Feb. 27, 1890.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



107 



ON THE NORTH SHORE.-V. 



A THREE WEEKS" TROUTUSTO TRIP ON THE NORTH RIVER 

 OF LAKE SUPERIOR. 



T) AD weather seemed to be the rule now, for on awaken- 

 JD ing the next morn we were greeted with a high 

 southwest wind, a sky with sombre clouds, and a sea that 

 was curling with froth. The weather bere is not always 

 a poem, nor always conducive to comfort in the mid- sum- 

 mer days. It may be a pure delight in the morning, and 

 in the evening an contraire. It's the bitter with the 

 sweet, and woe to him who thinks the days are ever 

 golden, and the winds ever soft from the blue heaven. 

 Such an one is of the genus tenderfoot and would do 

 well to avoid the dangers and dieagreeabilities of a North 

 Shore trip in a small sailboat. 



The tire felt decidedly comfortable' that morning, and 

 we hugged it with unmistakable assiduity, Avhile patiently 

 awaiting breakfast. In due course of time the smoking 

 platters were on the table, and in a. twinkling encom- 

 passed by two hungry anglers. 



The bill of particulars on this occasion, as the disciple 

 of Blackstone states it, embraced broiled trout, ham and 

 eggs, fried onions, fried potatoes, hot cakes with maple 

 syrup, raspberries, tea and crackers. This, with the keen 

 appetites the open air life had given us, was relished 

 with an appreciation that an epicure would envy, or an 

 alderman sigh for. 



Ned related how he found a field mouse that morning 

 in one of his pantaloon pockets, and therefore began to 

 feel exceedingly anxiotts about his magnificent fine point 

 Mackinac blankets, which he secured a few years ago at 

 Red Rock on the Nepigon, and which he valued above 

 price. He was fearfully afraid they would commence a 

 raid on these blankets and render theui unfit for service. 

 A grand hunt was organized for the mischievous pests in 

 the tent and around the camp, but not a mouse was 

 bagged. They were so infinitely small that, like the 

 fabled fairy, they could hide in a cowslip's bell. That 

 night they endeavored to build a nest in my hair, but 

 finding such a bald area in the center of the cranium 

 they abandoned it in disgust. That was the last of the 

 descendant of what the groaning mountain produced. 



No fishing could be accomplished that day. Ned, to 

 put in the idle hours, brought out his canvas junk bag, 

 and, selecting the necessary tools and materials, began 

 to build an attic to his horny-headed pet. He staked his 

 reputation on that fly, and thought with the present ad- 

 dition it would be perfectly irresistible. It was finally 

 completed, and here is what it now looked like with its 

 annex. 



He had put two more horns to it in consequnee of hav- 

 ing seen a bug at Grindstone Point with four horns, and 

 if perchance he should see another with a still greater 

 number of horns, on they would go. Ned is a child of 

 genius, but in this respect is a perfect giant, for "no pent- 

 up Utica contracts his powers'' on horns. He proudly ex- 

 hibited it to Joe, who, to use his own language, declared, 

 "It's a hell-fired booby fly." 



"It will bring 'em," says Ned. 



"Yes, if it hits 'em." 



Ned's invitation for favorable criticism from Joe did- 

 not pan out as he expected, so he tackled me as to my 

 opinion. 



"Put it under a glass and have it exhibited at a dime 

 museum," I advised the great fly architect. 



Ned now had enough of the critics, and gathering his 

 tools and materials, again consigned them to the depths 

 of that wonderful bag, and then filling his pipe smoked 

 away with a serene contentment that was beautiful to be- 

 hold. He was doubtless musing o'er the success he antici- 

 pated with his improved fly in coaxing the agile trout 

 from their dark haunts, 'neath shelving and creviced 

 rocks, and the confusion that would ensue in consequence 

 thereof to his libellers. 



The boatmen, who had been traversing the rocky shore 

 adjacent to the camp, returned with a large hatchway 

 cover from some wrecked vessel, which they improvised, 

 for a table. A second trip succeeded in the finding of a 

 discarded fish-box, which the waves had beaten into 

 snowy whiteness. It was utilized as a cupboard. We 

 are really fast emerging from rough camp life into some- 

 thing like style, and if the lake would only send us on 

 its cm-ling waves a roll of carpet or a crate of bric-a-brac 

 we would soon be the aristocrats of the sunless woods. 

 Some laundrying was done during the day, and a peep 

 into a looking-glass was had that we might survey the 

 good work the -pure air and bright sunshine had accom- 

 plished. We looked as bronzed as a moon, but had 

 cheeks "whose bloom was a mockery to the tomb," and 

 eyes so sparkling as to suggest starvation to an M.D. 

 Our certificates of good health were complete, and no 

 quarantine regulations, we were confident, would ever 

 apply to us' when we again entered a civilized port. 



I found a July number of the Century Magazine in my 

 satchel which I had hurriedly obtained at the news stand 

 as I was departing, and it proved to be the only reading 

 matter we had taken into camp. It was perused, I assure 

 you, with manifest interest from its opening article, 

 "The Manchester Cathedral," to the "Poetic Bric-a- 

 brac," the closing. Not a line was omitted, and even the 

 advertisements were given a thorough overhauling. It 

 was finally turned over to the half-breeds, who appeared 

 to take infinite delight in its illustrations. 



A couple of trout having broken through Ned's land- 

 ing net the last day we were out, he concluded to knit a 

 new one. He made little headway at it, as the stitches 

 to make were not sufficiently familiar to him. Joe, more- 

 over, took it in hand and completed it in a short time. 

 Ned could not properly drop the stitches as the net nar- 

 rowed. He was out of practice, he said, but the lesson 

 J oe taught him will not, he avers, be soon forgotten. He 

 commenced a second one at which he admirably suc- 

 ceeded, but his twine running out, he was unable to com- 

 plete it, and therefore laid it aside for a future day. 



I noticed in our walk in the afternoon that the forest 

 here was composed of maples, black and white birch, 

 mountain ash with its red berries, balsam, fir and cedar. 

 Wild strawberries, raspberries and blueberries were scat- 

 tered here and there, and the inevitable larkspur rose 

 bushes were everywhere. I looked for that pretty little 

 pink flower called the CJaytoma virginica, which is in- 

 digenous to this clime, but I did not succeed in finding 

 it. It is doubtless further to the northwest. I found, it 

 the last time I was on the Nepigon, but not near the 

 lake shore. On our return from the forest ramble a, red 

 squirrel was occasionally seen scurrying up a tree, and 

 the white-throated sparrow and lovely gold crest would 

 at rare interval rise on wing. A loon, with his plaintive 

 cry, would greet us from the bay, while the ever-present 

 white-plumed gull, the scavenger of the lake, would 

 skim over the surface with his shrill cry. This is evidently 

 not a region for birds and the sight of one is always 

 pleasing, be it brightly plumaged or otherwise. 



The stormy weather was constant the entire day, and 

 when night closed the winds were madly howling and 

 the waves pounding the rocky beach with a terrific 

 violence. I was satisfied there would be another day of 

 enforced idleness upon our hands and, with that impres- 

 sion I sought my pillow r , leaving fierce Boreas in com- 

 mand. 



The morning opened with a sky dull and leaden and 

 with . the same provoking wind, and the same sad i*e- 

 frain of turbulent Avaters. It being Sunday, Joe after 

 breakfast asked for leave of absence to attend church 

 at the Catholic Mission at Goulais Bay, some four miles 

 distant. It was readily granted, and Peter was installed 

 as chef de cuisine, grand master of the bed chamber and 

 head engineer of the wood pile, all of which duties he 

 performed with commanding ability. 



Monday the wind had abated sufficiently to allow 

 angling, but, owing to the storm of the two previous 

 days, the trout were not on the rise, and as a consequence 

 we caught only two, but I succeeded in breaking, through 

 sheer awkwardness, another tip. It was, however, put 

 in serviceable condition on reaching camp. We now 

 took an account of our stock of provisions, which under 

 our keen appetites was rapidly melting away. The re- 

 sult showed there was sufficient remaining for ten days, 

 and so we were content with the situation of the stock 

 exhibit. We concluded, weather permitting, to break 

 camp in the morning and go further up the lake, where 

 we were sure of more successful forage on the trout tribe. 



Everything was exceedingly favorable for the trip 

 when we awoke in the morning. The warring w inds 

 had given place to gentle zephyrs from the south, the 

 sky was unfleeked, and all nature was smiling as if she 

 too rejoiced in the agreeable change. Camp was broken 

 immediately after breakfast, and we were then off and 

 sailing before the delightful breeze with ardent hopes 

 and cheerful hearts: 



"o happy ship, 



To rise and dip, 

 With the blue crystal at yotil' lip ! 



0 happy crew, 



My heart with yon 

 Sails, and sails, and sings auew." 



During the stormy days Ned never warbled an air, but 

 now that the soft blue skies and bright sunshine pre- 

 vailed, he was constantly filling the air with delicious 

 melody. Even the half-breeds were infused with the 

 spirit of song, and endeavored to catch the pleasing airs 

 that fell from the lutelike lips of Ned. Their singing, 

 though correct as to time, had nothing of an artihtic 

 nattrre about it, their notes being mournful and spiritless 

 and given with little modulation. Their own songs were 

 all French — "the wanton chansons of the a no ten regime 

 which the ancestors of these men had no doubt heard 

 sung by gay young officers in remembrance of beloved 

 Paris." 



Duriug the open air concert Ned had his flies dancing 

 on the water, when all of a sudden one of the freckled 

 patriarchs of the deep, being of an investigating charac- 

 ter, sprang with wolf -like savagery at that idolized beauty 

 with the additional horns, and captured it and also the 

 entire leader. Ned, at this direful accident, set up a 

 wail of anguish that might have been heard at distant 

 Gros Cap. He cared not, he said , for leader or fine : but 

 the loss of that particular fly, which had cost him so much 

 faithful study, time and skill to construct, could not then 

 be replaced, as no more materials were at hand to build 

 another. It was such a taking lure, as he thought, that 

 he wovld never again venture on a similar outing with- 

 out an endless number of them. Says I: 



"Ned, did you ever see anything like it either in the 

 heavens or on the earth?" 



"Certainly." 



"Where?" 



"In merrie old England." 

 "What's the matter with Young America?" 

 "Not old enough to produce a bug of that magnitude or 

 of such rare color." 

 "She can produce a larger and more brilliant bug." 

 "What one?" 

 "The hum-bug." 

 "Take the horns." . 

 "Oh, your escaped trout has them." 

 "Well, then, take this horn." 



And out of his copious pocket came a bright flask con- 

 taining a crimson fluid, ever a delight to the angler. It 

 sweetly gurgled down the turnpike throat. 



Had Ned been on the qui mve when the rise was made 

 he would have doubtless saved that speckled anonster, for 

 he was an exceedingly skillful hand with the rod. Song 

 and trouting at one and the same time are not always a 

 complete success; separately they do infinitely better. 



It was a pleasant sail along the rugged and wooded 

 line of shore, as new scenes remarkably interesting and 

 imposing were in constant view. The bright sunshine 

 was playing on the dancing ripples, and wood and rock 

 were bathed in its golden glow, while the balmy atmos- 

 phere toned all that was inharmonious into the repose of 

 beauty. We went into camp near Grindstone Point, and 

 in the afternoon made a raid on the trout that resulted 

 in the capture of three handsome ones averaging 31bs. 

 While returning to camp I swung another golden beauty 

 to the lure, but he concluded after a brief struggle to re- 

 main in his rocky lair. As we were turning a point that 

 gave us a view of our camp, a cub bear a few rods in our 

 rear was seen to enter the water and quench his thirst. 

 Peter immediately started to swing the boat around to 

 give chase, but Joe thought we had better go to cam p 



for weapons before making the assault, as the little one's 

 mamma might seriously object to parting with her black 

 babe. I thought it prudent, and so returned, and wheti 

 on arriving in camp remained there, as we all came to 

 the conclusion we had lost no bear or no bear's cub, and 

 were not partial to bear meat. The only weapon in camp 

 was one revolver, and that was not always to be relied 

 upon, as it failed at times to respond to the manipula- 

 tions of the index finger. 



That evening on returning I asked Ned to let me have 

 his revolver to place under my pillow, so as to be pre- 

 pared for any emergency that might arise. He reso- 

 lutely declined, saying he might possibly be the first 

 victim accidentally sacrificed by the pistol. That night, 

 after I had closed my eyes in siumber deep, I wandered 

 into dreamland, where I had sanguinary conflicts with 

 bears, in which I slaughtered them without end and 

 without mercy. About the peep of dawn Ned, who had 

 been suffering from an aggravated corn, awoke and con- 

 cluded he would give it a soaking as a remedy of allevia- 

 tion. Just as he was crawling from under the mosquito 

 bar I awoke in somewhat of a dazed condition, and on 

 seeing him on all fours I was positive it was one of the 

 bears of my dream and at once I slid down to the lower 

 end of the bed, so I could get a fair blow at what I sup- 

 posed was bruin, and then exerting all my strength I 

 gave poor Ned such a vicious kick with the admonition 

 "get out" that he went sprawling some distance, bawling 

 at the same time, "It's me, it's me; don't kill me!" In an 

 instant the ridiculous situation flashed upon me, and 

 then I burst out in such hearty peals of laughter as to 

 awake the whole earnp. As soon as I recovered from my 

 cachinnation I made all the apologies I could to my suf- 

 fering friend. "Oh, yes," replied Ned, "kick a man out 

 of camp and then apologize to him is like hanging a man 

 first and trying him afterward. You are forgiven, but 

 don't repeat." It was fortunate indeed that Ned did not 

 let me have his revolver that evening, for if he had I 

 should have, in my confused condition, riddled him with 

 his own revolver and never had peace afterward. "All's 

 well that ends well" can well be applied in this particular 

 case. In connection with this early morning skirmish if 

 leads me to state that quite frequently there is no mis- 

 fortune but is relieved by some compensating feature. 

 The reward here was the sudden disappearance of pain 

 from Ned's corn. It had been ruthlessly kicked out, a 

 case evidently of heroic treatment. Ned was down on 

 dreams ever after, and suggested as a preventive to 

 further accidents that 1 be bound in my little bed. I was 

 bound not to have it that way, and so he looked to the 

 careful concealment of all weapons ere he retired. 



Alex. Starbuck. 



Cincinnati, Ohio. 



ANGLING NOTES. 



IT^EW anglers, unless owners of private waters, are 

 V aware of the many enemies trout have to contend 

 with. Man, unless a poacher, is the least destructive of 

 all. In fact if he is a good fisherman and a true angler, 

 he docs very little injury to the fisb, he only keeps the 

 big- ones and fishes for a comparatively short season, 

 whereas the mink or the kingfisher are at it all the time, 

 month in and month out. The muskrat undermines his 

 dams, the watersnake, mink, kingfisher, heron, bittern 

 and others feed on the lisli night and day, to say nothing 

 of eels, suckers, pickerel, pike and a host of other enemies 

 of the trout. How often we have admired the stately 

 1)1 iic heron, when fishing along the stream we have 

 started him from secluded shady corner and watched 

 him sail away with liis long legs hanging down; andhow 

 often we have caught his victim with a great gash in 

 back, caused by the blow of his sharp bill. And who has 

 not seen Mr. YVatersnake wiggling off with his bead out 

 of water holding a struggling trout. Anglers should 

 always make it a point to kill this fehVw, and it is very 

 easily done by casting ahead of him, and as he passes 

 over'the leader a sharp strike will hook him, when he 

 can be drawn ashore and dispatched with a stick. 



The game and fish at the South Side Sportsmen's Club . 

 on Long Island have suffered to such an extent that the 

 club has found it necessary to engage a man to reduce 

 the number of these creatures, and we give below the re- 

 sult of the last six months' work: One fox, 16 racoons, 

 32 opossums, 14 minks, 3 cats, 3 weasels, 1.20 muskrats, 

 2 woodchucks, 8 squirrels, I owl, 26 bluejays, 6 hawks, 7 

 kingfishers, 2 cranes, 16 crows and 1 rattlesnake. 



The Quebec & Lake St. John Railway have issued their 

 time table for the coming season. They have also sent 

 to their patrons with the time table two very interesting 

 books, one entitled "Historical and Sporting Notes," In- 

 cluding a description of Lake St. John and the trout 

 lakes aboitt Quebec, by LeMoine, and the other "The 

 Doom of Mamelons, with a Description of Lake St. John 

 and Saguenay Region," by W. H. H. Murray. The time 

 table is particularly arranged to meet the requirements 

 of the anglers visiting that section, to whom they issue 

 permits for fishing the numerous waters they control, in- 

 cluding pools in the winninish or landlocked salmon 

 district. 



RANDOM CASTS. 



WE ought to congratulate ourselves that so many 

 ladies are becoming anglers; the coarse fellows 

 will the sooner disappear, for they cannot thrive where 

 gentleness is at home. 



Tn landiug channel bass it is dangerous to put your 

 fingers in the gills to lift them in the boat. The back of 

 the mouth is provided with minute teeth, which easily 

 break off, causing a swelling of the hand which, with 

 considerable pain and a stiffness of the joints, lasts for 

 days. 



Learn to fish with either hand. I was once poisoned 

 by the teeth of a fish entering the second and third 

 fingers of my right hand, and for six days had to do all 

 my fishing with the left. 



Angling may possibly not be the Mecca of all man- 

 kind, but it has the power and does instill in most men a 

 better respect for the golden rule, and without whieh'of 

 what good are all our protestations of endeavoring to 

 lead a better life, Rtcf Rf,fj«, 



