enthu- 

 siastic angler, who during the month of September cast 

 flies almost continually for thirteen days below the 

 Upper Dam and never saw a solitary rise. This, too, is 

 alleged to be one of the "best places" in all that region. 

 I do not believe this feat could be successfully repeated 

 on any other trout water in the world, and it is another 

 reason why I say "good fishing at the Rangeley Lakes is 

 really a thing of the past." 



Your correspondent "Special" says "it is true that the 

 fishing is not what it should be," and even Farrar howls 

 for the State of Maine to stock the waters with "large 

 numbers of small trout." What for? Why stock waters 

 which, as he alleges, are already crowded with fish? 

 Well, that is an easy one. 



Two years ago, when my letters about the Rangeley 

 Lakes were printed in the New York daily papers this 

 same "disinterested" crowd wrote weeping denials of 

 my statements, but their epistles, after being sent me for 

 perusal and amusement, found their final rest in the 

 waste basket, but not a line came from a reputable angler. 



When I wrote to Forest and Stream describing Lake 

 Gogebic I did it to direct a few of New York's twenty 

 thousand anglers to an unsurpassed ground for black 

 bass, and I know of dozens who went there and found 

 splendid sport. Now I have again taken the readers 

 of this journal into my confidence, described Lake Ed- 

 ward, and guided them to the best waters for trout I 

 have eT er seen, and I have already received letters from 

 a number of sportsmen who will go there and enjoy 

 sport with trout that will be a source of considerable 

 surprise. 



I am pretty well known among the sportsmen oi New 

 York, and they are quite well aware that when my name 

 is attached to an article it contains only the plain truth. 

 I am not "working up" any railroad or hotel, and have 

 never yet accepted any favors, although offered to me 

 times beyond compute. My reward is greatest in the 

 knowledge that brother sportsmen will, in following my 

 directions, be guided aright, and meet ample compensa- 

 tion for their trouble and travel. I shall continue to do 

 this in spito of the fact that an abusive and interested in- 

 dividual takes a questionable exception to my opinion of 

 his own depleted waters. It is a good thing for me that 

 this writer did not read my letters to the New York 

 papers this spring— notably that printed in the Sun of 

 June 24— else I might have been openly accused of some- 

 thing real horrible, even worse than proclaiming the ac- 

 knowledged truth that "good fishing at Rangeley Lakes 

 is a thing of the past." Kit Clarke. 



St. Albans Bay, Vt., July 10.— Season has opened well 

 at Samson's Lake View House. Messrs. J. W. Brown, 

 J. Bulkley and Timothy L. Woodruff, of New York city, 

 caught here in three days 150 bass, wall-eyed pike and 

 northern pike; 127 of the number were bass, 74 of the 127 

 caught in one day's fishing, weight 1421bs. Fly-fishing is 

 good at present writing, water clear. We commence a 

 trial to-day with hoppers, while some of the guests fi B h 

 only with the fly. Daily average has been good, weather 

 I cool, 74 degrees to-day.— H. L. Samson. 



SEA BASS OFF BRIGANTINE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



One fine morning about a month ago my friend. W. C, 

 of Philadelphia, and I sailed out through the inlet at At- 

 lantic City, N. J., in the yacht Sinbad, towing two skiffs 

 behind) and accompanied by two veteran fishermen be- 

 sides an experienced captain. Our destination was the 

 ten fathom whistling buoy off Brigantine Shoals, near 

 which there lay a wreck where sea bass were caught in 

 great numbers during last summer. This buoy lies due 

 east from Absecom Light some ten miles, and about seven 

 miles off Brigantine Beach. The wreck had not been 

 found this year owing to some changes in the location of 

 the buoy, and aside from the honor of locating it anew, 

 the sea captains and anglers thought longingly of the 

 rich harvest that would reward the first day spent over 

 its rotting timbers. One thing after another had pre- 

 vented their going in quest of the spot; — either unfavor- 

 able weather, dread of failure, and loss of prestige or 

 dislike of wasting a day in a search that might be fruit- 

 less. 



With a light southerly wind but calm sea we made the 

 buoy about 12 o'clock, and immediately set our fisher- 

 men at work in their skiffs "sweey.>ing" the bottom with 

 a 200 fathom weighted line. Within a half hour they 

 struck something, and we were kindled into excitement 

 as they hauled in the slack and came nearer and nearer 

 to the point where they were fast. Disappointment 

 followed rapidly, as the line suddenly came away and 

 they drifted back with the strong tide running up the 

 beach. After several more attempts we took them aboard 

 for dinner, and at 2 o'clock cast them off again for a last 

 trial, but with little hope that they would find the 

 wreck. 



Up and down, in widening circles they pulled, now 

 high on some wave and then lost'to sight for a second in 

 its wake. Finally at three o'clock they shouted that they 

 were fast, and we sailed to windward of them, anchored, 

 and dropped down to the place where the skiffs came to- 

 gether, anchored to something right beneath them in ten 

 fathoms of water. 



It might not be the wreck after all, but eager fingers 

 placed a portly clam to hook in a trice, and down went 

 the heavy dipsey for a trial. It may be inferred that a 

 calm joy filled all our hearts when the fortunate angler 

 was seen to haul in rapidly, followed by something like 

 •xcitement when a five-pound sea bass, black as one's 

 hat, was landed in the boat. We had struck the wreck! 

 Then followed a brief ninety minutes of fishing whose 

 net result was 109 sea bass weighing nearly 4001bs. How 

 they did bit, two at a time, frequently, they came pant- 

 ing up through the clear water, and all large fish, the 

 cream of the wreck. 



At half -past four o'clock the inexorable captain assured 

 us that we would have to leave, as the tide was against 

 us and the wind falling light. Reluctantly therefore we 

 took in our lines — for the fish were still biting savagely — 

 weighed anchor, and set off for Atlantic City, lying low 

 and misty in the distance, while the buoy gave us a part- 

 ing grunt of congratulations. After a most pleasant 

 ruD in, we reached the Pavillion at half-past six, and if 

 we made a somewhat ostentatious spread of the fish, 

 upon landing, before the eyes of the envious skippers, I 

 think no amateur fisherman will say that we did wrong. 



E. H. J. 



SALMON IN MAINE. 



THE spring campaign with rod and fine is over, and 

 the real sportsmen are generally at home. The vaca- ■ 

 tionist is getting his meagre tackle ready. As a rule the 

 sportsmen are generally fairly satisfied, and the feeling 

 that they must be satisfied with fewer trout each year, is 

 growing. True sportsmen are satisfied under it, and they 

 are making no complaint, but rather they are casting 

 about to see what may be done in the way of improving 

 the fishing in their favorite waters. The tendency is to- 

 ward clubs and organizations that can completely control 

 certain waters, and the proposition is to raise money and 

 expend it in the propagation of trout and landlocked sal- 

 mon. The Megantic Club, the principal membersliip of 

 which is in Boston, is to take important steps in this 

 direction. Already they are opening the only dams that 

 shut up the outlet of their lake from the sea, and they 

 fondly hope that the old run of sea salmon will be estab- 

 lished. Fish hatching of both trout and landlocked sal- 

 mon will be taken hold of in good earnest, as soon as the 

 club gets into working order. 



I met Fish Commissioner E. M. Stilwell the other day. 

 He is greatly encouraged concerning the salmon prospects 

 in Maine. The increase and the growth of the landlocked 

 salmon have been shown this year in particular, beyond 

 the hopes of the Commission. The run of sea salmon in 

 the Penobscot has been the largest ever dreamed of. At 

 Bangor is the salmon pool of the people— the pool where 

 everybody can fish and where everybody does fish. The 

 rabble fishes there. Perhaps to the disgust of the nobby 

 fisherman, with his pockets well lined with the dollars his 

 father earned, but all the same the pool is the poor man's 

 pool, and he fishes there, and he catches salmon— great 

 salmon— and the fish do the poor man more good than 

 they do the owner of the hundred dollar tackle. The 

 number of tons of salmon taken from the Penobscot River 

 this season is enormous; some of them— indeed a great 

 quantity— with hook and line at Bangor, but far more 

 with nets down river. The sportsman sighs that this net- 

 ting of salmon might be stopped, and it is a pity that it 

 cannot be stopped— better by some reasonable buying out 

 of the interests of the netters in the towns along the river. 

 Then what a salmon river it would be for rod and line ! 

 Why, already the Boston market has been glutted with 

 salmon this year, and the price is down to 15 to 18 cents 

 per pound: and a great many of these fish are taken in 

 nets along the Penobscot. Think of it ! A great market 

 glutted with the king of game fish ! Does one argue that 

 the masses get cheap salmon in this way ? Not much. 

 The profit is kept in the hands of the retail trade. The 

 very day that salmon fell to 15 cents in the wholesale 

 trade the retailers were charging 35 cents. They had 

 not found that salmon were off several days after. Com- 

 missioner Stilwell says that the Maine Commissioners are 

 busy putting in fishways, and seeing to th eh alteration, 

 so as to increase and foster the migration of the salmon. 

 He remarks that they are taking salmon at Bangor even 

 now, though it is later than the run generally holds out. 



Special. 



