Jan. 15, 1891.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



517 



structed tackle and with the above mentioned number of 

 bait, thirty-seven "salrnon,"one bass and one perch. The 

 average weight was about lib. Thus ended our first day's 

 experiment of taking fish by trolling, and so elated were 

 we with the success and so much did we enjoy the sport 

 that we unanimously agreed to try it again the following 

 morning. 



The next morning we started out for the second time 

 with the same tackle; the first important thing was to get 

 a supply of lampreys, which at that time were difficult 

 for us to get on account of our not understanding their 

 nature and habitat. However, we secured about twenty 

 of this killing bait, and with these we proceeded to the 

 scene of yesterday's sport. We found the fish as ready to 

 bite as we were to fish, and in two and one -half hours we 

 took forty-two fish, one individual weighing 41bs., and 

 the balance averaging about lib. 



We were now fully convinced that this mode of taking 

 fish was practical and successful, and we at once concluded 

 to secore improved tackle, to make a pair of oars for the 

 canoe and go to fishing in dead earnest. 



These things we accomplished, and with our new rig- 

 ging we tried a third time and succeeded in taking up- 

 ward of fifty, many of which weighed from 2£ to 31bs. 



About this time the local fishermen, together with 

 many others from a distance, learning of our remarkable 

 success, all took to fishing by the same mode we had used 

 and all were generally very successful. This wonderful 

 taking of fish lasted but a short time, when it seemed as 

 if this prolific body of water had been completely depop- 

 ulated of its late numerous residents by the fishermen, 

 but after the next rise of water we again tried it and 

 found fish as plentiful as they were before. 



Since that time (1886'j high water has, with one excep- 

 tion during the season of 1883, up to the present time, 

 interfered with the taking of fish. The past season has 

 not been remarkable for the number taken, but for the 

 high average in point of size. 



The black bass, considered here as the best game fish, 

 seem to have almost entirely deserted the waters of this 

 locality. The true cause of their leaving is as yet a mat- 

 ter of doubt if not a mystery. It is asserted by some to 

 be due to the scarcity of small fish upon which they feed, 

 and by others that the pollution of the waters, caused by 

 the gas and coal refuse from the mines, etc.. situated 

 along the river, is responsible for their disappearance. 



For fishing in our locality the lamprey has proved itself 

 to be the prince of baits. Stone catfish, small sunfish and 

 helgramites are also used, but with indifferent success. 



C. H. Sangbey. 



"Washington Borough, Pa., Jan 1. 



ANGLING NOTES. 



THERE are two famous trout streams, dearly beloved 

 by anglers, and within easy reach of New York 

 city, that have been thoroughly fished for many years. 

 One is the Beaverkill and the other the Neversink. When 

 Uncle Thad. Norris and Dr. Bethune used to fish these 

 waters the trout were large and plenty, but the constant 

 whipping by the crowds of anglers that of late years 

 frequented these favorite streams, reduced them to "such 

 an extent that lately they have hardly been worth visit- 

 ing. 



We are glad to hear from some of the veterans who 

 have for many years made it a point to fish in these 

 brooks, that last season's catch showed a very marked 

 improvement over the previous year as that did over the 

 one of lb'88, both in size and number. 



This happy state of affairs has been partially brought 

 about by the liberal stocking of these waters by the wise 

 management of the Ontario & Western R. R., but there 

 is another cause which has helped the brooks, and that is 

 the headwaters of the two streams are controlled by 

 clubs and private parties who limit the fish caught both 

 in size and numbers, and absolutely prohibit fishing in 

 the little side streams where the fingerlings seek shelter 

 from their larger brethren, thus assuring a constant 

 source of supply. Reasonable people begin to see the 

 advantages of having parts of streams controlled in this 

 way, as it certainly improves the whole of the waters. 

 They cannot lock up their fish, and they naturally will 

 drop down stream, particularly as they grow large'. 



One young man, boarding at one of the summer hotels 

 on the banks of the Neversink, took a2^1b. trout fairly ou 

 the fly last summer. And we heard of a number of others, 

 but this instance we have proof of. 



Broadhead's Creek, another classic trout water made 

 famous in Norris's book, has been more closely preserved 

 of late years aed furnished very fair fishing last season. 

 This is an early stream and much frequented by anglers 

 from New York and Philadelphia. The East" Branch, 

 being more difficult of access, furnishes the best sport. 



Probably more would be heard about the taking of 

 salmon during winter months were it not against the law. 

 We were told within a few days that quite a number are 

 taken in salmon rivers whenever the season permits it; 

 that is, when the river was open. The gentleman in- 

 forming us said that he has taken them on a fly when his 

 line would be frozen like wire, he standing on the ice at 

 the time. 



Trout will undoubtedly take a fly in winter when the 

 water is sufficiently open, but they will not rise when 

 snow water is running, and it may be the same with 

 salmon. Scarlet-Ibis. 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST, 



CHICAGO, Jan. 6.— The annual meeting of the Fox 

 River Fish and Game Association will be held next- 

 Wednesday afternoon at the Sherman House and it will 

 be an interesting occasion. Matters of the greatest in- 

 terest to all Chicago anglers and all anglers resident in 

 this section of the country will be discussed. This is the 

 one protective organization of this State which amounts 

 to anything by way of results. Its work has been often 

 mentioned in these columns, and it will be a pleasure to 

 report the doings of this assembly, among which we shall 

 be apt to find something practical. 



Jan. 10.— Mr. J. E. Harvey, of Lake Mills, Wis. , yes- 

 terday sent down to Spaldings' one of the finest specimens 

 of the large-mouth bass ever seen in this city. Its weight 

 was 7^1bs. and it was a very clean built and symmetri- 

 cal fish. It was caught Jan. 8, doubtless through the 

 ice. Doesn't somebody say the large-mouth bass "hiber- 

 nates, "burrows in the mud?" They don't all of them 

 hibernate out here, by a large majority. They would be 

 better off if they did. E. Hough. 



Black River Association. — The third annual meet- 

 ing of the Black River Fish and Game Protective Associ- 

 ation was held in Holland Patent last week. The annual 

 report of Secretary W. E. Wolcott showed the association 

 to be in a prosperous condition and doing good work. 

 The petitions asking the Legislature to take prompt and 

 decided action for the preservation of the Adirondack 

 wilderness for the benefit of the people of the State, 

 which the association had printed and widely circulated, 

 were sent to the State Forest Commission last spring. 

 The commissioners had the petition and the thousands of 

 names attached thereto published in pamphlet form, and 

 copies distributed wherever they thought they would do 

 the most good. A meeting of the board of directors of 

 the association was held in Renisen, March 25, and several 

 new members were admitted. On Nov. 1 a special meet- 

 ing of the directors was held in Holland Patent. Reso- 

 lutions of regret were adopted on the resignation of Gen- 

 eral R. U. Sherman as a member of the State Fish Com- 

 mission. A resolution was also adopted deprecating the 

 state of affairs existing in the Adirondacks, and urging 

 all friends of forest protection to co-operate with the 

 State Forest Commission in an effort to secure a perma- 

 nent park in the wilderness. President H. A. Pride was 

 appointed to represent the association at the meeting of 

 the State Forest Commission held in New York city Nov. 

 5. The president attended the meeting, and at a special 

 meeting of the directors of the association, held Nov. 15, 

 presented an extended and very encouraging report re- 

 garding his visit. William L. Fowler and F. C. Wolcott 

 represented the Association at the hearing before the 

 State Commission on the codification and revision of 

 the game laws in Albany, Nov. 18-19. The Stale Forest 

 Commission has prepared a report to be submitted to the 

 Legislature containing recommendations regarding an 

 Adirondack park, which are fully in accord with the 

 views of this association. The game law codification 

 commission has also prepared a report which will no 

 doubt meet the approval of the ma jority of sportsmen. 

 It is to be hoped that the Senate and Assembly will take 

 action for the passage of the measures recommended by 

 both commissions at an early date. The following officers 

 were elected for 1891: President, H. A. Pride, Holland 

 Patent; directors, J. W. Hicks, Oriskany; F. X. Salzman, 

 Forestport; F. C. Wolcott, Trenton; B. H. Kent, Friend 

 Bristol, Ramsen; S. R. Fuller, G. G. Cbassell, Holland 

 Patent. At a subseouient meeting of the directors, the 

 following additional officers were chosen: Vice-President, 

 Fred B. Spriggs, Utica: Secretary, W. E. Wolcott, Utica. 

 Treasurer, G. G, Chassell, Holland Patent. 



A Small Boy's Conundrum.— Albany, N. Y., Jan. 6. — 

 Editor Forest and Stream: Now that you have practi- 

 cally settled the questions that the woodcock makes a 

 noise both with his wings and throat, and that trout cul- 

 ture does pay, and that a threebarrel gun is good enough 

 and will kill all and more than any one man onght to 

 kill, I should like to have the following solution answered : 

 When George was a little fellow of five, one still, tine 

 evening in August I was rowing him and his mother 

 along the shores of Quaker Smith's Point on Lake Cham- 

 plain. I think he was holding the trolling line; at any 

 rate, he kept watching the blades of the oars dip into the 

 water for some time, when suddenly he looked me in the 

 face and asked, "Papa, where does the water go to when 

 yon put your oar in?'' This has been more of a puzzle to 

 me than the habits of the black bass. Perhaps some of 

 the boys can tell, and so relieve the mind of — Dexter. 



Fish Frozen in the Ice.— Dayton, Ohio, Jan. 12.— 

 The State Fish Commissioners, a few years ago, stocked 

 Indian Lake, in the Lewiston reservoir, with eels that 

 were brought from New York. Eels are now caught from 

 3 to 3ft. long. A ton of fish were shipped from the bulk- 

 head last wetk, making 50,0001b3. shipped in the past 

 year. A recent freeze over the reservoir created a strange 

 winter scene; thousands of fish were frozen in the clear 

 ice and the view was like that of a vast kaleidescope. — 

 Brown. 



The Jenny-Lin d and Other Flies. — Editor Forest 

 and Stream: Will some of your contributors be kind 

 enough to give the name of the originator of the fly 

 known as the Jenny-Lind, and state whether it was first 

 dressed with pale blue or lavender wings, or any other 

 facts connected with the history of this fly? I would also 

 ,ike to know who mounted and named the following flies : 

 Allerton, Cahill, Esmeralda, Caldwell, Van Patton, black- 

 prince, dauphin, Wappinger and moose.— Inquirer. 



Capon Springs, W. Va.— The little mountain streams 

 tributary to the Capon River and lake, in this State, a 

 few years ago contained a plentiful supply of brook 

 trout, but now the fish are very scarce and an effort is 

 to be made to restock the streams in which the trout are 

 native. Residents of Berryville, Va., are desirous, also, 

 of obtaining an additional stock of black ba3s for the 

 Shenandoah River, where this fine game fish is highly 

 prized. — M. G. ' 



New Name for Mascalonge.— The Baltimore Sun re- 

 cently published a brief note on fishing in the vicinity 

 of that city many years ago, in which reference is 

 made to the mascalonge under the name of horse salmon. 

 We do not know where this designation is current for 

 the species and would be glad to have information from 

 any of your readers who have heard it. 



New York. — The Assembly Committee on Fisheries 

 and Game is as follows: Messrs. Gould of Lewis, Croak of 

 Richmond, Townsend of Queens, O'Connor of Kings, 

 Byrne of New York, Smith of Erie, Stephens of Frank- 

 lin, Gardinier of Columbia, Selleck of Oswego. 



A Book About Indians.— The Fobest and Stream will mail 

 free on application a descriptive circular of Mr, Grinnell's book, 

 ''Pawnee Hero Stories and Folk-Tales," giving a table of content* 

 and specimen Wnstrations fmm th« volume.— Adm. 



Forest and Stream, Box 2,833, N. Y. city, has deseriptive illu^ 

 trated circulars of W. B. Leffinsrwell's book, "Wild Fowl Shoot- 

 ing," which will be mailed free on request. The book is pro- 

 nounced by "Nanit," "Gloan." "'Dick Swiveller," i( Sybillene" and 

 other competent authorities to be the best treatise, on the subject 

 extant. 



Names and Portraits of Birds, by Gurdon Trumbun. A 

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

 identify without question all the American _game birds which 

 they may kilL Cloth, 230 pages, price 83.50. for sale by Forest 

 ASD Stbsah. 



FISHES RECENTLY ACCLIMATED IN FRANCE. 



BY EMLLE BERTRAND. 



POMOTTS VULGARIS.— This pretty fish, which repro- 

 duced for me for the first time in 1887, multiplies 

 annually in great abundance from May until toward the 

 end of September. As I have said elsewhere-, it builds a 

 nest and watches the eggs until they hatch. The male is 

 readily distinguished from the female, at the age of one or 

 two years, by a very pronounced red vermilion spot on the 

 margin of the opercle. The female never has this red spot; 

 sometimes she has a spot of a golden yellow tint. The 

 young are regularly marked with spots disposed in vertical 

 bands, this regularity disappearing with age. 



This fish is very good to eat, its only defect being that its 

 skin is somewhat thick. It takes a hook very readily, is 

 very hardy and well adapted to aquarium life. 



As to size it reaches with me a length of 6in., a depth of 

 22-oin. and a weight of about 2%oz, In the United States 

 it appears to reach a larger size: it will probably do the 

 same in France if the fish finds better conditions as to space 

 and food. I have never given my fish anything to eat, and 

 they have reproduced so abundantly that they are probably 

 too numerous to thrive in the small space which I have de- 

 voted to them. 



I have obtained their eggs in May, when the temperature 

 of the water was 66deg. Fahrenheit, and also in a very small 

 space containing only about 60 litres of water in the hot 

 sun of June and July, when the thermometer, immersed in 

 the water, marked SOdeg. Fahrenheit. In winter, under a 

 thick covering of ice, not a fish perished, It will be seen 

 that the acclimatization of this fish presents no difficulty, 

 and even if the size is not very large its fertility will re- 

 commend it, especially for stagnant waters. Its beautiful 

 colors make it an attractive fish. 



I have also had each year since 1887 another United States 

 fish to produce, which, I believe, is the Enneacanthvs ohesus. 

 It is remarkable for its beautiful colors and the rounded 

 form of its body and fins; but, on account of its small size, 

 it has no value as a food fish. It is very pretty for the 

 aquarium. In my establishment it has not exceeded3 3-5in. 

 in length and 2 2-5in. in height, including the fins. 



The large-mouthed black bass (Micropterus salmoidcs) has 

 spawned for me for the first time toward the end of May, 

 1S!?0. This fish, which is much esteemed in the United 

 States, is too well known to require me to enter into long 

 details concerning it. The reader may consult the very com- 

 plete work of Dr. Henshall and that of Max von dem Borne, 

 who acclimated the black bass in Germany some years ago. 



The fishes which have spawned for me were born in 1888, 

 They were given to me by M. Jennet in February, 1S89. 

 They w r ere, therefore, two years old when they reproduced. 

 They had. then reached a length of about lOin. and weighed 

 nearly lib. 



Their mode of reproduction is entirely similar to that of 

 the Pomotls vulgaris: the, male makes a nest and exercises 

 continual watchfulness over the eggs until they are hatched. 

 The young bass congregate in schools of several hundreds 

 and do not separate until they have reached a size of several 

 centimeters. 



I have again secured the reproduction of a little fish about 

 4in. long, which I believe to be the Fundulus hetcroclitus. 

 This fish, which was given me by M. de Lautreppe, is very 

 freely used, I believe, in the United States as a bait in fish- 

 ing for the black bass. It has reproduced for me at the age 

 of one year. 



Finally, I will say a few words about a fish of which I 

 wrote last year, the Poisson mosa'iquc, known in Germany 

 under the name of MoscC(kft$ch (mosaic fish) or Moorelritze 

 (swamp minnow). I designated it, in the note above referred 

 to, as the Plioxinus umbrosus. after a catalogue by M. 

 Geyer, a fishculturist of Rati3bohne; but I have not found 

 this name in any ichthyological work, aud I cannot say 

 whether it is the correct scientific name of the fish. It is 

 very prolific, and the spawning season continues from April 

 to September and October, even in stagnant waters of small 

 area. It is, therefore, a valuable fish, especially as food for 

 other species, like the black bass, for example. It is not to 

 be despised as an edible fish, as it reaches 5 to 6in. in length 

 and a weight of 1 3-5oz. Young fishes, born in May of this 

 year, grew to a length of 2 2-5in. in September, and the 

 females had eggs developed; this species, then, is able to 

 reproduce at the age of four months.— Bulletin de la SociMe 

 Centralis d'Aqirieulture de France. 1890, vol. II., No. 5, pp. 

 141-143 (translated bv T. H. Bean). 



_ [In Forest and Stream of March 21, 1889, p. 177, we pub- 

 lished a translation of an article on the calico bass in 

 France, descriptive of its nest building habits. It appears 

 now that M. Bertrand's observations related entirely to the 

 common sunfish of the United States, called Pomotls ind- 

 garis in the above paper and better known in American 

 books under the name Lepomis gibbosus. There is scarcely 

 any doubt, however, that M. Bertrand had calico bass 

 (Pomoxys sparoides) in company with the sunfish, for some 

 of his fjsh, at the age of three years, were nearly Sin. long 

 and 2"\iin. deep. Be this as it may, the confusion of the two 

 species threatens to produce serious results, for the sunfish 

 has already been forwarded to Germany as calico bass, and 

 has begun a prolific career, which bodes evil for pond cul- 

 ture in that country. In America the species is a veritable 

 pest because of its extreme fertility and hardiness and its 

 causeless destruction of eggs and young fish. Nothing is 

 more discouraging to pond culture in general than the 

 presence of the sunfish, since the species has little or no 

 value as a food fish and can seldom be exterminated after it 

 once, obtains a foothold. No fishculturist should allow so 

 dangerous a species to enter ponds or open waters, in whose 

 welfare he feels any interest,] 



* See Bulletin of the Society of Acclimatization, No. 1, Jan. 4, 

 1888: No. 23, Dec. 5, 1888; No. 24, Dec. 28, 1888, and No. 1. JaB. 5, 188U, 

 where this fish is erroneously designated as the ■Pomoxys sparoides, 

 or calico bass. 



CONNECTICUT SHAD. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The report of the Connecticut Fish Commissioners (Messrs. 

 James A. Bill and Robert T. Chalker) for 1890 is out. The 

 catch of shad for 1890 is reported as 34,318. This shows a 

 falling off of 8,107 shad from the 1889 catch, which was 

 42,325, or iu other words a loss of nearly 20 per cent. The 

 catch of shad in the State for the past twelve years may be 

 interesting and instructive. Here it is: 



1879 436,981 



1880 269,618 



1881 351,678 



1882 272,903 



1883 177,308 



1884 150,045 



1885 , 190,309 



1886 117,950 



1887 80,359 



1888 68,450 



1889 42,325 



1890 34,318 



Six years ago the catch of shad was over 190,000; now it is 

 a little over 34,000. The following letter fully explains the 

 position: 



"Good old fishing days. Pound fishermen destroying shad 

 along the Sound. Old Saybrook letter (Dec. 27) to New 

 York World: There is every indication that there is going 



