102 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



ociation, held at Yotmg's Hotel, Boston, Friday evening, 

 Feb. 17. 



The Association unanimously Toted to oppose the bill 

 now in the Legislature to change the opening of the sea- 

 son on trout from Aiwil 1 to Feb. 1, and adopted the fol- 

 lowing resolutions: 



Resolved, That it is the belief of the Massachusetts Fish 

 and Game Protective Association that the proposed law 

 to open the fishing season for trout on the first day of 

 February would, if passed, prove extremely injurious to 

 the interests of the people of this Commonwealth, and 

 that it is our further belief that the season should not be 

 opened any earlier than is now provided by law. 



Mr. Benj. C. Clark, chairman fund committee, re- 

 ported a total fund deposited of $1,636.51. It was voted 

 to favor the bill for opening the season on black bass 

 June 15. 



The Association voted to co-operate with the Old Colony 

 Club in their efforts in the Legislature. 



Messrs. Edward E. AUen, Edward H. Best, Dr. G. L. 

 Marshall, Frank W. Whitcher, Chas. Vose and Lewis C. 

 Marshall were elected members of the Association. 



Richard O. Harding, Sec'y. 



A Card to Massachusetts Clubs. 



The Old Colony Club would be very glad to receive at 

 the earliest possible moment the names of all persons or 

 organizations for the protection of fish and game in Mass- 

 achusetts who would be willing to assist in the work of 

 procuring signatures in remonstrance against the (3l\J4bert 

 Trout Bill opening the close season' for trout Feb. 1 in- 

 stead of April 1, as at present provided. 



Charles F. Chamberlayne, Sec'y. 



60 Devonshire Street, Boston. 



BAIT-CASTING FOR BASS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I note what Mr. A. N. Cheney has to say in your issue 

 of Feb. 9 in regard to "pickerel favoring pike," but I can- 

 not for the fife of me see how any ijerson can mistake 

 one for the other, much less a "local fisherman." I am 

 not familiar with the pickerel or pike of northern New 

 York, but there is certainly as great a dift'erenee between 

 the pickerel and pike of Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa as 

 there is between a dogfish and a bear. 



"Eui'us" very graphically describes a day's black bass 

 fishing in the same issue. "Eurus" certainly must have 

 struck pretty good water if he hooked thirty black bass 

 and a good pickerel in five hours. We of the World's 

 Fair city see no Such fishing, especially nowadays, but if I 

 did find such ground I should hardly spend the time in 

 trolUng. 



I would like to inquire if "Eurus" has ever tried taking 

 the bass by bait-casting. I think he has not or he certainly 

 would never go back to trolling. In my time I have tried 

 nearly all the methods of ta,king bass (except spearing, 

 shooting and netting), and, frankly, I can get more keen 

 satisfaction and enjoyment out of one bass taken by bait- 

 castiag than I can out of twenty taken while trolling. I 

 would advise "Eurus" to try it, audi beheve, from the 

 spicy manner in which he writes, that he is a true sports- 

 man, and I will guarantee that when he has got his hand 

 well in he will never go back to troUing. 



In bait-casting, as in all other methods of fishing, much 

 depends on the nature of the body of water and not a 

 little on the fish. The greater majority of Chicago fisher- 

 men I find are bait-casters, and many of them are very 

 expert at it, too. I also observe that 99 out of every 100 

 do their casting from a boat. Where the water will ad- 

 mit of wading, is in my estimation the only way to bait- 

 cast. In some of our lakes and rivers, of course, wading 

 is out of the question, and the sportsman must take to the 

 boat if he would fish, but the greater majority of the lakes 

 in the neighborhood of Chicago ofl:er excellent facilities 

 for wading. Silver Lake, Wis., Channel, Maria, Catherine, 

 Long, Crooked and Eouud lakes, 111., all ofi:'er excellent 

 opportunities for wading. Of all these lakes i^erhaps 

 Silver Lake has the best shore for wading. The bottom 

 is firm and the water shallow for at least 100 feet from 

 shore. Reeds, perch and pickerel weed are plentiful on 

 all the shores. 



A good pair of hip boots (or wading pants of oilskin, if 

 you prefer), a frog bag and a creel or bass bag of oilcloth 

 and the pole that you prefer completes the outfit. You 

 have no leaky boat to bail or sponge out, no oars to float 

 away quietly while you are fighting your fish, and no 

 heavy boat to row home after a day's sport. And this is 

 not aU. Those of your readers who, like myself, happen 

 to reside in Chicago, or any other large city for that mat- 

 ter, can readily tell you of the difficulties often presented 

 in securing a boat at all on many of the lakes adjacent to 

 large cities. It is always "first come first served," and the 

 hindermost fellow or the comer on the late train often 

 finds himself without the means of transportation on 

 water when he gets there. This is particularly true on 

 many of the lakes on the line of the Wisconsin Central 

 Railway. To estimate it roughly, I should say that this 

 road carries from 800 to 1,200 fishermen to the lakes of 

 Lake county and southern Wisconsin every Saturday af- 

 ternoon, rain or shine. These 800 to 1,200 persons must 

 find accommodations and boats on about twelve lakes, 

 and very often many of them are sadly disappointed in 

 both respects. I have seen one small farmhouse having 

 but eight sleeping rooms and only four boats besieged by 

 thirty hungry fishermen who came fifty-six miles by rail 

 for the privilege of sleeping (some of them) in a barn and 

 going to "third" table to dine. Those who knew the 

 country best and were acquainted with "mine host" suc- 

 ceeded in getting a boat, but the larger majority amused 

 themselves by waiting until some one got tired before 

 they succeeded in casting a line at all. The man who 

 goes prepared to Avade, however, is independent of all 

 these annoyances, and he generally succeeds in bagging a 

 goodly number of bass. 



The man who is prepared for Avading seldom meets with. 

 the hundred and one annoyances that the "man in the 

 boat" is subject to. If he snags hard and fast in a good 

 plump reed Jie does not have to back water or dive down 

 for the obstreperous Jiook. He lias no oars to lose, no 

 jolly cmipanion to run auiuek with his line by slapj)ing 

 an oar on it just at tlie critical moment when he is land- 

 ing his "lordsliip," or "catch a crab" while you are stand- 

 ing up for a long cast with your back toward him. Next 

 to seeing a fine four-pounder shake himself lose fifty feet 

 to windward is the sensation one feels wMle lying face 



downward in a moist boat with both arms in the water 

 midwaj' between the elbow and shoulder, the result of a 

 "boon companion" "catching a crab" while your back was 

 turned. I assure you, gentle reader, I have been there, 

 and know the sensation. 



Now, friend "Eurus," take my advice, purchase a pair 

 of hip boots, get your wife, sweetheart or sister to make 

 you a good long frog bag with a strong puckering string, 

 a bass bag one foot wide by three long, made of oilcloth 

 or duck with a strap for the waist or shoulder, long 

 enough to allow the bag to rest in the water, and then go 

 you and try a hand at bait-casing from off shore. Select 

 a lake such as you have described, and I warrant yom- ex- 

 perience Avill be such that you wiU not be averse to re- 

 peating it as often as circum,stances will permit. Should 

 you prefer to use shiners as a bait, a tight closing bait can 

 of the gauze variety may be substituted for the frog bag, 

 although in our western coimtry the frog bag is the favor- 

 ite casting-bait in most, localities. Circumstances, how- 

 ever, alter cases, a,nd in fact in some of our western lakes 

 the loass strike more readily at a four-inch perch than 

 they will at the most tempting frog or shiner. At some 

 future time I will relate my experience in this regard, 

 which has been somewhat ludicrous. A Bait-Caster. 



Chicago, Feb. 36^ 



An Early Fishing' Spoon. 



Editor Forest and. Stream: 



• It has been claimed that Mr. Henry R. Carnes, of 

 Rochester, N. Y., is "the inventor of the fishing spoon 

 about forty years ago." Mr. Carnes may be the inventor 

 of the spoon, but if so it must ante-date forty years back, 

 for it is nearly fifty years ago since I saw my brother. Dr. 

 James Davison, of Theresa, N. Y., use a fishing spoon, 

 which he made from the bowl of a solid silver tablespoon 

 by soldering a Limerick hook on the point of the bowl and 

 by turning three-eighths of an inch of the shank nearly at 

 right angles toward the shallow of the boAvl. Through 

 the shank was a wire with Avasher between upset end and 

 shank, on winch the spoon revolved. On the other end 

 of the Avire was a sAA^ivel to Avhich the line was fastened. 

 This spoon Avas rather a crude affair Avhen compared Avith 

 one of W. D. Chapman's trolling baits of to-day, which 

 fire also manufactured at Theresa, but it served its pm-pose 

 by taking many a mascalonge from Indian River, until 

 one day an old "mossback" pitched himself on to it and 

 ibx'oke the line, and probably was the only mascalonge in 

 }iis day that Avas the possessor of a solid silver spoon. 

 I \ ■ J. L. Davison. 



j A New-Subscriber Offer. 



I A bona fide n^w-sultsoriber sending us $5 will receive for that sum 

 the Forest ajjd Stream one year (jprice $4) and a set .of Zimmerman's 

 famous "Ducking Scenes" (advertised on another page, price $5)— a 

 |9 value for $5. ^ ^ 



This offer is to new subscribers only. It does not apply to renewals 

 For f 3 a bona fide new subscriber for six months Avill receive th 

 Forest aud Stream during that time and a copy of Dr. Van Fleet's 

 handsome work, '-Bird Portraits for the Young" (the price of which 



Imml 



FIXTURES. 



DOG SHOWS. 



Feb. 38 to March 3.— Keystone Kennel Club, at Philadelphia, Pa. 

 James Watson, Sec'y. Entries close Fsb. 17. 



March 7 to 10.— Maryland Kennel Club, at Baltimore, Md. W. S. 

 DifCenderfEer, Sec'y. Enti-ies close Feb. 25. 



March 14 to 17.— Washington, D. C. F. S. "Webster, Sec'y. 



March 21 to 24.— City of the Straits Kennel Club, at Detroit, Mich. 

 Guy D. Welton, Sec'y. 



March 22 to 25.— Elmu-a, N. Y. C. A. Bowman, Sec'y. 



March28 to 31.— Ilhndio Kennel CSub, first show, at Indianapolis, 

 Ind. Chas. K. Farmer, Sec'y. 



April 4 to 7.— New England Kennel Club, at Boston, Jfeg^; J. y7. 

 Newman, Sec'y. 



April 1] to 14. — Continental Kennel Club, at Denver, Col. 



April 19 to 22.— Fifth Annual Dog Show, at Los Angeles, CaJ. 0. A. 

 Sumner, Sec'y. 



May 5 to 6.— Pacific Kennel Club, at San Francisco, Col. Horace W. 

 Orear, Sec'y. . . . 



June 13 to 17.— World's Fair, Chicago. "W;. Biieha6ail, ChiBf Dept. 

 of Agriculture. 



Sept. 7 to 10.— Hamilton, Out. A. D. Stewart, Sec'j'. 



Sept. 11 to 15.— Toronto, Canada. C." A. Stone. Sec'y. 



Don't forget that Baltimore entries close Feb. 

 25, -with W. Stewart IDiffenderffer, Central Savings 

 Bank Building, Baltimore, Md. 



THE UNITED STATES F. T. C.'S TRIALS. 



The postponed trials of the United States Field Trials 

 Club commenced on Feb. 13, at New Albany, Miss. 



One stake, the Pointer Derby, Avas run at the place fixed 

 for the trial, Elizabeth toAvn, Ky., in November last, and the 

 circumstances of scarcity of birds at that place and the bad 

 Aveather and other objections which obtained at Columbus, 

 Ind., to which place the club transferred owners, dogs and 

 handlers by special train to there compete, a\ ere all fully 

 chronicled in Fokest and Stream at that time, and are 

 doubtless still fi-esh in the memory of the readers. 



The postponement injttred the trials. Indeed, no one ex- 

 pected that it would be otherwise. The postpotiement and 

 change to grounds in another section of country more or less 

 upset the plans of owners and handlers. The trial last year 

 had become a fixture in a series of trials, all the details of 

 which were considered by OAAmers and handlers, not onlv in 

 relation to the club itself, but in relation to the regular order 

 in which they would fit in similar events. In short, the trial 

 as a November fixture was a pai-t of the field trial circuit, 

 and many of the entries were made with a A^iew to competi- 

 tion, one trial after another, throughout the circuit. To thus 

 take the trial bodily out of a carefully arranged circuit was 

 to break up the web of a multitude of plans of OAvners and 

 handlers. Some of them could attend at Elizabethtown, but 

 not at New Albany. 



The club could not add to its support from such patronage 

 as it could command in the South, The entries were closed. 

 The club therefore could not readjust to meet the emer- 

 gency. 



The trials Avere injured, but not ruined. There was a good 

 trial held. There was quite as much competition as could 

 be finished readily in one week, which is as long as any field 

 trial should last. The club is too poAverful and popular to 

 feel other than transient effects from the set-back and hard- 

 ships of last November. Hard Avork and liberal e.xpeiiditure 

 have not been spared to fully carry out the club's promises. 



While on the .subject of hard work it is l)ut just to men- 

 tion that the accurate and prompt mauner in Avhich the af- 

 fairs of the United States Field Trial Club progress is an im- 

 portant part of its strength. The systematic arrangement 

 of the intinity of business detail does not come by ehanee. To 

 Mr. P. T. Madison, the secretary- treasurer, belongs the praise 

 due to merit. He does not have to apologize at a club meet- 



ing for forgetting his books, for he does not forget them. He 

 does not read the minutes of the last meeting out of some 

 newspaper, for he ha.s them on record himself. His corres-. 

 pondence is kept up in a biisiuesslilie way. Those Avhohflve 

 any money claims, prize money or debts are paid promptly. 

 It is one of the instances Avhere all the business details are' 

 arranged so nicely that it seems easy. But it is not. Both 

 knoAA'ledge and hard work are necessary; $2,600 in purses. 



The grounds of the Southern Field Trials C'lati as ere used. 

 They are mostly open, with a strip of Avood land here and 

 there, and are several thotisand acres in extent. The .search 

 for bevies was almo.st exeltisively in the open fields, a large 

 part of the scattered bird Avork was also in the open, the rest 

 being woods. 



A dance and supper was held on Wednesday night in honor 

 of the field trial party. The jiulges were "Col. A. Gr. Sloo, 

 Vincednes, Ind.; P. H. Biyson, Memphis, andB. M. Stephen- 

 son, La Grange, Tcun. 



The Aveather Avas alaont as unpleasant as it could Avell be. ^ 



The judging was on the Avb ole good, the absolute competi- 

 tions being the unsatisfactory- places. 



The club held a meeting on AV'ednesday, Feb. 15. The 

 usual formalities of readirig the mintites of the previous 

 meeting were observed. 



A clatise in Rtile 9 Avas changed to read at follows: "Any 

 dog absent for more thair twenty minutes after his miniber 

 is called may be disqualified from competition." 



Pv,ule 12 was expunged, it being practically a repetition of 

 part of Rule 9. 



The rtile was so autended as to leaA-e all kinds of tmsteadi- 

 nesstothe discretion of the jndge, the following clatise be- 

 ing expunged: "The second chase, however, loses any further 

 opportunity of competitio]i in the stake." 



The following new rule ^v;i,.s adopted: "Rule 12. Any 

 handler Avho is objectionable to the Board of Governors from 

 any cause whateA-er shall be excluded. Entrance money in 

 all cases of this kind shall be refunded." 



The clttb recognizes winnings in the Eastern Field Trials 

 Club, Central Field Trials Club, Southern Field Trials Cllib 

 and the Philadelphia Kennel Club. 



The treasurer's report showed a balance of $l,084..5O. Out 

 of this was to be deducted the running expenses of the trial. 



The Board of Governi:>T.s are; Dr. N. Eowe, Chicago; Paul 

 H. Gotzian, St. Paul; Hon. ,J. E. Guiimotte, Kansas City, 

 Mo.; J. M. Freeman, Bickneil, Ind.; AVm. M. Kerr, Indian- 

 apolis, Ind.; Col. A'. 0. Sloo, Viuceraie.s, hid.; H. Hulman, 

 Jr., Terre Haute, Ind.; H. J. Smith, Louisviile, Ky.; Nor- 

 vin T. Harris, St. Mathews, Ky.; C. G. Stoddard, Dayton, O.; 

 J. M. Aveat, Hickory ValleA-, Teun.: B. Waters, Chicago; R. 

 Merrill, Milwaukee,' Wis.; W. .H. (Jhild, Philadelphia, and 

 P. T. Madison, Indianapolis. 



The ehib meeting then adjourned. The Board of Governors 

 immediately tliereafter held a meeting. 



Following is the list of officers elected: Dr. N. Kowe, Pres- 

 ident; C. G. Stoddard, Yice-President; H. Hiilman, Jr., 

 Second Vice-President, and 1\ T. Madison, Secretary-Treas- 

 urer. 



The club will hold two trials, one at Bickneil, Ind., Nov. fi, 

 and one son Mi of the Ohio Kiver. in January, February or 

 March. Mr. Madison was enipoA^'erfrd to sele<.-t grounds and 

 make arrangements Cor conducting the sprin.g trials .south of 

 the Ohio River. The president and secretary an ere appointed 

 a committee to fix the date of tlie .sjjring trials. 



The stakes are I lie K.'une ns i;isi. vcrii-. excepting that m each 

 stake the absolute winner gets ;t^lO(i. 



Dr. M.' F. Rogers asked for- ;i lie;iring, and explained the 

 advantages which could bo seemed in transpurtation, . 



f rounds, etc., at New .-Mtiany. He also yave a descr'ijjtion of 

 is efforts to stock the Southern Club's grounds with the 

 Mongolian pheasant. , 



The entries were arranged as follows: Derby (Bickneil) 

 first payment, May 1; second payment, Aug. 1, to start. ■ 

 Derby (South), first payment, .July l;s(!eonil paymejit, Oct. 1. 

 All-Age stakes (Bickuel 1), entries cloHe-Oet. I . Other All-Age 

 stake entries close Nov. 1. The entrarice in Derb.y are first . 

 payment, !|10 second payment and $10 adiJirionai to start, _ 

 All-Age, $iO to nominate, additioual to start. QTierewill 

 be nearly !^.5, 000 in prizes in the two ti-ials, t\(r ea.cli setter 

 Derby there will be $1,300, For rach All-Age stake *1 ,100. 



The Board of Governors met a^uairi on t'riday after lunch. 

 The president .and secretary were appointed a committee to 

 select judges. A vote of thanks was passed to the American 

 Field Trial Chib and to the Sontberji Field Trial Cbth re- 

 spectiA'Cly for courtesies extended to the club. 



The energy and enterprise of this club in arranging fov a 

 fall and winter meeting shonld ooinniend it io the most cor- 

 dial support of field trial men. TLe soundness, li ber.i I ity and 

 energy of this club are not equal led by any other. 



The Derby. 



For pointers and setter.s whelped on or after .Jan. 1, 189b 

 Each breed to run separately. 



The Setter Stake. 



The po.stponement of the club's trials Avas most unfortu- 

 nate, so far as this stake, in respect to the nundjei- of entries, 

 Avas concerned. The circumstances Avhich caused the post- 

 ponement were all mentioned ui FoKio.ST A^ n S^l;^:.\^r in the 

 report of the trial and its postponenumt at the time of the 

 occurrence in November last. The starters then nnrnhered 

 twenty-seven. Inasmitch as the stake could not be run satis- 

 factorily on the date first advertised, the Ibial payment.sAvere 

 returned to the re-spective owners. The slake Avas opened 

 again, and remained so rill the e\-envng of B'eh. 1:3. But thir- 

 teen starters filled. A falling o(V in the number of .starters 

 was natural Iv expected. In the time iutervening .betAveeu 

 N ovember and February some dogs Avould on further trial 

 prove unequal for the competition which they \yere sure to 

 meet if started, others were run in the fall and winter trials, 

 and their abilities la competition Avere thus ftrlly deternjiiied. 

 Avhile a fe\\- others have died. The elnb lost none of its pop- ' 

 alarit.y Avith OAvners or handlers, ami indeed there is no rea- 

 son why it should be otherwise, since the postponement was 

 brought about by force of circujustanees. No club is more 

 popular, competent or honorable than the United States Field 

 Trials Club. 



The dogs were draAvn as follows; 



Manchester Kennel Company's black, Avhite and tan dofi 

 Gleam's Piidc (Vanguard -^Georgia Belle), A, P. Gilliam, 

 handler, ■icUh 



J. L, Adains's black; white and tan dog Cecil H. (Dr. 

 Machn— Cossette), L. W. Blankenbaker, haudler. 



A. J. Gleason's black, white and tan bitch Nancy Foreinan 

 (Dan Foreman— Hope's Lucille), OAvner, handler, 



wm 



Blue Ridge Kennels' lemon and white setter dog Hope's 

 Mint (Gath's Hope— Dashing Lady), D. E. Rose, handler. 



J. W. Shriver's black, Avhite and tan dog Direct (Gun- 

 Victoria Laverack), owner, handler, 



Jackson-Denmark Keimels' black, white and tan bitch 

 Lillian Russell (Philip Gladstone— I^ou K.), Thomas Bond, 

 > handler. 



Jacksou-Denmark Kennels' black, Avhite and tan dog Rex 

 the King (Laddie Browdre— Phylh.si, Thomas Bond, handler, 

 with 



Avent & Thayer Kennels' black, white and tan dojg Kings- 

 ton (Chance— Bessie Avent), J, M. Avent, handler. 



W. G. Peter's & J. E. Guinotte's dog Dixie's Rod (Rocl- 

 erigo— Dashing Dixie), A. J. Gleason, handler, 



