14 8 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Sept. 15, 1887. 



LOST ON A TROUT STREAM. 



TO thog)|who never have "been there" it may seem a 

 weaREness to get lost upon a stream which flows past 

 your door. But let them try my experience, and if they 

 get out any better than I did I will own my stupidity. 

 Mr. Gr. A. and self, after enjoying the hospitality of Mr. 

 Mattison a few days, and the splendid fishing in Wilmurt 

 Lake, in the North Woods, with the most excellent and 

 satisfactory results, had a deBire to try the father of all 

 the northern trout streams, the West Canada Creek, and 

 on the last day allowable for trout fishing took rather too 

 late a start in the morning, having delayed from the 

 limitations of one of Mrs. Stimson's delightful trout break- 

 fasts (and who would not delay for such a reason?). A 

 row of two miles in the stillwater above the Home brought 

 us to the trail, which took us another half mile through 

 the woods to the beginning of the rifts. Well, instead of 

 proceeding to the head of the rifts and fishing down 

 stream as we should have done, we could not resist wet- 

 ting our lines at once. The stream was unusually low 

 and the fishing was mostly done in the numerous pools 

 and an occasional rift with more water than the average. 

 Mr. A. was rather quicker than myself and managed to 

 keep ahead, which I felt bound to reverse so as to get the 

 first of some of the best pools, and finally succeeded in pass- 

 ing him. We had then proceeded up the stream some 

 four miles or seven miles from the Home, and the sinking 

 of the sun admonished us that it was time to turn. A. did 

 so, but I thought there would be no harm in going up a 

 quarter of a mile further so that we would be more apart 

 upon our return. 



The fishing was getting better and I flattered myself 

 that I would' overcome the lead A. had when we parted. 

 At length I turned down stream, being convinced that 

 there would be no more light than necessary to reach the 

 boat. All the time I had not realized that on this creek 

 with high mountains upon either side there is no twilight. 



But I soon found out my error and was in darkness. 

 Then I made good time for a mile, but the increasing 

 darkness and the uncertain footing upon the slippery 

 stones made my progress very slow and dangerous. So 

 bad did it become I foolishly thought that any other 

 walking would be an improvement, and I left the stream 

 for the woods, first taking my bearings from the stars, 

 which were quite clear and bright. I knew there was a 

 trail in the woods, and thought I might find it, although 

 those trails are not macadamized. But alas! those old 

 woods do not allow the city tenderfoot to brave them with 

 imputiny. Once in them the darkness was total; and 

 over fallen trees, briers, slough holes — oh dear, the mem- 

 ory of it is still dear. I did .not count the number of 

 times I fell, nor would the bruises upon my body, which 

 remained for a month, account for the times I tumbled 

 over logs or rolled down into the holes, where I was 

 nearly smothered in mud. At this stage (I could just 

 hear the water rushing over the stones in the creek) I con- 

 cluded that I must give up the hope of finding the trail. 

 Also that if I did find it no one could follow it; and there- 

 fore I worked my way back to the creek, which at length 

 I found. But I was so nearly exhausted that I was com- 

 pelled to sit upon a rock for fifteen minutes and rest. 



Then again came the weary work of wading in the 

 shallow water, among the millions of stones which varied 

 from the size of a tenpin ball to that of a house. A half- 

 mile of this was indeed discouraging, but it must be done. 

 At length I came to an island, covered with why grass 

 as high as my head. This island was about a quarter of 

 a mile long, and I thought it better to flounder in the 

 grass than feel my way over the stones. When well into 

 it I found that I had encountered another hardship, for I 

 could not take a step without falling, my feet being en- 

 tangled in the grass as if there were a million fishlines to 

 a rod laid there on purpose to trip me. The falls I had 

 were not so heavy as in the woods; and I came to think 

 it was the proper thing to do. Consequently with much 

 deliberation and calculation I threw myself down the 

 whole distance of the island, gaining at each fall about 

 half my length, like the inch worm. Now my height 

 being 5ft. 9in. and the distance i mile, it is an easy mathe- 

 matical problem to find how many times I fell. 



Once out of this I solemnly promised myself that I 

 would have nothing more to do with grass or woods that 

 blessed night, and would have added no more wading 

 among the stones, but that being the last resort, except 

 making a bed of spruce boughs and camping for the 

 night. But the thought that my friends would start out 

 all the guides in the vicinity and that my wife was at 

 that moment thinking that I was being made a meal of 

 by some ferocious panther or bear roused me for one more 

 effort. This brought me to a fallen tree across the creek, 

 which I well remembered and 1 knew that I was close to 

 the trail. 



The temptation once more came to try the woods and 

 I was deliberating whether I would or not, when I heard 

 a faint call, "Yoo ho!" in the distance. 1 answered it 

 with a hello which would have demolished any telephone 

 office in the world and then I heard it returned so dis- 

 tinctly that there could be no mistake. And what blessed 

 music it was. In a few moments I saw the lanterns and 

 the party of three persons, headed by the brave Miss 

 Gussie Pomeroy, a girl of nineteen who had left a warm 

 comfortable parlor, and without thinking of the danger 

 or darkness, came to my rescue. A year and a half has 

 now passed since that time, but although words on paper 

 are cold and no one that has not been lost in those prim- 

 eval woods can appreciate their difficulties or dangers, 

 I shall never cease to remember her kindness and cour- 

 age. 



My friend A. had managed to reach the fallen tree be- 

 fore it was yet quite dark and got home by the trail be- 

 tween 8 and 9 o'clock, but in an exceedingly dilapidated 

 condition. He too had been over the stones and in the 

 grass, and the soles of his shoes were flopping like the 

 crown of a dilapidated hat in a nor'wester, but having 

 had some light he did not suffer as T did. 



We had fair luck fishing. He having taken about 60 

 trout ranging from i to -Jib. and myself about 40 of the 

 same size. 



Although I was very stiff and lame the next morning, 

 on the advice of Mr. Stiiuson I started out again with him 

 and A. for Pine Lake, and lean testify the best medicine 

 for a bruised and exhausted city chap is to take another 

 tramp the next morning. 



The long tramp to the lake quite limbered me up so 

 that I enjoyed the magnificent sport of taking four large 

 salmon trout as well as the rest of them. 



In October, I went to Wilmmt Lake again and had 

 two days of deer hunting. One day was all for naught, 

 although it is worth going the distance for the pleasure 

 of even carrying a rifle a few miles in those woods and in 

 that pure bracing atmosphere. But the next day we 

 were more fortunate. Mr. Stimson very handsomely 

 placed his bullet back of the shoulder of a fine fat deer. 

 There were many shot at and missed by even professional 

 marksmen that season, but the deer that gets away from 

 Stimson's bullet would be as well entitled to boast as the 

 Mingo from the long rifle of "Hawkeye." G. T. B. 



HOOKS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I am well aware that the Sproat hook is perhaps the 

 most used by experts, but I must say that my experience 

 has not made me its devotee. I keep a record of all 

 catches, sizes, weights and outlines of the largest, and 

 also the kind of hooks used. In my hand the Sproat does 

 not come up to other hooks in hooking qualities at least. 

 I file all my hooks when dull, and it certainly helps a 

 Sproat hook very much. The Limerick I regard as about 

 as good an all round hook as there is made, taking into 

 account everything. Its hooking qualities when sharp are 

 first-class, though in my opinion not up to Carlisle. 



One great fault I find with most hooks is the manner 

 in which the gut is bound to the shank. After being in 

 the water for say about four hours fishing, most snell 

 will, when the hook comes in contact with a snag, slip 

 from the binding, leaving the hook in the snag. 



The Carlisle hook, though generally made of too fine 

 material and very liable to break at the bend, I regard as 

 the best and surest hooker on the list. It has some faults, 

 but I think that a Carlisle improved as follows would 

 make a perfect hook. First, to be made of heavier ma- 

 terial; second, to have a shorter bend from the turn in 

 the shank to the point. Both of these would remedy its 

 worst fault, that of breaking at the bend. Two of its 

 best features are its unusual sharpness and the twist in 

 the bend, enabling the hook to find a lodgment in the 

 side of the head and through the gills rather than in the 

 upper lip where most hooks catch. Other hooks have 

 these twists but not to such a degree. Six weeks ago I 

 received from Mr. T. H. Chubb, of Post Mills Village, 

 Vt., some Carlisle hooks which, barring the brittleness 

 which all Carlisle hooks have were the best I ever had, and 

 I have had hand-forged imported. The gut was superb, 

 being clear, well drawn and very firmly fastened to the 

 shank. I did not have one slip out. I generally use a 

 Limerick for a part of my fishing, the rougher part, but 

 when I come to a nice hole I change the Limerick for a 

 Carlisle to make sure of the big ones. I very seldom, 

 almost never, lose a fish that bites at worm with a Car- 

 lisle hook through it. 



I have much faith also in the Sneck bend, and would 

 like to enlarge upon its virtues, but for fear of taking up 

 space which could be employed to better advantage by 

 papers of more merit I wall close. 



I should very much like to read other anglers' experi- 

 ence with Kirby and O'Shaughnessy hooks. 



PEMIGEW ASSET. 



PIKE, PICKEREL, MUSCALONGE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I would like to know whether there is any difference 

 between the pike and pickerel. I have a book describing 

 the above named fish, also the muscalonge, but I am 

 unable to learn from it whether pike and pickerel are or 

 are not the same fish; in fact, am left in doubt whether 

 muscalonge are not pickerel of a larger size. 



Some years ago I spent a few weeks at Clayton, this 

 State, and, of course, fished among the Thousand Islands 

 of the St. Lawrence. Some bass were caught, the first 

 one by my wife, who was with me, and who bragged con- 

 siderably about it; and a good many pickerel were 

 caught. The bass were cooked by our guide, and eaten 

 for lunch, but I never knew what became of the pickerel. 

 I never saw any of them on the hotel table. I supposed 

 they were not thought good enough. While we were at 

 Clayton, Gen. Davis, of New York, brought in one day a 

 muscalonge weighing 421bs. It was sent to Saratoga, but 

 whether for show or to be eaten I did not learn. L st 

 summer I was at Blue Mountain Lake, Hamilton county, 

 and trout and bass fishing being dull, I made a trip to 

 Indian Lake, ten miles distant, where I had. been told 

 pickerel were so plenty that they covered one another. I 

 did not find that story to hold good, but I caught a few 

 pretty large pickerel which I carried back to Blue Moun- 

 tain Lake and had them cooked, but it was impossible to 

 eat them. 



In Lake Charlotte, a small and pretty lake in Columbia 

 county, N. Y., jjickerel are caught that are very fine eat- 

 ing. They are not as large as those in the St. Lawrence 

 or those in Indian Lake, but they appear to me exactly 

 the same fish. I would like to know whether there is 

 any difference. S, P. H. 



[The muscalonge (Esox nobilior), the pike (Esox luciua), 

 and the piskerel (Esox reticidatits) all belong to the 

 Esoeidoz or pike family. The muscalonge is the largest 

 and may be readily distinguished from the pike by these 

 two characteristics: The lower half of the cheek of the 

 muscalonge is scaleless and tbe anterior half of its lower 

 jaw is toothless. In the pike the cheek is entirely covered 

 with scales and the lower jaw is filled with teeth. The 

 three fishes are colored as follows: Muscalonge, greenish 

 or brownish gray with circular brown spots darker than 

 the body color. Pike, dark green or gray, with oblong 

 light spots, sometimes white. Pickerel, green or brown, 

 covered with a network of dark lines.] 



Sea Bass.— New Bedford, Mass., Sept. 7.— Bass fishing 

 continues to be good in Westport River, and good catches 

 are made almost every day by gentlemen who do not tire 

 of the sport. Mr. Martin, of Washington, captured a 38- 

 pounder the first of last week, while Henry Grinnell, of 

 New York, took two big ones last week weighing respec- 

 tively 32 and 271bs. Every member of the Cuttyhunk 

 Club went to the island on tbe steam yacht Aida yester- 

 day. Mr. McGrouty of the club recently caught a 28 and 

 also a 14-pound basSj 



New Lisbon, 111. — Our river and bay abounds in black 

 bass, pike, wall-eyed pike, mukalonge, jack-salmon, white 

 and striped bass, croppies or goggle-eyes, sunfish and 

 channel catfish, besides many other kinds, which take 

 the bait or spoon hook of the faithful angler.— G. R. M. 



Caught with a Wobm.— A Graham, Me., correspond- 

 ent, L. McL., of Graham, Me., sends us this story of the 

 Hon. Thomas Amory Deblois and John Whyley, in his 

 time the leading gunsmith of Portland : Mr. Whvley 

 used to repair Mr. Deblois's fishing and shooting tackle, 

 etc. , and they knew each other very well. I always sus- 

 ected, (although I have no real reason therefore, and 

 ope he'll not sue me for libel for stating it) that Mr. 

 Whyley must have been guilty of poaching on English 

 premisfB of fish and fowl before he emigrated. However 

 that may be, he could "tie" a fly and " cast " one with 

 most men. But he knew every snipe run, woodcock 

 cover and trout brook within ten miles of Portland, and 

 some that were further off. On one of his early spring 

 trout-fishing expeditions, he had caught (as usual) a fine 

 string of fish. He sent them up to Mr. Deblois as a pres- 

 ent. Mr. Deblois invited his friends and had the trout 

 served in proper style. The next day he called into Mr. 

 Whyley's place and thanked him politely, if somewhat 

 foi-mally, as usual with him, for his present of magnifi- 

 cent fish. The interview was very pleasant to both ; but 

 as Mr. Deblois turned to leave him he said: ''By the 

 way, Mr. Whyley, would you mind telling me with what 

 fiy you killed'those trout ?" " Fly be d— d," responded 

 Whyley, " don't you know that brook trout won't take a 

 fly the 1st of April?" "Caught them with a worm !" 

 shouted Deblois. " Caught them with a worm ! and did 

 you dare to send trout caught with a worm to me !" and 

 started off in a rage. 



Nepigon Trout.— Mr. W. F. Whitcher has written and 

 the Passenger Department of the Canadian Pacific Rail- 

 way publishes a pamphlet descriptive of Nepigon trout 

 fisliing, and giving much needed information about get- 

 ting to the river and what to do after one is there. 



CANADIAN FISHERIES DEPARTMENT. 



WE have the annual report of the Department of Fisher- 

 ies of the Dominion of Canada for the year 1886. The 

 report is, as usual, voluminous and instructive. 



Under the head of "Produce of the Fisheries," we. learn 

 that with the exception of Prince Edward Island, where a 

 decrease of over §150,000 is noticeable in the value of lobsters 

 alone, it is satisfactory to note that this great source of 

 wealth is in a nourishing coudition. 



The following figures represent the total value of the fish- 

 eries of the Dominion of Canada for the year 1886: 



Nova Scotia $8,415,361 



New Brunswick 4,180,237 



Quebec 1,741,382 



Prince Edward Island 1,141,991 



British Columbia 1,577,348 



Ontario 1,435,998 



Manitoba and Northwest Territories 186,979 



Total 818,679,288 



This is exclusive of the quantity consumed by the Indian 

 population in British Columbia estimated 'at 25,000,000 

 pounds, and also of the total yield of Manitoba and the 

 Northwest TerritorieSj of which only approximate data are at 

 present available, which would increase the total value to 

 fully §22,000,000. 



For Nova Scotia the yield of the fisheries shows an in- 

 creased value of $131,438, although a slight falling off 

 occurred in salmon fishing. This industry is in a healthy 

 condition, and gives promise of better results. In New 

 Brunswick the returns of the year's catch show an increase 

 of about §175,000. The improvement in the catch of salmon, 

 which marked the previous year's returns, was not sustained. 

 The statistics of the Province of Prince Edward Island show 

 a deficiency as compared with last year of $151,438, there 

 being a falling off of nearly one million of pounds in the 

 item of lobsters. The catch of mackerel was very fair, ex- 

 ceeding that of last year by about 5,300 barrels. 



An increase of 5,0001bs. is also noticeable in the oyster 

 fisheries. In the Province of Quebec the returns show an in- 

 crease of $21,922, in spite of a heavy falling off in the value 

 of fish oils. Seal fishing improved considerably, the number 

 of skins being 28,226 in 1886 against 9, 195 the p'revious year. 

 Salmon show a slight falling off. In lobsters there is an in- 

 crease of 77,2251bs., and mackerel fishing was a total failure. 

 It is difficult to compute the value of the fisheries of British 

 Columbia, as the amount consumed by the Indians must be 

 estimated; but it is supposed that there was an increase of 

 $449,310. In Manitoba and the Northwest Territories the 

 value of the fisheries is given at $186,979, the most import- 

 ant item of production being whitefish. In Ontario there 

 has been a steady improvement and an abundant yield dur- 

 ing the present year. Their general condition and increas- 

 ing productiveness are most satisfactory. In several in- 

 stances the value has nearly doubled that of previous 

 seasons. These satisfactory results are justly ascribed in a 

 great measure to the excellent fishery laws enacted by the 

 Dominion Parliament. 



The fishery laws of the Dominion are given with a table 

 of close season for 1887, followed by a synopsis of the fishery 

 laws. Five new fishways on the Rogers model were built 

 On the following streams in the Province of Nova Scotia 

 during 1886: La Have, Gold, Nine Mile, St. Mary and Sher- 

 brook. 



There are twelve hatcheries under the control of the 

 Dominion Government located as follows: Ontario — New- 

 castle, Sandwich. Quebec— Magog, Tadoussac, Gasp6,Res- 

 tigouche. New Brunswick — Mirainichi, St. John River. 

 Nova Scotia— Bedford, Sydney. Prince Edward Island- 

 Dunk River. British Columbia — Fraser River. 



No new hatcheries were built during the past year, but 

 considerable repairs were made in the hatcheries at Sydney, 

 Dunk River, St. John River and Fraser River, and all are 

 now in good working order. 



The total number of young fish of various kinds hatched 

 at, and distributed from, the several hatcneries of the Do- 

 minion during the season of 1886, from the crop of 1885, 

 amounted to 76,724,000, and the total quantity of ova laid 

 down in all the hatcheries during the fall of 1886 was 93,- 

 224,900. 



The kinds of fish at present hatched out in'these hatcheries 

 include the Atlantic and Pacific salmon, the whitefish and 

 salmon-trout of the great lakes of Ontario, the pickerel 

 (dove) and the speckled or brook trout. 



A list of the fishery officers of the Dominion of Canada 

 occupies nearly twenty-three pages. It includes the name, 

 district, post office, rank and salary, and is followed by a 

 detailed statement of expenditures on account of the fish- 

 eries and fishing bounty claims received for the year 1885. 



New Yobk Cray, May, 1887. 

 Hie U. S. Cartridge Co., Lowell, Mass.: 



Gentlemen— I wish to thank you for the very excellent 6hell 

 you are putting on the market. I refer to the "Climax." I swear 

 hy it, not at it, as I have had to do with other makes. It has 

 given me unqualified satisfaction ever since I first began to use 

 it, and that is since its Introduction. Don't allow it to deteriorate, 

 and sportsmen will call you "blessed." Very truly yours, 



— Adv. (Signed) C. W. Cushieb. 



