88 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[AUG. 23, 1888. 



A MICHIGAN STREAM. 



ON the 30th of April, Eugene S. and I engaged a liv- 

 ery rig and started for K.'s house some 12 miles 

 from Lowell. We found him at home and expecting us 

 too, alt hough it had been raining all day quite hard and a 

 strong wind blowing from the east; but we had prom- 

 ised K. the season before that he would find us at his 

 place the night before the first day of May, 1888, and We 

 had kept our word. K. said that some parties were net- 

 ting and spearing the trout in his stream and but few 

 were left; and if we got three apiece we might consider 

 ourselves lucky. This was like cold water being poured 

 down our backs, as we had expected fine sport if the 

 weather would permit. He thought that no one but our- 

 selves kuew of trout being in the stream. It was a case 

 of three and one more. 



In the morning we got out at o o'clock. It had. stopped 

 raining and was very cold and the doorsteps were icy. 

 K. could not go with us so early, but would join us at lit 

 o'clock. Eugene and I started. We had a notion to 

 drive right home, as E. had a toothache all night and 

 was feeling badly; but before we got to the stream, 

 which was 4 miles from K.'s house, the sun came out 

 and we thought we would go and try our luck, and if it 

 proved poor, we would drive home, and stop at Spring 

 Brook, where we knew there were lots of trout, but none 

 so large as those in K.'s creek. Eugene said he was 

 going to try the Cold Water River first as he believed 

 trout wovdd be found in it if anywhere. 



I started up the creek near its mouth, and fished care- 

 fully without a single rise; neither could I get sight ol a 

 trout. I tried under old logs and driftwood and under 

 roots of old stumps and trees; but nothing was there. I 

 had fished about two hours, I think, when the clouds 

 broke away and the sun came out warm and the day was 

 lovely. On going up stream I came to an old bridge that 

 was badly demoralized. I threw in just above it, and 

 was rewarded with my first trout, about lOin. long. This 

 gave me courage. 



I saw up stream an eddy that whirled around the roots 

 of an old stump. To this I crept carefully, and threw in. 

 There was a splash and my line was carried under the 

 log. I pulled, and out came a splendid trout. He made 

 a grand rush for his hiding place; snap went the single 

 gut on my hook and he was free again. Tying on another 

 hook, I baited it nicely, and tided him again: but he had 

 got enough for one day. At the next old log I secured 

 one that would weigh one pound. Then I saw where the 

 banks were worn in under by the current— just the place 

 to find a trout at borne. I found here the mate to my 

 larger one. I went up a mile or so further and only got 

 one more. I turned to retrace my steps and fished back; 

 but had no luck to speak of, catching only one nice trout. 

 I heard voices, and looking through the bush saw Eugene 

 and K. K. had just arrived and had caught nothing. E. 

 had a nice one, too, but his tooth ached so hard he could 

 not take any comfort, aud we decided to start for 

 home. I said, "Let's fish back to the mouth of the 

 stream." I started in at that place. E. took the 

 road and started for the carriage, but dropped in a few 

 times and caught two more trout. I came to where I 

 lost my big fellow and crept up slyly. I threw in but 

 saw no signs of a bite; and I thought I should pull my 

 line out carefully and throw in a little above, and let it 

 float down stream, but it did not come, and I kept pulling 

 until my rod was bent almost double. All this time I had 

 not felt a single motion on my hook, but all at once out 

 tumbled a great big trout. I swung him around toward 

 tire bank, and a projecting limb sticking over the water 

 prevented me from throwing him upon the shore, my 

 rod hit against the limb and caused me to give a quick 

 jerk, and away went my prize into the water again. I 

 made a grand rush for him and went down on all fours, 

 and my dog sprang into the water after him; but he was 

 too quick and slippery for us and got in under the bank 

 again. It just spoiled my fun to lose that trout, which 

 would have weighed two or three pounds. I went on 

 down stream and caught four more nice trout. I found 

 I had nine and Eugene three. I found him curled up in 

 the carriage. I hitched up and drove home as quick as 

 possible, as Eugene was suffering with his tooth. He has 

 since had it pulled, and we are going to try our luck at 

 this same stream in the near future, and I hope we shall 

 have better success. My largest trout weighed l^lbs. 

 Eugene's largest weighed lib. I went down to Spring 

 Brook one day this week and caught thirty-three: but 

 they are not so large as the trout in the stream we visited 

 in Bowne. Brook Trout. 



Lowetx, Micb., May, 1888. 



CHIEF OF SMALL-MOUTH BLACK BASS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Last evening, as I was walking up town from the post 

 office, I noticed a crowd of people collected on one of the 

 principal streets of our village, and as I neared the 

 gathering a horse and carriage issued from it, and in the 

 driver I recognized Mr. L. D. Boynton of Green's Bridge. 

 When Mr. Boynton saw me he pulled up his horse, and 

 putting his hand under the carriage seat produced and 

 held up to view a monster black bass of the small- 

 mouthed species. In reply to jay inquiry lie said that the 

 bass weighed 8flbs., and had been weighed by people 

 that he named and that I knew; then he drove on, lea v- 

 ing behind only the image of the great fish in my mind's 

 eye. 



Proceeding up the street to verify the weight of the 

 bass, I met Mr. Ohas. H. Hitchcock, who asked if I had 

 weighed the fish, and if not, why not. Two hours would 

 take me to Green's Bridge and back, allowing time to 

 weigh the bass and get its pedigree; therefore, Mr. Hitch- 

 cock and I took a car and were duly delivered at our des- 

 tination, where the bass was found on exhibition and 

 intact. I put the big fellow on a set of counter scales 

 and he balanced 91 bs. : but I found that the scales did not 

 balance. Other scales were produced and tested, and at 

 81bs. lOoz. the bass in the scoop balanced the scale beam. 

 From nose to joining of caudal, measuring with a tape, 

 following the contour of the body, the distance wasl8in.; 

 to fork in caudal, 24Ain.: to extremity of caudal, 25in. 

 The girth was l8fin. 



I said to Mr, Boynton that I would like to see the fish 

 opened, eviscerated and again weighed, to which he at 

 once consented. I cut it open, took out the gills and vis- 

 cera, and again weighed it, when the scales marked 71bs. 

 8oz. The gills and viscera weighed lib. }oz., and the 

 missing ounce and a half of weight— for the shrinkage ' 



between the dressed and undressed fish will be seen to 

 have been lib. 2oz.— consisted of lost blood and bits of 

 intestines rubbed out when washing the abdominal 

 cavity. In the stomach of the bass was a partly digested 

 yellow perch which in that condition weighed about five 

 ounces. I have been thus particular about the eviscera- 

 tion and weighing before and after the operation, be- 

 cause it has been a matter of dispute how much a big 

 bass loses by dressing. I have the records of a number 

 of bass dressed and undressed, and the shrinkage is less 

 than is generally supposed. 



Tins giant bass was caught in Long Pond (Glen Lake), 

 four miles from this village, with perch bait. Long Pond, 

 not unknown to the columns of Forest and Stream, has 

 produced and given up more large specimens of the 

 small-mouth bass than any water in the United States, 

 but the very big ones show up about as often as a comet, 



Mr. Hitchcock procured of Mr. Boynton the bass with 

 whose person I have been so familiar in this letter, and 

 to-morrow- he will send it to Mr. W. S. Banta, 33 Pine 

 street, New York city, and possibly it may be seen then;. 



Oi,ens Falls, N. Y., Aug. 19. A. N. CHENEY. 



LARGE MASK1NONGE IN CANADA. 



THE Intelligencer, of Bellville, Ont., in its issue of Aug. 

 gives an account of some remarkable maskin- 

 onge fishing which we take a twofold pleasure in record- 

 ing — one being the extraordinary numbers and sizes of 

 the fish, and the second the correct spelling of its name. 

 The InteUiyemer says: 



"The inaskinonge fishing of Mosquito Bay is only begin- 

 ning to blossom. Since Mr. Reid discoveied the bed the 

 luck has been the greatest known in northern waters. 

 Yesterday afternoon Messrs. H. K. Smith and Henry 

 Leavens went down in Mr. Smith's steam launch Senga 

 to try their luck. Mr. Smith had photographed Mr. D. R. 

 Leavens' catch in the morning and sallied forth full of 

 hope and bright anticipations. He reached the grounds 

 between four and five o'clock, and when he left had 

 three niaskos on board, the largest measuring 49£in. long, 

 2l£in. around and weighing 31^1bs. When it was opened 

 at Mr. Wm, Black's fish market this morning in the pres- 

 ence of the writer, Chief Newton, Henry Leavens and 

 others, a fresh pike measuring 23in. and weighing 2^1bs. 

 was taken from its maw. The second in size w^as taken by 

 Mr. Leavens and weighed 201 bs. ; the third was small, an 

 8 pounder. 



'•Jos. Turley was fishing in the charmed spot yesterday 

 and reports that he lost three large fish. Henry Leavens 

 lost one from his hook, M. D. Ward one and D. R. 

 Leavens one. A. N. Reid captured a 15-pounder and saw 

 a monster strike for the spoon just as he was drawing it 

 into the boat. The number and size of the fish caught 

 can be vouched for, as they have all been brought to this 

 city and have been seen by hundreds of people. Mr. 

 Smith photographed his fish this morning. 



"Mr. John G. Peck, of Anieliasburg, reports that a few 

 year s ago he captured two maskos in a seine, which to- 

 gether weighed I041bs., one 58 and the other 48lbs. Mr. 

 Peck is in favor of the total abolition of gill nets and 

 the prohibition of the use of seines on rock bottoms dur- 

 ing the months of July and August." 



BERKSHIRE TROUT STREAMS. 



I was up in Berkshire county in July and took occa- 

 Jl sion to go trouting several times, more to revisit the 

 old streams than in the hope of doing any execution. 

 The long dry weather in June had made them very low 

 and I could get a dozen or two of respectable (7 to 9in. in 

 that locality) trout only by using the finest ot drawn gut 

 leaders and flies. I tied* on No. 12 and 14 hooks with 

 gossamer snells expressly for the purpose. Brown 

 hackles, alders and black-gnats and coachmen at evening 

 were best. 



The worst of such fine tackle as this is that while one 

 is compelled to use it on these educated trout, in fine 

 water to make any catch, one is almost certain to lose a 

 good sized fish if one has the luck as I did on one or two 

 occasions to hook one, as the tackle is too fine to take 

 him out bodily, and in the small streams there is abso- 

 lutely no room to play him. If you try the latter plan 

 he is either floundering among the stones or makes a 

 dart into some hole near by and is gone. However, al- 

 though Host several fish running i to lib., and they are 

 rarely taken above this weight in "the small brooks of 

 Berkshire, I got several in water open enough to play 

 and land my fish. 



From a long acquaintance with tins region I can say 

 there is no trouting to be found there that would war- 

 rant an angler visiting that locality for sport alone. It 

 is, however, a lovely country and well worthy a visit 

 from every lover of nature who has not been there, and 

 incidentally one can take a fight rod and his very small- 

 est and finest flies and leaders. Should then there be a 

 rain to fill up the brooks, the angler may get a few 

 hours of moderate sport, but he must be a skillful fly- 

 caster to do it. With worms considerable more execu- 

 tion can be done, and the streams are heavily overgrown 

 in places. 



We had one rain while I was there, and for two after- 

 noons 1 had some sport while the brooks were clearing, 

 catching three dozen fish running from Gin. to 9in. in 

 length, a very nice fish for the pan, but scarcely of a 

 size to give sport on the hook. However, then - shyness 

 and the care that must be used in taking them offers 

 some excuse for their size. 



The bass fishing in the lakes there is not up to the 

 average this year. I took two small strings with a fly 

 and broke my split bamboo on a two-pounder, Which 

 seized the fly just as I was taking it from the water 

 quickly to make a new cast. It was a great surprise to 

 me and I trust also to the fish. I had the usual abominable 

 time trying to make a splice stand in a split bamboo, 

 which as usual was a failure. No matter how well you 

 do it a splice in this kind of rod if below the tip soon be- 

 comes soft and the rod fails to cast well. I consider it one 

 of the greatest disadvantages connected with this species 

 of rod. And in this connection how about the new steel 

 rods; haven't any of our angling friends tried one yet? I 

 had hoped some one would report on their merits. I had 

 some thoughts of trying one myself, but as I haven't 

 been able to get away and make any regular fishing trip 

 this summer I concluded to forego the luxury. Perhaps 

 some have been more fortunate and ha"\ e tried this rod. 

 If so let them report for our mutual benefit. 

 New Haven, Corm , PERCY VAL. 



FLY-FISHING AT LAKE EDWARD. 



I HAVE read many interesting letters in Forest and 

 Stream lately on the subject of Lake Edward fish- 

 ing, and I will now give my experiences for the benefit 

 of anglers generally. 



My brother and I camped on the lake from July 20 till 

 Aug. 1, 1888, and were during that time joined for a few 

 days by our nephew Walter J. Travis, of New York. 



Many people seem to think that the trout in Lake Ed- 

 ward will not take a fly, but I assure you this is a great 

 mistake. It is, I think, true that they will not generally 

 rise very eagerly to the fly about the end of July, but 

 nevertheless we had as good fly-fishing as any reasonable 

 person could possibly desire on several occasions at even 

 this the worst season of the year. 



One day my brother and I landed about fifty trout (all 

 with the fly) from say ^lb. to 2^1bs. in weight, and once 

 I hooked and landed three trout at one cast (all with 

 large flies of my own make) and with a 7oz. lancewood 

 rod, made by T. Chubb, of Post Mills, Vt., and finished 

 by myself (the most perfect rod I ever handled). 



We found the officials of the Quebec & Lake St. John 

 Railway Company most obliging and courteous, and it is 

 evidently their intention to do all in their power to make 

 sportsmen enjoy themselves from the moment they leave 

 Quebec for the north until their return; at least such 

 was our experience. Mr. Rothwell, the mechanical su- 

 perintendent; Mr. Walter Hoolihan, in charge of the 

 supplies, &c. ; Mr. J. F. Pelletier, the station agent, and 

 Mr. aud Mrs. Edgeley, proprietors of the Windsor Hotel 

 at Lake Edward, did their utmost — and far more than 

 they were called upon to do — to make our trip pleasant 

 and satisfactory. They certainly treated us well in 

 every respect. Mr. Rothwell kindly took us in his steam 

 yacht Emma up the north arm of the lake, toward the 

 inlet, and past what is called the "Deep Cut" on the 

 railway. The scenery in this part of the lake — which is 

 apparently seldom visited by sportsmen from a distance 

 — is certainly grand. The hills are much higher than 

 they are in the southern portion of the lake, at least they 

 appear to be, perhaps from the fact that they take then- 

 rise more closely to the water. 



One would scarcely imagine from Lake Edward that 

 there was any passage or outlet from the bay to the north. 

 These passages from one bay to another are very numer- 

 ous throughout Lake Edward (properly called Lac. des 

 Grandes lies), and one unaccustomed to the wilds might, 

 inconsequence, easily lose himself, as many of the islands 

 and points look exactly alike. 



We camped down the lake about nine miles from Lake 

 Edward railway station, on a beautiful open point, 

 where there is a nice sandy beach for bathing and a good 

 landing place for the boats. It is true that there were 

 plenty of black flies, sand flies and mosquitoes, and, 

 although we used strong lotions, black-fly cream, etc, , wb 

 were not able to keep them from tormenting us. Intend- 

 ing visitors should provide themselves with fine netting, 

 long kid or buckskin gloves, and plenty of repellents (the 

 strongest you can obtain). If you can only succeed in 

 keeping free from fly bites the sport will amply repay 

 you; but you must not expect to get good fishing near the 

 railway station in July. You will require to go six or 

 eight miles down the lake. For fly-fishing try near the 

 Gull rocks, about nine miles down, and you will be sure 

 to meet with success with the fly if the wind and weather 

 are favorable 



With regard to flies the Parmachenee-belle and claret, 

 dressed on large hooks (say No. 1), and with plenty of 

 body, are very taking. I also found a fly designed by 

 myself especially for the lake very effective. It is made 

 thus: Body, reddish brown mohair; silver twist; tail of 

 golden pheasant; hackle, claret; wings, dark bronze tur- 

 key, with thin strip of dyed bright yellow and purple 

 feather on each side. 



The air on the lake is certainly most invigorating and 

 bracing, and during the whole time we were there we did 

 not find it uncomfortably warm. 



Any gentlemen who want really good trout should pay 

 a visit to L ake Edward about the end of August or begin- 

 ning of September, when, they say, the flies will have 

 disappeared, and by which time the trout will have 

 returned to the Lake Edward station end of the lake. 

 Mr. Rothwell informed me that in June and September 

 he and his daughter catch wdth fly all the trout they want 

 casting from the end of his boat house, about 200yds. 

 from the station. 



The largest trout I saw taken in the lake weighed 4ilbs. 

 It was caught with bait by Mr. Dando, of Philadelphia. 

 He also caught some nice ones with the fly and trolling 

 with minnows. WALTh R Greaves. 



Belle vtlt,,e, Ont., Aug. 15. 



SUNAPEE LAKE, 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



This is my sixth week at this beautiful lake, and I have 

 camped on the same old ground for the past five years, 

 I have eamped nearly all over New England, but usually 

 bring up at Sunapee when opportunity offers. It has 

 many attractions for me, but like most places is becoming 

 civilized too rapidly. 



The expectation of taking some of the "new trout" has 

 brought many here this year; but so far as I can learn 

 without any great success. Off the Hedgehog is probably 

 the best trout fishing ground on the lake; there have been 

 there from one to a dozen boats each day, rain or shine; 

 but nearly all report "poor luck." 



I tried it two days and a blistered nose was my only 

 reward. The fishing is with minnows, in from thirty to 

 ninety feet of water, some boats using two rods and even 

 more to each man. A fine landlocked salmon was caught 

 there a few days ago by one of the local fishermen ; it 

 was said to weigh 121bs., and is, as far as I know, the 

 largest ever taken in this lake. It was sold at once to a 

 wandering "corn doctor" for $5, and its purchaser is 

 probably posing before admiring friends as its captor. 

 Such is fishing, it is a sure way to say the least. 



I have never seen any illegal fishing of any kind here; 

 perhaps the Commissioners look with more care after 

 Sunapee than they do after Newfound Lake. While 

 camping there some years ago I found the fishing was 

 not as reported in the several guide books advertising it, 

 and upon inquiring the reason was informed that I was 

 too early, and that fall was the fishing season for the 

 natives living around the lake, when the trout were taken 

 in large numbers from the beds. Newfound is a fine 



