March U, 189*. j 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



27B 



Mr. Ecjbank Finds Plenty ov OaMe.— Jas. T. Eubank 

 living in Middle Park, lias just passed through an awful 

 experience. His house is far removed from his neighbors, 

 and last Monday uight, while alone in his cabin, he was 

 awakened from his sleep by howling noises and scratch- 

 ing at his door. Looking through his one small window 

 he saw many different animals prowling around in the 

 snow. He lost no time in securely barring the door, and 

 getting his Winchester rifle, awaited developments. All 

 nigbt long he stood guard, listening to the roaring of 

 three large mountain lions that had taken up their 

 quarters on top of his cabin, apparently hugging the huge 

 chimney for warmth, while other animals were walking 

 and snarling around the house. At daylight Mr. Eubank 

 proceeded to make a sortie upon his uninvited guests, 

 but found himself cut off at the first step, for on opening 

 his door a small distance he found a large grizzly had 

 taken possession of his doorstep, while two others, almost 

 as large, were clamoring for the same warm position. 

 From his single cabin window all he could see was hi? 

 . barnyard. The two milch cows he had put in his small 

 log barn the night before were walking around the yard 

 to keep from freezing, while the barn itself contained a 

 herd of elk that had driven the cows out. All day Mr. 

 Eubank sat waiting for his animal neighbors to return 

 to their mountain homes, but they had come to stay, at 

 least until the weather moderated. Occasionally an elk 

 would venture outside of the barn and make for the hay- 

 stack in the yard. As soon as one of these showed itself 

 outside of the barn Mr. Eubank would send a ball through 

 its head, and in a moment there would be a scramble be- 

 tween the bears, wolves and other animals for its carcass, 

 which would be consumed or carried off in a moment's 

 time. Just how many wild animals had taken shelter 

 with him he could not say, but he says he killed at least 

 half-dozen elk, and their carcasses were consumed with 

 the same rapidity that the first was. On Tuesday morn- 

 ing the sun came out bright, and as the weather moder- 

 ated the growling and pawing around his house became 

 less. Finally when Mr. Eubank did venture out, all he 

 found was one crippled bear, a broken-legged elk, and a 

 few wounded wolves that he had hit with stray shot 

 while shooting at the elk. Mr. Eubank is thankful for 

 his escape from injury from the animals, but it seems 

 they were too daztd by the intense cold to do anything 

 but try to keep warm.— Standard Sjiringa, (Col.) Inter- 

 Mountain. 



"Hoodlums" Again. — I note Mr. Flower's criticism on 

 my comments on "Hoodlums," and beg him not to mate 

 the mistake of supposing that my experience is any more 

 limited than his own, or is confined to New Hampshire. 

 I have lived pretty much all over New Eogland, and 

 traveled pretty widely, east of the Mississippi, to say 

 nothing of having seen quite a slice of Europe. I know 

 something of Maine as well as himself, and know that 

 there are plenty of good fellows there in the camps, and I 

 also know thac there are some blackguards among the 

 city visitors, but they were not the men who killed the 

 warden down in Aroostook, or tore down the weirs at 

 Sebago Lake. These native poachers get not only "their 

 Bhare of the game," but destroy wilfully a good deal 

 more. 1 have been talking of sportsmen, not "sports," 

 when I spoke of visitors, and there is a difference. I am 

 not likely to change my views or go over to anybody's 

 "side of the fence" now. After half a century and more of 

 enjoyment by flood and field, the few years that are left 

 me are not likely to ripen my observation or mature my 

 judgment. When a man is closing in rapidly on his 

 allotted "three score and ten" he does not of ten change 

 his opinions materially unless the "new light" is very 

 strong and the new proof very convincing. — Von W. 



The Lake View Association.— Topeka, Kan., March 

 16. — The Lake View Shooting and Fishing Association, of 

 Topeka and Lawrence, Kansas, filed its charter yesterday, 

 arid the directors held their first meeting last night, when 

 the following officers were elected: President, J. C. Ciark, 

 Topeka; Vice-President, Wm. Bronielsick, Lawrence; 

 Secretary, W. S. Metcalf, Lawrence; Treasurer, A. B. He 

 Bost, Topeka. The capital stock of the association is 

 owned in Topeka and Lawrence and the property owned 

 is a black bass lake located between the two cities. Tnis 

 lake will be stocked with lake trout, if possible, and will 

 be planted with wild rice and celery for the benefit of the 

 ducks which formerly swarmed here, and which it is 

 hoped will return when the shooting is properly restricted. 

 This lake has been one of the best duck grounds in Kansas, 

 but the ducks have been driven off by market-hunters and 

 that class of so called sportsmen who shoot at everything 

 in sight, in the hope of killing once in twenty-five shots, 

 and who will shoot just as late as they can catch a glimpse 

 of a wing in the darkness. The lake will be policed at 

 once, and a club house and other improvements put in so 

 as to be ready for the fishing season.— E. E. 



Sportsmen's Association of Cheat Mountain. — 

 The fishing and shooting during the past season was bet- 

 ter than ever before, and most of those who visited the 

 preserve were successful. There is now good prospect of 

 having a bridle road made from Winchester bridge to 

 the upper end of the this now trackless and almost im- 

 penetrable forest. The association is financially in good 

 condition, and is in other respects a great success. The 

 club house was crowded to more than its real capacity 

 last season.— Deacon. 



Spring Shooting.— On March 9, on the south side of 

 Long Island, A mityville, I killed ten broadbills, on in- 

 vestigation two were cocks and eight were hens. After 

 close inspection it was found that seven of the hens con- 

 tained eggs, six of the seven were impregnated, showing 

 conclusively that the birds had recently mated, and 

 should not be killed after the first of March.— Ezekil. 



Words of Appreciation. 



That admirable weekly journal, Forest and Stream, has been 

 enlarged. It appeared as full of diverse and interesting sporting 

 subjects— that is genuine, generally guileless sport, such, as shoot- 

 ing, angliug, canoeing, yachting, dog fancying and breeding— as 

 was possible before the increase in siza, but now it is brimming 

 over, and without any addition to price, too.— Toronto Empire. 



Another year of the late progressiveuess and the Forest and 

 Stream will be out of sight— which means, I believe, in more cul- 

 tured vernacular, that it will have a cinch on the hull shootin' 

 match.— Art tn Advertising. 



\m xqd §wqr fishing. 



Angling Talks. By George Dawson. Price 50 cents. Fly- 

 Rods and Fly-Tackle. By H. P. Wells, Price $3.50. Fly- 

 Fishing and Fly-Making for Trout. By J. H. Keeiie. 

 Price §1.50. American Angler's Book. By Thud. Norris. 

 Price $5.50. 



The full texts of the game fish laws of all the States, 

 Territories and British Provinces are given in the J3oo/c of 

 the Game Laws. 



THE HISTORY OF A DECOY FISH. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Did you ever fish through the ice with a decoy fish? . 

 do not mean as the Indians do, down on your knees on 

 the edge of a hole in the ice with your nose within a few 

 inches of the water and three or four thicknesses of an 

 old mackinaw blanket over you to shut out the light, 

 and then in that position play the fish with one hand and 

 hold the gaff in the other until you get so stiff and cold 

 that when you want to gaff a fish you can hardly use a 

 muscle; but rather with a well constructed fish box and 

 a spring spear such as were often used thirty or forty 

 years ago before their use was generally prohibited? If 

 not, you have missed an experience not only charming in 

 itself, but intensely instructive as to the habits of fish. 

 Let me give you* a little experience of my own in the 

 days "long gone by." 



During the fall of 1856 and early winter following, I 

 happened to be in Fon-du-Lac, Wis., and at that time 

 there were many Indians still living in the neighborhood. 

 The lakes and ponds abounded in pike and perch, and 

 during every winter the Indians were constantlv fishing 

 through the ice with their decoy fishes and gaffs in the 

 manner described above. These decoys were whittled 

 out of a pine stick, so as to resemble in shape a fish about 

 six or seven inches in length; the wood was then stained 

 a dark color, a few places were then scraped or chipped 

 so as to give the fish a mottled appearance, a couple of 

 pieces of tin stuck in each side answered for fins, and a 

 groove was made in the fore part of the belly and filled 

 with lead, which was kept bright. With a string in the 

 head the fish could be jerked to the surface of the water, 

 and the lead would carry it down head first when the 

 string was slackened, and so a very natural motion could 

 be given to it. What was most remarkable was the fact 

 that the lees the decoy fish resembled a real one, within 

 reasonable bounds of course, the more successful it seemed 

 to be. 



Some two or three years previously an old Indian had 

 whittled out a fish which soon had 

 the reputation of being the most 

 killing and successful decoy ever 

 made in that vicinity, so success- 

 ful, in fact, that for a long time 

 he refused to sell it on any terms, 

 but at last a friend of mine 

 through the offer of a considerable 

 sum, tempted its owner to part 

 with it and became its possessor. 

 When the Legislature of Wiscon- 

 sin soon after prohibited the use 

 of such fish, it was sent to me as a 

 souvenir of my trip. The record 



Ij . of one day's sport will show the 

 naian. killing qualities of this fish. On 

 one morning in December, 1856, I 

 «-rc. visited with a companion, Lake 

 Horicon, a lake some fifteen miles 

 long situated a few miles distant, 

 for a day's sport at catching pike. 

 We cut a hole in the ice nearly four feet in diameter^ and 

 over it placed our fishing box with the open side down. 

 This box was 4ft. square, lined with heavy paper to ex- 

 clude the light; we entered through a door in the side 

 which was fastened with an inside button and sat opposite 

 each other, each resting his feet on the ends of the narrow 

 boat occupied by the other; our spring spear had a handle 

 some 15ft. in length which passed through a hole iu the 

 center of the top of the box. The decoy fish was played 

 with the left hand and the spear held in the right. The 

 water wa^ about 10ft. deep, and the light shone so clearly 

 through the ice that everything in the water, even to the 

 smallest fish, could be seen with perfect distinctness. 



In four hour.* we took twenty-one pike, which weighed 

 a little over 701bs., and we took every pike that came 

 within sight except one small one. As I sat looking 

 under the ice I saw a large pike chasing a small one, 

 which darted across the hole, but as soon as his pursuer 

 saw the decoy fish it ceased the chase and turned around 

 and seized it with such force that he came partly out of 

 the water right between our feet, and I speared him in 

 the head above the water with the decoy fish in his mouth 

 His weight was over 5lbs. 



During all this time two Indians were fishing for pike 

 only a few feet distant and on equally good grounds, and 

 together they took just two fish, their decoys failing to 

 attract the fish. 



The box, which to the fish appeared like a dark spot 

 on the ice, afforded an elegant opportunity to observe 

 the habits of the pike in taking its food. Once on this 

 day a large pike missed the decoy and he came with such 

 force that he went perhaps 20ft. beyond us, but he turned 

 and came back slowly near the bottom and stopped right 

 under the decoy fish and then began to rise very slowly 

 toward it, but he was speared in deep water before he 

 had a chance to make a second rush. Usually, however, 

 the fish would approach cautiously until near the decoy 

 and then make a sudden dash for it. 



On Lake Winnebago, where we usually had good suc- 

 cess, my companion and I both took yellow perch quite 

 freely and they manifested none of the caution ot the 

 pike, but the black bass which abounded in that lake 

 never came near enough to be taken: curiosity sometimes 

 led very large ones to approach within sight, but they 

 always kept close to the bottom and soon slowly swam 

 away. 



I have never been able to reconcile the results of my 

 fishing with this decoy fish with the theory of many 

 anglers for trout, that the more closely we can imitate 

 the flies which then abound upon a stream or lake, the 

 more sure we will be of sport, as in my experience the 

 reverse is very often the case. 



Li 



I have often observed that when I have been using a 

 certain fly with success, the same fly has suddenly made 

 its appea,rance in large numbers on the water, and that 

 immediately my sport almost wholly ceased for the simple 

 reason that my fly then constituted but one of say 10,000 

 of the same kind; and I. therefore, had but one chance in 

 10,000 that mine would be taken, which was. of course, 

 relatively diminished by the artificial character of the 

 fly. May it not be so with a decoy fish or artificial min- 

 now ? The closer the imitation the more we put it in com- 

 petition with the natural fisb, while if we use one which 

 will attract although it is different from the fish inhabit- 

 ing- the same waters, may it not prove to be very success- 

 ful? 



With this article I send to you for your inspection this 

 old relic of past sport, although I fear it will sorely test 

 your faith in the veracity of your correspondent. 

 Pough keeps ce, N. Y., March 9. V. C. 



TROUT AND WORM. 



T~\ UKING a camping trip last spring in Potter county, 

 YJ Pa., on that famous stream known as Cross Fork, 

 I had an experience with the wily brook trout that re- 

 vealed, to me at least, a new trait in their character. 

 Leaving camp one fine morning I determined to have 

 some high sport fly-casting. The morning was bright 

 and cloudless, and as the previous five days of our stay 

 had been likewise fine and dry, I found the stream very 

 near low water mark, but felt confident that if I could 

 keep at a sufficient distance from the pools, say 45 or 50 

 feet, I could fool the sly fellows into taking my flies. 



Noon found me seated on a log near a most beautiful 

 pool, sad and hungry, and as I believe, with the conceit 

 thoroughly taken out of me. One lone little trout lay 

 parched and dried in my basket. As I sat and gazed at 

 it and thought of the five hours' hard work it had co3t 

 me, it occurred to me that my partner, who had gone up 

 stream, was fishing with bait. In all probability he had 

 been successful; why not? It very often happens that 

 when fly-fishing is a failure bait-fishing is a success. It 

 was probable that at this very moment he sat munching 

 his cold ham and bread, gazing into a basket well filled 

 with fine, large fish. Yes, I can fairly see them, some 

 still gasping and giving an occasional flap of the tail. 



After some consideration I untie my flies and tie on a 

 sproat; having threaded on a fair-sized worm I leave 

 my lunch on the log and steal cautiously forward. Until 

 now I have not approached near the pool, and as I do so 

 I behold a sight that makes my heart stand still. There 

 before my very eyes are twenty or thirty of the largest 

 trout I had ever seen in a wild stream. I stood tor a 

 moment, my rod trembling and shaking as if I were 

 afflicted wtth palsy, considering what I had better do. 

 The stream was well shaded at this point with dog brush. 

 I finally decided to push forward a few paces further and 

 then attempt a "reach" from behind an old beech stand- 

 ing close to the water's edge and leaning slightly forward 

 over the pool. What a delightful pool that was. Some 

 time in the remote past a gigantic pine had succumbed to 

 the rage of the storm and had fallen prostrate over the 

 stream, forming a fall about three feet high. On account 

 of low water, there was but little flow over the log, the 

 stream principally finding its way tlirough the dam. ~ The 

 pool, or rather pond, below us clear as crystal, the pebbles 

 and twigs on its bottom being as plainly discernible as if 

 on land. But as may be guessed, these were not what 

 rivetted my gaze. With great care I crept forward and 

 stationed myself behind the beech. After a mement's 

 pause I ventured a cautious peep. 



There they lay peacefully tanning themselves with 

 their fins. Now was my time! Very carefully I lowered 

 my rod until the hook was within an inch or two of the 

 surface of the water, holding it there a moment to note 

 the effect. But as there came no sign of their having 

 seen the tempting bait, I allowed it to sink gently into 

 the water. Down, down, it went, until directly over and 

 within an inch or two of one of the largest trout in sight. 

 Now came another painful pause. I had done my part, 

 made all the advances I could, all there was left for me 

 to do was to stand and patiently await developments. At 

 last, after what seemed an age, the trout, over which 

 my hook was hanging, began to slowly move backward, 

 stepping when about 3ft. from the bait. My heart sank, 

 only to rebound, when, an instant later, I beheld him 

 advance, open his ponderous mouth and leisurely suck 

 in the worm. In an instant it was out of sight and I 

 struck. After a few minutes' struggle I landed him and 

 had the extreme satisfaction of feeling him flop in my 

 basket. I repeated this performance three times, each 

 time taking a large trout. After waiting from fifteen to 

 twenty minutes each time they would come out; the fourth 

 time they came out as before, but would take no notice 

 of the bait. 



I spent the balance of the day further down stream and 

 in much the same way as described above, and took 

 about thirty more, mostly large ones. It was with a 

 proud heart that I found my way out to the road that 

 evening and plodded slowly campward. 



Contrary to my expectations, 1 found on reaching camp 

 that my partner had met with very poor success. After 

 supper, as we sat smoking and discussing our day's expe- 

 rience, an old settler stepped from the fast growing gloom 

 into the circle of light made by our camp-tire. 



"How d' you do, boys?" said he; "what luck to-daj?" 



"As for me," replied my partner, "luck has been against 

 me to-day. Only got a few small ones, but my partner 

 here peems to have had some good sport." 



On seeing my catch the old gentleman said, "Wall, yes, 

 you must 'ave 'ad some fun a-takin' some of them felleis, 

 but I wouldn't give much fer them leetle ones. I alars 

 throw 'em back, consideiin' as how it's more fun to ketch 

 'em w'en they's grow'd up." 



Upon saying this our rustic visitor opened his basket 

 and displayed forty or fifty trout, ranging, I should 

 judge, from 9 to I2in. in length. We gazed in astonish- 

 ment. "There's one thing," the old man went on, "thet 

 some folks don't know concernin' trout fishin' in low 

 water. Now, I've saw fellers afore now git right into a 

 stream when the water wus low an' clear, as it is to- 

 day, an' run out six er eight feet o' line an' tish like as 

 though they wus a-hoein' corn ; but I never know 'd 'em to 

 have any luck worth mentionen. I'll tell you, boys, the 

 only way to fisb w'en the water's low an' clear is to git 



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