496 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[June §0, 1887. 



JUNE RISE ON THE ASPETUC. 



THE beauties of the Housatonic, river and valley, the 

 "Schaticoke"' and Berkshire Hills, have all been 

 fully described. No lover of wood and water can turn 

 awa y from that succession of hill and dale and not con- 

 fess his expectations have been fully realized. All the 

 way up that lovely river, countless streams ripple and 

 leap down from the surrounding hills; and in the olden 

 time they were full of trout. They would be full now if 

 half, yes one-twentieth, part of the trouble were taken to 

 replenish them that has been spent on depleting them. 

 There are few if any streams anywhere near Kent or New 

 Milford that I have not fished; and one pleasant day in 

 June stands pre-eminently forth in my memory as giving 

 me more sport than I shall ever look for in that part of 

 the country. Last summer I fished the same stream and 

 never had a rise. 



But on one occasion I went down the well-known 

 Aspetuc with very different results. There had been a 

 steady rain in the latter part of June and I made my 

 preparations accordingly. One good rainy day, and I 

 among the first to get on the stream, would, I thought, 

 give me a chance to get some fishing. Bright and early 

 on a lovely June morning by 4 o'clock, I started off "over 

 the hills and far away" on a five mile tramp. I dislike 

 very much getting my feet wet, and I would rather 

 charge on a battery any day than run across a snake. "A 

 son of Adam and of Eve" all through. I was known all 

 through the country as the man with the "Ingy rubber 

 boots;" and though they are heavy and logy, I kept them 

 for wading, and lest some of my readers may think it 

 strange an old campaigner should mind such trifles as 

 wet feet or snakes, I beg leave to say that one of the 

 bravest officers in our Navy would tremble at the sight 

 of a mouse and shiver and shake at their being any where 

 near him — which he seemed to be aware of instinctively 

 Away I trudged, up hill and down, over a road every 

 inch of which was familiar to me, until at last I came out 

 at Hill's Mills. Then I walked down leisurely to just be- 

 low the old dam, put my rod together and set to work. 

 Those of my readers who have honored me by perusing 

 my article on worm fishing will know how I go to work 

 to catch trout. Those (and many there must be of the 

 Fokest and Stream) who know this and other streams in 

 the vicinity of which I write are aware that one cannot 

 throw a fly on these brooks. The banks are fringed with 

 willows and alders and overhanging branches; the streams 

 are comparatively small and you have to go along care- 

 fully and slowly and take your time. 



Ail the trout "in any trout stream are not hungry at the 

 same time. Only patient, quiet fishing will get you your 

 fish. So I pulled up my boots and waded in. The very 

 first fish caught I knew was a new comer. How bright 

 and fresh and shiny he looked. He had his Sunday-go-to- 

 meeting suit on — no store clothes there. I waded down, 

 now tossing in by yonder whirl, now bv that ripple, now 

 off to the left by the old tree, again to the right by where 

 that little brook comes murmuring in; and every fish was 

 looking his best and I was doing fairly well. 



How the trout can get up the streams they do, where a 

 flying fish could hardly succeed, is one of those mysteries 

 no fellow knows anything about. That they do go up we 

 know, but the ' 'how" is a conundrum. Across from Kent, 

 on the Charles Edward stream, how do they skitter up 

 that lofty rock at the base of the brook as you begin to 

 fish? There was a stream, I made up my mind, in the 

 olden time that must have trout in it. Everyone laughed 

 at the idea. I explored the stream and found, of course 

 as I expected, that it was full of small mountain brook 

 trout. I had a grand day's sport. It was like fishing 

 among the Catskills. What will my readers think when 

 I tell them that, though I circulated alarming stories of 

 encounters with rattlesnakes, in order to keep the trout 

 destroyer away, a 30-called friend of mine "gave me 

 away," and in one week's fishing 550 odd trout were taken 

 out of that brook by actual count, and now some folks 

 wonder why are there no more trout. Yet are there 

 younsters there yet; and all they want is a tariff for pro- 

 tection, and that they will never get. 



And here were a lot of new arrivals, and how they got 

 over the damway down by the mouth of the stream was 

 what stumped me. I kept on my way, and had passed a 

 place where not long before one spring two little urchins 

 saw two wild geese come flying along as if tired out ; they 

 splashed into the water and these two boys ran down and 

 plunged in and captured both birds and took them home. 

 Here the stream narrows and runs swiftly through quite 

 a reach, at the end of which there is deeper water, and an 

 old beech tree stands on the left, half in and half out of 

 the water; and here I had famous good fortune at the 

 very first cast of my worm. I let my line swirl and float 

 down through this channel, and I knew a big one had 

 hooked himself — big for that stream. I brought him up, 

 for I knew my tackle would hold him, though he showed 

 good fight, and he just went across my basket — 13iai. to 

 the pound is fair measurement. Again I let my line go 

 down, and again No. 2 tries his hand and again he is 

 taken into camp. A third time and No. 3 dashes at the 

 bait, hooks himself, and give3 up after a gallant fight. 

 Now, here I stood in rapid running water, alders on both 

 sides of me nearly touching me, and branches overhead. 

 No chance for light work or fly, or playing my fish, tiring 

 him out by the spring of my trusty rod; and I caught 

 three fish weighing a pound apiece. As with cutters and 

 centerboards, so it is with fly and bait rods; adapt them 

 to the waters you use them in. 



So soon as I could get to a landing place, I waded out 

 and took account of etock. I had twenty -one trout, which 

 when dressed weighed over lllbs. I looked at my watch, 

 it was a very little after 10 o'clock, and I had 5 miles to 

 go to get my fish put up for New York, to catch the 12 

 o'clock train. I'll try it and away I leg it, as fast as I can 

 go. 1 am a little tired, and have fish and boots to lug. 

 But I have a big brother in town, and I want to give him 

 some trout as a change for salmon. He's an old salmon 

 fisherman. So I keep my mouth shut — which is a very 

 hard thing for me to do as a general thing— and I pull 

 through and reach the depot. Charley and Dan, old 

 chums of mine, turn too and help me. We clean our fish, 

 give them a pinch of salt all round, put them in ice cold 

 water, get some nice clean sheeting, wrap them in a fold 

 of linen, then fish, then another fold of linen, and so on 

 until all the fish are carefully covered up. Then I pro- 

 cure a box large enough to hold them; put them in, pack 

 them in solidly around the sides with fine ice. nail on 

 Cover and direct them. All aboard! Off goes train with 



fish billed through for prompt delivery; and off I go con- 

 tentedly home. The sequel is this telegram : 



New York, 22d street, 7 o'clock.— Dear Capt.: Fish 

 come to hand in A 1 order and were delicious. Yours 

 affectionately, Salmo." Capt. Clayton. 



GOOD STRIPED BASS FISHING. 



THERE has been the best fishing for striped bass in 

 Martha's Vineyard that has been known for over 

 three years. At the Cuttyhunk Club the fishing opened 

 June 18, and the record of the catch there up to noon on 

 Saturday last, one week, was 60 bass, weighing 8181bs., 

 averaging 15 3-51bs. each. The largest fish was taken by 

 Judge McGown and weighed 41 lbs. The next largest was 

 captured by Mr. William A. Woodhull and weighed 

 38|lbs. The smallest fish taken weighed 71bs. The bait 

 used was lobster tails, no menhaden having appeared 

 there this season. 



Hon. Henry P. McGown left Cuttyhunk on Saturday, 

 and has kindly allowed us to copy the following from his 

 score book: June 19, 3 fish, 14f, 10±, 9j— 34J; June 21, 6 

 fish, 18J, 15*, 14|, 14*, 12±, 101— S5±; June 22, 2 fish, 16*, 

 12f— 29*. The two following days the wind blew a gale 

 and no fishing. June 25, 2 fish, 41, 8*— 49*. Total for 15 

 fish 198*lbs. , averaging 15*lbs. each. 



Mr. McGown used a split bamboo rod, with ash butt 

 and solid reel plate, which weighed 20oz., but without 

 the butt and plate would not weigh more than half that. 

 The fish were all taken on a nine-thread linen line. He 

 reports excellent fishing at Pasque Island and other clubs. 

 At No Man's Land Mr. Butler took 6 bass, which weighed 

 3001bs., the largest one tui-ning the scale at 601bs. 



THE TOURNAMENT. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In the Forest and Stream of June 9 you have taken 

 the liberty of referring to me in an article assailing my 

 friend, Mr. C. G. Levison, and in justice to him as well 

 as myself, I wish to say that the statement in reference 

 to the salmon casting contest for short rods, that Mr. 

 "Levison agreed [to loan me his rod] but stipulated that 

 Prichard should give him any prize that he might win, 

 and as Prichard won first prize, a handsome grilse rod, 

 Mr. Levison claimed and took it" is a decided misstate- 

 ment of the facts. On the contrary, Mr. Levison made 

 no stipulations whatsoever, nor did he refuse me the rod, 

 but offered to loan it to me before the tournament. I 

 took no rod of my own because it was understood that I 

 was to use his, and I believe he loaned it to every other 

 contestant in that class. I knew I would beat Mr. Levi- 

 son, and thinking it hardly fair to use his rod under the 

 circumstances, I offered to exchange prizes with him; but 

 as for him taking the rod I won, even after my offer, he 

 would not do it, but kindly got it the following day on 

 my order for me and delivered it to me. He took the 

 third prize, which he won. I cannot perceive how Mr. 

 Levison's views of the tournament contests can be deduced 

 from a consideration of such an incident, even if it were 

 true, but think his views are perhaps fairly suggested by 

 the devoted assiduity with which he labored to make the 

 tournament a success. 



Hoping the above correction is sufficient to right the 

 wrong which has been done Mr. Levison, and that you 

 will give this as prominent a place in your paper as you 

 did the article it refers to, I am yours, 



Harry Prichard. 



New York, June 20. 



[About a week after the publication of our notes rela- 

 tive to this matter, Mr. Levison called at this office to 

 explain that the reason he took charge of Mr. Prichard's 

 rod was because Mr. Prichard could then not take charge 

 of it himself. Mr. Levison was requested to put his ex- 

 planation in writing, but he appears to have preferred to 

 ask Mr. Prichard to write, as above. Mr. Prichard's let- 

 ter, it will be noticed, is dated June 20. Inquiry has 

 developed the fact that the rod was returned to Mr. 

 Prichard after the publication of our article on June 9. 

 We know of a gentleman who heard the bargain between 

 Levison and Prichard, which was that Levison was to 

 have the rod if Prichard won it. That Mr. Levison regrets 

 his action at the tournament there is no doubt, and there 

 is also no doubt that Mr. Prichard is willing to try and 

 smooth the affair over. It is to be hoped that in the 

 future there may be no repetition of such unpleasant in- 

 cidents at the angling tournaments. The Association 

 should add to its organization a governing committee to 

 take cognizance of such matters and provide a remedy 

 for them.] 



Those Silkworms for Germany.— Cold Spring Har- 

 bor, N, Y., June 25.— Editor Forest and Stream: In 

 your last issue I recorded a shipment of coccoons of the 

 Anierioan silkworms to Herr von den Borne, of Berneu* 

 chen, Germany. They came to me by mail and I put them 

 in a cigar box and remailed them. After lying in the 

 post office at New York for four days they were returned 

 marked " over size and over-weight," and several had 

 hatched. Owing to the lateness of the season we cannot 

 send our German friend any more this season. — Fred 

 Mather, 



Who Lost This Fish ?— Thomaston, Conn., June 21.— 

 A dead trout, weighing 31 bs. 10oz., was found in a branch 

 of the Naugatmck River in this town a few days ago. It 

 had a hook through the root of its tongue. It is the larg- 

 est ever seen here, and but few trout are caught in the 

 stream.— E. M. C. 



Weakfish.— Weakfish are in. I was down at Gifford's 

 last Saturday, and two rods got 21 weighing 161bs. They 

 took shedder and shrimp; lots of the latter on the dock. 

 Go for last of flood and first of ebb. — Gray John (New 

 York). 



Sturgeon in the Connecticut. — Sturgeon are rare 

 fish in the upper Connecticut waters, but an ugly little 

 5*lb. specimen was caught last week opposite South Had- 

 ley. 



Drum Fishing on the New Jersey coast is said to be 

 good now. Anglesea is the place to go to. 



Bountiful Nature Affohds no finer SpEcific for skin dis- 

 eases than Sulphur, a fact that is proven by the action upon the 

 cuticle afflicted with eruptions or ulcerous sores, of that supreme 

 purifier and beautifier of the skin, Glenn's Sulphur Soap. Hill's 

 Hair and Whisker Dye— Black and brown, 50c,— Adv. 



Adiircm all communications to the Forest and Stream Pub. Co. 



PRESERVATION OF FISH BY ACIDS. 



[Discussion hefore the American Fisheries Society.] 



AFTER the reading of the paper on the preservation of 

 fish by acids and other compounds, by Mr. Clarke, pub- 

 lished in our last issue, the following discussion was held: 



Mr. MAT — The paper just read treats of preserving fish by 

 means of acids and other compounds, but does not say what 

 effect these preservatives have upon the human stomach. Is 

 there any member present who has eaten fish which had been 

 kept by any of these processes ? 



Mr. Mather— I once ate a trout which had been kept for 

 some ten days without ice. It was given to me by Mr. 

 Thomas J. Conroy, of New York, the dealer in fishing tackle, 

 and had been preserved by a patent process or powder called 

 Rex Magnus, not now on the market, and which probably 

 may have been largely composed of boracic acid, and the fish 

 was fairly eatable, a little dry but still better than no fish. 



Mr. Mat — As our worthy secretary still lives, it is fair to 

 presume that the use of these preparations does not bring on 

 instant death, but what would be the result of eating a thou- 

 sand such prepared fish ? 



Mr. Matuek— I cannot say. Prawns preserved in some 

 acid come to New York from Charleston and other southern 

 ports, and I see them at Blackford's daily. I have here the 

 quarterly number of the Journal of FishcuUurc, published 

 by the Fishculture Association of England, in which there 

 are two items referring to this matter, which I will read. The 

 first one favors the use of acids and the second one condemns 

 them- 



There are two sides to all questions. The British Medical 

 Journal writes thus as to herrings cured with boracic acid : 

 " Large quantities of herrings preserved with salt and bor- 

 acic acid being at present imported from Norway, and sold 

 in the London and Newcastle markets, attempts' have been 

 made to prevent their sale. The National Sea Fisheries 

 Protection Association discussed the question at a recent 

 conference at Fishmongers' Hall, but no decision as to such 

 fish was arrived at. It may, therefore, be worth while to 

 point out that boracic acid, being the essential ingredient of 

 our many food preservatives — be it in the form of the acid, 

 of boroglyceride, or of borax — has been used for years, es- 

 pecially to preserve milk in hot weather, and no evidence 

 has ever been brought forward even to suggest injurious ef- 

 fects upon the health; it may, therefore, be taken to be per- 

 fectly harmless. The Norwegian herrings preserved with 

 salt and boracic acid are of exceptionally fine quality, are 

 perfectly fresh when brought into the market, and are of 

 course, subject to the usual process of inspection by the 

 market inspectors, whose power of rejection is almost abso- 

 lute. If, nevertheless, an outcry is heard against this sale, 

 it is difficult to resist the belief that it is dictated by the 

 jealousy which is notoriously rife in Billingsgate circles. 



"The introduction of cheap food from new sources, wel- 

 comed as it always is by the public, is invariably opposed by 

 the trade who, after all, reap the chief advantage in the 

 long run. One has but to recall the sneers of the meat vend- 

 ers at American and Australian meat to value the agitation 

 against Norway herrings at its proper worth. Hitherto, 

 happily, we have been spared the bitter discussions which 

 have on the Continent led to legislation against certain food 

 preservatives, such as salicylic acid, which we in England 

 admit without hesitation. The question is mainly one of 

 public economy: Shall good food be wasted for want of a 

 preservative, even if certain objections may be urged against 

 their use, or shall we put up with these objections and aim 

 at cheapening food for the masses, provided, always, that 

 nothing which could injuriously affect their health is 

 allowed to be present? A sufficient guarantee is afforded by 

 the vigilance of medical officers, public analysts and market 

 inspectors against the abuse of antiseptics and food preserv- 

 atives." 



On the other hand, & fish trader writes to the Fish Trade 

 Gazette: "Hundreds of barrels of herrings from Norway 

 out of one cargo were condemned, and also, that there were 

 about 1,600 barrels unsold lying in London at that time. 

 France will not admit the Swedish and Norwegian herrings 

 nor any other fish cured by the process named. Many shop- 

 keepers soon find out to their cost that once their customers 

 have tasted herrings cured with acid they don't ask for 

 them a second time." 



he MmneJ. 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream Pub. Co 



A. K. R.-SPECIAL NOTICE. 



THE AMERICAN KENNEL REGISTER, for tie registration 

 of pedigrees, etc. (with prize lists of all shows and trials), is 

 published evary month. Entries close on the 1st. Should bs in 

 early. Entry blanks sent on receipt of stamped and addressed 

 envelope. Registration fee (50 cents) must aecompany each entry. 

 No entries inserted unless paid in advance. Yearly subscription 

 $1.50. Address "American Kennel Register," P. 0. Box 2832, New 

 York. Number of entries already printed 5123. 



MASSACHUSETTS DOG LAW. 



BOSTON, June 22.— Editor Forest and Stream: This State 

 has just passed an act of considerable interest ts dog 

 owners. Until now there has been nothing in our law t© fix 

 the age at which a pup becomes taxable as a dog and sub- 

 ject to our dog license laws, which are strict. The fine for 

 keeping an unlicensed dog is $15, and $5 goes to informer, 

 and the magistrate has no discretion to reduce the fine or 

 abate it. 



The new law provides that dog breeders keeping five 

 breeding dogs or less pay a fee of $25, or more than five 

 breeding dogs $50, and such persons are entitled to keep the 

 pups until they are six months old without being taxed for 

 them. The implication is that all other persons are taxable 

 for pups under six months old. There may be some question 

 whether unweaned pups would be taxable, but there is no 

 question but weaned pups under six months old are taxable 

 to all persons who have not taken out the breeder's license 

 provided for by our new law, which took effect May 26 of 

 this year. S. W. Hatheway. 



ESSEX COUNTY KENNEL CLUB.— A kennel club has 

 been organized at Lynn, Mass., to be known as the Essex 

 County Kennel Club. The present officers are as follows: 

 President, Robert Leslie; Vice-President, Dr, O P. 

 Macalaster; Secretary, Benjamin Phillips; Treasurer, E. L. 

 Rogers. The object of the club is to encourage the breeding of 

 blooded dogs, and to hold bench shows and field trials. The 

 club was formed to meet the want being felt by the owners 

 of dogs throughout Essex county for such an organization, 

 and its list of members is rapidly increasing, 



