506 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



|"Jan. 19, 1888. 



w mid Oth er fishing. 



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

 Rods and Fly-Tackle. By H.P.Wells. Price $2. 50. Fly- 

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

 Price $1.50. American Anglers' Book. By Thad. Norris. 

 Price $5.60. 



THE NEXT TOURNAMENT. 



THE National Rod and Reel Association met on Satur- 

 day last in the laboratory of Commissioner Blackford, 

 New York. The attendance was good, and various sub- 

 jects were discussed. The secretary read the proceedings 

 of the last meeting. Mr. Mather, chairman of the com- 

 mittee on membership, reported in favor of the following 

 rule: "No person shall compete in a tournament who has 

 not been a member for at least seven days previous to 

 such tournament, but the president may, in his discretion, 

 waive this qualification and admit new members on the 

 grounds who may compete.-' It has been the custom to 

 admit members on the grounds and to allow them to 

 compete, and this custom has been abused by mug hunters 

 who came to the grounds, rod in hand, and. after looking 

 over the entries in a class, paid both membership and 

 entrance fees, won a prize, and were never heard of more. 



The following gentlemen were appointed as a Commit- 

 tee of Arrangements: 



Win. Dunning, Chairman; Hon. H. P. McGown, Cutty- 

 hunk Club, Mass. ; James Benkard, South Side Club, L.I. ; 

 E. G. Blackford, New York Fish Commission; S. M. 

 Blatchford, Squibnocket Club, Mass.; Dr. E. Bradley, 

 Blooming Grove Park Association, Penn.; Martin B. 

 Brown, Wa-Wa-Yanda Club; Henry F. Crosby, Willowe- 

 moc Club, N. Y. ; D. W. Cross, Oneida Club, N. Y. ; Fran- 

 cis Eadicott, Richmond County Game and Fish Protec- 

 tive Association; C. B. Evarts, American Fisheries Soci- 

 ety; Gen. Rodney C. Ward, Brooklyn; Dr. Geo. Trow- 

 bridge, New York; E. R. WMbur, New York; James C. 

 Cornell, Brooklyn; William C. Harris, St. Lawrence Club; 

 Dr. James A. Henshall, Black Bass Club, Ky.; Thatcher 

 Magoun, Massachusetts Game Protective Society; C. H. 

 Mallory, Ichthyophagous Club, N. Y.; Fred Mather, Fly- 

 Fishers' Club. London: J, C. McAndrew, Restigouche Club, 

 N. B. ; James L. Vallotton, Pasque Island Club, Mass. ; 

 J. S. Van Cleef, Willowemoc Club, N. Y.; C. Van Brunt, 

 Willowemoc Club, N. Y. ; Edward Weston, Greenwood 

 Lake Association, N. Y.; Col. Locke W. Winchester, Res- 

 tigouche Club, N. B.; Louis B. Wright, Westminster 

 Kennel Club, N. Y.; H. L. Ziegenfuss, D. D., Poughkeep- 

 sie, N. Y.; J. A. Roosevelt, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.; C. G. 

 Levison, Brooklyn. 



Committee on Grounds: Martin B. Brown, New York, 

 Chairman. 



Committee on Rules: J. A. Roos^elt, Poughkeepsie, 

 Chairman; Fred Mather, Cold Spring Harbor, N. Y. ; Rev. 

 H. L. Ziegenfuss, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.; C. G. Levison, 

 Brooklyn; Louis B. Wright, New York. 



A discussion on rules followed, and as the rules are to 

 be revised by the committee appointed for this purpose 

 the discussion was, as the president stated, merely to get 

 the sense of the Association on certain proposed changes. 

 No change was suggested until Rule 5 was reached, when 

 Mr. Mitchell said that the allowance of lfoz. in favor of 

 rods, used in the light-rod contests, having metal reel- 

 seats, was too great, and he exhibited one, which, with- 

 out the bands, weighed a mere nothing. It was decided 

 to abolish the allowance. It was proposed to reduce the 

 time allowance for contestants from fifteen to ten min- 

 utes. It was thought best to omit "delicacy" from the scale 

 of points, but when it was proposed to add to the number 

 of points in "acuracy," the vote was a tie. It was thought 

 best to make the distance for accuracy in salmon casting 

 60 instead of 70ft. In black bass casting it is proposed to 

 strike out "style" from the score of points, and in heavy 

 bass casting to allow the caster to use a sinker of 2^oz. or 

 less, at his option. 



The time for the next tournament was fixed for Wed- 

 nesday and Thursday, May 23 and 24. 



Mr. Johnston objected to the rule in single-handed fly- 

 casting which classes the contestants as amateur and ex- 

 pert, and which forbids entrance into the former by those 

 who have ever fished for a living, been guides, or have 

 been engaged in either the manufacture or sale of fishing 

 tackle, and proposed to class all men by their former 

 records, as: those who have a record of 90, 80, 70 and 

 60ft. respectively. 



The menhaden question came up, and Mr. Endicott, 

 chairman of the committee appointed to frame resolutions 

 concerning the capture of food fishes and menhaden, 

 reported that he had called a meeting of the committee 

 to meet the men engaged in menhaden fishing on Thurs- 

 day, Jan. 19, at Mr. Blackford's. Messrs. Bryan, Wright, 

 Dunning and Johnston offered several valuable prizes, 

 consisting of gold medals, reels, etc. , to be competed for 

 at the next tournament, and the meeting adjourned. 



The Eagle Rod and Gun Club, of Fair Haven, Vt., 

 held its annual meeting on Jan. 6, with Vice-President 

 R. C. Reed in the chair. H. S. Humphrey was elected 

 secretary pro tern., as the secretary of the club was sick. 

 The chairman appointed Merrit T. Mead, Robt. W. Park- 

 hurst and E. J. Williams a committee to nominate officers 

 for the ensuing year; and they reported the following 

 fist: President, Rolland C. Reed; Vice-President, E. J. 

 Williams. Secretary, George M. Fuller; Treasurer, D. R. 

 Williams; Executive Co imittee— Dr. Charles H. Carpen- 

 ter, Merrit T. Mead, Albert I. Johnson, Hugh S. Humph- 

 rey, Robert W. Parkhurst. These officers were then 

 elected. R. C. Reed, George M. Fuller and M. T. Mead 

 were appointed to examine and revise the by-laws and 

 report at the next meeting, which will be held on Friday 

 evening, Feb. 3, when the retiring officers will make their 

 reports and the new officers will take their seats. The 

 club expects to be able to build a club house on the west 

 shore of Lake Bomoseen during the coming summer. 



Catfish on a Troll.— Hornellsville, N. Y. — At Silver 

 Lake, a few miles from here, it is not at all unusual to 

 catch builheads on a troll. As I understand it, the cat- 

 fish and bullhead are the same, or nearly the same fish. 

 July 3, 1884, John Tenney and my brother caught five on 

 a troll in one day, and P. P. Winn, engineer on the Erie 

 Railroad, who has fished at the lake for many years, says 

 he has caught over a hundred skittering and trolling — J 

 Otis Fellows. 



TARPON FISHING. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Several years since I clothed, in the drapery of ink, my 

 views regarding the future of tarpon fishing as follows: 

 "In journals devoted to sports of forest and stream we fre- 

 qently notice references to the lordly salmon, the noble 

 striped bass, the plucky bronze-backers, and the speckled 

 beauties — but the tarpon, the 'noblest Roman' of them all, 

 the game fish par excellence of American waters, is seldom 

 noticed. When the acrobatic perf ormances and the fight- 

 ing qualities of this noble fish become known, something 

 worthy of consideration will present itself to those who 

 can enjoy true piscatorial sport." It has been said that 

 coming events cast their shadows before, and recent 

 events have established the fact that my frequent refer- 

 ences to the royal sport attending the capture of the 

 "silver king" have been realized. 



In referring to the tarpon that experienced fisherman 

 and accomplished writer, S. C. Clarke, says: "It is a fish 

 as much more powerful and difficult to handle on a rod 

 than a salmon, as the salmon is more powerful than the 

 black bass. This may perhaps be thought a rash assertion, 

 but it is gathered from my own experience. Twice I 

 have hooked a tarpon, and twice I lost my tackle without 

 checking the fish in the slightest degree." 



The first tarpon that was captured at Charlotte Harbor, 

 with rod and reel, was taken several years since, by my 

 friend, Senator Quay, of Pennsylvania. It was evening 

 and he was trolling for bass, when he had a strike, and, 

 after a lengthy fight, he landed with rod and reel, a silver- 

 king weighing 381bs. On his return to Jacksonville he 

 presented to me the rod , reel and line with which he 

 made the capture, and they are in my possession. In 

 April last I visited Charlotte Harbor and collected some 

 data regarding tarpon fishing which will no doubt interest 

 some of your readers. From the best information obtain- 

 able I believe the following data regarding the number 

 of tarpon captured last winter at that point, and the 

 names of the captors, will be found correct: • 



Handline fishing: Senator Quay and son, of Pennsyl- 

 vania, 21 tarpon, largest 1551bs. G. R. Shultz, of Punta 

 Rassa, 1, weight l351bs. — Shatton, of Boston, 1, weight 

 1241bs. Rod and reel fishing: P. Lorillard's party in 

 yacht Riva, 11 fish, largest 1431bs. W. H. Wood, of New 

 York, 11 fish, largest 1351bs. W. G. Russell, of Boston, 

 1, weight 501bs., the smallest captured. Peck Brothers, 

 Chicago, 3. L. T. Moore, Kansas City, 5, largest 14olbs. 

 C. R. Jones, Kansas City, 4, largest 13llbs. K. W. Stet- 

 son, Kingston, Mass., 1, weight 761bs. F. T. Tripler, New 

 York, 2. Capt. Randall, U. S. N., 1, weight llSlbs. J. 

 B. Niven, Bridgeport, N. J., 1. — Wright, Wall street, 

 New York, 1. Walter Mann, Philadelphia, 9, 8 captured 

 in 3 days, largest lollbs., 1 149£lbs. T. Sheldon, of Phil- 

 adelphia, 1. T. Fellows, Boston, 3. Total, 78. 



Within the last twx> years tarpon fishing at Charlotte 

 Harbor has found many devotees; and during the past 

 winter the Hotel San Carlos at the southerly end of Pine 

 Island has been liberally patronized by tarpon fishers. 

 Tarpon fishing is truly royal sport, for they are strong, 

 agile and cunning. When they take a bait they usually 

 make a lightning-like rush of from 20 to 60yds., indulge 

 in an aerial performance, shake their heads like a terrier, 

 and of times expel the bait. The accompanying sketches, 

 illustrating a lady's experience in tarpon fishing, will 

 make the matter intelligible: 



Mrs. B., of this city, with her husband, camped out 

 near the mouth of the St. John's River and, clothed in a 

 bathing suit, she approached the beach, cast the bait into 

 the briny deep to capture a channel bass. A tarpon 

 seized the bait and made a rush. Mrs. B. held on to the 

 line in spite of burned fingers; the artful fish appeared in 

 the air and shook his head and the lady found herself 

 hors de combat with extremities in the air. A gentle- 

 man who was present assured me that the contact of 

 1561bs. of humanity with the hard sandy beach caused 

 such a seismic effect as to lead the residents of Mayport 

 to believe an earthquake had visited the locality. 



It may interest some of your readers to obtain some 

 reliable information regarding the piscatorial attractions 

 and the hotel accommodations at Charlotte Harbor, and 

 how to get there. I visited the locality in April last, and 

 will furnish data, the result of my observations. My first 

 visit to Charlotte Harbor was in 1874, and in your valu- 

 able paper I referred to the unequaled fishing at this 

 point. I visited the locality again in 1877, and in another 

 article discussed the piscatorial resources of that section 

 and suggested the advisability of erecting a hotel at that 

 point for the accommodation of fishermen and invalids. 

 Realizing the climatic and sporting attractions of Char- 

 lotte Harbor, a syndicate of wealthy gentlemen purchased 

 three miles in length of the southerly end of Pine Island 

 and erected a large hotel and a number of cottages. The 

 rooms in the hotel are large, beds good, and the cuisine 

 all the most exacting can ask. Meats are received from 

 Chicago, vegetables are raised on the premises, oysters, 

 clams and fish are plentiful, the island and mainland 

 furnish venison and turkey, the food was admirably 

 cooked and the service excellent. The company has con- 

 structed a dock extending to deep water, and from it 

 sheepshead, channel bass, sea trout, cavallii, angel fish, 

 grouper, sea bass, etc., can be captured insufficient num- 

 bers to render the sport attractive. At the end of the 

 dock is a pavillion where ladies can find shade, inhale pure 

 air, and indulge in sports piscatorial. Boats and bait are 

 furnished to guests, and boatmen who are familiar with 

 .the best fishing points can be secured at reasonable rates. 

 A daily mail is a feature, and a telegraph station is but 

 four miles distant. During the cold months insect pests 

 are absent. The drives on the island extend for miles and 

 the roads are excellent. 



San Carlos Hotel, Charlotte Harbor, is easilv reached. 

 Leaving Jacksonville at 8:15 A. M. by the Florida South- 

 ern R. R., passengers reach Punta Gorda, Charlotte Har- 

 bor, at 8:15 P. M. A pleasant route is to take one of the 

 People's Line of steamers at 3 P. M., reaching Sand ford 

 early in the morning. From this point take the South 

 Florida R. R. to Barton Junction, connecting with the 

 Florida Southern R. R. for Punta Gorda. At this point 

 will be found a first-class hotel with every comfort. Fare 

 from Jacksonville to Punta Gorda, $9.45. Leaving the 

 latter place at 8 A. M., Hotel San Carlos, Pine Island, is 

 reached in time for dinner — twenty-nine hours after 

 leaving Jacksonville. 



Climatic factors have much to do with the comfort of 

 the invalids and the success of fishermen. It is well 

 known that the air of the sea shore is bracing and calcu- 



lated to build up invalids; and as Pine Island is near the 

 Gulf and surrounded by salt water, health is guaranteed J 

 During the cold months malarial diseases are unknown, 

 and the mortality of this section for the entire year is lesaj 

 than that of almost any other portion of the Unitedl 

 States. The absence of dust and organic germs is all im-<] 

 portant to invalids, and at this point the air is pure and! 

 aseptic. Equability of temperature is an important 1 

 climatic factor, and in this respect Charlotte Harbor is | 

 remarkable. As thermometric vacillations are of great \ 

 importance, we will give the ranges for the five cold ' 

 months at this point: November, 36° Fab.; December, 

 36'; January, 36 ; February, 31": March, 30°; mean for 

 five cold months, 34 3 Fah. Owing to the slight atmo- s 

 spheric changes, invalids and delicate persons are not ( 

 liable to contract colds and can spend most af their time | 

 in the open air. The mean relative humidity of a resort 

 is important, and in this respect Charlotte Harbor is 

 especially favored. As evideuce of this we will give the 

 mean relative humidity of this section for the five cold I 

 months: November, 71.7; December, 73.2; January, 74.2; 

 February, 73.7; March, 69.9 per cent. Rainy days 

 seriously interfere with outdoor sports, and in this respect 

 Charlotte Harbor has much to recommend it. The rain- 

 fall in inches and hundredths per month for a period of 

 five years is as follows: November, 2.38; December, 0.99; 

 January, 1.69; February, 2.67; March, 1.04. Mean per, 

 month, 1.77in.; for five months, 8.77in. As evidence of 

 the small amount of rainfall at this point I need but com- 

 pare it with the amouut at some prominent health and 

 pleasure resorts for the five cold months, as follows: 

 Niece, 16.86; Mentone, 16.50; Nervi, 23.40; Genoa, 24.72; 

 Atlantic City, 16.93; Jacksonville, Fla., 16.62, and Key 

 West, 9.1in. Frost is almost unknown at Charlotte Har- 

 bor. For ten years the lowest point reached by the ther- 

 mometer was 33.° The air is bracing, the diurnal ther- 

 mometric range is very low, and high winds are infre- 

 quent. 



To those who are disposed to indulge in the capture of 

 tarpon, I would say provide a stout two-joint (one long 

 and one short) split-bamboo, lancewood or greenheart 

 rod, from seven to eight feet six inches in length, and a 

 strong reel to carry six hundred feet of 15, 18 or 21, 

 thread Cuttyhunk line. For hooks I would recommend 

 10-0 O'Shaughnessy or 13-0 Limerick, and for snoods 

 heavy cotton or silk, or jointed piano wire. Minute 

 directions for rigging lines and baiting hooks need not be 

 referred to, for a day's residence at San Carlos Hotel, and 

 open ears to listen to fish yarns and experiences, would 

 serve to initiate the tenderfoot into all the mysteries of 

 attending tarpon fishing. The principal fishing ground 

 is near the hotel. 



The fishing for mangrove snapper, devil fish, tarpon, 

 sheepshead, sea trout, channel bass, cavallii, angel fish, 

 lady fish, and jew fish, cannot be excelled. At this 

 point the angler can enjoy an admirable climate and cap- 

 ture noble game fish without the discomforts of roughing 

 it, wading in icy streams and fighting black flies and 

 mosquitoes. Tarpon fishing has already attained a world 

 wide notoriety, and if we take into consideration the ac- 

 cessibility of Charlotte Harbor, the superior hotel accom- 

 modations, mail and telegraph facilities, its healthfulness, 

 the absence of malaria, its admirable drives, opportunities 

 for boating, its climatic advantages and sporting resources, 

 we are forced to the conclusion that it is destined to be- 

 come a popular tourist, sporting and health resort. 



Al Fresco. 



Jacksonville, Fla., Dec. 2(5, 1887. 



A note in the Times-Union, of Jacksonville, Jan. 3, has 

 this: At St. James City the tarpon season of this year 

 has been opened by a lady from New Haven, Conn. It 

 was a lively tussle on the part of the fish, but as the hook 

 was firmly fastened somewhere down his interior anatomy 

 he was finally landed, though the lady had a chance to 

 use all of her strength and skill. The score was S7-£lbs. , 

 length 5ft. 7in. The lady's husband took in another 

 weighing 1021bs., and altogether this was counted a good 

 day's sport. 



Address aU communications to the Forest and Stream. Pub. Co. 



THE ROGERS FISH WAY. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I herewith present to you engravings of the Rogers patent 

 fish way, showing its construction, position and the general 

 principles of its working in the case of a common mill-dam, 

 and also a diagram of the auxiliary dam, a later invention, 

 the purpose of which is to adapt the fishway for successful 

 use where the more common mode of construction is imprac- 

 ticable, as in case of natural falls or great dams like the 

 Holyoke in Massachusetts, where it would not be possible 

 to effect an opening in the structure to he overcome. 



I feel perfectly safe in saying that this is the only fishway 

 ever invented or used that completely fulfils the purpose for 

 which it is designed, viz., to open the streams of the country 

 to the free and easy ascent of fish to the head-waters and 

 spawning grounds, over mill-dams, natural falls and all other 

 obstructions. This great claim is not based on mere theory 

 or extravagant supposition, but on practical tests made not 

 only in this country, where during the past six or seven years 

 I have personally supervised the construction of nearly one 

 hundred after the style of the patent, which are now in suc- 

 cessful operation — in one case a natural fall of over sixty 

 feet having been overcome — but also in the United States 

 where the State of Pennsylvania, after having expended tens 

 of thousands of dollars on other devices, procured the use of 

 this invention after a most successful test at the Columbia 

 Dam on the Susquehanna in the spring of 1887, and is now 

 pushing their construction as rapidly as possible. 



An experience of twenty years in the Fishery Service of 

 Canada has brought me into contact with the many obstacles 

 to be overcome in protecting, maintaining and increasing 

 the supply of river fishes, and I am therefore in a position 

 to recommend this fishway as being the only one that will 

 perfectly conquer the difficulties to which the deterioration 

 of the river fisheries of every growing country is chiefly at- 

 tributable. 



The principles of its construction, its position and general 

 features are such as have in every case commended themselves 

 to practical men. The engravings given herewith will afford 

 a pretty elear idea of what these principles are, and will dis- 

 pense with the necessity of detailed description here. One 

 great advantage in their use is the very small cost of con- 

 struction and maintenance, as when once properly built they 

 will withstand the pressure of ice and the heaviest freshets 

 without injury; and another is that the water supply is in 



