Jan. 28, 1892.] 



FORfiST AND STREAM. 



Si 



to lay them, they all being alive, I had to go to tbe solid 

 ground. After stringing and counting them I found 

 there were nineteen— five sunfish and the others all nice 

 bass, none less than a pound. 



Then I waded back to the rock, caught a few more, ate 

 my lnnch, lit a cigar and tried casting again: the inter- 

 vals between rises were longer now. but in the course of 

 an hour T had the creel full again and was weary. The 

 rock I stood on was about half way between tbe shore 

 and Hill Island, the water was not very clear, I could 

 see the rocks on the bottom in a foot of water, but in 

 deeper water the bottom was not visible; but a hungrier 

 lot of fish is seldom to be found. When I quit at 2:80 

 o'clock P.M. there were still tome more bass in that 

 stretch of water and I have no doubt had I remained 

 longer 1 could have caught plenty more. All the time I 

 stood on the rock I could hear hickory nuts falling on 

 the ground, and in tbe water on the main shore I saw 

 a man hunting something in the grass on the shore and 

 wondered what he was seeking, bub after I waded ashore, 

 with my fish I found out that there was a grove of some 

 twenty or thirty hickory trees (shellbarks) standing there 

 and the ground was full. After stringing my fish, and 

 finding I had 25 as pretty bass as any person of moderate 

 desire would care for and 12 large sunfish, every one 

 broader and longer than my hand, I picked up and put 

 in my empty creel about four quarts of the nuts. The 

 boys at home I knew would set more store by them than 

 with the fish, especially as they would be the ones to 

 clean them. I had the fish, however, and the satisfac- 

 tion of knowing that they had been caught legitimately 

 and with a fly, and I was not the only person that after- 

 noon and evening that admired that string of fish. They 

 were a heavy load before I got up to the station. 



When 1 put them on the cars they were all alive except 

 one ham and one sunfish. One of those men who had 

 gone to Goldsboro in the morning and was returning 

 home on the same train hung over those fiah all the way 

 to town, and it took considerable explanation to convince 

 him that they had been taken with the fly. He and his 

 party had caught six. I have been down to that same 

 rock and fished in that same pool three times since; in 



[ November last I took eleven one afternoon, and one morn- 

 ing caught two at a time, and on the first cast, and fished 

 or cast for an hour afterward and could not get a rise. The 

 last time I was there they womd not rise to a fly at all, 

 but 1 tried a lamprey eel and took out three. I have not 



1 caught any fish since, either there or any other place. 

 We are now looking after rods, lines, leaders and flies and 

 getting ready for the opening of the trout season, April 

 15, Good Fnday this year. 



I failed to state that after seeing Horace and explaining 

 where I caught the fish I found that he bad never fished 

 in that pool at any time he was down there, and if I for- 

 got to ask his pardon for making his ear burn I do so now, 

 and take all my loud thoughts back. 



Mrddletown Ferry is a daisy place to catch bass with a 

 fly even if it is late in the autumn, and we will all go there 

 again if we live until the open season comes around, and 

 we will go early and not wait on the snow and frost. 

 H abrisbttrg, Pa„ Jan. 13. RAMBLER. 



THE PRESERVATION OF MINNOWS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



What I have to say can of course, prove of service to 

 none save those anglers who use live bait. Here in our 

 Middle Tennessee streams, fly-fishing is almost unknown. 

 Occasionally a Northern expert will rig a whip of green 

 drake, coachman, and brown-hackle, and spend an entire 

 day in making cunning casts of his alluring bait ; but he 

 never finds the black bass in responsive mood, while his 

 neighbor with a " steel back" minnow at the end of his 

 snood will capture a fine string of small and large mouth 

 base. I say "string,"' for in these waters we do not use 

 the " basket" so common in print. 



We stih hare a few good streams, notably Indian 

 Cr<ek. Horse Creek, Swan Creek, Lick Creek, Buffalo, 

 Tiney, Duck Uiver, Caney Fork, and Elk River. I have 

 spent many a day on the banks of these streams. The 

 Elk, in my judgment, ranks them all. It is a broad, 

 deep, Uvp stream, full of eddies, and with hiding-places 

 galore. At its lowest stage of water you can find holes 

 400yds. , long, 50yds., wide, and 10ft,, deep, where the 

 water rushes like a mill-tail. Again it becomes narrow 

 and comparatively shallow, but is too rocky and to full 

 of deep holes to give the seiner a chance to ply his un- 

 hallowed trade. Our bait par excellance is the minnow. 

 Take one from 3 to 5 inches in length, put him on a 2 0 

 hook, attached to a small dark line, and then, with vour 

 No. 2 Meek reel and 10 oz. rod, cast him about 80yds.. 

 allowing him to drop gently into the deep hole at the up- 

 per end of which you are fishing, and in a few minutes 

 But— 1 dare not begin to describe a battle with a 4lbs. 

 Elk River bass. I have fished in many States, but have 

 never met his ecmal for gameness. I simply wish to say 

 a word on the preservation of minnows. When I can 

 get within a couple of miles of the stream by taking the 

 1 keers' I usually put 800 or 400 minnows in a large tank, 

 made especially for this purpose. I did this on the oth 

 of last October. My friends and I reached our destina- 

 tion about 11 : 00 A. M., on an exceedingly hot day, We 

 were met by a kinsman of mine, one of the oldest and 

 most expert fishermen in this country. All of our min- 

 nows were alive, but tired. We at once carried them to 

 a cold mountain brook, and immersed the tank-shell, 

 Within a few minutes all of them were kicking up their 

 heels in great glee. Half an hour later a motion to start 

 for the river was made, I demurred on the ground that 

 the minnows would die, and insisted that they ought to 

 have a rest of several .hours. The others insisted on 

 going, so we started on our tramp of three miles. My 

 companions took 25 minnows each from the tank, while 

 1 took 20 from a trap that had been put out the night be- 

 fore. Of course the minnows were in constant motion, 

 but, when we reached the river, my friend's minnows 

 were dead, while mine were alive. 'Thev charged that, 

 the minnows in the tank were •' no good," and were bit- 

 ter in their denunciations of the man who caught them, 

 and were troubled at the prospect of having no minnows 

 to fish with during the week following. The 20 minnows 

 in my bucket caught, for us 12tbs. of black bass, and I 

 carried home that nigbt five live minnows, This was 

 Saturday. Each day of the succeeding week, we three 

 took 20 minnows each out of that tank, and at night re- 

 turned the surplus, in all from 13 to 20 minnows daily. 

 One big fellow., whose markings were so distinctive m to 



render him easily recognizable, was carried to the river 

 on Thursday and Friday, and each time was brought 

 back. On Saiurday. our last day, I fished him and 

 caught with him a small mouth black bass that measured 

 27 inches and weighed olbs 3:>z., the largest of his kind 

 I have ever captured in these waters. This by way of 

 parenthesis. But not one of those minnows died. What 

 does this prove? Simply this : After a long trip, either 

 by rail or wagon, give your minnows a few hours of rest 

 before using them. A fews days ago, we tested this rule 

 in receiving a shipment of California trout. We took 

 them from the car, puttliem in fresh water, and allowed 

 them to rest for several hours. They were then put in 

 tanks and carried to different streams, from 4 to 25 miles 

 distant. Five of the 800 bad died before starting, All 

 the rest lived. W. D. Mooney. 



Fkanklin, Tenk., Jan. 13. 



BASS AND BUTTERFLY. 



I WAS fishing for bass one day in a quiet pool on Elk- 

 horn Creek, near Frankfort, Ky,, on the outer rim of 

 what is known as Gnult's Band. A few yards above 

 where I was standing, knee-deep in the water, was a 

 broad shallow, where the current rippled over sunken, 

 and about exposed, recks— before subsiding in the deeper 

 waters of the pool. As 1 drew my bait temptingly across 

 the pool in search of a hungry bass, I noticed a yellow 

 butterfly winging its zig zag flight across the shallow 

 mentioned, and close to the surface of the water, when 

 half way across, a small bass, probably not over a quarter 

 pound weight, suddenly leaped from the water, struck 

 the butterfly with unerring aim, and fell back with a 

 splash in the shallows. The butterfly was hit hard, as 

 it fell deader stunned in the Btream about three feet 

 from where the bass had intercepted its flight, but un- 

 fortunately the [little gladiator failed to recover his 

 prize, as it floated undisturbed down into the pool below. 



Gen. Geo. B Crittenden, of Confederate fame, is the 

 best bass fisherman I ever knew; bis hook and line have 

 tested the fishing qualities of hundreds of streams from 

 the California coast to the River Jordon in Syria; and he 

 once said to me that this same stream of Elkhorn Creek 

 was the best natural bass-producing stream in the world, 

 not the largest of course Full of rocks and rocky ledges, 

 gravel beds, shallows and pools — shaded by forest trees 

 and boarded by grassy banks— well supplied with min- 

 nows and crawfish as food— it has given in the years 

 agone a rich harvest to thousands of Milam reels and as 

 many enthusiastic anglers, But the seiner and dynamiter 

 have sadly marred its glory, and recollection alone warms 

 over the exploits and glorious fights of the days gone by. 

 No big-mouth bass there — no dull, heavy splash and dead 

 weight to pull in — but only the trim, eager, active, gal- 

 lantjand dauntless small-mouth bass— fighting like a hero 

 and game to the last. The Creator made the white man 

 and the Indian— so he made the big mouth and the small- 

 mouth bass — but the one is no more alike than the other 

 in staying qualities. Old Sam. 



Frankfobt, Ky. 



A FISH PRESERVATIVE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I see by your issue of the 14th inst. that Dr. James A. 

 Henshall has gone to Florida for a six weeks' collecting 

 tour, to gather specimens of fishes, etc., for the World's 

 Fair exhibit of the TJ. S. Fish Commission. It may seem 

 very presumptuous on my part to make any suggestions 

 in relation to the preserving of fishes for exhibition, 

 especially so to as high authority as Dr. Henshall; but I 

 will take my chances all the same. I have caught some 

 fish in the last twenty-five or thirty years, and have also 

 some specimens, both dry and wet ; none of them have 

 filled the bill as 1 desire it until within the last two years 

 I struck Piatt's chlorides. The great desideratum in the 

 preservation of anatomical preparations, as well as fishes, 

 reptiles, etc., is to retain the natural colors. After going 

 carefully over the whole field, T have found nothing will 

 do it except Piatt's chlorides. ' I use the preparation with 

 equal parts of pure, soft, clear water. Even the carmine 

 spots of the brook trout are as brilliant as when they 

 come out of tbe water, in short every tint of color is pre- 

 served and the subjects retain their original sbape. Be- 

 fore me stands a j*r containing the head of a 6-lb. wall- 

 eyed pike, caught in Auamt; the peculiar frosted eyes 

 being just the same in appearance as when he came out 

 of the Susquehanna. This specimen was kept in a warm 

 room all the time and was not sealed. A similar jar 

 contains two peaches, one 12, the other lOoz., and a nec- 

 tarine. They also appear as natural and luscious as when 

 taken from the tree last summer. Trusting that some of 

 the numerous readers of the Forest ano Stream, who 

 may desire to preserve some specimens of their catch to 

 delight their friends with, will try Piatt's chlorides and 

 be convinced, I am, as usual, ShoNgo. 

 Lancaster, Pa., Jan. 15. 



SALMON FISHING IN CANADA. 



ANGLING NOTES. 



THE assorted weather which we have lately been ie- 

 ceiviug from the West has started the Florida ang- 

 lers South in goodly numbers, and channel bass and 

 tarpon tackle, has bf en in good demand. Among those 

 who have taken their departure for the "land of flowers," 

 or are about leaving, are the. following gentlemen: H. 

 O'Neill, W. W. Jacobus, W. H. Bremer, A. W. Dimmock, 

 Alfred Roe, Pierre Lorillard, Jr., John G, Hecksher, I.W. 

 Paul and the Rev. Albert Mann, Jr. As usual, Mr. A. W. 

 Dimmock will indulge in that most exciting sport of 

 which he is so fond, that is harpooning the devilfish, 

 sharks and tarpon along the coast. The tarpon will prob- 

 ably not appear in any large numbers until the middle or 

 latter part of February. After that date they will be- 

 come more and more plentiful until the big run in April 

 and May. 



The pickerel fishermen are having great sport fishing 

 through the ice, and if the weather is not too rough, 

 right jolly fun it is. When too cold and windy the holes 

 in the ice" choke up very quickly and interfere with the 

 fishing. A good tire at the edge of tbe ice and a proper 

 quantity of ret reshments for the inner man are necessary, 

 as well as plenty of live minnows. The latter are kept 

 through the winter season in a. cellar or spring house 

 where they cannot freeze. 



Though we are still in the midst of winter, the old 

 trout fishermen are beginning to get uneasy, and at the 

 first signs of the breaking up the annual fever will be 

 sure to show itself— and it is very catching; in fact by the 

 time the peepers are heard on the marshes it assumes the 

 form of an epidemic. The first symptoms show them- 

 selves by the overhauling of rods and fly-books, and tbe 

 talk begins to be of trout and trout streams and kindred 

 subjects. Old fishing clothes and boots are lugged out of 

 the attic, much to the distress of the orderly housewife, 

 who looks upon this sort of thing with marked disfavor 

 and who believes that it is ridiculous to make preparations 

 three months ahead. When tbe fever once sets in nothing 

 will stop it or < fleet a cure excepting the cold application 

 of a good trout brook. In the mean time we must console 

 outselves with dreams of rippling streams among the 

 forest- clad mountains and the hopes of sport to come. 



Scarlet-Ibis. 



DeForest Anglers.— Unlike most conventions, per- 

 fect harmony and unanimity of sentiment characterize 

 the meetings of the DeForest Anglers' Association, whose 

 members indulge in trout fishing as a favorite pastime. 

 The object of the Association is trout fishing and the 

 maintenance of a resort or an outing place for its mem- 

 bers. It has acquired a preserve, one of the most desir- 

 able in the State, near Hawkinsville, Oneida county. 

 The preserve covers 200 acres, and includes three beauti- 

 ful ponds and two brooks. The Association has club 

 houses and boat houses which are equal to any in the 

 State, The preserve is superintended by E. E. Gregory , 

 of Hawkinsville, an experienced hand at the business.' 

 Members of the DeForest Angling Association are care- 

 fully selected and the membership is limited to 45. At 

 present the Association has 42 members. Those who are 

 admitted to membership take especial pleasure and de- 

 light in trout fishing in ponds and streams. New York, 

 Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, Caledonia, LeRoy and Bay- 

 onne, N. J., are represented in the -Association. These 

 officers were reelected : President, G. A. DeForest, of New 

 York ; Vice-President, J. P. Braner, of Buffalo; Secretary, 

 Henry C. Peters, of Syracuse; Treasurer, Charles G. 

 Soldan, of Syracuse. Trustees: James P. Robertson, of 

 New York; George E. Warner, of Mew York; and Henry 

 C. Peters and Charles G. Soldan, of Syracuse. The time 

 and place for the next annual meeting will be determined 

 at a future meeting, subject to the call of the chair. 

 These gentlemen were at the banquet: George A. De- 

 Forest, of New York; J. P. Bronner, W. H, Case, George 

 Stauber, William F. Buyer, Dr. J. S. Smith. William 

 Jaegpr, Peter Hoffman, of Buffalo: James P. Robertson 

 and David J. Keefe, of New York; William L Baumer, 

 Henry C. Peters, Daniel Ackerman, Charles G. Soldam 

 Justin Seubert and Henry Schmeer, of this city ; and R. 

 E, Gregory, of Hawkinsville, the superintendent of the 

 preserve. Among the guests were Benjamin Hull, ex- 

 Police Commissioner Nicholas Latterner, Peter Pfohl and 

 Augustus Bloom, all of Syracuse. — Syracuse Standard. 



The Tarpon Record.— Punta Gorda, Fla., Jan. 24.—- 

 On Saturday last Chas, A. Dean, of Baston, caught in 

 Charlotte Harbor, the largest tarpon ever taken with rod 

 and reel. Its weight was 196ilbs., length 7ft. lin. This 

 makes Mr. Dean's fifth tarpon in ten days. 



Editor Forest and, Stream: 



Did it ever strike any of the sportsmen who periodically 

 ventilate their grievances in Forest and Stream that, 

 in spite of their wails, the Canadian Government has done 

 something to protect their favorite fish? Let them look 

 at tbe record: 



1. The net- fishing season has been reduced by fifteen 

 days. 



2. Tbe weekly close-time, which used to be continuously 

 evaded or disregarded, is now strictly enforced. 



8. The number of stands has been considerably reduced 

 in the estuaries of rivers, such as the Eistigouche, the 

 Nepisiguit, etc. 



4. The length of nets on both sides of Bay des Ohaleurs 

 has been curtailed. 



5. Wherever a vacancy occurs by death or removal 

 the stand is abolished. 



6. The Fisheries Act now prohibits the setting of salmon 

 nets in the non- tidal portions of streams; thus cutting off 

 a large number of nets, on the Miramichi especially. 



Of course, I understand that all the above goes for 

 nothing with a true sportsman, who would only be satis- 

 fied when the last salmon net has disappeared; but is not 

 the Canadian Government entitled to a little credit for it, 

 all the same? PlSCATOR. 



The Velvet TaA/ie of the Monon Route between Chicago and 

 ^iDcinnata offers the best and mast laxntiaas sarrfc-e ohts&tmhlf) 

 between fchase points*— Adv* 



IMPASSABLE FISHWAYS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The extracts from some of the Canadian Fishery officers' 

 recent reports, which you reprod uce in your issue bf the 31st 

 ult., allow me to say, are not only worthless because of the 

 utter want of knowledge of the writers as to the subject 

 upon which tbey undertake to enlishten the public, but on 

 account of political and boodling influences and inspirations 

 are at least 90 per cent, untrue, and about the time I get. 

 through your readers will have some idea of what you have 

 escaped by keeping your inland fishery matters out of the 

 hands of the politicians, and put them in charge of local or 

 State boards of commissioners 



These men trorn whom you quote have had absolutely no 

 experience; their lives have been spent in other pursuits, 

 commercial and political, and they now write these untruth- 

 ful statements to please their master at Ottawa, whose 

 spiteful, vindictive inspirations guide and control the pens 

 of his underlings. The cause of all this is easily explained 

 and fully understood here in Canada, and I may, if driven 

 to do so, explain the whole matter later; but for the sake 

 of my country and the political party I support would 

 sooner not. 



Mr. J. R. Kinney is a nephew of one J. B. Kinney, the 

 man I intrusted with my business and money in construct- 

 ing fishways on the Columbia dam, with what results is 

 well known to the commissioners of that State. 



Inspector Kinney says, "Of all the fishways in this dis- 

 trict, I know of but three or four that are properly cared for. ' * 

 (What does he mean, by this remark? If they were out of 

 order it was his duty to see that they were made right) The 

 three Ot four he admits are iu order are the Rogers patent 



