SB4 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Oct. 27, 1893. 



THE SUSQUEHANNA "SALMON." 



A L4.NCASTER, Pa., corresiDondent of the New York 

 writing Oct. 15, claimed that Hon. Simon Cameron 

 caused the introduction of pike-perch, locally known as 

 "salmon," into the Susquehanna Eiyer nearly twenty-five 

 years ago. This is probably true, but the pike-perch has 

 been credited to that stream for more than a century, and 

 the late Harrison "Wright, Esq., has recorded its early 

 history in a paper published in lSb2 in the first volume of 

 the Bulletin, U. S. Fish Commission, page 871, and eke- 

 where throughout the article on Early Shad Fisheries of 

 the North Branch of the Susquehanna River. 



The pike-perch is probably a native of the river and has 

 been more or less abundant within historic times. It is 

 taken most readily at or near the bottom with the young 

 lamprey or a live minnow for bait, and sometimes rises 

 to the trolling-spoon and artificial fly. At the i^resent 

 time pike-perch are much more plentiful, than black bass 

 in the Susquehanna from Harrisburg to Port Deposit. Bass 

 are more than usually abundant at the mouth of the 

 river. 



In our issue of Aug. 18 we published a note on some 

 large captures of bass in Fox Lake. Wishing to obtain 

 details of the fishing we asked Mr. W. E. Groodman to 

 send us an account of his trip and he has kindly for- 

 warded the statement which we print in this number. 

 What is the "silver bass" of Fox Lake? The name is 

 sometimes applied to the moon-eye or toothed herring, 

 but it is scarcely probable this is the fish in question. 

 Cxn it be the calico bass? 



TROUTING IN THE COAST RANGE.-lll. 



The Nehalem Country. 



So WE passed the week in the Coast Range, "We took 

 it easy, progressed slowly, fished in the evening, cooked, 

 ate and slept: forgetful of the past, careless of the future 

 and supremely happy in the present. 



I thought I had seen forests before, millions of acres of 

 them; but up around the head waters of Deep Creek we 

 saw such timber as I never saw hefore and never f xpect 

 to see again. A forest of evergreen giants as thicli as 

 they could stand, towering over 300ft. high, straight as 

 the rays of light that glanced back from their impervious 

 tops, and, as Sam Garoutte used to say: "Without a limb, 

 knot or woodpecker hole" more than half-way up. Even 

 at mid-day the deep twilight that pervaded the forest 

 gave our surroundings an air of mellow mystery, all 

 wrapped in the dreadful stillness of the grave. No birds 

 were there, no crickets, no active, glad life of any kind 

 to break the eternal silence in this abode of the dumb, 

 primeval giants. The stillness was oppressive. It seemed 

 to be a thing, an existence which we felt restrained from 

 touching. Almost unconsciously we stepped lightly, fear- 

 ing that our tread might break the lock that imprisoned 

 the hoary secrets of the forest. Involuntarily we peered 

 into the gloom as if in dread of seeing some grim spec'^er 

 wandering there bewildered in the vast wilderness. W^e 

 paused and listened, half in doubt whether we were not 

 called to by some lost spirit held back to earth by the um- 

 brageous cloud o'erhead. There was something so dismal 

 and death-like about the stillness and solitude of this 

 place that I almost imagined that I myself was the ghost 

 of some being, that had once lived and wandered there, 

 come back to "squeak and gibber" over the misfortunes 

 and misdeeds of a misspent earth life after the fashion of 

 ghosts in general. 



Motion of any kind, anything breaking the monotonous 

 stillness of the place was startling. Even the noise of a 

 falling twig was as the thunder of the avalanche. A low- 

 spoken word moaned out through the forest like the com- 

 ing storm, and one's very thoughts seeined to rattle in the 

 skull like marbles. The Doctor appeared to be profoundly 

 impressed with the solemnity of our surroundings. He 

 stood ones vFith his hands on his hips, his hat tipped back, 

 his face full of sentiment, mentally soliloquiziog, no 

 doubt, as I was, and entirely forgetful of the fact that 

 there was such a thing as a dog in the country, when 

 Mike and Towser came out suddenly from behind a tree 

 right in front of him. With two or three quick jumps 

 backward, hands thrown forward in a supplicating 

 manner and hair on end, he involuntarily ejaculated that 

 one simple but expressive monosyllable: "Ugh!" The 

 D jctor, you must know, like many another poor mountain 

 wanderer, is mortally afraid of cougars, and doubtless on 

 first impgession imagined he was attacked by a whole 

 herd of these varmints; and neither the occasion nor the 

 color of either dog was calculated to dispel the illusion. 



We were in this dismal forest one whole day, and really 

 I felt relieved when we got where we could hear the 

 birds sing and see the sunshine. 



The trout in the streams of this dark forest were not 

 large, as a matter of course, but they were of extremely 

 fine quality, and the Doctor and I each disposed of a 

 baker's dozsn for supper, prepared in the good, old-fash- 

 ioned way with strings of bacon in, over and under them 

 broiled in a wire broiler over live coals. They say that 

 anything tastes good out on these tramps, but I am im- 

 pressed with the notion that trout are not so sweet and 

 rich when cooked in any other style. At any rate I must 

 candidly confess that I am very partial to the broiler and 

 bacon method of preparing trout. It is probably unneces- 

 sary for me to add that for many reasons there was no such 

 thing as playing our fish in these little mountain streams. 

 We used but one fly, and wherever there was a hole the 

 size of a wash-tub there was a fish— or two or three 

 from 6 to lOin. long. I believe that we could have caught 

 500 such fish a day had we been so disposed, for they 

 were very ploatiful, absolutely fearless and always 

 hungry. As I have already intimated, we wasted no fish 

 worth mentioning, but the temptation to break this rule 

 was awfully strong. 



We started several bachelor elk that were apparently- 



doing penance in the spring for the pleasure of wearing 

 antlers in the fall; hiding away in lonely places, patiently 

 awaiting the time when the velvet woula fall and allow 

 them to present themstWes in proud form to their forest 

 lidy loves. I almost sympathized with them, for they 

 had about three months ot their sentence yet to serve. 

 One old fell :)w had selected a most perfect spot for a 

 home during the purgatory period. On a south side hill 

 the trees had fallen across each other in such a way that 

 a pen had been made, inclosed on three sides by logs 

 piled 5 or 6ft. high, while the fourth side was open and 

 facing down toward the creek. It was almost artificially 

 regular in its construction. 



We had great fun with an old bear one afternoon. In 

 his haste to get away he actually doubled up and rolled 

 down the mountain side, knocking the bark off the whole 

 side of a log where he struck and glanced off, We could 

 hardly keep old Towser back when In the neighborhood 

 of big game. Fortune and fair winds favoring, he shall 

 have the opportunity in the near future to go-again with 

 me into these mountains when there will be neither legal 

 nor moral restraint. Scarcely a night passed that we 

 were not visited by beasts of the forest, but they gener- 

 ally kept a respectful distance. However, on one par- 

 ticular night, wbile we were camping on the headwaters 

 of Deep Creek, some animal more daring than, the others, 

 presumably a wildcat dr wolf, approached so near that 

 Towser made a. dash for him in great earnest, with Mike 

 valiantly supporting his rear. Mike made as much noise 

 as an old-fashioned horse-fiddle, which of itself was 

 enough to tcare all the varmints out of the Coast Range, 

 and the dogs soon returned without any scalps hanging 

 to their belts, They were probably lucky that they got 

 back with their own. 



The afternoon of the day following our trip through 

 the dark forest, while we were in the midst of a great 

 deadening of the crest of the range, a storm of dire and 

 vengeful aspect suddenly gathered out on the ocean and 

 rolled up over the mountains. The danger of our position 

 was plainly evident, but we were powerless to avert it,' 

 for it was a long way to Green Timber, and the storm 

 moved more rapidly over, than we could through the sal- 

 lal, fallen timber and ferns. We were in for it and pro- 

 ceeded to make the best of it. ''Oh for a lodge in some 

 vast wilderness." a hole in the ground or any kind of 

 hiding place. But there was no lodge, no hole, no biding 

 place of any kind, and we had to face the music: and 

 there was plenty of music before we got through with 

 the entertainment. The sad genius of the coming storm 

 moaned in fitful sighs a sort of melancholy warning tons 

 through the leafless branches of the great dead giants. 

 The warning was heeded all right enough, but still we 

 had to face the music. Then the storm came, and burst 

 upon us with all the fury of its pent up rage, 



And savage wind?, iBfuriate driven. 

 Flew howlinfi; io the face of lieaveo. 



The rush of the storm and the din and the thunder of 

 falling timber were truly appalling: and I was very 

 nervous if not absolutely frightened. The Doctor was 

 pale and silent, and watched the battle of the elements 

 earnestly but calmly; bud you should have seen him for- 

 get his dignity when a great tree-top snapped and started 

 directly for the particular spot upon which we were 

 sta.nding. Not 1«S8 than a score of these tops fell in our 

 immediate neighborhood, and Che confused crashings and 

 rumblings were awful to hear. For my part, I don't en- 

 joy this kind of an entertainment. I can dodge all right 

 when I have to, but if the fun lasts very long it gets 

 monotonous. For an hour or more we suffered in our 

 terror, not knowing what moment we might be crushed 

 or maimed; for the tops did not always fall with the 

 wind as decent tops should, but frequently snapped as 

 thev whipped back against the blast. 



We had seen another of the Coast Ringe elephants, 

 and I, for one, was ready to go home. We had seen 

 about elephants enough for one trip, so we started for the 

 Tuipins'. The storm had made our exit one of great difli- 

 cuky, for the fallen trees and debris were piled in many 

 places thirty feet high. That night we camped on Djep 

 Cceek, wtll down toward its mouth, where the stream 

 was wider and we had more room to cast and play oxir 

 fish. The fish were larger, too, and played sad havoc 

 with our tackle; but we managed to save plenty of them. 

 How I wished that we could reach home in one day from 

 Deep Creek. I am satisfied that the Doctor and 1 could 

 have caught a hundred pounds of fine trout in a day's 

 fishing near our camp of that night; but we could not 

 keep them in good shape two days, and besides, neither 

 of us felt disposed to carry a load of fish twenty-five or 

 thirty miles over the mountains and such a trail. But 

 we caught a nice basket for theTurpins, notwithstanding 

 the fact that they didn't like fish, for it was the first time 

 on our trip that we had had even the shadow of an excuse 

 for catching any more than we ourselves could use, and 

 we didn'c propose to lose the opportunity of enjoying our- 

 selves with the beauties of Deep Creek for once, even if 

 the Turpins did decline to take their medicine. 



Towser seemed to know that he was in his favorite 

 wildcat country and was restless and uneasy all night 

 long, but we would not let him leave camp. Our pro- 

 visions were getting low, particularly the bacon, for Tow- 

 ser liked bacon and we had not prepared for his wants. 

 So next morning we struck out for the Turpins', where 

 we arrived about noon, well satisfied with our trip and 

 yet glad enough to get out of the wilderness and back in 

 the neighborhood of civilization. Towser didn't seem at 

 all anxious to get home, He had been treated kindly, 

 had had plenty to eat, and had been a good dog without 

 the intervention of boom-chains. The Turpine were glad 

 to see us return safely, for they had witnessed the storm 

 in the mountains, and knew the danger we were in. Tur- 

 pin himself, when he learned that we were in the great 

 deadening during the storm, congratulated us on our 

 lucky escape. The Doctor, of course, needed the whole 

 day for rest, and the girls seemed really glad that he was - 

 tired. One cannot blame them much under the circum- 

 stances, for likely young men were seen in the Nehalem 

 "Valley about as often as were angels. Turpin asked me, 

 off to one side, whether the Doctor was a married man, 

 and when I told him that the Doctor was single, a good 

 physician and a fine young man, Turpin seemed deeply 

 interested in him and his intentions. They needed a good 

 doctor in the Nehalem "Valley, and he know of a nice 

 quarter section close by which the Doctor could take up 

 as a timber claim, but which, when cleared up, would 

 make a magnificent homestead if the Doctor cared to set- 



tle on it. But he didn't propose to disclose its location 

 except to an actual settler, and even then it must be one 

 that suited him for a neighbor. It really docs seem a 

 shame to see such roses as the Turpin girls ' blush un- 

 seen, and waste their sweetness on the desert air." 1 do 

 not wonder that Turpin is a little anxious about his 

 neighbors, if he has the welfare and happiness of his 

 pretty daughters at heart. 



While the Doctor rested, Johnny and I took the canoe 

 and fished some of the lovely pools down the Nehalem. 

 He wanted me to use his tackle, but I declined, and I 

 will add that I succeeded in capturing several good-sized 

 fish, the last one of which succeeded in capsizing the 

 canoe and giving .Johnny and me a thorough wetting; 

 but I saved the fish all the same. Of course I lost the 

 big fellows, but then, just think of the fun we had. 

 When I go again to the Nehalem for trout I shall take a 

 supply of such tackle as I ordinarily use for salmon, and 

 it will fool somebody. 



We got an early start next morning with the well 

 wishes of the family in general, and a gentle reminder 

 from little Annie about the doll in particular. As we 

 left the river for home we observed poor old Towser sit- 

 ting on the opposite bank looking alter us. He watched 

 U8 until a bend in the trail hid us from his sight, and I 

 imagined that his old heart was aching as human hearts 

 ache when they take the last fond look, 

 Portland, Oregon. S. H. Gkeene. 



IN CAMP ON CACHE RIVER. 



LiTTLK Rook, Arkansas.— We had talked it over often 

 and vowed to go fishing. Finally we started. By we, I 

 mean the Senator (who now spends most of his time 

 standing between the Iron Mountain Railroad and justice 

 for a consideration, and Avho is a veritable Jonah to a 

 fishing party if not to his railroad), my eleven-year-old 

 boy and his partner, and myself. Leaving Little Rock 

 we reached Cache River, fifty-five miles out, after a two 

 hours' run, and were safely landed with our plunder on 

 the banks of the stream, which was in beautiful fishing 

 stage. . 



A little negotiation and a dollar of our daddies procured 

 us two boats from a native and we were soon at our camp- 

 ing spot, a half-mile below at a spring. We proceeded 

 to put the tent up and arrange camp, and by that time it 

 was nearly dark and no one had had a chance to catch a 

 fish. About that time a Senegambian hove in sight in a 

 mud scow, and the persuasive influence of a quarter soon 

 transferred a fine string of fish from his possession to ours. 

 So we started in by buying fish. But what else could 

 you expect with Jonah along and in the close season for 

 whalet? 



Bat though late, Jonah and I concluded we would go 

 fishing anyhow, and as the kids had caught a bucket of 

 mmnows, we went down to the bar and tried our fortune. 

 But it was late and the malign influence of the prophet 

 was still in force, and only one striped bas rewarded our 

 efforts. Coming back, we found that the kids had built 

 a camp-fire in a hollow cypress tree in front of the tent, 

 and it was acting like a blast furnace or a volcano on a 

 ramapge, and we had to move our tent in a hurry. For 

 two hours that tree lighted up the woods and finally hardly 

 left the remains. 



After supper, composed largely of the fish we had not 

 caught, we retired for the night. I had brought with me 

 some mosquito medicine made after good old "Nessmuk's" 

 recipe: but to our surprise the festive insect did not mate- 

 rialize in any aiipreciable quantity. 



The next morning we were up early, swallowed a hasty 

 breakfast, found a minnow bucket with its contents bad 

 floated away, but fortunately found it lodged against a 

 tree just below camp, and started fishing. 



Pulling our boat into a lake near the river we tried for 

 black bass. We soon got several and a white perch or 

 two. Suddenly I got a bite that made me dizzy, and for 

 the next five minutes the Bristol steel rod was twisted 

 into every shape, but came to time all right, and just as 

 I concluded I had the biggest bass ever seen in Arkansas, . 

 I landed a blue catfish 3ft. long. That is where Jonah 

 got in his work again, and I draw the veil of charity 

 and silence over the transformation of my bass into a 

 catQsh. 



It was time to quit, for the Senator had to go to Ma- 

 bleville to dispense Democratic doctrine to his anxious 

 constituents; so we gave him a square meal and let him 

 go with regret, for he is a good fellow in spite of his un- 

 lucky propensities. 



When we came back to camp we found new misfor- 

 tunes. Before going away I had nailed up the provision 

 box securely enough as I thought to defy the ubiquitous 

 Arkansas razorback. 



This animal infests the bottoms and is probably a cross 

 between a very aboriginal hog and a peccary. He runs 

 mostly to forelegs and snout and is a hustler. He spends 

 half his time hunting for a living in the bottom and the 

 other half hustling to get out of the way of swamp nig- 

 gers and bears. We found two in possession of the camp 

 and also found that they had inserted their snouts under 

 the top of the box, pried it off, eaten our bread and scat- 

 tered things badly. A visit to a settler's house furnished 

 some corn meal, and we lived on corn dodgers the rest of 

 the time. 



After a long rest I went back to the lake and caught a 

 nice string and the second night passed without interrup- 

 tion. 



The next morning dawned clear and beautiful. The 

 fish were jumping in every direction, but it was Sunday. 

 I was tempted to go fishing, but the thought of the bad 

 example I would set the boys and the lecture I would get 

 from my religious wife kept me from it, added to which 

 were the sermons of my spiritual adviser, who by the 

 way is a fisherrnan too, and can chase the festive minnow 

 with the best of us and fall down in the water without 

 even straining the third commandment. 



So instead of fishing I took the kids into the woods and 

 found a vine full of muscadines and spent the forenoon in 

 complete idleness. When the afternoon train came we 

 boarded it and were soon at home again. 



It was the first camp for the boys and their hearty en- 

 joyment of it was one of the most pleasant features of 

 the trip. 



Game is fairly abundant Ln that country, but though 

 the season was open the vegetation was so dense I did 

 not try any hunting. I started one afternoon, but a few 

 yards through the cane satisfied me that hunting in a 

 cane bottom was not my forte. Vm. 



