April 21, 1887.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



279 



does not answer, as he believes that the young fish, after 

 going to sea, invariably return to their own natural river. 

 If Sir George Stephen establish a hatchery, as he has 

 intended, at Casupscull, this opinion will then be con- 

 firmed. Sea trout run up this river in August, to about 

 four miles above the Assametquagan. In August and 

 September eels also make their appearance at the foot of 

 the Little Falls, near the mouth of the Assam etquagan. 

 They are taken at night by flambeatiing, sometimes in 

 large numbers, but their season is short. 



Fishery Guardian Mowat, of Campbellton, N. B. — 

 (Verbatim report.)— I beg respectfully to inform your 

 honor that I was in charge of the Matapedia River, P. Q. , 

 from May 1 to Nov. 1, 1886, under orders from Sir Geo. 

 Stephen, as well as by your honor's appointment. The 

 river was faithfully guarded by six men under my direc- 

 tion and very little illegal fishing was attempted. Two 

 salmon nets were taken from parties attempting to fish 

 illegally, identification being impossible, owing to the 

 darkness and their running off on the approach of the 

 guardians. 



I ani sony to report a very small supply of salmon in 

 this river, about seventy fish being taken by the lessee 

 and liis friends, while two thousand were caught by the 

 rod in the main Restigouche River. This remarkable 

 difference has been gradually increasing since 1880, every 

 year the fish in the tributaries becoming fewer and the 

 numbers increasing in the main stream. At one time, 

 from 18'TO to 1880, the rivers were nearly equally stocked, 

 while the Metapedia. was guarded quite as well, if not 

 better than the others. Increase of nets in estuary and 

 bay with all improved modes of fishing, traps of extreme 

 lengths, and Sunday fishing can only serve to take a 

 larger number of fish: but they cannot select the fish be- 

 longing to the tributaries and allow the main river fish 

 to escape. 



From my forty years' experience on those rivers, and 

 among salmon, I assert, and it is generally admitted, that 

 each salmon river has its own distinct species or variety of 

 salmon, some large, some small, different in marking, 

 color and flesh; if it were not so, as the salmon are only 

 impelled to seek fresh water to spawn, some streams 

 would get the whole, others none. Now our buyers and 

 netters, who know well the branch to which each fish 

 belongs, all concur in saying that the whole catch, for 

 the laslf two or three years, has been main river fish; 

 those formerly known as "Matapedia and Upsalquitch 

 fish" have disappeared, and this state of matters has come 

 about through the natural supply failing, owing to in- 

 creased netting. "Pisciculture was adopted with the 

 view and for the purpose of supplementing the natural 

 supply, and preventing the fluctuations in the catch, or 

 giving general good catches without the poor ones." This 

 we find it has done in the Restigouche* for the last four 

 years. We know that some years the natural supply is 

 totally destroyed by the ice and freshets, and we would 

 not become aware of the loss until six or seven years 

 after, when the last year's fish should have returned. It 

 was also held as an axiom in pisciculture, that fry would 

 return where planted, and that results would be shown 

 in three or four years. This has proved a fallacy. A few, 

 and very few, grilse may return in three years, but the 

 great majority return as adults — witness this year's catch 

 here — half a million pounds of them averaging twenty- 

 three pounds. 



As I had charge of the hatchery here for eight years, I 

 gave the tributaries fully two-thirds of the whole hatch, the 

 Matapedia the lion's share, fully expecting to make it the 

 river par excellence. Instead of that the supply is and has 

 gradually decreased, while the hatchery branch for the 

 last four years has shown a most remarkable increase, as 

 last year, after giving half a milhon pounds to the nets 

 and forty-five thousand pounds to the anglers, it was 

 never seen with such numbers of fish in it; in fact they 

 were too numerous for breeding purposes, destroying 

 each other's ova. The only conclusion possible to draw 

 from this is that all the ova used were taken from the 

 main river fish, and although placed in the other branches 

 when they returned they went into their own natural 

 stream. 



I am not prepared to assert that if ova or eggs were 

 carried and placed in rivers emptying into the sea, in the 

 Atlantic, they would return to their native stream, but I 

 do assert that all salmon rivers should be restocked from 

 their own stock. This view was also taken, after years 

 of observation, by Mr. Buckland, in England, and ex- 

 pressed by him to me in 1881. 



I have advised Sir Geo. Stephen^ if he wishes ever to 

 see the Matapedia as it was once, to restock from its own 

 supply. This, I believe, he intends to do. 



The scarcity of the Matapedia salmon is shown by the 

 fact that among some four hundred salmon, caught in 

 tidal water, which the officer in charge had confined in a 

 pond, for use in the hatchery, as parent fish, there were 

 only four or five Matapedia fish. 



I am compelled to say that many of our salmon rivers, 

 once teeming with fish, are now nearly valueless, from 

 want of guardianship, or from the guardians, where there 

 are any, being nearly or quite worthless. On these the 

 poacher plies Ms vocation in August and September, 

 when protection is most necessary, and in many rivers he 

 is assisted by flocks of shelldrakes, kingfishers" and cor- 

 morants, which clean out the few smolts left in them. I 

 sincerely hope your honor will be enabled to resuscitate 

 our rivers, the most valuable in the world for salmon 

 angling. 



Lakes Whitefish, Green (H. H. Cameron). 



Green Lake.— Perch, carp, salmon trout and lake trout 

 in abundance. 



Whitefish Lake.— No fish but salmon trout, and in less 

 quantity than in Green Lake. 



Lakes Charles, Russell, etc. (Ste. Marguerite Salmon 

 Club). These lakes are fairly well stocked with trout. 



Lakes Batchelor, Bramley, etc. (Mrs. E. M. Copeland). 

 Well stocked with trout, the only valuable fish they con- 

 tain. Plenty of smaller fish on which the trout feed. 



Lakes Willy, Tonnerre, etc. (St. Bernard Club). Lakes 

 Willy, Tonnere and St. Bernard are well stocked with 

 small-sized trout, of from i to |lb. ; the trout in Lake 

 Saccacomi are much larger, reaching from 3 even fo 

 Clbs., but are not so plentiful as those in the other lakes, 

 owing to the excessive fishing to which they have been 

 subjected, winter and summer, for some "years past. 

 Doubtless Lake Saccacomi will soon recover its former 

 condition , now that it is well protected. 



Lakes Roberge, Masketsy (P. B. Vanasse). Lakes full 



of fish. (Report of P. P. V. Du Tremblay, P.L.S., Jan. 

 15, 1887.) 



Statement Respecting Rivers of the Province of Quebec, 

 Angling Season op 1888. 



COLORADO TROUT LAW. 



DENVER, Col., April 12.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 The fish law as passed by the Legislature, which 

 has just adjourned, is as follows: 



Section 1. It shall be unlawful for any person to kill, 

 destroy or have in posession any trout or other food fish 

 taken or killed in any of the public waters of the State 

 for any purpose or under any pretext whatsoever, except 

 for food, and then only when necessary for immediate 

 use, governed in amount and quantity by the reasonable 

 necessities of the person or persons catching such fish. 



Sec. 2. Any person or persons offending against the 

 provisions of this act shall be deemed guilty of a mis- 

 demeanor, and upon conviction thereof before any justice 

 of the peace shall be fined in a sum of not less than $50 

 nor more than $100 for the first offense, and for the 

 second offense not less than §50 nor more than §200. * * 

 Sec. 3. It shall be the duty of the Board of County 

 Commissioners of the several counties of this State, at 

 then- first meeting after the passage of this act, to appoint 

 six (6) fish wardens, who shall hold their office during 

 the pleasure of the Board. It is hereby made the duty of 

 such wardens so appointed, and of the County Commis- 

 sioners, Sheriffs and Constables, or any other officer of 

 the several counties who, of then own knowledge or upon 

 information of a capable citizen of the county, to arrest, 

 without warrant, any person or persons violating the 

 provisions of this act, and take him or them before the 

 nearest justice of the peace, where trial shall be had as 

 provided in Section 2 of this act, after proper affidavit 

 shall have been made charging the person or persons so 

 arrested with having violated the provisions of this act. 

 And this section shall be a full protection to any such 

 officer or person above mentioned who causes the "arrest 

 to be made in good faith or upon the information of a 

 reputable citizen of the county. 



The avowed object of the law was and is to prevent 

 fishing for market. As it abolishes the close season it is 

 very doubtful about its proving beneficial. H. M. O. 



REELS. 



Editor Forest and Stream : 



The replies to my commimication of March 31 relative 

 to the click in reels, are interesting and instructive, and 

 my thanks are due your correspondents for information 

 received. I do not think, however, that I have yet found 

 the reel lam in search of, viz., one that has an adjustable 

 click and drag on the left hand side. "Petra" names the 

 Henshall-Van Antwerp as possessing these requisites, but 

 unless all cuts which I have seen of this reel are decidedly 

 erroneous, they are on the opposite (or handle) side of the 

 reel, and could be located more advantageously even 

 there. Were the order of things just vice Versa, in my 

 estimation it would be the premier reel. Those recom- 

 mended by Mr. C. F. Hutchinson and "The Fishing Rod 

 Manufacturer" of Post Mills, are most excellent reels of 

 their class, but lack the essential requirement of a drag. 

 This I desire more for experimental purposes than for 

 active use ; although I frequently resort to it in the latter 

 capacity in extreme cases. To procure a reel that will 

 embody my notions of convenience and model, quite likely 

 it will be necessary to have it built to special order, Jo. 



Wellsville, o., April 1C, 1887, 



Fly-Book for Salmon Flies. — A Chatham, (N. B.) 

 eorresjoondent writes: Anglers — and salmon fishermen 

 especially— recognize the superiority of the double-hook 

 fly over the old single hook, and, as a matter of fact, the 

 latter is now discarded by all "regularly ordained*' fisher- 

 men. A difficulty in connection with the double hook 

 fly is its inconvenient form, which prevents one from 

 carrying it in the ordinary fly-book, and renders a box- 

 shaped device necessary as a holder. This cannot, ordin- 

 arily, be carried with one to the fishing pools, and many 

 fishermen are obliged to make a fly-case out of the crown 

 of their hats or resort to other "off color" means for carry- 

 ing with them the flies they wish to use on the pools. I 

 have invented a fly-book, the outside measurement of 

 which is 7x4iin. and |in. thick, which will cany 100 sal- 

 mon flies of the ordinary size, besides casting lines, silk, 

 etc., if required. Unlike the ordinary fly-book, it cannot 

 be injured by water, and it is so constructed that when . 

 open all the "flies in it can be seen at a glance, and it 

 opens more easily than the usual fly-book. Besides, it 

 can be made and sold at half the price of the old pattern 

 fly-books, according to quality required. The only one I 

 have made has been used by me for two years. I made 

 it for my own use as a practical fishermanj and am under 

 the impression it is worth obtaining a patent for both in the 

 United States and Canada. My object in writing you is 

 to ascertain whether there is now in the trade anything 

 that will answer the sportsman's purpose as well as my 

 invention.— D. G. Smith. 



California Trout.— Personally I should like to heat- 

 about the results in regard to the introduction of this 

 fish where they have come to the knowledge of the 

 readers of Forest and Stream. My own opinion of 

 the fish is that it is very much inf erir to fontinalis in 

 beauty and taste. It is a good fighter after recovering 

 from its spawning, but my experience has been that its 

 flesh is less firm than that of fontinalis. I clean my fish 

 before leaving the stream arid usually find that the bones 

 of the California trout come through the flesh, while 

 those of the brook trout never do. The taste, when 

 cooked immediately after taking from the water, com- 

 pares very well with bur own trout, but the next morn- 

 ing it is easy to tell the difference. This opinion I find 

 to be held by every angler of this vicinity whom I have 

 consulted. Our stream was stocked with them a few 

 years ago, and in the season of 1885, 65 per cent, of the 

 trout I took were California trout. This year the ratio 

 had fallen to 25 per cent. My experience is the same as 

 that of most anglers here, some saying they took 1 in 7, 

 others 1 in 10, and but one (a bait- fisherman) taking an 

 equal number of each kind during the past season. In 

 1885 several of Z$ to 41bs. weight were taken below the 

 mouth of Spring Creek, but I heard of none in 1886. It 

 strikes me the California trout is not a success. I am in- 

 terested in the brown trout, and from my limited ex- 

 perience (one fish) much pleased with him. — C. 



"Farmer Brown's Trout." — Editor Forest and Stream: 

 Josh Billings once sagely said, "There is at least one time 

 in every man's life when he makes a d d fcol of him- 

 self," and many of your talented writers are inclined to 

 think an apt illustration of this occurred in the catching 

 of "Farmer Brown's Trout." It certainly was not a com- 

 mendable action, and but for the admirable manner and 

 penitent spirit in which it was portrayed, also for the 

 brutal treatment received at the hands of Farmer Brown 

 — who seemed to have been a "plug-ugly" — I would have 

 believed the criticisms just. Under the circumstances, I 

 think the critics are a trifle harsh, and could express their 

 disapproval in milder and more suitable terms. — Jo. 

 ( Wellsville, O., April 16.) Editor Forest and Stream : Did 

 it occur, do you suppose, to those that criticised the story 

 of "Farmer Brown's Trout," that the farmer wasn't using 

 the campers according to the golden rule ? How many of 

 us would like to be collared and walked across fields, with 

 a bull pup snapping at our heels, and not be allowed to 

 give an explanation until reaching the farmhouse ? Did 

 not the farmer show a vicious nature right through? — 

 Nol. 



Canada and its Trout. — During the past season three 

 of us made a pleasant and successful trip to County Grey, 

 Ontario. It was our first trip, and, of course, it took 

 most of the time to learn the country. Up there we found 

 a chain of small ponds, which are full of trout ranging 

 from four ounces to as many pounds in weight, probably 

 averaging over a pound. The natives assert that they 

 cannot be caught with a fly or bait; but they know noth- 

 ing about fly-fishing, and one man claims to have taken 

 them with a worm. Next season we expect to test the 

 matter and hope to have some excellent sport. Will you 

 kindly tell us what course to pursue about the latter part 

 of June to induce these trout to rise? Where shall we 

 find them at that time? In the streams that run in or 

 out of the ponds, or in the shallow parts of the ponds? 

 The shores are low, the vegetation coming close to the 

 water and the bottom seems to be sandy. — C. [Try differ- 

 ent flies until you find the ones they will take. In June 

 you will probably find them near the shores of the ponds 

 and in the streams. Later they seek the spring holes, as 

 the shore waters get warm.] 



Black Bass in the Potomac. — Shepherdstown, W. Va. 

 — Not wishing to enjoy this privilege all by myself I will 

 tell those who are fond of fly-fishing for black bass where 

 they can get the best sport afforded by that noble fish. 

 By the middle of May the bass will rise to the fly in the 

 Potomac River, and there is no better place than this vil- 

 lage of Shepherdstown in the whole fine of the river for 

 those who enjoy the sport. They will find here plenty 

 of boats, good fellows to guide them to the best grounds, 

 good board and everything else that goes to make a fish- 

 ing trip pleasant; and best of all, hot three miles from 

 town are some of the prettiest riffles and rock-broken 

 stretches of water that are the favorite haunts of the 

 black bass. At no time need the fisherman wade deeper 

 than a pair of wading boots will carry hirn. As an in- 

 ducement to lovers of the sport I will mention my own 

 experience late last summer. Having made up a lot of 

 flies of sombre gray tint, all hackle of brown gray, no 

 wings, red or yellow body, yellow tail, in fact a perfect 

 caterpillar with red or yellow tail, which I used for drop- 

 pers with a red bodied Montreal for stretcher, although 

 the fatal east wind was blowing, I caught sixteen good 



