S96 



FOREST AND STREAM, 



[June 4, 1891. 



at planting was during the first year, when it spent $100 

 and put in 30,000 fry. Then at different plantings it put 

 in 3,500, 7,500, 2,000 fry, and then 35,000. Then it put in 

 200,000, and then 150,0'o0, then 300,000. The Government 

 put in 3,000 yearlings, and then 5,000 yearlings. This 

 year 400 yearlings were put in. It is probable that the 

 club will reconsider an action which may have been too 

 hasty, and will hereafter put in none but the American 

 brook trout. There were 200 fry of the European brown 

 trout put in two years ago. and five vears ago there were 

 planted at different times 5,000, 2,000 and 10,000 rainbow 

 trout fry. A number of these fish have been taken over 

 21bs. in "weight. There have been planted also 100 year- 

 lings each of the Loch Leven troiit, Von Behr trout and 

 100 brook trout a year and a half old. Thus the active 

 organization shows itself fully disposed to be up and 

 doing, and not disposed to let its jjroperfcy or its sport 

 decline. 



I have already said something, and perhaps nearly 

 enough, about the early history of both these Castalia 

 clubs, but I find some little discrepancies as to dates in 

 the several stories 1 have heard from different club mem- 

 bers. In a talk with Mr. A. C. Moss, treasurer of the 

 club, at Sandusky, that gentleman referred to the records 

 and gave me the following facts, which should be accur- 

 rate: It is usually said that the club organized in Octo- 

 ber, 1879, but the first certificate of stock of the 

 "Upper Club" was issued really May 15, 1878, the club 

 being then first incorporated as the "Cold Creek Trout 

 Club." This was on the old leasehold basis with the Cas- 

 talia Milling Co., $50 a year for 20 years. Then followed 

 the deliberate persecutions of the latter concern, and 

 when it was decided to buy the ground outright instead 

 of leasing, the club changed its name to "The Cold Creek 

 Sporting Club Company." The club then put money into 

 it and shai-es were held at $400. Then again, in 1890, the 

 club again changed its name, this time to "The Castalia 

 Trout Club Company," and this is the legal and actual 

 name of the "Upper Club" to-day. Not so very many 

 men could answer an off-hand question as to the name of 

 either of these two clubs of the Castalia stream, but the 

 distinction of upper and lower club will serve. 



The Upper Club has a membership of 67, which would 

 seem quite large enough. There is a smattering here of 

 the neophyte element, always delightful, albeit innocent 

 of the guileful ways of the wily trout, but the per cent, 

 of old stagers is quite enough to bring up these younger 

 gentlemen into the full skill of the angler's craft, for 

 there are skillful trout fishermen here as you will find 

 anywhere. 



Thus far the Upper Club has wisely been putting its 

 money into the work on the new streams, thus extending 

 its amount of fishing as quickly as possible, so that time 

 may at once begin the work of softening the artificial 

 quality and rendering all as like as possible to the natural 

 home of the trout. Indeed, the chief factor of interest in 

 the story of this part of the stream is this artificial exten- 

 sion of the stream. It is work new in the angling world, 

 this buildmg of trout water. Doubtless many readers of 

 this, who are used to the rough country natural to trout, 

 win tliink that no hand but that of nature can make a 

 trout stream, and will value lightly the charm and worth 

 of this artificial water. There is no license for any one to 

 do this, though it needs an actual visit to the grounds to 

 understand this joerfectly. It should be remembered that 

 all this valley is level and not rough, the stream having 

 no mountains, hiUs or heavy timber near it. It is not a 

 mountain, but a meadow trout stream, and one part of 

 the meadow is as good as another for the stream provided 

 that the water pass over it with the swiftness and cold- 

 ness of the natural stream. The clever engineering of 

 the club has made this sure in its work, as you may see 

 by going over the stream. 



"^The water of the old mysterious springs carries its 

 charm with it as it goes. The moss is even now spreading 

 all through the new water, and the feed is following the 

 moss all along. It is not thought that the meandering of 

 the stream will change the temperature of the water for 

 the Lower Club, but still there should be plenty of con- 

 sideration before too much of this meandering is done. 

 It would probably be easy for the Upper Club to sink an 

 artesian well and tap a stream say half way down its 

 grounds, which would keep down the temperature and 

 increase the volume of the fishing water, but no one could 

 foretell just what effect this would have upon conditions 

 now existent above the half-way point of the property. 

 The well spring of the Lower Club, just sunk, lowered 

 the big Blue Hole a foot in one night, and scared the 

 Upper Club half to death. A few more tappings and the 

 big Blue Hole may go to the demnition bow-wows, and 

 there you are. It would seem safer and better for the 

 Ujoper Club, and both the clubs, to be conservative and 

 careful and to let well enough alone after this. There is 

 no more audacious finger-snapping in the face of nature 

 on record than this stocking, changing and improving of 

 the Castalia stream, but nature is behind it all after all, 

 and she should not be defied to the point of insult, or she 

 may get even, as she has a baddish way of doing some- 

 times. 



One point about the history of the subterranean stream 

 of the Castalia Valley is of interest and will lend addi- 

 tional mystery to the mysterious quality of this locality, 

 and that is the story of how this stream was located before 

 the boring on the well was commenced. In the issue of 

 May 14 I stated that Mr. Ely had announced the striking 

 of the flow, but that was not really the first I had heard 

 of this artesian well. When Miller was taking me up to 

 the Upper Club, on this day of which I am writing here, 

 he showed me where the weU was sinking, and told why 

 that spot was chosen. "We got it by the divining rod," 

 said he, "one of them witch hazel sticks with a crotch in 

 it. You know you just hold the rod loose in your hands, 

 and when you walk over the water the fork of the rod 

 just twists down. The rod won't turn for everybody. It 

 won't turn for anybody who ain't a 'witch.' We had an 

 expert down from Cleveland to locate the water, but the 

 rod worked for me just as well as for him. We found 

 that the stream flows under the meadow and right past 

 the corner of my barn. The rod would twist over so 

 strong you couldn't hold it." 



Miller evidently had perfect simple faith in the truth of 

 aU this. I don't have any faith in the divining rod, 

 though there may be "more things in heaven and earth 

 than are dreamed of in our philosophy." In this case, 

 however, we must all be credulous and must believe the 

 story of the water witch. The divining rod was tixe only 

 thing lacking to round out the history of this enchant^ 



aud still enchanting stream. People have always said 

 that Castalia Stream was "bewitched," from the time of 

 Major Rogers, 1765, till now, and who shall deny this to- 

 day, after the successful event of the witch's witching? 



The Upper Club has not yet a very large club house, 

 but will soon build another larger. It has also one hotel, 

 just across the bridge from the club house, one cottage, 

 one tenement house, one barn, one ice house and one 

 hatchery. And then it has Andy, It is the only club in 

 the world that has Andy. Andy Englert comes of a 

 family of old country game keepers. He has all the skill 

 aud gentleness of heart which one in his place should 

 have, and all the patience and love of watching the ways 

 of small things, The club will never part with Andy. 

 He has more than half made the club what it is. 



In the supper room we looked over the trophies on the 

 wall, pictures, mounted fish and birds, etc. Mr. Frank 

 N. Beebe. of Columbus, 0., an angler of wide traveling 

 experience, has presented the club with two trout from 

 the Rockies, nicely mounted, one a magnificent trout, 

 lllbs., of the Coeur D'Alene Lake country (Sahno malmd), 

 the other a mountain trout, 3lbs, , from the Coeur D'Alene 

 River. These hang before the eyes of all and show the 

 glory of the tribe. In the evening we looked for some 

 glories close at home, and went through a few pages of 

 the club record. I found that in 1887 there were caught 

 by the Upper Club members 1,634 trout, total weight, 

 5571b3. In 1888, 2,270 fish, total weight, 6l8ilb3., one fish 

 taken that year which weighed 21bs. In 1889, 2,407 fish, 

 weight, 768lbs. , largest fish, 21bs. 9oz. In 1890, 3,242 fish, 

 weight, l,0541bs., largest fish, 21b8. 12oz.. this was a rain- 

 bow trout. The catch of 1891 will doubtless be the 

 heaviest yet. In the first week of the season this year 

 there were caught 348 fish, weight 157ibs. The heaviest 

 fish ever taken on the grounds was a pure brook trout, 

 and weighed 31b3. 2dz. Some days' catches I caught on 

 the pages turned, Mr. G. W. Baker, 4 fish, 81bs.; Mr. J. 

 L. Seenie, 15 fish, li}ilbs.; Mr. J. C. ZolhuKer, 15 fish, 

 81bs.: Mr. Frank N. Beebe, 3 fish, 5lb8. 2oz.; Mr. Geo. W. 

 Bills. 27 fish, 14lbs.; Mr. G. W. Oswald, 30 fish, 141b?. 

 12oz.; Mr. J. S. Sweenie, 39 fish, 211bs. 8oz., one fish lib. 

 13+oz.; Mr. C. T. Hasbrouck, 17 fish, Slbs. 8oz.; Mr. B. 

 D. Babcock, 3 fish, 21 bs : Mr. Frank N. Beebe, 21 fish, 

 91bs., one fish. lib. 10 z.; Mr. Jos, IngersoU, 28 fish, lllbs. 

 8oz. ; Mr. N. B. Hasbrouck, 26 fish, 141bs. 6oz. And so 

 forth. Moreover, Jtidge UeWitt, Mr. Zollinger and Andy 

 killed 51 woodcock in one day, 79 in a day and a half. 

 This was last year, up on the willow flat where the new 

 stream is now building. 



All the comforts of home at the Upper Club, and all the 

 courtesies in the world. What men these sportsmen are! 

 They put paper and writer under obligations. And so 

 the visit ended, of a bright and clear morning, leaving 

 unpaid the debt of courtesy to all the following ladies and 

 gentlemen: Mr. J. C. Zollinger, president, Sandiisky, O.; 

 Mr. G. W. Bills, vice-president, Toledo; Mr. A. C. Moss, 

 treasurer, Sandusky; Mr. A. L. Moss, secretary, Sandusky: 

 Messrs. Zollinger, Bills, Moss, F. N, Beebe, Geo. J. John- 

 son, J. S. Sweenie. C. T. Hasbrouck, directors; Messrs. 

 Geo. A. Ingersoll, Richard Bacon. Calvery Morse. Burton 

 D. Babcock, Jas. W, Fenner, Daniel Myers, Lee McBride, 

 C. B. Beach, C. W. Scofield, Gen. F. Elv, John Hunting- 

 ton, A. G. Huntington, :R. A. Carran, H. E. Hill, M. A. 

 Bradley, S. H. Nicholson, M. M. Rodgers, L. C. Carran, 

 Tom L. Johnson, Jas. B. Clyne, Jos, Ingersoll, Clark T. 

 Hasbrouck, N. B. Hasbrouck, John C. Weideman, 

 Georgo J. Johnson, W. Scott Robinson, Thomas H. 

 White, Geo. W. Baker, Henry W. White, Joseph Kilbv, 

 Rollin H. White, Geo. W. Short, Ralph Worthington, J, 

 S. Dickie, Wm. Grief, all of Cleveland; Mrs. John Hunt- 

 ington, Ida R. Baker, Cleveland; Messrs. Jos. M. Spencer, 

 J. W. Oswald. Geo. W. Bills, Chas. W. Raynolds, Clar- 

 ence Brown, John A.. Waite, Geo, E. Pomeroy, John B. 

 Ketcham, all of Toledo; Mr, W. F. Smith, Paynesville; Mr. 

 J. Sweenie, Detroit; Messrs. Theo. Rhoads, Geo. J. Atkin- 

 son and F. N. Beebe, Columbus, O.; Messrs. Jere At- 

 water, Thos. C. Adams and Dr. Wm. Storey, Castalia; 

 Messrs. J. C. Zollinger, Wm. L. Melville, Augustus L, 

 Moss, Edward S. Marsh, Paul Miller, Augustus C. Moss, 

 Adam J. Stoll, John T. Davis, all of Sandusky Messrs. 

 Wm. E. Miller and Fred A. Beckwith, Elyria, O. 



' 'You see that ruined building where the walls are fall- 

 ing down," said Mr. Zollinger as we walked over to the 

 depot to take the train to Sandusky. "It burned down 

 not long ago. The family has moved away. The parents 

 of that family built here in Castalia in earlier days, and 

 they were both massacred by the Indians. This was always 

 a great Indian ground." 



More history, more romance, more change and shift- 

 ing and passing away of the human faces which have 

 been mirrored in Castalia stream since first it flowed, 

 But now, as then, the stream itself flows on, always just 

 so full, just so clear, just so cold, smiling, mocking and 

 mysterious, and whence it comes or whither it goes no 

 #ian can yet say. And if we gaze, face between hands, 

 down into its blue depths we cannot answer that, nor can 

 we answer it if we gaze, faca between hands, up into the 

 blue depths of the sky above. Thus the mystery of the 

 stream is still baffling and unknovm; and of this the 

 stream will talk to itself for ages, and ages and ages, 

 and what new faces will look into it in those days, and 

 what they will see therein, who knows? That is a mystery 

 also for us. But sm-e it is, the stream wUl never turn a 

 wheel- Va done! It is aristocrat, this! Put wheels on 

 it and it will withdraw beneath the ground and tell its 

 story to the earth gnomes, never any more answering to 

 the water witch, witch he never so wisely. E. Hough. 



St. Louis Notes.— May 30.— The Gflead Slough Hunt- 

 ing and Fishing A'isociation has completed its new club 

 house, and to-day the steamer Bald Eigle conveys the 

 members aud their friends to the opening. Some 200 

 members and guests will take in the opening event, and 

 the steamer will return on Monday morning. The com- 

 mittee of arrangements are A. E. Winbelmeyer, Edward 

 Bartold, J. W. Schloemau and D. Delabar. Decoration 

 Diy has become a regular angler's d'ly in this section 

 and large delegations have gone to the various club re- 

 sorts. King's Lake, Gilead Slough and Murdock Lake are 

 the most patronized. Angling in the lakes and sloughs 

 is good now, but in the rivers is poor on account of muddy 

 water . — Aberdeen , 



The Red Letter Event of the Week. 



From "Shoshonf 6." Panguitch, Utab: "I am now receiving the 

 FOHEST AifD Stream regularly, and its arrival is the red-letter 

 event of the week." 



NOTES FROM KENTUCKY. 



TAYLORSVILLE, Ky., May 15— Editor Forest and 

 Stream: I am sorry to say that the great fish pond 

 and game preserve, whose establishment was authorized 

 by charter, has not yet materialized. Senator Gilbert has 

 not given it the attention required, but says he will go to 

 work shortly. Stock in the company would pay a b'g 

 interest, and the improvement would be of great value to 

 the vicinity. Fishing in Salt River is fine. The anglers 

 have been very lucky, and some of the finest bass caught 

 for years have come to creel this spring. There is no 

 shooting here at this season. No game to shoot, and the 

 interest in club shooting seems to be at the lowest ebb. 



If more of the people would read Forest and Stream 

 I am sure a great interest would be manifested in the 

 great pistol contest, but nine-tenths of them are ignorant 

 of the project. 



The Kentucky Fish and Game Club appears to have 

 gone to sleep. I endeavor to arouse an interest in the 

 idea of preserving and restocking wherever I go, but 

 single-hand work is slow, and it maybe a long time before 

 the proper sentiment is awakened. 



A sucker measuring 19in. was caiight lately in Clear 

 Creek, the largest of that kind ever seen in that water. 

 More anon. 



Shepherdsville, Ky., May 20.— The fishing season 

 opened here about the first of this month, with rod and 

 line and trot-line. The catch by trot-line is mostly blue 

 cats; with rod and line the only kinds caught are croppie 

 and small-mouth ba?s. Fishing should have been good, 

 as there was a rainy winter and no ice; but expectation 

 has been disappointed and no great amount has been 

 caught. The only spring game are red and gray squirrels. 

 These are plentiful, but hard to find owing to the density 

 of undergrowth in the woods. 



This county would fm'nish a splendid location for a 

 game and fish preserve. The land is cheap, full of small 

 mountains, and has a covering of young timber and under- 

 growth. Thousands of acres could be leased for a nominal 

 sum, and sufiicient grounds for club buildings bought 

 very low. It is only 20 miles from Louisville, the 

 metropolis, and no more picture? que, pleasant or healthy 

 situation could be found. A preserve of five thousand 

 acres would furnish cover for quail, squirrels, pheasants, 

 grouse and wild turkey, and include several miles of good 

 streams that could soon be filled with bass and trout. 

 There are some turkeys and deer already in the forests. 

 Should any of your readers desire such a preserve let 

 them give this an examination. J. S. M. 



ANGLING NOTES. 



MOST of the salmon anglers left last Friday and Sat- 

 urday for the Canadian waters, word having been 

 received that the salmon had made their appearance in 

 the rivers. All that was wanted was a little rise in the 

 water to send them up to the best pools. Owing to the 

 cold weather the snow has melted very slowly, and there 

 is but little danger of a freshet. 



A salmon weighing lOlbs. 9oz. was caught in the Great 

 South Bay last Thursday, of course in a net. 



There was another run of good-sized salmon in the 

 Penobscot, but most of them fell into the hands of the 

 owners of the great fykes and other nets that obstruct 

 the mouth of that river. 



The day before Decoration Day was rather discourag- 

 ing to the many thousands who left the city on sport 

 intent. But it turned out all right, and the fishing was 

 all the better for it. Most of the clubs w^ere well at- 

 tended, though many of the members of the South Side 

 Chib were either salmon fishing or at Tuxedo. Two gen- 

 tlemen drove over to Lake Ronkokoma from the South 

 Side Sportsmen's Club and returned in the evening with 

 forty-two black bass, all taken on the fly. The trout in 

 the brook at the latter named club are unusually fine this 

 season, averaging from 6i to 71bs. for the twenty-foiu-, 

 and they are perfection on the table. The fly-fishing on 

 their four miles of stream is simply perfection. The cold 

 clear brook runs swiftly under the overhanging trees 

 and bushes, fringed with ferns and wild flowers. The 

 trout are even more brightly colored than the flowers. 

 The ruffed grouse are heard drumming on every side and 

 the quail call in every direction. Hardly a day passes 

 but the angler fishing quietly down the brook sees the 

 graceful deer as they come down to drink. Mr. C. F. 

 Imbrie saw four at once a few days ago. No wonder 

 that the members love their splendid brook fishing. 



The Ontario & Western R. R. have planted one million 

 of fry this season, making in all over six million of young 

 trout turned out during the past ten years, not counting 

 the thousands of lake trotit, rainbow^s, etc. This road has 

 published a charming guide book, beautifully illustrated 

 with views taken on the Beaverkill, Neversink and other 

 famous trout streams. 



Mr. H. E. Jenkins, of this city, showed the writer, a 

 few days ago, a magnificent specimen of "brown trout" 

 which he had killed that morning on a wild stream in 

 Westchester county. It weighed three pounds and some 

 ounces, I have forgotten the exact number, and M.r, Jen- 

 kins says he made a splendid fight, 



Mr. Edw. A. Watson called on me a few days ago, he 

 was on his way to the Cansdian salmon rivers; his home 

 is Nimrod Hall, Va., a place famous for fish and game. 

 Black bass, trout, ruffed grouse and deer abound there, 

 and once in a whUe a black bear can be killed. Nimrod 

 Hall is a great resort for English sportsmen, and is 

 always full to overflowing with guests to delight in that 

 wild mountain scenery. Milboro is the nearest station 

 (seven miles) on the C. & O. R. R. 



Messrs. Grant & Soule, the famous guides and owners 

 of camps on Seven Ponds, Me., write that the fishing is 

 excellent, and there is plenty of waters there not con- 

 trolled by the Megantic Club. This place is noted as 

 being nne of the few places where trout take the fly all 

 summer. This place is reached from Rangeley via Kene- 

 bago Lake. Mr. John W. Mason, 142 Duane street, New 

 York, vouches for the fishing, and as Mr. Mason is an 

 excellent and well-known angler there is nothing more 

 to he said. Prof. Mayer, of Stevens Institute, has also 

 visited thie section, and speaks in thB highest term? of it. 



SciJEq:.ET-]iBrs. 



