43 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[A:m. 6, 1891. 



ALONG THE NORTH SHORE AND TO 

 ISLE ROYAL.-I. 



WE had talked about making the trip for two years. 

 "Sometime," we said, " we'll go after trout on the 

 North Shore." May of this year proved to be the time. 

 On the second Thursday in the jnonth Stephens said to 

 me as he sat at breakfast: "One week from to-day we 

 must be on our way to Grand Marais," that being the 

 point we had decided' to go to and explore along the coast 

 each way. "All right," I answered, and at once we began 

 to prepare and plan. The greatest pleasure of my life is 

 to get off on a trip with Stephens. He is such a grand, 

 large-hearted fellow, and withal so faithful a friend, that 

 from every trip we take together I come home respecting 

 and liking him better than ever. 



Wednesday evening, May 27, found us ready to start, 

 each was suffering from a severe cold, all of our friends 

 tried to dissuade us from going. "You both will die 

 while away or come home to die," they said. We laughed 

 and boarded the train. A run of 310 miles brought us to 

 Duluth Thursday morning at 8:15. After breakfast a 

 sharp walk took us to Booth & Co.'a packing house. 

 "Does your boat, the Dixon, go out this morning?" 

 "It does." 

 "At what time?" 

 "Ten o'clock." 

 "Where is the captain?" 

 "Right at your elbow." 



"Captain, can you give us any points as to where to go 

 on the North Shore for trout?" 



"Don't go to Gt-and Mai'ais; all the good places near 

 there are preserved. Go to Grand Portage or Isle Royal." 



We looked at each other and finally concluded to talk 

 the matter over and decide after we were on the boat. 

 We went aboard and were soon steaming away from 

 Duluth. The day was simply perfect, not a cloud, no 

 wind, no fog or haze. The view as we steamed down the 

 lake was grand. Every rod of the ground after we left 

 Duluth was new to us. There were some people on board 

 who lived at various places between Duluth and Grand 

 Portage. These the captain brought to us one after an- 

 other to give us pointers, the sum of which was, "Don't 

 go to Grand Marais, everything is preserved tliere. Don't 

 go to the Brule, no trout there, only very small ones." 

 Yet we learned that a party would leave Duluth that 

 evening for Baptism River, where they would fish Friday 

 and then run on down to the Brule and fish Saturday. 

 We passed the Pickett, a steam yacht owned by some 

 members of the Baptism River Club, at Silver Creek, 

 with a fishing party aboard that were stopping at and 

 fishing every creek and river that they came to, "Don't 

 go here; don't go there" was the advice given, and to 

 crown all every one said, "You are too early." At length 

 we decided to get off at Chicago Bay, fish a little stream 

 which came into it, coast from there to Grand Portage 

 fishing every stream that we came to, and go from Grand 

 Portage over to Isle Royal on the next trip of the steamer. 

 "The streams on Isle Royal are full of trout," was the tes- 

 timony given by every one that we questioned. 



H-ilf-past eleven that evening found us climbing over 

 the side of the Dixon into a small boat, which carried us 

 and our traps to the shore. The son of the boatman con- 

 ducted us to the house, where we made a bed on the 

 kitchen floor and were soon fast asleep. Soon after day- 

 light we were astir. As soon as dressed we went down to 

 the beach, unrolled our Acme canvas boat, set it up, 

 stowed in our bedding, mess chest, tent and ourselves, 

 and pushed off into the waters of the bay. 'Twas a pretty 

 good load for a 14ft, Acme, but we had a great deal of 

 faith in the boat. One of the fishermen at the bay who 

 watched us set up the boat and pull off, as soon as he 

 could recover his breath exclaimed, "I never saw the like 

 of that in all my life!" 



We rowed across the bay, x>assed the mouth of the 

 stream that we had been told of, rounded a long point 

 and were out in the lake. Landing on a nice sandy beach, 

 we cooked and ate our breakfast, after which Stephens 

 said, "Now for the creek and trout for dinner." Away 

 we went. Our feeling cannot be described. 'Twas 

 our first outing for trout. As we went along up the pretty 

 little stream I felt as though I was about ten years old, 

 and so informed Stephens, only to be greeted with a sar- 

 castic fling — to the effect that he "hoped I would not get 

 any more immature than I was, or I'd be lost in green- 

 ness," It was a crusher, and the poetry all evaporated 

 from my life then and there. 



Up the stream we went casting in every likely pool 

 without success until we reached the falls, which are 

 found a short distance up on all the streams on the North 

 Shore, In the pool at the foot of the falls we had our 

 first rise, and soon six beautiful tro^^t were ours. 



"Enough for the present," said Stephens, so we re- 

 turned to the boat and shoving off proceeded down the 

 shore in search of another stream which we had been 

 told was about six miles down from the bay. This 

 stream we had planned to fish and go on to Reservation 

 River, where we would encamp for the night, going on 

 to Grand Portage next day. We had a most delightful 

 row, the scenery having those marked and peculiar 

 characteristics that make the North Shore so grandly 

 stern and savage. A little after noon we reached the 

 stream which we supposed was the one we wanted to 

 find. As we passed the mouth, making for a bit of 

 sand beach, on which to land and get dinner, I had a 

 strike but did not succeed in hooking the fish, I at once 

 cast again, another fierce rush was made, and I hooked 

 and brought in after a fierce struggle, a grand speckled 

 prize, a 3-pounder he proved to be. Stephens hurrahed 

 as he dropped the oars and dipped the beaten-out trout 

 up in the net. We were so elated that we could scarcely 

 eat dinner, although we had some of the trout caught in 

 the morning nicely fried, and most delicious they were 

 t'>o. 



As soon as we had eaten we hurried back to the mouth 

 of the stream and at his first cast Stephens caught and 

 finally landed another three-pounder. It was my turn 

 to hurrah for him, but just at that moment my Montreal 

 fly proved to be a fatal attraction to another of the gamy 

 beauties and I soon had a 2^1bs. trout added to our 

 trophies. Directly after Stephens hooked a large one, the 

 struggle was a long one, but at last the apparently ex- 

 hausted fish was brought nearly within reach when he 

 suddenly concluded to say "good-bye," and with a 

 triumphant wave of his tail turned lakeward, leaving an 

 empty hook to come in. It was a severe disappointment, 

 the mote so as the escaped fish must have spread the 



alarm, for not another one could we prevail upoii to rise. 

 We made many casts but all in vain. At length we 

 started up the stream. We could have filled our boat 

 here with ti'out 8, 10 and 12in. long, but we had no use 

 for them, so we contented ourselves with making a cast 

 here and there to see the quick dash for the hook and in 

 admiring the beauty of the stream. About 4 o'clock we 

 started onward down the shore, looking for Reservation 

 River and our camping place for night. There was quite 

 a stiff head wind and we thought and said that if all 

 doubters as to the utility of canvas boats could see the 

 Acme and the way she b&haved they would each at once 

 invest in one. Night came drawing on, still no sign of 

 our river. 



The question of vrhere to camp must soon be decided. 

 The shore was so rocky and forbidding that we did not 

 like the idea of attempting to land after dark. At length 

 rounding a j)oint we saw a little bay with a beautiful red 

 gravel beach, and dividing the beach nearly in the center 

 was a great mass of red rock that rose straight up from 

 the water 30 or 40ft. A few feet above the beach was a 

 pai'k-like place, nearly level, carpeted with moss, and low 

 huckleberry bushes, with scattered spruce trees here and 

 there. It was very beautiful. We learned afterward 

 that it was Red Rock, a famous camping place for In- 

 dians and others. Indications of former campers were 

 found everywhere. Spring seemed to have just come, 

 some of the trees were just opening their leaves, on others 

 the buds were jiist swelling. The huckleberry bushes 

 were just budding to blossom. From where we pitched 

 our tent the outlook was superb. There were several 

 empty barrels lying around on the beach, at which we 

 wondered until we learned later that the long point a 

 little further down the lake was Red Rock Point, where 

 last fall the Dixon jumped clear over one reef, landed 

 square on another with her bow against the rocks on 

 shore, and to lighten her a hundred barrels of salt were 

 thrown overboard. We had a grand trout supper and had 

 just gone to bed when the waves commenced to roll in on 

 the. shore with great force, although it was still and clear 

 where we were. Stephens jumped up and ran down to 

 the boat and pulled it up higher, and to make more secure 

 the fish we had fastened out. In the morning a heavy 

 sea was running and it looked doubtful about our getting 

 out. While I was getting breakfast Stephens climbed 

 to the top of Red Rock and took a survey of the 

 scene. 



After breakfast we attempted to get off, but the waves 

 were running too hard, as we found when a big wave 

 completely filled our boat with water. We hauled it up, 

 took our dunnage out, emptied out the water, carried the 

 boat up the bluff and around to the sheltered side of Red 

 Rock, where we loaded up and succeeded in getting out. 

 AS we rounded the point into the main lake we found a 

 stiff breeze blowing and a very heavy sea running. The 

 little Acme, loaded as it was, seemed a very frail thing 

 to brave Superior in; but on we went, running under the 

 shelter of a rocky point once, where Stephens held the 

 boat while I went to examine a creek which came in 

 near by. No trout would rise, so on we went, the storm 

 getting worse, the seas heavier. We concluded that w^e 

 had better land if possible. No place was seen, however, 

 where we thought our frail boat could be run in. Rocks 

 and dashing waves everywhere. Ahead we saw a great 

 rock jutting out from the shore. We made for it, think- 

 ing we might land under the shelter of it. Just then an 

 accident happened that, only for Stephens's presence of 

 mind, might have proved serious enough. One of the 

 oars snapped at the rowlock. Stephens, with rare 

 presence of mind, caught the part of the oar with the 

 blade on before it slipped away, put it in the rowlock 

 and commenced to battle with wind and wave with an 

 oar and a half. Not a muscle of Stephens's face changed, 

 although for a brief while it seemed as though we should 

 be driven back on the savage Red Rock Point, over which 

 the waves were dashing in great fury. Stephens has 

 heroic material in his makeup, I never admired the 

 strength and courage of any man as I did his during the 

 next twenty minutes, 



A landing was now a necessity, or probably a death in 

 Lake Superior, We made directly for the big rock. As 

 we approached our supposed refuge we were surprised to 

 see foam-capped waves flying high on the side where 

 there should have been comparatively calm water. We 

 soon saw the reason. The rock was ttmneled clear 

 through in two places, and the waves were coming through 

 with a boom and crash like a cannonade. But land we 

 must, so, watching the waves, we Avent in on a big 

 comber. I sprang for the shore as the wave broke and 

 pulled the boat as far as I could. Stephens sprang out, 

 and we were high and dry before the next wave came in. 

 Not a thing in the boat was wet. Just before we run in 

 we had noticed a little stream coming into the lake, or 

 rather we noticed the color given the water by the stream, 

 for the mouth was completely hidden by the breakers. 

 After making everything secure, we set off to tiy the 

 stream, saying, "We'd make a new oar after dinner," 

 We found the stream alive with trout. There seemed to 

 be no limit to the number possible to take, and such 

 beauties — so grandly and richly marked. I held several 

 in my hands admiring them as I would a rare jewel— such, 

 indeed, they were. We took thirty-five and then went 

 back to the boat, prepared and ate dinner. 



After dinner StejDhena made a new oar, and then we 

 tried to get oft', but the only result was Stephens was 

 thoroughly wetted , the boat filled with water and thrown 

 back upoii the shore like an egg shell. We gave up all 

 hope of finding our long-looked for river or reaching 

 Grand Portage that night. We went up on Tunnel Rock 

 and in a cleft which was icy cold and over which the 

 spray dashed, Stephens made what we called a "cellar" 

 in which he ptit the trout we had, thinking to send them 

 up by the steamer Monday. After watching the waves 

 and speculating as to the continuance of the storm, we 

 went after trout again. We went tip to the falls and 

 came dowm, keeping only the finest fi«h, of which we 

 had fifteen when we reached the mouth of the creek. 

 The next thing was to put up our tent and get supper. 

 Our plan for spending the next day at Grand Portage 

 had fallen through it seemed. The point where we were 

 was a "brule," no spruce boughs for a bed that night; 

 but the moss was thick and deep, and we made a very 

 comfortable bed, and laid down hoping for a calm on the 

 morrow. I was awakened several times during the night 

 by the roar of the breakers on the rocks and the boom, 

 of water through the tunnels of the big rock. 

 Detroit City, Mlmn. Myron Cooley, 



KENTUCKY NOTES. 



THE annual meeting of the Kentucky Fish and Game 

 Club was held Thursday evening. The club is now 

 entering on its third year with brighter prospects than 

 ever. The following officers were elected; President, 

 Maj. J. Fry Lawrence; Vice-President, Dr, J. B. Alex- 

 ander; Secretary. Mr. H. C. Farsman; Treasurer, Capt. 

 John Fowler. Directors, Capt. G. G, Berry, Guy C. Sib- 

 ley, Leonard Huber, J, G. A, B >yd and W. O. Bonnie. 



Several new names were added to the membership, 

 which now exceeds seven hundred. 



A number of communications regarding dynamiting of 

 fish and other violations of the laws were read. These 

 were refefred to the board of directors, who will look the 

 offenses up and attend to the prosecutions. 



The new constitution, which is to be placed before the 

 people for adoption next month, means much for the club 

 if it is approved. It provides that all laws shall be 

 general laws. The present instrument allows any county 

 or counties to be exempt from any enactment, and the 

 result is that when a law for the benefit of game or fish 

 Is passed every county asks to be left out. This is why 

 the club has had so much difficulty in getting a good 

 iaw. 



By reason of the provision of the old constitution the 

 open season is hardly the same in any two counties, and 

 some have no close season at all. The aim of the club at 

 the coming session of the Legislature will be to remedy 

 this if it can be done. The members of both houses will 

 be written to before the Legislature convenes and the pro- 

 posed measures will be plainly set forth. Hardly a State 

 in the Union has laws so lax. 



I am in receipt of a diagram of a large salmon caught 

 at Rock Castle Springs, July 6. The weight, according 

 to the information on the sheet on which the picture is 

 drawn, is O^lbs., and the length 29tn. It was caught by 

 Mr. Benjamin Letcher, of New Y'ork, on a split-bamboo 

 rod weighing lOoz., with a No. 0 Sproat bass hook baited 

 with a chub minnow. The witnesses were Mr. W, H, 

 Riker, of Harrodsburg, Ky,, and Maj. Weller, of Balti- 

 more, Md. The catch for the day was 271b3. 



Bass fishing is opening up in the streams within a day's 

 ride of Louisville, and the resorts are being sought. A 

 telegram from Green River, at Spottsville, Saturday, in- 

 forms me that there is plenty of sport. 



Major J. Fry Lawrence, Capt. John Fowler and other 

 prominent anglers, are organizing a club to erect a hunt- 

 ing and fishing lodge at Falls of Rough, where all kinds 

 of sport abounds in season. The dub house will proba- 

 bly be erected in time for the fall sport. 



A committee from the Kentucky Fish and Game Club 

 will shortly visit Washington and see if Fish Commis- 

 sioner McDonald will not furnish four or five csiloads of 

 game fish for the depleted streams. This movement has 

 been urged from all over the State, and will be the open- 

 ing wedge to incur the good feeling of those who are now 

 opposing the game law movement. D. A. Let. 



Louisville, Jnly 20. 



FISHING IN LITTLE RIVER. 



THE first of last November our hunting party con- 

 cluded they would take their annual outing this 

 time on Little River, Pemiscot county, Mo, We found 

 plenty of deer and small game, and very good duck 

 shooting is generally to be had there. 



Little River is a very clear stream with moss-covered 

 bottom, and is full of fine fish. The fish we caught 

 ranged from 2 to 71bs. It was no trouble at all to catch 

 all you wanted. I would catch enough in a very short 

 time to sujoply the camp for the day; they rose eagerly 

 to the fly. I also caught a good manv with the spoon; 

 they seemed to bite at anything. I don't see how any 

 stream could beat it, and I don't think the stream is 

 fished a great deal. 



If any of your readers are in reach of that stream, and 

 want some royal sport with the green-sided beauties, that 

 is certainly a fine place to go, and 1 have no doubt but 

 some of them have tried it, as it is very easily reached 

 from St, Louis, But they must go prepared to camp, as 

 there are no hotels, club houses nor settlers to speak of 

 in that immediate neighborhood. To go on a trip and 

 not camp out robs one of half the sport; and if he is 

 going to roam those woods much he will find that a good 

 compass is needed, as one of our party will testify to. He 

 left our camp one morning to do a little exploring by 

 himself, and forgot his compass. He managed to get 

 back in time for supper, but it was the next day. 



We spent four weeks in camp, and I never enjoyed 

 anything more. Came back home feeling like a new 

 man, and am now longing for the time to come to go 

 again. B. 



GRAYLING OR WHITEFISH? 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Being interested in all things pertaining to fish and 

 fishing in the Eocky Mountains, I have read with pleas- 

 ure the recent items in your paper relating to grayling. 



lam confident that the fish described by "Big Horn" 

 are not grayling, for two i-easons: First, there are no gray- 

 ling in the Yellowstone River or its tributaries so far as 

 I can learn from old fishermen. Secondly, the habits of 

 the fish described, as lying sluggish with heads up stream, 

 so aptly describes the whitefish of the Western streams 

 that there is little room to doubt the kind of fish referred 

 to. 



So far as my knowledge of grayling goes (I've only 

 fished for them parts of four seasons) they do not deport 

 themselves as described by "Big Horn," and as a great 

 many people call our whitefish of the Yellowstone gray- 

 ling, coupled with the further fact that there is a similar- 

 ity between the two fishes, I strongly believe that "Big 

 Horn's" grayling are whitefish. 



The Gallatin, one of the forks of the Missouri, about 

 thirty miles from here, has abundance of grayling and 

 whitefish both, and I had some very nice grayling fishing 

 on the Gallatin the past spring, and when I next go over 

 I will send you specimens of both fish. Livingston. 



LmNQSTON, Mf-nt. 



Boston has heard of the superb fishing near New York 

 and sends out a steamer, named New York, daily on fish- 

 ing trips to the mouth of the Merrimac, the South Shore, 

 Isles of Shoals, North Shore and Boston Bay with music, 

 prizes for the largest fish and all the modern accompani- 

 ments for a delightful excursion. 



