March 5, 1891.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



129 



l)ut for the night and then tramped down to the train at 

 Oampton. The trip was over, but the memory of it is as 

 green as the hemlock mountainside, as clear as the water 

 that leaps down Mount Hancock and as cheering as the 

 aroma of the evening camp, Pejsn. 



ANGLING NOTES. 



IT seems to be the universal opinion of those who have 

 liad experience in restocking trout waters that 100 year- 

 lings will improve a pond or stream more than 10,000 fry. 

 The only way fry seem to thrive is by placing them in 

 tiny trickling springs, where it is impossible for their ene- 

 mies to follow or see them, or else to keep them in little 

 artificial j)ond8 where they can be fed and protected until 

 able to look out for themselves. Of course these small 

 ponds should be covered with wire netting to prevent the 

 herons, kingfishers, frogs, watersnakes, minks, etc., etc., 

 from feeding on them. It is also said that a great many 

 of the little fry are dead when they are turned out of the 

 cans, but this the owner rarely hears of, they go in all the 

 same and count as being delivered. 



How severe or warm winters affect the trout and black 

 bass seems to be an open question. When there is little 

 or no ice on the ponds and streams the fish must get more 

 food and air and be in better condition in the spring than 

 when the waters are frozen up all through the winter. 

 In very severe weather both trout and bass bury in 

 the mud to escape freezing. There is one thing cer- 

 tain, many a fine bass is caught through the ice by those 

 who fish for pickerel in the winter season. 



According to reports from Maine brook trout are being 

 caught through the ice in great numbers. No wonder 

 anglers often find such poor fishing at the beginning of 

 the season when they flatter themselves they are first on 

 the ground. 



The latest "fad" in trout rods is to have them colored 

 black, ferrules and all, making the angler look as if he 

 was in mourning. This notion is taken from the Eaglish, 

 and is supposed to prevent the fish seeing the glisten of 

 the rod when in motion. "When the angler gets so near 

 trout or bass as to enable the fish to see him casting, it 

 matters little whether his rod is black or white, the 

 motion made is sufficient to render the fish suspicious. 

 The only way when the water is low and clear is to fish 

 up stream and approach his victim from behind. 



Some one interested in Lake Edward is trying again to 

 boom that place by giving marvelous accounts of the 

 trout fishing there. The truth is there is little if any fly- 

 fishing to be had excepting in the streams that empty 

 into the lake, and they are all private and protected. To 

 kill trout there, the angler must descend to deep bait 

 fishing, and it is indeed rare to hear of one being caught 

 of over 2ilbs. in weight. In fact nearly all the good 

 trout waters back of Quebec are private property. 



The first flounders of the season have been caught in 

 Coney Island Creek. This is always considered a sure 

 sign of the approach of spring. On the evening of Feb. 

 25 the peepers could be heard piping in every direction 

 in the country, but on the 27th it was snowing, and this 

 morning (the 28th} the thermometermarkedonly 11", and 

 felt more like winter than any time since Jan. 1. 



During the month of March the weather is very un- 

 certain, and though the strawberries, green peas and 

 a=tparagus and glistening shad abound in the markets, 

 one can not tell whether to get out his tackle or invest in 

 snowshoes and a toboggan. Scaelet-Ibis. 



PENNSYLVANIA WATERS. 



I FIND on looking over my record that the season of 1890 

 was not even an average one. On the opening, May 

 BO last, the general opinion of fishermen in this locality 

 was that it would be a very good one, which, of course, 

 meant that many fish would be caught. This opinion 

 was based on the fact- that the preceding winter having 

 been mild ba<s would multiply and grow faster on that 

 account. This hypothesis is certainly wrong if judged 

 by results. In place of multiplying they appear to have 

 diminished, both in number and size. 



Early in the season I visited a favorite spot known as 

 McCormick's Islaad, about two miles above Harrisburg. 

 where the stream runs clear and deep over a rocky bot- 

 tom, where small islands of sand have formed, bearing a 

 crop of long, coarse grass. Great rocks and shelvings 

 are here and deep pools. If the fisherman be a lover of 

 nature, with an eye for the beautiful (and who among 

 them has not ?), he will find enough here to chase the 

 hours away. I succeeded on this occasion in capturing 

 one funfish, where on previous occasions I had caught 25 

 and 30 bass. My experience all through the season of 

 1890 was of this character— very few fish. The most I 

 took at any one time during that year was 9. The largest 

 was 3lbs. My experience appears to have been the same 

 with the majority of fishermen in this locality. 

 Hahhisbtjrq, Pa. T. H. .J. 



From Warden J. W. Hague, of Pittsburgh. Pa., we 

 have the following interesting notes on the good results 

 obtained by persistent and impartial enforcement of wise 

 laws regulating the taking of fish in western Pennsyl- 

 vania. We hope others may continue the good work and 

 reap a similar reward. 



"The recent floods reveal the fact that the protection 

 of last year has increased the fish in the Allegheny and 

 Monongahela rivers about this city. Large carp and 

 salmon have been found in the cellars of the houses of 

 the flooded districts after the waters receded, and large 

 numbers of the jack salmon are seen in the eddies of the 

 river. • [Salmon and jack salmon are wall-eyed pike.] 

 As a result, the poachers are hard at work at nighfc to get 

 supplies of these fish, and the silent watches of the night 

 are employed by them to do their devilish work. For 

 two years past the warden has been watching a place at 

 Sewickley, twelve miles west of Pittsburgh, for parties 

 who have been cleaning out the fish at several pools at 

 that point; and last nighfc succeeded in capturing the 

 seine, which was Soyds. long and worth |50. To-day the 

 sportsmen are rejoicing over the event, and the mat- 

 ter of protection has risen in theii- minds. 



"Tbe weather here is warm and the song birds are 

 makin? their appearance. ETerything iadioatee an early 

 spring." 



I THE SAGADAHOC ASSOCIATION. 



BATH, Me., Feb. 2S.— Editor Forest and Stream: The 

 annual meeting of the Sagadaboc Fish and Game 

 Association was held on Friday evening last, and the fol- 

 lowing officers elected: Dr. Chas. A. Packard, President; 

 James Purington and Wm, E, Hogan, Vice-Presidents; 

 Geo. H. Nichols, Brunswick; S. W. Carr, Bowdoiaham; 

 Aug. Hatch, Bath; Cbas. H. Greenleaf, Bath; Chas. B. 

 Furber, Bath, Executive Committee; Geo, E. Newman, 

 Secretary and Treasurer. 



The following resolution was unanimously passed: 

 Resolved, That we not only protest against the repeal 

 of the present law in regard to the use of seines in our 

 rivers and within three miles of our coast, but respect- 

 fully suggest to the members of the Legislature now in 

 session, that the law be made so effectual in its operation 

 as to entirely prohibit this mode of exterminating our 

 food fishes, under the severest penalties. 



A desperate and determined fight is being had in the 

 Maine Legislature over the law in regard to the use of 

 seines, the porgie men appearing before the committee 

 in force. But it now looks as if their cause was a hope- 

 less one, and there is a possibility that the present law 

 will be cleared up so that the law breakers will have no 

 chance of escape. It looks as if these seiners were pur- 

 suing their nefarious business utterly regardless of the 

 law or the wishes of the people, and an employe on one 

 of their steamers last season informed me that they were 

 directed to follow the fish wherever they went, and they 

 did so. A case against two steamers that fished within 

 half a mile of the shore off Cape Small Point and in Small 

 Point Harbor is entered for trial at the next term of the 

 Supreme Court, at Bath. I have faith to believe that 

 the people of Maine can no longer be deceived by the 

 misrepresentations of unscrupulous men engaged in the 

 destruction of the food fishes along our coast, who assert 

 as their most convincing argument that the greater the 

 destruction of the fish the more tbey multiply! Why, it 

 was stated before the committee by a gentleman who 

 had been for two years engaged in the business, that 

 ninety per cent, of the mackerel caught during that time 

 were thrown overboard as unfit for commercial purposes. 



» * * 



Trout in the Naugatuck Valley. — Waterbury, 

 Conn., Feb. 2d.— Editor Forest and Stream: In the cm- 

 rent issue of your valued journal I notice that "Notliks" 

 has been making a tour of the Naugatuck Valley and 

 vicinity. And although much pleased to see mention 

 made of this section and the sport to be had piscatorially 

 lam forced to remark that some of his "authentic in- 

 formation" is inclined to be a trifle "off." We did have 

 good fishing— the best for years — but unfortunately the 

 prospects are not so bright for the coming Feason. The 

 largest trout captured in. this vicinity was taken on the 

 opening day (and a horrible one it was) from Long 

 Meadow by Dr. S. B. Munn and weighed 21bs. 6oz, five 

 hours after being caught. In Naugatuck the genial Col. 

 Tolles (not Tolley) did indeed scoop one from Hop Brook 

 which tipped down at l|lbs., but it was by no means the 

 largest, as S. D. Bingham, G. C. Squires and tbe writer 

 each brought in a number from the Ten-Mile River and 

 Quinnipac section of good two-pounders. Stocking has 

 greatly improved all these waters the past few years, but 

 the two preceding extremely mild winters had much to 

 do with the size of the fish,— J. W. G. 



A Card from Commissioner Blackford.— New York, 

 March 3. — Editor Forest and Stream: My attention has 

 been called to a card published by John D. Colhns of 

 LTtica, in which he intimates that there is a letter or let- 

 ters of mine which would show that I had written some- 

 thing at some time or other to some one, suggesting or 

 urging them to violate the trout law for my personal 

 benefit. All that I care to say in reply to this, is virtually 

 what I said in my card in the Forest and Stream two 

 months ago : That I challenge Mr. Collins or any other 

 one else to produce, publish or exhibit any letter of mine 

 which would show that I had been guilty of anything in- 

 consistent with my position as Commissioner of Fisheries 

 of the State of New York. — E. G, Blackford. 



The Chdbb Factory Fire,— Thousands of anglers wil 

 sympathize with Mr. Thos. H, Chubb, of Post Mills, Vt.' 

 in the serious calamity which has come upon him in the 

 destruction of his factory by fire on the 23d ulfc. The loss 

 is put at $65,000, with an insurance of $20,000. Mr, Chubb 

 is a man of grit and stout heart, as the immense business 

 built up by him testifies. In a letter just received from 

 him he tells us that he has set up in an empty mill what 

 little machinery was saved from the wreck, and hopes 

 soon to get into shape asain. He is filling retail orders, 

 and while the stock holds out he naturally hopes that his 

 friends may not be deterred by the reports of the fire 

 from sending their orders. We have received and will 

 notice next week the Chubb catalogue for 1891. 



Protection op Potomac Fishes.— An effort has been 

 made by a majority of the committee on the District of 

 Columbia to have referred to the committee on merchant 

 marine and fisheries the Senate bill containing the old 

 law intended for the protection of Potomac Eiver fishes, 

 especially upon their spawning grounds within the Dis- 

 trict. The latter committee has reported a bill framed 

 for this purpose, and will call up the subject at the earli- 

 est opportunity. The opposition to the movement comes 

 as usual from the fishery interests, and has been suffi- 

 ciently powerful to delay this greatly needed legislation. 



Trout in Mexico.— Under date of Feb. 16, 1891, Sefior 

 Chazari, Fish Commissioner of Mexico, wrote to Col. John 

 Gay that he now has, from the TJ. S. Fish Commission, 

 eggs of brook trout, lake trout and vouBehr trout (-SaZmo 

 fario) in good condition. The hatching process was going 

 on satisfactorily and with small loss. 



FlKBT North River Shad.— On Saturday, Feb, 28, a 

 fine roe shad weighing 5 lbs. was taken off Perth Amboy, 

 New Jersey. This is the earliest date on record for the 

 appearance of the North River shad. It was on exhibition 

 at Blackford's, in Fulton Market, a pa.rt of the day, and 

 then sent to Chauncey M. Depew. 



A New Hand Grasp for Rods,— We have examined 

 with interest a new cork and celluloid hand grasjj fOr 

 fishing rods, devised by the Syracuse Bamboo Furniture 

 Co,, of Syracuse, N. Y, This appears to us a valuable in- 

 vention, comprising as it does bulk, lightness and a mate- 

 rial which is readily held in the hand without slipping. 

 Its size fills the hand so that it is grasped without elfort; 

 its lightness does not alter the balance of the rod, and the 

 cork is easily held firmly, that is, it does not slip. We 

 are informed that a patent on this improvement has been 

 applied for. 



A Trout Killed by an Oar,— The Cedars, Oakdale, 

 Long Island, Feb. 28. — On Feb. 26 a captain of an oyster 

 boat killed a brook trout weighing 3lbs. in the Gi"eat 

 South Bay near Sayville. He was killed by the stroke 

 from an oar. — Alfred A. Frasek, 



LIST OF FISH COMIVIISSIONERS. 



UNXTJ5D States— 



(Office Sixth and B streets, S.W., Washiu.gton. D.C.) 

 Col. Marshall McDonald, Commissi oner; J. W. Col- 

 lins, iu charge, Division of Fisheries; Richard Rath- 

 bun, in charge, Divi.sion of Scientific Inquiry; T. H. 

 Bean, Ichthyologist and Editor; J. J. O'Connor, 

 Chief Clerk; John Gay, Inspector of Stations; H, A. 

 Gill, Disbursing Agent. 

 Alabama— 



Col. D. R. Hundley, Madison; Hon. Chas. F. G. 

 Doster, Prattville. 

 Arizona- 



T. W. Otis, Chairman, Prescott; John Howard, Pres- 

 cott; C. W. Stearns, Plienix. 

 Arkansas— 



H. H. Rottaken, President. Little Rock; W. B. 

 Worth en, Secretary, Little Rock; J. W. Calloway. 

 Little Rock. 

 California- 



Joseph Routier, President, Sacramento; C. M. Joss- 

 el yu, San Francisco; J. Downey Harvey, San Fran- 

 cisco. 

 Colorado— 



Gordon Land, Denver. 

 Connecticut— 



Jas. A, Bill, Lyme; Robert R, Chalker, Old Say- 

 brook. The Shellfish Commi.-isioiiPr3 are: Dr. Wm. 

 M. Hudson, Chairman, Hartford; George C, Waldo, 

 Bridgeport; Bryant A. Treat, Wallingford. 

 Delaware— 



Charles H. Shuberfc, Odessa; Dr. E. G. Shortlidge, 

 Assistant and Superintendent of Hatcheries, Wil- 

 mington. 

 Georgia— 



R. T. Nesbitt, Atlanta; Dr. H, H. Gary, Superintend- 

 ent, La Grange. 

 Illinois— 



N, K, Fairbatik. President, Chicago; Dr. S. P. Bart- 

 let t, Secretary, Quincy; George Bretming, Centralia. 



Indiana- 

 Co!. W. T. Dennis, Richmond, 



*IowA— 



E, D. Carlton, Spirit Lake; Ole Bjorenson, Superin- 

 tendent. 



KANSAS— 



John M. Brumbaugh, Concordia. 



Kentucky— 



This State is said to have no Commission now. 



Maine— 



E. M. Stilwell, Bangor; Henry O. Stanley, Dixfield; 



B. W. Counce, Thomaston. Sea and Shore Fisheries. 

 Maryland— 



G. W. Delawder. Oakland: G. R. Rider, Salisbury. 

 MASSACHUSETTS- 



E, A. Braekett, Winchester; E. H, Lathrop, .Spring- 

 field; Isaiah C. Young, Wellfleet. 

 Michigan— 



Herscbel Whitaker, President, Detroit; Dr. J. C. 

 Parker, Grand Rapids.; Hoyt Post, Detroit; Wm, A, 

 Butler, Jr.. Treasurpr, Detroit; George D. Mussey, 

 Secretary, Detroit; Walter D. Marks, Superintend- 

 ent, Paris. 



Minnesota— 



Robert Ormsby Sweeny, President, Duluth; Niles 

 Carpenter, Rushford; Wm. Bird, Fairmont; S. S. 

 Watkins, Superintendent of Hatchery, St. Paul. 

 Assistants: Bernard Kittel and John M. Marty. 



Missouri— 



H. M. Garlichs, Chairman, St. Joseph; J. L. Smith, 

 Kansas City; Edw, Cunningham, Jr., St. Louis; A. 



C. Garlichs, Secretary, St. Joseph. Superintendents: 

 Phillip Koplin, Jr.,' St. Louis; James W. Day, St. 

 Joseph. 



Nebraska— 



W, L. May, President, Fremont; J. C. McBride, Lin- 

 coln; B. E. B. Kennedy, Omaha; M, E. O'Brien, 

 Superintendent, South Btnd. 

 Nevada— 



George T. Mills, Carson City; Ernest Harris, Deputy 

 Carson City. 



New Hampshire— 



George W. Riddle, Manchester; Elliott B. Hodge 

 Plymouth; JohnH, Kimball, Marlborough. 



New Jersey— 



Wm. Wright. Newark; Frank M. Ward, Newton; 

 Robt. D. Foote, Morristown; W. A. Newell, Penns- 

 ville 



New York— 



Eugene G. Blackford. President, 80 Pulton Market, 

 New York; L. Huntington, New Kochelle; William 

 H. Bowman, Rochester; Henry Burden, Troy; A, S. 

 Joline. Tot^enville. Superintendents: Fred Mather, 

 Cold Spring Harbor; Monroe A. Green, Caledonia; J. 

 G, Roberts, Adirondack; E. F, Boehm, Sacandaga;E. 

 L. Marks, Fulton Chain. Clerk and in charge En- 

 gineer's Department: Edward P. Doyle, Room 50, 

 Fulton & Market Bank Building, New York. Shell- 

 fish Commissioner: Eugene G. Blackford. State 

 Oyster Protector: Joseph W, Mersereau, 80 Fulton 

 Market, New York. Chief Game and Fish Protector: 

 J. Warren Pond, Albany, 



North Carolina- 

 No Commission. 



Ohio— 



C. V. Osborn, President, Dayton; James A. Henshall, 

 Secretary, Cincinnati; E. D. Potter, Toledo; J. H. 

 Newton, Newark: Wm. R. Huntington, Cleveland, 

 G. W. Hull, Chief Warden, Lima; Wm. Lantz, Supt, 

 of Fisheries, Sandusky. 

 Oregon— 



F, C, Eeed, President, Clackamas; E, P, Thompson, 

 Portland; R. C. Campbell, Ranier, tTerm» "■spiye 

 Feb, 18, 1891,) 



