28 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Jan. 29, 1891. 



'^m mid ^iv^r f0Bhmg. 



The full texts of the game flsh laws of all the States, 

 Territories and British Provinces are given in the BooJi of 

 the Game Laws. 



POTOMAC RIVER BLACK BASS. 



ONE evening about the middle of April, 1888, my two 

 brothers and four friends decided to take a trip to 

 the Big Falls of the Potomac Rriver, fourteen miles from 

 Washington, and try the bass, which to our great de- 

 light we found by numerous inquiries had been biting 

 very freely for the past ten days. We made arrange- 

 ments to meet our three friends at Rigg's Hotel at 2:30 

 the following morning. We all parted in high glee, and 

 started home to get together our tackle. It is useless to 

 mention to our readers how slowly the hours passed. 

 While overhauling our tackle I found my leaders about 

 worn out. My brothers, whom we will call Molie and 

 Gordon for short, wanted more hooks, sinkers, lines, etc. , 

 so we all decided to go down town to M. A. Tappan's and 

 get a supply. We hadn't been in there live minutes, 

 when in walked Walter J., one of our party, and one of 

 the most enthusiastic sportsmen among us, to get a new 

 line. The door had hardly closed, when Lewis, Bert and 

 Lapin arrived. We were all together again for the 

 second time that evening. After talking fish and fishing 

 tackle for an hour, and buying about twice as much as 

 we needed, we parted again, to meet in four hours and 

 thirty minutes. All of us hiu'riedhome to get what little 

 sleep we could. Molie set the alarm, placing the arrow 

 at 1, as he was to go for a team some distance off. 



We had but fairly gotten into the land of dreams, where 

 I was silting on a large rock overlooking the big eddy at 

 the falls, quietly fishing, when the click of my reel began 

 to hum; all of the boys were crowding around me, as I 

 was playing the big flsh with the air of a professional and 

 saw him break water for the first time, when I jumped 

 out of bed and heard the last echo of the alarm clock and 

 saw my brothers climbing out of bed. While Molie had 

 gone for the team and I was getting everything together, 

 Gordon had the little oil stove in operation and soon had 

 a pot of hot coffee, eggs, bread, bulter, etc., when in 

 walked Walter and Lewis to breakfast with us, instead 

 of going to the hotel, and very glad we were to have 

 them. In a few minutes we heard the rattling of a team, 

 and sure enough it was Molie. After eating breakfast 

 and waking every one in the house, and I expect one or 

 two houses on either side of us, we put our traps in the 

 wagon, piled in ourselves and started on a brisk trot for 

 the Eiggs House. 



Drawing near we saw Bert and Lapin waiting for us. 

 They soon got in, and, everything being ready, we gave 

 three low cheers, Molie tightened the reins and spoife to 

 the horses without effect, tried again with the same re- 

 sult, jerked the lines, but no good. The driver then 

 applied the whip, but instead of going ahead the horses 

 went straight up and down. Things began to look serious 

 and unpleasant, as several persons were standing around 

 Avatching our efforts to make the horses move on. We 

 aU got out, patted them, talked kindly to them, said a 

 few bad words, but still they stood in the same place. 

 Things began to look blue sure enough, for we wanted to 

 reach the fishing grounds by daylight and had no time to 

 spare. I thought of the twitch, which 1 had tried before 

 with good effect, and with the aid of two lead pencils 

 and a stout piece of twine the horses were soon moving 

 up the avenue at a brisk trot. The twitch was then taken 

 off, I jumped in and we went along for half a mile when 

 the nags stopped again. I repeated the same operation 

 with good effect until half way to the falls, when it had 

 to be repeated. The boys proposed that I should continue 

 right along holding to the twitch, but I didn't see it in 

 that light. We finally arrived at the hotel about a half 

 hour before daylight, and found a dozen others ahead of 

 us. 



We put our horses up and started to find bait. We did 

 not have to go far, as three or four men at the hotel had 

 plenty to sell. Minnows 15 cents per dozen, and crawfish 

 25 cents pei- dozen. After everything* was in order we, 

 with about twelve or thirteen others, lounged aj-ound the 

 veranda, waiting for daylight. Pretty soon one of the 

 attaches of the liotel made hia appearance and asked how 

 many of us^wanted breakfast, which would be ready at 

 7 o'clock, and not getting an encouraging reply he said, 

 "Gentlemen, it will be useless for you to go to the river 

 before 8 or 9 o'clock, as the bass do not bite until about 

 that time." Out of the nineteen or twenty fishermen 

 that stood around twelve bit and ordered breakfast. At 

 the rays of light we started for the big eddy, about 

 800yds. away, and when we reached it we saw four 

 natives hauling in bass at a great rate. They already 

 had about fifteen fish. It did not take tis long to get our 

 tackle in order, and seeing tliat the fishermen before us 

 were using crawfish we used the same bait. I made the 

 first cast of our party^ and my bait had hardlv time to 

 reach the bottom when I hooked a fish. By tlie frantic 

 rashes it made and the way my pole bent all attention 

 was turned to me, and lines were taken out to give me 

 room to play my fish, and all waited for results. I grad- 

 ually worked my way around to a little strip of sandy 

 beach that extended about 15ft. in length and about 7ft. 

 back to a wall of rocks; all the time my line was cutting 

 the water from right to left, now taking in line as fast as 

 possible as he makes a dart toward me, and giving him 

 more line as he makes for the other side of the eddy, and 

 it is all T can do to keep him from under those rocks to the 

 left. Now for the first time he breaks water and throws 

 himself into the air. "What a beauty," comes from all as 

 he disappears again, while I am wondering if 1 am going 

 to land him or lose him. At last he is pretty well 

 played out; occasionally he would make a rush from 

 right to left, and after a big fight I had him within 6ft. 

 of the sandy beach. Not having a dip-net I had to land 

 him on the beach and finally pulled him in. When out 

 of the water fully 13in. on the beach he made his last 

 effort to free himself and succeeded. Now, it was a race 

 between us, and 1 rushed into the water after him, as he 

 was flopping and splashing around. I kicked and scooped 

 with my hands with the hope of again landing him and 

 partly succeeded once, but he finally slipped between my 

 legs into deep water and was gone. I half wished I 

 hadn't come fishing, but what's the use getting mad. 

 there aa-e lots more in there. So I took all jeers and fun 

 poked at me by the rest good-naturedly. We all baited 



and cast in again, and for three-quarters of an hour what 

 glorious fun we had, standing on the narrow strings of 

 beach side by side, not having enough room to make half > 

 a cast. When two or three hooked a flsh at the same 

 time, then there was a general mixture of lines and fish 

 causing a number to be lost. Finally the number of our 

 crawfish was reduced to two. The lucky ones, Gordon 

 and Bert, who had those, caught three "bass, while the 

 rest of us had to content ourselves with minnows, which 

 proved poor bait that day, as the bass would not touch 

 them. At the edge the basin or outlet on the opjfosite 

 side sat a lone fisherman about 45ft. above and directly 

 over the water. He was using a stiff home made 

 rod and crawfish for bait. He was fishing on the edge of 

 the swift-running water, and about every hour he hooked 

 and hauled up a beautiful bass. The fish he caught were 

 about the size of shad and would average about 41bs. in 

 vT^eight. 



As no more crawfish were to be had, and we hadn't had 

 a bite for two hours, we spread out our lunch, after which 

 we lighted our pipes and took a sun bath. Some of the 

 boys were soon sleeping soundly and the rest of us tied a 

 light rope around the leg of B., and taking a half hitch 

 around the leg of L. we made fast the other end to the 

 leg of M, , and then went off to see if we could find some 

 angle worms, getting about two dozen. Gordon, Walter 

 and Lapin took the old stand on the beach, while I 

 climbed over the rocks to the other side of the pool, to 

 try my luck. Baiting and casting in, I soon had a nibble, 

 and then a bite, and in half a minute I had landed my 

 fivsh: another cast was made with the same result. After 

 that the fish would not bite. Gordon, becoming desper- 

 ate, started oft' to get some crawfish if there were any 

 within a mile or so to be had. After an absence of half 

 an hour he came back bringing 15, which he bought from 

 a boy for 35 cents. He had to pass where the sleepers 

 were, and got to them just in time to see L. try to turn 

 over and disturb the others, who in turn began to twist 

 and kick, and in a few seconds they were all in a heap, 

 each one trying to free himself from the others. 



After they were straightened out we again turned to 

 the fishing, and were at it but a short time when Gordon 

 hooked a large fish which was making his line cut the 

 water in great shape?. At the same time I had a bite, but 

 dropping my rod and calling to \V alter to attend to it, I 

 went to the assistance of Gordon, determined to help him 

 save that fish if possible. While Gordon was playing the 

 fish, which we could see was a large one, he cleared the 

 water three times and showed himself in the air. Walter 

 picked up my rod and landed a fib. bass. Gordon's fish 

 was about played out when he hauled him out on the 

 beach, but as he touched the sand one flap with his tail 

 freed him from the hook, I was expecting as much, and 

 had stationed myself close to the water's edge, and threw 

 myself on the beach parallel with the water, as the fish 

 made desperate efforts to get away. Gordon soon had 

 him on the string. Then we all examined and admired 

 the fish, which we concluded would weigh over 2lbs, 

 With this last instalment of crawfish we took seven bass, 

 and after using all of our bait we decided to leave for 

 home. 



Lewis had his camera along and photographed us among 

 the rocks. Upon counting our bass we found our total 

 catch was 23 fine fish. Gordon caught the largest by 

 three-quarters of a pound. Walter claimed to have taken 

 the greatest number, and to i:)rove it he said he had cut a 

 wedge-shaped piece out of the tail of each fish he caught. 

 This gave him two^hirds of the whole catch. 



We held a council of war upon this and came to the 

 conclusion that he not only cut his own fish, but one-half 

 of oiu-s also. He protested and so did we. As the ma- 

 jority rules, we divided the catch equally. We packed 

 our things in the wagon, and threatened to make Walter 

 ride the off horse home if he didn't keep quiet about 

 those fish. Our horses stopped at the foot of a hill and 

 would not stir until we unhooked and changed them; by 

 this we knew that they had been hitched up wrong all 

 the time, for we had no further trouble with them. As I 

 look at the photograph upon the wall before me now it 

 seems as if it was yesterday. If 1 am here the coming 

 summer the fishing season will find me at the falls, or at 

 Goose Creek, a few miles further up the river, as often as 

 my time will permit. In the latter stream there is fine 

 bass fishing at times. 



I have just finished packing my grip and will start for 

 a two or three-months' trip through Florida, and I shall 

 try to furnish the readers of Forest at^b Stream a few 

 fishing notes from that State. Cliff. 



Washinqtois, D. C 



BASS IN CALM AND STORM. 



WE had driven one August morning some four miles 

 through a delightful Maine region, where from 

 hilltops commanding views of the White Mountains in 

 one direction and the winding waters of the Sebago Lake 

 system in the other, we pitched down into little valleys 

 and runs with the clustering branches of beech and maple 

 meeting and interlocking overhead, and caught now and 

 again the rippling music of a trout stream jjouring its 

 yellow- brown waters over some mossy log. Less traveled 

 roads and lanes branched from our course, with rich, 

 grassy swards growing luxuriantly between horse path 

 and wheel ruts. The golden rod, midsummer's mile post, 

 was beginning to light its golden torch wherever the sun 

 had penetrated. A flock of young grouse, which scurried 

 from the road ahead and peered out at us from under a 

 low-branching hemlock as we passed, too, indicated by 

 their size that autumn was approaching with no uncer- 

 tain tread; but later on, when we sat at anchor, our light 

 boat mirrored in the unruffled bosom of as gemlike a bit 

 of lake as ever "nestled amid hills," and mopped from our 

 faces the outpouring sweat, we could contemplate com- 

 ing cold without regret. I can easily picture the look of 

 disdain on certain countenances when 1 acknowledge that 

 we were still fishing for bass with grasshoppers, but such 

 was the fact nevertheless. Previous trips to this water 

 had demonstrated that these particalar bass were addicted 

 to "hopper eating,'' and with nothing else could we tempt 

 them; so hoppers it was. 



While the boat lies motionless and we expectantly wait 

 for a coming bass I will introduce you to our party. That 

 fellow in the stern, whose jovial face is swelling and blis- 

 tering in the hot sun, is a tailor, alias Fatty — a fellow 

 who will tm'n ou^t at any hour of night to go on a fishing 

 trip and come home happy whether it has been a "fishing 

 day" or not. He with negligee shirt shirt adjusted in 

 Buoh I'egcilar folds with ti« so scientifically knotted and 



steel-colored gloves which are attached to his shirt sleeves '< 

 with court plaster, is a counter-jumper — one who affects : 

 to dislike angling, but has taken the trip "just on Fatty's 

 account." The other occupant of the boat is the writer, 

 and for obvious reasons I cannot say much in praise of 

 him , therefore I desist. A reel suddenly clicks, the coun- 

 ter-jumper's rod bends and vibrates, an angry bass leaps 

 in the air, scattering many-hued drops of water into the ■■ 

 sunshine and again seeking its element, where it exhibits 

 all the feats set down in the repertoire of a good healthy 

 bass; all in vain, he is soon in the landing-let and a min- 

 ute later pulls down the scales at 2^1bs. Whiz! whiz! It 

 is some ten minutes later, and again it is the counter- 

 jumper's reel that is screaming. Again there is a fine 

 bass shaking himself in the air, but when he drops be- 

 neath the surface the line faUs slack, there is no graceful 

 bend continued in the rod, a dead grasshopper floats where 

 the late combat was carried on and the counter-jumper 

 resumes his seat in silence and .seeks for a new hook in 

 his tackle box. 



"Too bad, C, you lost him," says Fatty, No answer, 

 oh no, he cared nothing about fishing, not he. Fatty and 

 the vpriter had both had more or less luck when noontime 

 had come. While eating our lunch amid the boles of 

 forest trees with the smell of fern and balsam as appe- 

 tizers, mutterings of thunder came to us from up Mt, 

 Washington way, 



"Now, boys," remarked the writer in a sort of paternal 

 way, "we may get a heavy shower this afternoon, I will 

 do as you say, fish it out or start for home now; for my 

 part I am a thorough countryman, used to the elements, 

 and a ducking more or less counts for nothing; but with 

 you it is different, and I am ready to stick to the fishing 

 or give it up," and he tz'ied to put on such a look and air 

 of superiority as we should presume some veteran plains- 

 man might assume with the freshest of tenderfeet, 

 "Fatty and I have our mackintoshes, a.ndl think we can 

 stand it," said the counter-jumper. "Yes," assented 

 Fatty, "and you can have a rubber poncho by going to 

 the carriage for it." "No, thanks," said the writer, as 

 indignantly as if he had been offered a nursing bottle, 

 for he had a settled belief that the shower would "go 

 around." 



We were soon anchored at our favorite grounds, but the 

 fish had evidently not returned for the afternoon session. 

 Up in the northwest was a large bank of black, threaten- 

 ing clouds, rolling up larger and larger; their every move- 

 ment seemed to foi'ce out roars of thunder, which in- 

 creased in volume as the storm approached. Flashes of 

 lightning rent the clouds asunder like sheets of flame and 

 then darted away among the hills in zig-zag lines. 

 Several crows perched on a dead pine gave forth discor- 

 dant cries and then sought the deeper woods. A broad- 

 winged hawk circled overhead, its under parts looking 

 satiny white against the murky blackness of the storm 

 cloud, A few uncertain puffs of wind and then down 

 from the northwest, bowing huge trees before it and 

 whitening with foam the lake's svirface, came wind and 

 storm in united fury. Suddenly objects but a few rods 

 away were shut from view, and like a deluge the rain 

 struck us. The others had drawn on their mackintoshes, 

 but the writer had pinned all of his faitli on a shooting 

 coat which had once been recommended as waterproof; 

 but that day was past, for the first sheet of water that 

 fell penetrated to the skin and left him gasping as he used 

 to in his boyhood days when he endeavored to hasten the 

 season by "goin' in swimmin'" within a fortnight after 

 the departure of the ice, but this, however, was a more 

 continuous gasp, for each succeeding sheet of water 

 seemed colder than the preceding. However, other 

 matters demanded attention: there was a tugging at his 

 rod, which denoted the presence of a bass of no mean 

 proportions, and, too, the boat was drifting shoreward at 

 a rattling pace considering that it was dragging an anchor. 



"Net this fish for me quick C," cried Fatty excitedly. 

 The counter-jumpr picks up the net and his own reel 

 begins to chatter like an alarm clock. For a few minutes 

 the au- seemed filled with vibrating rods, leaping bass, 

 thunder, lightning, rain and excited exclamations. A 

 huge tree on shore was heard to fall with a tremendous 

 crash; our boat was now filled with water to the thwarts 

 and pulling in our dragging anchor we guided her on to 

 a sand beach, where she was soon emptied, and now, 

 wonder of wonders, there were five bass more than when 

 we took our noontime lunch, yet none had any recollec- 

 tion of catching but the three we had taken, almost 

 simultaneously, in the height of the storm. Evidently 

 some one had been too excited to know when he caught 

 fish, but we shall never know who. The storm for the 

 present had passed and we again anchored and cast in 

 our grasshoppers, but there was no response from the 

 depths below. We were admiring the puffs of fog hang- 

 ing to the hillsides when again from the northwest came 

 indications that another installment of the storm was 

 nearly due. 



"Boys," said the writer, with becoming humility, "I 

 said earlier in the day that one ducking, more or less, 

 didn't matter to me, but when it comes to taking two, 

 more or less, I weaken; let's go home." "Agreedl" the 

 others exclaimed; up came the anchor, and away we 

 pulled for the landing, impelled to haste by the 

 increasing thunder peals. Once ashore, we made a 

 break for the farmhouse, where we had left our horse, and 

 just as the storm again broke we entered the bam with 

 rods, lunch baskets and fish. The writer was not possessed 

 of a dry thread and it was with a feeling of great thank- 

 fulness" he espied an empty shorts sack in one corner. 

 Three holes were quickly cut in it, off came the wet shirt 

 and on went the improvised one of shorts sack. It was a 

 poor fit, but it was dry; it was rough in texture, but that 

 same roughness created a friction that was not unwelcome 

 to a cold body, where "goose flesh" had reigned sujDreme; 

 it was minus sleeves, but no sleeves were better than wet 

 ones that clung to you like court plaster, and what it 

 lacked in ornamentation Fatty, the tailor, supplied by 

 weaving into the front a delicate lacing, shredded from a 

 corn leaf. The storm ceased, the sun reappeared, and we 

 di-ove home over a road washed clean as a floor. 



J. C. Mead. 



NoAtu Betdgeton, Me. 



North Bridoeton, Me., Jan. 20. — We are now so 

 bmied in snow that very little ice fishing is being done 

 in this section. Landlocked salmon fishing at Sebago 

 Lake usually opens the fishing season in Maine, This 

 usually comes on about the first of May or directly after 

 the ioe breaks up,— M. 



