Feb. 12, 1891.] 



PIKE FISHING IN TORONTO BAY. 



WHEN the great majority of anglers have wound up 

 their tackle and retired from the waterside to 

 ruminate and swap yarns over their successes and failures 

 with the bass and perch during the season, the pike fisher 

 puts himself into commission and prospects around the 

 bay to discover tlie haunts of this good game hsh. The 

 pike has lieen more than usually abtmdant this autumn, 

 owing no doubt to the partial protection from the netters, 

 clubbers and shooters afforded them last spring while they 

 were spawning. More stringent measures, however, must 

 be taken before the fishing will be anything like what it 

 should be in this splendid stretch of water. Poaching is 

 still carried on in the most o]jen and destructive manner. 



The pike here have also suffered terribly from the 

 attacks of the lamprey. These creatures attach them- 

 selves to the sides or belly of large fish and suck or rasp 

 a hole through the skin and flesh, often reaching into the 

 intestines. When this occurs the pike of course dies. 

 Many fine fish are to be seen floating about the bay killed 

 in this fasliion, and very few are caught that do not show 

 marks of having suffered from a more or less prolonged 

 visit of this wretched parasite, two or three holes being 

 found in some cases. Black bass and suckers are served 

 the same way, . 



I do not recollect having seen this habit of the lamprey 

 mentioned by any writer, nor have I ever in any other 

 water seen any damage done by it to fish, thougla I did 

 once in Manitoba take a pike with a lamprey attached to 

 it. Perhaps some of your readers on the other side of 

 Lake Ontario can furnish further information on this 

 subject. 



I suppose in calling the pike a good game fish I shall 

 incur the contemptuous wrath ot "Kingfisher" and others 

 wf^Jove the black bass and him only; and I can fancy I 

 heS^.hem ejaculate "snakes" and such like uncompli- 

 menlM-y things. But in spite of that I am prepared to 

 maintain that the pike {Esox lucius) is fully equally to 

 the much-praised black bass, and in one respect superior. 

 It is inferior to the black bass on the table, but in no other 

 place nor way, and it lias the advantage of growing much 

 larger, this to me is one of its greatest attractions, for I 

 don't like catching fish I can flick out with my rod, and 

 one don't catch many pike he can serve that way. Then 

 there is always the chance of hooking a big one — some- 

 thing to be remembered as long as you live. These big 

 fellows are scarce here, but I am always in hope that the 

 next will be the one. The largest I saw taken this year 

 weighed 12-^lbs.j my own largCvSt did not quite reach Olbs. 



There are here besides the northern pike lots of grass 

 pike. These frequent the weedy ponds in the marsh and 

 over on the island, and are worthless in comparison, being 

 dark-colored things, all head with long, thin bodies, 

 making no fight when hooked. These are the fellows 

 that "Kingfisher"' has caught and turned up his nose at, 

 I suspect, and not the bright beautiful fish with large oval 

 gold spots and markings that we catch in the open water, 

 and which can and will fight as hard as anything that 

 wears scale armor. 



By far the greatest number of pike caught here are 

 taken with a spoon, and the tackle used is of the prop 

 and clothes-line variety. The method is to use two very 

 stout bamboo rods with lines strong enough to hold a 

 horse; to these spoons are attached, the rods are arranged 

 one on each side of a boat, and the fisherman rows quietly 

 about the bay. The pike hooks himself and is hauled in 

 and knocked on the head. Perhaps there are people who 

 find sport in this; there must be or it would not be prac- 

 ticed to the extent it is, but I cannot see it. It seems to 

 me about on a par with shooting into a bevy of quad on 

 the ground, the object in each case being simply to bag 

 the game no matter how. 



To get the greatest amount of sport together with a fair 

 share of fish I use a 12ft. bass rod, 80yds. of the finest 

 made linen bass line, a plain brass reel and a float. In 

 open water I use one hook whipped on fine gimp; the 

 hook is passed through the back of the bait just under 

 the doreal fin, care being taken to injure the bait as little 

 as possible. If I am fishing from the shore (which 1 much 

 prefer) I cast my bait quietly into the water and allow it 

 to remain in one spot for perhaps a quarter of an hour. 

 If nothing comes of that I move on a few yards and make 

 another cast, and so on, carefully trying every likely 

 spot. ^Vlien a pike seizes the bait 1 pay out line until 

 the fish stops running; then I wait a minute or two or even 

 longer if the bait is a large one and strike sharply, and 

 play the fish gently until I can slip my landing net under 

 him. 



In this method of fishing there are two things to be 

 carefully avoided; the fii"st is striking too soon, always 

 give plenty of time to allow the pike to get the bait well 

 into his throat; the second is putting too much strain on 

 your fish after he is hooked. A pike's mouth is very 

 "bony and it often hapi)eus that the hook has only pene- 

 trated the skin which lines the jaws, in which case a 

 heavy pull will tear it out and a fish will be lost that a 

 lighter hand would have landed. However, with the 

 greatest care and the lightest hand accidents of this kind 

 will happen, and the man who lands nine out of every 

 dozen hooked has reason to think himself lucky. 



If the water is weedy, and particularly if there are 

 many lilies about, I use treble hooks on gimp, about 2in. 

 above which I whip on a small single hook; on this single 

 hook I put the bait in the same manner as before, the 

 treble hooks then should hang just below the belly of the 

 bait. With this I use a float also and rather heavier shot, 

 so as to prevent the bait from swimming off among the 

 lily stems. Drop the bait into the clear holes and the 

 instant the float goes down strike sharp and keep a light 

 line on the fish. In this way I can get pike out of places 

 where no other method is available. 



I find the best baits to be small creek suckers, shinera 

 aud chubs. The suckers are the best by far. Pike will 

 also take perch and other small fish, but nothing like so 

 readily as the first three named. They should be about 

 Sin. long (if larger, many fish are missed in striking), 

 bright, and above all, lively, so as to swim about and 

 make a good showing when on the hook. 



In warm weather I generally keep my bait about mid- 

 water; later on as the weather gets cold about 1ft. or I8in. 

 from the bottom. 



Pike fishing here can be pursued from the end of April 

 so long as the water remains open, but the best of the 

 season is from the first of September until the middle of 

 November. The fish ai-e then in prime condition, beau- 

 tiful in appearance and full of life and vigor; they will 

 bite at most times, but the best days are the fine, clear 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



ones of autumn, when there is just enough breeze to rip- 

 ple the surface of the bay and the water is clear; if at all 

 thick it is useless to try for them. They are also caught 

 here thi-ough the ice in the depth of winter, but it is hard, 

 cold work and not sport, C. W. Nash. 



WATER LIFE. 



Occasional Observations on the Fishes in the Aquaria of the 

 U. S. Fish. Commission. 



FEEDING HABITS OF THE SKATE. 



THE rays do not generally live well in small aquaria. 

 In the cases of a great many of them which the 

 writer has had under observation, none, with one excep- 

 tion, lived for a great length of time or were observed to 

 take food. 



The exception is a specimen of the common skate (Raia 

 erinacea) now in an aquarium at Washington, It is 

 usually very quiet, and rests flat against the back of the 

 tank— which is sloping— where the water supply enters, 

 and is, therefore, almost completely hidden from' view by 

 the steam-like cloud of air bubbles at that point. 



On one occasion when some small fi.sh were introduced 

 as food for the flounders inhabiting the same tank, and 

 which eat them greedily, the skate was noticed to be 

 more active than usual, moving about nervously and 

 raising itself free from the slate by means of the extreme 

 edges of its body, which had the effect of raising the 

 head and central part of the body an inch or more. The 

 small fish were from fresh water and were, therefore, 

 too buoyant to swim down into the water without very 

 great and continuous efforts, which when relaxed would 

 allow them to float to the surface again, They were 

 much in the condition of a drunken man. Px'esently it 

 was thought that a fish was noticed to pass under 'the 

 skate and a fl.nttening of the body against the slate and a 

 convulsive movement, which had the appearance of that 

 produced by swallowing, made it apparent that it had 

 caught and swallowed a fish. Later it was seen to catch 

 them against the glass front of the tank, so that all 

 doubts were removed. The body of the skate will be 

 raised on its edges so as to allow the small fish to swim 

 between it and the glass on which it is resting. When 

 the fish is felt the skate suddenly flattens itself against 

 the glass in such a way as to hold it securely and by a 

 series of rapid muscular movements brings it to its 

 mouth, into which it is sucked as into a vortex. 



The skate has now become so tame that it will come to 

 the surface of the water and take small fish, or pieces of 

 fish and meat, from the hand of the attendant. It has 

 lately laid fom- eggs, but as there is no male, and as it 

 has been in the aquarium since October, it is not likely 

 that they are fertilized. 



The eggs (or empty egg cases) of the skate are familiar 

 objects to those who visit the seaside, as they are very 

 common; but few, probably, imagine that they are the 

 eggs of a curious fish. The egg may be described as 

 pillow-shaped, in the present case about l^^in. wide by 

 2Un. long and 4in. thick in the middle, and with a flex- 

 ible horn longer than the egg itself extending from each 

 corner. When found on the sea beaches they are gener- 

 ally black or very dark brown, but when first laid they 

 are a lustrous light brown tinged with sulphur yellow 

 and are quite transparent, so that the contents are very 

 easily seen. The shell or skin is a very tough but flexible 

 integument of a horny consistency. Wm. P. Seal. 



The Loon Club,— Monson, Maine, Feb. 2.— Some of 

 •the sportsmen and angling fraternity of this place recently 

 organized a local sportsmen's club, which is named the 

 Loon Club, L. S. Hall is President; E. A. BuUard, Vice- 

 President; E. R. Haynes, Secretary; D. J. Jackson, 

 Treasurer. They will erect a club house on the southerly 

 shore of Lake Hebron in season for early spring 

 fishing. — F. 



Lexington, Va.— During the last season black bass 

 were fairly abundant, but for some reason they seem to be 

 either decreasing in our waters or becoming more capri- 

 cious as to bait. Fly-fishing is not followed to the extent 

 it should be. The largest strings were caught with the 

 fly.— T. M. S. 



FERRtTLB Cement.— Mandan, N. D. — In your issue of 

 Jan. 39, "R. O. S.," of St. Johns, asks for a ferrule cement. 

 I have used Dodge's for the past four years, and think it 

 the best in the market. He can buy it at any tackle 

 store.— F. S. L. 



THE SALMON RIVERS OF ALASKA. 



WE have received from the U, S. Fish Commission an import- 

 ant report on the "Salmon and Salmon Rivers of Alaska, 

 with Notes on the Conditions, Methods and Needs of the Salmon 

 Fisheries." by Tarleton H. Beau, Ichthyologist of the U. S. Fish 

 Commission. This is a very important work, and sets forth in 

 considerable detail some features of the wealth of Alaska, which 

 have hitherto been known of only in a very general way. 



The index of this report has the peciHiarity of being a complete 

 table of contents, and the reader can readily find the facts relat- 

 ing to each species discussed by reference to this index. The in- 

 vestigation here reported on was made by authority of Congress, 

 aud Col. McDonald placed the matter in Dr. Bean's charge be- 

 cause of his acquaintance with the region and its fishes. In the 

 topographic work and the reconnoissance of the surface geology 

 the expedition had the assistance of Mr. Franklin Bootn, of the 

 University of California, and ,by reference to the charts accom- 

 panying the report it will be seen that his time was very fully oc- 

 cupied. He was able to correct the maps of Kadiak in many im- 

 portant particulars. The report is profusely illustrated and 

 twenty-nine of the plates are reproductions of Dr. Bean's photo- 

 graphs. They show the methods of seining, the vessels engaged 

 in the fishery, the canneries, harbors, spawning lakes and other 

 features intimateii' related to the salmon industry. Many of the 

 photographs were made in parts of the island never before 

 reached by a photographer. 



The object of the investigation is concisely stated on the title 

 page. Tne maintenance of the salmon fisheries under permanent 

 conditions of productiveness involves (1) regulation of the methods 

 of fishing so as to permit the ascent of salmon to their spawning 

 grounds in sufficient numbers, and (3) the introduction of a system 

 of artificial fertilization and hatching of eggs and the extensive 

 distribution of young salmon to their natural feeding grounds in 

 fresh water. The report describes briefly the physical character- 

 istics of the environment of the salmon, including the size, rale of 

 descent, nature of bottom, etc., of the salmon rivers; tbo daily 

 variation of the temperature of air and water, the condition of 

 the water during the winter and its changes of level through the 

 influence of rains, the vegetation of the river valleys, the varia- 

 tions of the tides, the nature of obstructions, if such exist,.and 

 such other matters as relate to tlie life of the fish. 



The chapter on the natural history of the salmon opens with a 

 brief sketch of the species included iu the salmon family, and 

 then takes up tlie salmon and trout which are commercially im- 

 portant. Concerning these species are given the various common 

 names, size, edible qualities, movements, spawning season and 

 habits, changes incident, to the spawning process, methods of cap- 



69 



ture, parasites and other enemies, and the present condition of 

 abundance. 



Another chapter is devoted to the methods, conditions and 

 other statistics of the salmon fishery. This records a total of 66 

 vessels in the salmon fleet, of which 13 were steamers. Thirty- 

 six canneries were in operation in 1889. The capital invested was 

 estimated at about §1,000,000 and tbe products valued at 83,000,000. 

 The methods of seining are described and it is related that as many 

 as 17,000 salmon have been taken at a single haul. The processes 

 of salting and canning fish are briefly referred to. The report 

 closes with a brief chapter on the desirability of the artificial 

 propagation of the salmon in Alaskan rivers. 



We believe this is the first report of its kind and it is to be 

 hoped that Congress will see the necessity of continuing the 

 inquiry into this matter and will take steps to maintain the exist- 

 ing flsherief, rather than be at the expense of attempting to 

 restore them a few years later and, at the same time, appropriate 

 large sums of money to feed the natives, whose main food resource 

 is being rapidly absorbed by excessive and injurous flailing. 



MORE ABOUT CONNECTICUT SHAD, 



IN the Hartford Post Game Warden A. 0. Collins writes 

 supplementing his article in Forest akd Steeam as 

 follows: 



I submit a few figures touching the catch of shad in Con- 

 necticut for the past twelve years. The following figures 

 for the Hudson, Delaware and Potomac rivers were kindly 

 furnished me by Col. Marshall McDonald and Capt. J. W. 

 Collins, of the IJnited States Fish Comtnission. The figures 

 for Connecticut were takeu from the Fish Commissioners' 

 report. 



Catch of shad in the Delaware, Hudson and Potomac 

 rivers and State of Connecticut from 1885 to 1890 inclusive: 



Hudson Delaware Potomac Connecticut 



Years. River. River. River. River. 



1885 1,174.83.5 1,148,496 157,696 190.300 



1886 1,300,949 874.017 275.432 117,950 



1887 1,568,634 800.265 327 240 S0,350 



1888 1,5()8,.')48 8.56,662 367.105 68,450 



1889 1,073,118 984,9.11 528,647 43.326 



1890 * * 486,931 34.318 



*No reports. It is known, however, that the ctoli of shad for 

 the Delawnre River was exceedingly large for 1890. 



The followine: table shows the catch of shad and how 

 caught from 1879 to 1890 inclusive as collated from the Con- 

 necticut Fish CoTumissioner's reports: 



Shad Caught Shad Caught 



Yearef. by Pounds. by Ne+s. Total Catch. 



1879,. giiO.cee 186,955 436,981 



1880 175,784 94,134 369,918 



1881 ; 281,a38 70,040 351,678 



1882 313,720 59,183 273,903 



1883 114„570 62.7.38 177,308 



1884 95,;i(K) .54,745 150,045 



18K5 133.000 57,300 190..30O 



1886 75,000 42,9.50 117,950 



1887 63,750 16,000 80,350 



1888 45,9.50 23,500 68,450 



18S9 27.425 14,900 42,335 



1890 16.991 17,:j37 34,318 



1,493,154 699,373 3,193,.526 



Total number of shed caught in Connecticttt by pounds, 

 nets and seines from 1879 to 1890 inclusive, 2,192,526. 



Total number of shad caught in Connecticut by pounds 

 from 1879 to 1890 inclusive, 1,493,1.5-4. 



Total number of shad caught in Connecticut by seines 

 aud nets from 1879 to 1S90 inclusive, C99,:373. 



This shows that 68 per cent, of the total catch (2,192,,526.) of 

 shad from 1879 to 1890 inclusive was taken by the pounds on 

 the Coiuiecticut shore of Lon.« Island Sotind, And 33 per 

 cent, of the total catch (3,193,536) of shad from 1879 to 1890 

 inclusive was taken by seines and nets in the Connecticut 

 River; nearly seven-tenths of the shad being caught by 

 pounds and only three-tenths by seines and nets. 



Below you will find some statistics that .speak lotidly: 



Number of .sh;id caiiglit bv one pound at Westbrcok. Conn.: 

 1879, 19.175; 18S0, 13.575; 1881,10,500; 1883,9,6:37; 1883,6,200: 

 1884, 7,200; 1885, 7,858; 1SS6, 4,100; 1887, 7,300; 1888, 2,300; 1889, 

 1,800; total, 89,145. 



Number of shad caught from Connecticut line to Holyoke 

 dam, Jlass., on the Connecticut River: 1879, 13.409; 1880, 

 7.737; 1881,38,383; 1882,6,990; 1883, 3,.591: 1884, 1,.59;3; 1SS.5, 

 1,718; 1886, 577; 1887, 850; 1&88, 824; 1889, 796; total. 76,457. 



The above shows that only one pound caitght 12,688 more 

 shad in eleven years than was caught in Massachusetts on 

 the Connecticut River from 1879 to 1889 inclusive. 



Let us compare the money value (retail price) of the 1879 ' 

 and 1890 catch of shad— 436,981 shad at 50 cents each, S218,- 

 490.50. The 1890 catch: 34,318 shad at 50 cents each, $17,159 

 — an actual loss of over 8300,000. Something should be done 

 to recoyer our almost exhausted fisheries. A. C. Collins. 



MINNESOTA FISHCULTURE. 



WILLOWBROOK, as the State hatchery is named, is 

 situated within the boundary of the city, and lies 

 due east of the capitol, as the bird flies, within two miles 

 and a half. 



The well chosen site is upon a terrace secure above high 

 water mark of the Mississippi and safe from danger of 

 washout from any stream. The many large and copious 

 springs upon the grounds are utilize'd in the processes of 

 fishcultnre. The abundant and ijure sparkling water which 

 gtishes from a hundred fountains, cold and clear, is led by 

 conduits to the various hatcheries and ponds, to the troughs 

 and tanks, receptacles, jars and aquaria, in short, wherever 

 needed, and is so controlled and managed by gates and shut- 

 oflfs that superfluous streams are run down spawning races, 

 forming little cascades and rivttlets, which lead sparklingly 

 over pebbly beds and gravelly reaches into ponds fashioned 

 to simulate the natural trout pools of the country. The 

 ponds, though all communicating, are screened with wooden 

 gratings, so as to separate the different kinds of fish, while 

 permitting the free flow and continuous cttrrent of water to 

 move everywhere throttghotit their length. The ponds are 

 divided and subdivided into compartments, and in each may 

 be seen fishes of different species, differing iu .size and age, 

 from the newly hatched embryo to the patriarchal progeni- 

 tor of many generations. 



In the different pools may be seen fish of the following 

 varieties: Native brook trout, California or rainbow trout, 

 Loch Leven trout, Lake Superior trout, hybrid salmo-brook 

 trout, landlocked salmon, California salmon, wall-eyed pike, 

 yellow perch, black bass, king lake trout, "German" scale, 

 mirror aud leather carp, blue carp, tench, golden ide, gold 

 carp, saibling and European brown trout, and some fine 

 large specimens of the lake and river sturgeon. Besides 

 these there is a museum of mounted fishes, which attracted 

 deserved commendation at the New Orleans Exposition, also 

 a number of specimens in alcohol. There are three hatch- 

 ing houses, fitted up with troughs, where the pearl-like eggs 

 lie nestled upon a gravelly bottom, over which the sparkling 

 water gently ripples, but whose limpid transparency per- 

 mits the secrets of embryonic development to be seen and 

 stitdied as no other vertebrate can be. 



Besides these three hatcheries is another house for white- 

 fish and wall-eyed "pike," whose eggs must be manipulated 

 differently from those of the fronts. The basement of this 

 "glass hatchery" is fitted up with a battery of "Chase's self- 

 picking hatching jars," twelve jars in a rank and four ranks 

 in a battery, eachjar capable of containing 350,000 whitefish 

 or "pike" eggs, The current of water flowing into the 



