Sept. 18, 1890.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



171 



THE CLUBS OF THE ST. CLAIR FLATS. 



IV. — THE MEEVUE CLUB. 



THE "made land" which follows on up the river from 

 the St. Clair Club is often protected against the 

 water by piling and planking. All along, following the 

 great curve of the river, there is a nearly continuous 

 string of cottages, cabins and summer '-ranches," as they 

 are locally called. First above the property of the St. 

 Clair Club is the tasty private cottage ot the Messrs. Ed. 

 and F. W. Joys, of Detroit. Then there is a sort of com- 

 bination cottage belonging to a Mr. Smith, from over 

 Baltimore Bay way, and after that a vacant cottage of 

 little const quence, and then the modest abode of Mr. Jas. 

 H. Harjseti, of Algonac. Beyond this are what is called 

 the La Croix ranch and cabin with a sail-Govered porch, 

 and then one comes to one of those deep and narrow 

 waterways made by the dredgers, running clear through 

 the strip of made land from front to back and known as 

 a "cut-off." 



Over the cut-off is the long dock of the two-story frame 

 hotel known as the "Arthur House." This is run by 

 Arthur Humphreys, perhaps as good and well-known a 

 pusher as any on the Flats. Here we found abundant 

 evidence of practical sportsmanship. Mr. Humphreys 

 took us up into the loft and showed us a magnificent fleet 

 of decoys which he and his brother were just painting. 

 AH these decoys were made with flat bottoms. A round- 

 bott-rn decoy is not liked on the Flats, and is not suitable 

 for the shooting practiced there. Much of this is open 

 water shooting, in more or less of a swell, and the old 

 shooters say that a flat bottom decoy sits much more 

 steadily than a rounded one. The latter wabbles in the 

 chop, and does not look natural. Here we saw also what 

 was a ne.w idea to me, in the shape of a number of tre- 

 mendous mallard decoys, as large as geese, and painted 

 jet black all over. These, 

 so our host informed us, 

 were for use in the night 

 or late dusk. I think 

 mobt sportsmen will have 

 little use fur such decoys, 

 for night shooting, or 

 shooting on the marsh 

 after sundown, is recog- 

 nized as being without 

 the legitimate limits of 

 club practices, tnd in 

 many States is against 

 the law. The game ought 

 to have some chance, and 

 the night is alt too short 

 a time, for that. At Mr. 

 Humphreys's place we 

 heard some bitter reflec- 

 tions upon the Canada 

 club, who, it was said, 

 upon the basis of an im- 

 aginary lease, were keep- 

 ing the best duck grounds 

 of the Flats closed against 

 American shooters. This 

 question we passed along 

 untd more information 

 couJd be gathered on it. 



At this point the wild 

 rice marsh back of the 

 made ground is quite 

 dense and wide, and runs 

 up almost through the 

 strip to the channel. All 

 through the rice we could 

 see the mudhens work- 

 ing, and some of these, 

 feerless from their free- 

 dom from molestation, 

 swam up cloie along 

 where our boat lay. 

 There was a sort of 

 saloon connected with 

 the hotel, and this was 

 built on piles, the front 

 porch being 3 or 4tt. 

 above the water. There 

 were rice hens swim- 

 ming around under the house, and Humphreys told us 

 that a mallard lately built her nest and hatched a brood 

 under the house. There is, of course, more or less nest- 

 ing of wildfowl all over the Flats. 



There is a stretch of shallow water, in the summer time 

 grown up with wild rice, lying between the ship channel 

 and the shore for a distance m here. But for the made 

 land the marsh would be continuous here. But out of 

 the low terra firma we now saw rising the solid and com- 

 fortable structure of the 



ful club of the Flats. The gentlemen will have a yet 

 more tasteful and handsome place when they have com- 

 pleted their plans and improvements, which will include 

 a filling in, smoothing down and putting in grass about 

 100 ft. to the front at least, which will make a very nice 

 lawn. 



There are now in all over one hundred members of the 

 Mervue Club, and its affairs may now be said to be in 

 good, sound, flouri-hing condition financially, which may 

 largely be attributed to the judicious taking into the club 

 of some old business heads familiar with the planning 

 and conduct of large enterprises. About $75 of the $100 

 share has now been paid in. the first payment being $25. 

 The annual dues are $12. The steward is paid a salary, 

 providing his own material and charging a specific 

 amount "per diem. Mr. North wood, who succeeds Mr. 

 Mackintosh in this office, is of experience in Canada 

 hotels, and will doubtless make a success of the practical 

 administration of the club. 



Good boat houses were going up, and about two dozen 

 boats were already owned by club members. There will 

 be one yacht at least, that owned by Mr. Bowling. 



I regret to say that the articles of incorporation of this 

 club lay especial emphasis upon the fact that its purposes 

 are "for social intercourse," but there are two clauses in 

 the by laws which many and many a club might do well 

 to copy and follow: 



Article VI — Games.— Sec. 1. No games shall be played 

 at the club house on Sunday, and no person shall bet on 

 any game, or play for any stake upon the association's 

 property at any time, under the penalty of expulsion of 

 any memb°r and the exclusion of any guest. 



Article VII. — Wines and Liquors.— Sec. 1. There shall 

 be no malt or spirituous liquors sold upon the premises. 



The officers o Mervue Club are: F. K. Williams, Presi- 

 dent; W. J. Stapleton, Vice-President; J. W. Weisman, 



MERVUE. 



The little duck boat slipped up over the shallow beach 

 and received a hospitable hailing here, and Mr. R. M. 

 Northwood, the club steward, did the honors and ans- 

 wered the questions. 



The incorporated name of what is generally known as 

 the Mervue Club is "The Michigan Fishing and Shooting 

 Association." The idea of the club was conceived about 

 three years ago by Mr. Chas. Bristol and Mr. Oscar Rasch, 

 of Detroit, as the result of a pleasant fishing trip to the 

 Flats. The club began with fifteen members, and $5,000 

 worth of stock was subscribe the first night. Soon 

 thereafter 642 ft. front of land was bought. 350ft. deep, 

 and in July. 1889, the present building was erected. 



"Mervue," as may be seen by the cut, is a spacious 

 builoing, of a roomy and comfortable look. Ii is well 

 arranged within, and provided with the usual reception 

 room and hall, leading to the parlors, smoking room, 

 dining room, etc. The thirty-six sleeping apartments 

 are mostly on the second floor — a lot of them are neces- 

 sary, for there have been 118 persons out at Mervue on 

 one day, though not all remained over night. The third 

 story, or attic, holds the servants' quarters, and was de- 

 signed originally to have also the billiard and smoking 

 rooms. Trie building is in every way suited to its pur- 

 pose, and the club, whose membership is mostly made up 

 of young men, most of them, perhaps, single men, may 

 be very much congratulated upon their new home now 

 that it is finished, This is the youngest and most youth- 



THE MERVUE CLUB. 



Secretary: S. J. Bowling, Treasurer. The board of direc- 

 tors are the above, ex-officio, and also Messrs. H. C. 

 Ccrvs, Edward Sharp, J. F. McGregor andH. M. Leonard. 

 The following is the latest obtained fist of membership, 

 but is not thought to be quite complete: Edgar Ander- 

 son, E. G. Arnold, Alex. Barr, John Barr, George Billing, 

 J. W, Biglow, Wm. B. Bierce, C. W. Bristol, S. J. Bow- 

 ling. D. D. Booth, Fred W. Brand. E. A. Broad well, Geo. 



B. Burton, W. G. Burton, Jas. M. Buick, Dr. J. E. Clark, 



C. G. Chase, W. R. Campbell, John G. Craig, Fred Ektiff, 

 John Eisman, E. D. Emmons, Chas. K. Foster, H. L. 

 Gabell, Reynard Gabell, B. J. Gore, W. A. E. Gore, E. S. 

 Greece. David W. Grav, Thos. F. Godfrey, C. E. Howell, 

 Fred H. Hutaff, H. D. Heidt, R. R. Hodge, E. A. Heames, 

 H. F Hollands. J. G. Hollands, J«hn Hutchings, Thos. 

 L. Hilton, J. W. Hanna, Windsor. Ont ; H. H. Jackson, 

 F. C. Jackson, Henry Kiesling, David C. Kay. A. G. Lim- 

 bach, A. C Leonard, H. M. Leonard, H. D. La Grange, 

 Wm. G. Latimer, T. O. Leonard, Jr., Edw. F. Loud, Os- 

 coda, Mich.; J. G. F. Macdonald, Dr. S. G. Miner, W. E. 

 Moss, Chas. B. Marks, Jas. F. McGregor. W. H. McGregor, 

 John McBride, Jr., A. W. McCloud, G. W. McAllister, 

 Anthony T. McLogan. Eugene L. Nicol, B. M. Patterson, 

 Alex. Paton, W. E. Parker, A. F. Peck, August Rasch, 

 E. A. Rasch, F. A. Rasch, O. E. Rasch, Ed. H. Rhines, 

 H. C. Rohns, C. E. Richmond, Shiloh Rickel, D. J. Rob- 

 ertson, A. W. Reckmeyer, F. G. Skinner, Otto Scherer, 

 Irving R. Swan, Ed, Sharp, Enoch Smith, Louis Torrey, 

 C. E. Thompson, J. A. Topping, G O. Thompson, John 

 S. Thompson, F. A. Thompson, Chas. W. Warren, J. T. 

 Whitehead, O. C. Wynn, G. W. Winterhalter, L. D. 

 Wells, W. W. Wilcox, W. H. Wright, Jos. A. Yorston, 

 A. T. Yorston. E. Hough. 



175 Monroe Street, Chicago. 



Delware River Bass Fishing. — Under date of Sept. 

 7, Hon. Henry C. Ford writes that bass fishing has not 

 been very good lately in the vicinity of Egypt Mills, Pike 

 county, Pa., owing to the high water. He took sixteen 

 bass on Sept. 5, ranging from lib. in 31bs. in weight, and 

 ten on the 6th, varying from lib. to 2ilbs. 



WINNIN1SH OF THE METABETCHOUAN. 



IN our last issue we acknowledged the receipt of three 

 perfect specimens of the winninish taken in the Me- 

 tabetchauan River, Quebec, by Mr. C. C. Maxson, of 

 Westerly, R. I., in answer to a request made through our 

 columns Aug. 21. Mr. Maxson's letter announcing the 

 shipment reads as follows: 



"Chambord Junction, P. Q., Sept. 4, 1890.—- Editor 

 Forest and Stream: I noticed just before leaving home 

 a request for a winninish, and in response to the same I 

 have expressed to you this evening three fish of assorted 

 sizes taken with some others this morning in the Meta- 

 betchouan River. You will notice a great difference in 

 coloration between these and the fish from the Discharge. 

 They are also heavier for their length." 



The safe arrival of the specimens has already been re- 

 ferred to. The largest of the winninish is a 41b. female, 

 measuring 23in. in length. The ovaries are well devel- 

 oped, the eggs as they lie in the ovary averaging about 

 six to the inch. From their appearance it is probable 

 that the fish would have been ready to spawn early in 

 the fall. The next in size is a very shapely male weigh- 

 ing 31b3. loz., and measuring ]9fin. over all. The 

 milt was approaching maturity, but the cartilaginous tip 

 at the extreme end of the lower jaw is very small and is 

 entirely received witliin the upper jaw. The smallest is 

 also a male, lfrjin. long and weighing lib. 12oz. At some 

 future time we propose to publish a comparison between 

 these winninish and the landlocked salmon of the Sebago 

 Lake and Grand Lake Stream in Maine. We cannot see 

 any difference between Mr. Maxson's specimen and the 

 winninish sent by Mr. Dana from the Grand Discharge, 

 near the foot of "Lake St. John, and referred to in our 

 columns Aug. 21. One noteworthy feature of the anat- 

 omy is the presence in the female of 86 ccacal append- 

 ages, or about 20 more 

 than the average num- 

 ber in the Atlantic sal- 

 mon; in the two males, 

 however, the number of 

 coeca is about normal, 

 the larger having 68 and 

 the smaller 65. The 

 stomachs of each of these 

 fish contained a few in- 

 sects representing a mod- 

 erate number of species, 

 but as these have not yet 

 been identified we defer 

 commenting upon them 

 for the present, merely 

 remarking that all of the 

 insects and insect larvje 

 are small. Mr. Dana in- 

 forms us that it is a com- 

 mon thing to find win- 

 ninish with their stom- 

 achs filled and distended 

 with insects; he has fre- 

 quently observed them 

 feeding in the early 

 morning. The big dorsal 

 fin and most of the top 

 of the body can be seen 

 when the winninish rises 

 into flecks or patches of 

 foam and scoops up the 

 insects, meanwhile mov- 

 ing around in a circle. 

 The downward move- 

 ment of the fish resembles 

 the tumbling of a por-' 

 poise. Winninish may 

 be seen breaking water 

 in this way in all direc- 

 tions, and after a tempo- 

 rary disappearance the 

 feeding fish may be look- 

 ed for within a few feet 

 of the spot from which 

 it disappeared. The nat- 

 ural fly which was no- 

 ticed as the one chiefly 

 taken during the present 

 season is a yellow-bodied species. » From the fact that it 

 is described as having "two long tails" we infer that it 

 belongs to the Ephemeridm, 



We have made a preliminary comparison of Mr. Max- 

 son's winninish with some Sebago salmon taken from 

 Lake Sebago early in November, 1888. The Sebagos at 

 that time were in the breeding condition and are large 

 fish — one a female weighing 131bs. , and the other a male 

 of I71bs. — so that the basis of comparison is not very sat- 

 isfactory, but we observe a few particulars to which we 

 have previously called attention and which may prove to 

 be important. The winninish of the Metabetchouan and 

 the Grand Discharge has a heavier and longer upper jaw 

 than the Sebago; the longest ray of its dorsal fin is about 

 three-fifths the length of the head, while in the Sebago it 

 is only one-half of this length. The adipose tin of the 

 winninish is longer and slenderer than that of the Sebago, 

 its base being less than one-half of its height, while in 

 the Sebago the base is considerably more than one-half. 

 The tail of the winninish is more deeply forked than that 

 of the Sebago. It should be borne in mind, however, 

 that all of these differences may be due to the differences 

 in the size of the individuals compared. It is some- 

 what surprising to us that the insect-eating winninish 

 should have the massive jaws which form one of its 

 striking characteristics. Perhaps if we knew all about 

 its feeding habits we would find that it preys at some 

 time of the year upon other fishes. 



Anglers will doubtless be interested to know the prin- 

 cipal measurements of these winninish for comparison 

 with their weights. The female measures 23in. from the 

 tip of the snout to a line connecting the tips of the tail. 

 The body is 5in. deep and 2Jin. thick. The head is 4iin. 

 long, the snout l|in., and the eye is one-sixth as long as 

 the head. There are twenty-four rows of scales from the 

 beginning of the dorsal fin to the lateral line, twenty-one 

 rows from the beginning of the belly fin to the lateral 

 line, and the lateral line pierces 123 scales. The weight 

 of this fish when received was 41bs. 



The larger of the two males is 19fin. long and weighs 

 31bs. loz. Its depth is 4iin., thickness 241b., length of 

 head 4Jin., snotit If in., eye fin. A comparison of these 



~jz. 



