FOREST AND STREAM. 



[March 93, 1898, 



ANGLING NOTES. 



Size of Hooks foi- Big Fish. 



A GENTLEMAN writes to me: "Will jon be kind enough 

 to tell me the kind of bait used in catching the large 

 small-mouthed black bass in Glen Lake, N. Y. , and the 

 size of hooks commonly used, as I understand the big 

 fellows are takeii by bait-fishing." The most of the large 

 bass, and I mean fish over 71bs. in weight, taken in Glen 

 Lake, have been taken on yellow perch bait. One, of 

 8 Jibs., which I sent to Mr. Blackford, was taken on a 

 frog. The lOlbs. bass taken by Nat. Parker was taken 

 witli an ordinary minnow — chub or dace — as was the bass 

 caught by the late Reuben Serleye, for which he claimed 

 a weight of ll-}lbs. At one time gold shiners (bream) 

 were considered an excellent bait for the big bass, and 

 some fish were taken with these, but bream seem to have 

 disappeared from the lake since the bass Avere introduced. 

 All the big bass of which I have record, except one, were 

 taken on bait of small fish of some kind. I have not 

 known of a very large bass being taken from the lake on 

 crawfish, dobson, ci'icket, grasshopper or earth worm, and 

 I never knew of but one bass of any size being taken on a 

 trolling spoon or artificial bait. 



I cannot thmk of a better bait for the large bass in Glen 

 Lake than a yellow perch from 4 to Sin. long, a,nd one of 

 6in. would go. As to the size of tlie hooks used, I haA'e 

 no means of knoAving, unless in a general way, except in 

 my own case. I caught two bass in one morning, and 

 both were cauglit on the same hook, a No. 3 Limerick. 

 When the fish were first taken from the water one weighed 

 Bjlbs. and the other 8;i:lbs. In each case the bait was a 

 yellow perch. The hook is tied (I say it is, because it is 

 before me as I Avrite) on single gut that now measures 294 

 by Stubbs's wire gauge. The gut and the hook are both 

 too small to use if one could be sure in advance of catch- 

 ing such large bass. I caught the smaller bass first, and 

 as the gut was not reinforced above the hook with an 

 extra piece of gut, called a keeper, the fish chafed the gut 

 for an inch of its length above the hook. I noticed tliis, 

 and was aware that the gut was weakened, but conchid- 

 ing that lightning would not strike twice in the same 

 place, I baited the hook again and put it out. When I 

 saw the second fish I wished most heartily that I had put 

 on a fresh hook, and I deserved to lose the large fish for 

 not doing so. When tlie second bass was netted the gut 

 was chafed and ragged for two inches above the hook, 

 and about one-half the silk winding was gone: and from 

 handling afterward the gut parted from the hook. For 

 fish of this size at least 1-0 hooks should be used, and the 

 gut should have a reinforcement just above the hook for 

 an inch or inch and a half. 



Big Pike and Small Hooks. 



In looking for the hook 1 have already mentioned, 

 I found one on which I caught a pike of 121bs. This 

 is a No. 3 Sproat. tied on single gut. I was fishing 

 for j^ellow perch, using a minnow about 2in. long 

 for h-dit. My guide was fishing from the other side 

 of the boat for a big pike and had mounted a heavjr 

 hand-line with a 8-0 hook on gimp and baited the 

 hook with a sucker about 8 or 9in. long. I got the pike 

 and tlie guide got notliing, although he was fishing in the 

 weeds and I was fishing as far as possible away from 

 them. I saved the pike simply because the gut got be- 

 hind the maxillary, and I kept it there so the fish coidd 

 not cut it with his teeth. The capture of tliis pike was 

 not so unusual, however, as the capture of a 25flbs. pike 

 on a trout gang by Will Taylor, a professional fisherman. 

 The gang was of single gut and the liooks were No. 6 

 treble, and the fish was so hooked that he could neither 

 cut the gut nor smash the hooks. I caught a lake trout 

 of lllbs. after a good figlit, and Avhen the fish was gaffed 

 I found that it was held only by one of the hooks of the 

 gang, No. 8 in size, which was fastened in the lip of the 

 fish. I was so surprised that I held up the fish on the 

 gafl: for the oarsman to see where it was hooked before I 

 killed it, and while so holding it the fish shook the hook 

 out of its mouth and would have been free except for the 

 gaff. 



Tinomson's Mills Fishway. 



I met Mr. John A. Dix, of Thomson & Dix, Avho own 

 the mill where the upper fishway in the Hudson River is 

 situated, and he told me that just before the ice formed 

 last autumn, he had the fishway cleaned out and put in 

 order, and that hereafter he would take it upon himself 

 to keep it open and in order, for no one representing the 

 State or Fish Commission had given it any attention last 

 year when it was in need of it. Mr. Dix told me further 

 that he became interested in the fishway and realized the 

 importance of keeping it in order from reading something 

 I had written on the spbject in Forest and Stream, for 

 which compliment I made him my best bow. Now, if I 

 could awaken some other men I know on the same sub- 

 ject, I w-ould be quite content to continue writing upon 

 the matter of opening the Hudson River for the passage 

 of salmon. I asked Mr. Dix if he had seen salmon in the 

 fishway or above it, but he said he had not personally, 

 although his men had seen salmon baits in the fishway 

 and in the river aboA^e it. When it Avas first built — the 

 fisliAvay being impassable last summer — th" salmon coidd 

 not get above it. 



Prooag-atingr Yellow Percin Artificially. 



As supplemental to what I recently Avrote in FoEEST 

 AND Stream about yelloAv perch, I may add that in a cir- 

 cular just sent to me by Mr. J. J. Armistead, of the Sal- 

 Avay Fishery, Dumfries, Scotland, I find that he makes 

 quite a feature of cultivating yelloAv perch for stocking or 

 restocking waters with tliis excellent pan fish. Mr. Arm- 

 istead says: "The ]ia.tching of perch OA'-a being more 

 tlioroughijr understood, they are A'ery easily dealt Avith, 

 a.nd as no apparatus is necessary they are Avithin tlie reach 

 of all who possess suitable water. They are sent out when 

 j ust on the point of hatching, and all that is necessary is 

 to place them in the pond or stream, where they usually 

 hatch out without loss, and soon after laying them down 

 the little creatures may be seen swimming in all direc- 

 tions." Fry of the pei'ch, as well as the eyed oA^a, is also 

 furnished, and the fry costs ten English shillings per 

 thousand, while trout frj^ costs £1 10s. per thousand. 



A. N, Cheney. 



T^e Pennsylvania Fish Protective Association. 



The monthly meeting of tlie Association was held Sat- 

 urday evening^, March 11, 1893, at 8 o'clock, at room, 102.0 



Arch street, Philadelphia. The subject of an extension 

 of the present open season for taking brook trout in the 

 State to Aug. 1 was proposed for discussion at the meet- 

 ing. 



ILLINOIS WARDENS WORK FOR LOVE. 



Danville, 111., March W.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 In Forest and Stream of March 9 there appeared a com- 

 munication from Henry G. Abbott, of Chicago, which 

 criticises the Illinois State Fish Commission. Mr. Abbott 

 is apparently sincere in his desire to see the State fish laws 

 enforced, but it is astonishing that any intelligent man 

 should presume to seA^'erely criticise a subject before he 

 acquaints himself with the facts in the case. 



Without even mentioning the work of the Commission, 

 he makes the statement that the Illinois State Fish Corn- 

 mission is "worthless when it comes down to actual busi- 

 ness," and in proof of this statement cites instances where 

 fish Avardens have failed to strictly enforce the law in 

 some locahtiea. Mr. Abbott seems to be ignorant of the 

 fact that fish wardens are not the Fish Commissioners, 

 and that their sins of omission should not be charged to 

 the Commissioners. That all Avardens have not succeeded 

 in strictly enforcing the laAV in their territory is not the 

 fault of the Fish Commissioners, but of the laws and laAv- 

 makers of the State. Some Avardens have found the 

 duties of their office such difficult and thankless Avork 

 that after a short efl'ort they haA'e fallen by the Avayside 

 and given it up, while othei-s have worked with persever- 

 ance, firm determination and undaunted courage, and 

 have enforced the fish laws in their locality Avithout fear 

 or favor. 



The sentence: "When I hear and see such things, and 

 know that the State pays some lusty game Avarden for 

 prcA^enting this kind of slaughter," is the unkindest cut of 

 all. The State of Illinois does not and never has paid fish 

 wardens a single penny, as can readily be seen from the 

 folloAving extract from the law: 



Sec. 4. The Governor on request of the Fish Commissioners shall 

 appoint Fish Wardens, who shall enforce all laws relating to fishes, 

 arrest all violators thereof , prosecute all offenses against the same. 

 They shall have power to serve processes against such offenders and 

 shall be allowed the same fees as constables for like service, and shall 

 have power to arrest without warrant, any i^erson found violating 

 any of the provisions of this act, but such wardens shall receive no 

 fees except in cases Avhere convictions ai'e obtained. 



On May 9, 1890, Governor J. W. Fifer, on request of 

 Fish Commissioner S. P. Bartlett, appointed me one of 

 these lusty wardens, and since that tune I have secured 

 twentj^-six convictions for violations of the fish laws. The 

 offer and payment of rewards for information that Avould 

 lead to the arrest and convictions of violators, together 

 with other necessary expenses incidental to the hunting 

 up of evidence and securing final conviction, have aggre- 

 gated considerably more than the income from the con- 

 victions, and the deficit has been paid by the Vermilion 

 County Fish and Game Association. As a member of this 

 association I haA^e jjaid my share of this deficit, and thus 

 I have prosecuted and convicted my neighbors, have given 

 much hard work and many days and nights of my time, 

 and have actually paid out money of my own for the 

 privilege, but I have the satisfaction of knowing the fish 

 laws are feared and obeyed in Vermilion county, Illinois. 



It is probably imixissible for the Fish Commissioners to 

 find in every locality an enthusiast who is willing to make 

 the sacrifice and accept the office of fish warden, but the 

 croakers should put their slioulders to the Avheel and do a 

 little Avork themselves instead of scoffing and sneering at 

 those who are doing the best in their poAver for the good 

 of the cause. Such men as Henry G. Abbott and his 

 boasted "retaining influence of the true sportsmen of 

 Chicago and the large cities" are probably not located 

 where they might become efficient fish Avardens, but they 

 might exercise their Avind in favor of better laws. All 

 true sportsmen should try to encourage those who are 

 bearing the brunt of the battle instead of finding fault be- 

 cause the millenium has not yet arrived, Geo. Kamper. 



WHEN DO THEY SPAWN? 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In the Forest and Stream of last week a Michigan cor- 

 respondent speaks of a good bass stream emptying near 

 Grand Eapids, and tells us that the best time for fishing it 

 is in July. Pray when do the Michigan bass spawn? 

 Close to the southern Michigan boundary line Ave get our 

 best spring bass fishing from the 10th to the last of May, 

 in the waters of Lake Erie, and perhaps a week or two 

 longer in our northern Ohio streams; AA^hile in the lakes 

 about the northern border of the loAver Michigan penin- 

 sula Ave find the first two Aveeks of June to be the very 

 cream of the spring season. When the spring fishing 

 ends (that is, Avhen the spawning begins) it stops off short, 

 and in this latitude is not considered worth bothering with 

 till well in August, It is part of the creed of our fisher- 

 men that an all-Avise Providence has made the month of 

 July the poorest fishing month of the entire season, for the 

 especial benefit of the great army of summer tourists 

 ("resorters" they are called up in Michigan) who frequent 

 the lakes and streams at this time of the year. 



And yet, and yet. I know a rapid, s]Dring-f ed stream in 

 southwestern Micliigan, Avhich has fine bass fishing at 

 other seasons and which ought to have good July fish- 

 ing if any Avaters in this latitude haA'e in that month. 

 Whether there is or not I cannot tell, never having fished 

 it in July. Perhaps our friend is right; but we wovdd 

 really like to know when tlie bass spawn in just such 

 streams as he describes. Jay Beebe. 



Toledo, 0., March 18. 



The Faded Charms of liycoming Waters. 



Many yeai-s ago, while living in Ehnira, N. Y. , I used 

 to make frequent trips to Ealston, Pa,, to fish in the 

 beautiful Lycoming and its tributaries. Many a delight- 

 ful day have I spent on those streams with Dr. Up De 

 Graff, Sam Hamlin, W. M. Sanders and Wakeman Hol- 

 berton. There I first met Seth Green and McBride, the 

 fly maker. Then the streams were clear and trout were 

 plentiful. Three years ago I visited the old, much-loved 

 places to sketch and paint, as I am an artist. But what 

 changes I saw! On the Lycoming, at Eoaring Branch, 

 Avas an immense tannery belching out its poison in the 

 once crystal stream. Four miles below, at Ralston, was 

 another and the water for mdes below was the color of 

 cltocolate. Of course the trout were aH gone. The 

 tributaries, Roaring Branch, Rock Run and Pleasant 



Stream, were nearly aU destitute of trout as the guttei-s of 

 Broadway on a rainy day. 



What a shame that such noble streams should be ruined 

 to gratify the selfish greed of a few men. Why does a 

 great State like PennsylA-ania allow it? 



Other changes I saw that were nearly as painful to con- 

 template. The fine forests that once clothed the moun- 

 tains Avere in many places destroj^ed. The "march of im- 

 provement" had built up an ugly little village at Ralston. 

 In fact, the whole region around Avhich clung so many 

 pleasant memories was changed and its charm lost for- 

 ever. Samuel Conkey. 



Mussels Caught on a Hook. 



Great Falls, Montreal. — In England I used to do con- 

 siderable fishing in the iiA^ers Thames and Mole. I re- 

 member once going for a day's fishing in company Avith 

 my father. We started early in the morning, taking with 

 us among other things, a huge receptacle in which to 

 plaxe our "spoils." The fish had evidently had a late 

 supper the night previous, for they AA-^ere by no means 

 hungry on the day in question. We first troUed, then 

 floated, and finally Avhipped the stream, but not a bite 

 did Ave get. The sun blazed down upon us in all its fury, 

 and to say that Ave were hot is draAving it mfidly. Late 

 in the afternoon, my father had a bite; "Ah," said he, "I 

 told you so, it's Avorms they Avant on a day hke this," and 

 immediately afterward he hauled up a small mussel, the 

 hook completely inclosed between the shells. Those 

 shells, I have no doubt, my father still keeps as a memento 

 of a most uneventf id day" The mussel Avas duly placed 

 in the receptacle as the sole trophy of our day's sport. 



D. C. 



Florida Tarpon. 



PuNTA GORDA, Fla., March 15. — A large number of tar- 

 pon have been caught at Punta Gorda, Charlotte Hai'bor, 

 Fla., the past week, six being landed in one day. This is 

 rare sport, and the guests of the Hotel Punta Gorda are 

 enjoying the sport as much as the fishermen- 



Massachusetts Black Bass Season. 



By an act approved March 10 the Massachusetts black 

 bass close season is between Dec. 1 and Jvme 1, instead of 

 Dec. 1 and July 1 as formerly. 



Canadensis Trout. 



A CORRESPONDENT advises us that Mr. Crane, of Cana- 

 densis, Pa., to whom we referred an inquirer last week, 

 has sold out and moved aA\'-ay. 



"With- Rod and Creel.— The days apisroach when the sportsman 

 will go forth with rod and creel. Where will he go ? If wise, to the 

 great trout and bass country along or tributary to the Grand Trunk 

 Railway of Oauada. AVrite for particulars to N. J. Power, General 

 Passenger Agent, Montreal, Canada.— ^^(Zu. 



"BLACKFOOT LODGE TALES." 



Mr. Grinnell's new book about Indians ("Blackfoot Lodge Tales," 

 by George Bird GriuneU; Chas. Scribner's Sons, New York) bears out 

 the old saying that it is the second book which tests the author. In 

 this case the author is both tested and proved, and his claim to a high 

 position in American literature is assured, if there were any who 

 could doubt that after reading the earlier book, "Pawnee Hero 8tories 

 and Folk-Tales." Not that the que.stion of position baa troubled the 

 author, whose jDersonality is, if anything, too i-eLiring. Indeed, he 

 has said to the writer, "You know I did not write these books for 

 myself, but for the Indi;;ins. They have no one to speak for them," 

 The singular charm of both these books, and one very dilSciUt to 

 gauge, so unusual is it, is the fact that the author does not even speak 

 for these men whom he has known so long and thorougl)l.\-. He does 

 more. He gives us the Indians speaking for themselves. "Author and 

 even interpreter are effaced. It is the high accomplishment of these 

 books to bring us face to face with the savage tellers of these tales, to 

 make us understand their tongue du'ect, to be in touch with then- 

 methods of reasoning and to know theu ways of Ufe. It is probably 

 not too much to say that there is not a book other than these two in 

 the English language which possess tlus unit] ue quaUty. It is some- 

 thing new in literature. This hook is a Uterory phonograph. You can 

 hear the Indians tallcing ! 



To be able to attain such a result required first a long residence 

 with these Indians and a familiarity with their life which no one could 

 gam who had not merited and won their complete confidence; and 

 it required secondly a uiastery of that high literary art which com- 

 passes the simplest forms of expression, always the most difficult. K 

 a mau can do tliis once he is an author of merit. If he can do it twice 

 he is an author of note. 



Some time ago Mi'. J. W. Schultz, of Piegan, 3Iont., who from liis 

 associations with Mr. Grinneli in the Blackfoot country knew much of 

 the preliminary work on the book, wrote me, before a line of it was in 

 type, "The Blackfoot book is going to be a better book than the PaAv- 

 neebook." This may it; the main be true. It is a fuller book, more 

 complete, better i i.uiuled out— in short, it is a bigger book, though 

 much the same in ti/eatuiejit, and much the same in the patient fidelity 

 to detail. 



As one reads these books, this hook, which is new from the press, 

 new in the field it takes up, and new in the method of the A\Titing, he 

 begins to have some new ideas. The first of these comes with an in- 

 creased knowledge of the great American native peoples now so de- 

 plorably decreased, so unspeakably ill-treated, so rapidly passing 

 away. "He finds that not till now has he had any conception of the 

 tribal importance of the Pawness, the Blackfeet, that he baa not 

 known how great a territory they covered, how strong they were in 

 numbers. After that come new ideas as to the way these people 

 hved, and after that again more ideas as to the actual individual 

 character. Following this now knowledge there are bound to come 

 some surprising reflections. One wonders that he has not known 

 loefore that heroism, bravery, generalship, nay, even a literature and 

 a poetry found theu- home tinder the smoke-blackened roof of the 

 Blaclcfoot lodge. These Blackfoot Lodge Tales are novelettes, many 

 of them, short stories who.se leaves we find ourselves turning faster 

 and faster as the story moves. They comply with the canons of the 

 short story. They are hterature, though never before have they had 

 any medium of letters. 



A for the poetic expression, let us take one storj^ that one called 

 "Scarface," which begins that division of the work marked "Stories 

 of Ancient Times," Many stories are published as good ones which 

 do not have in them either the human nature or the numan interest, 

 the poetic conception or the poetic expression that this one does. 



Scarface is a poor young man and he loves a beautiful girl, the 

 daughter of rich parents. Note the social exigency, not unknown to 

 us. Note also the social custom, how similai- to ours. 



"The Raven Bearers held a dance; they all dressed carefully and 

 wore their ornaments, and each one tried to dance best. Afterw^ard 

 some of them asked for this girl, but still she said no. Then the 

 Bulls, the Kit-foxes and others of the I-kun-uh'-kah-tsi held their 

 dances, and all those who were rich, many great warriors, asked this 

 man for his d,aughter, but to every one of them she said no." 



Scarface was the right sort of man.' He met the girl, openly and 

 with frank speech. As she passed by to the river after water he said: 



"Girl, wait; I want to speak with you. Not as a designing person 

 do I ask you, but openly, where the Sun looks down and all may see., 



".Speak then," said the girl. 



"I have seen the days," said the young mau. * * * "I am poor, 

 very poor. * * I 'have no relations; all have gone to the Sand, 

 Hills; yet now, to-day, I ask you, take pity, be my wife!" 



Then "the girl hid her face in her robo and br'ushed the gi'ound with 

 the point of her moccasin, back and forth, laaclc and forthj for she 

 was thinking." It seems that all women have always been alike. 



