234 



FOREST AND STREAM, 



[March 17, 1899. 



THROUGH TO TWITCH ELL, 



AFTER about three weeks of rainy weather came a 

 clear day, and after dinner, as I sat in the office of 

 the hotel where I boarded, smoking and wondering if the 

 rain had really ceased, Jim came in and said, "Doc, let's 

 go." I knew this meant fishing, as we had been hoping 

 to take another trip together before I left the town; I 

 answered, "Water is too high," bat Jim argued that we 

 could not leave before the next morning and that it would 

 take all day to "go in," so the water would have two days 

 in which to fall. I said, ''All right, we will go and see 

 the country anyhow." 



The objective point was Stillwater, twenty-nine miles 

 from Lowville, our starting point. That night we got 

 ready and the next morning, May 22, we were up early 

 and almost the first thing we heard was, "You will have 

 to go by way of Dayonsvilb-, as the water is all over the 

 flats:" this made the ride two miles longer, so the driver 

 with his team was on hand at 8 A. M. We were soon 

 aboard with our duffle and the start was made. Even by 

 way of Dayonsville the water was so deep we had to hold 

 our packs on our knees while passing through it. When 

 we entered the woods the road became very rough owing 

 to the recent continued rains. 



The journey progressed without any particular inci- 

 dent until just as we were leaving Al Dunbar's, where we 

 had an errand, when the buckboard gave a terrible lurch, 

 and the driver dryly remarked that "the road right here 

 on Main street is a blamed sight worse than it was back 

 in the woods." As we were iu sight of Fenton'3 place at 

 Number Four, which is usually considered in the woods, 

 the foregoing remark struck us as rather amusing. 



We arrived at Fenton's shortly after 13 o'clock, ate 

 dinner, and at 3 P. M. resumed our journey, arriving at 

 Stillwater at 5:30 P. M, When we went in to supper we 

 found Dr. G., of Lowville, who came in the day previous 

 with his own rig. 



After supper Jim, the driver and I rowed down to the 

 dam, taking one red along; found water about four feet 

 too high for good fishing: our only catch was not a 

 trout. 



After returning to the house we made arrangements 

 for the morrow, which wee 9 based largely on the fact 

 that Jim Dunbar and a guide had that afternoon caught 

 nine trout which weighed Bibs., at and near the mouth of 

 Wolf Creek, while Doctor G., fishing at the dam, caught 

 only one of about Jib. in weight. The evening passed 

 very pleasantly with smoking and chatting, and on 

 retiring the pureness of the atmosphere soon induced a 

 refreshing sleep. 



We breakfasted about seven the next morning, then 

 Jim and I dug some bait, as we did not intend to do 

 much of our fishing with the fly, and perhaps not any. 

 Jim knows this country like a book, having sojourned in 

 this section for a part of the last nine fishing seasons, so 

 we did not need a guide to find the mouth of Wolf Greek. 

 Dr. G. consented to join our party, so we got a boat and 

 started. The high water made the landmarks more dif- 

 ficult to distinguish, but Jim steered us there without 

 any startling breaks, and after traveling for a time we 

 made fast to the branch of a tree, so that the boat would 

 swing into the creek. Dr. G. was the first to get ready, but 

 I followed him a good second and was rewarded almost 

 immediately by a strike which fastened me to a half- 

 pounder. Most of my readers know the rest, the strug- 

 gles and breaks, the dashes and the scoop of the landing 

 net, which lifts the trout from his native element into 

 the boat. 



Dr. G. followed me in the catching as I did him in the 

 getting ready , with one only slightly less in weight than 

 mine, then came Jim's turn with a mate to mine, then 

 we were suddenly called to note the fact that Dr. G. had 

 hooked a big one and we reeled in so he should have- 

 plenty of room to play him. 



Before this I had not noticed the style and material 

 of the rod Dr. G. was using, but when I did I was sur- 

 prised and expressed myself freely of the belief that the 

 trout would smash it. The Doctor was too much inter- 

 ested in the battle to answer me, but I could see that he 

 eased the rod after I spoke on the subject and it was well 

 he did, for it had all the strain it could stand before the 

 landing net was slipped under the pound and a half of 

 gamy trout. 



As the trout was placed in the creel after being merci- 

 fully killed, Dr. G remarked that he "would be satisfied 

 if he did not catch another one that day," but he was not 

 done, and soon added another half-pounder to his catch: 

 then Jim caught one of about the same size. After this 

 there was a decided lull in the biting, but of course not 

 in the fishing. It was quite cool and we were getting 

 hungry and were just casting loose from our moorings 

 when I hooked a quarter-pounder and got him safely into 

 the boat, but he looked so small beside the others that as 

 he was not injured severely I pwt him back for seed. 



We then pulled down to the house, dressed our catch 

 and dined. It rained almost continually during the after- 

 noon, but this did not deter Jim and me from taking a 

 stroll and doing some collecting. We brought in a Black- 

 burnian warbler (female) and some beautiful specimens 

 of mosses and wild flowers. We had left Dr. G. smoking 

 and reading, and found him still at it on our return. Jim 

 prepared the skin of the warbler, then I took the conceit 

 out of him as a quoit pitcher, and after supper had been 

 eaten two of the guides stopping there repeated the dose 

 on Jim and compelled me to swallow a pill of the same 

 description. Then another period of snioliing and yarn 

 spinning, then more of the same refreshing slumber we 

 enjoyed the night bef ore. After breakfast the next morn- 

 ing it was agreed by all that the prospect for fishing in 

 that immediate vicinity looked mighty slim, so Jim got 

 out the camera and shot the house and surrounding 

 scenery. One of the guides, who happened to be in a 

 group,* calls all pictures "scenes," and said to Jim that he 

 "would take a set of them scenes when they was fixed." 

 They are "fixed" now, and one of them — of the house — 

 is before me as I write. Jim and I took another collect- 

 ing stroll, on which Jim found a nest of the hermit thrush, 

 newly built, but no eggs; we marked it and left it. Jim 

 shot another Blackburnian warbler and a black poll 

 (male), the latter a fine specimen and rather rare. 



We had started on our return when Jim spied a hedge- 

 hog. Now, on more than one occasion, these prickly 

 beasts have destroyed camp duffle for Jim, as they have 

 for almost every one who has ever camped many times 

 in the woods, g,nd Jim has acquired that hate for them 

 which i hae© aotfred nearlv every guide or old woods- 

 jM/in ha*. hi; oroi-npUy SJtftrtpd, }'<»>• &jS t m wHb ft elub, 



but the usually slow beast was too quick for him and 

 had got well up a tree when Jim's club came clown on 

 him with such force as to break the club, but the only 

 effect on the hedgehog was to accelerate his pace, so that 

 before Jim could procure another club he was out of 

 reach. Jim then fired No. 8 shot at him with his 

 Stevens collecting gun, which only made him climb the 

 higher. After Jim had fired several shots from various 

 positions, including the top of a tree near the one occu- 

 pied by the beast, without startling effect, we, as a last 

 resort, pulled over a tall, slim sapling and with a pole 

 made from this soon dislodged him and finished him 

 with clubs. I took a few quills as a memento — 1 found 

 them in a box to-day and they lie on the desk— then we 

 dissected him, and after Jim had delivered a speech, 

 showing his uselessnees, we left him to nature's scaven- 

 gers. Dinner was ready on our arrival at the house, and 

 when thft meal had been eaten and the after-dinner pipe 

 lighted, Dr. G., Jim and I went down to the dam by 

 boat and fished, but the water was still too high, Jim, 

 however, being lucky enough to catch one half-pounder 

 above the dam, but the other two rods were entirely un- 

 successful, so we made a carry around the dam' and 

 floated down to the second rapids, fishing the while 

 without a rise. Dr. G. tried the fly_ and I the bait, but 

 Jim caught as much steering with the paddle. The 

 carry around these rapids was under water, but we got 

 ashore and, leaving the boat, floundered through the 

 brush and mire until we were opposite the rapids, when 

 we found the water so high that we could not approach 

 near enough to fish. After this fact became apparent to 

 our minds we floundered back to the boat and 1 took the 

 oars. 



As we came in sight of the dam again we saw T, Miller 

 Eeed, of Lowville, who arrived at Stillwater soon after 

 we left for the dam, standing on a rock amid the rapids; 

 but his hat was not pushed far back on his head, so we 

 knew that his luck, which is usually phenomenal, bad 

 failed him. He is an expert with fly and bait, and usu- 

 ally can catch fish when the best of us fail. 



When we had carried around the dam he came over 

 with his boat, and after we had exchanged some remarks 

 on the high water and consequent poor fishing, he took 

 Dr. G. into his boat and we rowed to camp. As we 

 arrived at the dock two men were unloading two pack 

 baskets full of trout packed in moss, and on inquiry it 

 proved that they had been caught at and near Twitched 

 Lake. We also learned that they were taking them out 

 to sell. As I ascertained later that they were caught 

 legally, I will merely declare myself decidedly opposed 

 to such wholesale destruction of trout by legal or illegal 

 means. 



One of these men owns a camp on Twitched Lake, but 

 how can he hope to secure any patronage from sportsmen 

 when he destroys the attractions in this way. A law 

 can be passed none too soon prohibiting the sale of trout 

 and game. If people want these things they should either 

 go and procure them themselves or pay some poor rela- 

 tion's expenses, and let him bring them out a mess of 

 trout or a quarter of venison. To resume the thread of 

 my narrative, we supped, and then while smoking listened 

 to yarns of which none were more spicy or better told 

 than Miller Reed's. After we had talked out and smoked 

 out we retired to dream of the big ones we had not caught. 

 Next day was Sunday, and according to habit we all slept 

 later than usual, but when we did arise we were greeted 

 by a bright day cooled by a breeze fragrant with the scent 

 of the woods. 



Jim and I thought of going to Smith's Lake but gave it 

 up, why, I do not exactly know, and after breakfast Jim 

 proposed going to take a look at the thrushes nest he had 

 found on our last stroll, in the hope of securing some 

 eggs. I declined to go from sheer laziness, and Miller 

 Reed offered to take my place. While Jim was waiting 

 for him to change his footgear "High" Burke and his son 

 Will came out and announced their intention of starting 

 for Twitched Lake for the purpose of painting a couple 

 of boats "High," who is a guide, keeps there. 



Will, not knowing that Jim and I came in together, 

 asked Jim to go with them. Jim told him he did not 

 wish to leave me alone, and asked if there was any ob- 

 jection to my going too, if I would. Will said there 

 would not be. So Jim put the question to me, warning 

 me that there was a seven mile carry. I made a few in- 

 quiries and said I would go, as I found there would not 

 be anything to carry but our rods and rubber coats, 

 "High" having blankets and grub enough over there. 

 We hastily got our rods, coats, a tin cup and some lunch, 

 which Mrs. Dunbar put up for us in a six-quart pail that 

 her husband said "High" must bring back full of trout 

 for the use of it. "High" and Will took their lightest 

 boat, which only weighs about 35lbs., and Jim and I took 

 one about twice as heavy and forty times more cranky, 

 but easy to row. 



The wind had freshened and was strong enough to 

 make the waves uncomfortably high if one wanted to 

 keep his duffle dry, but as we were going it a la "Ness- 

 muk," i. e., very light, we did not mind the water that 

 came in. Jim had. the oars and I paddled and tried to 

 steer; I say tried to, because our boat sat very low in the 

 water and steered like a log ; when you wished to make a 

 turn she refused, but when, after some persuasion with 

 paddle and oar, she did turn, there was no stopping her 

 until she was too far that way. Now any one who has 

 been up the Beaver River from Stillwater to South 

 Branch will appreciate the trouble we had with that 

 boat, as there is not ten rods of straightaway rowing; it 

 is all turns and at one place you come back within two 

 rods of the same spruce tree three times after having 

 gone two or three hundred yards each time. The fore- 

 going may be easier to believe when I state that it is 

 twenty miles by water and only seven by road. 



When we arrived at the trad to Big Burnt Lake, half 

 way to South Branch, we went ashore, emptied the water 

 out of the boat, stretched ourselves and lightpd our pipes; 

 then I took the oars while Jim paddled and used strong 

 language. From here to South Branch the current was 

 very swift and strong, due to the high water. I objected 

 very much to rowing around all the curves when 1 could 

 look through the bushes and see the river only a rod or 

 so away, while to follow the bed of the river I would 

 have to row two or three hundred yards at times to get to 

 the place I could see. The unusually high water made 

 me think I could make some cutoffs that would save 

 work, so at the next favorable opportunity I went through 

 the bushes successfully; not so'tho next time, however, 

 for I gpt -tiu-k, the parlockn gfcuyk out from the flunwjile * 



about 4in., like Bhort outriggers, and caught on the 

 bushes, so that progress was very difficult, and just as we 

 were emerging on the other side one of the oarlocks gave 

 way, but luckily it broke the bolt furthest forward, so by 

 being careful it only gave us a moderate amount of 

 trouble. The other boat pas3ed us here, having gone 

 around while we were getting through. This ended the 

 cutoff business for us, and we arrived at South Branch 

 about noon, left out boats and went over to Harris's camp 

 to eat our lunch. Osceola. 



[TO BE CONTINUED.] 



ANGLING NOTES. 



r PHE variety of snells used for tarpon fishing is without 

 X number. From the time Mr. Wood first used the 

 chain snell innumerable changes have been made and 

 many experiments have been tried. The chain snell was 

 very expensive, costing about $2 each, and liable to be 

 carried away by sharks. The great thing is to have a 

 snell that the tarpon cannot grind off, and that the sharks 

 can cut without carrying off several hundred feet of line. 

 Porpoise hide, piano wire, braided cotton, braided linen, 

 etc., have all been used with more or less success, and at 

 last the tarpon fishermen seem to have settled on either 

 of the following two snell*: One is made of braided 

 linen, fastened to a 100 bronzed O'Shaughnessy 

 hook. The linen is protected by a winding of copper 

 wire starting about Sin. above the hook. The tarpon, as 

 most anglers know, are allowed to swallow the hook 

 before striking, so that the unprotected part is inside of 

 their gullet; while if a shark takes hold their sharp 

 teeth soon part the linen snell close to the hook. This id 

 the favorite snell of such auglers as Dr. Gryrnes, Mr. 

 Prime and other veterans. The other is very similar, 

 and consists of the same hook with 6in. of braided linen 

 snell (for the shark's convenience), ending with jointed 

 piano wire, say about four links of Sin. each, ending like 

 the first, with a 4-0 brass swivel. This is the favorite 

 snell of Mr. Rutherford Stuyvesant. 



The grouper is one of the favorite Southern fishes, and 

 requires strong tackle to manage. Tbey live near the 

 bottom and prefer rocky ground. As soon as one is 

 hooked, it darts for a hole in the rocks and too often, un- 

 fortunately, succeeds in "getting there" and cutting the 

 line against the sharp edges. To be at all successful with 

 them one must put a sudden and steady pressure on the 

 moment they bite. In fishing for these fish it is necessary 

 to keep still in the boat. You can talk and laugh all 

 that you want to, but any noise 6uch as moving one's 

 feet or dropping anything will stop them from biting at 

 once. This also applies to pompano, and in fact to all 

 kinds of bottom fishing from a boat. 



Of all cool things, Mr. Plumley's proposition to petition 

 the Legislature to restore to the farmers of Neversink 

 Valley their right to fish in the private waters of the 

 west branch is the coolest on record — the aforesaid farmers 

 having sold the land and stream for a good round sum to 

 the present owners, who bought and stocked the waters 

 which had been fished out by visitors, who were in the 

 habit of taking from 100 to 200 trout a day, and keeping 

 all, big and little. 



I feel as sore as any one at being deprived from fishing 

 in that part of the stream, but must recognize the right 

 of people to enjoy what they can afford to pay for. What 

 is the matter with the east branch? That used to be con- 

 sidered the better stream. That is fre« from one end to 

 the other. I will give the answer. The east branch of 

 the Neversink is fished out. The upper waters of the 

 west branch being closed to the public has resulted in in- 

 creasing the stock of fish in the main stream below 

 Clary ville, and last year the fishing was better than it had 

 been in several seasons. 



It seems strange that it is so hard for people to rec- 

 ognize the fact that the supply of trout fishing no longer 

 is equal to the demand. Consequently it is getting 

 harder to find every season. The few open waters are 

 over crowded, and the natural result is that those who 

 own trout waters sell them to the highest bidder. It 

 costs money to go trouting nowadays, either one must 

 buy his fishing near by or else pay for ic in railroad fares 

 and loss of time at a distance, but in any case, to most 

 of us it is an expensive pleasure, and more is the pity. 



Mr. Plumiey goes on to state that for many years the 

 Neversink was stocked by the State. In the first place 

 that has nothing to do with the question, and in tbe 

 second place, "I have my doubts." Mr. Seth Green took 

 thousands of small trout out of the west branch to stock 

 other waters, but I never heard of his putting any in. 

 Many of the anglers, including myself, contributed to- 

 ward stocking the Neversink with California trout, and I 

 was one of five who turned in 500 large trout which we 

 bought of Mr. Annin (near Rochester), and which were 

 turned into the upper waters of the west branch. None 

 of us claim the right to fish on that account, however. 



So I think Mr, Plumiey might as well drop that non- 

 sense, and admit that if a man can afford to buy a good 

 segar he has a right to smoke it. Scarlet -Ibis. 



Alder Lake. — Rondout, N. Y., March 11. — A deed 

 was placed on record in the Ulster county clerk's office 

 to-day by Dr. George C. Smith and wife, who convey to 

 the Alder Lake Club 584 acres of land in the town of 

 Hardenburg. The club's members will build cottages by 

 the lake and will have their families there in summer 

 and entertain their friends. Over 175,000 trout were 

 hatched in Alder Lake last fall. The trout are lively and 

 are just beginning to relish bits of liver. — New York 

 Times. 



Halifax River Channel Bass.— In his "Angling 

 Annals." in the "Boyhood Number" of Forest and 

 Si ream, our correspondent "S. C. C." ^was credited by 

 tbe tvpes with having taken a 25lb. channel bass in the 

 Halifax River, Fla., in 1872. As Mr. Clarke was at that 

 time high-hook for bass taken with rod and reel, the 

 record is worth making correct, the weight should have 

 read 3?lbs. 



Playing a Tarpon.— S. J. Ryan, of Appleton, Wis., 

 while fishing at Fort Myers, Fla., hooked a tarpon at 

 3 o'clock in the afternoon and brought ittogaff by moon- 

 light at 6;2Q, The monster even then had enough vim 

 left, after coming into tbe boat, to knock down Mr. Ryan 

 and the fisherman, The fish weighed LiOlbR. rind was 



