June 9, 1887.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



435 



slowly past the old stump, and if we don't get a strike 

 we'll give up and go back to camp." 



This was satisfactory, so we roAved up to the end and 

 ran the keel gently into the soft bank, greatly startling a 

 monster frog, which leaped with a frightened "ker 

 chunk" into the water, and buried himself in the soft 

 mud. We remained there awhile, and Forster and Lester 

 took apart their tackle. They had had a surfeit of fish- 

 ing forHhat day. We pushed off. Forster seized the 

 oars, Lester threw himself in the bow, and I stood watch- 

 ful and expectant in the stern, rod in hand, and our 

 largest minnow impaled on the triple barb. Silently and 

 noiselessly we moved along. Right in front was the old 

 stump. Now we were gliding past it. We were leaving 

 it behind, and the glittering spoon, dancing in our wake, 

 was rapidly nearing it. 



Twice I dropped a foot or two of line, and the spoon 

 sank for a second under water. Now it was at the stump. 

 One short pull which made the swivel turn rapidly, then 

 a gentle chop that left it motionless for a second, and then 

 there came a fearful dash, a lunge forward, a shower of 

 drops, the line tightened with startling rapidity, the rod 

 described an involuntary arc, and we sprang to our feet 

 wild with excitement. The fish was off for the open pond, 

 and preferring to humor him, off we went in pursuit. 

 Once, twice, he sprang full length out of water, shaking 

 the drops off his massive head and silvery sides. Then 

 down to the bottom settling with bulldog tenacity into a 

 steady pull. We hung on closely , giving him plenty of 

 line, and letting him dash at his own free will down the 

 pond in the clear open water. On he went, then a, sud- 

 den halt and off again at right angles, reeling out a few 

 more yards of oiled silk. We were nearing the shore 

 now. He was lost to us if he reached the weeds and beds 

 of lilies. Carefully and steadily I gave him the butt and 

 headed him off into open water again. Then down the 

 pond and across from shore, and finally he settled down 

 in the deepest part and sulked. He was obstinate and 

 refused to budge, so we waited on liim, resting on our 

 oars while he gained fresh strength and energy. 



The sun was out of sight, leaving behind only a pink 

 and orange glow that was rapidly fading. It darkened 

 visibly and a silence fell on the forest. A chill air from 

 the mountain blew across the pond, and the outline of 

 the distant hills was blending more and more into the 

 horizon. Suddenly the reel sang merrily as the huge fish 

 made a fresh start and dashed up the pond, now deep 

 under water, swerving from side to side, now so near the 

 surface that Iris back protruded, and then leaping savage- 

 ly into the air in the vain endeavor to rid himself of the 

 agonizing hook. Would we never tire him out? Appar- 

 ently he was as fresh as ever. The chase continued until 

 finally, out-flanked and out-maneuvered on all sides, he 

 showed signs of weakness. We cautiously drew him 

 closer, keeping the fine well stretched; he made wild 

 darts, dragging out foot after foot that had just been 

 reeled in; and once, with a prodigious effort, he rushed 

 up the pond carrying out yard after yard until the reel 

 was nearly empty. That was his last effort. His strug- 

 gles were now fainter and fainter, and we gradually drew 

 him nearer to the boat. "Now, ForBter," I cried, "we 

 have no net, so we must gaff him. Take your knife and 

 drive it into his head when he comes near." 



The reel was nearly full now, and raising the rod the 

 monster fish rose alongside still struggling convidsively 

 and beating the water with his tail. All three of us were 

 standing up in the boat. Just as Forster raised the knife 

 the pike made a last dash, the knife descending pierced 

 only the water, and. Forster overbalanced plunged in head- 

 foremost, dragging us and the boat over with him. We 

 sank and rose, and struck out for shore, pushing the boat 

 ahead of us. Land was near, and emptying out the 

 water we rowed anxiously back on the pond again. Alas ! 

 the rod was there but the line, broken or bitten off near 

 the hook, floated idly in the water. Our fish had escaped. 



At such a moment as that life loses all charm and ex- 

 istence is almost unendurable. That fish would haunt us 

 for months — nay, more, as long as memory lasted. 



To our excited imagination he had seemed as long as 

 the boat. In very truth he was two or three feet in length, 

 and joyed in a spacious mouth moulded especially to 

 masticate plump young ducks. But he was gone now 

 and bitter experience would in the future warn it away 

 from all hooks, no matter how skillfully concealed. We 

 rowed back to shore sad and weary in the gathering dark- 

 ness, fiex-cely tugging at the oars, and crushing down in 

 savage glee whole patches of fragrant lilies that, phoenix- 

 like, rose up behind us brighter than ever and purified by 

 their plunge under water. We grounded sullenly on the 

 shore, and refusing all Goliah's well meant sympatliies 

 and urgent invitation to partake of fried chicken, went on 

 to camp, where, straage to say, we forgot half our grief 

 in describing to the rest our straggle with the huge fish. 



We trolled for the big pike again and again, but always 

 unsuccessfully; and, stranger still, the rest of Goliah's 

 brood now sported in security on the pond, and each 

 night's roll call found the list compleLe. 



The next week we reluctantly broke up camp, and as our 

 heavy-laden team piled up with paraphernalia came in 

 sight of Goliah's tumble-down gate, that worthy individ- 

 ual hastened down the walk. 



"Hello! Off, are you? Well, your pike's back an' he's 

 just got away with another duck. Mebbe you'll get him 

 another year. Well, good-bye." With a clasp of his 

 muscular hand off we went, and in a moment a turn in the 

 road hid from view the lofty pines and waving birches 

 that clustered round Long Pond. 



Some day we will get that pike. I feel convinced of 

 that. But to-day the first born rays of the morning sun 

 shine down on Long Pond, and play hide and seek around 

 the gnarled old stump; and the evening sun in mockery 

 floods it with golden light, and the moon throws a 

 silvery glance upon it, and day and night the old pike 

 keeps his ceaseless vigil Avatching and waiting in A r ain f or 

 the ducks that never came, for the last of Goliah's brood 

 long since disappeared doAvn that hungry throat. 



W. Murray Graydon. 



New Brunswick Salmon.— Fredericton, N. B., June 

 2. — Some grilse have already been caught in the south- 

 west Miramichi. The best fishing in that river usually 

 begins about July 1. This river, whose waters reached a 

 very high pitch this spring, is falling rapidly and has now 

 nearly attained its normal level at this time of year. A 

 number of salmon have been caught during the spring 

 with bait at various points on the St. John River. — 

 Edward Jack. 



WHEELER AS AN ANGLER. 



IN the chapter on "Some of the Distinguished Anglers 

 of our Time," in his "Angling Talks," George Dawson 

 wrote as follows: 



"Vice-President Wheeler is one of the distinguished 

 anglers of our own time. His visits to the Saranacs and 

 adjacent waters Avere and still are as regular as the sea- 

 sons. His home is in close proximity to the best fishing 

 grounds in the State, and he has groAvn up as familiar 

 Avith all of them as he is with the various rooms in his 

 own domicile. He has been a member of our State Legis- 

 lature, has repeatedly served his district in the House of 

 Representatives, been Vice-President of the United States 

 and a busy man always, but he has never intermitted his 

 annual visits to the beautiful lakes Avhich make a terres- 

 trial paradise of the far-famed Adirondacks. When years 

 ago he was talked of for the high position which he sub- 

 sequently filled, I ventured the prediction that he would 

 take no office that would preclude him from these annual 

 visits to angling waters. In 1876 'Hayes and Wheeler' 

 were the candidates of their party, and I was proclaimed 

 a false prophet. But I not only kneAv my man, but the 

 fascinating pastime of which he was a votary, and the 

 result vindicated my prediction. He more than once 

 mysteriously disappeared from Iris place as presiding 

 officer of the Senate, and Avhile others w r ere guessing his 

 whereabouts, his most intimate friends knew he had gone 

 a-fishmg. His robes of place Avere laid aside for the garb 

 of the angler, and the restraints and formalities of his 

 office for the quiet and freedom which can be found no- 

 Avhere so perfectly as in the primitiA-e forests and on the 

 crystal lakes and floAving rivers where the veteran angler 

 finds his most refreshing rest and highest delectation." 



A WEEK IN THE ADIRONDACKS. 



WILL you take a week's vacation with us in the Adi- 

 rondacks ? What a question to ask a man aa t 1io has 

 been housed up all win ter in a musty office, with his nose 

 down to the grindstone; what a seductive bait to cast in 

 front ot a brain-Aveary man who is a lover of that beauti- 

 ful collection of mountains and lakes. 



The invitation came from the officers of the Adirondack 

 Preserve Association, who were about making a spring- 

 visit to their club house and preserves in Essex county 

 for the purpose of getting things in ship-shape for the 

 coming summer. Thirty -six hours after the invitation 

 AA^as given found the party on board one of the Hudson 

 River steamboats, and the day after the Adirondack Rail- 

 road carried us to North Creek, where we changed our 

 mode of locomotion to the comfortable mountain buck- 

 board, and AA^ere soon in the vast and wild Avood solitude 

 beyond civilization. The ride of 18 miles over the moun- 

 tains was the same old appetizing, hver-shaking journey, 

 and late in the evening Ave were dumped out at our 

 destination, a tired, hungry lot of mortals, ready for both 

 food and bed. The next morning found us early astir, 

 all anxious to take advange of the beautiful weather and 

 to inflate ourselves with as much pure mountain air as 

 we could conveniently hold. 



The association has certainly displayed excellent judg- 

 ment in selecting the site for its commodious and com- 

 fortable club house. It is located in the midst of a 100- 

 acre clearing, its distance from the surrounding forest 

 and its high elevation giving ample opportunity for the 

 enjoyment of the breezes, no matter from which direction 

 they may come. The 100 acres of clearing are in excel- 

 lent cultivation, thus permitting the keeping of cows and 

 poultry, and consequently a ready supply of fresh milk, 

 butter and eggs that are usually difficult to procure in 

 these mountain fastnesses. 



The vieAv from the front piazza of the club house is ex- 

 tensive and beautiful, but if the front view is attractive, 

 how sha 1 I designate the outlook from Prospect Rock, 

 situated about 300yds. back from the house? From this 

 lofty eminence a view taking in 25 to 30 miles of country 

 can be enjoyed. Lofty and lesser peaks can be seen on 

 every hand, rising and falling in rotation until lost to 

 sight in the dim distance, while almost at the foot of the 

 mountain, in the valley below, can be seen the waters of 

 the Hudson, just sufficiently near to hear its silvery s\veet- 

 ness as it tumbles over its rocky bed, gathering strength 

 for its important work nearer the sea. Upon this lofty 

 height a comfortable summer house is being erected, so 

 that those members Avho care little for fishing or hunting 

 will find sufficient reward for their journey in the simple 

 pleasure of breathing the pure mountain air and enjoy- 

 ing the "subdued Swiss view" spread out like a panorama 

 for their gratification. And how the cool breezes of this 

 spot do remove the cobwebs from the brain, and what 

 vigor it imparts to wearied bodies. Only those who 

 frequent the Adirondacks can appreciate the renewed life 

 which its pure cool air so generously bestows upon its 

 visitors. The members of the association who are lovers 

 of the rod and reel have every opportunity of indulging 

 their mania, as Mink, Thumb, Beaver, Loon, Frank and 

 Moose lakes are Avithin easy distance of the club house, 

 so that fishing and boating are almost at their doors, and 

 if there is any virtue in "signs" the deer around these 

 various bodies of water must be as plentiful as the most 

 ardent sportsman can Avish. 



Of course there was an amateur photographer in the 

 party; life is very dull now if there is not one of these 

 enthusiasts at every wayside inn and summer hotel 

 through the country. Our "amateur" was alive to the 

 wants of the occasion, and although we were obliged to 

 stop occasionally on our journey in to allow him to ad- 

 mire in a proper artistic way the many beautiful views 

 that would burst upon us from time to time, still he was 

 not too previous with his "negatives" and "positives," and 

 as he was wisely reticent in thrusting professional terms 

 at us, such as "hypo," "developers," "gelatine," etc., etc., 

 Ave managed to submit to his society without premeditating 

 manslaughter. The views which he brought back with 

 him will be souvenirs that the members of the association 

 will ever prize. As photographs, like figures, never lie, 

 the pictures of the trout Ave caught in those few pleasant 

 days will be convincing to the skeptical of the size and 

 beauty of the fish in that particular region, and I imagine 

 it would be difficult to exhibit a handsomer view than 

 that of eleven beauties, aggregating 221bs, that Avere cap- 

 tured in about two horns by a member of the party. The 

 photographs of these trout obviated the necessity of our 

 telling our Mends the usual fishermen's yarns as to our 

 success, but did not prevent our expatiating fully upon 

 the big fellows we had upon our lines that, of course, got 

 away. 



The few days marked out for our stay at the club house 

 rapidly passed away, and what with trouting, tramping 

 over mountain trails and social intercourse, Avere too soon 

 over. We reluctantly turned our faces cityward, and 

 were shortly enjoying the tyranny of linen collars, strug- 

 gling to get our minds diverted from trout and deer 

 tracks, and concentrated on market reports, bargains and 

 other smTOundings of civilization. 



The association have much cause to be satisfied with 

 the property they own. as with the facilities for hunting 

 and fishing over their domain, together with the beauti- 

 ful surroundings, the members have everything to make 

 life pleasant and enjoyable during their summer vaca- 

 tions. A view from Prospect Rock is alone sufficient to 

 warrant a trip to the club house, and if you add the 

 pleasure of boating and fishing on a lake as beautiful as 

 Mink, situated but a half mile from the house, it leaves 

 nothing further to be desired. 



I cannot but envy those whose privileges admit of their 

 enjoying, now and then, a vacation in the woods, and if 

 the rest of the members of the Adirondack Preserve As- 

 sociation are as genial as the officers Avhose society I 

 enjoyed for those few pleasant days, then indeed one of 

 the objects of the incorporation, that of encouraging- 

 social recreation, will be carried out to a fault. 



NOTES ON THE TOURNAMENT. 



IN our report of the fly-casting contests we had neither 

 time nor space for much comment on the different 

 classes or the incidents of the day, and gave merely the 

 results in the regular order. There is much that strikes 

 the observer on such occasions, which, if published in 

 full as seen through his glasses, would read strangely, 

 and we propose to touch on this subject, although some 

 of the details are unpleasant. 



We haA r e already said that there was less grumbling at 

 the decisions of the judges by "mug hunters," and that a 

 more gentlemanly spirit Avas apparent, but there is still 

 an element which must be eliminated if the Association 

 would attract the class of gentlemen which it caters 

 for and which we are glad to see by the list of names that 

 appear among the contestants is entering into the con- 

 tests. At the first tournament it was said by some that 

 few, if any, gentlemen anglers would cast in pub'ic, but 

 five years' experience has disproved this, ancl each year 

 has seen a gradual improvement in all the classes, in this 

 respect. The class of men who groAvl if the judges do 

 not give them a higher award than they deserve, and who 

 "protest" on the slightest occasion has gradually dropped 

 out, much to the benefit of the Association. The judges 

 at these tournaments are gentlemen of experience some of 

 whom come from a distance and act as judges for hours, at 

 some personal discomfort, in order to foster and sustain a 

 sport in which they delight, and the rule has been that 

 their decisions should not be questioned and that any ex- 

 ception made to this rule would deprive the contests of 

 then: services. The judges are appointed before the con- 

 teststants make their entries and the latter are in honor 

 bound to abide by them or the fly-casting tournaments 

 Avill fall t othe level of the prize ring. We are glad to 

 say that at the last tournament there was but one instance 

 in which anything occurred to mar the harmony of the 

 meeting, and this instance was of so pronounced a char- 

 acter that it cannot pass unnoticed, and disagreeable as 

 the subject is Ave feel compelled to report it for the bene- 

 fit of future tournaments. 



In the first contest for amateurs with single-handed fly- 

 rods the judges aAvarded C. G. Levison the third prize, 

 whereupon he loudly protested that he was not fairly 

 dealt with, and declared his intention to resign from the 

 Association, an intention which it is to be hoped he will 

 carry out, for several gentlemen have declared that they 

 will never again enter a contest with him. He has been 

 a chronic "protestor," and has made more trouble than 

 any other member now in the Association. As an in- 

 stance of the way in which he views these contests the 

 following will suffice. On the second day there was a 

 class in salmon casting, open to all. in which the rods 

 were not to exceed 16ft., and several gentlemen urged 

 Harry Prichard to cast. The old man, not feeling at all 

 sore that Hawes had beaten his great record of 91ft. with 

 his favorite SAvitch cast the day before, consented, but 

 had no rod of that length and asked Mr. Levison for the 

 loan of his. Levison agreed, but stipulated that Prichard 

 should give him any prize that he might win, and as 

 Prichard won first prize, a handsome grilse rod, Mr. 

 LPAdson claimed and took it. 



To turn to more agreeable subjects we noted that in the 

 amateur single-handed classes, on the two days Dr. Trow- 

 bridge did some elegant work in distance casting, deliver- 

 ing his flies with grace and precision, and making 81 and 

 85ft. respectively, the longest casts made, and only fell to 

 the third place on the first day and to second on the 

 second day by reason of deficiency in delicacy and 

 accuracy, although in one contest he was awarded the 

 full score for the first point. Mr. Graydon Johnston 

 wielded an antique specimen of a home-made ash and 

 lancewood rod, but astonished all by what he did with it. 

 Perhaps he might do better with another rod, or it may 

 be that he had the best tool on the ground. 



The fight rod contest for experts Avas one of the most ■ 

 interesting events of the tournament, the rods being 10ft. 

 long and weighing 4|oz. The shortest record among f our 

 contestants was 70ft., while Reuben Leonard led the field 

 with 88ft., a most wonderful performance. A prrvato 

 trial of an extreme light rod took place in a quiet nook, 

 which it is of interest to record. The rod, owned by Mr. 

 William C. Harris, was of split bamboo, 8ft. long, and 

 weighed only 3£oz.. and Avith this Mr. Thomas B. Mills 

 sent out a line over 02ft. 



The other contests are already recorded in our pages 

 of last week, and there is little more to say of them except 

 that there was a surprise in nearly all, for it Avas thought 

 that the limit in casting had about been reached. The 

 attendance Avas good and many distinguished gentlemen 

 from a distance gathered at Harlem Mere to see the tour- 

 nament. 



Michael Morrison, a man known to hundreds of 

 anglers and employed by Abbey & Imbrie, died last week 

 of heart disease. Mr. Morrison was nearly 70 years old, 

 and for the last 25 years had been engaged in tying salmon 

 flies, his skill in the art being regarded as very great. 

 "Mike" Morrison, as everybody called him, knew all 

 about the habits and tastes of a salmon, his knowledge 

 having been gained in Ireland, where he Avas born, and 

 in Scotland. 



