118 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Aug. 11, 1893. 



"That reminds me." 



A Seneaquoteem (Idabo) correspondent sends us this 

 from the Pend d'Oreille News, It has the flavor of the 

 soil: 



Tom Murphy, W. P. Grainger and Harry Jackson are 

 Priest Lake prospectors. While up there the other day 

 and all the other bo7s having left camp to prospect, these 

 three started out, two with pick, shovel and goldpan, to 

 prospect for placer in a gulch near by, and the other, Mr. 

 Murphy, with a gun to try and kill some meat, as that 

 article was getting scarce in camp. 



They traveled together for some little distance, when 

 the party separated, Mr. Murphy keeping up toward the 

 head of the gulch and the other two going lower down. 

 They had been separated long enough for Murphy to cross 

 the gulch and get on the other side and only a few hun- 

 dred yards above the others when he was startled by a 

 loud drumming noise, which he couldn't understand at 

 the time, but which proved to be Grainger pounding on 

 the goldpan. Anyhow, Tom, naturally thinking it to be 

 a can of some kind although a new one on him, started 

 toward the noise. 



When about opposite the boys he saw Jackson up a tree 

 hanging on to a limb for dear life, and making the most 

 unearthly noise with his lungs possible, and Grainger 

 going up another tree at a rate that would lead one to 

 suppose he was no noviceat the business. Tom, on seeing 

 this peculiar performance, commenced to laugh, which it 

 appears was not so thoroughly enjoyed by the others, as 

 they commenced to swear at a 3:40 pace and wanted to 

 know why he didn't shoot. 



This brought the mirthful- disposed shootist to his senses, 

 and standing on a rock from which he could look over a 

 clump of brush he saw the cause of the boys' peculiar 

 conduct. It was a grizzy bear and a vicious looking bear, 

 too, for the dog had been running around and snapping 

 at him for some time, which made his bearship some- 

 what angry, for he would strike such ugly blows at the 

 dog that the force of them would tui-n him clear around. 

 While all this circus was going on between the dog and 

 the bear the boys were hanging in the trees, taking turns 

 and then together cursing Tom for not shooting. Appar- 

 ently an opportunity for a good shot presented itself, for 

 he raised the gun to his shoulder, carefully took aim and 

 as carefully lowered, the gun again. Just to show how 

 "cussed" a man can be, he innocently asked, "How much 

 longer can you fellows hold on?" This was more than their 

 wrought up feelings could stand, but their vocabulary 

 was entirely too limited for them to express their reply 

 in words— they just turned black in the face with rage. 



Tom then sobered down and took a shot at the bear, 

 which struck him, but not in a vital &j)ot. The bear 

 couldn't see Tom and consequently didn't know where 

 the shot came from. He blazed away again, the ball 

 striking home. On the second shot the bear saw where 

 it came from and made a bee line for the place. He only 

 made a few jumps, however, when he fell over, kicked 

 a few times and died. The boys came down • from their 

 uncomfortable positions, Tom came over from across the 

 gulch, they all helped skin the bear and went back to 

 camp. Mr. Murphy brought the hide down with him. 

 It's a beauty. 



The funniest part of the whole business was drumming 

 on the goldpan. It appears that Mr. Grainger had heard 

 some prospector tell about charming a bear by pounding 

 on a goldpan. The prospector was out trying some 

 diggings and had no shooting iron with him when he saw 

 a bear making for him. Not knowing what else to do he 

 commenced pounding on his pan. The bear first stopped, 

 looked awhile, then turned around and went away. 



Grainger remembered the story when he saw the bear 

 coming for them, and as neither of the boys had a gun 

 with them, he said to Jackson, "Watch me charm him." 



"Charm your mother-in-law," said Jackson, "I'm going 

 up a tree." 



Grainger kept pounding away on the pan and the bear 

 kept coming. When the bear got within an uncomfort- 

 ably close distance, Grainger started for a tree. At the 

 foot of the tree, however, he made a last effort to charm 

 the bear. Taking the pan and a stick he called out to 

 ' Jackson, "Now watch me charm him." 



"You fool, you'd better get up that tree, or the bear'll 

 charm you," was Jackson's reply, whereupon Grainger 

 started for the tree at the above-mentioned pace. 



Mr, Grainger has no faith in the bear-charming proc- 

 livities of a gold pan. 



77^6 Book of the Game liAWS has all fish and game latvs 

 of United States and Canada, Price 50 cents. 



ROD AND GUN AND CAMERA. 



As a recognition of the important place of amateur photography 

 in its relation to sports of the Held and prairie and mountain and 

 forest and stream, the Fohbsx and Steeam offers a series of 

 prizes for meritorious work with the camera. The conditions 

 under which these prizes will he glveu are in brief as here set 

 forth: 



There wDl he ten lirizes, as follows: First $35. Second $30 

 Third $16. Fourth $10. Six of $5 each. 



The competition will be open to amateurs only. 



The subjects must relate to Forest and Stbeam's field— game 

 and fish (alive or dead;, shooting and fishing, the camp, campers 

 and camp life, sportsman travel by land or water. 



There is no restriction as to the time when the pictures may 

 have been or may be made— whether In 1893 or in previous years. 



Pictures will be received up to Dec. 31, of this year. 



All work must be originai; that is to say, it must not have been 

 submitted in any other competition, nor have been published. 



There are no restrictions as to make or style of camera, nor as 

 to size of plate. 



A competitor need not be a subscriber of Fokest and Stbeam, 

 All phocographs will be submitteed to a committee, shortly to 

 be announced. In making their awards the judges will be in- 

 structed to take into consideration the technical merits of the 

 work as a photograph, its artistic qualities; and other things 

 being equal, the unique anf? difficult nature of the subject. 

 Photographs must be marked only with initials or apseudonym 

 for Identification. With each photograph should tie given name 

 of sender, title of view, locality, date, and name of camera. 



The photographs shall be the property of the Fobbst AITD 

 Stream. This applies only to the particular prints sent us. 



ANGLING NOTES. 



Distribution of Black Bass in New York. 

 For many years the black bass distributed by the New 

 York Fish Commission were caught during the winter in 

 the "wide waters" of the Erie Canal at Kochester. This 

 was rather an uncertain source of supply, for the number 

 of bass available for planting in other waters was de- 

 pendent upon the quantity of fish that might be leftin the 

 "wide waters" when the canal was drawn down. The 

 bass, too, were of all sizes, so that it was not always 

 convenient to transport them, and it was a trouble to get 

 them when the ice had formed. It was found to be 

 better and choaper to procure small bass from the net 

 fishermen in Lake Ontario, since which time the distri- 

 bution has been made in summer. List week the follow- 

 ing shipments were made: To Li.ke George, upon appli- 

 cation of Gen. Robert L. Banks, president Lake George 

 Fish and Game Protective Association, 250; to North 

 Crepk, for M. J. Merrill, 200; for A. J. Cass, 250; for W. 

 B. Young, 100: and for D. G. Ytipngling, .at Riverside, 

 250, Special Protector Wm. H. Burnett, who met the 

 fish at Saratoga to take charge of the Lake George ship- 

 ment, could not tell me the final destination of (he 

 bass that went to North Creek, but 1 know that 

 those for Mr. Yuengling were for Brant Lake. North 

 Creek is the terminus of the Adirondack Railway, 

 and one of the gateways to the Adirondack region, 

 where it is unlawful to plant black bass unless the 

 waters already contain them, or the Fish Commission 

 give consent by resolution. Brant Lake is a lake that 

 was stocked with bass, and I have been witness to the 

 growth and spread of the fish in this water, and witness 

 also to their iall, which discounts the "rise and fall-off 

 of the Roman Empire," vide Mr. Silas Wegg, I do not 

 know of a lake of its size that promised after being 

 stocked to furnish such unlimited bass fishing, in reason 

 and in season, as Brant. June fishing, however, knocked 

 it silly. Then the open season was made to begin Aug. 1. 

 The recent fish law opened the season May 30, and now 

 restocking has commenced. Gen. Banks asked for 1,000 

 black bass for Lake George, the only water in the State 

 where there is a close time for the fish during the breed- 

 ing season, and where the law is rigidly enforced, and 

 was given 250. A special despatch from Fort Plain to 

 the Albany Argus states that last week 3,000 black bass 

 were planted in the Mohawk River under the direction of 

 Fish Commigsioner Hackney. As this is the Commis- 

 sioner's own "deestrick," it naturally has a bulge on the 

 balance of the State. A close season which covers the 

 actual spawning time of the bass will do more to repopu- 

 late bass waters than all the bass that the State can buy 

 and plant if the fishing season remains as it is. 



From Canadian Salmon Rivers. 

 The salmon fishing in Canada is on its last lap for this 

 season, and my friend John Mowat in a personal Iptter 

 says: "I traveled yesterday with our Premier, Sir J. C, 

 Abbott, who had just I'eturned from a week's tour up the 

 main Restigouche, and although an ardent angler, had 

 never seen our river. He was fairly successful in hook- 

 ing, but the salmon were very delicate as well as fastid- 

 ious, and three-fourths of those that interviewed him de- 

 clined any handshaking. And although one of the most 

 courteous of gentlemen, and Premier of Canada to boot, 

 be could induce only six fish to enter the parlor. He was 

 much pleased, however, and well he may have been, for 

 it was the hottest week of the season. An odd fresh-run 

 fish is still taken, i^rincipally at the home pool of the club. 

 There will still be time for a week's good fishing in the 

 upper pools if we have rain and cooler weather, only 

 there will be very few rods to embrace the oppor- 

 tunity should it come." 



Capt. Sweeny, poor fellow, could not die in Albany, 

 and he made them bring him down here where he could 

 breathe his last looking at the spot he loved so well. 

 Peace to his ashes! He was one of the kindest, most 

 hospitable and genial of men that ever cast a fly on the 

 Restigouche. 



Hudson River Salmon. 

 When it was reported last week that four salmon had 

 been killed in the Hudson River at Mechanicville with 

 the fly, I made an effort to learn the particulars of the 

 capture, because if the fish were actually killed with rod 

 reel and fly I believe that it was the first time that a 

 salmon had been killed in this stream with the flv. A 

 number had been reported previously as having been 

 killed in this manner, but in every instance it was found 

 upon investigation that the fish were killed on spoon bait. 

 Mr. A. C. Johnson of Mechanicville, writes me that two 

 of the fish were killed by Willian Yandenburgh and 

 Albert Miller, that the salmon weighed 8 and ISlbs. re- 

 spectively, and the captors tell him that they killed three 

 with a deer-tail fly, i. e., a bunch of deer's hair tied on a 

 hook. The other two salmon, killed by John and James 

 Dyer, father and son, were taken with spoon bait. 



Sale of Metis River. 



Only a few months ago it was told that Lord Mount 

 Stephen had sold his fishing on the Metapedia River to 

 the Restigouche Salmon Club, and now Mr. Mowat writes 

 me that he hears that he has sold his Metis property to 

 an American friend, and that the price is probably well 

 up toward $100,000, as the buildings are very fine, and 

 the pite and stream cost $32,000. Of the river Mr. Mowat 

 saye: "It is short, and a 90ft. fall three miles from the 

 sea is a regular stopper for the fish. The stream is ledgy, 

 with fine spawning bed^, and unless supplied with fry 

 will never be a salmon river. I hear that Lord Mount 

 Stephen got only one fish on it this season. I hear also 

 that he killed but one fish this spring in his Perthshire 

 River, Scotland, but he rather astonishes the natives over 

 there by running the rapids and fishing from a Gaspe 

 canoe with a couple of his old guides taken over for the 

 purpose. 



"Some of the Narth Shore rivers, St. John and Moise, 

 have done fairly — 90 fish to three rods in. twelve days 



and 100 to four rods in two weeks. The great complaint 

 are, first, mosquitoes; second, lack of morning papers 

 Of course, vegetables, cream, butter, new-laid egg: 

 etc., must all come out of the can, and it is so haxcX t; 

 combine business (which nowadays will not wait) witl 

 pleasure that the North Shore rivers are now only suit 

 able for those who have retired from active business." 



While three-mile salmon rivers in Canada are sellini 

 for a price well toward 1 100,000, the Hudson River is waii _ 

 ing to be opened in the upper part by fishways that will] 

 permit the salmon now m the river so reach suitabL 

 spawning grounds above the mills and factories. Thi] 

 can be done, and a fishway put in everv dam and fai 

 from Fort Edward to Luzerne, for about $40,000. The 

 fishways will not only permit salmon to run up abo" 

 all foul water to the streams where the fry has beer' 

 planted, but they will also give shad and other fish an op 

 portunity to do likewise. The State has built three fish- 

 ways in the Hudson and now all interest appears to have 

 ceased in making the Hudson a self-sustaining palmoE 

 river. This is an opportunity for Forest and Stream tc 

 show the power of the press in awakening the Legisla: 

 ture to the importance of building fishways in the Hud.< 

 son. A. N. Cheney. 



SUSQUEHANNA FISHING. 



Bainbeidge, Pa., Aug. a —Owing to the great amount 

 of rain that fell during the month of June and in the early ' 

 part of July in Pennsylvania, bass fishing in reality 

 opened up auspiciously only three weeks ago. The dry 

 spell which prevailed all along the river from the lOth of , 

 July to the 31st brought the water down to a proper level I 

 and the fishing was very good, with the exception of the I 

 very hot weather, which had a baneful effect. The ab- . 

 sence of large fish among the large number of bass taken ' 

 this season is remarkable. very few exceeding 21bs, having 

 been caught thus far. Of course the water has not yf t 

 reached its lowest stage, nor has bait become scarce; 

 when such conditions exist then it is that the old moss- 

 backs are wont to rush headlong to their destruction. ■ 

 There are many large bass, princely old fellows, in the 

 deep waters of this locality, btit they seem to have had so, 

 much experience with tempting lures in bygone days that 

 only when driven by extreme hunger will they now take 

 the baited hook. 



About ten days ago the writer, while out fishing with a 

 friend, witnessed a performance which was about as 

 amusing to the spectators as it was provoking to the' 

 person most concerned in the affair. Mr. Bare and I were' 

 returning home from a trip to tlie riffles when we espied 

 Squire McNeil, an old veteran fisherman of this place, 

 busily engaged in fishing for chubs. As is his usual 

 custom when out of bait, the Squire had pulled up to & i 

 grass patch, leaving his baited hooks trailing out from- 

 the stern of the boat, while be went on about the busi- 

 ness of securing more bait. Just as we were passing by, 

 at a respectful distance, and had said good morning and 

 "what luck," two large bass tackled the two lines and 

 were off before the Squire had time to wink; whr-r-r-r-r, 

 whr-r-r-r-r-r sang out the two reels, up got the Squire 

 with a rod in each hand and trying to keep both lines 

 taut by a graceful see-saw movement of the body, which 

 must have been acquired on the dancing floor years ago. 

 Well, as a matter of course, one rod had to be dropped : 

 this was done, and the fish was soon free. The.other basi 

 had by this time sought the kindly shelter of some rocks, 

 snagging the line badly, and it was with considerable dif- 

 ficulty that the fish was fir ally landed, and found to he a 

 2-pounder. The Squire is certain that the bass loi^t was 

 by far the larger of the two, but just why he did not bold 

 on to him he is not able to explain. We were not near 

 enough to help the Squire with his fish, nor were we close 

 enough to hear any "un illigant" language. The Squire 

 says there was none used, he didn't have the time. 



In the middle of the river opposite this town there lies 

 sunken in deep water an old tree; some of its branches 

 extend above the surface of the water. About this tree 

 a great many minnows gather to feed upon the insects 

 found in the decaying matter collected about it. Some 

 days since John Fullerton visited the spot and dipped | 

 bait from the bow of his boat, and with them fished for 

 bass from the stem. In this manner he caught a dozen 

 fish in a comparatively short time, and later in the da) 

 returned to the tree and took six more. 



Pike-perch ("salmon") fishing has been fairly good for 

 the early part of the season, but will be much better as 

 cooler weather comes on. Some fine fish have been 

 caught, and doubtless many more could be taken if th( 

 best bait, which is the lamprey eel, was to be had. The 

 lamprey seems to be the only killing bait, and its scar- 

 city is much deplored by the "salmon" fishers of these 

 parts. 



Among the fishes observed occasionally in these waters 

 are the pickerel, rock bass, yellow perch and German , 

 carp. The j)ickerel and yellow perch are rarely taken 

 here; the few pickerel that ha ve been caught were very 

 small as a rule. On July 20 George R. Bean, while fish- • 

 ing from a flat boat, at the river landing, caught a pick- 

 erel 19Jin. long and weighing L^lbs. The fish was in 

 prime condition, beautiful in coloration (we thought) and 

 very excellent food. Rock bass are seldom seen. They 

 are supposed to be hybrids between bass and sunfish here, 

 which is not so according to the books. 



The German carp has only recently made its appear- 

 ance in the river and canal, and is frequently caught by 

 using worms for bait. 



Dr. Hollingshead tells me that the ft«<hing on the 

 grounds of the Red House Gunning and Fishing Club at 

 the head of the Conewago Falls, has been very good dur- 

 ing the past three weeks. Among the catches mentioned 

 was one made by Mr. Fred Ebel and Mr, Baker. These 

 gentlemen caught in a day's fishing thirty-two bass aver- 

 aging a pound in weight. Fishing is reported good also 

 at Marsh Run and at the Middletown Ferry, just a few 

 miles further up the river. Stehmak Herk. 



The Kingfisher's Rattle. 



I've been on the road almost night and day lately, and 

 only at home long enough to read the ratt'l'^ of "King- 

 fisher" — and that in time stolen from sleep. One of these 

 days I too may have time togo a-fishing; just now I'm 

 "chained to business." HEADLiaHT, 



Canadian Trout Ice Fishing. 



An "order in council" of July 9 forbids fiahing through 

 the ice fox trout in Canada. 



