Mat 21, 1891.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



8BS 



GONE— THE ROMANTIC 

 TROUTING. 



AGE OF 



I'^HE romance of it has all gone from trouting in these 

 - latter days of the angler's art. The fascination of 

 the woods in summer, the sweet influence of the scented 

 fields, the varied music of the brook, the song of birds, 

 the hum of insect life, the fantastic play of fleecy clouds 

 in the sky above and their imagery in flitting shadows 

 on the earth below — to none of these do you hear your 

 regulation angler of to-day make tender reference vs^hen, 

 with fine livery scarcely soiled, he returns from his day 

 upon the stream. The work he did with his black -gnat, 

 the Mlling qualities of his grizzly-king, the wonder of 

 his casts, the skill with which he handled this, that and 

 the other trout, the feeling of abhon-ence that overcame 

 him to find a rustic on the stream with chestnut switch, 

 horse hair line and wriggling worm— these will be the 

 burden of the now accepted angler's reminiscences of his 

 outing among the trout. He certainly can have no mem- 

 ories of that rare and golden time— the romantic age of 

 trouting. Then we went a-fishing! The season opened 

 when the weather and the water were right for it. They 

 were never ready before the trout were, and they never 

 will be, no matter what day the law may select for that 

 consummation. "We gauged our opening day by nature's 

 condition, not by the law's opportunity. If the snow 

 lingered along the streams while it was yet April, as it 

 often did, does yet, and always will, we knew that neither 

 trout nor water could be right for pleasurable fishing, 

 and we kept on with our work and waited. When the 

 time was ripe we went a-fishing. 



But, novA^adays, to be an angler of the reigning school 

 — a "genuine sportsman" — one must seek the brook on 

 the very first day the law gives him the privilege, 

 although the snow may be afoot deep, and ice still fringes 

 the water. He shakes and shivers and freezes to the 

 marrow. To wade the stream would be pneumonia. 

 Everything is bare and chill and desolate. If any trout 

 are caught they will be lank and half-starved, unless they 

 are the liver-fed darlings of the Long Island brooks and 

 ponds, and they will show nearly as much gaminess as 

 the suckers the more sensible boy is catching at the mouth 

 of the brook, where the river eddies. But they will be 

 trout. And it is o^iening day. And the angler feels that 

 he is doing his duty as a genuine spliD bamhoo-twentv- 

 four-doUar-reel-knickerbocker-breeches sportem m, able 

 to make a cast of OOfr. He may not succeed in cntchinjj; 

 ■ fisii, but he can put his fly 90ft., and that's the main thing. 



I remember some old time mornings in June. The knn 

 gets up early iii June, but we were up before him, when 

 we went a-fishing — yes, were a long way toward our des- 

 tination by the time hepeekod above tlie hills and washed 

 his face ia the dew. A four-mile walk to some favorite 

 stream was nothing in those days — not that we had to go 

 as far as that, even, from our little town— a quaint and 

 pretty village among the Pennsylvania hills, full of 

 the romance of trouting once, but spoiled now through 

 contact with thn new order of things, and consequently 

 famous— for we could have fished for half a mile in 

 either of two rare trout streams without leaving the con- 

 &nes of the village. But we sought communion with the 

 woods and cataracls and isolated meadow stretches, 

 where the ripples tossed and glinted, far from the haunts 

 of men, when we went fishing, and so put the town 

 creeks behind us on those June mornings, June mornings 

 are just the same now as they were then, and if you 

 should resurrect the flexible old chestnut pole — not rod, 

 but pole — the reliable horse-hair line, fill the old tin box 

 wiih fresh-dug worms and take once more an old-time 

 jaunt toward that favorite stream, the same road will 

 lead you to it. As you p=iss along, the brown thrush will 

 greet you with his flood of matin melody from his covert 

 by the roadside, just as he used to; the fussy catbird will 

 scatter the dew from the bushes in silvery showers, as 

 she flutters and fumes from bough to bough: the red 

 squirrel wiU chatter and scold from his perch in the 

 crotch of the old chestnut tree; the crow from the top of 

 the tall dead pine will caw bis contempt for you, know- 

 ing you have no gun; tree and shrub and flower bathed 

 in dew and moisture, fresh, unboiled and full fed, will 

 partake of the early morning joy and health you feel, 

 and every flying, running, creeping thing be refreshed 

 and satisfied, just as it used to be. And you will come in 

 sight of the same farmer, letting down the bars for his 

 sweet-breathed cows to pass into the roadside pasture, 

 just as he used to be doing as you passed that way. In- 

 stantly you remember the hearty greeting he always 

 gave you. 



"Good mornin' to ye!" he used to say. "Goin' fishin', 

 hay? 'Feard y' won't hev much luck to-day; the wind's 

 a le-e-e-tle too easterly. If I was you, though, I'd cut 

 right acrost my medder yender, 'n strike in at the ol' 

 alder-hole. My boy John ketched a powerful nice mess 

 right along there yisterd'y. It's good fishin' all along 

 through my medders. If y' hain't got yer worms dug 

 John'll go 'n dig y' some. I'm 'feared the wind's a 

 le-B-e-tle too easterly fer y' to-day, though. But good 

 luck to y'!" 



You remember well that cheery greeting, and you are 

 glad to see the farmer. He will give you some of the old 

 time tips of course. Yes, he waits for you. 



"Goin' fishin', fum the looks o' ye I" says he, and his 

 look is anything but amiable. "Well, I want to tell y* 

 'fore \' go any furder th't y'd better keep ofi'en my prem- 

 ises, if y' hain't got two dollars 'long with y'! It'll cost y' 

 jist two doUirs to fish on me. 'n' if y' don't want to pay 

 that, keep offen my premises!" 



Tnat iisn't the same as it used to be. And you will find 

 as you proceed that nothing about your trouting is as it 

 used to be except the early morning walk in June. That 

 would be changed, too, but the angler of the new school 

 cares nothing for it, and it has escaped his touch. 



And if you have the heart to cling to the stream you 

 will meet frequent brothers of the new-timo angle. They 

 will affect horror at your homely tackle. They will jeer 

 at your chestnut p le, your horse-hair line and your tin 

 bait box. Yet with the going out of the chestnut pole, 

 the horse-hair line and the bait box went the romantic 

 age of trouting, and the age of the warning signboard 

 and the toll on streams came in with the school of ang- 

 lers who mock at everything that is not split bamboo and 

 feathers fashioned to counterfeit nothing that ever lived 

 in air, on earth or in water. It ia this school of anglers 

 that has made of the farmers of the trout regions a race 

 of greedy, graepiug landowners; first, by preempting sec- 

 tions of streams fox their own selfi-sh ends, and then sug- 



gesting and fostering the system of tolls all along the line, 

 simply to prevent the native fisherman from enjoying the 

 waters that had been as free as the air to him from the 

 remotest generations. Even deep in the forests, where 

 the only life you might expect to see would be some 

 bounding buck or slouching bear, you find yourself face 

 to face with policemen who may haul you before the 

 nearest magistrate to be punished for your obtrusion on 

 the forest solitude, which has also been mortgaged to 

 some clique of "genuine sportsmen."— JSd. Mottin Truth. 



A Parasite of the Rock Cod.— In our issue of April 

 23 we published a note from Dr. Henderson and Mr. 

 Picken, of Whatcom, Wash., concerning a tapeworm in 

 rock cod. This parasite was sent to Prof. Edwin Linton, 

 of Washington and Jefferson College, Pa. , and we now 

 have the pleasure of presenting his letter upon the sub 

 ject: '^Editor Forest and Stream: The worm f]-om a 

 species of Sehastodes is near Dihothrmm angustatum 

 Eudolphi, from Scorpcena scrofa (a Mediterranean 

 species). There were two fragm'ents 31 and 19 centi- 

 meters in length respectively, which had been removed 

 from the intestine by the collectors, and a third fragment. 

 Hi centimeters, in the upper part of the intestine with 

 the scolex or head; the latter was attached in one of the 

 pyloric cyeca. There is a related worm (D, rugosum) 

 which infests the common cod, that has a similar habit of 

 burying the head in the pyloric casca. The two loose 

 fragments evidently belong to the same strobile; in other 

 words, have broken from the part which bears the head, 

 — Edward Linton." 



A Missouri Fish and Game Club.— Hannibal, Mo., 

 Maj' 6. — We have recently organized to improve the game 

 fishing in Deep Lake, a fine body of water containing 

 about 15 acres, which is already pretty well stocked with 

 large bass, crappie, pike, salmon, etc. It is deep and 

 cool, being fed from springs, and during the spring floods 

 is conneutad with the Missisgipiji River. It is excellently 

 adapted by nature for this purpose, and we propose to 

 make it the model game-fisliing spot in this section. Last 

 week one of my friends caught in our lake on a spoon 

 hook a pike weighing dilhs. — the largest that has been 

 taken on hook and line here for many years. A number 

 of our prominent citizens are associating for prescrvini. 

 the SnyeCirte, a large stream near our lake, I have 

 be^'n an ardent fisherman in the Mis-i?sippi River and its 

 tributaries for 30 years and shall be glad to drop you a 

 line occasionally if you wish me to do so. — S. E. WORRELL, 

 Sec'y D. L. F. & G. Club. 



Wisconsin Bass,— Milwaukee, May 11,— Pickerel are 

 gradually working their way into deep water as the 

 spawning season is over. This year our bass will be pro- 

 tected and at a time when they most need it, as the law 

 only permits of their being taken after Jime 15. Now 

 there is no doubt but that to many this will seem like 

 postponing the taking of bass a good while, but there is 

 much to be said on each side of the question and it is 

 much better to lose a couple of weeks sport than to 

 butcher the fish while they are busy on the beds.— Green - 

 head. 



Michigan.- Holland, May 14.— Black bass are biting 

 nicely now, although most of them caught are only of 

 fair size. My largest l-his f-'pring weighed 21bs. A few 

 muskallonge of from 6 to lolbs. have been taken, also a 

 number of pickerel. If it were not for the netting we 

 would have excellent fishing here. As it is the fish 

 caught are getting fewer in numbers and smaller in size 

 every year. Netting and spearing will deplete our waters 

 if not soon stopped. — A. G. B. 



Mr. Alex. Starbuck will go again to the north shore 

 of Lake Superior for the excellent fishing to be had there. 

 In view of the enticing sport described by Mr, Starbuck 

 in his papers now printing it is a mystery to us why more 

 trout fishermen do not visit that country. The Dayton 

 (O.) Journal notes: "Alex. Starbuck, of Cincinnati, is 

 writing a series of charming trout sketches to Forest 

 AND Stream. He casts a fine literary fly and lands his 

 game brilliantly." 



The Bronx River, which forms the upper boundary of 

 New York city, has been infested this spring with gangs 

 of Italians who have destroyed great quantities of fish 

 with dynamite. The new game constable, Alex. D. 

 Golyer, of Mount "Vernon, reports that he has undertaken 

 a campaign against the dynamiters. 



Heard on the Cars.— "How'd he know it was a bass?" 

 "How did he know it? Well, he is forty-nine years old, 

 and he's fished for bass every spring and fall since he was 

 twenty; and if he don't know a bass strike nobody does." 



The KiNonsHERS.— We learn that the "Kingfishers" 

 will "pull themselves together" for an exploration of the 

 bass supply in some inland lake of Michigan this summer. 



Black Drum are taking the hook at Anglesea, New 

 Jersey. A 76-pounder was caught the other day. Weak- 

 fish are coming on. 



MASSACHUSETTS ASSOCIATION. 



THK regiilar montlilsT meeting ot the MassschusetTs Fisli and 

 GaniB Protective Association wns held at Youne's Hote], 

 Boston, May 14. In the absence of PreF. Samnel?, Vice-Pree. 

 Geo. W. Wlggln presided, 46 members hoing pie=ent. The foilow- 

 ing genthnien were elected members: Dr. Geo. C. Ainsworth, 

 Cbas. D. Ricker, John E. Miller, J. T. Rutlfr, .John 0. Kerrison, 

 Waldo A. Rich, Ernest Miensset, Geo. B. Hilliard, JTrack G. Far- 

 well. Fredk. B. K. Marter, Wm. A- Carrie, Taos. P. LovelJ, Henry 

 R. Page, Edw. E, Babb, Guy C. Channel!. Geo. P. Sleirill, Harry B. 

 Prindle, Wm, Walker, L, W, Burlen. Walter O. Brooks, John E. 

 Colter, JohnA, Fosrg, Forrest S, Smith. Predk. M.Bond, Frank 

 L. Marsuall, E. M. Stoddard. Joshua N. Temple, Wm. JS!. Mc- 

 Qninn. T, D. BarroUo. T. D, Dupee. 



The applications for membership were referred to the commit- 

 tee. 



A committee consisting of Messrs. C. J. H. Woodbury, Danl, T. 

 Curtis and H, H. Kamball, appointed to draft resolutions on th'e 

 death of Mr, Ciias. G. Davis, of Boston, preeeated the following, 

 which it was voted to spread upon the records: 



BEPOBX Off TBE COMSmXEE ON BESOLUTIONS ON XU^ tAl'E 

 OHAS. Q, tJAVJS. 



While on a foreign trip for the heuetit of his health, Chas, G. 

 Davis lost his life at the sinking of the Utopia in collision with a 

 British man-ot- war in The Straits of G ibralter. The two other 

 c&bin passi^gers, the one a lady and the other an invalid, were 



both saved. It is supposed that Mr, Davis, relying on his ability 

 as a swimmer, devoted himself to the succor of others, and, not 

 .iumpinfi- from the vessel trntil too late, was drawn down into the 

 vortex of seething waters. 



Mr. Davis was connected with, the Suffolk Bank earlier in life, 

 but for the past Jifteen years has been both paying and receiving 

 teller of the Columbian Natinna-l Bank: his clear and systematic 

 methods of business enabling him to fulfll the duties of botli posi- 

 tions. He was a man of alisolute fidelity to ti'usts, which. he served 

 with rare intelligence, commanding a confidence that was widely 

 established through hia genial courtesy to allhe met in the course 

 of business. 



He was of fine presence. His athletic ohysiciUB seemed to ap- 

 preciate in highest degree the opportunity to visit the Adiron- 

 dacks each year, where he spent his vacation in the forests. 

 Although for many years known to be a skilled and enthusiastic 

 fishermau, his connection with the association was of re'cent date, 

 yet his rich acquaintance in business circles extended largely 

 into our membership. 



The robust body sustaining a vigorous mind endowing its pos- 

 sessor with a vast capacity for continuous work, yielded to the 

 pressure of a sorrow caused by 1)ereuvement; and at the instance 

 of the Directors of the Columbian Bank he accepted nn extended 

 leave of absence and also a mofst generous testimonial to provide 

 for a trip which was expected to bring rest and recuperation. 

 Your committee beg to offer the following i esolntion: 

 i?e it Resolved^ That by the decease of Chas. G. Davis the Mas- 

 sachusetts Fish and Game Protective Association has sustained 

 the loss of a member consistently devoted to the principles of this 

 organization; his gentlemanly demeanor, business capncity, and 

 high sterling principles render his life an example to others: and 

 because of his many virtues his friends shall ever garland his 

 memory with pleasant recolleetion". 

 Respectfully submitted, 0. J. H. WoonBuax, 1 

 „ D. T. CuHTis. > Committee. 



Boston, May 14. H. H, Kimbai-i,, ) 



Mr. John K.Boutwell spoke of the emptviog of large quantities 

 of poisonous chemicals into Richardson's Mill Pond, Woburn, by 

 the chemical works, thereby destroying a great many trout, 15,000 

 of whicli were planted there last year. Mr. Boiitwel'l thought the 

 chemical works should be prohibited from emptying their refuse 

 into the Inke. On motion it was rei erred to the Ma.ssachusetts 

 Fish and Game Cotnmissioners. Richard O. Habding, Sec. 



INDIANA FISHCULTURE. 



WE have the report of Col. Wm. T. Dennis, Commis- 

 .sioner of Fisheries of the State of Indiana, for the 

 years 1889 and 1S90. The State appropriation for each of 

 these years was $'i'00. 



Indiana does not undertake the. artiflcial propagation of 

 fishes to any yrtat extent, but devotes her energies to their 

 protection and to the transplanting of indigenous flsb. Five 

 biiudred thousand fry of the wMll-eyed i.iike have been ob- 

 tained from, the IJ. S Fish Coinmiasion and placed in a res- 

 ervoir ou the erorinds of the Biiker hatchery :i,t Rome City, 

 to be kept one year before theu.- fiual distribution. Col. 

 Deunis expects to deposit thosH fish early in the coming 

 spring. Ten thousand landlocked salmon were received 

 from the same source and hat died by the. Baker Bros. Trout 

 fry have been extenKively liberated in the vieiirity of Indian- 

 apolis and Shelbyville and iu the Tippecanoe Eiver. The 

 l^ke trout which were planted in former years by the U. S. 

 Fish Comroi.ssion iu the lakes of Steuben 'county~have been 

 moderately successful. Specimens weighing from 23^1bs. 

 to Gibs, have been taken with hook and line. One thousand 

 lake trout fry which were placed intheThistlethwaite Pond, 

 near Eichrnond, are now about one year old and some of 

 them measure 5 or (5in. 



The Commissioner is a firm believerin rigid and thorough 

 protection as the surest and quickest means of rej^opulating 

 1 he lakes and streams. Through his instrumentality a State 

 convention was called of all those who favor the protection 

 of fish and game, and the enforcement of the laws. A State 

 association was formed and meetings were held at the county 

 seats of several counties. A uxiliary societies were establish ed, 

 a large number of arrests and convictions were made with 

 the help of private detectives (fully 100 convictions for viola- 

 tions of the fish laws were secured), and unlawful fi.5hing has 

 in a great measure been suppreissed. The results of this pro- 

 tection are already apparent. The needed protection of fish 

 in Indiana involves the prevention of water pollirtion, the 

 introduction of fish ladders to allow the ascent of fishes to 

 their spawning grounds, and the restriction of the capture 

 to hook and line only. 



Commissioner Dennis has reprinted, by permission of the 

 publishers of Forest and Stream, the account of the 

 "Basses and Their Allies," which we published July 34, 1890, 

 Through an unfortunate rni.^take, the names of some of the 

 fish have been transposed, and we find the large-mouth black 

 bass labeled the amall-raouth, the warmouth is labeled 

 blue suD fish, and the calico bass is called the warmouth, 

 while the blue sunfish appears as the calico bass. The figure 

 labeled large-month black bass we suppose is introduced to 

 make a pleasing contrast with the rest of the cuts. 



The proceedings of the State Fish and Game Convention, 

 held at Indianapolis, Dec. 19, 1S89, and Dee. 18, 1890, are given 

 in full and contain nruch information of interest to anglers 

 and flshculturists, This association has auxiliary branches 

 'n various counties of the State that is destined to play an 

 mportant part in the future of the interests involved. The 

 constitution and by-laws of the county branches aresetforth 

 on page 96 of this report. The fish and game laws are also 

 republished in this document. On page 103 there is a very 

 useful table showing the open season for game in Ohio 

 Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania and 

 Wef3t Virginia. ^ 



Low Excursion Rates to Sullivan Co. Trout Stbbams — 

 On Friday and Saturday, May 39 and 30, the New York, Ontario & 



^. . trip. This affords those 



nnlamiliar witti one of the healthiest and most delightful regions 

 in this vicinity an opportunity, during a holiday, to select a de- 

 siraljle summer boarding place 1,500ft. above the sea, absolutely 

 free from malaria and mosquitoes, with time enougJi to enjoy a 

 day's flshmg among the famous trout streams with which it 

 abounds. Ttie tickets are good returning up to and including 

 Monday, June 1, and are on sale at 323 Broadway, and Ferry 

 Offices foot of Jay and Forty-second streets.— ^cii). 



One Moment, Please.— Do you contemplate visiting Dubuque 

 St. Paul, Minneapolis, Marshalltown, Des Moines, St. Joseph 

 Leavenworth, Kansas City, or any point in the Northwest, the' 

 Pugf-t Sound region, the balmv South or Southwest, or the busy 

 East ? The Chicago, St. Paul & Kansas City Railway will furnish 

 you transportation enabluig you to safely, quickly and comfort- 

 ably reach your destination. Its splendid equipment and excel- 

 lent management have made it a popular favorite. P. fl. Lobd 

 General Passenger and Ticket Agent, Chicago, 111.— ^d-u. ' 



FOBEST AND SiEEAM. Bos 3,833, N. J. City, has descriptive iUua- 

 trated cU-c ulars of B. Lcflingwell's book, "Wild Fowl Shoot- 

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

 nounced by "Nanit," "Gloan" "Dick SwiveUer," "Syblllene" and 

 other competent authorities to be the best treatise on the subjeet 

 extant. 



Names and Poeteaits of Bieds, by Gurdon Trumbull A 

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

 identify without quest'on all the American game birds whic 

 they may kill. Clotb, 320 pages, price S3.50. For sale by Foee 

 AND Stream. 



A Book About Indians.— The Foeest .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 illustrations from the volunae.- ^Idw. 



