Juke 30, 1887.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



495 



our arrival he had been crushed by a tree, and we found 

 hiin in camp here making a big struggle for life, and lay- 

 ing plans for a new camp another year, which he said 

 would be by waters never yet fished, and at the same 

 time easy of access. Good luck to him. 



The fishing seemed better this year than ever. I have 

 thought' many times if I were running a camp of this 

 kind, I would allow no one to fish who did not take a 

 small car along with the boat and keep the fish alive if 

 possible, and put them in a larger one I should have near 

 the landing at night. This could be drawn upon for food 

 and emptied when too full, and a useless waste of fish 

 prevented. I saw a party bring in 289 dead trout one day 

 which were not needed for food, and I am sure the boys 

 would have been full as willing to have brought them in 

 alive as dead. In my last three days of fishing I brought 

 only five trout to camp, returning to the water all others 

 caught, while the party I mentioned brought in 571 in the 

 same time, all dead. Such a reckless waste as this could 

 easily be prevented, but no one seems to care. In some 

 such' way only can sport for future years be assured, 

 whereas' I predict that under present arrangements one 

 of the best fishing resorts in Maine will, in five years, 

 have become one of the poorest. 



Of the five trout I spoke of saving. Ieaught a double of 

 half-pounders, one a silver trout and the other a blood 

 red fellow. One was hooked through the back and the 

 other through the belly. They made things lively, and I 

 felt that I had done well when I had landed them. 

 Madame fished two days with fair success, using bait: 

 then she laid down her rod and said she was through fish- 

 ing until she could use a fly, like other folks. She stuck 

 to it, too, and this spring I am engaged to give her lessons 

 in casting. 



One evening after supper we went out for a little 

 while, and saw what I had often read of, but had never 

 been lucky enough to see, the water "alive" with fish. 

 This evening every trout seemed to be feeding upon the 

 surface, and I tell you I flew around. As a natural con- 

 sequence I broke the tip of my rod the first thing. It was 

 too late to go to camp and rig another, so I was compelled 

 to quit or do the best I could. But it was one of those 

 scarce days when fish are looking for you, and will bite 

 at anything. Fancy casting wasn't needed, and I would 

 point' out the fish I would take next, and then get out my 

 tine as best I could, and I generally got him. Darkness 

 came altogether too soon to suit me, but not before I had 

 gathered in a couple of dozen. Fish are freaky creatures. 

 The best day's brook fishing I ever had was one when, 

 according to all traditions, I ought not to have had a 

 bite. 



Madam's vacation ended before we were half ready. 

 She had been perfectly happy, and I was a false prophet. 

 If it rained and the camp leaked a little she moved her 

 chair and kept on with her work or reading and let it 

 leak. In short, she took things as they came, like an old 

 camper. The result of my experiment was a conclusion 

 that any woman almost can not only take such a trip, but 

 Avill enjoy it and be benefited thereby as much as her 

 husband or brother, if she can only get the chance. 



I was very glad that I gave one woman a chance, and 

 that is not all. I shall never go again without her, 



A. G. McK. 



Midddetown, Oonn. 



SALMON AND TROUT TACKLE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Now that the fishing season is once more fairly upon 

 us, and every true and worthy angler begins to be troubled 

 with repeated twitehings of "the wrist and elbow only to 

 be cured by much casting of the alluring and deadly fly 

 over deep and troubled waters, perhaps it may not be 

 amiss to reflect a little on the tackle used, especially by 

 the salmon and trout fisherman. What a difference there 

 is in salmon rods alone. From the costly split bamboo of 

 New York manufacture to the simple but efficient green- 

 heart of Castle-Connel make is a big jump; there is also 

 some difference between the heavy 20ft. weapon wielded 

 by the muscular Scotchman and the light 14ft. rod of St. 

 John make. 



These differences, doubtless, have their raison d'etre. 

 On large and heavy waters fished from the shore, often in 

 half a gale, the long and heavy rod is an enormous ad- 

 vantage, well worth the extra labor involved in its use: 

 but for summer fisliing, such as ours is, and with a handy 

 canoe always at hand, a far less powerful rod answers 

 our purpose' and is far preferable in every way on one of 

 those hot, bright days American anglers so frequently 

 enjoy during the season. It must be confessed, however, 

 that the very light rod and line generally employed are 

 very trying with anything of a breeze blowing, at least I 

 have found it so, 



As between spires and ferrules, who shall decide? 

 Both have their advantages, but I certainly think the 

 "splicer" has the best of the argument. A spliced rod is 

 lighter for the same length, throws a better fine, and 

 there are no ferrules to come apart from the wood, as they 

 generally do in this dry climate every winter. But how 

 delighfully handy a ferrule! rod is at times; so it comes 

 to pass that, though being in theory a "splicer," I often 

 use a ferruled rod. 



Of course the character of the rod governs the weight 

 of the fine; but a heavy line is a great advantage on a 

 windy day. A line should always be tapered, a fact 

 denied by some fishermen of the old school resident in 

 these parts, but true nevertheless. I have some lines five 

 years old and strong as ever. We are here unfortunately 

 obliged to use single gut casts, owing to the transparency 

 of the water. I say unfortunately advisedly; fordo I not 

 annually experience the torture of losing fish through bad 

 gut? If we could only use it twisted even to the very 

 hook, how many salmon it would save every year to be 

 sure. "Some likes pork and some likes onions," so also 

 some like multipliers and some plain reels, personally I 

 prefer the latter, though some of the New York patterns 

 are a wonderful improvement on European importations. 

 The conflict here now is about double or single hooks, 

 and the battle rages fiercely, but at present the smoke and 

 dust of action is so dense that no man can foretell the 

 issue. From experience gained I should say that the 

 single hook hooks more fish and pricks fewer fish, but the 

 double is a great institution when once fairly driven 

 home, rarely coming back in one's face as the single oc- 

 casionally d'oes. The best style of gaff for rough service 

 here is undoubtedly that with a Ions; shank to tie on, all 

 other sorts are clumsy or else dangerous. 



Trouting may be divided into two broad divisions; fish- 

 ing in small streams and fishing in large rivers or lakes, 

 requiring very different tackle and methods. In the 

 small sparkling streams, such as we have so many of in 

 this Province, and which teem with trout of five to the 

 pound weight, a short rather stiff rod, in two or three 

 joints ferruled, I find catches the most fish, enabling the 

 fisherman to deposit the little beauties on terra jirma 

 without risking the dangers incidental to a struggle in a 

 small stream incumbered with bushes, drift wood and all 

 other obstructions, specially made and provided for such 

 occasions. By the bye, I heard of one take of seventeen 

 dozen with worm the other day in Nashwaak, though the 

 average was doubtless less than five to the pound. In 

 the large and heavy river, where the so-called sea trout 

 are found, a different rod is wanted. I well remember 

 the appearance presented by a small, elegantly furnished 

 single-handed trout rod after two days fishing in a small, 

 rapid northern river, where trout ran to 41bs. in weight 

 and over. Double-handed rods about 14ft. long are to 

 my mind the most satisfactory. These sea trout require 

 a large and gaudy fly. Last week they took well a fly 

 that has since been christened the "Gesally- Jigger;" why 

 it was designated by this elegant cognomen I am at a 

 loss to discover. Dressing, scarlet body and hackle, gold 

 twist wing and tail slips of gray goose; salmon hcok, 



Fkedehicton, June 16. CHAS. A. BRAMBLE. 



ALBANY FLY-CASTING TOURNAMENT. 



\ LBANY, N. V.. June 22.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 xjL I inclose a copy of the official score made at the 

 first tournament of the Albany Fly-Casters' Association, 

 on Tuesday, June 21, and a clipping from the Albany 

 Argus, of June 22. The weather was very much against 

 us, blowing hard from the south during the whole day. 

 The place where we were casting is so situated that we 

 got the wind in squalls as it came over the hills and trees 

 and about the neighboring buildings. Under the circum- 

 stances we are all quite pleased over the result. This was 

 our first tournament as an association. Of the thirteen 

 contestants all but four used the Spalding rod, Wood and 

 Ball used the Leonard, and Parkhurst used one made by 

 himself. The Argus reports is as follows: 



Wind and weather were forbidding enough yesterday 

 to have discouraged the most ardent disciple of the reel 

 and rod. The sky was full of big black clouds and now 

 and then a few scattering rain drops spattered in the 

 water of the park lake, about which gathered about thirty 

 members of the Albany Fly-Casters' Association, at a 

 little before 11 o'clock yesterday morning, intent upon 

 carrying out if possible the programme of their first fly- 

 casting tournament. A small float moored near the east 

 end of the lake house held up the contestants as they sent 

 their lines whizzing out over the ripples toward a line of 

 bobs set one foot apart on a long cable. Beyond bob 75 

 was anchored a boat containing the judges, Dr. Herman 

 Bendell, Mr. W. W. Byington and Dr. S. B. Ward. Ow- 

 ing to the non-appearance of expert Roosevelt, from New 

 York, Mr. William Kirk was chosen judge at the float. 

 The competitors were divided in two classes. The first 

 included those who had cast and fished with a fly previous 

 to Jan. 1, 1887: the second those who had neither cast nor 

 fished with a fly up to that date. Four prizes were origin- 

 ally offered for the first class and three for the second, 

 but as Mr. H. Olcott was the only person who entered in 

 the latter, two of the three prizes were transferred to the 

 first class. When all the preparations had been looked 

 after the contestants drew lots for positions, and Mr. P. 

 M. Luff man took his place on the float as number one. 

 After his rod had been weighed and measured he poised 

 it daintily, and with a quick turn of the wrist sent the 

 line whizzing out over the water and dropped his fly 40ft. 

 from the toe line drawn across the float. After ten min- 

 utes of careful work, whipping the rough surface of the 

 lake, he ret 'red with a record of 71ft. for the long dis- 

 tance cast. The other contestants followed in regular 

 order, each casting twenty-five times in addition at a 

 buoy sunk one inch in the water 40ft. away from the 

 float, as a test for accuracy and delicacy, twenty-five points 

 being allowed for each- The total for both with the dis- 

 tance cast was recorded as the final score. This appeared 

 at the close of the contest late in the afternoon as follows: 



•J? IBST CLASS. 



Length Weight 



of rod. of rod. Distance Deli- Aecu- 



Ft. In. Oz. in feet. cacy. racy. Total. 



P. M. Luffman II 2 9 71 20 9 100 



H. R. Sweny 11 3 9^ 73 21 3 97 



H. D. Frothrngham. 11 6 9 Hi}4 23 8 105}^ 



Fred Wood 11 2 $H 69 19 5 93 



S. G. Spier 11 3 Wi «1 18 *> 85 



Edwin Parkhurst.. 10 2 7 22 9 94W 



G. A. Brooks 11 3 9^ 59M 20 i S&H 



Davton Ball 11 3 65^ 17 i 86 



W. G. Paddock 11 3 8U 70j| IB 6 92J^ 



B F. Reese 11 4 8M 60 24 7 91 



W. W. Hill 10 7 7H 63 24 10 97 



Howard Paddock.. 11 3 71 22 5 98 



First Prize— Flv-rod, given by A. G. Spalding & Bros., won by 

 W. D. Fro ( bin gh am. 

 Second— Automatic reel, won by P. M. Luffman. 

 Third— Bray fly-book, won by Howard Paddock. 

 Fourth— Erav fly-book, won by H. R. Sweny. 

 Fifth— Fifty yards enameled line, won by W. W. Hill. 

 Sixth— Fifty yards enameled line, won by Edwin Parkhurst. 

 Seventh— Two dozen assorted, trout flies, won by Fred K. Wood. 



SECOND CLASS. 



H. M. Olcott 10 7 7M 58 10 68 



First Prize— Automatic reel, won by H. M. Olcott. 



Despite the unfavorable weather and the flawy wind, 

 which descended at times in a spiteful maimer upon the 

 surface of the water, cutting it into a lace-like foam, in 

 which the bobs were hardly perceptible, the records made 

 were excellent, and every detail of the programme was 

 carried out with scrupulous smoothness and accuracy. 



Mr. Howard Paddock, who won first prize last year, 

 was forced to be content with third place, much to the 

 disappointment of many, who expected to see him again 

 in the front. Mr. W. G. Paddock surpassed his previous 

 record, and the winning cast of 74£ft. breaks the record 

 in this vicinity. The number of spectators was large, 

 many of them being ladies, who watched the sport from 

 the lake house and their carriages. Among the admirers 

 of the art who were present but did not participate were 

 Chief Willard, Mr. A. B. Benson, Mr. Worthington Froth- 

 ingham. Rev. Russell Woodman, Mr. John H. Farrell, 

 Mr. Simon Vine. Superintendent W. S. Edgerton, Dr. 

 Balch, Mr. J. W. Burdick. The association is consider- 

 ing the question of holding another tournament in the 

 autumn, 



A CATCH IN THE DARK. 



BY A LADY CONTRIBUTOR. 



IT WAS when we lived near Bull Creek, in White 

 county. Arkansas. Our house was not more than 

 twenty rods from the deep hole where I had some catfish 

 hooks set. My husband had taken off two fine catfish 

 that morning, and I had saved some of the entrails for 

 bait. I did not get time to attend the hooks until after 

 supper; but the moon was shining brightly upon the 

 grass field that lay between the house and the creek, so 

 taking my can of bait 1 set out for my hooks. 



It it was light enough in the field, it was terribly dark 

 under the trees along the bank, and as I entered the dark 

 place an owl up stream began to hoo% while the frogs 

 were calling in every direction and some of them said 

 very strange things. It was a dark, damp place, and in 

 spite of myself a shudder crept over me. 



But I was not afraid. Was not Joe at the house or the 

 stable? Of course he was. And my dog Dash — but now 

 I remembered that I had left her watching- a rabbit we 

 had treed in a huge white oak; I could not get it and told 

 her so, but she refused to believe me and would not leave 

 it, so I had to go home without her; and now I was alone. 



I took up a stout cane pole and put a fresh bait on the 

 hook, and giving a good cast out toward the middle of 

 the stream, drew it slowly toward me. Suddenly some- 

 thing seized my bait. I jerked too soon, let go, and when 

 I felt my hook, I found the bait intact. 



"Next time you bite you may take the hook along and 

 swallow it at your leisure," said I. 



So I threw in again and soon had the creature high on 

 the bank. And now the fun began. 



By this time my eyes had become a little used to the 

 obscurity of the place, and as the thing went past my 

 head, I saw that it was more than 2ft. long, and all too 

 slim for a fish of that length. 



Immediately I thought of the great moccasin snake I 

 had seen there the day before. Meanwhile the thing was 

 writhing and jumping all over the place. Sometimes 

 right against my feet; and in an instant it would be as 

 far off as the line would let it go. I held to the cane and 

 knew the hook was fast in its mouth, "so then it cannot 

 bite me," I thought, and it may be an eel. Quick after 

 this came another thought. If its tail is flat it is an eel, 

 if round a snake. Just then it squirmed up to me and I 

 set my foot on the part I supposed must be its neck, and 

 reaching down, felt for its tail. Yes, it was flat. 



But the thing was so slick, and so cold, and so all over 

 alive, that for a moment I did not know what to do. The 

 next minute I had my apron off, and was down on my 

 knees, wrapping it tightly around him. The hook was 

 still in his mouth, so I wound the line around the bundle 

 and went home dragging the pole after me. 



The grass field looked brighter than ever with the moon 

 shining on it. About half way to the house I met Dash. 

 She had come home, and not finding me there had started 

 to find me. We had a nice dish of eel for our breakfast 

 next day. I like them better than fish when properly 

 cooked;* and Dash, who had a good piece as well as all the 

 bones, seemed to think it as g©od as the rabbit would 

 have been. 



There is plenty of game here. A good many deer were 

 killed near here" last winter, and I often see wild turkeys, 

 but I have never killed one, for my 81b. muzzleloading 

 shotgun will not carry large shot far enough. I have 

 killed several ducks and quite a number of squirrels as 

 well as hawks and owls with it. I mean to get a breech- 

 loader one of these days, and then I will write you again 

 if you print this. Mrs. M. R. Barnes. 



White County, Ark. 



A FORMULA FOR TROUT WEIGHT. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Apropos of the discussion in late numbers of the size 

 and weight of trout, particularly that in your last issue 

 by Mr, Page, the following may be of interest: 



The weight of a trout if of normal shape, and by this I 

 mean not excessively short and chunky, extremely so, in 

 fact, may be approximated with great closeness by the 

 following formula: L G 3 



LOOO, 



in which w equals weight, L equals length from eye to 

 root of tail (not total length), and a equals girth, which, 

 as the formula shows, should be cubed. The result is the 

 weight in ounces. In fish up to say olbs. this is extremely 

 close, in larger fish it, of course, is liable to slight differ- 

 ences, increasing as the fish departs from normal form. 



Applying this now to some of the fish whose measure- 

 ments and weights are given by Mr. Page, say for ex- 

 ample his own trout, whichf^was 30x18, and subtracting a 

 reasonable amount for nose to eye and tail (for the length 

 was of course total length) we find the weight lOilbs., 

 which is close to Mr. Page's figures. Applying it to Mr. 

 Grote's we find it about SAlbs., which is what the fish 

 must have weighed. If it weighed what it is reported 

 there are several hypotheses to account for it. First the 

 fish was of the same girth from head to tail. This is 

 hardly supposable. Second, he was loaded like, the jump- 

 ing frog with Tatham's chilled before b ing weighed. 

 Third, the scales were out of order. Because a fish of 

 that bulk weighing 12^1bs. would have such great density 

 that he could no more swim than a stone, providing the 

 rest of Ms composition was normal. Percy val. 



New Haves, Conn. 



The Cusk:. — Editor Forest and Stream : I was surprised 

 to see that in your issue of June 23 you pronounced the 

 fresh- water cusk a worthless fish. I have nothing to say 

 in favor of its beauty or game qualities, those attributes 

 being far below par; but a chowder made from cusk 

 taken out of the deep cold water of Sebago Lake (Me.) is 

 good enough for any one, and we have passed our plate a 

 second time for the fish when fried or baked. During the 

 winter, many parties living within a radius of thirty 

 miles of Sebago Lake, visit it for a few days, or rather 

 nights of cusk fishing, knowing that if they catch more 

 than their families can use then: neighbors are more than 

 willing to relieve them of all extra fish. In Sebago Lake 

 is an unlimited supply of fresh-water smelts, which are 

 there the principal food of the cusk. Does the food of the 

 cusk in these waters make its flesh better than elsewhere, 

 or is it perhaps a better fish than it gets credit for being? 

 Should like to hear from others who have eaten fresh- 

 water cusk.— Blackspot. 



