FOREST AND STREAM. 



IMarch 24, 1892. 



BELLE'S PICKEREL. 



THE wind blew very hard from the north all the day 

 before and was blowing nearly as hard from the 

 south. Shortly after dinner Charley Sumner, who was 

 tenting across the driveway from Rushrnore, said to me, 

 ' I think this wind will drive the fish in out of the deep 

 ■water, and my friend and I are going to try them." In a 

 short time they were off and trolling faithfully between 

 Gardner's Island and the south shore. I tinkered around 

 camp as usual, not failing to notice how persistently they 

 kept at work, and finally told Belle we would go out and 

 try to beat the camp record, 5-Jrlbs. "We rowed up and 

 down by the big patch of weeds, first getting a little 

 fellow of a quarter- pound, which was allowed to shake off, 

 then one a trifle larger and one of 2+lbs. After this we 

 rowed for some time without a strike, and had just turned 

 to go up on the south side of the island when Belle said, 

 "Hold on, papa, I'm hooked!'' Telling her to take in the 

 slack, I commenced to back up, to loosen the spoon, when 

 the imaginary snag commenced to stir around and pulled 

 her arm clear out over the end of the boat. "Hold him 

 tight till I get the boat off the shore! ' I shouted; then, 

 getting out in deeper water, took the line from her hands. 



The boys had lost two spoons and pieces of line trying 

 to pull in some of these big fellows by main force, so I 

 took my time with this fish. "Ain't he a whooper, papa! 

 he'll beat the record; don't let him get away! There he 

 goes! My! can't he swim fast!" As the fish darted off 

 about 20ft., the line sissing through the water as if it were 

 red hot. 



So busy was I with the fish, I had not noticed that we 

 were fast drifting on the rocks that make up from the end 

 of the reef east of the island, but my ear caught the 

 swash of the seas. "This won't do, for to go on there 

 means a capsize. Grab the paddle, quick, Balle, and work 

 her off!" 



"All right, papa, I'll try;" and with red cheeks and 

 eyes ablaze with excitement she took the stick in her 

 little hands and slowly, foot by foot, worked us erf into 

 an even fighting ground. Two more rushes, a little sulk- 

 ing, then another little rush or two and old green Jack 

 came up to the top on his side; drawing him alongside 

 the boat I inserted my thumb and finger in his eyes and 

 slid him into the boat. 



"Quick, Belie, the paddy stick," and giving him a few 

 sharp raps between the eyes he lay in the bottom of the 

 boat dead. Then I hollered, then Belle hollered, then we 

 both hollered, and for a few minutes we thought we 

 owned Lake Cham plain and the Green Mountains be- 

 sides, while it seemed as if the man of 35 and little girl 

 of 9 were both boys together. Once more we took up 

 our old course and had almost despaired of another strike 

 when she had a desperate tug on her line in about the 

 same spot, and the way that fish acted left no doubt as 

 to his being no snag. 



"Hold him steady, little girl, and I will work the boat 

 through the passage between the island and the rocks." 



When this was accomplished she had the fish nearly 

 up to the boat and we saw him to be fully as large as 

 the first. Taking the line from her tired hand I was hav- 

 ing fine sport playing him, and what a fighter he was! 

 Now jumping out, shaking like a bass, then darting away 

 with 20 or 80ft. of line, it seemed as if he would never 

 tire. Did one ever see pickerel fight scr But finally he 

 came alongside and I assisted him into the boat, I 

 thought then he would get away before I could quiet 

 him, but after lying full length on him and using a little 

 forcible argument from the paddy stick he succumbed. 

 As the sun was nearly down to the top of the mountains 

 in the west we decided our share of glory for one day 

 was complete, but Belle wanted to row over and show 

 her prizes to the fat man and the preacher, who were 

 fishing perch north of the island, and I, nothing loth, 

 gratified her. It was dark when we reached the shore 

 and t strung them on a piece of rope and hung them 

 over the paddle, that she might carry them up to the 

 camp; but she had bit off more than she could chew and 

 I had to help her. We took them all down, as we 

 appeared to them through the trees, and the fish weighed 

 6lbs. and 61bs. lOoz. without any gravel on them. 



Albany. DEXTER. 



LARGE-MOUTH AND SMALL-MOUTH. 



XHAVE been very much interested in the article by 

 Mr. Hobbs on his trip "In the Mascalonge Country" 

 — interested because it is a region with which I am 

 familiar. I have been over the same route, stopped at 

 the same "hotel" at Manitowish, have "put up" with 

 Perry Powers, the keeper at the big log house at the dam, 

 have shot that same ugly rapid in the river where Br'er 

 Hobbs got so wet, and part of our outfit got "spilled" at 

 that same place, and have fished and paddled all through 

 the whole chain of lakes the length of the Manitowish 

 and Turtle rivers. Mud Lake, the despised little sheet of 

 water to which he refers, gave us some excellent masca- 

 longe fishing. Passing through into Clear Lake, where 

 we were led to expect some fine fishing, our only reward 

 for a day's hard work was a 21b. bass. 



We ate our lunch on the shore at old Dan Devine's 

 ' clearing," with copious draughts of clear spring water 

 — by the way, it was the only white water that we saw on 

 vhe trip, except the waters of Presque Isle Lake, all the 

 rest being coffee-colored from the tamarack swamps — and 

 finished off with rutabagas out of his little garden patch, 

 for dessert. 



We interviewed his brood of half-breeds and his strap- 

 ping big squaw, and can easily believe the tale of her 

 powers in packing the birch bark over the trail and out- 

 stripping the whole party. 



Br'er Hobbs's remarks in regard to the fighting qualities 

 of the large and small-mouth black bass are not exactly 

 in accordance with my experience. Every one judges 

 from his own experience, and as mine is so different from 

 Br'er Hobbs's I will relate it. We were fishing in Presque 

 Isle Lake — the finest lake in that part of the country, a 

 beautiful lake, and it affords the very finest bass fishing — 

 but more of that another time. 



As we were fishing for count this day, we did not waste 

 any time in playing our fish. They were mostly large- 

 mouths, running from 81bs. to 44lbs. in weight. We used 

 an 8jz, split-bamboo rod, silk line, small Skinner spoon, 

 and quadruple casting reel. When we would have a 

 htrike we would "put on the screws" and bring the fish to 

 the boat as quickly as possible, slip the net under it, and 

 lifting it fxom the water would chalk one down on the 

 tcore, unhook it and return it to the water, unless it had 



been injured by the hook, in which case we would save 

 it for camp. 



After scoring about twenty-five fish, all taken near a 

 couple of small islands lying close together on one side 

 of the lake, we decided to try some other points and 

 slowly rowed along the shore. As we passed around a 

 little point which concealed a deep bay we noticed an 

 old pine snag well inside the point and about 50ft. from 

 the shore. 



We told the guide to take us as close to the "snag" as 

 he could without fouling our spoons "and we'll get a 

 strike there." Just as our hooks reached the "snag" I 

 had a glorious strike, and almost immediately after my 

 companion was also fast to a fish. And then the fun 

 began. I attempted to reel in but it wouldn't work. I 

 glanced at the reel and then at the rod to see what was 

 foul, but everything was all clear and then I realized 

 that "it wasn't that kind of a fish." I had to play it for a 

 long time, and not until after a most stubborn fight could 

 I bring it to the net, and then I found that it was a small- 

 mouth, a 8-pounder. Meanwhile my companion was 

 having the same kind of a "circus," and when we finally 

 got them both in the boat we were both decidedly of the 

 opinion that there was no question as to the superiority 

 of the small-mouth black bass as a fighter. We took 

 another turn by the "snag" and hooked two more and 

 had the same kind of tussle over again. We hooked 14 

 fish there at the "snag" all about the same weight, all 

 small-mouths, and had the same sort of experience with 

 every one. 



Inside of a circle of about 40ft. in diameter, with the 

 "snag" for the center, we caught nothing but small- 

 mouths — and every time we trolled our spoons within 15 

 or 20ft. of that "snag" we would each get a strike — and 

 j ust outside of that circle we caught nothing but large- 

 mouths. Before we had discovered that it was only in 

 this one place that we could catch the small-mouths we 

 had fully satisfied ourselves as to the respective fighting 

 qualities of the two species, and the moment we would 

 feel of the fish with the reel we would tell each other 

 which kind it was we had on our hook, and not in a sin- 

 gle instance did we make a mistake. 



Here were fish in the same waters, within a few feet of 

 each other, with the same surroundings, and food under 

 the same conditions, and it would seem if ever there was 

 an opportunity to determine the relative merits of the 

 two species it was right then and there. I do not pre- 

 tend to say that I could tell what kind of fish I had on 

 my line anywhere else or under other circumstances, 

 but that was our experience there, and if Bre'r Hobbs or 

 '•S. W. S." could go with us to that "old snag" in Lawer 

 Presque Lake they would change their opinions most 

 decidedly. 



Now I do not want to be misunderstood; I did not write 

 this aritcle with the idea of attacking Bre'r Hobbs or 

 anybody else. I am simply giving my experience, and 

 from that I have formed my opinion. I know full well 

 that "circumstances al er cases," and there are many 

 others who are firm in the opposite belief, or that there is 

 no relative difference in the fighting qualities of the two 

 species, and this belief is based upon their own experi- 

 ence, but taking the number of fish that we did, and all 

 the attending circumstances, I think our experience was 

 as fair and thorough a test as could be made. 



Now I have given my reasons for the faith that is in 

 me. Cannot some of our old and experienced anglers 

 give their experience? Baron. 



THE CASTALIA CLUB OPENING. 



THE season of the Castalia Trout Club opened March 

 15, and the first two days' fishing was done in a cold, 

 raw east wind, that at times drove a part of the fishermen 

 to the shelter of the club house. Here are some of the 

 scores made for the first two days by members of the 

 upper (Toledo and Sandusky) club: John A. Waite 17 

 fish, weight 7-Jlbs.; J. W. Oswald 18 fish, weight 121bs.; 

 Clarence Brown 18 fish, weight S^lbs.; Joe Spencer (one 

 day) 10 fish, 3Albs. Mr. Oswald landed safely a fine speci- 

 men of If lbs., and Mr. Waite one of l|lbs. All the 

 weights are taken by the keeper at the end of each day's 

 fishing, and under the rules no man is allowed to take 

 more than lOlbs. in a day. It is not an uncommon thing 

 for a member to find his limit before the end of his day is 

 reached. The upper club this spring put in 300,000 fry of 

 their own hatching, and this year begin to reap the bene- 

 fits of their three miles of artificial stream constructed 

 about two years ago. Jay Beebe. 



TotiEno, Ohio, March 19. 



The trout season opened March 15 in the State of Ohio, 

 and notwithstanding that I have always preached against 

 going too early, I could not resist a pressing invitation 

 from the president of the Castalia Sporting Clu'i to at- 

 tend their opening ceremonies. I arrived at Cleveland 

 on time, where I was joined by my host, and about two 

 hours later we found ourselves at the snug little club 

 house near Castalia station, which is not over five or six 

 miles from Sandusky. Here we found everything in 

 good order and a rousing fire of hickory cordwood blaz- 

 ing in the great fireplace. Notwithstanding the cold 

 weather the siream teemed to be in excellent conditon 

 for fishing; and as we strolled along the bank we got an 

 occasional glimpse of big trout, highly tuggestive of the 

 sport in store for us. 



The evening train brought other members, and after a 

 good dinner and a smoke before the open fire all hands 

 retired early. I awoke next morning after dreaming of 

 icebergs and Newfoundland, and found some one had 

 left my bedroom door wide open ,and the thermometer 

 down to 7. I bolted down stairs, where the big fire soon 

 thawed me out. As soon as we were dressed Mr. Miller, 

 the popular and efficient superintendent, came in and 

 performed the opening ceremonies, we all said "How!" 

 and proceeded to enjoy an excellent breakfast. The 

 morning was clear and freezing cold, and it seemed to 

 me absurd to expect trout to rise to a fly in such weather, 

 but the members assured me that it would be all right. 



We rigged ourselves out until we looked like polar 

 bears and started for the stream. At first the trout seemed 

 disinclined to put their noses out in the cold, but toward 

 noon we began to find them less shy, and to my surprise 

 many a fine fish was landed. 



We were continually troubled by the lines getting coated 

 with ice and freezing in the rings. If the flies were left 

 a moment in the air they became lumps of ice and fell 

 . like pebbles on the water. 



This stream, so often described in Fokest and Stream, 

 remains at nearly the same temperature the year round, 

 so there is always more or less insect life to be found in 

 the moss and grass all winter. Mr. Miller told me that he 

 bad seen flies hatching out under water when the ther- 

 mometer stood at 40 below zero. But it was cold work, 

 and no mistake, and I was not sorry when we got back to 

 our big hickory fire. 



The next day it was a trifle warmer but the wind soon 

 changed from the south and blew freezing cold from the 

 north. Still we did very well and caught some fine 

 fish, mostly on the Abbey and Professor. I had great 

 sport with a brace which I hooked under a log, and it 

 took my friend and myself and two landing nets to cap- 

 ture them ; they weighed a pound each and were beauties, 

 Our largest fish, and we had a number of them, weighed 

 one and a half pounds each, and none were basketed un- 

 der eight inches in length. The robins sang, the black- 

 birds twittered and the golden-winged woodpecker could 

 occasionally be heard but they all had a cold look and 

 must have wished themselves back in the "Sunny South." 



The next morning we sadly took our departure and I 

 arrived home just in time to find good sleighing, very 

 much pleased with my early fishing trip. W. H. 



WHERE SALT-WATER FISH HIDE. 



SUCH eminent success has attended deep-water seining 

 off the coast of North Carolina during the past six 

 weeks, since Feb. 1, as to astonish the natives. By sink- 

 ing the nets from eight to ten fathoms, so as to approach 

 the bottom, immense quantities ofgweakfish, (vernacular, 

 trout), spots, croakers and channel bass have been caught, 

 aggregating millions in numbers and hundreds of tons in 

 weight. In one week, between Feb. 1 and 8, ten men 

 caught a half million trout and croakers off Morehead 

 City. On Feb. 10, the weight of fish caught off Morehead 

 and Beaufort was estimated at forty tons, equal to 400 

 barrels of pork. These were chiefly spots and trout. An- 

 other day's catch in the same locality realized 57,000 

 croakers and trout. Four or five hauls were made each 

 twenty-four hours, and the work is prosecuted day and 

 night. 



This deep-water method is entirely new ; and as I have 

 said, the results astonish the natives. Yet few persons 

 besides natives seem to have been apprised of the pro- 

 ceedings, or if cognizant thereof, appreciate the impor- 

 tance of the discovery. That a complete revolution in 

 sea fishing must presently ensue, will impress itself upon 

 any intelligent mind which will give it serious thought. 

 Something besides immediate emoluments and present 

 gain is conspicuously in sight, Valuable economic and 

 scientific results must develop speedily. DiscoverieH have 

 already been made regarding the habits of several natives 

 of our shore fishes which are of more practical worth than 

 all the speculative surmises which have been emitted in 

 the course of half a century. Periodical appearances and 

 absences are herewith intelligently accounted for, anel 

 their whereabouts in the interim ascertained . by direct 

 observation; the metes and bounds of their natural hab- 

 itats are determined and the limits of their uttermost 

 vagaries and deviations discovered. 



Movements of marine fauna are no more erratic and 

 desultory than those of land animals and birds. Of the 

 three genera animals are most restricted. Fishes and 

 birds can alike sail over the tops of mountains or descend 

 into the depths of their valleys, and they can adapt 

 themselves momentarily to the density or rarity of their 

 respective surroundings without detriment to their 

 respiratory organs. It is manifestly a fallacy that shoal- 

 water forms cannot endure the atmospheric pressure of 

 profound depths if they are permitted to gradually adapt 

 themselves to the change, It is the sudden transition 

 that kills. 



But habitats of fishes are fixed by the physical condi- 

 tions of their permanent environment, so that it is as 

 unreasonable to look for certain species outside of their 

 climatic belts and geographical areas as it would be to 

 look for prairie f'auua among the mountains, or denizens 

 of arid tracts among swamps. Littoral species are not 

 likely to wander aimlessly about the wide ocean or mi- 

 grate to the uttermost parts of the sea. When the estu- 

 aries are warm and teeming with aquatic life, the shad, 

 salmon, herring, striped bass, menhaden, weakfLh and 

 other kinds of anadromous fis'aes come inshore in multi- 

 tudes, attracted by the food, and the bluefish, Spanish 

 mackerel, bonito, porpoise and other kinds of predatory 

 and pelagic fishes follow them. In like manner their 

 analogues on lanel act and behave in the vernal and sum- 

 mer seasons. In winter, or when the weather is cold and 

 the multifarious life of the waters is chilled and torpid, 

 the fishes settle down into the adjacent depths and lie 

 dormant. Just as the buffalo, elk and deer go into the 

 foothills and parks of the mountains for shelter and pas- 

 ture in winter, so the weakfish, shad, salmon and men- 

 haden seek the indented corrugations of the sea bottom 

 adjacent to the coast. And in these seclusions, two and 

 three miles from land, the fishermen of North Carolina 

 have recently found them out. 



Cape Hatteres affords an effectual barrier against the 

 fierce hyemal winds from the north, and in the deep 

 hollows under its lee the bluefish and menhaden assem- 

 ble in great numbers in winter, and there the porpoises 

 descend upon them like wolves on the fold, and the fish- 

 ermen in turn capture them in seines, often taking 200 at 

 a haul, and realizing handsome profits from their oil and 

 hides. 



Having thus ferreted out and discovered the quotidian 

 haunts of many of our most valued economic fishes, it is 

 manifest thata signal revolutionin sea fishing is at hand. 

 Hereafter, instead of waiting for their periodical appear- 

 ance, as has been the custom till now, or trusting to the 

 precarious chances of hook and line, our fishermen will 

 simply visit the places of their temporary seclusion and 

 dropping their inclosing seines into their clustering midst 

 draw them out until their desire is surfeited or their nets 

 are broken. Nor will this innovation in fishing be con- 

 fined to species or localities. 'It will include the red-snap- 

 per of the Gulf of Mexico and the cod and halibut of the 

 banks of Newfoundland; the drum of the Carolinas and 

 the shad and salmon of the eastern coast line, for both of 

 these anadromous spscies will perchance be found lying 

 perdu in the hollows abreast of their respective rivers, 

 waiting for the warning of the waters or the impulse of 

 the procreative instinct. No more will the seafarer fol- 

 low a precarious livelihood nor suffer the inevitable hard- 

 ships which attend a protracted voyage. There will be 



