April 31, 1898.] 



FOREST AND STREAM, 



877 



THE CANADIAN ANGLING SEASON. 



QUEBEC, April 14.— Canadian anglers, and no doubt 

 those of their American cousins too. whose mecca 

 is among Canada's lakes ands treams, are looking 

 anxiously forward to the opening of the trout season. 

 Heretofore the close season for Sa.lvelin.us fontinalis has 

 been only from Oct. 1 to Jan. 1, and the slaughter of 

 trout by pot-hunters fishing through holes in the ice, in 

 the first four months of the year has attained regrettable 

 proportions. A recently published regulation of the 

 Canadian Fishery Department makes the close season for 

 trout from Oct. 1 to April 30, and for bass and maski- 

 nonge from May 25 to July 1, so far at least as the Prov- 

 ince of Quebec is concerned. The new order is gladly 

 welcomed by sportsmen, and by all interested in the 

 preservation of the fish which lias made so famous the 

 waters of the northern part of this Province. As a matter 

 of fact, it is close on to the end of April and sometimes 

 well on into May, before the ice has left the surface of 

 Canada's northern Jakes. 



In Lake Beaufort, as in Lake St. Jospph and Lake 

 Edward, along the line of the Lake St. John Eailway, 

 trout may be takeu within a week after the disappear- 

 ance of the ice. The fish are then in good condition and 

 are nearer the surface of the water than later, when J uly 

 suns beating down on them drive them in search of the 

 deepest and coolest holes. But the black flies et hoc 

 g&tmi (Mine- are less abundant in the woods in May and 

 June than in the succeeding months, and the angler 

 hears little or nothing in the early part of the season 

 of the melodioas strains of the tuneful mosquito. In 

 Lake St. Joseph I have never bad much success in the 

 heated months, except when bass fishing, but in May 

 and the early part of June, it is no uncommon occur- 

 rence to fill a champagne basket with speckled trout 

 running up to four pounds in weight. The gray trout or 

 lunge, called by French- Canadians touiadie, are also 

 plentiful in this'fine hody of water, which has the advan- 

 tage of being but two hours' run from the city by rail. 

 These magnificent red-bellied specimens of fontinalis 

 that have made Lake Edward or Lac des Grandes Isles 

 famous all over the continent, and of which the New 

 York author angler, Kit Clarke, has so poetically &ung, 

 are not, so far as my experience and observation have 

 gone, to be so easily lured to the fisherman's fly at any 

 other season, as in the months of May and September, 

 and in the early part of June. 



I will not trespass upon your space to-day by indicating 

 where the best sport in this northern country is to be had 

 later in the season, but on a subsequent occasion may 

 take the liberty of addressing your readers in this direc- 

 tion, confident that you will gladly encourage any effort 

 having for its object the protection of American anglers 

 from returning home disappointed from a fruitless trip 

 to Canada, which, though not very probable, is always 

 ooseibie, even though they have whipped waters teeming 

 with game fish, if they have selected the right river or 

 lake at the wrong season, or vice versa as the case may be. 



No definite answer has yet been sent by the federal 

 government to the signers of the 3almou fishers' petition 

 askiog for restrictions upon the present system of netting 

 the fish at the mouths of the rivers. Mr. Joncas. M.P. 

 for C4aspe, has espoused the cause of his constituents, the 

 tietters, and is engaged in influencing the government 

 and Canadian public opinion against the application of 

 the petitioners. The Toronto Empire, which is the official 

 organ of the government, has been informed by a promi- 

 nent officer of the Fisheries Department that if the exist- 

 ing regulations were carried out in their entirety, the 

 wishes of both sides would probably be met. The trouble, 

 according to this offi cer, has been that in the past the 

 fishermen have been using nets with an illegal mesh, and 

 the regulations have not been enforced because there was 

 nobody to enforce them. Surely then the government 

 has been very much to blame in the matter, and the 

 lessees of the salmon rivers, by the showing of its own 

 press and officers, have had indeed the best of reasons to 

 complain of the treatment heretofore accorded them. 



E. T. D. Chambers. 



CURIOUS FLORIDA FISHES. 



AMONG- the singular animals lately shipped from the 

 South to the World's Fair exhibit of the Fish Com- 

 mission are two fishes about which Dr. Henshall has 

 made some interesting discoveries. One of these is the 

 hogfi8h or capitaine, a showy food fish of the West Indies 

 and Grulf of Mexico. The form of the fish can be seen in 

 plate 88 of the Fishery Industries, U, S., and it is suf- 

 ficiently striking; but Dr. Henshall's observation adds 

 additional interest to the species. In the market at Key 

 West, where fish are brought in alive, and are killed after 

 purchase, fishermeu usually strike the fish on the skull 

 with a sticktostop their struggles quickly. The hogfish 

 is chiefly brilliant red in color and after having been 

 struck on the occiput this color disappears rapidly and in 

 less than two minutes the body assumes almost a white 

 tint. Nothing else could better illustrate the power fish 

 have to control their colors at will. 



Another curious animal from Key West is the so-called 

 "electric shark." This is not really a shark, but is re- 

 lated to the common skates or rays. lu the books its 

 name is given as Rhindbatus lentiginoses, and its power 

 of giving an electric shock is not mentioned in any of the 

 works before us at present. About a dozen species of 

 Rhinobatiis, however, are recorded, chiefly from the 

 East Indies, South America and the Mediterranean, and 

 one of these, a South American form, has received the 

 name R, elect itfeus from an old author. The family is 

 described as lacking an electric organ, but Dr. Henshall 

 says the "electric shark" of Key West certainly has elec- 

 tric powers and the fact was proved to him by some fish- 

 ermen of that locality. The glands, he states, are situ- 

 ated immediately behind the eyes and a shock can be 

 felt by placing the fingers upon them. 



There is in Florida a little electric ray, similar to the 

 cramptish or torpedo of the seas further north: this hasa 

 well developed electric organ between the breast fin and 

 the head, and to this one, perhaps, thenamemaybe more 

 generally applied. 



Connecticut Trout Opening. — Norwich, Conn., April 

 10. — The opening of the trout season here has been a 

 bitter disappointment to the anglers of this vicinity; the 

 fishing has been the poorest known in manj r years, not- 

 withstanding the predictions to the contrary. Only two 

 or three good catches have been reported since April 1 . 



the only trout worthy of note being a fish of 31bs. weight 

 caught by T. Wallace, of Greenville. My own experience 

 has been the same as the rest, and I shall do no more fish- 

 ing until we have rain and warmer weather. This state 

 of things is due no doubt to the continued drought of last 

 March, causing the streams to be in a low, sluggish state, 

 and the weather here continues cold and raw. We are in 

 hopes of better luck bve and bye, and when it comes will 

 write to that effect.— Preston. 



PLANTING TROUT FRY. 



FROM the Pennsylvania Fish Protective Association we 

 have the following instructions for handling and plant- 

 ing trout fry. We are frequently applied to for information 

 on this subject and are glad to have it in the concise form 

 devised by this active and useful society. The demand for 

 trout in Pennsylvania was greater than the supply this year 

 and the Legislature will be asked to appropriate money for 

 a new hatchery, centrally located. 



OIEECTIONS. 



Trout fry should be planted in small spring runs tributary 

 to the larger stream in which they will live until large 

 enough to fun into the latter. 



If the water in the can is warmer than that in the run, the 

 temperature should be equalized by mingling in the can 

 before emptying, as the young fish are sometimes killed by 

 a too sudden change of water. 



If trout fry are transported a long distance from the 

 station before depositing, a small piece of ice occasionally 

 placed in the can will be useful, especially if the weather is 

 warm. 



The cans wil be prevented from excessive heating if partly 

 covered with a light cloth. 



If the fry show signs of exhaustion, coming to the surface, 

 the water should be frequently aerated. This is best done 

 by dipping the water from the can, and lettiug it fall into 

 it from some height, so as to force air into the water. 



Not more than four cans of fry should be placed in a 

 .stream eight to ten miles in length, and these should be de- 

 posited insm-ing runs at nearly equi-distant intervals, as 

 when too many trout are deposited in any stream, the sup- 

 pi v of fish food will soon be exhausted. 



Fry should be deposited in the run when the journey's 

 end is reached. They will not live over night without con- 

 stant attention. 



Trout are sent from the hatcheries of the Pennsylvania 

 Fish Commission when over three months old, and are 

 amply able to look out for themselves if deposited in the 

 spring runs where large and voracious fish cannot get at 

 them. 



FIXTURES: 

 DOG SHOWS, 



April 20 to 23.— Fourth Annual Dog Show of the Southern Cali- 

 fornia Kennel Club, at Los Angeles, Gal, C. A. Sumner. See'y. 



May 4 to ".—Annual Dog Show of the California Kennel Club, 

 at San Francisco Cal. Frank J. Silvey. Sec'y. 



Sept. 6 to 9.— Second Annual Dot; Show oC the Hamilton Kennel 

 Club, at Hamilton, Canada. A. D. Stewart, See'y. 



Sept. 12 to 16,— Fourth Annual Dog Show of the Toronto In- 

 dustrial Exhibition Association, at Toronto, Canada. C. A 

 Stone, Sec'y. 



FIELD TRIAL". 

 Nov. 8.— Second Anuual Trials of the New England Field Trials 

 Club, at Assonet, Mass.' (reo. E. Stlckney, Sec'y. 



RETRIEVING AT FIELD TRIALS. 



Editor Forest a nd Stream-: 



I feel the subject of retrieving at field trials to be an im- 

 portant one, and a matter that concerns all sportsmen, 

 particularly those that are interested in the development of 

 high-class dogs and wish them brought before the public as 

 near as possible on an equality. 



There is no sportsman but that loves to see a tine retriever, 

 and nothing in a day's sport that gives one more satisfaction 

 than to see his dog go promptly and pick up a dead bird and 

 fetch it cheerfully. We all love a nice retriever, but is it 

 practical and can it be put on an equality at field trials? I 

 do not think it can he, and if it cannot be on an equality, 

 then I say do away with it in all classes and at all the trials, 

 and start the dogs under such rules that none of them are 

 handicapped by asking them to do work that is fair to one 

 and unfair to the other. 



Many of your readers will ask, why fair to one and unfair 

 to another? For this reason. There are so many complica- 

 tions that come up during the running of a series of heats 

 that cannot be provided for, and in this the handler comes 

 in as a very important factor, in fast I might say, he can 

 entirely control his part of the work, and the dog he is 

 handling may not get a chance to retrieve, owing to the 

 handler persistently missing birds when ordered to shoot. 

 Particularly is this the case if the birds are found in bad 

 places, even though the dog is a fine retriever. I do not 

 recall any handler that would kill a bird and take the 

 chances of its falling in a bad place for his dog to find, and, 

 after trying, have to give it up, thereby hurting any good 

 work done before. 



Another bad feature. A brace of dogs are started, they go 

 out nicely, one dog finds a covey, the other dog comes up and 

 backs, a nice piece of work for both dogs, the dog on point 

 having the advantage, the handler is ordered to shoot and 

 kill. His dog being a nice retriever, he puts up the birds 

 and kills one, apparently; both dogs are in position to mark 

 the covey, the dog backing is held steady, with his eyes 

 riveted on the spot where the birds disappeared ; the other 

 dog is now ordered to retrieve, he starts promptly, and goes 

 to the spot where he marked the bird fall, and he tries to 

 find it, it is only crippled, and has run, the dog gets the trail, 

 and dashes off for it, and after a hard struggle the bird gets 

 into a brook or under a log and gets away, and the dog, 

 though a good retriever, gets no credit. The judges not hav- 

 ing seen the dog before, possibly demerit him. The dog 

 comes back from his chase hot and comjdetely demoralized, 

 and now comes the worst feature of the whole thing, he has 

 completely forgotten about the covey or where they went. 

 Not so with the other dog, he is eager to go to them, and the 

 dogs are started for the single birds, and the dog that did 

 the backing goes for them like lightning, and before the 

 other dog has a chance to get straightened out, points one; 

 the tired dog is called up to back, and does so promptly, the 

 dog pointing this time will not retrieve, or if so very poorly, 

 his handler is ordered to shoot and kill, but here the handler 

 is captain, and misses purposely; the dogs are ordered on, 

 and the same dog knowing he is among scattered birds, 

 nails another, the handler is ordered to shoot. Tnis time he 

 forgets to load his gun. Dogs ordered on again, the same 

 dog makes another point, possibly has not gone 10ft, , handler 

 ordered to shoot again, his gun misses Are. Handlers with a 

 poor retriever always have just one more scheme by which, 

 they can make it appear natural By this time the birds 



have all gone, and the good retriever is losing caste,and why? 

 because he was asked to do something that cannot be put on 

 an equality. 



Another brace go down, one a good, and the other an 

 ordinary retriever, each dog makes a nice point on single 

 birds, the handler of the fine retriever is ordered to kill and 

 he does it, but unfortnnately the bird falls in a very bad 

 place, and the fine retriever works industriously, finally gets 

 hold of the bird, but is compelled to go around the briers 

 to get to his handler, thus the whole piece of work seems 

 ordinary. 



The other handler is now ordered to kill, and, fortunately 

 for the poor retriever, the bird goes in another direction and 

 his handler kills the bird and it falls in plain sight of the 

 poor retriever on a bare piece of ground; the dog is ordered 

 to fetch, and he sees the bird fluttering in plain sight, dashes 

 out, picks it no and brings it in nicely, and everybody, in- 

 cluding the judges, are delighted. That settles that dog; he 

 is a fine retriever. I do not want yon to feel I am hard on 

 the handlers, but I will wager any amount there is not a 

 professional handling dogs to-day that any set of judges 

 could get to kill another bird for this same dog during the 

 balance of the race. Why should he? His dog went out nicely 

 and picked up a bird that was lying in plain sight, and made 

 a good retrieve, he has nothing more to gain, and if he kills 

 luck might be against him this time, and the dog fail com- 

 pletely; the good retriever of this brace might not get another 

 opportunity, and consequently he has lost to a lucky dog. 



There are other reasons why I believe retrieving should be 

 done away with at field trials. Among them is this: A field 

 trial competition cannot possibly be rated as an ordinary 

 day's shooting; it cannot be conducted as one, and the dogs 

 cannot be bandied in the same manner and give satisfaction 

 to the people who pay out their money to run their dogs, or 

 to the people who attend the trials as spectators. A field 

 trial is a contest from start to finish, and every person there 

 is eager to see the winners, consequently they do not want- 

 any delay, they want to see the dogs go, and a little hitch in 

 the programme causes unpleasant feelings and dissatisfac- 

 tion, and retrieving causes delay. 



After running the Derby, where no retrieving is required, 

 then comes the All-Aged class; the change is marked, and 

 every person seems uneasy, as though they felt that re- 

 trieving was an unnecessary delay without any benefit. 



Personally, I could submit to any delay, providing I could 

 see where retrieving assisted in arriving at a positive con 

 elusion as to which was the best dog in a race, but I can- 

 not; I can only feel that it complicates matters and is of no 

 conseqence. 



A field trial dog is standing there alone, and as long as he 

 is used for that purpose you cannot make him a sportsman's 

 shooting dog; be must be fitted for the purpose, and kept 

 there like a racehorse or trotter. After he has finished at 

 field trials he can then be brought down to a sportsman's 

 shooting dog; and if he is a first-class field trial dog, with 

 good management he will make a sportsman happy, and 

 can be taught to retrieve. N. Walla*: e. 



Savannah. Ga., April 9i 



Editor Forest Ojtid Stream: 



Mr. B. Waters, the most able writer "this side of the 

 equator" on field work, says that the position held and set 

 forth by me is also held by a large number of sportsmen 

 throughout this country, but thinks the illustrations that I 

 selected were unfortunate ones. Perhaps so; certainly just 

 as unfortunate as to say that the younger associations that 

 have been organized by gentlemen of experience and ability 

 are "too impulsive" and "retard progress." I know that 

 many Smiths and Joneses have attempted to lead in what 

 they deemed great undertakings and have failed, but the 

 Smith and Jones that I referred to did not fail, although 

 they were scoffed at by the all powerful associations, cliques 

 and dogmas of their day, but became the most glorious, 

 enlightening and progressive of all movements in the known 

 world. So do not denounce my illustrations, for some of 

 these younger field trial associations may yet bring out 

 something good enough to educate even the old Southern 

 field trial clubs of renown whether they are good or evil. 

 Now there is but little use in our arguing about these mat- 

 ters even though I had the ability to cross foils with you, 

 for you now seem to take the ground unq ualifuidly, that it's 

 an entirely different business, principle and purpose, to 

 work a dog in a public field trial from working a dog in the 

 usual way sportsmen use them, when following their incli- 

 nations to go afield for a day's pastime in search of health 

 and a few birds. If the object of the field trials is not to 

 teach the lover of the dog of the best breed or strain for the 

 work that he is intended to perform, then I for one don't 

 know anything about them. I used to read your writings 

 with much pleasure and admiration for you, when you gave 

 us so much of the practical good common sense. No longer 

 ago than Feb. 11 1 read the following from you. Let ns read 

 it again; it's grand: 



"Now, 1 am engaged in training dogs, and consequently have to 

 suffer to a certain extent for many of the foolish decisions rend- 

 ered heretofore. The dogs who have won because the judge said 

 so. and many times have exhibited qualities undesirable in a dog 

 intended for breeding purposes, have on the strength of their 

 record been extensively bred to; and consequently the market is 

 flooded with a lot of pedigreed curs with a field trial record as 

 long as your arm. 



"My candid opinion is that the qualities most essential in a 

 held dog cannot be exhibited until that dog is trained for the pur- 

 pose for which he is intended: for this -reason there should be 

 strict rules defining the term 'training,' and no dog should be 

 eligible for a place until he is trained. Some people think that 

 some of the rank brutes, that are now ranked as 'high class,' can 

 be broken and still show the brilliant work exhibited by bolters 

 and chasers. Some of them, perhaps, can be placed under con- 

 trol. Possibly so— if so, make the trainers do it or keep them in 

 their kennels. Their disposition will not admit of it. As long as 

 they can have their own way they are 'brilliant, 1 but when they 

 are crossed they quit the game and become 'plug shooting dogs.' 



"Now, I am an admirer of great speed, dash, style, and every 

 other desirable quality in a field dog, but I want »11 of these qual- 

 ities under control; and I am positive that field trials are the 

 proper places to prove tbat such qualities are under control. 1 

 oelieve that you and I fully agree on the technical terms in com- 

 mon use. I believe that pointing is a voluntary act, and backing 

 identical lo it A dog that drops on his belly in either act is not 

 assuming a pointing attitude. He drops all right, but what pi oof 

 have we that he drops at scent or sight, or through fear of being 

 knocked down with a club. 



"This same rule applies to steadiness. I believe the act should 

 result from previous trainine rather than a bat with a club or a 

 loud yell at every occurrence. In short, I believe a field trial 

 should be a place to exhibit the manner of handling trained dogs 

 rather than the exhibition of dog training." 



There 1 s no question but that better training should be insisted 

 upon at field trials; not that it should have any competitive value, 

 but that the dogs cannot exhibit properly their abilities or com- 

 pete in a fair manner without. 



It is also true that many dogs will work with great dash aod 

 earnes ness while working to suit their own inclination, but if 

 Under the restraints necessary in working to the gun they become 

 indifferent or partially so and sink to the very ordinary. Many 

 of the dogs which apparently do not "train on" in their second 

 or later years are generally of this kind. It is not that they do not 

 train on so much as that they were never trained or not broken in 

 their first working year or were very imperfectly broken, and in 

 their second or later years, when the training is more thorough, 

 the dog, being unable to indulge his hunting inclination to his 

 own selfish purposes, drops from the grade designated by that 

 mucb-abu=ed and perverted term "high class" to the level of the 

 mediocre. 



By some inexplicable growth in field trial sentiment, a dog with 

 a lively set of legs, and powers to gallop long stretches here and 

 ther p , is almost certain to be foisted on the sporting public, if 

 possible, as a high-class dog. He may be hard-headed, a blunderer 

 an his birds, a self-hunter in part,, erratic in disposition or flighty 

 in head, and fvith poor judgment. In his work and per Cent t 'Ji§o- 



