192 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



l Sept. 3S, 1890. 



The Kankakee down Mak-saw-ba way is alive with bass 

 this fall. That club has employed two retired Irish 

 prize fighters, who terrorize the country and have thus 

 just about stopped illegal shooting. The netting and 

 spearing of fish has been stopped on these grounds for 

 some time back, and the result is apparent. These two 

 Irish policemen are spoiling for a fight, and are complain- 

 ing of the "dool toimes" they are having lately. They 

 have built a sort of shanty on the marsh up toward the 

 Two Trees, and this, in apt allusion to the late Clan-na- 

 Gael affairs, has come to be universally known as "Camp 

 20." Woe be to the lawless shooter who disturbs "Camp 

 20," for he is apt to be suddenly "removed." English 

 Lake Club also has two big special policemen on its marsh 

 in the same way. 



Another fact to back what ifl now an old story. One 

 evening last week, at 8:15, as Billy Mussey was coming 

 down the Kankakee to the olub house, paddling his duck 

 boat, he was startled by a sudden splash and the flash of 

 something before his face. It was a big ba,ss, and it 

 sprang diagonally clear across the boat, went over his 

 left shoulder and struck him on the ear as it passed. It 

 scared Billy pretty near silly. The fish was seen by Billy's 

 friends in the boat just following, and cannot, therefore, 

 be considered a sudden hallucination. 



There was a late report in the daily papers to the effect 

 that the refuse of a glucose mill had killed 32,000 of fish 

 in the Fox Eiver, but I cannot learn where that was or 

 how accurate the story may be. 



Fishing will gi-ow better from now on, for the next 

 thirty days. The fall fishing season would have more im- 

 portance here if the shooting season did not overshadow 

 it to some extent. E. Houoh. 



MAINE BLACK BASS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Four years ago from force of circumstances I spent my 

 first vacation with the black bass of Kennebec county 

 rather than with the marvelously beautiful trout of the 

 Dead Eiver region. But now give me the lordly and 

 gamy dusky inhabitants of the clear waters of Great 

 Belgrade Pond, Long Pond and the whole chain of 

 sparkling waters from Oakland to South Monmouth in 

 preference to ponds depleted of their speckled denizens. 

 There is more sport with a 2| to a 8^1 bs. fighting bass 

 than with many |lb. crimson-flecked swimmers. 



The frequent rains in the Pine Tree State had given 

 the verdure of the hills and mountains, the valleys and 

 the shores of lakelets and streams its fullest glory. And 

 autumn wild flowers were never more abundant and 

 gorgeous. 



Long Pond, between Mt. Vernon and Belgrade, has 

 been my favorite fishing ground; but alas! the "fish hog" 

 has been there; yes, many hundreds of them, so popular 

 has the place become; and the fish are not so plenty as 

 two years ago. A string of thirty bass was shown me 

 with great gusto and pride, when I am sure I could have 

 selected fifteen of the number that would not have 

 weighed more than 31bs Shame, I say, on such sports- 

 men, if they can be called by such a name. And these 

 anglers were from the large cities of Maine and Massa- 

 chusetts. The string I speak of was but a sample; others 

 could have been seen any day when the boats were out. 



Bat with gratitude I say Long Pond is but one among 

 the constellation of this grand cluster of ponds. Some 

 near by were not stocked so early, but now are just be- 

 coming good rivals. Cobbosseecontee was stocked earlier 

 and has many worthy patrons. Its waters are clear, 

 decked with a large number of islands, and its bass large, 

 toothsome and gamy. Its banks have excellent accom- 

 modations for the sportsmen, as ha3 been told me by a 

 large number of Boston friends, who enjoyed them in 

 July and August. Maranacook, too, was well stocked 

 years ago and has good feeding ground; and now its 

 waters has a grand army of the stalwart fighters. The 

 boarding house have great fame, and next year, as I am 

 told, is to be much enlarged and improved. The location 

 has no superior. Other ponds in Winthrop have their 

 admirers. A few miles to the southwest of Winthrop 

 village is Annabessacook, which has recently been brought 

 into notice by some very large strings caught by zealous 

 fishermen. 



Black bass are rapidly growing in favor with the na- 

 tives, though they do not give up yet the white perch 

 they have so many years fed upon, and which still in 

 great numbers populate this congregation of ponds. Na- 

 ture has been very lavish of her bounty to this region. 



At times I have spoken to you of methods of keeping 

 minnows alive for bait. I improved my methods some by 

 adopting the Calcutta water cooler plan. My minnow 

 can is about 20in. high and about a foot in diamter. I 

 put upon it a jacket of four thicknesses of cloth. When 

 starting out for a day's fishing I completely wet the jacket 

 with water. (Was told that salt water would be more 

 effectual, but did not try it.) If the air was dry and the 

 sun bright, care was needed, or the water would become 

 too cold and the minnows suffer. If the sun did not 

 shine and the air was sultry, the water in the jacket did 

 not rapidly evaporate, and a little ice between the jacket 

 and the can was of service, though, as I have said, or 

 intimated, if the evaporation is rapid, a little of the 

 water taken from the can and pond water put in regulates 

 the temperature of the water to the comfort of the little 

 fish, and they would remain active and live as long as 

 wanted. Nothing new about this. The Calcutta plan, or 

 that of our farmer fathers', putting a wet cloth about 

 their earthenware pitcher of drink as they took it into 

 their hayfields, are models for us. This method was of 

 great service to me this year, as I took my bait nearly 

 three miles in a carriage to Long Pond. 



My vacation is finished and so is my angling for this 

 season. My hair is white with many years. I never had 

 a more pleasant vacation. Shall I have another as good? 



J. W. T. 



Boston, Sept. 15. 



Fishes at Cape Charles, Virginia.— From Mr. B. A. 

 Bean, who has just visited Cape Charles, we learn that 

 fishing is poor in that locality. Eighteen or twenty kinds 

 of fish were taken in three hauls of a seine. Anchovies 

 and young pompano were found, also young bluefish and 

 sea bass. Pipefish, usually among the commonest of the 

 shore fishes, are scarce. Half beaks (Eemirhamphus) 

 were abundant and spawning. The silver gar (Tylosu- 

 rus) were not common. As for the birds, a few plover 

 were seen and many ospreys; dilCks wWe absent. 



CARP AND COWS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Some time ago the Superintendent of the Census ad- 

 dressed to me some inquiries concerning the German 

 carp, which I received when our Government made its 

 distribution of those fish. I repUed in good faith to the 

 best of my poor ability, but no acknowledgment has 

 been made of my answer, wherefore I conclude that 

 they have been thrown out by the official at whose re- 

 quest they wei*e made. I am confident that they con- 

 tain information which should not be lost, and therefore 

 inclose them with the blank which called them forth, 

 hoping they may see the light in the columns of your 

 valuable paper, to whose readers I trust I am not alto- 

 gether a stranger: 



Prof, Smiley— Dear Sir: In 1878 I placed four carp in 

 a pond one-eighth of an acre in extent, which I had pre- 

 pared especially for their reception,at an expense which 

 I cannot now estimate. 



They grew so rapidly that in five years the pond was 

 too small for them. They were unable to turn around in 

 it; their backs were out of water and they could get no 

 food, but such as I fed them. This consisted principally 

 of cabbage, fed them in summer in its natural state, in 

 colder weather in the form of sauerkraut. This food was 

 suggested by the Teutonic origin of the fish and they 

 throve finely upon it. 



The parts in the ice and those exposed above it were 

 frozen perfectly solid, but the fish did not appear to have 

 suffered at all from this, for when they thawed out in the 

 spring they were as lively as ever. 



Having attained such a size that it was impossible to 

 keep them longer in the pond, and knowing that the 

 species subsist almost entirely on vegetable food, I turned 

 them out in a pasture with my cows as soon as the grass 

 was started well. It is an interesting fact regarding their 

 readiness to adapt their habits to their situation, that they 

 easily learned, by observing their companions, to keep 

 the flies off by a dextrous switching of the tail. 



They throve almost as well as when in the pond, but 

 becoming unruly and frequently breaking bounds into 

 meadows, grain fields and neighbors' lands, I was obliged 

 to kill them. The greater portion of the carcasses was 

 sold at a fair price in the nearest market, while I kept a 

 little for my own use. 



As "an article of food," I consider the carp quite valu- 

 able. For a little goes a great way, indeed quite around 

 a long table, as one mouthful suffices each person, unless 

 be be to the manner of German carp eating born. 

 ^ As to the query concerning "carp fry," I can only an- 

 swer that I never attempted to fry any but once. The 

 result was so unsatisfactory that the experiment was not 

 repeated. I did not attend any special "Fry of 1889," 

 and cannot estimate the ages of the guests present, but 

 believe them "All over three years." 



An exact "estimate of the co3t" of the food eaten by 

 the carp would be difficult, but I should say each fish ate 

 one hundred cabbages worth 10 cents a head, which 

 would amount to $10. I cannot give the amount of pas- 

 turage consumed, as they were in the same field with my 

 cows when not astray. What they ate of my neighbors' 

 fields cost me nothing, and so far they were quite profit- 

 able. They cost me much time and labor in driving 

 them and repairing fences, and on account of an unusual 

 expenditure of strong language I felt constrained to give 

 my pastor $5 more than has been my custom. 



I do not consider the experiment as having proved 

 profitable on the whole. The Government need not be at 

 the trouble of sending me more carp. Very respectfully, 

 J. Verity, U. S. H. M. 



ANGLING NOTES. 



THE weakfish season is nearly over, a few scattering 

 fish are still taken here and there, but the bulk of 

 the schools have left our waters for this year. The gamy 

 striped bass, however, are taking their place, and right 

 Avelcome axe these royal fish to the angler. 



From Barnegat Bay to Broad Channel, and up the 

 Hudson and Long Island Sound these fish are now to be 

 found. If the angler fishes for sport, he should use a 

 flexible bait-rod about 10 or lift, long, a multiplying reel 

 holding 300ft. of 9 thread Cuttyhunk line, to which 

 should be fastened a good double-gut leader by means of 

 a swivel, and to the leader should be looped a 3-0 or 4 0 

 sproat hook. This is all that is necessary, excepting the 

 bait, which should vary according to the locality. The 

 best baits are shedder crab, shrimp, lobster and red and 

 white sand worms. Little if any sinker need be used. 



An angler writing to a friend recently relates that 

 while trout fishing one day this summer he passed a place 

 that looked very "woodcocky," as he expressed it. It 

 was a little cove made hy the backwater, the mud well 

 shaded by ferns and trees, very cool and inviting look- 

 ing. He often passed the place when fishing and always 

 expected to see a woodcock fly up. Thi3 time, as he 

 stopped for a moment to take a look at it, he was agre- 

 ably surprised by seeing three noble biids flutter down, 

 one after the other. He watched them several minutes 

 boring and feeding, when an accidental movement 

 startled them and they went twittering off in the woods. 



and not many are taken with bait. They are large dark- 

 colored fish with the under jaw more developed than 

 usual. They call them "cannibal" trout up there, and 

 say they live on young trout only. These fish are often 

 found in trout waters and easily known by their peculiar 

 shape and color. The heads are large in proportion to 

 their bodies, and they are ugly looking specimens, re- 

 sembling the savage pickerel more than the quiet trout. 

 The writer caught one not long ago while fly-fishing, a 

 small trout had taken the tail fly. While reeling it in 

 one of these cannibal trout made a dash at it and swal- 

 lowed it. A sharp strike secured the rascal and we con- 

 sidered the stream well rid of him. 



Oneonta Association Eecords.— Oneonta, N. Y. — 

 The open season for legal trout fishing closed in Otsego 

 county Sept. 1, but remained open until the 15th in Dela- 

 ware county, as that county is embraced in the forest 

 preserve. The members of the Oneonta Fish and Game 

 Protective Association and other anglers have been very 

 successful this year, and many more trout were caught 

 than in 1889. My statistics show a catch of 6,100, not 

 including what have been caught by fishermen living 

 along the streams, which would no doubt increase the 

 number to over 8,000, which is 3,000 more than caught in 

 1889 — a fact which shows the benefit we are deriving 

 from constant stocking of our streams. Otsego county 

 furnished about 4,500 and Delaware county about 3,500 of 

 the number taken. There have been caught about 50 

 trout that would average from 1 to 1-Ubs., and one that 

 weighed lib. and lOoz. The average size also was good. 

 Several brown trout have been caught 7 to 9 inches in 

 length, which indicates that they are doing well in our 

 streams. The Oneonta Fish and Game Association now 

 has 120 members, and is doing all it can to improve fish- 

 ing and hunting in this vicinity. There was placed in our 

 streams last year about 50,000 fry of brook and brown 

 trout, the aggregate plant of the three years of 1888, 1889 

 and 1890 being 210,000. The association intends to con- 

 tinue planting all the fry it can obtain from the State. 

 The association put out 10 dozen West Virginia quail last 

 winter and from all reports they are doing well, as 

 numbers of their young have been seen. The association 

 will import more of these birds the coming winter. The 

 game laws have been well enforced in this vicinity. 

 Only one case has been prosecuted by our association, and 

 that was against an old offender for netting trout. The 

 proof in this case is so strong that there is no chance for 

 the offender to escape punishment. — C. W. Lewis, Ex- 

 President. 



Bass at Narragansett Pier.— Mr. David Stevenson, 

 of this city, who has a summer residence at Narragansett 

 Pier, E. L, tells us that he has had excellent fishing this 

 season, Casting from the rocks, near his home, he 

 caught four striped bass, weighing 421bs., 23|lb8.,22-ilbs., 

 and 201bs.; and among the bluefish landed were four of 

 about 81bs. each. His largest bass gave him a hard struggle 

 for three-quarters of an hour; and another bass was 

 hooked which was so large and so powerful that he could 

 not handle it at all. The bait used was lobster; menhaden 

 would have been more successful , but could not be ob- 

 tained. Bass fishing has been excellent all along the 

 coast. The Cuttyhunk Club records show an aggregate 

 catch of about 2,0001bs. ; and anybody who knows any- 

 thing about striped bass will appreciate the fact that there 

 is enough solid fun in a ton of striped bass to go a long 

 way around, and to make things very lively for the men 

 at the big end of th e rod. 



Coal Dirt and Bass.— Trenton, N. J., Sept. 18,-1 

 have just returned from our annual bass trip on the 

 Delaware, at Frenchtown, N. J., and regret to report that 

 (with the exception of a few strings secured by that per- 

 sistent fisherman Mr. Johnson Walford, of that pretty 

 village before our arrival) no luck came to our boat. I 

 can only account for our poor success by the coal dirt 

 laden water, which has come from the Lehigh lately. 

 This has driven the bass to other parts. I had hopes of 

 giving my fishing brothers some -encouraging reports 

 from this section, so easily reached, but am disappointed, 

 although among the lot that fell to Warford's rod three 

 reached the 41bs. mark on the scale3. Taking the pools, 

 riffs and bottom of the river at this point, no better 

 ground can be found for the king of fish, the small-mouth 

 bass— W. H. S. 



Potomac Eiver Fishing.— Swan Point Cove, in the 

 lower Potamac Eiver, is unsurpassed at present as a fish- 

 ing ground. I have been taking sea trout (weakfish), 

 tailors (bluefish) and rock (striped bass) until my arms 

 ached from pulling in the weight. The fishing never was 

 better. Besides the three kinds mentioned there are 

 spots and white perch. We use handlines with heavy 

 sinkers and frequently two or three hooks. It is not un- 

 common to catch two fish at a haul. The best fishing is 

 found in the mouth of Cockwell's Creek on the flood tide; 

 it is during the strength of the flood and ebb that the 

 weight is needed in the sinker. This is a famous ground 

 for ducks and swans in cool weather and ordinary win- 

 ters. Quail are more plentiful than ever before. — H, T. 



Mr. Geo. Eicado, one of the fish wardens of New Jer- 

 sey, while fishing in the waters of the upper Hackensack 

 Eiver, caught a good-sized black bass that bad a 1-0 hook, 

 baited with a crawfish, in its stomach. This would be 

 about equal to a human being with a shark hook inside 

 of him, but fish do not seem to mind a little thing like 

 this. Unless the hook injures the gills and causes red 

 blood to flow, it seems to do them no permanent injury. 

 It is a well-known fact that perch have been taken with 

 their own eyes for bait. 



A gentleman who has lately been the guest of the Ingle- 

 wood Club up in New Brunswick gives us a very glowing 

 account of this hospitable club and its good fishing. He 

 says they have upward of twenty lakes in their territory, 

 all full of trout, and in sev.ral of them very fine land- 

 locked salmon are caught. Most of them are easily 

 reached from their comfortable club house. The Mush- 

 quash River runs through their property and a few sea 

 salmon are still caught in it. They are going to restock 

 this river with salmon and will soon have fine fishing 

 again. The crout fishing he describes as simply grand, 

 with no end to speckled trout from & to 21bs t in weight. 



There is one fa&e in which the tr'o'iit do n'dt take the fly 



Carp in the Hudson.— About thirty-six years ago I 

 accompanied John J. Ferris, of Highland, N. Y., an en- 

 thusiastic disciple of Walton, in a fishing excursion to 

 the Bennewater, at which time I found him very com- 

 municative regarding all matters pertaining to fish and 

 fishing. Said he: "There are carp in the Hudson and 

 but few know it, but they will find them before long. 

 I'll tell you how they got into the river. A gentleman 

 near Newburg had a pond in which he kept carp, there 

 came a big freshet which broke the dam and let the fish 

 into the river," Sure enough, some years after that the 

 brooks along the Hudson presented the novel sight of the 

 beautiful fish of golden hue.— N. D. Elting. 



Bluefish Growing Scarce.— Eeports from Wellfleet, 

 Mass., dated Sept. 12. indicate a steady diminution of 

 bluefish and it is" believed they are about to move southr 

 ward. The fishing for all the common food fishes has 

 been greatly injured presumably by the presence of the 

 voracious bluefish. 



A Book. About Inviass.— The Forest and Stream will mall 

 free on application a de«er'Btiye_oireaUr of Mr. GrrjnaeH',3 \ipok,, 



ilejpo, Stories and i 



