AUG. 13, 1891.] 



FOREST ANt) STREAMS 



67 



Alexandria Bay. whose dnty it stall he. to solicit, subscriptions of 

 money from nil persons visitipg the Tplands and from residents, 

 snch subfcriptioDS tn he paid into th^ hands of said cotnmittee, or 

 to R. P. Grant at Clayton. W. H. Thompson or A.C.Cornwall, 

 Alpxandria Bay, for the purposfi of creating a fund to be used m 

 enforcing the lawa for the protc-ction of fish in this county. All 

 funds f^o eoilected shall belong? to ilie Anglers' Association and be 

 paid to the treaburer. 



The chair appointed as sucli committee to solicit furda 

 for the furtherance of the objects of the Association W. 

 P. E^terbroob, Thos. J. O Donohoe, Cape Vincent; E. P. 

 Grant, G- M Skinner, CJaytoB; Anson Sweet, Dayid 

 Stevens, Thousand Island Park; R, S. Moselev, H. R. 

 Heath, Alexandria Bay: F. H. Taylor, H. Van Wageuen, 

 Round Island Park; Hamilton Child. Grand View Park; 

 H. F. Inglehart, Central Park and Westminster. 



This paper was beaded by H. H. Warner witb a sub- 

 Bcription of $lOO, C, G. Emery followed suit with an- 

 other Iraudn-^d, W. P. E^terbrook subscribed $25. Walter 

 Fox $30. tV. C. Cornwall $25. W. H. Thompson $20, J. A. 

 Davis $10, Wellington M. Willix $10, E. L. Sargent $10, 

 Geo A. Strough $10. R. L. Moseley $5. 



Sixty-three new names for membership were nroposed 

 and accepted. Tlie association now numbers 381 mem- 

 bers. 



The usual annual excursion of the Anglers' Association 

 will not be made this year. 



In proof of the asscciation's good work Mr. Warner 

 citpd the fact that never before were there so many bass 

 of less than a pound weight. He made an eloquent ad- 

 dress on the subject of further protection of the game 

 fish, and advocated the employment of a patrol boat in 

 the waters of J( fferson county,' which includes the lake 

 shore as well as the river. He had been coming to the 

 islands for nineteen years, and had seen the almost total 

 annihilation of the wall-eyed pike in these waters. That 

 excellent food fish as well as the whitf lish and lake trout 

 had all but disappeared from Lake Ontario, and but for 

 the efforts of th s association the black bass and pickerel 

 would likewise have been netted out of existence. He 

 wanted it understood that violators of the game laws 

 would be followed to the end of all law. No case would 

 rest with defeat iu Jefferson county, or Supreme Court. 

 The Anglers' Association would carry every case to the 

 United States Supreme Court, if necessary, to win a 

 victory. No resident of, or visitor to, the Thousand 

 Islands need be ashamed to solicit funds for the further- 

 ance of the objects of this association. And all who par- 

 ticipate in the sport made possible by the united ffforts 

 of the members i-hould feel that they are contributing to 

 their individual pleasure when contributing to the cause. 



Wf dnesday was the anplers' day on the river, says Oil 

 the St. Lawrence, of Aug. 7, and well can they ft el proud 

 of their achievements, not for success in tempting the 

 finny tribe but for capturing the nets of illegal fishermen 

 who gobble up the gamy fish of the St. Lawrence River 

 and destroy the sport of fishing among the Thousand 

 Islands. As the private steam yacht Siesta, owned by H. 

 H. Warner, of Rochester, approached the bay at 11 

 o'clock Wednesday evening she was bubbling over with 

 joy, and the peculiar toots of its rich-toned whistle 

 aroused the villagers and visitors thereabouts and told 

 them that something unusual had happened. The Siesta 

 tied up at Cornwall's dock and its owner with several 

 fi lends went ashore to witness the burning of thirteen 

 nets that the Siesta had captured near Fox Island. It 

 seems that the Siesta, after leaving Mr. Warner at Clay- 

 ton to attend the meeting of the Anglers' Association, 

 bad received orders to continue up the river as far 

 as Cape Vinceut and watch f-<Y nets. State Game Pro- 

 tector Pond, of Malone, and Joseph Northrup, of Alex- 

 andria B^y, the game protector in this district, were 

 aboard. They went to Cape Vincent and steamed 

 about the lake in the vicinity of Fox Island. They 

 grappled for nets and were astonished to find th«m 

 so numerous in that locality. C pt. J. A, Davis, of the 

 Siesta, espied a sailing boat off Fox I-land, and with the 

 aid of a field glass he could see the occupants of the sail- 

 boat pulling in their nets and making for the shore. A 

 small boat was lowered from the Siesta and the game 

 protectors started for the sailboat. When they reached 

 the boat they found it overloaded with nets, in one of 

 which were ov^r 500 black bass. The men in the sailboat 

 were Fred and Edwa,rd Barber. The latter made a desperate 

 effort to turn the officers away. He struck at Game Pro- 

 tector Northrup with a hatchet, but was finally over- 

 powered, handcuffed and taken aboard the Siesta, which 

 conveyed them to Cape Vmcent, where they were ar- 

 arraig'ned before .Justice of the Peace Borland and the 

 examination was set down for August 19, the prisoners 

 being released on their own recogniz ince. The yacht, with 

 her thirteen captured nets, then steamed away for Clay- 

 ton, where H. 13. Warner ^^-as taken aboard, and then it 

 went direct to Alexandria Bay. The nets were thrown 

 upon the dock, and at midnight were piled up in front of 

 the Marsden House and set afire. At least property to 

 the value of $300 was destroyed in this way. Game fish 

 of all kinds were caught iu these nets. 



MINNESOTA BASS. 



DULUTH, Minn., Aug*. 4. — I returned a few days ago 

 from my second fishing trip of the season and a 

 short note may not come amiss to future fishers. On the 

 first trip I could only stay one day and decided to try a 

 small lake three miles south of Aitkin, on the N. P. R. 

 R., and hunting up a former companion we reached the 

 lake about noon and at 3 o'clock commenced fishing. 

 Black bass and rock bass took the bait as fast as it reached 

 the water and at 8 o'clock we went ashore and counted 

 our string and found we had 115 fish, nearly all hlack 

 bass. The bass are very g^my and make a good fight, 

 but this country is not a good one for fly-fishers. The fish 

 will not rise to the fly but take frogs, minnows and 

 worms at any hour of the day uutii late in the evening. 

 The country here is full of small lakes and there is, un- 

 doubtedly, finer bass fishing here than at any other point 

 in the country east of the Mississippi. Our catch was 

 considerably over the average, but it is nothing out of 

 the common to take 20 or more bass, weighing from 2^ 

 to 51bs. a piece, at this lake any morning or evening. A 

 party of nine of us were out last month at a lake 20 miles 

 north of A^itkin and enjoyed a week of the finest kind of 

 sport. The bass were all very large, from 3 to 5lbs. each, 

 and fought nobly against coming in out of the wet. I 

 must not write any more at present and will save the 

 account of our happenings for som° future timf, 



EDWAED J. LUTHBR. 



THE ILLINOIS RIVER FISHING. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Nature has bestowed an abundance of beauty upon the 

 Illinois River. The stream wends its way in a westerly 

 direction, bearing to the south, between high bluffs on 

 either side which rise in somo instances out of the water's 

 edges to a height of nearly 150ft. These bluffs are studded 

 with native pines, besides other forest trees, which give a 

 most pleasing appearance to the country to those seeking 

 a pleasure trip. The river is navigable for boats from this 

 point to its mouth, and boats ply the water from here to 

 Peoria, a distance of 73 miles, and return daily. The 

 valley proper is from one to three miles wide, that is 

 above Peoria. Along the valley there are many lakps or 

 canons which abound witb fish of all kinds, especially 

 those known in the northern Illinois waters; black bass 

 and pickerel predominating. 



This river is the home of the fishermen. The lakes and 

 bayous along the stream are their fishing grounds, not 

 exclusively, however, but generally. These are the places 

 where illegal fishing has been going on for years past un- 

 restricted until this season, when an attenipt has been 

 made to bring the violators to justice. During the past 

 six months a large number of violators of the fish laws 

 have come to grief through my vigilance and persistence 

 to punish the "offenders, regardless of who they may be. 

 The outcome of the work done has thoroughly stirred up 

 not only the fishermen, but those sportsmen who delight 

 in taking a day off from .business and spending a few 

 hours along the banks catching fine strings of fish. The 

 former know not at what time fo place their illegal nets 

 in the water, for fear of being caught in the act and given 

 a heavy fine for their indiscretion. Of the latter, their 

 words of approbation is sufficient evidence of their ap- 

 preciation of the work so far done by myself. 



There is one place on this river which I think worthy of 

 mention, and that is what is known all along the river as 

 Senachwine Lake. At this place illegal fishing has been 

 persisted in despite all that cotild be done by the local 

 authorities and the gun and rod clubs along the river. 

 This lake is about five miles in length, opening into the 

 river, and has always been the home of the fishermen. 

 This is a clear sheet of water on the west side of the river, 

 and has a fine gravel bottom in the larger part of the lake. 

 It is supplied by many cool springs of fresh water which 

 flow from the bluffs on the west into it, and near the ex- 

 treme upper end a small stream or creek empties its con- 

 tents therein. This makes it a favorable place for fish to 

 spawn. The west bank of this lake rises rather abruptly 

 out of the water, while on the opposite side the land is 

 low and swampy. Here can be found in immense quan- 

 tities the yellow and white pond lilies, and a larger and 

 tnore beautiful species of water plant called the lotus. At 

 this season of the year this is a grand spot, both for fish- 

 ing and scenery. 



There is a fine large three-story hotel near the upper 

 end of the lake, called the Undercliffe Hotel. It is loca- 

 ted on the most pleasant portion of the lake, with a clean 

 gravel beach lying to the front and with fine forest trees 

 surrounding the whole. This hotel is magnificently fur- 

 nished in thelinterior, and is under the management of a 

 Mr. Lincoln, whom one will find a very accommodating, 

 agreeable and genial host, and one who takes a great 

 pride in having everything to suit the wants of his guests. 

 This hotel is easily reached from the Peoria branch of the 

 C, R. I. & P. Railway, which has a station one- half mile 

 from the Undercliffe and called Putnam. 



Illegal fishing has been carried on in this lake to a 

 great extent, and numerous persons had been coming to 

 me and entering complaints of violations and requesting 

 my assistance in the matter. These illegalities were 

 done by large gangs of fishermen who had repeatedly 

 defied all the authorities, and it proved a tedious task 

 and one full of risks to gain sufficient evidence te convict 

 them. To remove all the obstacles in this instance a man 

 acting under my instructions and supervision — ^in the 

 capacity of deputy fish warden — was sent to the lake to 

 collect such evidence as he could. While there he saw 

 enough to justify him in sending word to me, and I im- 

 mediately went down to the lake. This was on July 28 

 ju-t past. While there I saw two gangs of men com- 

 mence illegal seining. One party of nine men worked a 

 seine GSOyds. in length, 200yds. of which was of illegal 

 mesh, being l^in. only, C501b?. of fish were taken with 

 this seine at one haul. The other gang, of five men, on 

 the opposite side of the lake were using a seine 320yd8. 

 in length, all of which was of liin. mesh. They were 

 taking out with these seines very small sunfish and bass, 

 too small to catch witli a spoon hook. These foiu'teen 

 men were arrested on the sj)ot and taken by myself and 

 deputy to Hennepin, III., where they were fined. The 

 aggregate of the fines was $116.85, which was paid, A 

 good half day's work among defiant fishermen. 



One of the peculiarities of the case is the fact that the 

 Woods broth*^rs are in charge of the S wan Lake Club 

 House for a Chicago sporting club — the very fellows who 

 are always shrinking for the enforcement of the laws for 

 the protection of game and fish. But this seems to be a 

 general rule (with but few exceptions). The men who call 

 themselves ''sportsmen" and declaim the loudest about 

 enforcing the game laws are the very men who do the 

 unlawful shooting and fishing. These club house ownert- 

 are the greatest source of trouble to the fish wardens, as 

 they, being the proprietors of the house and lease or own 

 the land and water, lay claim to their rights to do as they 

 please, regardless of the State laws. They have money 

 to back them in their acts, and it is a hard matter for the 

 authorities to make successful prosecutions. But soone) 

 or later, I, for one, would be pleased to learn of the cap- 

 ture and punishment of these fraudulent sportsmen. (?) 



Since making this raid on the representatives or man 

 agCTs of this club, I have been requested to extend my 

 territory further down the river, by parties who are now. 

 and have for years past been doing all that lav in their 

 power to put a stop to the illegal fishing, and who have 

 been thus far unsuccessful in their efforts. Many letters 

 of encouragement are now being received from thesf 

 gentlemen, who assure they will lend any assistance I 

 may need to collect evidence in similar and other cases. 



Some few weeks ago Mr. G. E. Cole, i^resident r" 

 Fox River and Kankakee River associations, w-^' in La 

 Salle in company with Mr, Bartlett and Fish Warden 

 Beech, of Elgin, on the steamer Lotus. In ccnvtrfcation 

 with Mr. Cole, he was anxious that an as30ciati> n for the 

 protection of the fish be formed here, and gave the assur- 

 ance that he would leiwi all the assistauQe in his power to 



further such a scheme. He stated that when the citizens 

 became interested in the movement then was the proper 

 time to act. Since making this big haul of "suckers" — 

 almost single-handed— a large number of gentlemen of 

 this city, Peru and others along the river have become 

 enthusiastic in the matter and wish an organization per- 

 fected as soon as possible. There have been over thirty 

 of these gentlemen who have signified their intentions to 

 become active members and to do all in their power to 

 organize. Mr. Cole has been written to for a copy of the 

 constitution and by-laws of the Fox River Association, 

 which are considered standard. It has been suggested 

 that the proposed association be called the Illinois Valley 

 Game and Fish Protective Association. Mr. Cole will, no 

 doidjt, be greatly pleased to know that his advice has 

 been made use of, and that his suggestions have borne 

 good fruit in the establishment of an association, and 

 one that will redeem itself in the pledges taken by the 

 honorable gentlemen who shall comprise it. More will 

 be written of the association as soon as more progress is 

 made. M. D, Green, Fish Warden. 



La Salle, III., Aug. 3. 



BOSTON MEN IN MAINE. 



AMONG the Boston vacationists who have taken rod 

 and line along with them may be mentioned Mr. S. 

 C. Proctor, salesman in the hardware store of A. J. Wil- 

 kinson & Co., and Mr. E. A. Wilson, with B S. & G. C. 

 Wilson. These gentlemen went to Paris, Me., chiefly 

 because it is the native town of Mr. Proctor. They did 

 not expect remarkable fishing, but were rather happily 

 disappointed. They tried Norway Lake one day for 

 black bass and caught one of 2ilb8"; but just as the sport 

 began to be good there arose a gale of mnd that ma^e 

 fishing impossiblp. Several nice strings of pickerel were 

 taken from the Little Androscoggin and several from 

 the vicinity of Suow's Falls. From this river at that 

 point Mr. O. W. Thayer took a pickerel weighing 4lbs. 

 one day when they were fishing the Little Androscoggin 

 below the falls. Mr. Proctor says that the idea prevails 

 in that section that the stocking of Bryant's Pond, the 

 source of the Little Androscoggin, with black bass has 

 driven the pickerel down into the river. At least they 

 are more abundant in the river since the bass have begun 

 to get big enough to fight their way in the pond above. 

 But over forty years ago, before the same pond was 

 stroked with pickerel at all, it was a famous trout pond. 

 Of latp years no trout are found there of any account. 



Mr. R. B. Foster, of the firm of Foster & Meeks, went 

 down to Providence the other day with a view of going 

 fishing for scup and tautog. He was invited by his son- 

 in-law, who has charge of a pleasure yacht there, to make 

 the trip. They went down on Saturday and had some 

 good fishing, till the weather interfered." They fully in- 

 tended to be back that night, but were becalmed and had 

 (o wait the turn of the tide, when they slowly began the 

 tedious process of drifting up the river and back to town. 

 They were all night long at it, or rather they got into 

 port about 3 o'clock A. M. 



S. J. Ellis, bookkeeper for Stearns &WinsIow, of Boston, 

 and Charles C. Morgan and W. S, Richardson, salesmen 

 of the same firm, went to Bath, Me., the other day. They 

 hired a boat, with the full intention of roughing it in the 

 bay and on the Androscoggin. They caught perch in 

 abundance, and other fish of that sort, when the weather 

 permitted. But the elements were so boisterous that they 

 could not get cut much of the lime, and after trying it 

 from Friday to Monday they gave up and came home. 

 They will try "roughing it" of that sort again only in fair 

 weather. 



The vacationists are leaning more than ever to rod and 

 line sports this year. A great many excursionists have 

 gone in to the Rangely Lakes over the new narrow gauge 

 railroad from Phillips to Rangeley, and the majority 

 of these excursionists have fishing rods with them. 

 In most instances their outfit is crude, but their expecta- 

 tions are large enough to balance the whole. They ex- 

 pect big trout from afew hours's fishing in August. They 

 have read the guidebooks and the Maine papers, but with 

 reading of trout fishing their practical experience ends. 

 Hence they are disappointed. They should be. The 

 good things of this life come onlv to those who are capa- 

 ble of earningthem, and such ability comes only through 

 experience. A party of four excursionists have been 

 fitted out in Boston for the Seven Ponds this week. They 

 have had no pr'^vious experience. They did not even 

 know where the Seven Ponds are located till inquiry was 

 made of the initialed. Will they have great sport? 



As ah-eady written for the Forest and Stream, I am 

 omch afraid that partridge shooting in Maine is to be 

 very poor this fall, I have made still further inquiries, 

 and the general replv is that the birds are not seen where 

 it would bo reasonable to expect to see them. Mr, John 

 Allen, of Newton, with the Stanley Dry Plate Co., has 

 been on a vacation to his old home in King field, Me. He 

 had some good sport on the trout streams, though he did 

 not succeed in getting any large trout, one pound being 

 about the largest of his catch in several days' fishing. He 

 saw no partridges in locations where he most expected to 

 see them. In fact, he saw none at all. A gentleman of 

 Boston, who has considerable correspondence with guides 

 in the vicinity of Upton, Me,, says that the older guides 

 write him that there are very few partridges this year in 

 the vicinity of Upton. On the other hand, the papers 

 that are trying hard to boom the Rangeley Lake region 

 say that partridges are unusually plenty this year. But 

 I have questioned a good many returned sportsmen, and 

 they say that they have seen fewer broods this year on 

 about the same trips as on former seasons. The quiet 

 theory among the guides and farmers is that the foxes 

 have destroyed the chicks. Foxes are unusually abund- 

 ant in Maine and New Hampshire, and are thought to be 

 rapidly increasing. The boom theory is that shooting is 

 to be great. 



Mrs. R. M. Bartleman, who has spent several seasons at 

 che Mountain View House, Rangeley Lake, has lately 

 ducce<-ded in landing a 5 -pound trout. This is that lady's 

 first big trout, though she has fished several seasons. 



Bears are unusually abundant in Maine. Mr. John 

 \Hen, mentioned above, says that the vicinity of King- 

 field is infested with them, much to the disgust of the 

 sheep farmers. SpeciaIi. 



Simpson — I wonder what kind of a line it is that Budkins 

 uses when he poes fishing. It always breaks just as be is 

 landing the "biggest eshyou ever saw," Sniffer— It's UOtll- 

 ing but "yaro. "—Petroit Free PrQS$, 



