July 14, 1887.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



637 



(1887), by the same author, is a sensible book, which will 

 suit the anglers of the old school. It indorses tried and 

 approved methods, and is cautious of innovations. One 

 very remarkable production, most creditable to its com- 

 piler, and certainly falling within the scope of legitimate 

 angling literature, is the latest catalogue issued by Messrs. 

 Abbey & Imbrie, of New York, which contains some 1,500 

 illustrations, covering the entire range of angling outfits. 

 Such an inimitable pictorial exposition is most useful in 

 objective instruction and ought to be catalogued in every 

 angling library. — Charles Halloch, in London Field. 



THE SLIDING LOOP. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I am firmly convinced that a fair trial will prove all 

 that I claim' for this arrangement. The short space of 

 time required to change a ca?t of flies, also the fact that 

 when the gut gets worn at the head of the fly, it can be 

 cut above the worn place and another loop tied in, will 

 greatly recommend it to every fly-fisher. My first at- 

 tempts at using the sliding loop (or slip noose) were not 

 very successful. It did not work well for the simple 

 reason that the head of the fly was not the proper shape. 

 I did not find it out until some time afterward, but laid 

 the trouble to every cause but the right one; that trouble 

 disposed of the loop has always stood by me in actual use. 

 I have used it in all my fishing with only the end knot; 

 the knot close to loop fastening blocks any tendency to 

 loosen up and should always be used. A fair trial will 

 convince the most stubborn angler of its advantages over 

 the old-time methods. 



Fig. 1 shows manner of tying the loop and knots. Fig. 

 2 shows loop in position with knots drawn tight. Place a 

 finger on the fastening and pull upward on the leader; 

 it will then settle into place as in Fig. 3. To unfasten 

 pull on the knotted end. The drawings give the proper 

 shape and size of the head of the fly in proportion to the 

 body. Avoid tying head of fly as in Fig. 4. A fly of 

 this description will answer tolerably well if strong waxed 

 thread is wound over wrapping until large enough to give 

 a good hold. Fig. 5 represents a hook slightly turned up 

 at the end. with waxed thread wound on up to the head, 

 in the usual manner of wrapping, omitting gut in all 

 cases. A hook slightly knobbed, or as in Fig. 5, is the 

 proper thing to use to give this arrangement a fan trial. 

 A straight hook can be made to answer the purpose, pro- 

 vided the angler is careful enough to tie in everything in 

 the strongest possible manner, with four or five half- 

 hitches, is a very good way of finishing off or fastening 

 on. 



Where extra strength is required, wind strong waxed 

 thread around hook in the usual manner of wrapping, 

 finishing off opposite the point, leaving about 6in. over. 

 Now tie in two or three pieces separately close up to 

 where you finished off, leaving the same length over; 

 bring them together and wind toward the head, tying in 

 each strand separately and close up in finishing. For 

 bait-fishing wind waxed thread back of projection (see 

 Fig. 5) to form a cushion to Veep the gut away from the 

 head of the hook; wax yoiu- thread well with shoemaker's 

 wax, and rub some warm wax over the wrapping and 

 fastenings; if the weather is cold do your work near the 

 fire. 



Now I leave you to your own devices, or rather mine. 



Artist. 



Rahway, N. J. 



NOTES FROM ALASKA. 



THE waters of southeastern Alaska are quite well 

 stocked with fish. Among others there are codfish, 

 flounders, herring, halibut, red and dog salmon and 

 salmon trout. The codfish, flounders, halibut and salmon 

 trout are taken with the line, and sometimes a fine salmon 

 may be taken by trolling with a silver spoon. Usually, 

 however, salmon and herring are taken in nets. 



Without doubt the Northwest Trading Co. take more 

 herring at Killisnoo, on Admiralty Island, than any other 

 establishment in Alaska. Hundreds of tons of the fish 

 are caught during every month of the season, and thous- 

 ands of barrels of oil produced therefrom are shipped 

 back to the States, where it is often sold under quite a 

 different name from that which its origin makes proper. 



The herring run in such dense schools that with no 

 other iniplenient than a stick, through which several 

 nails are driven with a backward slant and the points 

 sharpened, an Indian may take two or three at every dip 

 and fill his canoe in a very short time. 



These Indians make a great deal of fish oil in rather a 

 novel manner. A large wood fire is made into which 

 they cast many stones. They prop one of their wrought 

 wooden canoes securely on the ground and pour some 

 water into it. When the stones have become very hot 

 they pilch them into the canoe. Then they put several 

 bushels of fish in also, and allow the mass to stew. By 

 and by the oil will rise to the surface of the water. It is 

 then skimmed off and deposited hi tight wooden boxes, 

 which the Indians very ingeniously make. It is then 

 stored away for f uture use to make their dried berries and 

 hard tack more palatable. 



Halibut grow to immense size in these waters. The 

 Indians frequently catch them with hooks of their own 

 manufacture. They dry vast quantities of halibut and 

 salmon upon frames or racks in the sun or overhead in 

 then - one-story wooden houses, where the circling smoke 

 of the fire in the center is sure to reach them. These dried 

 fish may bo called their staple article of food, for it is 

 often all they have to eat. But both the taste and smell 

 of Indian dried fish are enough to nauseate the stomachs 

 of most white men, though they are some what preferable 

 to starvation. 



A gentleman related substantially the following inci- 



dent in the writer's hearing: Himself and his brothei"-in- 

 law, who was a young Indian boy of perhaps ten years, 

 set out to fish for' halibut. Each had a canoe to hmiself 

 and had soon made the necessary preparations for secur- 

 ing their prizes. Very soon the boy had a bite, but 

 instead of catching the fish he was caught in quite a pre- 

 dicament. It seems the line was secured to one of the 

 canoe's braces, and the halibut feeling the hook, and being 

 large enough to "make way for liberty," was not disposed 

 to be taken captive tamely; so off he swam, drawing the 

 canoe at such a lively rate that Mr. G. had grave fears for 

 the safety of the lad. They went in the opposite direc- 

 tion from him, and he began to pull in bis line that he 

 might try to overtake them. But he found a large fish 

 was attached to his own hook, so he quickly cut the line 

 and paddled in pursuit. There is little probability that he 

 would have overtaken the canoe had not the courser 

 turned sharply round and taken a back track. Mr. G. 

 then managed to get hold of the canoe, and together they 

 worked the canoe toward shore. Some Indians appeared 

 on the scene with poles and assisted in dispatching the 

 marine monster. His weight must have been three or 

 four hundred pounds. 



The red salmon are deep sea fish and migrate to the in- 

 lets, entering the rivers and penetrating far inland in 

 order to deposit their spawn. They come in almost in- 

 credible numbers every spring. Several canneries pre- 

 serve great quantities of them fresh, and at the fisheries 

 they are packed in barrels with salt. They are then 

 shipped to the Columbia River, and the packages marked 

 as Columbia River salmon, whence they are sent far and 

 wide. 



The Indians spear the salmon, oftimes seeing only the 

 ripple made by the fish on the surface of the water until 

 a huge salmon of 50 or 60 pounds weight is brought 

 struggling to the surface and deposited in the canoe. 

 But the whites catch them in nets. J. P. White. 



Junuatj, Alaska; 



The To ornament.— Editor Forest and Stream: On 

 returning to the city and reading up fishing matters, my 

 attention was attracted to the Levison-Prichard affair, as 

 published in your issues of June 9 arid 30. As a member 

 of the Rod and Reel Association who has taken a great 

 interest in its welfare, I regret that such an aff ah- occurred, 

 but rejoice that you had the courage to expose and con- 

 demn it. From the letter of Prichard, June 30, it is evi- 

 dent that he has been bought off by Mr. Levison, who 

 gave him the rod back after the publication of your arti- 

 cle, and, therefore, he is practically as deep in the mud 

 as Levison. In your editorial comment on Prichard's let- 

 ter you say: "The Association should add to its organi- 

 zation a governing committee to take cognizance of such 

 matters and provide a remedy for them." You will find 

 such a remedy in the constitution, which provides for the 

 expulsion of members guilty of tmgentlemanly conduct 

 at tournaments; and if the Association values its exist- 

 ence it should not suffer tliis case to pass. The feeling 

 among those I have talked with is unanimous on tins sub- 

 ject, and has been intensified since the publication of 

 Prichard's letter, which was easily seen to be the product 

 of a "deal."— Harlem Mere. 



Netting in the Mohawk.— William H. Burnett, Depu- 

 ty Sheriff of Albany and Warren counties, N. Y., writes 

 under date of June 29 to Mr. A. N. Cheney, Vice-President 

 of the Eastern New York Fish and Game Protective Asso- 

 ciation, that he has arrested George De Voe. John Todd, 

 John Bulsom and Charles Stevens, of Schenectady coun- 

 ty, for violation of the law in catching fish at the fish way 

 in the Mohawk River. They all plead guilty and were 

 fined ten dollars each, or ten days in jail. These cases 

 were disposed of since June 26. He also arrested John 

 Clute for the same offense on June 16, who plead guilty 

 and was fined five dollars. All these cases were tried 

 before a justice of the peace in the town of Niskayuna. 

 Mr. Burnett found seven nets on the bank of the Mohawk 

 at the fish way, which had been used in the illegal capture 

 of fish at the fish way, making fourteen nets taken by him 

 in Schenectady county. He also had three Polanders 

 arrested for netting in Saunders Lake. Two of them 

 were fined five dollars each, and the other one, who owned 

 the nets, was fined twenty -five dollars before a justice of 

 the peace in Glenville. He tells Mr. Cheney that there 

 are more cases to follow, as soon as he can get time to 

 bring them up. 



Hudson Waters.— Sh-mount, Hudson, N. Y., July 9.— 

 I have been having some big fishing here. Mr. I. W. 

 Hankes invited me to spend the Fourth at his country 

 seat and one of the objects of interest was a fish pond he 

 has just stocked out of the Hudson. The fisherman got 

 some live bait and some one suggested to try the pond. I 

 put a fly-rod together, hooked on a minnow and after a 

 few minutes' dibbling handed over to Mr. J. W. Haaren. 

 Inside two minutes a small-mouth of about a pound had 

 taken hold and it is an open question whether the fisher 

 or the fish was the more astonished. The ladies were all 

 present and the variety of advice which was vouchsafed 

 was awful. Finally his bass-ship was lifted out, admired, 

 unhooked and put back again for another season. I have 

 tried all around Hudson with no great success. Pulver's 

 seems a very handsome trout stream, and big striped 

 bass are reported from Walden. We were two days at 

 Lake Copake, where Mr. Lyon has a well-fitted fishing 

 hotel with first-rate boats. I got five big-mouths skitter- 

 ing with a bogus mouse and rock bass by the peck. — 

 Gray John. 



Bluefish in Great South Bay.— Great numbers of 

 blue fish are now being taken along the south shore of 

 Long Island, and are more plentiful in the Great South 

 Bay than in several years. The bay is filled with boats 

 from all the ports, and they are meeting with great suc- 

 cess. There are no menhaden to be had, and the anglers 

 are using the small minnows known as mumichogs, or 

 "mummies," for bait and for chumming. These latter 

 are deficient in oil, and therefore are not as good for 

 chum as the menhaden, but are the only available bait. 

 The bluefish, though plenty, are not in as good condition 

 as usual, probably from the absence of their favorite food. 



The Cusk.— Will Dr. Sterling, as a supplement to his 

 interesting article, kindly tell us through the columns of 

 Forest and Stream the proper way to cook the livers of 

 the "e.d pout." Am glad to know this fish has its friends; 

 — Blackspot. 



Connecticut Salmon.— Hartford, Conn., July 5.— It 

 wall perhaps interest the readers of the Forest and 

 Stream to know that a salmon weighing 161bs. was taken 

 in the Farniington River, a tributary of the Connecticut, 

 at Windsor, just below the Poquonnock Dam, on July 4, 

 1887. This is the second one that has been taken this 

 season, the first one weighed about 81bs. — D. W. H. 



jjjwhcnlture. 



Addresss all cornmunicatioiw to the Forest and Stream Pub. Co. 



THE FISHERIES OF JAPAN. 



BY K. ITO. 



[Before the American Fisheries Society.] 



ENTLEMEN, my intention in being present at this 

 T meeting is simply to benefit myself by gathering the 

 crumbs that fall from your table, and not to benefit you by 

 any talk, as I am not at all prepared to make any remarks ; 

 but at the same time I am very much interested in this 

 society. I have heard and read so much about it while in 

 my own country that it gives me great pleasure to be able to 

 be present at this meeting, my great interest hi which has 

 prompted me to make the bold attempt of addressing you in 

 a tongue with which I am not familiar. 



Fish constitute the chief article of food in Japan and the 

 fishing industries are necessarily the most import ant pursuit 

 of the Japanese. It gives employment to 1,654,178 men and 

 yields $35,000,000. The peculiar features of the country 

 afford every kind of fishing, and a great many varieties of 

 the marine animals and plants are collected and utilized. It 

 is not possible, however, without some previous preparation, 

 for me to enumerate them or to give any account of the 

 methods used for catching and curing them. I will, there- 

 fore, limit my subject to the fisheries of northern -Japan, or 

 Hokkaido, with which I am more familiar. Hokkaido, 

 more familiarly known to you under the name of Yesso, is 

 one of the islands constituting the Japanese Empire, and is 

 situated between 40 deg. 21 min. and 45 deg. 30 min. north 

 latitude. It covei-s an area of about 319,000 square miles. 

 The fisheries industry is the oldest and most important of 

 the island. I will give a brief description of some of the 

 principal fisheries of the Hokkaido. 



First in the order of importance are the spring herring 

 fisheries. The spring herring (Clupca harengus) approaches 

 the western coast of the island in tremendous groups in the 

 spring and early summer, and fishing is carrieel on from the 

 first part of April to the last of June. The implements used 

 for the capture of this fish are of two kinds— the gill-net and 

 the moored trap-net. The fish caught are gutted and the 

 bones and head taken off and dried upon scaffoldings. They 

 are then made into bundles and sent to the southern part of 

 Japan for food, while the roes, which are left, are dried on 

 the flake or pickled and used for food. The head bones and 

 gills, left after making the boneless herring, are also dried 

 and utilized as fertilizers. But since the introduction of 

 traps, about thirty years ago, and also the introduction of 

 the pocket attachment after that, the catch became so 

 enormous that every fish caught could not be utilized in the 

 old way, and so the guano and oil industries were inaugu- 

 rated. ' This industry has grown from year to year and at 

 present is the most important of the fisheries of the Hok- 

 kaido. At present the total amount of the dried scraps 

 manufactured reaches the enormous quantity of ninety 

 thousand tons. 



Next in importance is the salmon fishery. Our salmon 

 belongs to the same genus as the Pacific coast salmon. 

 There are two principal species of salmon, namely, the 

 spring salmon {Oncorhynclnis perryi) and the fall salmon 

 (Oneorhynchus haberi). The spring salmon ascend the 

 waters for the purpose of spawning in the months of May 

 and June, and the fall salmon in the late fall months. The 

 fall run is the more numerous of the two, but inferior in 

 flavor. 



The methods used in the capture of this fish are several, but 

 the principal kinds of nets used are the drag-seines, traps 

 and gill-nets in the seas, while only the drag-seines are used 

 in the rivers. Some of the chief salmon rivers in the island 

 can still compare with any salmon rivers in this country. 

 The most important river for salmon is Ishikari, emptying 

 into Strogonof Bay on the western coast. Curing in "salt 

 used to be the only way of preparing the salmon for market, 

 but about eight years ago the Government employed Mr. 

 Treat, of Eastport, Me., to introduce the method of canning 

 the fish, and the new industry is growing constantly, and 

 some of the articles are now sent to France. About three 

 years ago a gentleman commenced a smoking business there 

 and this we hope will soon become one of the principal in- 

 dustries in the salmon fisheries. 



Now, I will make a few remarks on the cod fisheries. The 

 cod are most abundant in the winter anu early spring. The 

 fishing ground at present is limited more to the in-shore, 

 being from five to twenty-five miles from the shore and in 

 water of 100 or 200 fathoms. The gear used for capture is the 

 trawl exclusively, the construction of which is on the same 

 principle as the trawls used in the New England fisheries of 

 this country. The vessel used in this work is very small. It 

 is an open, flat bottomed boat, about 36ft. in length, and is 

 furnished with a single mast and one large clumsy rectangu- 

 lar sail. The most common method of treating the cod is to 

 take off the head and bones and dry them very hard, like the 

 Norwegian stockfish. The second way is to split and thor- 

 oughly cure them with salt. Still, some of the fish of the 

 early catch are just gutted, slightly cured and sent away for 

 more immediate consumption. 



Another important fishery is theiwashi (Clupea melan os- 

 ticta), a kind of herring, that conies into the open sandy 

 beach of the eastern coast in the months of June and July. 

 Their schools are not so large as those of the spring herring, 

 and are sometimes mixed with "seven dots" (Etrumetts 

 micropus) and also with the young of the spring herring. 

 The principal contrivance for the capture of this species is 

 the drag seme. The fish are all made into scrap and oil. 



Next I will mention the trepang fisheries. Trepangs, or 

 sea-cucumbers, occur in the sandy bottom of the sea all 

 along the coast, and are gathered by the use of a dredge. 

 The fish caught are gutted and boiled in a decoction of niug- 

 glewolts or artemesia, and are then spread on a sort of cleat 

 with bamboo bottom, and dried for exportation to the Chin- 

 ese market. 



Another fish for the Chinese market and of great import- 

 ance is the awabi. The awabi is a gigantic gasteropod, 

 which is known on the Pacific coast of this country as "aba- 

 lone." It is speared from an open boat just like the dories 

 used by the New England cod fishermen, in water from two 

 to four and a half fathoms deep. The fishermen formerly 

 used cod oil in order to look into the bottom of this deep 

 water, but water glass is now almost universally used for 

 this purpose. About five years ago some adventurous fish- 

 erman introduced the diving apparatus, but in consequence 

 of its injurious effect upon the propagation of the shellfish 

 it was finally prohibited by legislation. The fresh product 

 of this fish is separated from the shell, cooked, slightly 

 smoked and dried, and then sent to the Chinese market. 



Next comes the squid. The squid, which has its run in 

 the fall, lives in big schools and is caught with the jig. It 

 is split open, pressed and dried and sent over to China. 



Another product of the sea I would like to mention is the 



