4 7'e? 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[June 23, 1887. 



the stem, and hung on to the rod. as if it were my last 

 hope. For as many as thirty strokes did Frank pull and 

 not a foot did the boat go ahead except as I let out the 

 line; but at last the strength of Frank's arms were more 

 than the fish could withstand and little by little the boat 

 began to go ahead. 



Frank kept his course for the dam and I had the tip of 

 the rod up in the ah as well as I could with one arm, 

 while with the other hand I tried to control the line so 

 the fish would not take it in ; but it was of no use ; I had 

 to let out a little at each rush or each shake, as I was 

 af raid the rigging would not stand such a strain. "We had 

 tested the whole business that morning at Dibs., but the 

 fish was pulling more than that. At "ast all my line was 

 out and something must be done. " Frank, suppose you 

 stop rowing while I reel hi some line." "All right, but 

 just look and see what time it is?" "Ten minutes of 

 twelve; I guess we will be late for dinner." "Never 

 mind the dinner, I would rather go without dinner for 

 the next week than lose that fish. He aint no minnow 

 now, I can tell by the way this boat pulls ; see, you are, 

 drawing the boat back to the fish." And so I was, for 

 every foot of line I reeled in , I pulled the boat back just 

 so much. 



At last I had 50 or 60ft. out, and as I thought that was 

 as near as I cared to have the fish, I told Frank to go 

 ahead. He began to row and slowly the boat moved, but 

 it did mot go very fast, for the fish all this time was not 

 lying still like a log, but was using his utmost powers to 

 break away from the fine and free himself from that fear- 

 ful minnow which was so much more powerful than him- 

 self. Line,^ht>ok and rod all did then- part, and we kept 

 on up the lake, Frank rowing strong and steady and I 

 giving and taking hue as occasion required. At last 

 Frank asked the time. "Half past twelve." "Great 

 Scott! Forty minutes. "Well, he is a tough one. Why 

 don't you bring him to the top?" "I don't dare to. If he 

 should happen to be hooked lightly he would be sure to 

 break away, for he wordd be afraid of us and make a des- 

 perate struggle. I am not going to get liim any nearer 

 until he breaks water, and then we can see how tired he 

 is." After a while he came to the top and gave us a sight 

 of back and tail; and then we were more anxious than 

 ever to save him. "He will weigh more than 61bs.," said 

 Frank. I thought he would, too, but did not dare to say 

 so, so I replied, "I will take you under and pay if I get 

 beat." "All right, but you will have to pay, for he is a 

 pound bigger than those that the gentlemen with me last 

 week caught, and they weighed 61bs." 



Just then the fish came to the surface and turned over 

 on his side, and we were both surprised at his depth. It 

 was an exhausted fish, and I thought that it would do to 

 try to land it. 



"Now, Frank, you sit on that side of the boat and take 

 the net. No, don't get up, you will scare Mm; sit right 

 down and I will bring him up to you. "Wet the net so 

 that it won't be light colored, and be careful not to scare 

 him." I then reeled in the line until I had the fish near 

 the boat, then I swung him round toward Frank and held 

 lrifii upon the surface. "Now take Mm." He moved the 

 net gently in the water until he got the fish m it, and 

 then it came into the boat in a hurry. Down on the 

 bottom of the boat we all were, and while Frank was get- 

 ting out his "war club" to kill the fish I held it down, or 

 in its frantic flopping and jumping it would have gone 

 out of the boat again. "Now see what time it is," said 

 Frank, as he laid the fish in the bow of the boat and 

 covered it up with moss. "Fifteen minutes of one. "We 

 must have had hold of that fish an hour; he was a game 

 one. and made a good fight. I have caught fish that 

 would jump out of water more, but I never got hold of 

 one that it took an hour of steady rowing to tire out. 

 How far have we comer "Two "miles and a half or 

 more, we are most up to the dam. " ' 'Well, I guess we 

 will go down and see what Mrs. Sessions has for dinner." 

 '•1 was just beginning to think of that myself, a little 

 dinner won't go bad by the time we get there." So we 

 started for the house at the South Arm, where the people 

 who come in by the way of Andover first strike the lakes. 

 We trolled down but got only one, and that a small one. 

 When we got to the house our fish weighed just G^lbs. 

 "There," said Frank, "now pay your bet." I did. 



Mrs. Sessions came out, and as she saw the fish she ex- 

 claimed, "My soul, Frank Dunn, where did you catch 

 that?" "Up here by the island." '"Well, well," said the 

 old lady, "to think that you come down here and catch 

 my fish." I hastened to explain to her that I was a 

 stranger and did not know which were her fish, but we 

 got gold of one that might have been hers so we let it go. 

 Frank had dressed the small ones and just then brought 

 them up and gave them to her; so with a laugh she went 

 in and began to bustle around about our dinner. 



After dinner Frank asked where we should go. "Oh. 

 back up by the island; those fish up there are good 

 enough for me." So back we went and trolled on the 

 way, but did not get anything except one little fellow. 

 Just as we got up to "our" stump another boat came 

 around the point. They had hardly passed the stump 

 before the gentlemen had a strike.. Up he jumped in the 

 boat, and then began such a jumpmg around as I never 

 saw. His rod was bent double, and he kept reeling in as 

 fast as he could. His guide told him to sit down, but he 

 was too much excited to do so, and kept pulling on the 

 fish. At last he got him up t<> the boat, when he seized 

 the line with his hand and was going to have the fish in 

 qmck order; but the strain was too much, the hook pulled 

 out, and away went the fish. With an exclamation the 

 gentleman sank back in Ms seat and the disgusted look 

 that came over him was mirrored in the face of his guide. 

 We went on and left them trying to get the snarls out of 

 the line. In a few minutes we passed the point again 

 and as the bait came near the stump I had the hardest 

 strike I ever had. "Go out, go out, Frank; I've hooked a 

 whale." Quick as a flash the boat was pointed toward 

 the middle of the lake, and Frank was pulling as for life. 

 There were a number of dead trees standing m the water, 

 and the fish was making for them. I knew if he got 

 to them he was "a goner." Raising the tip of the rod 

 straight up m the air and grasping the line to the rod 

 with "both hands I held on for glory. The fish was going 

 at right angles to us, and although Frank pulled as hard 

 as he could the boat advanced not a foot, but kept off 

 sideways with the fish. At last he began to turn and 

 soon came easier and we got out of danger. "Look at 

 your watch," said Frank. "A quarter to three." "Now, 

 do your best, for tMs is a big one and no discount." Just 

 there the fish stopiied short, and although I pulled as 



hard as I coidd he would not come. "He is snagged," 

 I suggested. "No he ain't; give Mm line; give him some 

 line or you will lose him; give Mm what he wants." I 

 let Mm take it a little, but kept one hand on it. He would 

 shake bis head and start out to one side and take 10ft. or 

 20ft. of line; but at last he had to give up and come with 

 us; and although he fought bard he did not have the 

 spring and rush of the big one before. We had not gone very 

 far before he came to the surface away behind the boat. 

 Then Ave saw him for the first time, and what a big one 

 he was. All we could see was his back fin and tail, but 

 they were as large as a man's hand or larger, and made 

 such a commotion in the water that you woidd have 

 thought lightning had struck them. "That's the biggest 

 fish I ever saw; he will go over lOlbs." "Well, I'll take 

 you under." "All right, you'll see. I tell you that is the 

 biggest trout that has been caught this spring, and 

 don't you forget it." "I will try not to; but we have not 

 got him yet." "Well, we will. If you lose him I will 

 jump out of the boat and dive for him." 



Just then the fish made a rush for the boat and we had 

 some sharp work to keep him from getting slack fine, but 

 we succeeded m keeping the hook in place and in holding 

 what line we got. He soon came to the surface and 

 turned up «o we could see Ms shining side through the 

 water. Oh, he was a beauty— a perfect giant— a whale. 

 We became somewhat excited and began again to make 

 bets on his weight. There, at last he was within 25ft. of 

 the boat. "Now, Frank, stop rowing and we will see 

 what we can do." "I am afraid he will get under the 

 boat if I do." "Well, you lay the oars down so you can 

 get them quickly, and I will try and get Mm up here, 

 but I never can wMle those oars are slashing around in 

 the water in that shape." "All right, but you will lose 

 him, now you see. Tou had better let me row a while 

 longer." "I don't think so. We have hold of him now 

 twenty-five minutes, and I am afraid that he will get the 

 hook out of his mouth and get away." "There is no dan- 

 ger of that as he don't get slack hue." Just then the fish 

 turned up his side, we saw he was very sick, and that it 

 would be well to land him then, so Frank lay down his 

 oars and took the net and sat there all ready, and I reeled 

 him to the boat and easily and slowly swung him around 

 to the side of the boat — when all at once he came to life 

 and started under the boat — but the rod was thin — he 

 forgot about that — that was on irresistible summons call- 

 ing him back, and he had to come. Our hearts were in 

 our mouths and we thought he was gone, but by quick 

 work on the oars Frank aeon got him behind the boat and 

 was taking him up the lake as if he were trying to get 

 ahead of the steamboat. At last the fish was indeed done 

 for. We stopped the boat, drew Mm up to the side, 

 Frank landed Mm in a scientific manner, and he was "our 

 meat." What a beauty he was. So large, such splendid 

 colors, such a broad tail, such strong fins, and altogether 

 so powerful that it took all of Frank's skill to hold Mm 

 down while I hunted for the "war club." I hated to kill 

 him. How I wished 1 could keep him alive and take him 

 home to keep in the place of the one that died last sum- 

 mer. How pretty he would be, but he must be killed "to 

 save his life" — and with a last struggle he was dead. We 

 sat there admiring him a few minutes wMle Frank rested, 

 and then he put on another bait. ' 'Lefs weigh him," said 

 Frank. "Well, you just row enough to get tMs fine out 

 and then we will weigh him." 



He pulled for the shore, for we were a mile out in the 

 lake, and I had a strike. "Hold on, hold on. I have 

 him." A look of surprise came over Frank's face. He 

 did not know what to say, for a strike out there in 

 the middle of the lake was an unusual thing. But got 

 him I had. And then commenced as lively a fight as I 

 ever had. The fish was not very big, but he was all fish 

 — and trout at that. Frank did not row this time, and we 

 had it all to ourselves. He went to the bottom and he 

 came to the top, he was out one sido and then the other, 

 first up to the boat and then at the end of all the line I 

 had; but he could not get away, and at last he came up 

 to the boat, straggled hard to escape the landmg net, then 

 lay in the bottom of the boat with the big one. "Now," 

 said Frank, "let's weigh them while we have time." So 

 the scales were brought out and we put on the big one. 

 "Well, he is a big one, 91bs. 2oz.," said Frank, "and a 

 handsome one at that. Now for the other one. By 

 George! 4£lbs. How is that for one afternoon, tlires fish 

 that weigh 201bs!" "That is pretty good, Frank, now I 

 guess we will go home; this is glory enough for one after- 

 noon." "Well, let's troll home. We may get another 

 big one." So we started for the South Arm. 



Frank dressed the fish after we had then- otitlines 

 drawn on paper, and then packed them in ice. 



The next morning we started up the lake. We bad 

 not gone far before we had an "awful" strike, and look- 

 ing around saw the fine going for the snags. Frank 

 pulled as hard as he could, and I hung on to the line, 

 knowing that if we let the fish get into those bushes he 

 would surely escape. We had got him turned a little and 

 were pulling out into the lake when the lme came in and 

 we knew something had parted. It was a big fish that 

 did it, for this was the same rigging that had caught the 

 91b. fish, and had that morning been tested to 91bs. pull. 

 We fished all day, but the wind came up and blew so 

 hard that we did not get a bite till night, and that was by 

 a little fellow. We did not complain. We had had good 

 luck, and when we went home we were not afraid of any 

 one's laughter. Quite a number of people avIio came in 

 and were going out saw our fish and pronounced them the 

 nicest string they had seen tMs summer. The next day 

 we went back to Middle Dam, and Avere congratulated by 

 our friends and envied by others; and best of all, they did 

 not laugh at me. That afternoon it rained, and as we 

 could not fish Ave spent the time in making a crayon 

 sketch just life-size of the 91b. trout, and hung up the 

 sketch in the office. The next morning we stalled for 

 home with five fish weighing 271bs., and Mcely packed in 

 moss and ice; they reached home in good condition and 

 were Mghly appreciated by my friends. 



Now, to go back to the beginning, I am a convert. I 

 Avill fish with a fly whenever the fish wants a fly; when 

 they want a minnoAv I will fish Avith a minnow, and if it 

 is worms then I Avill be a "worm digger." In short, if 

 there is anything that a 91b. trout wants, and I can find 

 out what it 'is, he is going to have it, provided he will 

 take a hook with it. I may not be scientific, but I hope 

 I shall be successful. 0. D. C. 



Northumberland, New Hampshire. 



Write TJetheorove & McLellast, Valparaiso, Ind., for now 

 catalogue of sportsmen's and civil engineers' Avear.— Adv. 



THE LARGE TROUT RECORD. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Under date of July 8, 1886, you published the follow- 

 ing: "The Biggest Brook Trout.— We have to record the 

 capture of a brook trout Aveighing 12£lbs., by Mr. J. 

 Frederic Grote, of 114 East Fourteenth street, New York 

 city, in Mooselucmaguntic Lake, Maine, on June 11. The 

 fish was a female and Mr. Grote kept it in a car for one 

 week, when it died. It was weighed several times at the 

 Mooselucmaguntic House, in presence of Mr. John 

 Schultz, of Philadelphia, and the proprietors, Messrs. 

 Crosby & Twombley. It Avas 26£in. long, 17|in. girth, 

 7fin. deep, and was 4m. thick through the back. The 

 guide Avas Jerry Ellis, and they were trolling with a live 

 minnow bait in 40ft. of water with a 7-k>z. bass trolling 

 rod. The trout was brought to NeAv York and shoAvn to 

 Mr. Blackford, who decided that it was a fontinalis. It 

 had been proposed to send it to the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion to have a plaster cast made of it, but there Avere 

 doubts as to its standing the /journey, as it was beginning 

 to soften. It is noAv in the hands of Mr. Wallace, the 



• taxidermist, and will shortly be on exhibition at Mr. 

 Grote's place of business. We believe this to be the 

 largest brook trout yet recorded." 



The following Aveek, on July 14, I Avrote to Mr. Grote 

 as follows: "Dear Sir — I learn that you are the fortunate 

 angler who took a very large trout at Rangeley Lake. 

 Will you kindly send me the exact dimensions and 

 weight? Two of tMee varymg statements hay.e been 

 printed, and I would like the exact facts. Pleas)? state 

 what the trout weighed at the time of capture, anil after 

 he died, and who Avas present when he was AVeighed. 

 Trusting that I shall have the pleasure of hearing from 

 you by return mail, as I am leaving the city, I remain, 

 yours truly, Geo. Shepard Page." 



In answer to this letter Mr. Grote called at my office, 

 but found me absent. In reply to a subsequent note Avrit- 

 ten him, asknig for the particulars coneernmg the large 

 trout claimed to have been caught by him, he mailed me 

 a copy of the Forest and Stream containing the above 

 ^article. This Avas very unsatisfactory to me, as it did not 

 'answer the questions asked. 



Notwithstandmg that Mr. Grote's trout had been dead 

 for four days Avhen weighed, it seems to be groAving, as 

 indicated by the followmg item which appeared in Out- 

 ing, in November, 1886: "A splendid trout 28in. long and 

 weighing 131bs., was recently caught in Mooselucmagun- 

 tic Lake. It was the largest specimen of the kind ever 

 caught in this country. The lucky angler was Mr. J. F. 

 Grote, of New York." The same number of Outing had 

 also the followmg: "Dr. Charles Haddock, of Beverly, 

 Me., Avith George Oakes as guide, has captured a trout 

 weighing lOflbs. It measured 28iin. in length and 16Ain. 

 in girth." 



Not being able to get the desired information from Mr. 

 Grote, I communicated Avith Hon. Henry O. Stanley, 

 Commissioner of Fisheries for the State of Maine; with 

 Charles G. Atkins, Esq., late Commissioner of Fisheries 

 for Maine and for several years m charge of the Salmon 

 Hatching Works, at Bucksport, Me., and Landlocked • 

 Sail ii on Hatching Works, at Grand Lake Stream, Me. ; 

 and with G. T. Richardson, Superintendent of the Oquos- 

 BOC Angling Association. Following are copies of the re- 

 plies received from these gentlemen: 



Indian Rock, Me. , Jtily 26, 1886. — Geo. Shepard Page, 

 Esq.: Deal- Sir— The trout which Avas caught by Mr. 

 Grote was one Avhich his guide, Jerry Ellis, called an 8- 

 pound trout, but did not weigh it. They put it in a car 

 in which it died, and lay four days in the Avater. After 

 the entrails were taken out it weighed only &Ubs. Truly 

 yours, C. T, Richardson. 



Bucksport, Me., Sept. 18,1886.— Mr. G. S. Page: Dear 

 Sir — Yours of the 6th at hand. I find no salmon on our 

 record so short as 26in.; only one of 27in., which weighed 

 Tibs. 14oz. in November. Our heaviest 80-inch salmon, out 

 of a list of several hundred fish examined, weighed 

 lOflbs. Truly yours, Chas. G. Atkins. 



Disfield, 'Me., July 29, 1886— Geo. Shepard Page, 

 Esq.: Dear Six — Yours of the 27th received, asking my 

 opinion of the probable weight of a Rangeley trout of the 

 following dimensions: Length, 26 Aim; depth, Tjin.; girth, 

 17£iii.; depth through the back, 4in. Fish of the same 

 measurements at those points may vary about a pound, as 

 it would depend upon the proportions of the rest of the 

 body. My opinion would be that one of the measure- 

 ments above given would weigh from 8-A- to possibly 9ilbs. 

 I have a cut and picture of one in my office 274in. long, 

 l-lia. deep, and finely proportioned; Aveight, lOlbs. He was 

 what you avouM call a very solid fish. Truly yours, H, 

 O. Stanley. 



The folloAvingis copied from the PMllips (Maine) Phono- 

 graph of June 3, 1887: "Last Friday, the 27th ult., Mr. 

 W. F. Whitcomb, of Boston, caught a splendid trout near 

 the Mooselucmaguntic House that actually weighed 9-Jlbs. 

 It measured 26in. in length and 17m, in girth." 



It is Avell known that the general outline of the Range- 

 ley trout and the Maine salmon do not vary much in their 

 proportions. The salmon are slightly longer for the 

 same weight than the trout. Following are the weights 

 and measurements of three Maine salmon, caught within 

 the past week: 



No. 1. 8!flbs., 27in. long, 15in. in circumference. 



No. 2, 91bs,, 2!)iu. long, 15in. in circumference. 



No. 3, lOlbs., 29in. long, 16in. in circumference. 



• A salmon trout weighing S-Jlbs., measured 39m. in 

 length and 16in. in circumference. The entrails had been 

 removed from the salmon trout. The salmon were in- 

 tact. * ' 



I tMnk I have fully established the fact that a Rangeley 

 trout measuring 26Uu. in length, 17^in. in girth, 7jhi. in 

 depth and 4in. through the back, could not toy any possi- 

 bility Aveigh over 9lbs. 



In common Avith many of your readers who feel a 

 special interest in the matter of weight of large trout 

 which they have caught at Rangeley, mtheAdirondacks, 

 NeA\- Brunswick, or on the Nepigon, I shall be glad to 

 hear from Mr. Grote in substantiation of Ms claim to have 

 taken the largest trout on record. 



The Rangeley trout Avith which my name has been con- 

 nected since 1867, measured 30in. in length and 18in. in 

 circumference. After having been confined for three 

 Weeks, transported 500 miles, and placed in my pond at 

 Stanley, N. J., it died in a short time. It weighed (after 

 death) 101 bs. loz. on a steelyard scale. A score of persons. 

 Avere present at the time of weighing. Prof. Agassiz tol 

 me personally at an interview had with him at C 



