206 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Sept. 8, 189ii. 



SALMON FROM THE OCEAN- 



Thinking that probably the following would throw 

 some light on the question, "Where do the salmon go to 

 when they leave the fresh water stream??" I give it to 

 you: 



Two years ago this month my brother, while trolling 

 for skipjacks from the deck of a schooner, twelve miles 

 off this coast, hooked and landed a 201b. Chinook salmon 

 —a female. The lure was a bit of white cloth on a large 

 hook. 



One year ago Capt. Olsen, of the tugboat J. M. Colman, 

 while still a ftshing for groupers four miles off shore, 

 hooked and landed a silver-side salmon on a codfish hook 

 with a clam for bait. When he told me of the circum- 

 stance I immediately sent to Seattle for a Siwash or In- 

 dian salmon trolling rig, which I gave him and told him 

 to try. This he did, hooking and landing one silver-side 

 of about lolbs. 



Yesterday I met, at Sealand, Capt. Farrar, of the deep 

 sea fishing schooner South Bend, who told me that three 

 weeks ago while lying becalmed six miles off shore, to 

 pass the time away he was fishing with four lines for 

 groupers. A slight wind springing up the lines towed 

 astern from five to ten fathoms off the bottom, in thirty- 

 five or forty fathoms of water, when he hooked and lost 

 a large black codfish. Then he hooked and lost at the 

 vessel's side two royal chinook salmon. 



Taking the hint he sent for some trolling spoons which 

 he used with 41b. sinkers, trolling about thirty fathoms 

 deep in forty fathoms of water. He hooked thirteen 

 chinooks all told, the majority of which escaped, as, 

 through not being very well posted in trolling tactics, he 

 had made the lines fast to the schooner's rail, causing 

 the hooks to tear such large holes in the fishes' under 

 jaws (they were all hooked on the outside of the mouth 

 under the lower jaw) that when it came time to gaff 

 them they, at sight of the gaff, made such desperate ef- 

 forts to escape that they in several instances succeeded. 



-Jim Mack. 



Shoaij WATEitBAV, Wasli. 



PENNSYLVANIA TROUTINC. 



Lancaster City anglers found the trout fishing of the 

 past season not so good as last year. Fishing Creek and 

 Tuquan Creek, iu the southwestern part of Lancaster 

 county, furnished some very good sport. In these streams 

 Messrs. Ferd. Demuth, .J. L. Porter, John and Walter 

 Griel, and Dr. Muhlenburg, all of Lancaster City, met 

 Avith fair success. la Lititz Creek also the trouting was 

 not up to the standard. In this stream last year Harry 

 Howell caught 7 trout, the aggregate weight of which 

 was 9pbs, The largest weighed l^lbs., and was pre- 

 sented to Mr. H. C. Demuth, secretary of the Pennsyl- 

 vania Fish Commission. 



A. C. H. had a singular experience last spring. He 

 was fishing in the private waters of a club in central 

 northern Pennsylvania, and had been trying for some 

 time unsuccessfully to get a strike from trout playing at 

 the surface of a pond-like portion of the stream formed 

 by a dam. Having repeatedly cast in a choice variety of 

 flies without any reward he decided to give the fish a 

 rest and try them the next day. They were quite tame, 

 did not leave the place, but would not take the flies 

 offered. In thinking the matter over that night Mr. H. 

 concluded that the next morning he would go below the 

 dam and cast over and above it, as he could easily reach 

 the fish from such a position. Keeping out of sight of 

 the trout he cast over the dam, using two droppers be- 

 side the tail fly, and after a pretty struggle landed three 

 of the fish at one time. Another cast was immediatelv 

 made with the same result, but after that nary a trout 

 would rise. The 6 fish were good plump fellows, about 

 Bin. long, and as game as one could wish. They were 

 artificially reared, and their cunning is said to be remark- 

 able. The keeper feeds them and they eat greedily, but 

 if a stranger offers them the food they will not taste it. 

 By most of the anglers in this section it is thought that 

 trout artificially reared are just as game as those found 

 native in the streams, especially when one gets a strike 

 from three at a time. BoN, 



POTOMAC NOTES. 



According to the Nuith Annual Report of the Wood- 

 mont Rod and Gun Club this organization continues to 

 flourish. Its full membership is maintained and much 

 has been done to improve the fishing waters of the club. 

 During the year the following new members have been 

 elected to fill vacancies: 0. T. Sacket, F. C. Stevens, 

 James D. Maher, Wm. B. Hibbs, James M. Green and 

 Charles J. Singer. Mr. James P. Willett has recently 

 succeeded Dr. Harban as secretary of the club. 



The number of members and guests visiting the club 

 house during the past year was 148; number of black 

 bass taken, B77. Game killed: squirrels, 39; quail, 34; 

 rabbits, 3; pheasants, 3; wild duck, 3; deer, 1. Five 

 hundred yearling brown trout were received from the 

 U. S. Fish Commissioner, besides 500 rainbow trout. 

 These fish were all placed in Sideling Hill Creek, 

 Twenty-five hundred small-mouthed black bass were 

 planted in the Potomac opposite the club house. 



The report of the treasurer shows the financial condi- 

 tion of the club to be very good, the balance of cash in 

 hand being $1,093.35, an increase of $416,75 over last 

 year. 



Mr. Willett tells me that this year the management 

 will pay especial attention to black bass and introduce as 

 many as possible of these fish. 



The members of the Helmet Fishing Club changed 

 their plans and went to St. Jeromes, Md.. instead of to 

 Havre de Grace, as it was first intended. Taking the 

 steamer Arrowsmith at Washington they went to Smith's 

 Creek Landing, where they took wagons and crossed the 

 point to St. Jeromes. Here the party was entertained by 

 Capt. West, who was found to be a first-class host- 

 never seeming to sleep and always on the lookout for 

 something to add to the comfort and pleasure of his 

 guests. Six members, several wives of members and 

 several guests made up the party, A stay of eight days 

 was made. Guide Haney proved himself reliable and 

 capable. He was acc^uainted with the fishing grounds 

 and always ready to do good service. The fishing was 

 good; plenty of weakfish ("trout'" here) were taken^ they 

 run rather small, out of ten taken one morning the lar- 

 gest weighed but 34 or ;:i]b8. Spots and croakers were 

 in abundance. Mrs. Jame.s and Mrs. McCathran accom- 



panied their husbands on the fishing trips and were 

 much benefitted by the air and exercise. Several novel- 

 ties were sighted. Among others a large shark, which 

 half stranded on an oyster ba,r at low tide, and a large 

 sea turtle, estimated to weigh SOOlbs. or more. Oysters 

 were plentiful and of good flavor. The bathing at this 

 point was found to be exceptionally good, and the party 

 were well pleased with their trip to St. Jeromes and 

 recommend it to all persons desiring to spend a few 

 days on Chesapeake Bay. 



From all accounts August has furnished poor fishing 

 near this city. The river has actually been too low, and 

 the weather too dry and hot for good black bass fishing. 

 It is reported in one of the daily papers that a George- 

 town man took some salt-water crabs last week at the 

 rocks known as the Three Sisters, above Georgetown. 

 Several black bass were caught off Riley's wharf, foot of 

 Eleventh street, Sept. 3. These fish seem to be more 

 numerous each year in the Potomac below Washington. 

 They are more or less frequent about the Long Bridge 

 and in the mouth of Four Mile Run, and are taken each 

 spring in fish nets below Alexandria. 



Messrs. Henry Weyl and W. G, Kent have just returned 

 after a week's outing at Point of Rocks. Aug. 39, 30 and 

 31, the fishing was poor owing to low water. A thunder- 

 storm on the 31st improved the conditions, so that on 

 Thursday the fish bit well and 16 were taken. On Fri- 

 day 14 and Saturday 34 bass were caught, the largest 

 weighed 4-i-lbs. The only successful bait used was the 

 young catfish, the bass would take no other. Fishing 

 during September promises well. Bon. 



Washington, D. C, Sept. 5. 



LENAWEE COUNTY BLACK BASS. 



My husband is of the opinion that women need a day 

 of recreation and sport out of doors as well as men. In 

 fact he thinks he has no luck if I am not with him, and 

 I — well, it is rather lonesome when he is gone, so to set- 

 tle the matter, we, with our little boy and two dogs, 

 usually set off together. Our last trip was one of much 

 interest. We started after dinner for Evans Lake, a 

 beautiful little sheet of water about fourteen miles from 

 home, and every mile of the drive has something inter- 

 esting to see. It was a delightful day, not too warm, but 

 a nice little breeze that made our little trip a pleasant 

 one. It also helped us to drive with some speed, as we 

 wished to get there by sundown, to fish in the evening. 

 We were well-supplied with everything for a couple of 

 days' sport — fishing tackle of every description from rod 

 and reel to the little artificial minnow, camp chairs, rub- 

 ber boots and everything convenient for outdoor sport, 

 to say nothing of the large covered lunch basket, the 

 contents of which I had been one whole day preparing, 

 and a jug of lemonade. But, lo I before we reached the 

 lake an unforeseen catastrophy deprived us of all that the 

 next day. 



When within three or four miles of the lake we 

 stopped to eat our supper and to let the horse graze by 

 the way for a few moments. My husband winding the 

 lines around the whip socket jumped out and proceeded 

 to do what he had done twenty times before— slap the 

 horse and at the same time kill a large fiy on his back. 

 But this time the horse became frightened, and after 

 kicking the dash board vigorously, which frightened her 

 still more, started away on a run. She plunged first on 

 one side of the road, then on the other, part of the time 

 the buggy seemed to be on four wheels, but oftener on 

 two. My husband being left behind had halloed to me to 

 jump, being too far away to render me anv assistance. 

 All he could do was to follow as fast as he could and 

 keep me in sight. After an exciting and dangerous 

 flight I managed in some way to stop her, but not before 

 the varied contents of the buggy except myself had been 

 scattered and mingled with the dust of the roadway. 

 We left the wreck of our lunch where it lay and again 

 started for our destination, which we reached at dusk, 

 the accident having delayed us some time. 



So after a warm supper at the hotel, and with many 

 cautions to our host and hostess not to fail to call us at 

 sunrise, we retired to rest, and to dream of the black 

 bass we were to catch the next day. 



The next morning we were up with the sun and after 

 a good breakfast with Mr. and Mrs. Clapp, who by the 

 way, know just how to entertain their guests, we started 

 for the boat. My husband pulled the oars while I took 

 the rod, letting out about forty yards of line with a 

 beautiful little red and gold artificial minnow on for 

 trolling. Scarcely was my line let out before a sudden 

 jerk and a fluttering around and another jerk told me I 

 had a bass, and winding up my line carefully I gave the 

 rod to my husband to land the prize. And indeed, it 

 was a prize; a beautiful 8|-pound bass, just the right 

 size for a tempting meal. After landing him safely and 

 taking the oars I again let out the line with the same 

 success, and now two beauties were in the bag on ice. The 

 third one I felt sure was a larger fish than the other two; 

 and I claimed the privilege of bringing it to land. But 

 it was a struggle, as the bass evidently had no intention 

 of leaving the water; it first glided under the boat, then 

 down to the weeds, but it was hooked too well to escape, 

 and after one last struggle I landed it in the bottom of 

 the boat, and what a prize! and oh, the joy at landing a 

 three-pound bass ! That ended our trolling, and the 

 three were caught in less than twenty-five minutes. 

 Next we started for a point in the lake that had been point- 

 ed out to us by Mr, Clapp as good for pex'oh fishing, and so 

 we found it. The first one pulled up weighed one pound. 

 Two more followed exactly like the first, then three more 

 a trifle smaller, and the last a beauty weighing one and 

 one-quarterjpounds. Every one familiar with fish knows 

 that bass or perch of this size are much more palatable 

 than the large fish. But we could not complain; we 

 had three nice black bass and seven beautiful perch, and I 

 might have had more I presume had not another inci- 

 dent occurred which deprived us of our bait. Our min- 

 now bucket being tied to the boat and sunk in the water 

 to give the minnows fresh water, suddenly snapped and 

 went down into forty feet of water. So we were obliged 

 to go to shore or fish with worms, of which we had 

 plenty. And by the way, why does not some ingenious 

 person go to work and invent a worm that will squirm 

 to take the place of a real live one V Now, I do love to 

 fish and I know how much time it takes for my husband 

 to stop and bait my hook every few minutes, and I don't 

 like to bother him 'just as he is interested in watching his ' 

 rod. But X cannot, reaUy and truly cannot, use a live 



worm. They are all right at first until you hook them 

 and then they do string out so long, ugh ! it maker me 

 shudder, I had rather stop a runaway horse. 



When we pulled up the beautiful bass we had fully in- 

 tended to string them and send a picture of them to the 

 Forest and Stream. But long before we started for 

 home my wrists, my arms and shoulders, as well as my 

 fingers were swollen and pained me so from pulling on 

 the horse the night before, that we gave it up. Glad to 

 see the liniment bottle and bathed with the contents. 

 But if this narrative does not tire your readers and we go 

 again and meet with the same success, or better, we 

 promise to send an exact picture and weight to be pub- 

 lished in the dear old Forest and Stream. 



Mrs. H. L. W. 



THE NEPIGON. 



Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., Aug. 22.— Editor Foreat and 

 Stream: Mr. Dabney Carr and his brother, of St. Louis, 

 Mo., have just returned to this place from a sixteen-days' 

 trip on the Nepigon River. They report the trout in 

 great abundance, though somewhat lazy in rising to the 

 fly, owing to the unusually hot weather. Dabney's 

 largest trout weighed 4f lbs. He reported one as having 

 been caught by a Canadian angler that ijulled the scales 

 at 81bs. It was, however, caught with a large herring 

 minnoM', 



The Carr brothers used the eyed flies and think they 

 have great advantage over the snooded ones. The eyed 

 dropper, they state, stands at right angles with the leader 

 and dances most beautifully along the surface of the 

 water. 



When fishing they each have a half dozen or more 

 leaders mounted with flies, and when desirous of chang- 

 ing lines simply change for one of the prepared leaders, 

 it being, they state, more quickly accomplished. 



A hotel, it is rumored, is to be built next season at 

 Camp Alexandria for the special accommodation of ang- 

 lers. If this is done the famed stream will soon be de- 

 pleted of its dotted beauties. 



So far seventy-five rods have been on the stream this 

 season, though a party of twenty, composed of men, 

 women and children, were met at the station as the 

 brothers were returning, eager for the sport the beautiful 

 stream affords. 



The Hon. Thomas A. Logan ("Gloan"), one of your old 

 correspondents, is here taking in the exhilarating ozone 

 with results most beneficial. He will probably take in 

 the bass fishing at.Sailors' Encampment on St. Mary's 

 River ere he returns to his pi-ofessional duties. 



He owns one of the islands near the mouth of the river 

 and expects to have a summer cottage erected on it for 

 his next season's recreation. He feels like having a grand 

 old time with nature once more. 



P. E. Roach ("Ned"), my old "pardner," is also booked 

 for the same place, and expects to catch a ton or two of 

 the bi'onze-baekers before he heads for his native heath, 



Felix Nicola and Judge M. R. Doctney, of Cleveland, 

 O., arrived here to day prepared to deal out destruction 

 to fin, fur and feather. They will seek the south shore of 

 the great lake for their raid on the game. 



Alex. Starbuck, 



East Saginaw, Mich,, Sept. 1. — I have received to-day 

 a letter from a friend, telling of a recent trip on the Nepi- 

 gon. Omitting the mention of all trout weighing less 

 than lib., he says that the party, which consisted of eight, 

 took 314 fish, total weight 4741bs., or an average of nearly 

 S^lbs. each. The largest fish was an 8-pounder, which is 

 claimed to be the lareest brook trout down in that stream. 

 This old fellow was 25^in. long, his tail fin measured 7in. 

 across. It was said that he sulked for the first twenty 

 minutes and then began a fight that was as ferocious as 

 the runs of a fresh-run salmon hooked in a tender spot. 

 He was brought to the net in forty-five minutes. This 

 party was fourteen days on the stream, and reported a 

 delightful time and the fishing simply grand. Of course 

 the above score indicates that. W. B. Mershon. 



HARRISBURG BASS FISHERMEN. 



Fish Commissioner Powell has sent us the following 

 hints and points about black bass fishing in the Supque- 

 hanna River, gleaned by the Harrisburg Telegram from 

 well known anglers of Pennsylvania's capital. As the 

 best season for this enjoyment is now approaching, 

 anglers will be glad to learn that prospects are bright for 

 successful fishing in the river. 



Alderman Eager is one of the exponents of fly-fishing. 

 He prefers the fly because it saves the trouble of hunting 

 and adjusting bait, and because a perfect imitation of the 

 insects upon which the bass feeds will prove successful 

 above all other baits. He fishes only in clear, shallow 

 water, from 1ft. to 6ft. in depth, and watches his fly con- 

 tinually, in order to strike at the proper time. The veiy 

 best time for fly-fishing, he says, is from an hour before 

 sunset until dark. The alderman is always careful to 

 keep out of sight and not.to allow the shadow of his rod 

 to fall on the water. 



Mr. A. B. Tack has caught black bass in riffles by 

 maonliglit. He has fished for them successfully when it 

 was so dark that he could scarcely see. 



Mr, Fred W. Ebel has taken bass in water 1ft. deep, 

 casting more than 30ft. He does not believe in the theory 

 that the fish sometimes refuse to bite because they are 

 not hungry; on the contrary, his experience leads him to 

 think they are always hungry. Bass have swallowed 

 both of his baits and then returned for more. He has 

 known them to swallow his hook and then do the same 

 thing for a neighboring fisherman. He once took a bass 

 that had two hooks in its stomach. Mr. Ebel has in- 

 vented a device for preventing the tangling of leaders in 

 the water. By an arrangement of double swivels they 

 are kept from twisting in casting. 



There are some Harrisburg anglers who do not believe 

 in artificial flies. One of them is Eugene Snyder, who 

 has never caught a black bass with the fly nor seen one 

 so taken. He has, however, captured thousands of bass 

 with baits of various kinds. As early as 1870 he found 

 the fish abundant at Collins, at the foot of Conewago 

 Falls. He thinks there are fewer bass in the river than 

 there were formerly, and attributes the falling off to 

 spring floods that roil the water, destroy the spawning 

 beds and carry many fish below the dam. 



