a is 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Jak. 16, 1890. 



FLORIDA FISHING. 



Editor Forest and Stream; 



In reply to your inquiry regard tig the winter habitat 

 of the tarpon I can only say that I cannot furnish infor- 

 mation of a reliable character. It is a warm-water fish, 

 and when the in-shore water becomes chilled it is prob- 

 able that it seeks off-shore water or the edge of the Gulf 

 Stream, to return when the water in the streams and 

 lagoons is heated by the sun of lengthening days. Much 

 has yet to be learned regarding the winter home of the 

 tarpon and its spawning grounds. At an early day I 

 expect to make a marooning trip around the peninsula 

 to Bay of Biscayne, and shall endeavor to collect infor- 

 mation regarding the borne of the tarpon during Decem- 

 ber, January and February. 



By the bye, my friend, Senator Quay, should be cred- 

 ited witrT the capture of the first tarpon with rod and 

 reel in Charlotte Harbor. On his return to Jacksonville 

 he exhibited the head of the fish and was so elated by 

 the capture that he presented me with the rod, reel and 

 line used on the occasion; and I have treasured them as 

 a memento of the first capture of a silver king by the use 

 of a rod and reel. 



Grouper fishing- is exciting sport and seldom engaged 

 in by visitors to Florida. At almost any point along the 

 Gulf coast, where the water is from two to six fathoms 

 in depth with a rocky bottom, this excellent fish can be 

 captured in great numbers. Off the Anclote Keys and 

 on the easterly side of Egmont Key this exciting sport 

 can be enjoyed. 



A notaide fishing resort has, to a great extent, been 

 overlooked. I refer to Lake North, south of Jupiter In- 

 let, on the eastern coast of Florida. Barring the winter 

 months bluefish from 2 to 71bs. are found in the lake in 

 countless numbers. They will eagerly appropriate a 

 squid or other movable bait. Fly-fishing can be enjoyed 

 in the capture of cavalli and sea trout. If the sea is 

 calm (which is usually the case) fishermen can pass out 

 of the inlet of Lake North, and capture sea fish on the 

 reefs off, but near, the shore. 



Anglers visiting Florida should carry with them a 10 

 to 12oz. fly-rod, 12ft. long, with a supply of large flies. 

 If they intend engaging in the capture of ravallia the 

 hooks should be snooded on fine steel wire, or else flies 

 and fish will be lost, and language unworthy of a fisher- 

 man indulged in. As a rule the hooks upon which flies 

 are mounted are too light for Florida fishing. The best 

 flies that I have found are the small spoon-fly baits 

 made by Hall & Co., of Grand Rapids, Mich. The feather 

 portion is large and gaudy, the spoons small, and the 

 hooks of large tize and of extra quality. The smallest 

 baits, No. £, 1, H and 2 are best adapted to fly-fishing in 

 Florida. In using the artificial fly in salt-water fishing 

 in Florida it should be allowed to sink a short distance 

 beneath the surface before an effort is made to bring it 

 home. I would advise intending fly- fishermen to use a 

 heavy fly-rod, a large reel,and at least from 50 to 100yds. 

 of line. I prefer a 12oz. split-bamboo rod lift. lone, the 

 finest Cutty hunk line and an Abbey & Imbrie quadruple 

 multiplying reel. Such an outfit is necessary to capture 

 cavalli and ravallia ranging from 10 to 20ibs., and chan- 

 nel bass weighing from 5 to 301 bs. Al Fresco. 



ANGLING NOTES. 



THE time is rapidly approaching when fishermen will 

 begin to think about next season's trout fishing, and 

 many will need a new rod. This to an outsider mav seem 

 to be a very small matter; but to the angler, particularly 

 if a fly -fisher man, it is a very serious affair, second to 

 none, unless possibly selecting a gun. If he is a begin- 

 ner, he will probably ask the advice of some anglin°- 

 friend, who will tell him to get a cheap machine-made 

 rod, as he will smash it the first time he uses it; but we 

 think this is a mistake, for cheap rods are not as pleasant 

 to cast with as good hand-made rods, and if properly in- 

 structed there is no reason why a beginner should break 

 his rod if it is a good one. A hand-made rod of either 

 section bamboo or wood will be much better for him 

 and he will naturally take a certain amount of pride 

 in it. * 



The question whether to get a wood or a split-bamboo 

 rod must be left somewhat to his pocketbook Each 

 style has its ardent admirers. An old angler's advice is 

 not to get a cheap split-bamboo. A good, well-made 

 wood rod, hand-made throughout, can be bought for 

 about $12 to $15. while the same grade of section bamboo 

 will co*t not Jess than $50. 



Having made up his mind which of the above to buy 

 the next thing is the weight and length. Formerlv the 



S^f?? 6 J od Wt ^ , about Vm - lon 8' weak in the back, so 

 that the tip could be made to toucn the butt, and weighed 

 at least 10 or lloz. These rods were slow in their action 

 hard for a beginner to handle, and a decent-sized fish 

 would go under the boat or into the treetops or anywhere 

 else he liked; the angler was powerless to prevent 'it The 

 modern style of rod is built on different principles'- sel- 

 dom over 10 or at the outside lift, long, weighing from 5 

 to 9oz., and rather stiff in its action. With a rod of this 

 kind f he angler has some control over his fish, neither does 

 he require an hour of the best part of the dav to kill his 

 victim when hooked. 



If the angler must content himself with one rod let it 

 be about 10ft. long, weighing about 7oz., unless he fishes 

 mostly m Maine or Canada, when he should select one of 

 10ft. Cun. length and weighing as near 8oz. as possible- 

 that will also answer better for black bass fishing If he 

 can afford a perfect outfit, we would suggest a rod 8ft 

 6in. long for the pool-fishing, this need not weigh over 

 ooz ;; one of 10ft., 7oz. and one of lift., 9oz., for land- 

 locked salmon, lass and big trout. Of course the unbe- 

 lieving outsider, should he by accident read this article, 

 will say: " What rubbish ! Any boy with a stick and a 

 string will beat your fancy fisherman out of sight." But 

 this old saw is all bosh. After thirty years of experience 

 in fly-fishing the writer can say that he has never yet met 

 this wonderful boy. People lose sight of the true facts, 

 which are these: ISo amount of good tackle will make up 

 tor a want of knowledge, but neither will fine tackle 

 make a good angler fish the worse. To kill trout or black 

 bass on the fly in much-fished waters requires experience 

 and skill and a thorough acquaintance with the stream 

 is halt the battle. 



i* !S I s m u he F ea t e6t importance in selecting a line that 

 it should be of a size and weight in proportion to the rod. 

 STOP an S ler . has had trouble in casting and blamed 

 the rod, when it was because the line was too light or 



heavy, generally the former, A line too light curls back 

 with every breath of wind and it is impossible to cast it 

 straight and true. We should say a No. 5 is about right 

 for the rods weighing from 5 to 7oz., and a No. 4 for the 

 heavier rods. 



Prof. J. S. C. Wells, of Columbia College, and a mem-, 

 ber of the Oritani Saowshoe Club, has ju-f returned from 

 a three weeks' trip to the Megantic Club in Maine. He 

 was not after trout this time, but was in hope of finding 

 caribou. The snow was heavy and bis snowshoe practice 

 was put to practical use. Unfortunately a crust pre- 

 vented any attempt at still-hunting; it would break with 

 a loud, crunching noise at every step. Tracks of deer 

 were plentiful, but only one caribou track was seen. 

 The weather w as as bad as it is here. One day the 

 mercury would drop below zero and the next it would 

 rain. 



Fresh bluefish have been very plentiful this winter in 

 our markets. This is an unusual occurrence, and goes to 

 show how easily fish are affected by the weather. The 

 first cold snap will probably send them to deep water. 



CANADIAN SALMON LEASES. 



THE auction sale of salmon rivers, at Quebec, Thurs- 

 day and Friday, resulted in better prices than have 

 heretofore been paid for fit-lung privilege?. Anglers 

 from the States were there in force, and as will be seen 

 by the list, they secured their share of the waters. The 

 leases are to run for ten years. Purchasers and prices, 

 which represent the yeaily rental, were as follows, for 

 such waters as were actually offered for public compe- 

 tition: 



Rivers (North Shore). 

 Murray— D. C. Thompson, $60. 

 Laval— C. W. Philips, $91. 

 Trinity— J. D. Gibnour, $130. 

 Moisic (upper pari)— W. O. Rogers, $405. 

 Little Saguenay— N. P. Rogers. $4U5. 

 6>t. John (Chieou«imi)— Senator Price, $180. 

 A Mars— * * $305. 



Siinte Marguerite (West Branch)— St. Ma* 1 



iSainte Marguerite ( Mori h Branch)— W. M. i 



Sainte Marguerite (from t he head of tidal *-„, 

 of the two branches)— St. Marguerite Club, at.-. 



Little Trinity— Edson Fitch, $45. 



Little Bergerou St. Marg»erue— W. E. Russell, 



AuxRats— * * $50. 



Little Bergeronnes— * * $85. 



Margaret and tributaries— Judge Dugas, $260. 



Mamtou— Mr. Greighton. M-unreal, $55. 



St. John and tributaries (North Shore)-H. W. de Forest, $550. 



Mmgan-Dr. F. W. Campbell. Moutieal, $425. 



Romaiue— E Charles Fitch, Walt ham. Mass., and Clarence M, 

 Roof, New York, $1,000. 



merite Club, $355. 

 ^rackett, Boston, gP5. 

 ater to the confluent 



Washeecootai— J. G. A. Greighton. $210. 

 Olomonasheeboo— Capt. Jonas, $170. 

 Etamamiou-J. ft. A. Creighton, $55. 

 Saint Augustin and trihutaries— d. C. Campbell, Montreal, $75. 

 ^ Samt Paul and Little Esquimau— Alphonse Letteltier, Quebec, 



South Shore. 



rt^SSS^^frl^L-f^'-,* 0 * ? old ! second part, Ristigouche 

 Club, $.'50; third part, Risticrouche Club, $205; fourth part, not 

 bold; tifihpMrt, Mr. Robinson. Montreal, $105. 



Patapedia— Restigonehe Cluh, $100. 



Nouvelle— Mr. Ward, New York, $105. 



Little Cascapedia— Mr. Ramsay and Dr. Campbell, $255. 



Bona venture -Mr. Tliorne, St. Johns, N. B., $1 250 



Little Pabos— Louis Cabot, Boston, $455. 



Saint John (Gaspe)— Richard Turner, Quebec, $600. 



Dartmouth— Henry P. Well*, New Yort, $505. 



York— Mr. Murdoch, Chicago. $555. 



Cap-Cbat— * * Chicago, $100. 



Matane— H. B. de Forest, $105. 



Lakes. 



Point Jerome— D. C. Thompson, Quebec, $5. 

 ^, C ^ ar .i F - s ' lias sell. Islands and Lawson— Marguerite Salmon 

 Club, $6 >. 



Charles (Township Falardeau)— Mr. Pelletier, Quebec <20 



Des Passes., etc., and tributary waters— A. L. Light. Quebec, $51. 



Grand Batiecan and river of Lake Batiscan, lakes connected— 

 A. L. Light. $126. 



Bon La<-— Archer Gingras Quebec, $11. 

 ^Johm, Croche and Robert and other small lakes withdrawn 



A La Croix— A. L. Light, $101. 



Clair (Canton LaSalh )— Withdrawn at $25. 



Mekinae— Withdrawn at $125. 



Clair (Canton Alton)— W. & P. Greenough, Buston, $15. 

 P. arl-A. L. Light, $35. 

 Black River— A. L. Light. $75. 



Des Commissaires— U. S. Consul Downs, Quebec, $26. 

 Pemetchougan— Mr. Lapointe, $25. 

 A Francois - Withdrawn at $5. 



James, Judge. Cuancey, Brewer, Half Moon. Parcher, Green 

 a' d Burnt— Withdra wn at $20. 

 L-mrent, "dts lies"— Withdrawn at $30. 

 Aux Brocbets— B. Scott, Roberval. $6. 



Au Sable, Montague hru'ee-L, E. Panneton, Three Rivers, SI. 

 Ciair (Champlain)— Withdrawn at $25. 

 ^Long, Henri, Kashonia (Canton Kenogami)— S. Dumars,M.P.P., 



Saint Ann (Grand and Little), Township Chapais— Withdrawn 

 &t> " _v i-0. 



Lakes Edward and Kiskisink were resold privately to 

 the Lake St. John Railway Co. for $200 rental. At 

 private sale the Stadacona Fish and Game Club, of Que- 

 bec, secured Lake Aurognons and its river for $100; Les 

 Laurentidtts Club secured Lakes Long, des lies, Verte: 

 the Shawemgan Club took Lakes Brodeur and Pez <gonka; 

 the Metabachouan Club secured their waters for §150. 



We have heard some complaint at the course of Crown 

 Lands officials in withdrawing fr»m public sale waters 

 advertised. It is contended that the sale throughout 

 should have been open to public competition. 



National Ron and Reel Association.— New York, 

 Jan. 11.— Editor Forest and Stream: The annual meet- 

 ing of the National Rod and Reel Association for the elec- 

 tion of officers, etc., called for Dec. 14, was postponed on 

 account of bad weather, and will now be held at the 

 laboratory of Mr. E. G. Blackford, in Fulton Market, on 

 Saturday, Jan. 18, at 2 P. M. Business of importance 



will be transacted and a full attendance is solicited G. 



Poey, Secretary pro tern. 



Fishing rs Florida Waters.— Anglers who intend visitiug 

 Florida this coming winter will find it to their advantage to in- 

 spect the superior tackle for tarpon and other fishes, manufac- 

 tured by Thomas J. Conroy, 65 Fulton street, NewYork.— Adv. 



Forest and Stream, Box 2,832. N. Y. city, lias descriptive illus- 

 trated circulars or W B. Leffln^well's book, "Wild Fowl Shoot- 

 ing." which will be mailed free ou request. The book is wo. 

 uounced by "Nanit," "Gloan," "Dick Swiveller," "Sybillene 1 ' and 

 other competent authoritiea to be the best treatise on the subject 



Names and Portraits op Bihds, by Gurdon Trumbun. & 

 book particularly interesting to gunners, for by its use they can 

 identity without quest'on all the American game birds which 

 tney may mil, Cioth, 220 pages, price $2.50, For sale by Forest 



OUR ANNUAL LIST OF COMMISSIONERS. 



""VTEXT week will be published the FOREST AND STREAM'S 

 i. i annual list of the Fish Commissioners of all the States 

 revised up to date. The list will be supplemented by a very 

 full review of the work of the several Commissioners. The 

 information has been obtained by extensive correspondence, 

 and is fuller and more complete than has ever before been 

 brought together in a single number. 



FIXTURES. 



DOG SHOWS. 



Jan. 13 to 18, 1890 —First Annual Dog Show of the Georgia Pet 

 StocK and Bene i Show Association, at Augusta, Ga. A. H. Von- 

 derleith, Secretary. 



Jan. 27 to Feb. 1, 1890.— Dog Show of the Colorado Poultry and 

 Pet Stock Association, at Denver, Col. 



Feb. 11 to 14, 1890.— Fourteeuth Annual Show of the Westminster 

 Kennel Club. American Institute Building, New York. James 

 Mortiimr Superinfpndent. 



T - Feh - r^i", 22 ' 1880 —Second Annual Dog Show of the Mascoutah 

 Kennel Club, Chicago, 111. 



March 11 to 1<1, ls90.— Second Annual Dog Show of the Rochester 

 Kennel Club, at Roehesler, N. Y. Harrv Yates, Secretary. 



March 25 to 28, 1890.— Second Annual Dog Show of the Mass. 

 Kennel Club, Lynn, Mass. D. A. Williams. Secretary. 



April 1 1 to 4, 1890.-Sixtb Annual Dog Show of the New England 

 Kennel Club, ar Rnsion, Mass. J. W. Newman, Secretary. 



April 15 to 18 1890.— Show of the Buffalo Kennel Club, Buffalo 

 N. Y. A. W. Smith, Secretary. 



FIELD TRIALS. 



Jan. 20, 1890 -Seventh Annual Field Trials of the Pacific Coast 

 Field Trial Club at Rakersfield, Cal. H. H. Briggs, Secretary, 313 

 Rush street. San Francisco. Cal. 



Feb. ,11, 1890. -Fourth Annual Field Trials of the Texas Field 

 Trial Club, fit, Marshall, Tex. W. L. Thomas. Secretary 

 ^Feb. — , 1890.— Meet of the Brunswick Fur Club, New' Meadows, 



m Noy.17.-Tw*4fth Annual Field Trials of the Eastern Field 

 Trials Club. W. A. Coster, ^aratogo Springs, N. Y., f-ecretary 



Dec. I.— Second Annual Field Trials of the Central Field Tritils 

 Club, at Lexington, N. C. C. H. Odell, Mais Building, Mew York. 

 Secretary. 



"ANOTHER PHASE OF COURSING." 



CHICAGO, 111., Dec. 29.— Editor Forest and Stream- I 

 bee space for a few words suggested by the editorial 

 entitled "Another Phase of Coursing," which appeared in 

 the issue of Dec. 26. Some of the inferences therein drawn 

 seem to me hardly just to a number of men who are friends 

 of mine, or to a form of sport, which at this time is not per- 

 fectly understood in all parts of this country. 



We may not doubt the accuracy of Mr. Graydon Johns- 

 ton's description of the scenes of a British box meet. I have 

 never attended such a meet. I have, however, attended 

 meets of the "company in the "West" to which allusion is 

 made, and I can say unqualifiedly that they furnished no 

 similarity, nor any indication of future similarity to such 

 scenes as those of the British box meet. I know you wrong 

 those Western men when you dream that, for money or for 

 anything else, they would allow their enterprise to drift 

 into any phase so low as that. Moreover, you wrong this 

 whole country of America if you fail to distinguish the dif- 

 ference between it and Great Britain. At least we can speak 

 for the West when we say that our people, are not of the 

 sort described as attending the British box meets. The 

 conditions are not the same here as there. Therefore, it is 

 altogether too hasty and long-ranged a logic to say that 

 "this (Western) mode, if pushed to the front, will almost 

 certainly be marked by the objectionable features that dis- 

 grace the 'box coursing meetings' of Great Britain." 



To be sure, if we damn such an enterprise out of hand, we 

 may drive it away from the better ranks of sportsmanship- 

 but if we meet it frankly and fairly, giving it all the con- 

 sideration it deserves, we may make of it one more worthy 

 sporting feature of the year. Forest and Stream has 

 accepted and indorsed the Eastern Coursing Club, even 

 after all the arrests and interferences and squabbles which 

 have marked its brief career. WhyDotindorsetheNational 

 Association, which has, I take it, ever after its first hurried 

 and imperfect meeting, given on each occasion a cleaner, 

 prettier and more sportsmanlike exhibition of coursing 

 than the E. C. C. has done? The E. C. C. does not practice 

 open coursing. The repugnant feature of inclosed courting 

 lies in the trapping and turning down of the hares— in the 

 putting in jeopardy of life and libsrfcy for a second time a 

 wild animal that has once been reduced to possession. For 

 the rest, the E. C. C. will kill three hares to the National 

 Association's one, even if the latter did not run the grey- 

 bounds muzzled, as they always do. If I were a jick rab- 

 bit, I would far rather be coursed a half mile over ground I 

 knew, pursued by muzzled dogs, and knowing just where 

 safety lay, than to be coursed for perhaps five miles in the 

 open with no certain escape before me, or than to be turned 

 out of a corral into couutry I had never seen before, and 

 coursed for my life while I w r as trying to explore the coun- 

 try. When we come right down to facts aud reason, the 

 method of coursing employed by the Eastern Coursing Club 

 is the most nearly barbarous, inhuman and unsportsman- 

 like of any, except the pure nbbit-baiting sort. I do not 

 wish to be thought as stigmatizing the Eastern meet, or as 

 calling it unsportmanlike. There is no quarrel with the 

 Eastern club, and no quarrel of the West with the East. All 

 I want to know is why, if the paper supports the sportsman- 

 like Eastern meet— and I wish to call it so— it should not 

 support the yet more purely sportsmanlike Western meet ? 

 And why should the really less humane and sportsmanlike 

 meet be chosen by Forest and Stream for a pure and spot- 

 less future, while an enterprise which has been conducted 

 with the most exceptional care, by a number of men whom 

 I know to be big-hearted and lovable sportsmen, is selected 

 for a future history similar to that of British box meets? 

 There is no apparent answer for this uuless in the reply that 

 history repeats itself." But history doesn't repeat itself 

 in different countries This is America. "We have straight- 

 ened out a good mauy things in this country that were 

 badlv mixed in Great Britain. This is America. The men 

 handling this Western enterprise are Americans. These 

 men are friends of mine. I have ridden many a day on the 

 prairies with them, and know them. What hurts th^m 

 hurts me; and I do not think it right or fair for me to be 

 silent' under statements which might produce on certain 

 misinformed minds the idea that the Western Association 

 is a scheme much like the Hempstead rabbit coursing nuis- 

 ance, orat least, liable to develop intosomesuch form. Noth- 

 ing could really be wider of the fact than that. We will see 

 the Eastern Coursing Club become gamblers and rabbit 

 baiters just a3 soon as the National Association. I am not 

 worried at the prospect in either case, but I am looking 

 hard at the facts in the matter, and the inferences we may 

 properly draw from the facts. 



Let us set aside all question of cruelty or inhumanity in 

 the method of conducting the meets. The editorial in ques- 

 tion does not touch upon that, and I would like to join issue 

 with it in perfect fairness, and not with any evasion or 

 trickery. The two charges actually made are (1st), that ' 'the 



