Feb. 10, 1887.] 



* 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



49 



Stevens will make a winter trip to select the site. The 

 camp is to be built by Adana Brooks, the well-known 

 guide, from Upton, Maine: the same Adana who run 

 the Middle Dam camp for so many years, and made a 

 host of friends in so doing. Adana, with Steve Morse, of 

 the same town, has guided Mr. Stevens and his party for 

 a number of trips. Mr. Morse is the guide who really 

 took the great trout now in the Smithsonian Institute, 

 the largest Sdlmo fontinalis on record. The camp will 

 be called Vine Vale camp. 



It seems that the parties from Andover, Maine, who 

 desired to put in steamers for public travel, in opposition 

 to Chas. A. J. Farrar, the veteran steamer man of that 

 part of the lakes, did not succeed in obtaining a charter 

 from the Legislature now in session. The last report says 

 that the committee returned the petition for a charter of 

 that kind, indorsed, "Inexpedient to legislate." This is 

 as it should be, for Mr. Farrar has labored hard, and re- 

 ceived but little of real profit. Special. 



SURFACE SCHOOLS OF TROUT. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



A few years since while casting for trout from a canoe 

 on Moosehead Lake, Me., one fine afternoon in September, 

 between Farm Island and Hardscrabble, I witnessed what 

 to me seemed a very strange occurrence. I had taken 

 some fine trout, when suddenly they stopped rising, and 

 the lake being very smooth, suddenly within a few feet 

 of the canoe and as far as I could see, trout of all sizes, 

 |lb. to Gibs, each, appeared near the surface, with their 

 dorsal and caudal fins above the surface, moving very 

 slowly and remaining in sight perhaps four or five 

 minutes: then they sank below the surface as quietly as 

 they had come. During this time they took no notice of 

 the fly whatever. They did not seem to be feeding nor 

 in want of air. I have cast the. fly many seasons and in 

 many waters, but this was the only time I ever saw the 

 like of this. Our old guide, Uncle John Coombs, also 

 gave it up. Will some of your readers give us light? 



John H. Way. 



The same phenomenon was witnessed at the Masti- 

 gouche Lakes last season by our correspondent "Spice- 

 wood," who wrote of it in issue of Oct, 21, 1886, as follows: 



"As we sat by our camp-fire the evening before, P. had 

 told us of a strange sight he had seen as he came across 

 the lake. A large school of fish swimming on the top of 

 the water with their backs out of water so that he could 

 see. them packed like sardines in a box. In the dusk he 

 was unable to see what kind of fish they were, but plainly 

 saw they were of good size. We hoped in the morning 

 to solve the mystery. We had been in our canoes only a 

 short time when we sa w here and there over the lake 

 often a score of these schools in sight at once. We moved 

 carefully toward them or put our boat in their course. 

 As we came near them we found them to be trout; as 

 soon as they saw us, with a swirl that made the water 

 boil, they went out of sight. We repeatedly tried to have 

 them take our flies, making long casts so as not to frighten 

 them, but they always passed the bait unheeded. After 

 they had disappeared we let out a long line, trolling deep 

 and drawing it through the place where they went down, 

 and often took fine, gamy fellows. Tom proposed that I 

 "should scratch their backs." A school was passing us 

 some 40ft. away, I cast my line, the leader fell right 

 among them; a quick jerk and I hooked one in the back; 

 the only smile I saw upon the Indian's face while I was 

 in the woods with him was as he watched the antics of 

 this trout with his back scratched. * * * Will some 

 of your readers give a reason for the trout going in the 

 schools as I have described; we only noticed it in this one 

 lake and our guides had never seen anything like it before 

 in any of the many lakes hi these woods where they had 

 fished for a score of years." 



NxVTIonal Rod and Reel Association.— Secretary 

 G-onzalo Poey, P. O. Box 3049, New York, has issued a 

 circular which says: "The Fifth Annual Tournament of 

 the National Rod and Reel Association will be held at 

 Central Park on May 25 and 26. As much interest 

 is shown in these contests, and generally the latest im- 

 provements in rods, reels, etc., are brought forth, we 

 deem it to the advantage of the trade to support us in 

 carrying out these tournaments by donations of prizes to 

 be given to competitors. Heretofore the leading firms 

 in the trade have cheerfully and generally contributed to 

 this end, and we call for a continuance of such favors. 

 At the same time we would say that each contribution 

 will be so acknowledged as to prove of value as an adver- 

 tisement to the donor. Should you feel disposed to con- 

 tribute, please inform us to that effect before the first of 

 March next, or send your contributions to the Secretary. 

 The committee would suggest that the classification of 

 prizes be left to them as far as possible, i. e., that the 

 prizes be not restricted to certain classes, and would add 

 that it is not their intention to give fishing tackle as 

 prizes in the Expert Fly Casting Classes." The Commit- 

 tee on Prizes are Messrs. Jas. L. Vallotton. C. G. Levison, 

 H. P. McGown and T. B. Stewart. 



The American Fishery Union.— Representatives of 

 the various fishing industries met with the U. 8. Men- 

 haden, Oil and Guano Association at New York on Jan. 

 12 and formed a working organization under the above 

 title. A circular has been issued inviting all interested to 

 attend a meeting at Gloucester, Mass., on Feb. 23. "It is 

 desired that a full representation be present, a permanent 

 working association be organized and immediately enter 

 upon such work as may be thought best for the advance- 

 ment of all the various branches of the fisheries, includ- 

 ing salt and fresh- water food fish in all its branches, cured 

 and fresh; oils, fish and whale, oysters, fish fertilizers, 

 etc., etc." 



Trout from Sunapee Lake.— There are now on ex- 

 hibition with William Mills & Son, 7 Warren street, New 

 York, three stuffed specimens of fish belonging to Mr. J. 

 D. Quackenbos, which will interest anglers. One is a 

 seven-pound specimen of the new trout from Sunapee 

 Lake, New Hampshire, of the blue-back or Oquassa type 

 concerning which much has been said in our columns by 

 Mr. Quackenbos, Col. E. B. Hodge, and others. A brook 

 trout of six pounds weight is also shown, and the third 

 fish is a male landlocked salmon of the planting of 1877 

 which weighed twelve pounds. 



IMPROVED SALMON. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The article under above heading in Forest and Stream 

 for Feb. 3 opens a most interesting question. The in- 

 fluence of domestication on the sexual development of 

 the Salmonoids has long been to me a subject for inquiry 

 and experiment; so also has the influence generally which 

 the introduction of fresh and often alien blood brings to 

 bear on the habits and final type of the original inhabit- 

 ants of a stream, whether trout or salmon. 



Instances connected with trout (S. fario) have fre- 

 quently cropped up, which seem to point to a loss of 

 pluckiness and characteristic wildness under domestica- 

 tion, In all cases where a, stream has been for a long 

 series of years replenished with young hand-reared trout, 

 the adult and takable fish seemed to grow gradually tamer 

 though not less wily so far as the angler was concerned. 

 Furthermore— and this is remarkable if it be found to be 

 a truth — I was led to think that domestication was the 

 direct cause of barrenness, from the fact that so many 

 fish handled during spawning time Were devoid of organs 

 of generation, and were supplied with them only in an 

 elementary condition. This conclusion was reached on a 

 river in the south of England noted for its large, splendid 

 breed of fario, some miles of which were under my abso- 

 lute control. I asked if this fact had been noticed by 

 ot her observers through the columns of a fishing journal, 

 and a well-known fish breeder undertook to deny the 

 inference I drew. The occupation of that man would 

 have certainly been gone had it been a fact that artificial 

 breeding tends to weaken the natural breeding powers, 

 and I felt satisfied at the time that sufficient attention 

 had not been directed to the subject. It was, in my ex- 

 perience at least, an otherwise inexplicable fact that from 

 my stream, which had been largely stocked with fry each 

 year for many years, the percentage of barren fish was 

 quite ten per cent., while a contiguous stream never 

 stocked showed less than one per cent, of such fish on 

 careful calculation. 



Again , I know it to be a fact that crossing a good strain 

 of fish — large and gamy — with a smaller breed, improves 

 the latter but deteriorates the former. "It needs no ghost 

 come from the dead to tell us this," the reader will say. 

 Then why, I ask, is this truth ignored by fishculturists, in 

 England at least? The Thames trout are a fario of un- 

 rivalled beauty and pluck, and going up to 15 and 161bs. 

 weight, and because they are scarce the sapient anglers 

 and fishculturists of its neighborhood insist on introduc- 

 ing a fario of distinctly inferior size, never, in fact, grow- 

 ing over olbs. The experiment is bearing fruit now in 

 more trout and inferior average size. Thirty years ago, 

 when my father was held to be the champion trout fisher- 

 man of the Thames, 10 and 12-pounders were common; 

 now the average is nearer 41bs. Verb. sap. 



J. Harrington Keene. 



SIZE AND AGE OF TROUT. 



Editor Forest and Stream : 



The publication by the Forest and Stream of a private 

 note has given more length to the discussion of ago and 

 size of trout than was "intended. Perhaps, however, it 

 was a subject of sufficient importance to warrant further 

 notice. The authoritative if not lucid response from 

 Utica, accompanied by some discourteous reflections 

 upon Jefferson county anglers, ought to settle the matter 

 in some way, although the article" by Mr. Mather would 

 seem more satisfactorily conclusive. He, however, makes 

 the admission "there is no way to tell the age of wild 

 fish." 



We must again premise that it was the size of trout 

 in the spring of the third year that was the question, and 

 not at three years of age, leaving, we suppose, some 

 margin of difference in possible growth. Mr. Mather 

 admits, we think, that in the spring of the second year 

 trout would not reach 6in., but places that measurement 

 at the age of li years, so that assuming there would not 

 be much growth from, the latter part of the second to the 

 opening of the third year, we were perhaps not so far out 

 of the way in our fear that they would not measure quite 

 6in. at the elate in question. The Utica ' 'authorities" seem 

 to regard this a very wild guess. 



As to the "conditions" being good where we fish we 

 cannot pass an intelligible opinion. During the past two 

 seasons the fishing has been upon the upper waters of the 

 Oswegatchie and Mad rivers, and we supposed we were 

 stating facts when we said that 6in. trout did not frequent 

 the riffles— allowing proper latitude for the "frequent." 

 Less than 2 in 10 of legal trout has been the average, leav- 

 ing 8 out of 10 to be returned to the water mutilated, with 

 pierced eye or bleeding gill, to take their chance with life 

 anew. Other fishermen may have had similar or different 

 experience, but at the close of our day's sport the spoil 

 has been so meagre that our share has been donated to 

 fellow fishermen to swell their catch and make one 

 respectible whole, while we have borne in meekness the 

 gentle chaffing of home. We do not wish to moralize over 

 this matter, but we suppose all slaughter would be un- 

 bearable but for the spoil. What gunner so hardv as to 

 slay his victims only to leave them un cared for and un- 

 touched ? Make the law 7in. as intimated bv the authori- 

 ties mentioned and many an angler, possibly not all, 

 would be placed in still greater perplexity. 'As to 7in. 

 trout frequenting our riffles we would state as a cold 

 fact that we have heretofore taken 40 fish in a day's catch, 

 not one of which would measure it. Anglers who have 

 means and can afford to go far, or who have choice locali- 

 ties largely controlled by them where large fish abound, 

 should not, we think, lose sight of the probability that it 

 will be diffiult to control the poor fellows of moderate 

 circumstances who go out for a day to take a few trout, 

 and it may not be wise to go too far in fixing limits that 

 would practically debar their catch, as would a 7in., 8in., 

 or lOin. law (where will the matter stop?), forcing them to 

 believe the law unreasonable or unjust. 



In conclusion, we believe protection should be afforded 

 during two years for very obvious reasons, and are willing 

 to rest the matter there. If the hoped for 6in. require- 

 ment is made a law, we shall be found quite as faithful, 

 we trust, in its observance as members of Utica's F. and 

 G. P. A. * Angler. 



Game Protector. Lindley.— New York, Feb. 4.— 

 Editor Forest and Stream: As I usually make several 

 trips each season to Oneida Lake, New York, I was 

 interested in your editorial of Jan. 6 regarding protector 

 Lindley. About every time I have been there his visits 



were the gossip of the day, and his steam launch cordd 

 frequently be heard at night or seen during the day, scout- 

 ing around the fishing grounds or looking after illegal 

 duck shooters in the fall. Many yarns of the narrow 

 escapes from Lindley have been spun by the "natives" 

 for the edification of our party, and from iny observations 

 I am sure that they doubt not his bravery, and fear his 

 coming; and I only wonder in the face of all he has to 

 contend with that he or any one else accept the appoint- 

 ment for the paltry sum allowed by the State. That he 

 takes his life in his hand whenever he goes out to the 

 lake is undoubted, and that ho has been fired at and 

 looked down the muzzle of double-barreled shot gains is 

 asserted by the net-fishermen. I recognize the fact that 

 when a man accepts the appointment he should be held 

 strictly accountable for its proper fulfillment; still, I 

 think, particularly in this case, the district is much too 

 large, and if he were confined to the Oneida Lake ex- 

 clusively, and the expenses of his Bteam launch allowed 

 him by the State, he would soon stop this illegal fishing. 

 When you take into consideration the large number of 

 people on the shores of the lake engaged in fishing and 

 the profits derived from it, you can readily see the diffi- 

 culty of a conviction. That you will understand that I 

 have no interest in this matter or Mr. Lindley beyond 

 the protection of fish and game I will say that; I never 

 met him, nor have I any acquaintance whatever with 

 him, and stand ready "to contribute toward his loss 

 in the difference between what his expenses were 

 and what was allowed him for 1886. I inclose 

 clipping from the Syracuse Standard of Jan. 28, as 

 follows: "W. H. Lindley, of Canastota, State game 

 protector for this district, on Wednesday received 

 judgment in Madison county against William Case, Fred 

 Wright, DeWitt Wager, Edward Jacobs, John Springer 

 and William Phillips, all of Lakeport, for $100 each and 

 costs, for catching fish in nets in Oneida Lake in violation 

 of the game law. Such convictions represent thorough 

 and difficult work on the protector's part, as the poachers 

 are apt to make all possible trouble for those who might 

 testify, by destroying or damaging their property." — 

 Jeems. 



An Old Trout.— The Elmira, N. Y., Advertiser re- 

 ports that a brook trout belonging to James Sherman, of 

 Lafayette, N. Y., is dead. It was undoubtedly the oldest 

 trout of which there is any record. It was put in a well 

 on the Sherman place thirty-five years ago last summer, 

 and was at least a year old then. * It began to show the 

 effects of old age five years ago. Its spots faded away, 

 it became a dull gray color, and began to shrink in flesh. 

 It weighed less than 41bs. when it died. It was at one 

 time two pounds heavier. 



RE-NUMBERING OF FISH HOOKS. 



Editor Forent and Stream: 



Referring to your remarks in your issue of Dee. 80. 



Although iny firm claims to be the largest fish hook and tackle 

 manufacturers in the world, they do not ask tackle dealers or 

 anglers to adopt their system of numbering. In Rcdditch, which 

 is the principal seat of the trade, all the manufacturers of any re- 

 pute have one uniform system of numbering all standard patterns 

 of fish hooks which are well-known by fishermen, and to change 

 that system to which anglers have been accustomed for the last 

 half century would eauoe great confusion, and simply mean an 

 absence of system of numbering. 



Uniformity of all pattern hooks and sizes never" will take place 

 so loug as anglers introduce modifications of various standard pat- 

 terns, each claiming his modification as "the best killing hook." 

 These new pattern hcoks are noticed by authors of books on ang- 

 ling, and illustrations are given with the numbers or sizes adopted 

 by the introducer, and when ordered the manufacturer is bound 

 to make them according to that particular size and shape given in 

 the illustrated notice, whether it is the Redditeh or Kendal sys- 

 tem of numbering. 



It is not a question of expense of altering the system in use by 

 my firm. If it were possible to compel every cne to conform to 

 one system of numbering it would be much better for us, but only 

 a person of Utopian ideas will ever dare to hope for such a reform. 



The reform "Mechanic" advocates is rather one. for the wire 

 manufacturers than for the hook manufacturers; but, if this was 

 carried out, it would be much better to adopt the metrical svstem 

 than to use the inch as the standard. The inch after all is oulv an 

 arbitrary measure, no better than the notch which he Imagines 

 Stubbs to have tiled in a piece of steel. The metre, as a definite 

 portion of the earth's radius, has a much better raisim tPftrr. 

 But, after all, the change in numbering would have very little 

 practical use, unless one could persuade all fishermen to adent 

 one pattern of hook. Then the proportion between the size of the 

 wire, the length of the point, and ot the shank and the width and 

 shape of the bend might be expressed by a number. But tin's will 

 never be done; for, without counting the whims and fancies of 

 fishermen, many different shapes and proportions of hooks are 

 absolutely necessary to suit different kinds of fish, different styles 

 of fishing and the different baits used. 



The person who has been the chief agitator of this question, 

 who has written and caused to be written a great deal oi nonsense 

 on this subject, has at last disclosed his reasons for doing so. In 

 a letter which he has just published, he says he has appointed an 

 agent for the sale of his hooks, and in a letter which he has ad- 

 dressed by post to fishing tackle dealers, ho has touted for orders 

 for this agent. 



It remains to be seen if fishermen will allow themselves to be 

 led, under pretext of re-numbering hooks and such other non- 

 sense, to pay an extra price for their hooks, simply to allow some 

 one to step in between themselves and the legitimate salesmen 

 and draw a commission for writing up a particular make of hooks. 



RnnniTCH, England. S. Allcook. 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream Pub. Co 



AMERICAN FISH EGGS FOR ENGLAND. — Fisheries 

 Commissioner Eugene G. Blackford has shipped via the 

 White Star steamer Adriatic 1,500,000 whitefish eggs and 

 10,000 brook trout eggs to the National Fishculturist Asso- 

 ciation, of South Kensington, England, as a present from the 

 United States Fisheries Commissioner, in return for a ship- 

 ment of Loch Leven trout received from the European asso- 

 ciation. The eggs were packed under the supervision of 

 Commissioner Blackford in large cases. The eggs were 

 placed in single layers in wooden trays, the bottoms of which 

 were made of Canton flannel. Thirty-five thousand eggs 

 were placed in each tray, and the trays were placed one above 

 the other and were then packed with ice and sawdust. The 

 object of the ice is to retard the development of the eggs, so 

 that they will reach Europe in good condition to go into the 

 hatching trough in South Kensington. 



NEW HAMPSHIRE. — United States Fish Commissioner 

 Baird has presented to the New Hampshire Fish Commis- 

 sion 100,000 Penobscot salmon eggs, 30,000 landlocked sal- 

 mon eggs, 5,000 Saibling trout eggs, 5,000 brown trout. Dr. 

 Quackenbos, of New York, has also presented 30,000 Loch 

 Leven trout eggs brought from Scotland, the product to be 

 placed in Sunapee Lake. Nearly 2,000 eggs will be hatched 

 this spring at Plymouth and Sunapee hatching houses, 

 which will be distributed in the waters of the State. 



