416 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[June 11, 1891. 



do. I could wish that they had stood on the banks of the 

 Delaware River in 1777, in that bitter night wlien the 

 Commander-in-Chief liad drawn np his little army to 

 cross it, and liad seen the powerful current bearing on- 

 ward the floating masses of ice, which threatened destruc- 

 tion to whomsoever should venture upon its bosom. I 

 wish that when this occurrence threatened to defeat the 

 enterprise, they could have heard that distinguished war- 

 rior demand: 'W]\o will lead us on?' and seen the men of 

 Marblehead, and Marblehead alone, stand forward to lead 

 the army along tJie ])eri]ous path to unfading glories and 

 honors in the achievement of Trenton. There, sir, went 

 the fishermen of Marblehead, alike at home ui)on land or 

 water. Alike ardent, patriotic and unflinching, when- 

 ever they unfurled the flag of the country. 



The privateers of that period were manned mostly by 

 fishermen, and their captures of British merehSntmen 

 undoubtedly had much to do with the conclusion of the 

 war and the establishment of American independence. 

 Sabine remarks that the books of Ijloyd's Coifee House 

 show "that from May, 1776, to February, 1778, the Amer- 

 ican privateers (173 in numiser) made prizes of 733 British 

 vessels, which, with their cargoes, were worth more than 

 $25,000,000, after deducting the valite of the property re- 

 taken and restored. * * * The mercantile interests 

 became at last so clamorous as to render the war unpop- 

 ular, and to embarrass the ministry in their measures to 

 continue it." 



I deem it unnecessary to enter into a fuller discussion of 

 the public services of our fishermen, who, in the second 

 war with Grreat Britain, manned our war ships and 

 swarmed in every sea on privateers, and who at all times, 

 whenev^er the occasion demanded it, have "rallied round 

 the flag" to maintain and uphold it against all aggression. 

 But I will say that this is a matter that shovild not be 

 passed unnoticed, and is one that should prompt us to 

 make an additional effort, if need be, in gathering and 

 placing on exhibition at the World's Fair all that may 

 tend to illustrate every phase and condition of those in- 

 dustries in which we are especially interested, and for the 

 conservation and maintenance of which we are in duty 

 bound to exert ourselves to the utmost of our ability. 



FISH IN MAINE WATERS. 



THE Harry Moore party, already mentioned in the 

 Forest and Stream, is back from Moosehead Lake. 

 The trip was a most successful one, as indeed the trips of 

 this party usually are. There is no use of denying the 

 fact that experience and familiarity with the waters 

 fished has a great deal to do with the success of fisher- 

 men. The party took nearly 300 trout, saving none of 

 less than lib, weight. Mr. J. A. Faulkner, of Lowell, 

 was "high line" of the party, in the way of the heaviest 

 fish caught. He took a lake trout weighing Sl+lbs. The 

 fish measured 34in. length, was lOJin. in depth. Across 

 the tail the measure was lOin. A diagram of the trout 

 was shown on 'Change at the Boston Chamber of Com- 

 merce the day of the return of the party. It was cmious 

 to note the comments of those who saw it, but were not 

 familiar with the possibilities of Moosehead Lake. The 

 diagram was made by laying the trout on paper and 

 drawing aronnd him with a pencil; but the wise ones did 

 not believe that there ever was a trout as large. They 

 nudged one another with the wink that the figure was a 

 put up job. 



Those trout at Swan Lake, Swanville, Me., are attract- 

 ing a good deal of attention. The wonder is that although 

 fishing in the pond has been done for years, and that the 

 lake is within a few miles of the city of Belfast, yet the 

 work of taking of such trout by trolling has \vaited all 

 these years to be initiated in the spring of 1891 by Fish 

 Commissioner H. O. Stanley. It has long been known 

 that these great trout were in the lake, but no one has 

 succeeded in getting them. One was shown at H. C. 

 Litchfield's tackle shop, on Washington street, Boston, 

 the other day. The fish weighed 71bs., was 22in. long and 

 15in. in girth. It was caught by Col. C. B. Hazeltine, of 

 Belfast, s^ho has taken ranch inteiest in these trout. By 

 •Mr. Litchfield the fish was pronounced a sea trout, and 

 the theory is that they come up the river from the salt 

 water, the lake being not far from the influence of tide 

 water. Others declare that they are only perfect brook 

 trout, grown large from the abundance of the feed in the 

 lake. The fish shown at Litchfield's wa,s pronounced a 

 wonderfully handsome trout. A number of sportsmen 

 visiting that lake have taken remarkably fine fish. Col. 

 Hazaltine is determined yet to take them with the fly, 

 and if skill and energy will accomplish such a feat, he 

 will be sure to do it. Mr. Chickey, subscription agent of 

 the Boston Herald, wa.s at Belfast on Saturday, and was 

 shown a trout just brought in from the lake, that weighed 

 Sjlbs. Ml'. Chickey says that they called it a "sea trout," 

 but that he was unable to see any points different from 

 the ordmary brook trout, except that the red spots were 

 less bright, and that the sides were more silvery than the 

 sides of the brook trout usually are. In shape it was a 

 perfect brook trout. 



Fishing in eastern Maine is reported to be remarkably 

 good. Landlocked salmon are being taken from Sebec 

 Lake, near Foxcroft, in great numbers, and they are of 

 good size. The record of last Sunday — those fellows will 

 fish on Sunday, for they say that the fish bite better on 

 that day— -was twenty-eight, the larger running up to 

 the vicinity of a dozen pounds. It is worthy of note that 

 though this lake was formerly stocked with pickerel, and 

 later with black bass, that the salmon seem to be gaining 

 possession, and to be driving the bass and pickerel into 

 the shallow waters near the shores. The lake is well 

 supplied with smelts, after the manner of the Sebago 

 waters, and the salmon are thriving upon them. 



Eeports from the Rangeleys are not of as flattering a 

 nature as on former seasons. The exodus of fishermen 

 to those famous resorts has never been greater, but gen- 

 erally they return rather poorly satisfied . I have seen a 

 number of returned Boston gportsmen, and scarcely one 

 of them pronounces the fishing at the Rangeleys up to 

 former seasons. But few big trout have yet been taken, 

 as compared with former seasons. I hear it suggested on 

 every hand that now that the railroad is about completed 

 "clear to Rangeley," that the fishing will be worse over- 

 done than ever. Raih'oads to the very homes of the trout, 

 with fine hotels and all the comforts'of city life, are not 

 condacive to fine catches of trout. Tom-ists and summer 

 residents may be drawn to the Rangeleys by the railroad, 

 but the sportsmen sigh for the old days when it was a 

 work of hardship to get there; but, oh, the trout that one 



could get! Those days are gone forever. The march of 

 the iron horse has driven the bufiialo into the past, and 

 the result will doubtless be the same with the trout and 

 the deer. 



A party of the members of the Inglewood Club started 

 for the preserves of that club on Wednesday. This is the 

 first full party of sportsmen to these preserves in New 

 Brunswick this season , and they go with great expecta- 

 tions. There is but little chance but what their expecta- 

 tions will be realized, for the club controls some of the 

 finest fishing grounds in the country. The names of the 

 party are: Jerome Hilburn, of GilmanBros. ; Samuel 

 Shaw, of the Murdock Parlor Grate Co. ; E. Noyes AVhit- 

 comb, of Whitcomh & Barleigh; Gen. W. Walker, of 

 Pawtucket, R. I.; E. H. Sampson, paper and twine 

 dealer: J. H. Houston, of the dry goods house of R. H. 

 White & Co.; W. H. Mitchel, banker; Geo. H. Rimback, 

 of Goodwin & Rimback, of the Crawford HouBe; .John 

 W. Wetherbee, lumber dealer; H. P. Brigham, Boston 

 agent of P. Lorillard's tobacco; L. S. Brown, of Blaney, 

 Brown & Co. Mr. Brown has taken a great deal of 

 interest in the Inglewood Club. A slight change in the 

 programme of leaving Boston has been made. The party 

 will all go on Friday, with the exception of Mr. Brown 

 and Mr. Brigham, who left on Wednesday, 



A late dispatch from J, A. French, proprietor of the 

 Union Waterpower's camps at the Upper Dam, Me., says 

 that on Tuesday C. J. Bateman, of Boston, hooked on to 

 what proved to be a landlocked salmon at 7:45 A. M.. but 

 did not land the fish until 8:20. The fish weighed 71bs. 

 and 14oz. It was 29in. long. It was taken on a Leonard 

 8ioz. rod and a Montreal fly, in the pool below the dam, 

 Lewis Chadwick did the netting of the fish. Mr. French 

 adds that the fishing is good. In four days 250 trout have 

 been taken. One weighed 6ilbs. and another 5lbs. Mr. 

 Bateman and Mr. Kelley are among the most successful. 

 They fish with the fly only. Special. 



TROUT AND PICKEREL. 



BROOKLYN, May 30. — The grippe seized me on March 

 28, holding me fast here in Brooklyn for three full 

 weeks, before I could gain strength and joluck enough to 

 get to my home among the hills of H — , Conn., conse- 

 quently like many another I lost my trouting season 

 almost entirely. 



One afternoon Jim was going out to cut the inevitable 

 and annual peabrush and beanpoles, and I mustered cour- 

 age enough to ride out with him, and while he was getting 

 his load 1 wet my line in a convenient brook, taking in 

 about an hour and a half, eighteen small trout; and after 

 giving three to a sick neighbor, the remainder made us 

 a good breakfast the next morning. Jim and I went out 

 once after that, and from the same brook took twenty- 

 eight which gave us two pleasant meals. We threw back 

 into the stream many that would not bear the 6in. law 

 test. The same brook had been fished by several others 

 this season with good success as far as numbers are con- 

 cerned, and I could not help thinking what fine sport this 

 brook would afford if it could only be left unfished for 

 two or three years; and the same would be true of all 

 other streams in that locality. Could this suspension of 

 fishing the streams be accomplished, while I might not 

 "be there to see,'" I should have the satisfaction of know- 

 ing that somebody would have splendid sport. Something 

 has got to be done to protect trout, either by shortening 

 the open season very much, or suspension of fishing for 

 one, two or three years, or else lovers of the sport must 

 content themselves with fingerlings, or in sitting on the 

 fence watching posted-brook fishermen catch trout. I 

 meant to have told you of the big scheme I had for catching 

 pickerel through the ice: and though it is a little "out of 

 season'' now, and besides the scheme did not materialize 

 for reasons hereinafter named, it may amuse you to hear 

 it. During last February I had determined trying the 

 pickerel throug-h the ice, and knowing that minnows or 

 baitfish were diiBcult to procure, I just imagined I could 

 fool the voracious pickerel with spirling otherwise called 

 smelt; so buying ten 2:)0U.nds of the smallest, deadest and 

 hardest frozen smelt in the market I started. The next 

 day, the only one I had to devote to the pickerel , was 

 "colder 'n blue blazes" and I respectfully declined allow- 

 ing the poor pickerel the unheard of privilege of sam- 

 pling smelt on so cold a day. So I divided my ten pounds 

 of smelt among my neighbors, saving enough for my own 

 table, and -thus ended my big echeme on the pickerel. 

 Now, what I want to know is this. Will some fisherman 

 try smelt for pickerel bait next winter, or will every 

 body laugh at my folly? If I am alive next winter 1 shall 

 endeavor to give the pickerel another chance at smelt. 



A. 



AFTER CANADA'S SALMON AND TROUT. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Senator D. M. Read, of Bridgeport, and Mr. and Mrs. 

 Walter Briggs, of the same place, returned here a few 

 days ago from their charming summer headquarters on 

 the Metabetchouan River, a few miles off the line of the 

 Quebec & Lake St. John R. R. They were delighted with 

 their trip and took a very large number of handsome red 

 trout, some exceeding SIbs. in weight. It is the intention 

 of Messrs. Read and Briggs to return to their preserve in 

 the early autumn, accompanied by other members of the 

 Metabetchouan Fishing and Game Club. 



U, S. Consul Ryder, of Quebec, has just made a very 

 large catch, all with the fly, at Cedar Lake, or Kiskisink, 

 which is 135 miles from Quebec. His fish averaged over 

 a pound in weight. 



Other large catches have been made in Lake Edward, 

 the largest lake between Lake St. John and Quebec, 

 which measures over 30 miles in length. Messrs. McCor- 

 mick and Odell, of this city, recently took there, in two 

 days, 60 trout weighing lOOlbs., besides a number of 

 smaller ones. Guests at the hotel on Lake Edward, 

 which adjoins the railway station, are conveyed to their 

 camping or fishing grounds by steam yacht. Members of 

 the Quebec Press Club had good sport early this week 

 and took some heavy fish at the mouth of Rat River on 

 the westerly side of Lake Edward. Recent departures 

 from Quebec to Lake Edward include Messrs. P. J. En- 

 wrightandA. L. Barrows, of Burlinaton, Vt., who left 

 here by train yesterday morning. They are both mem- 

 bers of the Laurentian Fishing Club and have hitherto 

 done most of their Canadian trout fishing in the lake 

 country north of Three Rivers. The well-known author 

 of "Where the Trout Hide," Mr. Kit Clarke, of New 



York, was here a couple of days ago, on his way to his 

 favorite camping ground at Isle Paradise, in Lake Ed- 

 ward, and is accompanied by Mr. Nat Rogers, of New 

 York. The Paradise Fin and Feather Club, of which Mr. 

 Clarke is a prominent member, has a splendid club house 

 on an island in the lake, and Mr. Clarke will probably 

 camp there for two or three weeks and then go to Lake 

 St. John to wrestle again with the gamy ouananiche. 



Messrs. William Lee and D. Rickaby took twelve dozen 

 speckled trout last week in the lakes belonging to the 

 latter mentioned, on the line of the Lake St. John Rail- 

 way, none being under half a pound in weight. Lieut.- 

 Governor Angers has just returned from the lakes of 

 the Laurentide Club with some ninety fish. A 31b. trout 

 was taken last week in one of these lakes. While the 

 lake fishing has been exceptionally good, nothing of any 

 consequence has so far been done in Canadian trout 

 streams, the rivers being still high, and the snow 

 water from the inland woods being still in them. In- 

 dications ai'e that later in the season a number of camp- 

 ing and exploring parties will ai'range for excursions this 

 season through the country north of Lake St. John. 

 A New York gentleman, writing to your correspondent, 

 propases to canoe it up to Ashuapruouchouan for several 

 miles, then, with his Indians, portage or carry his canoe, 

 provisions, etc., into Lac .Jeanne, the source of the Was- 

 siemska, which is one of the southwesterly tributaries of 

 the Mistassini River, and float down these streams into 

 Lake St. John. This trip will occupy about a fortnight. 



Salmon fishermen are rushing to their respective rivers. 

 There are already on the Restigouche, Cornelius J. Yan- 

 derbilt, H. B. Hoiland, Chester Griswold, Billy Florence, 

 Dudley Olcott, Abraham Lansing, Charles Berryman 

 and W. H. Sage of New York, and Messrs. 1. H. Stearns 

 and Ives of Montreal. Henry Hogan of Montreal left 

 to-day for St. Aune des Monts to fish the St. Aune River, 

 and R. G. Dun of New York and Hodges of Boston are on 

 the Natashquan on the north shore. On another north 

 shore river, the Moisie, are Messrs. Amos R. Little, David 

 G. Yates and Edward P. Borden and party of Piiiladel- 

 phia. On their return from their salmon expedition they 

 will iish their trout preserves on the Metabetchouan, prob- 

 ably in August. The Watchichou, on the north shore, 

 will be fished this summer by Mr. L. Pike of New York. 



E. T. D. C'HAIvlBERS. 



Quebec, June 5. 



ANGLING NOTES. 



AN enthusiastic fly-fisherman residing in California 

 writes for information I'egarding the Dolly Yarden 

 {Salvelinus malma,). He complains that they V7ill not 

 rise to the fly, though they take bait very Avell, even the 

 humble "barnyard hackle," generally known as 

 "wums." He is of the opinion that they need educat- 

 ing, and suggests the introduction of a. few of our 

 sprightly Eastern brook trout for comijanions in order 

 that a good example might teach them to appreciate the 

 beauties of the "fluttering fly." 



Many others have made inquiries about these Western 

 trout, and the subject has been pretty Avell discussed, 

 still such matters are always interesting to fishermen, 

 and particularly to those who are about going on West- 

 ern trips. 



I have fished in some of the waters of the far West, 

 and, as far as I could observe, I found three 6X)ecies of the 

 salmon family, the Dolly Varden (Sa/'i-eZmz^s 7naZ//ia), the 

 black-spotted salmon trout (Sahno mykiss), and the rain- 

 bow {Salmo rideus). The natives call these by all sorts of 

 names regardless of rule, and it is impossible when they 

 speak of "mountain trout," or "spotted trout," or "salmon 

 trout," or "brook trout," etc., to knowwhat theymean or 

 what species they refer to. The Dolly Varden is the 

 only true trout or member of the SalveJinuii family 

 found on the Pacific slope, btit its habits resembles the 

 lake trout more than the speckled trout. We could not 

 catch tliem on the fly, though I was told that they did oc- 

 casionally take a bright salmon fly. What few we caught 

 we took by trolling with a mottled pearl bait. It was in 

 the month of September and they were just spawning, so 

 we did not make any great effort to capture them. The 

 largest we killed weighed 9}lbs. 



The rainbows we took were small and did not seem very 

 anxious to make our acquaintance. These fish spawn in 

 the BiH'ing and were as indifferent about our flies as their 

 brethren that have been introduced in our own water's. 

 Tbe Salmo mykisN ov irurpuratus (the black spotted trout) 

 was decidedly superior to the rainbow. Thej^ took the 

 fly boldly, fought bravely and were a fine fish on the 

 table with firm pink flesh. They vary very much in color, 

 and the male and female are so different in appearance 

 that many of the resident fishermen consider them a dif- 

 ferent variety. They are found in all the Western lakes 

 and riv^ers and furnish food and sport to thousands of 

 anglers. 



The quiet colored flies saem to be the favorites, such as 

 the light and dark-coachman, brown-palmer, professor, 

 brown-hen, golden-spinner and cowdung. The addition 

 of jungle-cock shoulders adds to their killing qualities, 

 and the patent fluttering flies are great favorites in the 

 West. The sizes of hooks depend on the waters they are 

 to be used in. the same as in the East, but No. 8 will 

 answer for most localities, 



When first visiting the West the Eastern angler jwill 

 find some difiiculty in hooking these fish, for they show 

 their salmon blood in the manner of taking the fly, audit 

 does not answer to strike them quickly. AH that is neces- 

 sary is to tauten the line as they turn to go down. They are 

 splendid fighters and jump freely, and a 21bs. fish will 

 take off line in a manner that will make the reel buzz. 

 They also spawn in the spring. Why these fish were not 

 introduced on the Atlantic coast, instead of the rainbow, 

 is a mystery that will never be explained. 



Scablet-Ibis. 



Skowhegan, Me., June 9.— Large forest fires are raging in 

 the vicinity of the Upper Enchanted Ponds and on the Par- 

 lin Stream. The region within a radius of thirty miles is 

 completely enveloped in a dense suffiocating cloud of smoke. 

 The extent of tbe fires is unknown, but it is feared that all 

 the dams on the Parlin Stream and the lumber camps there 

 and on the Upper Enchanted will be destroyed. Nothing 

 but rain will keep fires from spreading. 



UNBQUAiiLSD FOR USE IK ALL SiABiiES —The harness dressing 

 prepai'ert by J^rauk Miller & boas is one o£ tbe most desirable 

 articles for livery, express and private stables, for it is simply a 

 finishing dressing and the best ever manufactured.— 



