April SO, 1891.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



291 



m ^tfd ^iv^f fishing. 



The fixll texts of the game fish laws of all the States, 

 Terri tones and British Proviuces are given in the J3oo7f of 

 the Gavxd Laws. 



ON THE NORTH SHORE.— I. 



"No paetim^s and pleasures, 



No wealth nor no treasures. 



Can yield us so much delight. 



As to throw the light fly. 



And vFilii quick skillful eye. 



Hook the trout— sportive and bright " 



ONE of the most delightful trouting trips I ever made 

 was that to the North Shore of Lake Superior, in 

 the summer of '89, an account of which was published in 

 this paper, the firsc part appearing Jan. 30, 1890. It was 

 BO pleasantly aesociated in my mind with the sports of 

 the angle that when the next season came around and 

 the radiant beauties were rising to the alluring fly I was 

 exceedingly eager for a second trip to that rock-bound 

 coast, which evidently presents the best trouting waters 

 on this continent, and at the same time the most grand 

 and imi)osing scenery, with an atmosphere of ozone as 

 exhilarating as the purest champagne. A mention of my 

 desire to again renew my pleasures to my respected friend 

 Ned, who accompanied me on that famous trip, met with 

 a response that pleased me beyond measure. He mani- 

 fested an eager desire to again do battle royal with the . 

 dandies of the crimson stars, and so we agreed to meet 

 at the "Soo" about the middle of July and prepare for 

 the voyage. 



I was passing some idle days at Petoskey after having 

 had a week's sport with the small trout in Deer Creek, at 

 Boque Falls. Mich., when a telegram reached me, bring- 

 ing the glad tidings that Ned would be at the Soo on 

 July 18. I at once arranged to meet him as specified, 

 and at an early hour in the morning of that day I was 

 aboard the train booked for the Soo by way of Mackinac 

 city and the lake. I expected a very pleasant trip when 

 I reached the lake, but not till then, for along the rail 

 route of about thirty-five .miles there is little to interest 

 and no scenic beauty to delight. A few struggling vil- 

 lages, a brook or two running into the dense foliage, an 

 occasional clearing and the inevitable saw mill about 

 complete the prosaic picture. 



Wfiafc a sudden change transpires when you reach the 

 little lake town. After the trip through a loveless forest 

 it is like emerging from darkness into light. Here I was 

 greeted on every side with ecenes of beauty and interest. 

 There was the indescribable richness in the dome above, 

 which was chaxming in lovely shreds of silvery clouds; 

 the unstained, far-reaching sapphire margin of the lake 

 that lost itself in glittering sunlight; the graceful move- 

 ments of vessels far and near, with their white wings 

 spread to the nentle south wind; the rhythmic beat of 

 curling waves along the sandy beach, all harmonizing in 

 lovely views ever a delight to eye and fancy. 



"Here Mils and vale.s, the woodland aud the plaiu, 

 Here earth and water seem to strive aga^n." 



The steamer on which I took passage was stanch and 

 decidedly comfortable, a.nd as it progressed throvigh the 

 spax'kling waters the landscapes grow in beauty, and 

 when you strike the St. Mary, at Detour, you have .sixty- 

 two miles through a tortuous channel, which completes 

 one of the most lovely panoramas imaginable. It is really 

 one succession of beatitif ul straits and broad lakes, with 

 long islands mirrored in the clear, i-apid river. This 

 sinuous stream has been compared to the Hudson and 

 other noted rivers of romantic grandeur, and one writer 

 declared - hat the Canada side, with its bold and precipitous 

 cliflTs, only lacked the ruiiied villas and castles of .the 

 Fatherland to make it a veritable Rhine. At intervals 

 along the route you are gre^^ted with decaying wigwams 

 and the ruins of old forts and posts, which, if they could 

 only speak, would give a startling history of red-handed 

 tragedies of the past. The ruins of old St. Joseph, on St. 

 Joseph's Island, Canada aide, can be seen quite plainly 

 from the boat, as well as many other points of historic 

 interest. Looking up Hay Lake from the Neebish can be 

 seen the smoke of the dredges at work for Uncle Sam, 

 making a new channel through Hay Lake, shortening 

 the present channel about twelve miles. Work has been 

 prosecuted in this canal several years, and at the present 

 rate of appropriation several years more will transpire 

 before the completion of this necessary and important 

 work, 



I reached the "Soo" by supper time, and ascertained 

 that Ned and his family had arrived in the morning and 

 were impatiently awaiting my appearance. I was given 

 a royal reception, I assure you, and then we entered into 

 the details for our prospective trip to the North Shore. 

 Ned during the day had already engaged a half-breed 

 boatman, but on being: informed that he was perfectly 

 unreliable cancelled the contract at once, and, like 

 Micawber, folded his arms and waited for something 

 better to turn up. 



As the tents, mattresses and cooking utensils we were 

 to use on the trip had been left last fall at Sailor's encamp- 

 ment, some thirty miles down the river, where Ned had 

 been having some royal sport with the bronze-backers, 

 we concluded to take the early boat in the morning and 

 go for them. It was about a three hours" ride, and as we 

 started at 6 o'clock sharp, we were there in ample time to 

 do all the packing and the hauling of the goods to the 

 landing. The work being soon over, we crossed the river 

 a,nd there took dmnpr at the tavern, and then after a 

 ci^ar or two, vve recrossed the river and awaited the ar- 

 rival of the steamer, which soon came. Our bill of lading 

 being duly signed, we felt that the cares of the day were 

 over. Ascending to the deck of the steamer, we took 

 position on the guards, and as the wreaths of nicotian 

 incense floated gracefully o'er our heads, we watched the 

 wrinkles in the water as they rolled in flashing silver from 

 the bow. then the low and craggy cliffs of the shore as the 

 sunlight brightened them and "the airy beauty of the 

 snowy clouds, as they were tinged with the iniby splendor 

 of a sinking sun. 



Asain we are at the "Soo,'" and here we were gi-eeted 

 by Joe Peters, cur half-breed boatman of last year, who 

 expressed an anxious desire to make another trip with us. 

 He had a lai;ger and better boat than the one we wdnt in 

 last year, and a number one assistant, so he stated. Ned 



and I had positively declared against Joe on account of 

 his churlish disposition, but as he made such fair promises 

 to us, we concluded to try him once more, and so made 

 the contract with him without further delay. We might 

 regret the compact in the future, but as boatmen just 

 then were scarce and we were soon to leave, it was as 

 much a matter of necessity as aught else. We might 

 have waited longer and fared worse, but believing in the 

 old adage now modernized as a "bird in hand is worth two 

 pair," we instructed Joe to have his boat and helper at the 

 mouth of the canal at 7 A. M. on the Monday following. 

 This gave us three days in which to complete our prepara- 

 tions. 



The next thing was the cuMne, and as neither of us 

 were much in arrears of being true disciples of LucuUus, 

 we concluded we could fill the larder without having to 

 seek outside advice. We were old campers, helievine: 

 that the throe necessaries — food, raiment and shelter — 

 should be liberally provided. 



Ned had brought three extra brands of hams with him 

 from home, aud while at Detroit bad laid in other choice 

 provisions, which were shipped on the steamer Winslow. 

 This shipment was really unfortunate for us, as the boat, 

 during the night, ran on a reef in Lake Huron, and in 

 order to lighten her a hundred tons or more of freight 

 were consigned to the waters, among which was our 

 choice stock. We laniented the loss, not pecuniarily, but 

 fi'om the fact that we could not replace it with the same 

 quality at the ''Soo,"' aud consequently our entremets 

 would be somewhat reduced both in flavor and stock. 

 The loss of these provisions neces:iitated another selec- 

 tion, and before that was done we must determine the 

 time desired to remain on the trip, Ned said two months, 

 I said six weeks, being fully satisfied that the romance of 

 the Trip would pan out in about four weeks. We finally 

 settled on a six weeks' stay, and then at once selected 

 and purchased the following bill: 





C 00 



aUlha. larrl IIV- 







ISlbs. Inil.Tfr (0 ::Hc. 



4 50 



501 bB. i]nnrQ y.:... _ 



1 .50 



f>ll"y, ' oy.il uaiiiug powrler iW oOc 



2 50 



iiOlhs. granulated sugar Sljc: 



2 55 



6ll>9. beans 



35 



llh, pepper 



30 



'i-S[bi. hard bread ;?« SJac 



4 42 



lOi bs. con] mea.l 





Slbs. (_)oloii5 tea ((' iy-r. 



C 00 



lOlbs. fut-loHf sutra r '?v. lilc ... 



1 00 



3 hnities catsup @ 2oe 



.50 



15 dozen Ptrgs @ ',Uv 



3 30 



8 cans Califoruia, peadie- fft:, 25: 



.-J 00 



8 cans California p?ars 0' "ntc 



3 40 



Shags Pair 



25 



9 bars Ivory soap 



45 





10 



1 dozen wax candles 



30 











12 boxes sardines Uiz 



1 9a 



10yds. crasii @ 5c. 



.50 







Clothes Ime , 



25 





























842.57 



This may strike some campers as being an excessive 

 supply, particularly when trout would be served at each 

 meal," and in addition an occasional bird or rabbit. The 

 Indian, it is well known, is simply a glutton when the 

 chance offers. Not satisfied with two or three meals per 

 day he will, when occasion offers, arise in the middle of 

 the night and partake of a bounteous lunch. Our men 

 frequently complained of headaches, the result undoubt- 

 edly of over-eating. So you see it is well to have a lib- 

 eral supply or else your rations will run short and neces- 

 sitate either a replenishing or a retm'n. We are evidently 

 correct as to the sup]3ly of food. 



The time to leave soon came, and wdien we arose on 

 the appointed morning we were fairly bubbling over with 

 enthusiasm, so eager were we to lure and play a trout. 

 After our early breakfast we waited some time for our 

 boatmen, and began to think they would not put in an 

 appearance at all. They came, however, hut it was fully 

 an hour after tlie appointed time, their excuse being the 

 rowing of their boat that morning all the way from Point 

 aux Pins, where they were then located with their fami- 

 lies engaged in gathering huckleberries. Another hour 

 was now consumed in getting all our things hauled to 

 the head of the canal, where the boat was at anchor. 

 Here we sat for fully another hour before they came, 

 they having remained at the Soo to make some purchases 

 for their ramilies, which they desired to leave with them 

 en route. We had come to the conclusion duriiig the 

 anxious wait that they had been toying with fire water, 

 as I had that morning advanced John, Joe's assistant, 

 five dollars for his family. In addition to this I had the 

 day before allowed Joe to draw seventeen dollars. This 

 is generally customary, as their families must have sup- 

 port wliile their husbands are away. I had every con- 

 fidence in Joe's appearing, knowing full well that he 

 viTould not prove unreliable, though there was slight 

 danger that the tempting fluid might have proved too 

 strong a temptation while he had the %vherewith. 



FOR "FOREST AND STREAM" READERS. 



WE have secured, for the private information of the 

 readers of Forest AND Stream, knowledge of a 

 number of streams and lakes easily accessible from this 

 city, where we beheve tliat good fishing for trout and 

 black bass may be had. This information, much of 

 which comes from j)rivate sources, we are not at liberty 

 to print, but we shall be glad to furnish it without charge 

 to any reader of Foeebt and Stream who will apply 

 for it, either personally or by letter. 



Striped Bass in the Hudson.— On Monday last there 

 was exhibited at Abbey & Imbrie's a 301b3. striped bass 

 taken with hook and line near Tarrytown, N. Y. While 

 fish of this size and even larger are often taken up the 

 river in>jQets, it is very unusual to learn of the capture of 

 a ''big feUow" in the Hudson by means of hook and line. 



ANGLING NOTES. 



POSSIBLY some of the readers of Forest and Stream 

 may remember a little book published years ago 

 called the "Blackwater Chronicle, which gave a very in- 

 teresting description of the adventures of a party of gen- 

 tlemen in search of trout among the mountains of western 

 Virginia, in Randolph county. It was ilhistrated by 

 Porte Crayon (G-en. Strouthers) who afterward made up 

 another jjarty and penetrated into the wilderness as far 

 as the headwaters of the Cheat and Blackwater rivers, 

 where they camped for a week and had a royal good time 

 with the trout. Porte Crayon wrote this trip up and it 

 was published in Harjxrs Magazine. From all accounts 

 there is considerable wilderness left there yet, and it is 

 still an angler's paradise and well worthy of a visit. The 

 Cheat River and the B'ackwater abound with good-sized 

 trout and the upper Potomac fm-nishes excellent black 

 bass fishing. The nearest railroad station is Elkins, from 

 which point the angler had better drive to Mingo Flats; 

 the ride alone is said to be well worth the trip. The best 

 flies for this region are the professor, cowdung, coach- 

 man, brown-palmer, Abbey and march-brown; these 

 should be tied on an No. 8 sproat. The wading is rough 

 and hob-nailed shoes are not only a comfort, but a neces- 

 sity. 



No doubt manj'' anglers have noticed how often trout 

 change their location, particularly in lakes and ponds. 

 A curious instance of this was related to me by Mr. A. 

 B, Knapp, of this city, who sjjent a couple of weeks in 

 the Rangeley Lake region last September. He was pass- 

 ing through Kennebago Lake, when his guide stopped 

 the canoe at the mouth of a stream and told him to try a 

 cast there, as once in a while it was a great place for 

 trout. At the first cast the water fairly boiled with 

 eager fish, and at once two were hooked and soon landed 

 As there seemed to be so many Mr. Knapp timed himself 

 and tried to see how many he could catch in an hour. 

 The guide unhooked them and threw them back as fast 

 as they were caught, and when the hour was up told him 

 he had returned just 102 to the water. Mr. Knapp re- 

 ported the wonderful catch to the rest of the party that 

 evening, and the next day they all visited the same spot 

 expecting great sijort, but no fish were there; they had 

 left for parts unknown and probably the party had their 

 opinion of Mr. Knapp's fish story. But it w-as true never- 

 theless. 



The old saying, "When the horse-chestnut leaves are 

 as big as your nail, then the blackfish bite without fail," 

 came true this year to the dot. And the thousands of 

 New York fishermen who visit the bays and harbors 

 around this city are happy, for, next to the universal 

 flounder, no fish is caught in greater numbers or is more 

 rehable than the blackfish. Many use the humble hand 

 line for these fish, but they afford greater sport on a stiff 

 rod. Use a small Virginia or Chestertown hook snelled 

 on twisted linen in pairs— bait with the tough part of a 

 soft clam or a fidler crab. When the tide runs swift a 

 rather heavy sinker is necessary, as the fish is a bottom 

 feeder. The favoi'ite resort for blackfish is around rocky 

 ledges or old wrecks. The wreck of the Black Warrior is 

 a famous ground, but rather diOicult to find; there is also 

 a wreck of an Italian ship opposite Manhattan Beach 

 which is favorite ground for big blackfish. The shores 

 of Long Island Sound from NewRocheileto New London 

 afford excellent blackfishing, and at the latter locality 

 they are caught as large and as plentiful as at any place 

 along the coast. Scarlet-Ibis. 



Natural Bridge Trout.— New York, April 25.— Your 

 old correspondent '•F"lin"" writes me from Natural Bridge, 

 Va., the letter given herewith, and it seems to me of so 

 much interest to anglers that 1 give it to you verbatim. 

 The "sheet of paper'" measures lOJin.- H. S. Chandler. 

 The letter reads: "Natural Bridge, Va., April 23. — 

 Yesterday, svith a small 'coon' as guide, I drove down to 

 the James and was shoved across in a flat boat, when 

 after a few rods the creek came tumblmg down: an ideal 

 trout stream, about 30ft. wide, swift in places and filled 

 with likely holes. I put on some flies, and in a moment 

 a trout started for it, but he decided not to bite after he 

 had gotten within about an inch of the tail fly, nor would 

 he rise again. I tried flies for a half-hour without catch- 

 ing a fish, and then descended to the 'barnyard-hackle." 

 Standing on a tree ti-unk. which had been thrown across 

 the stream'as a bridge, I let my bait go down on the cur- 

 rent about 50ft,, when I felt a yank, aud in a second I 

 found I had hooked a fine fish. * He fought savagely and 

 it was some little while before I could land him, as I had 

 no net and the boy was with the horse on the road. The 

 fish finally swallowed enough water to drown him and I 

 pulled him ashore. He was fully Sin. longer than this 

 sheet of paper and weighed over a pound. I got another 

 from the same place within nve minutes, but a trifle 

 smaller. The day was very hot and with a bright un- 

 clouded sun, and I fished only in the middle of the day, 

 10 to 4, and had no wading boots, but I caught 9 as hand- 

 some fish as I ever saw, and was satisfied. I shared them 

 with the people here for breakfast. I took a walk this 

 morning and got within oOf t. of a fox. There is a den of 

 four bears within three miles of here, and wild turkeys 

 are shot across the river five miles away in the fall, and 

 there are a few deer within 15 miles, to say nothing of 

 countless partridges, etc. — F'lin." 



Wesifield, Mass. — The trout season opened here with 

 a rush on the first. Most of the members of the gentle 

 craft who could wield a pole or chuck a bug were out 

 after trout. In many cases from fifteen to twenty per- 

 sons would be found upon the new stream, so anxious 

 were all to avail themselves of the open season. Various 

 catches were to be seen running in quantity from a few 

 fingerlings to a respectable creel of from 5 to 81bs. The 

 most successful catch so far as individual size is concerned 

 was that of the veteran fisherman James Liswell, who 

 caught a magnificent specimen of Salmo fontinalis in the 

 Still Pond, so called, (which is about half "a mile from the 

 station of the B. & A. R. R.), which weighed 2lbs. 6ioz. 

 It was placed in the show window of tackle dealer Lewis 

 shortly after its capture, attracting crowds the rest of the 

 day. The weather thus far is too cold for fishing, and 

 the snow in the woods in this neighborhood is too deep to 

 admit of fishing for some days to come. Fishermen gen- 

 erally predict a larger catch of trout this summer than 

 last, as the result of stocking the streams the past two 

 seasons, which will result in larger fish andmoie of ihstmt : 



— WOROKOCO, 



