00 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[March 31, 1692. 



THROUGH TO TWITCHELL. - 1 1. 



\QontfmwA from P<tite SBk] 



OLD man Harris and his camp are worthy of an article 

 by themselves, so I will merely note a few facts. 

 The camp is shingled and then hung with bones all over, 

 inside and out, the collection consisting of skulls of bears, 

 otters, martins, minks, coons, hedgehogs, muskratB, deer 

 and numerous birds; also antlers of almost every con- 

 ceivable size and shape, including a pair which are locked 

 together; and claws of birds of prey, teeth of many kinds, 

 several mounted heads, only needing a few human skulls 

 and bones to complete a collection unique and interesting. 

 On the barn were two bear skins, the result of last month's 

 trapping. The old man is very pleasant, and by ques- 

 tioning those who pass his camp manages to keep quite 

 well posted on the affairs of the day, but lives a sort of 

 hermit life, rarely going out to the settlements. He has 

 hunted and trapped in Michigan, and I believe elsewhere, 

 but now expects to spend the remainder of his days in 

 his present location. We purchased a bottle of maple 

 syrup of him, and started on the seven mile carry to 

 Twitchell, with a rise 100ft. to the mile after the first. 

 We only rested once by a brook, where we slacked our 

 thirst, as the day was warm. 



We had a key to a camp at the head of the lake, so Jim 

 and I could get a boat to use, and when we arrived at the 

 trail, which leads directly to ''High's" camp, he and I 

 took it, while Will and Jim went for the boat at the other 

 camp. We left them at the foot of a big hill, and I in- 

 wardly hoped that this was the last, but I hoped in vain; 

 and another hill loomed up before us, but when the top 

 of this was reached 1. was gladdened by the sight of 

 Twitchell, and "High" said "There she is." The camp 

 was at the foot of the hill, and a model camp it was, so 

 even at the risk of being thought tedious I shall attempt 

 a brief de^pription. There are two log buildings, one 

 contains regular sleeping accommodations for three, but 

 accommodated four nicely. Three single woven wire 

 springs surprised us, but were very comfortable. The 

 fourth man slept on a large net which had been used in 

 catching trout for the Fulton Chain hatchery, the front 

 of the building was used as a sitting room. There is no 

 stove in the building, instead a huge fire place in front, 

 with a screen of bark back of it to throw the heat toward 

 the camp, and it answers the purpose admirably. The 

 kitchen is a separate building, and tumbling down the 

 hill back of the camp is a cold spring brook, which runs 

 within a rod of the kitchen; about three rods above the 

 camp it is joined by another brook, which "High" says 

 is not nearly so cold, so he very ingeniously brought the 

 cooler water direct to camp by means of troughs hollowed 

 out of spruce, and set on. blocks of pine, these small 

 troughs are placed just back of the kitchen. " High" 

 takes down his " water works," as he calls them, and 

 stores the trough each time he leaves. 



There is also an open dining room, which is covered by 

 canvas in wet weather. 



Jim and Will soon arrived with the boat, and "High" 

 told Will where to paddle us after a mess of trout for sup- 

 per. Following "High's" directions we were soon skirting 

 the shore with about thirty feet of line out, a light sinker 

 and worms for bait. 



Twitchell is a beautiful sheet of xvater, cool and clear; 

 in contour it somewhat resembles a crescent, about two 

 miles the longest way by an eighth mile wide in the cen- 

 ter, the shore is irregular in outline, and the lake is sur- 

 rounded on all sides by mountains; these are studded 

 with the virgin forest not yet despoiled by the lumber- 

 man's axe, and in places presented charming views which 

 held our attention as we were silently paddled along, 

 almost forgetting our rods, until a sudden movement by 

 Jim and an expression called forth by his having missed 

 a good strike, recalled us to our senses, Jim let the tip of 

 his rod go back and Will slowed the boat, with the result 

 of another strike, and this time he had him fast. The 

 fish was .gamy and left the water several times before 

 he was got into the boat, he would go close to half a 

 pound. Jim's luck continued with three more to his 

 credit, without my having a strike. We crossed the lake 

 now and passed between a small island and the shore, 

 but with negative results. We followed the island's shore 

 to the opposite side, and just as we had got fairly around 

 I hooked one, and after a royal fight landed him safely 

 in the creel, a good half-pounder. Almost before I had 

 him safe Jim had another on the hook, and soon added 

 him to the catch. 



We were ravenously hungry after our walk and it was 

 late, so we went to camp with over 2 lbs, of trout. 



"High" soon had these cooked to the "Queen's taste," 

 also a liberal supply of flapjacks. This, with coffee, butter 

 and maple syrup, was our diet while in camp, not elab- 

 orate, but it suited us exactly, After "High" had cleaned 

 up the dishes he came into the sleeping room, where we 

 were lazily stretched on the bed smoking, and opened 

 two boxes in which the extra blankets were stored. These 

 boxes had been packed by a gentleman from New York, 

 who goes to Twitchell twice a year and employs "High" 

 as guide; this gentleman had left, unknown to "High," 

 about a quart of Jockey Club in one of the boxes, and 

 when "High" came across it he was somewhat surprised, 

 but said, " We won't drink any unless we get sick," add- 

 ing almost immediately, ' 'I have got a mighty sore throat 

 now;" however, the bottle remained undisturbed for all 

 that. After we were rolled in our blankets it did not 

 take us very long to join the chorus Jim started almost 

 immediately. Ah! that sleep in the woods, how different 

 from that in the haunts of men! 



We were routed out at 6 A, M. with the injunction that 

 more trout was needed for breakfast; this started us, and 

 after a refreshing bath in the cool spring water we lighted 

 our pipes, and with Will again at the paddle we went over 

 nearly the same ground as the night before, and in about 

 an hour had nine trout averaging about * lb. each. I 

 was more lucky this time, having caught four of the 

 nine. 



These trout, as those caught the night previous, were 

 better fighters, brighter colored and much more pleasing 

 to the palate than the fish caught near Stillwater in the 

 flow. We had plenty for breakfast, so returned to camp 

 and were soon enjoying the fruits of our sport. What a 

 difference between those trout and others w r ehave eaten; 

 they are like the salmon, they should be killed, cooked 

 and eaten at once to be duly appreciated from an epicu- 

 rean point of view. We had observed that the clouds 

 had a threatening look, foreboding rain, and before break- 

 fast was over the sky darkened still more and rain drops 



GAFFING A SALMON. 



This illustration is declared by Mr. Charles Hallock, in his "Salmon 

 Fisher," to be "the only truly correct representation of the art that I 

 have ever seen." The cut first, appeared as a vignette on the menu 

 card of the Fly-fishers' Club of London. 



began to fall thickly, which assured us of a ducking, as 

 we did not propose to let a little rain spoil our sport. 



Breakfast disposed of we all went to the old camp 

 where "High" had his boats stored that he intended to 

 paint and Will and Jim dug woims, while I assisted 

 "High" in getting the boats in position to paint. 



At about 10.30 A. M. the rain "let up a little," as 

 ■'High" termed it, and we went fishing, Will paddling 

 from choice. We had not been out very long before rain 

 began to fall again, and continued all the time we were 

 out, varying from a light drizzle to a smart shower. 



We had rather poor luck until about 1 o'clock, when 

 after we had explored the outlet to the lalie with the re- 

 sult of losing several hooks, which caught on the brush 

 in some of the likely looking holes, we were paddled 

 along the lower shore of the lake, although it looked like 

 a better place for floating than for fishing. But it proved 

 far better than it looked, and strike after strike came 

 with the result of adding several half-pounders to our 

 catch. Our supply of worms gave out and we resorted to 

 fins and eyes with still better success, as the fish could 

 not get these without getting hooked, while they would 

 snap the worms off nearly as fast as we could put them 

 on, Jim had caught five more trout than I when we 

 started out that A. M,, but I caught up and passed him, 

 but did not remain there long, as he soon evened up the 

 total and there it stayed. 



Perhaps you glory in a big score, we do not, and after- 

 three hours of excellent sport only had 21 trout to show. 



We were now hungry and wet to the skin, and I am 

 well aware that it would take an angler to see where the 

 sport came in, but it was there and plenty of it; in fact 

 up to that time I had never caught trout that were such 

 hard fighters. When hooked they usually unreeled 40 

 to 50 ft. of line, then as one gave them the butt they 

 would leap from the water, turn and come towards the 

 boat with such speed that we wished for an "automatic" 

 to take up the slack, then off again in another direction, 

 a series of leaps, a downward plunge, and all the while 

 the line must be kept taut, no giving an inch to those fel- 

 lows, or they would give their heads a spiteful toss and 

 say good day, as many of them did. 



My rod was a new 7oz. lancewood, and light well it be- 

 haved, although I did not learn its full worth until one 

 of those fellows attempted to go under the boat to the 

 side where Jim was fighting a near cousin of his, then I 

 gave him the butt until with the hand grasp held nearly 

 perpendicular the tip went down almost to the water and 

 began as if to wrap around the boat, but the rod was too 

 much for him, and as he gave up the fight brought him 

 to the surface with a spring which showed its backbone, 

 and he was soon in the creel. 



"High" was at camp when we arrived and had a fire 

 started for cooking supper, or rather a 6 o'clock dinner, 

 and the big fire was replenished with wood, but had not 

 got fairly started, so Jim and I went into the kitchen our- 

 selves, he on a box in front of the stove and I on a pile of 

 bark kindling at the side. The stove-pipe was not made 

 to order, and the diameter of the two lengths composing 

 it did not correspond, and as a necessary result the upper- 

 length was balanced on the lower, the junction being at 

 the roof. Somehow my sitting down on the bark dis- 

 placed this arrangement, the first notice of which I got 

 in the shape of a bump on the nose, and heard at the same 

 time a horrid shrill screech, caused I found out later by 

 the upper length falling through the hole in the bottom 

 of the tin pail which served as a collar. At the first bump 

 I put up my hands and the second length slid down on to 

 my left arm as smoothly as a big cuff fresh from a Chi- 

 nese laundry fastened with a patent button, and mind 

 you that pipe was hot. 



"High" came rushing in, relieved me of my hot cuff 

 and set the pipe up again. I escaped with a burn on my 

 wrist, but I fought shy of that stove after that. 



We discovered after supper that our stock of tobacco 

 was getting low, so low in fact that it began to look like 

 a tobacco famine. We did not relish this state of things, 

 so Will and Jim rowed over to a camp at the head of the 

 lake where two gentlemen were stopping with Sam Inni- 

 gan. of Fulton Chain, for guide. 



.Will knew Sam, so felt no compunctions about asking 

 him for some tobacco. The gentlemen who were with 

 Sam heard the request and at once kindly offered enough 

 of the weed to supply us for several days, as they had 

 plenty and were "going out" the next day. 



While talking with them the boys elicited theinforma 

 tion that they had been at one of the small lakes near 

 Twitchell that day and caught about 20 lbs. of trout to 

 take out fresh. When the boys returned and while we 

 were filling our pipes they told us of the catch the other 

 party had made that day. "High" said after he had fin- 

 ished painting the boat the next morning he would take 



Jim and me over to that lake, and that he had a boat 

 there also, so we would not be obliged to "back"' one over. 

 Anticipating a good catch, and as my family had left 

 Lowville and Jim had only his mother to think of, we at 

 once told "High" that if he would allow ns to take a few 

 of the big ones we would turn over the majority of the 

 catch to him, as we knew he wanted some for "Jim'* 

 Dunbar, the fact being that on account of the small 

 catches near Stillwater it was a hard matter to keep the 

 hotel table supplied. "High" said we had better wait 

 until we knew we had trout to spare, but we had faith in 

 his knowledge of their whereabout?, and time proved that 

 our faith was not misplaced. 



It was rather early that night when "High" said it was 

 time to turn in, and it seemed still earlier when he called 

 us to turn out the next morning, and that breakfast was 

 ready. 



The morning repast disposed of and the dishes cleaned 

 up, we all went over to the old camp, where Will and 

 "High" went at the last boat with the paint brushes, 

 while Jim and I dug for bait, hut with poor Buccess. This 

 job over with we had to wait only a short time before 

 the others were ready, when we all returned to camp, 

 put up a lunch, got aboard the boat and started for the 

 crrry. 



Jim and I intending to fish on the way down the lake, 

 I had rigged a cast of flies, a red-ibis and a grizzly-king, 

 while Jim had impaled a worm upon his hook. 



Now I had never cast a fly while sitting in a boat, but 

 as I had caBt frogs for bass successfully in that posture 

 and had done some fly-casting while wading brooks and 

 rivers, I expected no difficulty in this instance, but I was 

 soon disabused of my erroneous notions, and at the third 

 cast an unsuccessful strike caught the pack basket in the 

 bow of the boat with my red-ibis, and Will's kind attempt 

 to loosen it resulted in the parting of the snell where it 

 joins the hook. As this individual fly was my favorite, 

 having been used successfully by me in several States, I 

 felt somewhat aggrieved, and this feeling led me to at 

 once remove the leader with the fly on and replace it 

 with one having a bare hook attached. This was soon trail- 

 ing alongside the boat baited with a worm, but neither 

 Jim nor I were again rewarded with a rise before we left 

 the boat. Arrived at the carry we left Will with the boat 

 as he did not care to accompany us, and un jointing our 

 rods — always un joint your rod before going over a carry 

 of any distance, that is for some men I know who don't— 

 we started for the other lake which proved to be about 

 one mile distant. Osceola. 



(TO BE CONTINUED.) 



BOSTON ANGLERS. 



APKIL 1 is here again, and with it comes the opening 

 of the trout season in Massachusetts. With the ex- 

 ception of the celebrated Cape Cod district, conditions 

 are not very favorable to a very successful opening, as 

 there is considerable snow back in the country, and most 

 of the streams high and full of snow water for some time 

 to come. In spite of the discouraging outlook, numbers 

 of Boston anglers are awaiting the day with patience, and 

 will be out bright and early in search of the speckled beau- 

 ties There are a few good brooks quite close to the city, 

 and they will be well lined with expectant fishermen 

 during a good part of the month of April. Some of the 

 men who are anxious to begin, and who will probably be 

 found outward bound during the early days of the month, 

 are Messrs. G. N. Talbot, W. S. Peel, Frank Simpson, 

 Waldron Bates, A. H. Wood, Q. A. Atwood, L. E. Howe, 

 F. M. Abbott, E. A. Brigham, J. C. R. Peabody, Dr. H. 

 W. Bradford, and many others. The Monument Club, 

 who own some old and well stocked streams down on the 

 Cape, will be out in full force. This is one of the oldest 

 angling clubs about Boston, and its membership includes 

 some of the most prominent gentlemen in the city. Many 

 good trout streams are found on the Cape, and as most 

 of them empty into salt water, the trout possess that 

 peculiar and delicous flavor so much prized by the epi- 

 cure. Very few of these streams are open to the public. 

 The fishing always opens up early in this section, as the 

 soil is mostly of a sandy character which quickly absorbs 

 the melting snow. This leaves the brooks in an almost 

 normal condition from the very first of the season, a 

 state of affairs which is difficult to find anywhere else in 

 the State. 



Few cities in the country contain more trout fishermen 

 for its size than Worcester, Mass., and when the first of 

 April looms up, a small army of anglers will start forth, 

 fully equipped for the battle. Ware Brook, Quinapoxit 

 River, the Holden Poor Farm and Ball Brook, are some 

 of the most prominent streams in that vicinity. Some of 

 the Worcester anglers who fish them are C. Harry Morse, 

 O. A. Bpnoit, Joseph Smith, Thos, Smith, Robert Mason, 

 Gilbert Rugg, Uncle Nathan, Dr. Higgins and Vernon 

 Printiss. 



One of the expected results at each season's opening is 

 the capture of a great trout weighing from 2 to 31bs. at 

 Lake Quinsigamond by Mr. David Earle of Worcester. 

 This has been accomplished each season for some years, 

 and without it the boys would not consider the season 

 fairly inaugurated. Mr. Earle's performance acts as a 

 mascot, and is now expected as regularly as the year 

 comes round, Some of his friends have had the cruelty 

 to say that he gets them out of a well, where he keeps 

 them stored; others assert that they are caught on a sil- 

 ver hook. Mr. Earle does not mind these little yarns, 

 but goes calmly on his way, and each successive year 

 brings in his fish, and receives the congratulations of his 

 friends, 



Nat. Hoxie of Plymouth, whose resort is such a favorite 

 place for trout and bass fishermen, was in Boston last 

 week, and says the streams are all in good condition 

 down his way, and the outlook is very favorable indeed. 

 Mr. Hoxie is one of the old landmarks for anglers, and is 

 known to every lover of the rod in this section of the 

 State. 



One of the most successful of Boston anglers is Mr. B. 

 F. Dutton, of the firm of Houghton & Dutton, dry goods 

 dealers. Mr. Dutton has been in Florida for a month 

 past, and a gentleman of his party who has just returned 

 reports great luck with the rod and line. He is located 

 at Homosassa, and will probably stay in the South a few 

 weeks longer. Mr. Harry Dutton (a brother of B. F.) is 

 also devoted to the sport, and together they have a 

 splendid camp at the Rangeley Lakes, Maine, where 

 they spend a good part of each summer. 



^ Wm r. Scott. 



