Oct. 27, im,] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



8B9 



ANGLING NOTES. 



Trout not Breeding in Confinement. 



Salmon and trout, /o?iifmaZis, when confined in tanks, 

 hatching ponds or breeding pens, breed as regularly and 

 as freely as they do in a wild state, but the trout or 

 saibling in Sunapee Lake, New Hampshire, Salvelinus 

 alpinus aureolus, will not breed when confiaed in tanks 

 at the hatching station. Prof. Quackenbos told me that 

 Fish Commissioner Hodge has kept the aureolus in con- 

 finement for three years, and that even among spawning 

 brook trout they are perfectly passionless, manifesting no 

 desire whatever to spawn, and that at death the sexual 

 organs are found conspicuously atrophied. They are a 

 lake-spawning fish, spawning on shoals after the manner 

 of the lake trout, namaycush, and when taken from the 

 shoals with eggs nearly ripe and placed in the inlet brook 

 the eggs -'dry up." 



I related this to Herr vou dem Borne, and he writes 

 me: "I am not surprised that some of your fish will not 

 brepd in confinement. It is the same with our huchen 

 {Salmo hueho, a landlocked salmon of the Danube River) 

 and with our aache (Salmo thymallus). It is difiicult to 

 breed these fish because they will not become ripe in con- 

 finement. It is the same with the sterlet, a sturgeon of 

 Russia." 



There is nothing new in this, so far as the "asche" 

 (grayling) and sterlet are concerned, but all that he says 

 of the Danuhe salmon is new to us. I did not know that 

 it was considered a landlocked fish, nor did I know that 

 confinement interfered with its spawning. Comparatively 

 little has been written about the Danubp salmon, and it is 

 rather a rare fish in the flesh. In 1890 a fine specimen 

 was sent to the Fly-Fishers' Club, London, by Mr, 

 Theodore Schwann, and it was then believed to be the 

 first sent to Great Britian for preservation, for it was not 

 even represented in the British Museum at that time, and 

 may not be now. Soon after the specimen was sent to the 

 Fly-Fishers', another specimen was secured and preserved 

 by another angling club in London, the name of which I 

 do not recall. I think that each of these specimens 

 weighed twenty odd pounds. When the late Wm. J. 

 Florence made bis last visit to Europe he wished to see 

 the E>anube salmon, and I gave him a letter of introduc- 

 tion to the Fly-Fishers' Club and to Mr. Marston for this 

 purpose, I have asked Herr von dem Borne for further 

 information about the fish, particularly as to its being 

 landlocked. 



Fishways in the Hudson. 



The Olens Falls Star of Oct. 14 crrritains an article with 

 the heading, ''Build Fishways; A Debt the State of New 

 York Owes." It reviews what has been done to stock the 

 river with salmon during the past ten years; that fishways 

 have bftPB built that admit the salmon to the river as far 

 up as Fort Edward dam; that when the dam at Fort Ed- 

 ward was taken out last year to be rebdilt the salmon 

 passed tbat point and were caught at the foot of Baker's 

 Falls at Sindy Hill: that about $4r>.000 expended in the 

 building of fishways at Fort Edward, Baker's Falls, Glens 

 Falls, Feeder Dam and Palmer's Falls will give the fish 

 the run of the entire river to its headwater streams where 

 the fry have been planted, and concludes: "Determined 

 efforts on the part of our citizens could secure at an ex- 

 penditure of a few thousand dollars by the Scate thousands 

 of pounds every year of tbat king of game and food fishes, 

 the salmon, than which there is notbing more suited to 

 grace a king's table or to line a royal stomach. But in 

 America all are kings, and all have a right to the rare 

 pport and juicy steaks which the salmon alone affords. 

 ■» * * Therefore, let every one living anywhere near 

 the banks of this noble stream and every one interested 

 in increasing the food supply of the State, and those in- 

 terested in the fish from the sportsman's point of view, 

 impress it upon the minds of their representatives in the 

 Legislature that their first duty to their constituents is to 

 secure the passage of laws authorizing the construction 

 of these fishways, which will add so much to the natural 

 resources of the State." 



This is a matter of importance to the people of this 

 State, but as yet they do not seem to have been awakened 

 to what it means for them in the way of increased food 

 and wealth if the Hudson becomes a self-sustaining 

 salmon stream. The article in the Star is the first that 

 has been printed upon the subject of opening the river 

 for the salmon, so far as I know, in the daily newspapers. 

 The writer might have gone further and stated that the 

 building of fishways would open the river to shad as well 

 as salmon. Black bass, pike, pike-perch, and, in fact, all 

 sppcies of fish in the river, pass up the fishways, as has 

 been proven at Mechanicville. I say all, but I should 

 except the shad, because the fishway in the Troy dam has 

 scarcely been in working order since it was built, and 

 shad cannot pass it now. In other streams where similar 

 fishways have been built and kept open the shad have 

 passed through them. The fishway at Troy was planked 

 over last y^ar, as there was not time to fix it before there 

 would be danger of high water, and I presume it is still 

 planked over, as I have heard nothing of its being re- 

 paired this season. Possibly the Fish Commissioners are 

 not aware that there is a fishway in the Troy dam, and 

 that it needs to be repaired, and there are fishways above 

 Troy that should be kept oppu and free from drift, but I 

 am not informed on the subject. 



Books. 



One may possess a mania for fishing and yet read some- 

 thing besides books devoted to fish and fishing; but refer- 

 ences to fishing in any book that he may read will pex- 

 haps impress him more than any portions of it. In 

 reading Ellwanger's "Story of My House,"' the chapters 

 on the Magicians of the Shelves just hit my fancy. 

 Christopher North is called "Trusty Christopher" by 

 Tennyson, and the author thinks that an installment of 

 his rhapsodies would seriously damage the Atlantic or 

 Scribner's, although he admits that portions of the Noctes 

 "are marvels of imagination and erudition, and some of 

 his angling conceits are worthy of Norman MacLeod." 

 This reminds me that any angl9r who cares for books, 

 and this includes all anglers, wi'l find pleasure in reading 

 "The Starling," by Norman MacLeod. But to return to 

 the Magicians of the Shelves. The author thinks it is 

 pleasant to have some authors both in an early and a 

 later edition. "If I desire the notes, the full-page illus- 

 trations and an amplified test, I choose the edition of the 

 "Compleat Angler'' illustrated by Stothard and Inskipg, 

 and annotated by Bir Harris Nicholas, " Thia is where 

 Is* dulls in bis ueleeition; Though this is the Picksriog 



edition of 1836, it has been called a "fine book over- 

 dressed. It is Maudlin the Milkmaid, tricked out in a 

 gown of brocade with a mantle of cloth of gold." And it 

 is said that Stothard, fine book-illustrator that he was, 

 found the "Compleat Angler" to lie beyond his beat. 

 Had Marston's one hundredth edition been selected it 

 would have filled the bill completely. 



But the author continues: "If I wish to get still nearer 

 to Walton, to hear the birds contending with the echo, 

 to pluck his culverkees and ladysmocks, to smell his 

 primroses and admire the very 'shape and enameled color 

 of his trout it joyed him so to look upon,' I read him in 

 the old spelling and old font of the /ac-smi7e reprint of 

 the first edition." There is much truth in this. 1 once 

 invested a tidy bit of money in one of the early editions 

 of "Walton's Compleat Angler," and I carried it with me 

 everywhere. One night it went up in smoke and fire 

 with my rifles and guns, rods and fishing tackle, in an 

 illumination of the Continental Divide, and I never got 

 another of the early editions. But one day a good friend, 

 a Bishop of one of the Southern States, gave me a copy 

 such as Mr. Ellwanger mentions, Stock's fac smile re- 

 print of the first fdition, and that serves as well as though 

 it were a bona fide first edition and had cost a thousand 

 dollars. I never had a desire to own any book ever 

 printed simply to feel that I owned it. Working c">pie8 

 suit me down to the ground, and in this /ac-simi'Ze re- 

 print one will have everything except the value, and the 

 distinction of being the owner of a first edition, then if it 

 should burn up, get lost or stolen (for one does not per- 

 mit a first edition of Walton to lie around loose) it could 

 be replaced for one or two dollars, which sum would not 

 buy a small corner of the flyleaf of the edition of 1653. 



A. N. CHEiNEY. 



JACK AND I ON ATRIP TO ISLE ROYAL. 



[Concluded from Page 3SS.] 



In a short time the steamer was tied up at the dock, 

 and after breakfast we set foot on the "Queen's domain," 

 and for an hour "did the town" in our best style. Nearly 

 two score of trout fishers, both ladies and 'gentlemen, 

 were here on their way to the Nipegon country. After 

 securing some beautiful agates as souvenirs, in obedience 

 to the whistle we returned to the boat and started down 

 Thunder Bay, past majestic Thunder Cape and out into 

 the lake headed for Isle Royal. The air was thick with 

 smoke that grew more and more dense as we approached 

 the island and the captain informed us that there had 

 been a forest fire burning on the island for about three 

 weeks. The beautiful scenery, veiled in smoke, was but 

 dimly outlined, atid the amateur photographer, of whom 

 there was one on board, lifted his voice in loud lamenta- 

 tion. Onward we went, stopping for a short time at 

 Todd's Harbor, to take some fish on, then passing through 

 Anygdaloid Channel, a long narrow, deep passage be- 

 tween the outlying islands and the mail island. Jack 

 and I began to discuss the subject of our landing place. 

 "Go to Coburn Harbor, ' said the Captain. "There's 

 good fishing there, and two trout streams empty into the 

 harbor within easy reach of the landing. You can stand 

 right on the dock and catch brook trout." "Yes," said 

 the mate, "you can get all the fish you want right in the 

 channel, and then you've been on the other end of the 

 island and know all about that, so you'd better stop on 

 this end this time." "You'll get all the fish you want at 

 Coburn." said the wheelman. One or two of the boat- 

 men volunteered the same information, so we decided to 

 stop at Coburn Harbor for three days. 



McElrov's was the next stopping place, and then Fish 

 Island. This was more beautiful than any place we bad 

 seen yet, and we almost decided to get off, but finally 

 adhered to our first choice. We went ashore and the 

 photogropher attempted a picture, but the smoke was too 

 thick. One of the fishermen showed us two brook trout 

 that he had taken from his net that morning. One 

 weighed about lib. I should judge, and the other about 

 2lb8. Had we known that these were the only brook 

 trout we were to see during the trip we should have been 

 loth to leave them. Let me record it right here. The 

 only speckled trout we saw along the North Shore or 

 around the island were two dead ones taken from a net 

 at Fish Island. 



The steamer went pufhng on, winding about among 

 islands and reefs, doubling points and promontories, pok 

 ing its bow into all sorts of holes which seemed to lead 

 nowhere. Presently three long blasts of the whistle an- 

 nounced the approach to our stopping place. The steamer 

 passed up a narrow channel between two islands, turned 

 into a still narrower one, and there was the dock, the two 

 fish houses, the boats, and the two small log houses which 

 make up the settlement at Coburn Harbor. The inhabitants 

 were six men, one woman, one old dog and one puppy. 

 All of whom were on the dock to meet the steamer. We 

 went ashore, our dunnage was put off, and, after taking 

 many hundreds of pounds of fish on board, the Dixon 

 went on her way and we proceeded to investigate as to 

 the possibility of getting a boat, finding a good place to 

 camp, where the trout were hiding and other matters of 

 kindred sort. A good boat was at once placed at our dis- 

 posal, and we could take our choice of a camp place either 

 on the main island or on one of the numerous small 

 islands in the harbor. As for trout, there had been lots 

 of them around the dock, but they were all gone now. 

 Perhaps we might find some up in thf creek. But a camp 

 was the first thing to be considered. One of the fishermen 

 took us a few rods down the shore to where a camping 

 spot had been cleared off two years before, but Jack and 

 I both said "No," to that place. It was too close, sur- 

 rounded by a thickly growing wood, no wind could pene- 

 trate to it and neither could the blessed sunshine. Back 

 to the dock we went, placed all of our dunnage into the 

 boat and started on a voyage of discovery, which proved 

 to be very short. We rowed to a small island near by, 

 and as soon as we landed knew we had found the place. 

 "Made on purpose for us," said Jack, The island was 

 about the size of an ordinary garden, with a fringe of 

 trees around two sides and one end, the other open, A 

 little moss-coverf^d patch a few feet from where we landed 

 invited us to pitch our tent there, and in a brief while our 

 canvas house was up, our belongings all stowed away, 

 and we had still an hour before supper time. 



"Let's get a trout for suj)per," said Jack. So we rigged 

 up our tackle and started forth. I had rowed but a few 

 tods when Jack exolaitned, "I've got one!" Sure enough 

 h& had, aad in a brief while a beautiful Bilver.sldecl lake 

 tfoutj ia the boat, goea fee bad another, which he 



shook loose when near the boat, but we did not care, aa 

 all we wanted was enough to eat. We rowed on up to the 

 creek, but could find no speckled trout there, so returned 

 to camp. 



While Jack was cleaning the fish I went to get some 

 wood, and made the discovery that the little island was 

 covered with blueberry bushes and the bushes were 

 loaded with ripe berries. While I was cooking the sup- 

 per Jack picked more than a quart of berries, which, 

 added to our already luxurious bill of fare, made us feel 

 that we were really the pampered red plush sons of lux- 

 ury while camping that our friends accuse us of being. 

 After supper, as we stood trying to take in our surround- 

 ings. Jack said, "I did not know there was a place on 

 earth so pretty as this," It was very beautiful. Directly 

 in front was the channel opening out into the main lake; 

 on the right near at hand was the fishing station, sur- 

 rounded by the tall and somber forest; at the left was a 

 long, narrow island, and still further to the left other 

 islands almost blocking the mouth of the harbor, while 

 miles out in the lake we could distinguish still other 

 islands great and small. 



'Twas an ideal place, and I told Jack so. "Oh!" he said, 

 "if we could only put in a summer here." We took the 

 boat and rowed down the channel and out to the furthest 

 point of the main island, a sheer precipice of rock seventy- 

 five or a hundred feet high, the gray granite beautifully 

 marked with a deep ocherous red color — a savage looking 

 place that must be grand and terrible in time of storm. 

 As we rowed back up the channel, the little island with 

 the white tent perched on it looked so romantic that it 

 seemed to belong to another world. "Camn Jack," I 

 said, "on Corbett Island, Coburn Harbor. Isle Royal, 

 Michigan, U. S. A." Jack protested. "Don't give my 

 ugly name to that beautiful place." But I insisted that it 

 must be so, and so it was and is. 



Never was bed more comfortable than that on which 

 we stretched ourselves that night; and as we lay there it 

 seemed that our cup of enjoyment was full and running 

 over, although no speckled trout were ours or likely to 

 be. In the morning I was awakened by heavy thunder, 

 soon followed by pattering rain, which soon became a 

 veritable downpour, I made everything as snug as pos- 

 sible and then set about getting breakfast. Jack has 

 assured me since that I "was an exceedingly picturesque 

 and also a pathetic sight that morning as I boiled potatoes 

 and coffee and fried ham and eggs in the drenching rain. 

 "It would really draw tears from the most hardened and 

 unfeeling to see you, old man," he said. "I really must 

 mingle my tears with the rain." As he lay snug and 

 warm in bed, laughing and chuckling, while he delivered 

 himself of this and more. too. I felt that the rain was the 

 least of my hardships. The shower passed over and we 

 started out exploring and fishing. 



What a day we put in. How many miles of that rock- 

 bound coast we rowed along, and tramped and scrambled 

 over, I know not. 'Tis ail on "memory's wall" faithfully 

 delineated as no hand, however cunning with the brush, 

 could place it on canvas. Now and then we picked up a 

 "laker." Taken all altogether I do not think two fellows 

 ever enjoyed themselves more in one day. The eastern 

 end of Isle Royal abounds in those peculiar characteristics 

 that makes the shores of Superior so picturesque yet in so 

 many places so stern and forbidding with rocty reef, per- 

 pendicular wall, and rifted chasm. That night we slept 

 soundly, to be awakeued in the morning by the pealing 

 and crashing thunder as on the previous morning, but the 

 rain was not so hard or long continued, and I did not stir 

 from my warm nest beside Jack, until the rain was over. 

 After breakfast we decided to row to Rock Harbor, eight 

 miles away, to see if we could not find some green stones 

 for which that locality is famed. We put up a lunch and 

 started — when I thought and said, "Why not break camp, 

 get one of the fishermen to carry us over in his boat and 

 take the steamer from there? " Jack exclaimed, "That's 

 just the thing!" So back we went to the fishing station 

 and made our proposition to a fisherman who was mend- 

 ing the sail to his boat. At first he refused to go as the 

 wind was too light, but after quite a lengthened pow- 

 wow he said he'd go. 



Over to Camp Jack we went, took down our tent, packed 

 up and in a short time were on our way to Rook Harbor. 

 We were three hours making the eight miles and the 

 August Pun was hot as an August sun can be sometimes, 

 but I enjoyed every minute of that lazy sail, and as for 

 Jack, he just lounged there in the boat too supremely 

 happy even to talk. There is an abandoned lighthouse 

 at Rock Harbor, and the boatman said we could go in 

 there and need not pitch our tent that night. On the 

 boat crawled, with the main island on our right and the 

 outlying chain of islands on our left, on one of which the 

 Algoma came to so disastrous an end a few years ago. 

 Past the deserted works of a copper mine of which noth- 

 ing remains but a taU smoke-stack and a heap of debris. 

 The lighthouse is now in sight, and in a little while the 

 boat bumps against the old pier now badly decayed. A 

 dog barks and a woman steps to the door of the house. 

 Evidently some one is ahead of us in taking possession. 

 We unloaded our dunnage on the old shaky pier, paid the 

 boatman, and then hunted a camping place. We found 

 one a short distance away and again established ourselves 

 in camp, ate our lunch and were ready for whatever 

 might turn up. 



The scenery at Rock Harbor is even finer than Coburn. 

 Mighty rocks are everywhere, and rising high above all 

 the great circular lighthouse with its now blind eye look- 

 ing o'er lake and harbor, island and reef, but no longer 

 flashing forth light to give the course to vessels and 

 warning of the cruel reefs near by. A picket fence, 

 badly broken and weather-beaten, incloses a small square 

 of ground between the hou.se and the lake and the whole 

 effect is that of some Old World scene rather than this 

 almost uninhabited new. The lady in the house informed 

 us that their party, three ladies and one gentleman, had 

 been there over two months, but would leave in three 

 days for Washington Harbor. 



What an afternoon we had as we dug for green stones 

 in the gravelly pockets of the beach, climbed rocky 

 points higher than the trees which grew on the landward 

 side and against whose front the waves were hoarsely 

 moaning. We went over to the fishing station and made 

 arrangements to have our outfit and ourselves taken out 

 to the steamer the next day. Returning to camp under 

 the shadow of the lighthouse we took a trail that led to 

 a high mass of rock, along the top of which we went 

 until we entered a grand avej3u@ leading throueh a dease 

 firgroTi anti eading es tiop of Bnotbw great oliS, dswn 



