248 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



l Oct. 18, 1888, 



man of the Museum, who is with us this evening, will 



iierhaps give us the results of his examination of the fish. 

 : have great pleasure in introducing Mr. Garnian. 



Mr. Gasman— Mr. President and gentlemen of the 

 Association: I am glad to be able to report that the fish 

 sent to the museum arrived in good condition. I com- 

 pared it with other specimens, and can detect no great 

 difference between it and the others. In their visits to 

 the fresh waters, the salmon of our coasts are • more or 

 less restricted to particular times, by the winter with its 

 lack of food, by the freshets, and by low waters. Between 

 May and November we can claim some familiarity with 

 them; and it is quite possible they are back and forth, to 

 and from the sea much later. In England, with milder 

 winters, these fish are said to linger off the shores, enter- 

 ing the fresh waters from time to time if not all the year. 

 We know them to run up our streams in June, but it is 

 not till late in the fall the eggs are laid. To spawn is 

 probably not the only reason for their presence in the 

 rivers so early in the season. After spawning the fishes 

 retire to deeper water, fresh or salt, where food is abun- 

 dant and where winter will not interfere with freedom 

 of movement. 



The eggs are hatched, the supply in the yolk sac is ex- 

 hausted and the young are ready to scatter by the end of 

 the following spring. Starting near the heads of the 

 water courses, in the need of more room as they grow, 

 they natural 1 y are driven downward with the currents to 

 find deeper pools and more subsistence. Supply of food 

 in gTeat part determines their places of resting. Voracious 

 and numerous, appetite sends them from one place to 

 another. In much the same manner our birds are chased 

 about by the English sparrow, not so much by his fight- 

 ing — that effects comparatively little — as by having every- 

 thing eaten out of their homesteads. The salmlets may 

 or may not reach the sea in their search for space and 

 enough to eat. If they enter large ponds or lakes they 

 may remain until ready to return to the spawning 

 grounds. Such as do so remain are called "landlocked" 

 salmon, and, although they are offspring of parents from 

 the ocean, they differ little or none from others in streams 

 so obstructed by falls or dams as to be inaccessible from 

 the sea. The obstructed channels allow of downward 

 passage, and thus, as return is not possible, they no doubt 

 supply parent salmon for the unobstructed. In this way 

 differentiation into distinct varieties or species between 

 the progeny raised in the two classes of streams is pre- 

 vented. 



Direct experiments by Sir Charles Maitland, published 

 by himself and by Dr.' Francis Day, the great English 

 authority on the subject, proved conclusively that, with 

 abundance of food, the trip to the sea is not a necessity. 

 In the ponds at Howietown young from marine specimens 

 have matured and bred without leaving fresh water. On 

 the other hand all the evidence — and it includes that of 

 such experimenters as Dr. Davy — goes to show that the 

 eggs of salmon invariably die when deposited in Bait or 

 brackish water. 



All things considered, then, the salmon differs in habit 

 from the common brook trout [Salmo fonhnalis) mainly 

 in being more addicted to marine excursions. The latter 

 in many places enters the sea, becoming slightly modified 

 in appearance, but is perfectly at home without it. In 

 fact the salmon (Salmo salar)is a fresh- water fish, the 

 landlocked form or which represents the species, and the 

 marine form variation in the individual. Possessed of 

 such a liking for the sea, it is not surprising that the 

 species are widely distributed around the North Atlantic; 

 yet the landlock form of northern Europe is to be distin- 

 guished with difficulty, if at all, from that of Maine. 



Accepting the salmon as a fresh-water fish will deprive 

 the discussion of the landlocked habit of much of its 

 significance, but in reality it is the only view which rea- 

 sonably accounts for all the facts involved. It obviates 

 the necessity of accounting for inability to breed in salt 

 water, and it is supported by the ability to propagate 

 entirely without access to the sea. 



Mr. Samuels — Here, gentlemen, we have scientific 

 authority showing that the theory 1 have held is substan- 

 tially correct. Mr. Garman's view of the S. salar being 

 really a fresh-water fish and not a sea fish going into the 

 fresh water to spawn is held by some but not alls tudents. 

 A fish that usually spends but six months out of every 

 twenty-four in fresh water would not be regarded by all 

 as a fresh- water fish. Still, the view that he takes ad- 

 mits of discussion, and that of a wide range. We would 

 like to have this subject thoroughly discussed: perhaps 

 Mr. Roberts, who has been to Lake St. John and has 

 taken the winninish as well as the Schoodic salmon, will 

 give us his views as to the identity of the two fish. 



Mr. Roberts— I do not think the winninish and land- 

 locked salmon are the same by any means. Why is it 

 we never get the winninish any larger? We get the 

 salmon weighing 251bs., but the winninish never weigh 

 over albs. 



Mr. Brackett— I have seen them weighing ifibs. 

 Mr. Robebts— Four and a half pounds was the best 

 we got. 



Mr. Samuels— Now Mr. Roberts's statement is interest- 

 ing. I was told that the fish are taken of as high as 

 14ibs. in weight. In old times at Grand Lake Stream, and 

 by old times I mean in 1862-5, we never got the landlocks 

 weighing over 3-Jlbs., never; they were very abundant, so 

 abundant that a fisherman could kill almost any number. 

 I never "fish for count," but to show how numerous the 

 landlocks were in those days I will say that on my last 

 day's fishing there one season I took out of one pool and 

 within a radius of two casts over SOOlbs. I was young 

 and foolish then, and sometimes took home a box of fish 

 for friends. I kept enough of the best fish to make a 

 reasonably good sized box and put the rest back into the 

 river; yet out of the whole lot not one would go over 

 31bs. weight, and they averaged much less. Now from 

 some cause or other, probably from increase of food, 

 these fish have increased in weight, and I saw there 

 last year in November, at the hatchery, I should think 

 600 or 700 landlocked salmon in the yards in the river, 

 many of which would weigh as high as 8 or lOlbs. I was 

 astonished, and requested Mr. W. O. Buck, who then was 

 superintending the operations at the hatchery, to give 

 me statistics in relation to the increase of size. Since that 

 time he has kindly sent me a statement which I will read 

 to you: 



"Comparison of records show a gradual increase in size 

 of the Schoodic salmon handled at the spawning season, 

 and a marked increase in the yield of eggs per fish, Thus : 



Pounds. Inches. 



23i> males weighed and measured in 1*77. .1.80 16.8 



247 males weighed and measured in ISSfl 3.46 20.3 



343 females weighed aud measured in 1877 1.90 10.1 



505 females weighed and measures in 1880 3.58 20.1 



"While the average number of eggs per female was ad- 

 vanced from about 900 to 1,800." Now this is a remarkable 

 showing, ard I shall not be surprised to learn by and by 

 that the fish taken in Folly Lake, Nova Scotia, now known 

 as the "grayling," but which is a landlocked (?) salmon, 

 has grown to average as large as the Schoodic salmon, 

 and these latter as large as the celebrated monstrous land- 

 locks of Lake Sebago in Maine. It is in my opinion 

 largely a matter of greater or less abundance of food. 



Mr. Roberts— I have heard that they get the winni- 

 nish weighing six or seven pounds in the spring, and get 

 them in great quantities, but never weighing over six or 

 seven pounds. They are very unlike in appearance to the 

 landlocked salmon of Sebago Lake; these are of a lighter 

 color and have very black 6pots. 



Mr. C. W. Stevens — I have had considerable exper- 

 ience with the landlocked salmon of the Schoodic Lakes, 

 and would say that although we took great numbers in 

 the seventies, we never killed one that weighed over two 

 and a half pounds. 



Mr. Samuels — No, they were in those days of a con- 

 siderably smaller average in size than now. It is to be 

 hoped that our discussion this evening will result in 

 bringing out more light. There is much yet to be learned 

 concerning our Salmon idee, and those who have any in- 

 formation concerning them should have it "spread upon 

 the records." A number of good observers will give the 

 study of the "landlocks" their special attention next 

 season, and important facts may be obtained. 



Adjourned. 



HA HA BAY. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Having read a great deal in the Forest and Stream 

 during the last season about Lake Edward and the ad- 

 joining lakes and rivers in the country lying north of 

 Quebec, I have thought that perhaps it might interest 

 some of your readers to know something of the fishing 

 in the country lying to the northeast, in the neighborhood 

 of Ha Ha Bay, near the head of navigation on the Sague- 

 nay. Ha Ha Bay is a beautiful sheet of water, which 

 branches out from the noble Saguenay about seventy-five 

 miles from its mouth. It is in a direct line about 110 

 miles north of Quebec, and sixty miles from Lake St. 

 John. At present the only way to reach it is by the R. 

 & O. Navigation Co.'s Saguenay line, which runs four 

 times a week, leaving Quebec in the morning and arriv- 

 ing at Ha Ha Bay the following morning. 



Our first visit was made in August, 1887. We found 

 that the fishing was all that we had anticipated. The 

 trout took the fly greedily in the rivers and lakes where 

 the water was not deep. Good sport was had by going 

 from the hotel in the morning provided with a light 

 lunch and returning in the evening. We made a short 

 trip of four or five days into the country, and were re- 

 warded handsomely with plenty of trout "weighing from 

 1 so 31bs. We learned enough to satisfy us that the very 

 best of fly-fishing could be had near the latter part of 

 August and first of September. We therefore made 

 arrangements to visit this region again this season. 



Aug. 20 found Will J. Peck, E. H. Peck (who was with 

 us for a week's outing only) and the writer on board the 

 9:15 A. M. White Mountain express from the Grand Cen- 

 tral Depot, New York, on our way to Ha Hay Bay, fully 

 determined to prove that as large trout could be taken in 

 our newly discovered waters as in any other part of Can- 

 ada, including Lake Edward. We arrived at Ha Ha Bay 

 on the morning of the 22d, and were met at the landing 

 by genial Peter McLean, who owns the hotel. 



After fishing in the vicinity of the hotel about a week 

 with great success, we bade good-bye to Ed. and started 

 him on the homeward journey, business calling him 

 home. We then set about making arrangements for a 

 ten days' camping trip into the Ha Ha Mountains, lying 

 to the southward, in search of large trout. We were 

 fortunate in securing the services of Xavier Delaire and 

 Toby Gannon with their bark canoes, two of the best 

 guides it has ever been my good fortune to meet. Johnnie 

 Blackburn was sent with us through the courtesy of Mr. 

 Charletun, of St. Alexis. Johnnie is master of his art, 

 and the pork and potatoes were always "just to the 

 queen's taste." He was also a perfect Hercules and 

 proved a jewel on some of the long portages. It was sur- 

 prising to see him strap two enormous canvas sacks to- 

 gether, containing tents, blankets and provisions, sling 

 them on his back, and then pile on camp kettle, dishes, 

 frying-pan, etc., high above his head, until his load was 

 twice as big as himself. Starting off he would sing one 

 of his French Canadian songs, until his load began to 

 slip sideways or Johnnie stepped on a slippery log and 

 then — . We also had Perron, a young trapper, to assist in 

 paddling one of our two canoes. Two days at the paddle 

 and on the portage brought us to the lower end or dis- 

 charge of one of the most beautiful lakes in this region 

 of lakes. Our camp faced the setting sun, and was situ- 

 ated in the spruces on the edge of a pretty beach, along 

 which the waters ran into the river on its way to the 

 Saguenay. The following day was spent in fishing the 

 river which ran along the base of high mountains and 

 was overhung by the trees and bushes, making it shady 

 most of the day. 



This river was literally alive with trout. I shall not 

 pretend to state how many were taken as I do not want 

 to shake the confidence of any of your readers. The 

 trout were not large, running from i to l^lbs., but very 

 gamy. I remember taking two at once three times in 

 succession, and how many more times during the day I 

 cannot recall. We found the red-ibis to be the most 

 taking fly during most of the day. The fish were duly 

 cleaned, split and smoked. 



That evening Delaire told us that on the following day 

 he would take us to a river where our expectations of 

 big trout would be realized. Accordingly Will and my- 

 self set about selecting our largest and most taking flies 

 after submitting them to the guides for inspection. Their 

 principal thought seemed to be for the largest, and we 

 included a few of Abbie & Imbrie's Jock-Scots (recom- 

 mended for winnanichi) which we found to be very good 

 for the big fellows. 



The following morning at nine found us embarked in 

 the canoes, and after a short paddle down the river they 

 were drawn ashore and we started on a tramp over the 



mountains to the southwest. We were told it was about 

 five miles, but as neither Will nor I speak French and 

 none of our men spoke English except Johnnie, and he, to 

 use his own expression, spoke it only "little much," we 

 might have been mistaken. Ten o'clock found us still 

 on the way; 11 o'clock found us still crawling under fal- 

 len logs, toiling up the side steep mountains or making 

 our way along the slippery banks of some foaming rapid 

 river, now 10ft. now 110ft. above it. But patience and 

 perseverance will accomplish some things; and 12 o'clock 

 found us on a bend in the river at the foot of a long rapids, 

 which seemed to suit our guides. Our rods were jointed 

 in short order, while the men cut back the bushes to pre- 

 vent the catching of flies in the back cast. For three 

 short hours we whipped that pool and each hour yielded 

 eight of the largest trout we had ever seem The'largest 

 weighed 5^1bs., nine weighed 34-Jlbs. Will landed two at 

 once that made the pool lively for twenty minutes before 

 they were brought to the net. At 8 o'clock we concluded 

 that we had taken enough for the day, and having eaten 

 nothing since breakfast we partook of a bit of crackers 

 and cheese before starting on our three hour tramp back 

 to camp. 



We remained five days more in camp enjoying the ex- 

 cellent fishing. Vacations will come to an end and we 

 were two days from Peter McLean's, and Peter's was 

 th ree days from New York. 



With the firm resolve to visit that lake next season, we 

 broke camp, Wednesday. Sept. 5, and started homeward. 

 I say homeward because Peter's is beginning to seem like 

 home to us. Peter is as big-hearted as he is big in stature 

 (he weighs 2401bs.), and he cannot do too much for all 

 who are so fortunate as to stop with hi m a few days in 

 this remote region. 



The shooting is capital in the open season, beginning 

 with Sept. 1. Caribou and bear are plentiful. All sup- 

 plies can be purchased at McLean's at very low prices. 

 The fare from New York is $12 to Quebec and $4 from 

 Quebec to Ha Ha Bay. It is expected that the Lake St. 

 John Railroad will be continued to Ha Ha Bay in a few 

 years, when one can go in a parlor car the whole distance, 

 and save the long and sometimes unpleasant journey 

 down the St. Lawrence. Should any of your readers de- 

 sire any further information about Ha Ha Bay, I shall be 

 pleased to answer any inquiries that may be asked. 



Greenwich, Conn., Sept. 25. H. M. B. 



BLUEFISH. 



THE bluefish season on the northern Atlantic coast has 

 been a fair one, perhaps up to the average of the 

 past ten years. Early in the season there was a scarcity 

 of the smaller fish, of 1 to 21bs. weight, which are always 

 the advance guard, and many predicted a small run. As 

 the season advanced the fishing grew better, in numbers, 

 for the larger fish always come later, and in August the 

 lishing was very good from Barnegat Bay up the New 

 Jersey coast to Montauk Point, the eastern end of Long 

 Island. The "snappers," as the small bluefish of 6 or 8in. 

 long are called, were plenty in Long Island Sound, and 

 quite a number of large fish, two-year-olds, were taken 

 in the Sound as far west as Sand's Point. In September 

 the fishing was very fair along the south side of Long 

 Island, and in Great South Bay. This month, however, 

 is always the time for the big ones, and on Tuesday last 

 bluefi-h of 12 to IGlbs., from the east, were plenty in 

 New York markets. Now is the season for big ones, and 

 the lovers of this sport will be glad to know that since the 

 netting was stopped in Great South Bay the fishing has 

 improved. In those waters many fish from 6 to 81bs. 

 have been taken within a week or two, both off Fire 

 Island and in the Bay. Around the northeastern end of 

 Long Island, about Plum Gut, the fishing is now good. 

 Philadelphians will not miss fair catches now at either 

 Atlantic City or Barnegat. 



Nets Seized in Gravesend Bay.— Last week State 

 Game Protector James G. Brown, of Staten Island, pro- 

 cured a tug and seized a net which was being illegally 

 used in Gravesend Bay, just above Coney Island. He is 

 now threatened with a suit for stealing the net, and we 

 learn that a warrant for his arrest has been i-sueel by 

 some local Justice of the Peace. From what we learn of 

 the case the net owner was using his net in direct viola- 

 tion of the law, and therefore he can have no case against 

 Mr. Brown, The average country Justice of the Peace is 

 often moved by considerations of friendship to shield his 

 neighbors when they have violated the game laws, which 

 is usually not much of an offence in his eyes,- We will 

 watch this case with interest. 



Channel Bass in the North.— This fish, variously 

 called "redfish." spotted "bass," etc., is essentially a 

 Southern sea fish, and more familiar to anglers from 

 Charleston to Florida than to those north of southern 

 New Jersey. Last week a party of bluefish anglers took 

 a 40-pounder off Fire Island and hooked one or two 

 smaller ones. Although this fish has been captured off 

 Long Island before, it is not at all common there, and its 

 appearance is always a surprise. 



Lake Bomoseen.— Philadelphia, Oct. 10.— Fishing in 

 Lake Bomoseen, Castleton, Vt., has been grand this fall, 

 large catches of pickerel (properly pike) and large-mouth 

 bass being made. The former were caught weighing 

 ]6ibs., and the latter 5, 6 and 71bs., both with live bait, 

 skittering or still-fishing, and trolling with a spoon. — 

 Neshobee. 



Truth Tested— The popularity and immense sale of Humph- 

 re> 's Veterinary Specifics show that they provide for every specific 

 of physical distress to which horses and cattle are subject. T. A. 

 Budd, Esq., of tne American Glucose Co., Buffalo, writes that his 

 president has found them so beneficial that he has adopted them 

 for use in the statues of the company. Nor is this surprising 

 since Humphrey's veterinary system indicates a very serious 

 modification of the old savage methods of stock treatment by 

 subscituting mild and natural measures of relief. No staDle is 

 complete without these Specifics and book (500 pases) on treat- 

 ment of auimals. The latter, with chart, will be mailed free upon 

 application to the Company, 109 Fulton street, New York.— Adv. 



St. Simon's Island. — We call attention to the advertisement 

 on second page of "Shooting to be let on St. Simon's Island." 

 This island is on St. Simon's Sound, about five miles in a direct 

 line from Brunswick and Jekyl Island, which latter place it re- 

 sembles in its general features. The shooting to be let consists 

 of 5,000 acres at the north end of the island, and about 4,000 acres 

 ou the Island of Little St. Simons, which is a mile distant from 

 the larger island. Both places have been carefully preserved for 

 the last four years, and are full of game. The fishing is remark- 

 ably fine, consisting of sheepshead, bass, drum, etc., which come 

 to feed on the large bed of oysters oft the coast of Little St. 

 Simon's.— Adv. 



