July 18, 1889. J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



581 



canoes." Fancy old Dan in "a couple of boats, such as 

 they are,'' or old Knots in a giddy-minded birch bark 

 canoe. Dan's infirmities require a good steady boat to 

 make hini measurably comfortable, while the adipose of 

 old Knots and the unreliability of his legs as "sea legs," 

 call for a craft with a breadth of beam that will give 

 security against any frolicsome capers in a mild blow, or 

 in case' he wanted to ''swap legs." "Birch bark Canoes 

 might do," he said, "for Indians and wildfowl with web 

 feet that didn't mind a. ducking now and then, but he 

 wanted a boat that would stand still long enough to give 

 him time to sit down in it," Clearly the craft indigenous 

 to that region would not suit Knots, and we concluded to 

 look elsewhere for a camping place. 



Green and Duck Lakes, fifteen miles southwest of 

 Traverse City, had been highly spoken of to us the year 

 before as fine bass waters, but the obstacle of hauling 

 boats from Traverse and back presented itself, and this, 

 too, was abandoned. Platte Lake came next for con- 

 sideration, a body of water five miles long by three wide, 

 lying over near the coast line of Lake Michigan and some 

 thirty nodes west of Traverse City. It has a clear outlet 

 into Lake Michigan three miles in length, and is said to 

 be the very best lake for bass in that whole region; but 

 bO get to it would require an overland ride with all our 

 "calamities," besides the trouble of hauling in boats from 

 Frankford, twelve or thirteen miles to the south. 



We had heard so much good of this lake that with all 

 the discomforts of reaching it we had about made up our 

 minds to go there, when Knots received a letter from a 

 brother angler living iu Detroit, Mich., a Mr. F.. that 

 upset all our plans and started us on a new trail. As 

 hi other Friz was to be one of our party he was entitled 

 to a voice in the selection of the waters to be fished, and 

 he wrote that if the camp had not already been located 

 he would suggest that we try the waters around the Les 

 Cheneaux Islands, above Mackinaw Island or the St. 

 Mary's River, at the foot of the West Auebish rapids. 



Then, when the time was getting short before the day 

 set for the start, he wrote that he had heard of a new 

 lake three miles back in the Canada hills and about four- 

 teen, miles below the Sault de St. Marie, which promised 

 gOO<3 trout fishing in a stream flowing into it, and as the 

 lake had a free outlet into the St. Mary's River, we rea- 

 soned there must of course be bass, pickerel and mas- 

 kinonje in it. Besides, in making this trip we could 

 gratify a desire that had been growing in some of us for 

 years;' we could see the Soo, and doubtless get a sight of 

 some untutored Lo balancing himself in the jacket of a 

 birch tree, scooping white fish out of the rapids with an 

 overgrown landing net; and when he wrote again that 

 Echo Lake was surrounded by magnificent scenery, bold 

 rocky cliffs and wooded hills that aspired to the dignity 

 of small mountains, we all "echoed" his wish to explore 

 its waters and determined to take our camp somewhere 

 on its rocky shores if soil enough could be found in 

 which to drive the tent pins. It was the blindest trail 

 we had ever started on, for we knew nothing certain of 

 the locality of the lake, its size, nor the character of the 

 fishing we' might find; nor had we secured any boats, but 

 we were willing to risk the chance of securing them at 

 the 830 (Knots even agreeing to try conclusions with a 

 birch b uk canoe if necessary) and then find our way to 

 the lake if it took the best part of the time allotted to our 

 stay in the woods. 



A word here about the party may not be out of place, 

 for the roster of the Kingfishers does not show the same 

 names every season, albeit Old Knots, the old Pelican and 

 Old Hickory (the writer), three of the original party of 

 years ago, have not failed to answer to roll call at each 

 annual reunion for so many years that we would feel 

 young again could we go back to the first camp we made 

 together on the banks of the well-beloved old Tippecanoe 

 River. 



The year before, the general passenger agent of the 

 (Irani Rapids & Indiana Railroad, Mr. C. L. Lockwood, 

 had referred, a brother angler of Frankfort, Ky., to the 

 writer for information about some of the lakes of Upper 

 Michigan, and the correspondence ended in an invitation 

 for him (since known to the readers of Forest and 

 Stream as "Snakeroot") and his chum, Charley F., to 

 join us for a short season in the "bresh," which they did. 

 The acquaintance thus begun has never been regretted, 

 for they arc a couple of as square, big-hearted sportsmen 

 as ever pulled a trigger (both excellent shots) or dug 

 worms of an afternoon for an early start to the "crick" 

 ou a morning. "Judge Snider," of Cincinnati, another 

 old angler friend with a heart as big as a barT, had also 

 be?n one of the party the previous year, and the Upper 

 Michigan fever had fastened on these three with such a 

 firm grip that nothing short of the certainty of being 

 (laved alive by mosquitoes, black flies and no-see-'ems 

 would have kept them from the North Woods, and when 

 the roll was called they were ready with, figuratively 

 speaking, twenty-five days' rations in their gripsacks, 

 and otherwise equipped* for the expedition to Echo 

 Like. 



Knots and the "dodge" were to start a couple ot days 

 ahead and look out for boats at the Soo: Brother Friz 

 would follow up and join us about the time we had the 

 cam]) in running order and the browse stripped for his 

 bed, and Old Dan, with a couple of other good fellows 

 from Decatur, would join the writer and the "hunters 

 from 01 e Ken tuck" at Richmond, Ind., from whence we 

 would follow "the fishing line"— the Grand Rapids & 

 Indiana Railroad— to where it lost itself in the waters of 

 the straits of Mackinaw City. 



Rare old Ben Renshaw,' with his quaint jest, his inimi- 

 table, mirth-provoking speech, his genial ways and in- 

 separable brier root — the life of the camp and the faithful 

 comrade whose place none could fill— was not to be one 

 of us: he wrote, that he could not leave the farm at that 

 time in the season, and that "instid o' ketchin' trout an' 

 musky lunge in Michigan or Canada, he'd hev to be satis- 

 fied with a little plain fish in 5 fur cats and mud-turkles in 

 the Sangamon, fur the Joneses never wus used to the 

 very best o 1 everything nohow." But disappointments 

 and minor calamities must be borne with a certain 

 amount of resignation, and the old "mud turkle" was 

 left behind with genuine regrets and a promise that he 

 would jiue the gang the next year. 



Old Sam S. (the good people of Fraukfort, Ky., call 

 him "Snakeroot") and chum Charley turned up smiling 

 and happy on the evening of July 14, and next morning 

 we were off, with one end of the baggage car half filled 

 with our camp calamities, among which was the same 

 old stove that brother "Seneca" scored me about in For- 



ipulator of the caudal had that critter been an old time 

 army mule with his business end in good workin' order. 

 Off to the east, a matter of three miles across the pass- 

 age, we could see through the lingering smoke the green 

 shores of Drummond Island lying on the American side 

 of the national boundary line, which Capt. Barker told 

 us was indented with numerous small bays, some of 

 which afforded fine bass fishing, adding as a postscript 

 that "they didn't bite much till 'long in September." 



Under "way again, we were soon at the foot of St. 

 Joseph Island (lying on the Canada side of the line), a 

 body of land twenty- five miles long by fifteen at the 

 widest point, the chief products of which, the jolly mate 

 kindly informed us, were "peasoupers an' black bears, 

 with the bears slightly in the majority." 



Off the lower end of St. Joseph on the American side 

 of the boundary we passed Limestone Island, a high, 

 rock-girt, forest-clad strip of land two or three miles 

 long and one of the loveliest of the many lovely islands 

 that dot the length of this glorious river, and shortly 

 after were admiring the beauties of Mud Lake on the 

 Michigan side (a widening of the river), which old Sam 

 gravely made out to be "a mighty handsome piece o' 

 water with a mighty ugly name." Kingfisher, 

 [to bb continued], 



IN PRAISE OF BATTLE LAKE. 



BATTLE LAKE, Minn., July 8.— Editor Forest and 

 Stream,: Please allow me space to correct an error 

 in last week's letter, and also to give our Eastern neigh- 

 bors a pen picture of our place. You dated my letter of 

 last week from Battle Creek, Minn., when there is no 

 such place in the State. It is Battle Lake, the place 

 being named after the beautiful lake on the shores of 

 which it is situated. Years ago the Sioux and Chippewa 

 Indians met here and engaged in a three days' fight, and 

 the place has since been known as Battle Lake. It is 

 located 318 miles west of north from St. Paul, within 

 forty miles of the Dakota line, on a branch line of the 

 Northern Pacific Railroad, known as the Fergus Falls 

 and Black Hills branch. We are thirty-three miles from 

 Wadena, where we leave the main line, and twenty 

 miles from Fergus Falls, a place of 6,000 inhabitants, and 

 the county seat of Otter Tail county. The waters of 

 Battle Lake are purity itself and teem with all varieties 

 of fresh-water fish, the black bass and wall-eyed pike 

 predominating. Three good hotels cater to the public 

 who happen in this the most fascinating spot in the Park 

 Region. We have with us every season from two to three 

 hundred guests, who remain during the months of June, 

 July, August and September, and partake of the joys 

 that this climate and bewitching scenery can give. 

 Chickens, ducks, geese and brant are plenty in their 

 season, and plenty of good boats and liveries can be had 

 at very reasonable rates. The prices charged here are 

 what we brag on. Our hotel accommodations are very 

 highly spoken of by our Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City 

 and Fort Scott guests, and it costs the visitor but $1 per 

 day to enjoy them. Good boats, with bait and necessary 

 equipments, can be had at $3 per week, and good teams 

 for hunting are furnished at $3 per day. 



A writer has said of Battle Lake: "If you are seeking 

 health or pleasure go straight to'Otter Tail county, in the 

 center of the famous Park Region of Minnesota. Find a 

 resident of Battle Lake and he will lead you to fields 

 elysian. He will show you 900 as beautiful lakes as God 

 ever made, teeming with every variety of fresh-water 

 fish. Go with him to this elevation, and as far as your 

 vision extends (and that is for miles) he will show you a 

 panorama of surpassing beauty and loveliness— fertile 

 valleys, primeval forests, a veritable paradise open to all. 

 With an altitude of 1,400ft. above the sea, it has an 

 atmosphere that contains rest and health in every zephyr. 

 This, with an almost perpetual sunshine, makes life here 

 a constant joy." That is the way our visitors talk, and 

 through the columns of the Forest and Stream I want 

 to say to those of its readers who desire rest, recreation 

 or health, come to Battle Lake once and you will cer- 

 tainly repeat your visit. 



Here is a specimen of the every-day news items the 

 Review prints: "Wallace Delafield and Richard Hanen- 

 kamp. of St. Lewis, C. E. Wilson, Russellville, Alabama, 

 and J. A. Colehour, of this village, went to Lost Lake last 

 Monday (July 8) and caught sixty-five black bass that 

 weighed I45lbs. . twelve pike and over a hundred pickerel 

 and rock bass. The lake flies are now very thick, which 

 accounts for the small catch." Bronson Strain. 



Trout and Leeches.— Montreal, July 6.— Editor For- 

 est and Stream: Just back of the Manor House at St. 

 Melnage is a lake fed by springs of cold water; it is about 

 a half mile long, '200yds. wide, in places over 100ft. deep. 

 - j Three years ago I caught large gray trout there; this 

 the fog horn at Point St. Vital to determine his where- I year the lake appears to be completely inhabited by large 

 abouts. The Captain was evidently off his bearings. K, "" v w„w a «rl nn o-rav front nor fish ot anv kind ar 



| est and Stream, and for which I have long since forgiven 

 him. 



At Richmond we looked hi vain for old Dan and lus 

 friends, and at Fort Wayne another backset awaited us, 

 and we went on our way wondering what manner of 

 misfortune had overtaken the old Pelican, for we had 

 come to believe that nothing lc3S than the "old man with 

 the scythe" would deter him from being on time when 

 "Hickory" wanted him to go afishin". It was a sore dis- 

 appointment, but there was nothing to do but go on to 

 camp, trusting he would follow the trail on the next train. 



At Grand Rapids the train waited an hour and forty 

 minutes (for a connection) to give us a chance to pass the 

 time industriously swapping fish lies with "old Bill Hess,' 

 who was at the depot to meet us charged to the muzzle 

 with good humor that beamed from his honest old phiz, 

 and a batch of fresh yarns save I up for our especial 

 delectation. Among all the brothers of the rod, with 

 whom we have smoked the pipe of good fellowship in the 

 flicker of the camp-fire in the past score of years, none is 

 more worthy, none more welcome to share our blanket 

 and our last flapjack than old Bill; may he live a thou- 

 sand years. 



As we were going to a strange country where the frog 

 crop might not have "hit," as they say in the wilds of 

 Tennessee, the menagerie box had been sent up ten days 

 ahead to Bellatre Avith instructions to Tommy Derenzy— 

 our little tow-headed friend on Central Lake— to "hive" 

 350 of the speckled beauties and have the box at Mance- 

 lona on the morning of the 16th as we went through. 



With the prospect of five big, bright sflver dollars in 

 view, Tom laid himself out (Tom's a hustler when it comes 

 to "hivin' a frog") to fill the order, and as w^e pulled up 

 at the station in the gray of the morning we were hailed 

 with, "Hello, Mister H., here's yer frogs— 350 of 'em by 

 Tommy's count; but he couldn't come over himself, an' I 

 thought I bring 'em over for ye; an' I reckon you'll find 

 'em all alive an' akickin', though some of 'em lies been 

 ketched more'n a week," all this m one breath while a 

 handshake was in progress by Pap Derenzy, who had 

 come as Tommy's representative, and "Mr. Hickory." It 

 may be noted that Pap Derenzy has a wondrous and tena- 

 cious grip when it conies to hanging on to a dollar of our 

 daddies, and if Tom got the whole of the $5 he was in 

 great luck, and the old man laboring under a temporary 

 aberration of mind at the time of the transfer. If this 

 should ever meet the eye of Pap it may remind him 

 of something. 



We arrived at Mackinaw City just in good time to miss 

 the steamer Messenger for the Sault, which was in the 

 nature of another decided backset, as we would have to 

 stay there till the next morning. Here was a "category;" 

 however, we concluded to take the ferry steamer, Algo- 

 mah, which would leave in a few minutes for Mackinaw 

 Island and St. Ignace, and spend the day and night on 

 the island, and take a steamer of another line for the 

 Sault in the morning; but as we were on the point of 

 carrying out this plan Mr. W. M. Carpenter, the genial 

 and obliging agent of the G. R. & I. R. R., shed a ray of 

 hope on the situation by saying there was a possibility 

 that the Messenger had not yet left the island, and a brief 

 talk through the telephone brought back the cheering 

 word that she was still there and would await the arrival 

 of the ferry steamer. Thanks to friend Carpenter's 

 though tf ulness, the "category" was not so bad after all. 

 We were shortly aboard the Algomah, and in forty-five 

 minutes were transferring our "duffle," to quote brother 

 "Nessmuk," to the Messenger, the frog box creating a 

 stir among the hangers on around the dock equal to the 

 arrival of a "sure enough circus," but, as old Ben was not 

 along to "talk up the show," they were left in wondering 

 ignorance as to the part the frogs were to take in the per- 

 formance. 



To our surprise there were the Jedge and Knots on the 

 dock, their faces smiling and rubicund (owing doubtless 

 to the "coloring matter" concealed in the hot sun rays), 

 the lazy loons having concluded to stop over and "rest" 

 and see the sights of the island instead of going on above 

 to secure boats and learn something about the lake; but 

 as it turned out their presence at the Sault a day or two 

 ahead would have done little good in getting us to the 

 camp sooner than we did. 



We left the island, headed for Detour Point, with a 

 faint breeze setting softly from the west, a thick blue 

 haze hanging in the air that gave the shore to the north 

 the appearance of a low bank of clouds peeping over the 

 edge of the horizon, so dim and indistinct that it re- 

 quired the aid of a glas3 to dispel the illusion. The haze 

 and smoke grew thicker as we advanced till at last we 

 could not see the waters or the lake outside a radius of 

 a hundred yards or so, and Capt. Barker slowed down 

 the speed till the steamer had barely steerage way, 

 blowing the whistle at short intervals for a response from 



The smoke came from forest fires that had been raging 

 for days along the railroad between St. Ignaee and Mar- 

 quette, and was a source of great annoyance to vessels 

 navigating the upper end of Lake Huron and the St, 

 Mary's River when the wind was from the west. The 

 people at the lighthouse seemed however to be in no 

 hurry to answer the signal, but finally after a half hour 

 of vigorous blowing a hoarse hail from the fog horn came 

 floating over the water through the smoke from a point 

 away off on the larboard beam, and a fortunate veer of 

 the wind a little while after d>-ove the smoke northward 

 till w e could see the shore plainly, with Detour Point 

 two or three miles away. For a half horn* or more the 

 big, fat, jolly mate had been industriously heaving the 

 lead, "feeliii' for the bottom" as he said in answer to a 

 question from Charley, but it was now laid aside with 

 the consoling information that had the steamer held the 

 course a few minutes longer she would have been hard 

 and fast on a reef. "Port a little," from the Captain to 

 the man at the wheel, some sharp pulls at the bell for 

 full steam, and we were - soon leaving a streak of bub- 

 bles and the reef astern, thankful that we were well out 

 of another "category." 



At Detour, a small hamlet of 200 inhabitants and the 

 inevitable Catholic church at the entrance of Detour pas- 

 sage, we stopped a few minutes to discharge a small lot 

 of freight and take on three or four passengers and a 

 cow that seemed to have misgivings about the stability of 

 the gang plank, her doubts being finally overcome by a 

 few vehement twists of her tail at the bands of the jolly 

 mate, a proceeding that moved old Sam (Snakeroot) to 

 observe "would have ended in a catastrophe to the man- 



black leeches, and no gray trout nor fish of any kind are 

 left. Have the leeches killed them all ? In trolling deep 

 with minnows, upon bringing them up to the surface, I 

 found a leech was fastened to each one. Now what is 

 the best way to get rid of these leeches ? I cannot poison 

 the water because the farmers round use it for drinking 

 and watering their cattle. My idea is to get a fish that 

 will feed upon them. Will the red trout do it?— Piscator. 

 [We know of no successful exterminator of this pest. It 

 is reported to have done great injury to Tahoe trout in 

 California. From Francis Francis we quote the follow- 

 ing: "I know also a small lake in Wales, where the fish 

 never take a fly until after dark, when fish from 2 to 31bs. 

 weight may be taken. This lake abounds in leeches, and 

 the trout are very fine in it." This is very singular, as 

 Mr. Daubeny writes in London Field of March 22, 1884, 

 viz. : "The most deadly enemy to young fish I believe to 

 be leeches (Piscicola geovietra), and in some streams it 

 seems to me a puzzle how any of the fry, when just 

 emerged from the egg, can escape them.. * * * I 

 think that they will not touch trout ova, the shell being 

 too tough for them, but fry a few days old on being 

 placed in a saucer with some of these tiny leeches, by 

 way of an experiment, were at once seized upon and de- 

 voured." As is well known, in France they drive old 

 horses and cattle into waters containing leeches for the 

 purpose of gathering the leeches for leeching, but whether 

 the crop is ever exhausted in certain waters we are not 

 informed. The red spotted trout is an enemy of the leech, 

 but in the presence of more tempting food it would prob- 

 ably not prove an exterminator of the leech. We will be 

 pleased to learn of any proper device for the extermina- 

 tion of this or any other pest of fishes.] 



