StAfcoH SI, 1898. J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



99 



these a grizzly and a black bear, Tim will make Lincoln 

 Park still more noteworthy as a zoo. 



Mr. Maurice Thompson has lately published a poem in 

 one of the literary peridocals. The title of it is "Ho for 

 the Kankakee." Thi-s will make the Kankakee feel real 

 good. In the poem Mr, Thompson bo's for the swales, the 

 sloughs, the pools, and also for the fens of the Kankakee. 

 1 never saw any fens along there, but a good many of ua 

 are ho'ing for those other things, especially the sloughs, 

 about now. It has turned warmer, and yesterday a good 

 flight was reported coming in on the marshes. At Cum- 

 berland Lodge, however, the top bag of the week was 

 Mr. Henry Stephens, ten birds. G?.o. Farmer only got 

 one duck 'day before yesterday, but reported a good flight 

 further out in the marsh. 



"Ah," said J&cksnipp, as he looked over 13,470 acres 

 of marsh, of which he seemed the sole inhabitant, "this 

 is what I call a Snap. There are none to Molest, and I 

 shall Eftsoons gather Four Bushels of Tender Worms." 



So he alighted and Inserted his Flexible Beak into the 

 soft Earth* and he said, "The Earth is Mine." 



But there came a Cold Wind, which Frczs everything 

 as It came. It froze the Tender Worm Crosswise in the 

 Jacksnipe's Flexible Beak, so that neither Worm nor 

 Jacksnipe could get away, and in a few Short Moments 

 there was a Frapp e Jacksnjpe on the Marsh. 



"This is what I call a Snap," said the Cold Wind. 



Moral. — It is a poor snap that won't work both ways, 

 especially in a backward spring. E Hough. 



"That reminds me." 



ALONG, hot, dusty day's drive brought us to the 

 shores of Cranberry Lake, in the North Woods, 

 where we put up for the night, Bright and early the 

 tfcxt morning found us in the peak of the barn looking- 

 for our canoe left the year before. There must have been 

 twenty other boats up there left by other anglers like 

 ourselves. After putting our boat in the water our ex- 

 pectations were fully realized — she leaked like a basket. 



At 11:30 A. M we found the craft sufficiently tight to 

 start for our first camp, fourteen miles of a paddle. It 

 did not take us long to load, two pack baskets, a rod and 

 an ax comprising our outfit for three weeks, but the 

 hardest article to put in was my 2.20 pounds. Three P. M. 

 found us at Camp "Doe," well up through the floe and 

 within ten rods of the foot of the falls of Cranberry Inlet. 

 We were not unpacked before I was taken with a severe 

 attack of sickness, more evidence of the shaking up of 

 yesterday 's ride. Rip put things in order and then asked 

 me if I would go and catch some trout for supper; but 

 there was no game in me; I was played and ready to lie 

 quiet. "Where's the rod! 1 " he wanted to know, and I 

 pointed to it leaning against a tree. He found the fly- 

 hook and reel, then disappeared down the bank. How 

 many of the fishermen of Cranberry Inlet remember the 

 old pine log at the foot of the falls? I think it has been 

 there for over fifteen years, at all events it was worn flat 

 by the crossing of animals and man. There was where 

 R p went; he was back inside of thirty minutes, and 

 afterward told me he made four casts. As he came up 

 over the hill he asked how I felt. "No better. Any luck?" 

 says I, "Not much, only two," and he brought from be- 

 hind his back on the crotch of an alder limb two dressed 

 trout. I rose up on my elbow and looked at them. I 

 produced a fish spring-scale— "7£lbs., great Scott!" I 

 was up and dressed and heloed cook supper, and for 

 twenty-six days with over 400 miles to our credit I had 

 no more ailments. I had missed too good a thing. 



Pack Basket. 



AN ICY TIME. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Given a ten-inch hole through two feet of ice, forty feet 

 of water reduced to a very low temperature, a cod hook 

 of generous proportions, and hand-line, a heap of ever- 

 green brush (supposed always to be on the windward side 

 of ye), thermometer with the mercury (all of it) in the 

 bulb; wind blowing forty miles an hour — that's about the 

 size of it. O b ! I forget, there is a possibility —if you wait 

 long enough— that a trout may condescend to rub against 

 your bait; and you are expected to jab your hook into him, 

 anywhere, run him up at a "forty clip" to the surface, 

 snap him off your "iron," and with a supercilious smile 

 of contempt at the supreme ease of the thing, calmly re- 

 bait for a "repeater." 



Obi yes, it's fun; but where do or did I come in? 

 Thai's what I wish you to decide when my "tale of woe" 

 is told. 



Del. and Harry and I had, at last, made arrangements 

 to try it, in a luxurious way: Man to have the holes all 

 cut; holes "ground baited," "slosh" holes fixed for the 

 live bait; all the et ceteras. Well, we got there. Only 

 live changes necessary to reach Wolf boro. Only twelve 

 miles ride up hill and down dale to the eastern shore of 

 L:>ng Island. And then it mu3t begin to rain. 



Our man was on hand, our holes were all cut, so our 

 first j ob was to set fifteen pickerel traps we had brought. 

 No sooner than accomplished, it was discovered to be too 

 late to "bob" for trout, and we decided to lower the lines 

 to the bottom for cusk, and leave them until the follow- 

 ing morning. We went to supper and passed the night 

 with a most hospitable friend, whose residence is on the 

 island, and retired quite early. 



Next morning, bright and early, repairing to our fishing 

 ground, we fouud our baited lines engaged, thatis to say, 

 a cusk bai appropriated each one of them (disgusting look, 

 ing gourmands, aren't they?) They really made quite a 

 string, but we had come for trout. 



Resetting the traps for "pick.," we each manned one 

 of the aforesaid ten-inch holes and awaited develop- 

 ments. Waited? Well, I guess we did. Bobbety-bob, 

 bobbety-bob. hour after hour, and if we had whiskers, 

 the wind would have certainly blown through them. 



Did you ever try to find a needle in the dark when 

 there wasn't any there to find? I felt that way for three 

 solid hours, when suddenlv I heard a yell of triumph. 

 Ye gods and little fishes! Harry's got one, How he did 



derrick him out, and he's a stunner. That is certainly 

 encouraging. Now to business. Bobbety-bob, bobbety- 

 bob-bob. Wow! I felt something gently trifle with my 

 line way down in the depths of nowhere. Didn't get 

 'im. "Ob, well," says Harry, "he may come again some- 

 time; you oughter struck 'im." "Struck 'im", says I "with 

 a brick?" 



But why weary you. 'Twas the same old story. A 

 rub once in about every two hours, and just when I was 

 feeling for my monehoir, or filling tne old corn-cob. 

 Harry, who was a veteran, and to the manner born, cap- 

 tured another laker, and still another the next day — three 

 in all. We came away with five trout and twenty oda 

 pickerel and cusk. I haven't mentioned the particulars 

 of the capture of the other two trout, as story writers aver 

 that if nothing be left to the imagination, the popularity 

 of the writer is jeopardized. You fishermen well know 

 that some one "ketched 'em." En rapport with the la- 

 mented G. W,, I too, cannot lie, I didn't. 



To see Del. and me swelling with pride of a yesterday, 

 while exhibiting our string of fish to admiring friends, 

 you could hardly trace the mortification we really felt at 

 our individual experiences, but way down beneath the 

 surface of a placid exterior there was a "feeling of un- 

 rest" at the ignominy of our position. 



You may put this in your pipe and smoke it. I will 

 hereafter do my fishing through the ice in warm weather, 

 and if I must needs fish through a hole, I'll work a well 

 curb. A. T. Bond, 



Boston, Mass. 



PIKE COUNTY TROUT SEASON. 



PHILADELPHIA, March 23. — Editor Forest and 

 Stream: From the numerous inquiries received 

 from all parts of the State in regard to information re- 

 specting the law for taking brook trout, the Pennsylvania 

 Fish Protective Association requested an opinion from the 

 Pennsylvania Fish Commissioners concerning the same, 

 of which the inclosed correspondence is a copy. As it 

 may be of interest to your readers to be informed on this 

 subject, we ask your assistance and submit it with a re- 

 quest that it may occupy space in your valuable paper.— 

 Executive Committee Penn. Fish Protective Associ- 

 ation, M. G. Sellers, Sec'y. 



Philadelphia, Jan. 28.— Henry C. Ford, Esq., Presi- 

 dent Pennsylvania Commissioners of Fisheries: Dear 

 Sir — In compliance with a resolution passed by the execu- 

 tive committee of the Pennsylvania Fish Protective 

 Association, in session this date, I am instructed to com- 

 municate with you for the purpose of obtaining your 

 views a3 to the exact laws of Pennsylvania relating to the 

 open season for catching brook trout in the streams of 

 Pike and other counties of the State, that the same may 

 be published in various papers for the information of the 

 general public. Very truly yours, Marion G. Sellers, 

 Sec'y. 



Philadelphia, Jan. 29.— M. G. Sellers, E-:q,, Secretary 

 Executive Committee Pennsylvania Fish Protective Asso- 

 ciation : Dear Sir — In reply to your inquiry as to the 

 exact laws of the State in reference to the season for 

 catching brook trout, I would say that the act of June 11, 

 1885. prohibits the catching of brook trout save only from 

 the loth day of April to the 15th day of July, under pen- 

 alty of $10 for each trout caught. This act applies to the 

 whole State with the exception of Pike county, where, by 

 spFcial enactment of the Legislature of June 3, 1878, the 

 season for catching trout is from May 1 to Aug. %, 



As there seemed to be some doubt as to whether this 

 special act had not been repealed by the general act, the 

 Fish Commissioners asked the opinion of the Hon. W. U. 

 Hensel, Attorney General, in reference to it. His answer 

 was as follows: 



Habrisbtjhg, May 27, 1891.— Henry C. Ford, Esq., President 

 Pennsylvania Commission of Fisheries. -Dear Sir: I have your 

 communication of tne 28d inst. requesting tuy opinion as to the 

 open season for trout, fishing in Pike county. The act of Assem- 

 bly, approved June 3. 1878, entitled "An act for the protection of 

 game and game fish in the county of Pike," etc., Section 11 pro- 

 vides, "that no person shall catch, sell or expose for sale or have 

 in his or her possession, alter the same has been caught or killed, 

 any salmon or speckled trout, save only between tne 1st day of 

 May and the 1st day of August following," 



As the tiile shows, this is a special and local act for the projec- 

 tion of game and game fish in the county of Pike. The general 

 act, approved June 11, 1885, entitled "An act to prevent the catch- 

 ing, killing, exposing for sale or having in possession speckled 

 trout, except from the 15th day of April to the 15th day of July," 

 provides in Section 2 that ''All acts or parts of acts inconsistent 

 with the above sre hereby repealed." 



The only question then is whether or not the repealing clause in 

 the act of June 11, 1885, is so comprehensive or explicit as to re- 

 peal the provisions of the special act for Pike county. 



The Legislature having fixed, by a special law. the time during 

 which trout might be taken in the county of Pike, in my judg- 

 ment, it would require the legislative intent to he manifested by 

 an enactment equally clear and precise to repeal the prior special 

 and local act. Tne general repealing clause would not affect 

 prior legislation on the same subject matter, and the local act for 

 Pike county would therefore contine in force. Very truly yours, 

 W. TJ. Hensel, Attorney General. 



With the publicity given to this opinion of the Attor- 

 ney General of the State, none can in future plead ignor- 

 ance of the law. The Pennsylvania Fish Commission 

 have instructed its wardens to arrest all parties fishing 

 for brook trout in Pike county prior to May 1, and in the 

 rest of the State prior to April 15. Very truly yours, 

 Henry C. Ford. President Pennsylvania Commissioners 

 of Fisheries. 



The Association is doing excellent work by sending out 

 this: 



Fishing Notice: All persons desiring to promote the increase 

 of llsh in this locality, will bear in mind that it is important that 

 the laws providing for a clo=e season shall be strictly observed, so 

 that the fish may have time to spawn, and thus provide for a con- 

 tinuance of the natural supply, without which the waters will 

 soon become depleted. Fishing with nets and set lines is posi- 

 tively prohibited by the laws of the State. Penalty, $100, with 

 forfeiture of nets, boats, etc. Fish weirs and fish baskets are pro- 

 hibited by the laws of the S'.ate. Penal cy, $50 for first offense and 

 $100 for second offense. 



The catching of black bass and wall-eyed pike under 6in., and 

 trout and rock bass under Sin. in length, is prohibited. Penalty, 

 S10 for each fish. The keeping of Penobscot salmon under 31 bs. 

 weight is also prohibited. Penalty, $50. 



Trout fishing is allowed only between April 15 and July 15, ex- 

 cept in Pike county, where the season is from May 1 to Aug. 1. 

 Penalty, §10 for each trout taken out of season. 



Black bdss fishing is allowed only between May 30 and Jan. 1. 

 Penalty, $10 for each fish taken out of season. Rock bass same 

 close season as black bass. 



Wall-eyed pike (pike-perch or Susquehanna salmon) same close 

 season as black bass. 



Fish wardens, constables, or any officer of the State, is author- 

 ized to arrest, without warrant, any person violating any of the 

 fish laws. One-half of penalty goes to the informer. 



For further information apply to the Pennsylvania Fiah Pro- 

 tective Association, 1,020 Arch street, Philadelphia. A. M. Spang- 

 ler, President; Wm. S. Hergesheimer, Secretary. 



ON THE GAULEY RIVER. 



ONE August day two of us started from Union Depot, 

 Baltimore, for a fishing trip to Gauley River, W. Vir- 

 ginia. We had heard so much about the magnificent 

 black bass fishing in that river, that we did not consider 

 the distance, b96 miles, as any obstacle if we could only 

 capture with the fly some of the two-and three-pounders 

 tbat we were assured rose at every cast, our trip was 

 uneventful with the exception that we passed through two 

 freight wrecks of the night before. 



We reached Kanawha Falls, where we left the rail 

 road at the delightful hour of 2. A. M. The only person 

 visible at the depot was a darkey with a lantern, who 

 proved to be night clerk, watchman, and porter of the 

 only hotel at the place. He gave us a large room with 

 two beds, and we were soon snoring away, being tired out 

 from our long journey. We were up at seven and ready 

 for our breakfast, Hygienists tell us that it is good to 

 alwayB leave the table feeling tbat your hunger is not en- 

 tirely satisfied, and that you could easily eat more. We 

 certainly carried out the hygienic idea that morning, for 

 what with tainted beefsteak, nraddy coffee, and sour 

 bread, we arose from tne table with a feeling of utterly 

 unsatisfied hunger. We crossed the Kanawha River in a 

 small boat, and were met on the other side by our driver 

 with a buckboard, called in this part of the country a 

 hack, and started for a twelve-mile drive up the Gauley. 



We had made up our minds from the condition of the 

 water in New River, and in the Kanawha, that we were 

 not going to have any fishing, as both these rivers were 

 very muddy. We wereassured, however, that the Gauley 

 was clear, and that it never got muddy, As we proceed- 

 ed we noticed a clear streak in the muddy Kanawha, and 

 learned it was Gauley water coming down. This clear 

 water increased in volume as we neared the mouth of the 

 Gauley, which we found was clear but rather high. It is 

 a remarkable fact that this river, many miles 4png, runs 

 through such an uncultivated country that it rarely gets 

 muddy. There is not cultivated land enough on its whole 

 couse to cause muddy water to run into it when it rains. 

 We found we had entered a country of surpassing beauty 

 and wilderness. Mountain after mountain rose on all 

 sides of us, and frequently there towered above the road 

 rocky bluff hundreds of feet high. At one place the road 

 winds around a mountain, with the river below reaching 

 at its higest point an altitude of 500 feet above the water. 

 Oar driver regaled us with stories of parties who had gone 

 over the cliffs along this road, generally remarking that 

 their necks were broken. He, however, showed U3 one 

 place where a two horse wagon, with a man and woman 

 in it went over and none of them were hurt. The wagon 

 was a little broken, but was fished out of the river, and 

 the parties continued their journey in it. We could dis- 

 tinctly see the track they made crashing through the 

 bushes that grew on the face of the cliff. Our ride of 

 twelve miles was very tiresome, and we were glad when 

 we arrived at our destination, B=ech Glen. After eating 

 dinner we donned our wading clothes, and started on a 

 tour of inspection of the river. We found the river very 

 full, and just a shade milky, and were informed that the 

 bass were biting at bait, but not rising well to flies. We 

 took a boat, and a few minnows, and caught eight bass 

 in a few hours. We made arrangements the next morn- 

 ing to visit a portion of the river about four miles up called 

 "The Little Rough." We had a good boatman who 

 sent ib spinning through the quick water. We trolled our 

 flies most of the way up, and caught several fine bass. 

 We frequently had to leave the boat, and wade the shal- 

 low rifiT^s, while our guide, who also had to wade, dragged 

 the boat through. We reached "The Little Rough," and 

 found it a little rough indeed. The bed of the river is 

 filled with immense boulders and detached rocks, and 

 boils and rushes through the narrow passage as though 

 impatient at the obstructions to its course to the sea. We 

 fished carefully all the way back, wading every foot that 

 it was possible to wade. The basB at first would not take 

 kindly to our flies, but after changing several times we 

 found that a Seth Green and a Ferguson was about the 

 best cast. The wading was quite deep, in many places 

 above the waist, and the bottom awfully rough. The next 

 day we made a trip down the river to a creek called 

 Twenty Mile Creek. We found the wading much better 

 below although quite deep. We caught a good many fine 

 bass, some of them while trolling our flies through the 

 deep pools. Most of the fishing is done on this river by 

 trolling and bait-fishing, very few parties who visit it 

 using flies. While wading a very swift place, in water 

 up to my chest and bottom composed of broken boulders 

 as large as flour barrels, I struck a fine bass. He was 

 well hooked, and gave me splendid play. Just as I had 

 made up my mind to bring him to the net, another one 

 equally strong struck my other fly, and hung himself fast. 

 This instilled new life into the first one, and for five 

 minutes, I had a circus with the rapid current, diabolical 

 bottom, and two strong fish tugging at my line, and try- 

 ing the metal of my Leonard rod I had all 1 could do to 

 keep my feet. At last I felt sure the fish were mine, and 

 giving them the butt, and reeling in so that I could net 

 the lower one I reached out, perhaps too hastily, and with 

 one last and desperate effort on the part of my captives, 

 they parted my leader, and were cff. In a few minutes 

 both of them came to the s-urface with the flies still in 

 their jaws, gave one feeble jump, and Isaw themno more. 



We spent a week on the river, meeting with varied suc- 

 cess. One day we climbed the mountains and visited a 

 burning vein of coal, ignited by one of the numerous fires 

 that occur yearlr in these woods. Our host Mr. Levixt- 

 good, was from Pennsylvania, but has lived in this se- 

 cluded region for many years, He has a fine brick house, 

 and quite a large family of boys and girls, who are very 

 musical and who helped very materially to while away 

 the time between supper and bed time by their sweet 

 singing. The general inhabitants of this region are very 

 low down in the social scale, living in log huts without 

 windows and with dirt floors. We visited on Laurel Cieek 

 a cave in which a colony of thirteen souls live for nine 

 months of the year. They are called Sangers, from their 

 occupation, which is digging ginseng root. There was an 

 infant, two days old, at, home with its mother when we 

 called. The Gauley River is an ideal ba?s river, and I 

 have no doubt that what Mr. Lsvingood told us about it 

 is true. He said that very many fish of two to four pounds 

 weight w^re caught with bait and by trolling when the 

 river was at the proper stage. We were unfortunate 

 enough to get there when it was high, or full as they 

 call it, so we did not catch many large fish. E, A. R, 

 Batxtmore, March, 1892. 



