28S 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Nov, 1, 1888 



CAN ANDAIGU A ASSOCIATION. 



CANANDAIGUA, N. Y., Oct. 27.— Editor Forest and 

 Stream: At a meeting of the Canandaigua Anglers' 

 Association, the following officers were re-elected : Presi- 

 dent, Dr. C. T. Mitchell; Vice-President, J. S. Crawford; 

 Secretary, Chas. P. La.pha.rn; Treasurer, Mack S. Smith ; 

 Executive Committee, Robert Dixon, James Menteth, W. 

 H. Fox and Dr. 0. T. Mitchell. The name of H. Seymour 

 Cooley was added to the executive committee. 



The banquet was a great success, Dr. C. T. Mitchell 

 read an original poem descriptive of Canandaigua Lake 

 and outlet, It was received with the appreciation due to 

 its great merit, and the other persons present were then 

 called upon in turn by Toastmaster Crawford for speeches 

 or fish stories. Most of the responses were brief, but, 

 under the inspirations of the occasion, all were lively and 

 mirth provoking. Messrs. Crawford and Lapham spoke 

 at some length of the objects of the association and the 

 progress already made. 



One of the best things listened to was this letter of 

 regret sent by the veteran Thomas M. Howell, in reply 

 to an invitation to be present: 4 



I fully ap areeiate the in citation. My apology for its non-accept- 

 ance will appear in the following communication, t hrough you, 

 to the members of your association. By the. im itation memory 

 is aroused and I am carried hack to October, 1818, when, with 

 Mike Lampman, a fisherman of "Ye Olden Days," I dropped for 

 the first time hook and line into the SJOOft. waters of our beau- 

 tiful lake at Deep Run for salmon trout. Never was a, prouder 

 hoy afloat when I "yanked" the hook, into the mouth of a 301b. 

 trout, and by main strength pulled it to the surface amid the 

 plaudits of Mike— alas! only to hear him exclaim " * * * * it; 

 he's gone." Don't open your eyes and whistle whew! Large trout 

 in Canandaigua Lake were plenty in those days, and Mike swore 

 the one T hooked and brought, to the surface would weigh at least. 

 301 bs. We caught a score, more or less, that day. Landing nets 

 or staffs were not in use theu, so I lost my first prize. 



There were no poachers about the shores of the lake in those 

 days. Fishiug— angling— meant work and sport. 



"But why are these hut memory's themes, 

 Of joys expired, but lingering dreams, 



The ghosts of what were mine 

 When each low wave now strikes mine ear, 



A mournful voice I seem to hear, 



'These joys no more are thine!' " 



In days past I should have been with your society, on invitation, 

 as hoon companion, and held my own with the best of ye, in the 

 " wee sma' hours;' 1 hut now my seventy-seven years admonish me, 

 "Sleepy couch will best suit your old frame." 



The element in which your society seeks sport— the water— is 

 the eldest daughter of creation; the element upon which the spirit 

 of God did first move; the element which God commanded to 

 bring forth living creatures abundantly. I say through you to 

 the members of your association, gentlemen, seek pleasure and 

 rest from the work of the dry world in the waters, hut protec t 

 creatures that inhabit them from prowling poachers. A verse or 

 two from old Izaak Walton may not be out of place: 



"Oh,the gallant fisher's life, 



It is the best of any. 

 'Tis full of pleasure, void of strife, 

 And 'tis loved by many. 



Other joys 



Are hut toys, 



Only tins 



La wful is; 



For our skill 



Breeds no ill, 



But content and pleasure. 



"In a morning up we rise 



Ere Aurora's peeping; 

 Drink a cup to wash our eyes, 

 Leave the sluggard sleeping. 



Then in a brook, 



With a hook, 



On a lake 



Fish we take; 



There we sit 



For a hit- 

 Till we fish entangle." 



Days of my early manhood, filled with visions of hunting and 

 fishing, before the sound of the axe and steam whistle had startled 

 and made shy the game and fish, crowd upon me, and I feel that— 



"Man's life is but vain, 



For 'tis subject to pain 



Aud sorrow, and short as a bubble; 



'This a hodge-podge of business, 



And money, and care. 



But we'll take no care 



WTien the weather proves fair; 



Nor will we vex 



Now, though it rain, 

 We'll banish all sorrow, 

 And sing till to-morrow. 



And angle and anglo again." 



As the last hut one of "The Black Pointers," famous as mighty 



hunters and fishermen about the hill and waters of < ■■ 



Lake— the chosen spot of the fierce and warlike Iroquois— I bid 

 you and your associates God speed in all your sports in those lulls 

 and waters, and in your efforts to protect them from prowling 

 proachers after game and fish. Thomas M. Howell. 



Application will be made by the association to the 

 State hatchery for 500,000 trout fry for the lake. 



Salmo. 



ALBANY FLY-CASTING TOURNAMENT. 



ONCE a year the Albany Fly-Casters' Association holds 

 a tournament, when split-bamboo rods, silk enam- 

 eled lines, automatic reels and other fine fishing tackle arc 

 brought out both for an airing and wetting. Yesterday 

 the second annual tournament was held on the park lake, 

 and a very successful one it was too. The members of 

 the association and their friends were the sole occupants 

 of the lake between the hours of 10 A. M. and 4 P. M. 

 The water was muddy, muddy, muddy, but the sky was 

 mantled with blue and the sun shone brightly ail day 

 long. I t was just such a day as fishermen like when 

 they are upon the water, and in what striking contrast 

 was the weather as compared with that of Wednesday, 

 when occasional showers fell from early morn till late in 

 the evening. 



Now, then, as to the character of the Fly-Casters' As- 

 sociation. Some of our readers who have not the dis- 

 tinguished honor of being classed as expert anglers may 

 ask what is a fly-caster? He is, as a rule, a jolly good 

 fellow, who takes a day off for trout or bass fishing when- 

 ever he gets a chance, and, best of all, the hooks he uses 

 are not baited with worms, frogs, etc., but are neatly 

 trimmed with feathers of various colors grouped to re- 

 semble flies, such as in certain seasons float upon the 

 surface of a brook or river. With his fly attached to a 

 delicate snell, which in turn is placed upon a "leader" 

 from two to three yards long, with a strong but fine line 

 and a rod with the right amount of stiffness, and with a 

 reel that works with a spring, the fly-caster starts upon a 

 scientific fishing expedition as it were. He casts his flies 

 upon the water, taking good care that they fall grace- 

 fully and before the line strikes. Further, if in the 

 course of his casting he is favored with a "rise," he must 

 keep the spot in view and cast upon it again. If he falls 

 short of his imaginary mark, or goes beyond it, he is con- 



sidered by a brother caster as deficient in accuracy. Then 

 again, should a fish rise away off from where the caster is 

 located, he must be prepared to stretch his line the neces- 

 sary distance. With this little pen picture of a fly-caster 

 and the skilled work required of him, the reader must 

 have some idea as to what the members of the Albany Fly- 

 Casters' Association were up to yesterday. They were not 

 after fish, but competed with one another as to distance 

 in casting and accuracy and delicacy. 



Alongside of the float in front of the boat house a 

 smaller one was placed, and upon this each contestant 

 stood while giving an exhibition of his skill. There were 

 fifteen entries; ten in what is known as the amateur class 

 and live in the amateur second class. The latter is for 

 those who have never previously taken part in a tourna- 

 ment in Albany or elsewhere. 



Positions being drawn for, Mr. H. A. Goffe came to the 

 front in the amateur second class. He displayed a rod 

 of his own make. He occupied eight minutes of the ten 

 allowed him for distance, and scored 57ft. He was fol- 

 lowed by B. F. Eeese, of the amateur class, who, like 

 Messrs. H. Paddock.W. G. Paddock, Frothingham, T.W. 

 Olcott, Story, Vine. Whitbeck, H. M. Olcott, Stark and 

 Speir, used a Spalding rod. Mr. Reese showed more 

 science in his casting than at the first tournament, but 

 evidently lacked strength in the wrist, and after reaching 

 07ft. gracefully retired. Mr. Frothingham 's casting was 

 done with ease and grace, and the same may be said of 

 Mr. T. W. Olcott. All eyes were turned upon tne buoyed 

 course when the name' of Howard Paddock was an- 

 nounced, and he came forward amid the cheers of his ad- 

 mirers. Before his ten minutes were up he scored 78ft., 

 and that record made him the champion long distance 

 caster of the tournament. No one scored more than 16 

 points out of a possible 25 for delicacy, nor more than 20 

 points out of a possible 25 for accuracy. For both deli- 

 cacy and accuracy the gentlemen were carefully exam- 

 ined, and while a few did tolerably well, most of the 

 number in striving for points in accuracy made great 

 sacrifices in delicacy. The appended score tells its own 

 story; 



AMATEUR CLASS. 



Length Weight Distance, Deli- Accu- 

 of Rod. of Rod. Feet. cacy. racy. To 



Ft. In. 



Thomas W. Olcott,. 11 5 



W.D. Frothingham.il 5 



W. G. Paddock. 11 6 



How ard Paddock. . .11 6 



Dayton Ball 11 (5 



B. F. Reese 10 8 



Stuart G. Spier ....11 6 



Dr. H. L. Whitbeck. 11 6 



H. M. Olcott 11 5 



Most s Stark 10 6 



70M 



im 



68 

 78 

 65 

 67 



63 

 56 



Chas. L. Gove 10 



II. A. Goffe 10 



John M. Quinhy.. ..11 



Wrn. Story 11 



E. W. Vine 11 



AMATEUit SECOND CLASS. 



62 

 57 

 63 

 62 

 65 



16 



15 



101^ 



m 



9 



19 



10 



20 



98 



5 



15 



98 



8 



18 



91 



8 



8 



83 



5 



18 



82 



6 



8 



78 



2 



9 



74 







i 



60 



6 



8 



76 



9 



8 



71 







& 



70 



5 





69 











65 



The judges were James H. Manning, Chas. B. Andrews 

 and W. W. Byington. There were eleven prizes, which 

 were awarded as follows: 



Association class— Thomas W. Olcott, first prize, a 

 Spalding split-bamboo rod; W. D. Frothingham, second, 

 a W. Mills & Son standard split-bamboo fly -rod; Win, C. 

 Paddock, third, an automatic reel; Howard Paddock, 

 fourth, a Bray fly-book; Daytou Ball, fifth, 50yds. metallic 

 center enameled line; B. F. Reese, sixth, two dozen trout 

 flies; Stuart G. Spier, seventh, a trout basket. 



Amateur second class— Chas. A. Gove, first, an L. Levi- 

 son fly-book; H. A. Goffe, second, a lance-wood fly-rod; 

 JohnM. Quinby, third, a Gogebic reel; Wm. Story, fourth, 

 pocket tackle case. 



The Albany Fly- casters' Association is a live and active 

 organization, and in the good work it is doing it deserves 

 the support of every angler in this city. — Albany Arqus, 

 Oct. 28. 



STRIPED BASS IN HELL GATE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



On Oct. IS, while trolling along the Astoria shore of 

 Hell Gate, Mr. Chas. A. Stewart caught a striped bass 

 weighing 14|lbs., length 34in., girth 18|in., and depth 

 Sin. I was with him at the time and can vouch for the 

 truth of the big catch. On the same day Mr. Cartier, of 

 the New York News Co., caught one weighing, as he tells 

 me, 9flbs. Several boats in our vicinity had two and 

 four fishes weighing between 3 and 41 bs. 



On the 19th two gentlemen trolling, with Tyler Gibson 

 as boatman, secured fifteen handsome bass, the smallest 

 of the lot weighing lHbs., and two weighing respectively 

 2$ and 51bs. Besides these there were caught one of 81bs. , 

 two of 51bs., and one of 4lbs. 



The trolling has been unusually good this year. I have 

 only given you the weights of the larger ones. Any 

 quantity of bass weighing from fib. to 1^1 bs. have been 

 caught. The reason why we have such good fishing is, I 

 think, due to two causes; first, the absence of oil with 

 which the river was formerly flooded; and second, the 

 cessation of blasting operations at Flood Rock. A letter 

 of our worthy mayor had the desired effect with the gas 

 company, and now they use the formerly discarded oil 

 in lieu of fuel. Should this condition of affairs continue 

 who knows but that in a few years trolling in Hell Gate 

 may recover its former renown as portrayed by the late 

 Genio C. Scott in his "Fishing in American Waters?" 



Dr. Dan Schmidt. 



ST. LOUIS ANGLERS. 



ST. LOUIS, Mo., Oct. 25.— Fishing in this part of the 

 country is now quite the rage. Hardly a day passes 

 without recording the departure of a party of anglers to 

 some one of the various fishing places. It is somewhat 

 distant to the best fishing streams, but the distance does 

 not appear to be an objection so long as the anglers are 

 rewarded with a good catch of fish for their pains, ex- 

 pense and time counts for naught. 



Current River, in the southeastern portion of this State, 

 just now is getting the largest share of the disciples of 

 Izaak Walton. Next on the list is Black River, in Arkan- 

 sas, Then high, in the opinion of many, comes that 

 famous resort of the fisherman, the Gasconade River. All 

 three of the above mentioned places have great reputa- 

 tions, there being very little difference between them. 



The Gasconade and Black rivers are perhaps more easy 

 of access than Current River, and partly for this reason 

 are the more visited. One of the main reasons why Cur- 



Q , n . , . ASSOCIATION. 



rent River at present has the ca, , , . , 



is that deer are more plentiful, a V T'-L , r 

 as well as the fisherman. u 8, ?5 T « ef *: 



. A party comprising Messrs. G "' W a called ThTcal 

 lams, of this city, returned from , SSfirS n?ef 

 part of the Aveek with a handsomv they have not spread 

 bass and pickerel. No large fish t be called national in 

 tlemen. The largest was a jack t •» it prediction to say that 

 fiUbs. The bass, of which the p; ;,rt of a prairie State of 

 aged close to four pounds. All t ^t which will force the 

 themselves as well pleased with tis f-^f^J}^ 1 has been 

 to pay Current River another visit lIim8 pf FoREST AND 



A large party of gentlemen area urging to make it need- 

 trip to Black H.iver. Next week wl re. It should be borne 

 Every fall the gentlemen composin • is altogether di'ffer- 

 River a visit and their catch is usuaV such as that of the 

 in by any party from the city. J u ! s i us } beeD held at 



Looking the field carefully over of the Hutohra- 



of a fisherman or field sportsmen,, / of perfectly 



stated, without fear, that the pro ,y two miles from the 

 most promising and encouraging. ; oh is the residence of 



i half section is sur- 



TD ni i-r at- t-uc- no J '' eu, ' e - Down the cen- 

 TROUT AT THE UP =• quarters of a mile. 



Editor Forest and Stream: H?}^^^ 



Tha,t dark story about trout being 

 Dam, Mam?, toward the Jastot the fi- .suitable -scapes 

 to be a mistake. Warden Hun toon/ -safety if the hare 

 that on a certain day a certain gentle 'i which therefore 

 of his guide, had taken illegally three 'thm of cruelty to 

 Upper Dam. He went there and c, Writes, When a 

 what trout he found in the gentlema ' -e of the close, 

 found none that had any marks on t| 'SJS 

 they had been taken otherwise than fair] escape of the 

 The gentleman pledged the warden his h<ft es are driven 

 he nor his guide had taken fish contrary , t tinning, and 

 word is surely all the proof any of his.,, go down the 

 would wish for. He has been a regular t 

 region for a great many years, and he is f; ; ar f '".ade of 

 trout other ways than fairly. As to ji f El f s ^$ fj£ 

 there, the "horse stalls" were not in conditi v f miurins 

 this fall, if there was anyone that was 1 ::. t ..'..Vu, a • 

 the water was not high enough. lo 



The readers of the Forest and Stream c • s p Sa <Hi,a w 

 that the record of trout I have given them W a W aSt- 

 as having been taken at the lakes was a cle» r -\r < I ; " 1 1 1 1 - n 

 were taken fairly. F. j :,.,„„.„ 



timore, Iosco 



Fish Protection in Delaware.— Once Wednesday, 

 the State of Delaware had a game protecth.'ier four were 

 but it either died or has lingered so feebly We ■ story of the 

 of its existence. It will be revived and iie^ , vouches for 

 in it by several active gentlemen of Wiliri Pilgrim. 

 among whom is Dr. E. G. Shortlidge, late Su 

 of Fisheries of the State. Last Tuesday nigl 

 was held in the room of the Board of Educ. ! 

 mington, and it was decided to organize a sffl^ Guillaume 

 to protect the fish and propagate them, at f a hunting 

 all laws relating to the fisheries. Another ofltprted with 

 be held, the date of which has not been deter; 'tbb's Ferry, 

 Monday next a meeting of the Fish Commissit e nofc been 

 States of Delaware, Pennsylvania and New ,l, v d. 

 meet at Philadelphia to draft a code of laws for _ a 

 in those States, which will regulate the fishing in the 

 Delaware River. 



— c;re was 



I 'oursing 

 de in any 

 irovided. 

 crowd, 



SALMON HATCHING IN THIS CITY is exhi Ra jVs 

 the American Institute Fair. A thousand eggs froi ]ack. 

 Shasta county, Cal., were here placed in hatching lu ran a 

 hy Mr. Blackford, and the youngsters are just n> i; aP> ana 

 lively stage. Among the other exhibits are golden / her no " 

 a foot long, ti years old, brought from Germany wb , 

 about 2 years old and successfully bred at the Ne l H a Jvlr> 

 State Fishery Commission ponds at Cold Spring Ha ' 1 '. k ..°. u . a 

 I.; brown trout, from eggs imported from Germany ' a klUe ?- 

 trout, 2 years old; king-hi o, the Japanese fish, imp'oJ ■> hy 

 Admiral Ammen, U. S. N., for the United States Fis, 

 mission; black bass, 1 year old; crayfish from the Po 

 and German carp 4 years old. 



jN.Y., 



HABITS OP LANDLOCKED SALMON. -Plymoi/S' 1 

 H., Oct. 22.- Edit or Forest and Stream: Concerni. r , 

 discussion on landlocked salmon, in recent numlx • 

 Forest and Stream, I would say: In New Hampshire the> 

 fish frequently come to the surface and swim with ' ' 

 tails and dorsal tins showing in the air. In this State '•watt- 

 landlocked salmon grows to a weight of lSlbs. i n nine y ; ince 

 On Saturday last I took the eggs from a 61b. fish and The 

 numbered 4,500. No milt of this species being availal ve "t 

 used that of an 81b. Penobscot salmon, for all except and 

 which were milted with a 2lb. brook trout.— Elliot ectly 

 Hodge. , iust 



" n "/[ 



STARFISH AND OYSTERS.— The U. S. Fish Commis- 

 sion Steamer Fish Hawk will investigate the ravages of the 

 starfish on the oyster beds of Long Island Sound, and its 

 officers will try to devise some means to save the oyster from 

 its most formidable enemy. If this can be done it means a 

 saving of much valuable food and of millions of dollars to 

 the oystermen. 



FISHCULT LIRE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.— The trout at 

 Plymouth, N. H., have beguu to spawn, and Col. Hodge has 

 already 250,000 eggs on the travs. Last week he took-60,000 

 eergs of the Penobscot salmon,'l4,000 being taken from one 

 fish. 



^izhcnlitM. 



Mr. FritchieMonsonis slowly recovering from the recent north- 

 cast, gale, daring which it is thought that he got somewhat 

 sanded. He gives a graphic accouut of their experiences at his 

 camp on North Beach, where they were exposed to the full fury 

 of the blast. Their pile of sweet potatoes was completely wrecked, 

 the sand blowing clear through them, leaving them like a sponge. 

 Nu nsh could they catch, and for two davs they lived on coffee, 

 soda water and cigars, after which they had to scratch around 

 and satisfy their hunger on palmetto berries, or gone off and 

 died. Better have gone off and died. The spout of the coffeepot 

 had to be stoppered to keep the sand out, and when a man lay 

 down at night he chained himself to a log for fear of being blown 

 away. A shotgun was left leaning against the side of the camp, 

 and when examined two days afterward it was found that the 

 bore was full of sand. A hole dug in the side of a sand dune 

 before the storm began was blown right out and next morning 

 not a trace of it could he found.— St. A-ugustine Evening News. 



Lafayette, Ind., Aug. 21, 1838.— IT. S. Cwrtridge Co.. Lowell, 

 Mass.: Dear Sir— I am pleased to be able to give you a uost sat- 

 isfactory accouut of the paper shells you sent mo. I have used 

 Schultze powder altogether for the last seven years, with Elev's 

 shells, and yours ara the first perfect substitute I have found, find 

 I shall take care to recommend their use. (Sigued) W. Graham, 

 Champion -Shot of England.— Adv. 



