392 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[June 5, 1890. 



RANDOM CASTS, 



WAS there eYer a leather waterproof shoe really 

 waterproof, after being in use a short time? If 

 any of your readers know of such, from actual experi- 

 ence, he will earn the gratitude of the fraternity by mak- 

 ing its whereabouts public. I have tried and tried , paid 

 money enough for a single pair to get a good suit of 

 clothes with, and still am no further advanced in the 

 search than when I first began. Even the cheapest shoe 

 can be made waterproof as long as it stays on the shelf, 

 but it is when in actual use and the strain of the foot in 

 the walking causes the leather and stitches to give, that 

 the weak spots show themselves. 



Catfish, although not in themselves detrimental to a 

 lake where trout exist, become so from their great pro- 

 ductiveness and consequent enormous amount of food 

 devoured, which means, of course, just so much less for 

 the trout. Fish cannot thrive upon an inadequate supply 

 of food. 



To preserve your bright hooks from rust when laying 

 them away for the season, obtain a few cents w T orth of 

 tine, tolu; dip them in it, shake to get rid of any super- 

 fluous moisture and hang up to dry. In half an hour 

 they may be put away until wanted again, when they 

 will be found to be in as good condition as ever. 



In snelling hooks, first wax the Isilk well with shoe- 

 maker^ wax, then wind tightly and closely, and you will 

 only need to carry the winding about half as far down 

 the shank as is generally done. They are less liable to 

 chafe and, of course, will last longer. Finish with two 

 coats of spar varnish. 



For large striped bass and other sea fish, an excellent plan 

 is to first wind half a dozen turns around the gut and 

 hook, as ordinarily done, then raise the gut and wind a few 

 times on the bare shank, now replace the gut flat on the 

 hook as before and wind over both again. Repeat the 

 operation once more and you will have a snell that can- 

 not pull out, for the reason that when the gut gets wet it 

 swells above the windings and perfectly prevents slip- 

 ping. Finish with spar varnish as before. Big Reel. 



VERMONT WATERS. 



LAKE DUNMORE has been yielding lake trout (Salve- 

 linus namaymslv) in abundance. Up to May 25 Mr. 

 Ed Thayer took forty-nine, the largest weighing lllbs, 

 Large-mouthed black bass and pickerel are to be found 

 in this lake, and may be caught readily with minnows 

 and the trolling spoon. Pickerel fishing through the ice 

 is a favorite amusement here. The probability is that 

 some of the so-called pickerel are really pike (Esox 

 Indus), for the size of occasional specimens is too great 

 for pickerel. At Brandon, for example, one weighing 

 x61bs. was recently taken: this, however, was considered 

 unusually large. 



Salisbury is convenient to the Otter Creek and Lake 

 Dunmore fishing grounds, and prices of all necessaries 

 are reasonable. The Lake Dunmore Hotel has become a 



E renounced summer resort. Otter Creek has been very 

 igh for a long time, and the customary pastime of spear- 

 ing pickerel in its waters has failed for the present. In 

 former years a good many have been captured in this 

 way. At Hancock, May 31, I saw four able-bodied and 

 apparently sane men in possession of 150 very small trout 

 — veritable babies, which bad scarcely come out of the 

 shadow of the protective law and perhaps had to be 

 stretched a little to warrant their untimely taking off. 

 And that reminds me of the fact stated by Williams in 

 the "History of Vermont" and quoted by Thompson in 

 his Natural History of the State, that the trout hog- 

 flourished in Vermont many, many yeais ago, when 

 brook trout were scooped out of a certain pond by cart 

 loads and sold at a shilling a bushel. Future historians 

 may write: The trout have mostly gone, but the hog re- 

 mains. F. H. Knowlton. 

 U. S. Geological Survey, Washington, D. C. 



HARPOONING ALLIGATOR GARS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I have just returned from a two days' fishing trip to 

 south Alabama, and wish to give you an account of some 

 fine sport my friend Howard Douglas and I had. I have 

 read your valuable paper for the last two years, and have 

 seen no mention of the Southern "alligator gar." This 

 fish inhabits all the large fresh-water streams of southern 

 Alabama, grows to immense size, and is the gamest fish 

 I have ever tackled. Last Monday Howard Douglas and 

 I went to the Bigbee River, in Washington county, Ala., 

 provided with a light canvas boat, three good harpoons 

 and a trot line of the largest size — about 25yds. long — 

 tied securely to our harpoon; this was our outfit and all 

 we needed. The first fish we saw was a beauty, weigh- 

 ing about 2251bs. I was in the paddler's place, and 

 Douglas in the bow of the boat, standing erect, ready to 

 throw the harpoon. I paddled the boat up to within 10ft. 

 of his "garship" and Douglas threw, striking the fish just 

 back of where the head and body join, sending the har- 

 poon several inches into the fish's body. Then, such a 

 rush as I have never seen before— no use to try and stop 

 that mad, headlong plunge; 'twould have done just as 

 much good to have tried to stop an engine, so we just let 

 him charge and plunge and throw water on us until he 

 began to tire. This sport lasted for nearly an hour, and 

 when he showed signs of giving up we cautiously got 

 him up near the top of the water and stuck another har- 

 poon in his body further back, so we could tow it to bank. 

 We reached land after some hard work, and then thought 

 we had our fish safe, but one. of those cases of "a slip be- 

 tween cup and lip," occurred; we both caught hold of 

 the harpoons and tried to pull our fish out on the bank, 

 when it gave one big flirt of that magnificent tail, nearly 

 drowning us, broke the line on one harpoon, tore the hold 

 of the other, and went off with our highly treasured har- 

 poon. 



You can well imagine our looks of surprise, chagrin 

 and disgust, after two boms' hard work, to lose our fish 

 just as we thought we had him safely landed. We did 

 better with the next one, landing her safely after a hard 

 struggle of an hour. After worrying this one down we 

 drew her up to the edge of the boat and shot her with our 

 ,32 Winchester. We skinned it and preserved the head 

 which will make a fine specimen. This gar was a female' 



weight over 2001bs., and had about a peck of roe in her; 

 she had swallowed a longbill gar weighing about lOlbs. 

 We caught three of these grand game fish, average 

 weight about 200Jbs., and I have never before had such 

 royal sport. These fish come to the top of the water and 

 float about this time of year to get the sunshine. In 

 almost all the eddies, if the fisherman is careful and don't 

 make too much noise, he can see from two to five floating 

 lazily around and frequently throwing their great bodies 

 out of the water. I. M. 



Nashville, Tenn. 



[The alligator gar (Lepidosteus tristcechus) is the largest 

 of the gar pikes, reaching a length of 10ft. It inhabits 

 the rivers of our Southern States and extends southward 

 to Mexico and Central America. The great manjuari of 

 Cuba is now considered identical with our species. The 

 chief interest attached to the bony gars centers *in their 

 relationship to an order of fishes most of whose represen- 

 tatives are extinct. We have sometimes heard fishermen 

 express a wish that the whole worthless race were in the 

 same state of oblivion. Harpooning alligator gars ought 

 to be encouraged by a generous bounty.] 



NEW HAMPSHIRE CAMPS. 



ClOLEBROOK, N. H., May 31. — I met Mr. Watts, pay- 

 > master of the Connecticut River Lumber Co., at 

 West Stewartstown this week. He was just in from the 

 Connecticut Lake, and told me the company would open 

 the hotel at the First Lake early in June; and the sports- 

 men who contemplate a trip that way will find ample 

 accommodations. The fishing in that section is best 

 through June and July, the best places being Perry and 

 Indian streams and Round Pond, each being in easy dis- 

 tance from the hotel. 



There are occasionally some good trout taken below 

 the dam, near the hotel, and not a few lakers are taken 

 by trolling every season. I am told that some good 

 speckled trout are caught in places on First Lake, but I 

 think it is very little fished except for lakers, and that 

 principally in the winter through the ice. 



From the Lake House a drive of eight miles takes you 

 to Second Lake, where excellent sport may be had , as 

 doubtless many of the readers of Forest and Stream 

 can testify. There also will be found good accommoda- 

 tions, comfortable cabins ard plenty of "good grub," for 

 with Uncle Tom Chester at the helm, how could it be 

 otherwise? 



Araasa Ward arrived in town from his camps on Dead 

 Diamond Stream, at Hell Grate, last Thursday afternoon, 

 having left his camp at 6:30 in the morning, and with 

 his knapsack (weighing 401bs.), rifle and axe, struck a 

 bee line for Colebrook. He arrived at Mart Noyes's 

 camp on Diamond Pond at 2 o'clock, having traveled 

 about twenty miles through the woods by a route only 

 known to Amasa and or two guides. He reached here 

 about 5 o'clock in the afternoon. When asked how the 

 traveling was through the wocds, Amasa replied with 

 characteristic brevity, "damp." He reports seeing the 

 tracks of three moose on his way out, a cow, yearling 

 and bull, and says that owing to the light depth of snow 

 for the past two winters the deer are plentier than he 

 ever saw them before, all through the northern section. 

 Amasa left here a year ago the first of June, and this is his 

 first appearance since, having spent the whole winter in 

 his camp, only going out for a few days to buy his sea- 

 son's supplies. He reports high water in both streams and 

 ponds, and says that good fishing will hardly begin before 

 the 15th to 20th of June with favorable weather, but is 

 at its best from the middle of July to the last of August; 

 and the writer can testify to having found good fishing 

 there all through the month of September. Amasa owns 

 a fleet of twenty-five or thirty canoes and skiffs, scattered 

 about on all the outlying ponds and near to some of his 

 outer camps, everything being always in readiness for 

 business. He has recently added more room to his camps, 

 aud can now accommodate about twenty sportsmen and 

 guides. At some later date I would like to relate a little 

 occurrence of two years ago, in which Amasa and a bear 

 were the principals. I should hardly care to do so till 

 Amasa is safe back in his "castle." If any of the read- 

 ers of this should chance to be guests of his the coming 

 season they might ask him in regard to it, but I would 

 advise caution. Rob. 



FISHING AND THE MOON. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I notice in your columns of May 15 an article on "The 

 Moon's Effect on Fishing." I am glad to see questions 

 discussed that are practical to the angler. In a few 

 words I will give the conclusions drawn from a note- 

 book I have kept for many years, when fishing on ponds, 

 lakes and streams for trout, black bass and pickerel. I 

 have made the best strings when the previous night was 

 dark; either when there was no moon or when a full 

 moon was darkened by heavy clouds. If there was light 

 in the first part of the night the morning has been but 

 medium fishing, but the afternoon Avould be good. If all 

 night was bright with a full moon, the angling the fol- 

 lowing day would be poorest, Of course these conclu- 

 sions are modified by winds, clouds, temperature, etc.; 

 yet as a general rule they hold good. I conceive the in- 

 fluence the moon has on fishing is its light. I do not 

 think the tides on ponds and streams are large enough to 

 be calculated by the finny tribe. We know that cattle in 

 the pastures and large game in the forests feed in the 

 bright moonlight of the night; and the deer, caribou and 

 moose retire the following day to the cover, and while 

 hidden from their enemies enjoy their meal of the night 

 previous. J, w. T, 



Dynamite that Cost Money. — A Steuben ville, O., ex- 

 change reports: "Of all the persons engaged in poach- 

 ing and uselessly destroying game and fish, the most des- 

 picable are those who engage in blowing out of water the 

 innocent fish. Two boys, Robt. Philibum and Fred Mill- 

 sack, were arrested to-day on affidavit of James B. Max- 

 well, deputy game and fish warden in this county, and 

 fined $100 each by Justice Love and committed to jail 

 until fine and costs are paid. The dynamiting was done 

 on Sunday last, in Cross Creek; although bushels were 

 blown to pieces and floated down the creek, the boys 

 only secured about 25 each, thus there was a useless 

 waste of fish. The fish thus killed are not fit for eating 

 as the dynamite loosens the flesh from the bones and the 

 meat is rendered unfit for the table." 



Smugglers and Poachers.— Rat Portage, Lake of the 

 Woods, Ont.— Editor Forest and Stream: There is work 

 for the United States custom and fishery officers to do at 

 Southern Bay on this lake. Southern 'Bay is wholly in 

 American territory, and is the great spawning grounds 

 for sturgeon and other fish that inhabit this lake. The 

 Indians of "White Earth" reserve, Minnesota, depend 

 almost wholly on fish taken in this lake and Rainy River 

 for their subsistence. A party of Canadians, headed by 

 one Reid, have built a large establishment on an Ameri- 

 can island in Southern Bay, and are rapidly exterminat- 

 ing the fish by taking them on their spawning grounds, 

 which means starvation for the Indians unless the United 

 States Government comes to their assistance either in the 

 shape of supplies or promptly breaking up this nest of 

 poachers and smugglers. This party make their head- 

 quarters at Rat Portage, Canadian territory, and smuggle 

 all their supplies to their establishment at American 

 Island. This man Reid first began his work of fish ex- 

 termination in Lake Winnipeg, then transferred his 

 operations to this locality, where he is safe from inter- 

 ference by the Canadian authorities. The White Earth 

 Indians are already complaining about the scarcity of 

 fish where they were formerly abundant, and will soon 

 be obliged to call on the Government for supplies to keep 

 them from starvation. The Canadian deputy minister of 

 fisheries investigated this matter, and when he found 

 that Reid and his pai-ty were carrying on their operations 

 in American waters, he could not stop it, and it now re- 

 mains to be seen what action the American Government 

 will take to protect their rights.— StansteAb. 



Calico Bass Spawning 1 .— We have recently mentioned 

 the discovery of calico bass (Pomoxys sparoides) in the 

 Susquehanna and Tide Water Canal at Havre de Grace, 

 Md. We learn from Mr. Geo. H. H. Moore that these fish 

 are found full of eggs in the canal at the present time. 

 It may not be generally known to fishermen that this 

 fish is the "Lake Erie or grass bass," which is especially 

 named in the game and fish laws of Pennsylvania as on** 

 that must not be caught or killed in any of the waters of 

 the State between the first day of January and the first 

 day of June. Any violation of this law will subject t he 

 offender to a penalty of ten dollars for each and every 

 offense. Cive the grass bass or calico bass a chance and 

 it will furnish endless sport for the fisherman. It is a 

 nest builder, very hardy and prolific, but it must be pro- 

 tected during the breeding season. This fish is not well 

 established in eastern streams north of Virginia; it has 

 been taken in the Potomac and the Delaware, but was 

 not considered as a native of the Susquehanna. It is one 

 of the best game fishes of its size (about one foot in length 

 and weighing a pound or two) in our water; in colora- 

 tion it is beautiful, and for pond culture there are few 

 better fishes. 



Southern Vermont.— Brattleboro, Vt., June 2.— The 

 fishing about here has been very good for the last three 

 weeks. Some large trout have been taken, among them 

 one by A. M. McDonald from Green River weighin * 21bs. 

 7oz. I myself took a good one with a red-hackle last 

 Tuesday from Green Rivpr weighing 21bs. 4oz. The 

 trouble with fishing about here is that fishermen go in 

 for the count and not size, and consequently a great 

 many fingerlings are taken. West River, about twelve 

 miles above Brattleboro, is tiehed some this year, and 

 good catches are the result. Frank Stoddard and Wood, 

 the gunsmith located here, took 48 weighing about 30lbs. 

 from the river at Newfane last week. It is surprising 

 that no fishermen come here from the cities, for we have 

 as fine fishing as anywhere in western New England. 

 Among the Brattleboro fishermen, Ned Plummer and 

 Jim Menzies left for the Rangeley Lakes last week. — 

 J. F. H. 



Fishing at Gloucester, Massachusetts.— There ap- 

 pears to be very little angling in this vicinity. At Cape 

 Pond, which is situated between Gloucester and Rock- 

 port, white perch and bass are to be had in small num- 

 bers. In the brook which runs from Cape Pond and 

 empties into Riverdale mill pond a few small brook trout 

 are reported. White perch, bass and pickerel are found 

 in the pond at Eastern Point, on what was known as the 

 Niles estate, and also at Fernwood Lake, but these places 

 are controlled by private parties. At Magnolia there is a 

 trout brook belonging to Mr. Knowlton, and this con- 

 tains some trout of good size; I am told that a 3-pounder 

 was taken there recently. — E. F. Locke. 



Yellow Breeches anb Conequoquinet. — Mechanics- 

 burg, Pa., May 23. — The two streams. Yellow Breeches 

 and Conequoquinet creeks, afford as fine bass fishing as 

 any waters in the State. In this section the artiflical fly 

 — the only legitimate bait of the true angler — is almost 

 universally used. I have seen strings of bass number- 

 ing forty and fifty, and running in weight from -J to 

 4|lbs., all taken with a fly on a single rod in one day's 

 fishing. The open winter has been very favorable; there 

 has been no ice on the streams. — Minnie MINQ.O. 



North Shore op Lake Superior.— Mr. Alex. Star- 

 buck writes: My desire is to take in another section of 

 the North Shore of Lake Superior, for there is evidently 

 the best trout fishing in the world, except of course the 

 famed Nepigon. My choice of trouting grounds is the 

 former, from the fact that it is really an indescribable 

 luxury to there lure and play a trout. The Nepigon, in 

 nearly every instance, presents such a rapid current that 

 it militates much against the angler. 



Maine Trout. — Upper Dam. May 25. — Yesterday was, 

 the first warm day since the season opened, and we had 

 about the first good fishing. All parties took a good 

 catch. Over 90 trout were brought into camp; they 1 

 weighed 7, 4 and 3|lbs., and lots of 21bs. were taken.i 

 Some very large trout were taken before in the narrows,] 

 in Richardson Lake; a Mr. Gould took one of lO^lbs, and! 

 one of 61bs., and the same day his friend one of 7Albs.— J 

 J. A. F. 



Omaha, Neb., May 30. — Marsh Kennard. J. S. McCor-l 

 mick, W. J. Hahn, E. T. Duke, Tom Bruner, Jeff Bedford 

 and Fred Metz are whipping the trout streams of north 

 Minnesota, The writer is indebted for a handsome basket 

 which arrived per express last night. The anglers will 

 he absent until the middle of June.— Sanby. 



