April 6, 1898.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



99 



THE BIG SUCKER OF BOYHOOD. 



I WAS pleased witli Jlr. Cheney's recent article in de- 

 fense of the "brook sucker;" not that I would care to be 

 put on record as an enthusiast over the fish, yet it is a 

 fairly good fish when properly cooked, and when taken 

 from a clear stream in the early spring montlis. He is a 

 fisli that has perliaps suffered more ridicule than any of 

 his fellows, and when spoken of by anglers is classed as 

 hard to catch and good for nothing when caught. I will 

 'confess to a weakness for suckers, owing, perhaps, to the 

 fact that my first real thrill of joy as an angler was 

 caused by my capture of a splendid specimen when I was 

 but 8 years old. 



Near the farm on which my father lived ran a large 

 creek, the real headwater of Munasquan Eiver. My 

 motlier, careful old soul, would as soon think of allowing 

 me to smoke grapevine cigars in the haymow, as to listen 

 to my pleading to fish in that creek. So I had to put in 

 what time I had fishing for "sunnies" in a shallow brook 

 in our meadow. But one day my longings overruled aU 

 my fears of future consequences, and armed with a 

 three cent cotton line, a small liook and a white birch 

 pole, I started for that enchanted stream. For had I not 

 seen rt'al nioiisters, glorious bullheads, almost impossible 

 eels and great strings of suckers brought from that same 

 stieam by the men and large boys? I was not a great 

 wliile in finding the favorite fishing point, the "old maple 

 swamp" at wbose foot the waters had worn a deep pool. 

 Stringing on a goodly-sized worm I crawled out on the 

 stump, adjusted ray cork float to the proper distance on 

 my line, and for the first time in my life cast a bait where 

 I could not see bottom. And with what anxious pleasure 

 I watched that cork as the waters swirled it to and fro, 

 till presently a nibble, then another and then it ceased 

 ■altogether. How disappointed I felt lest it should not 

 prove a bite. I 



didnotknow 4 

 suckers then so '■ "'^ 



well as now. 

 Again that nib- 

 ble, and with all 

 the strength at 

 my command, I 

 yanked boy fash- 

 ion. Horror of 

 horrors, I was 

 fast to a root; oh, 

 the chagrm and 

 despair for a mo- 

 ment. But, a tug 

 tug at my line 

 and a swift mo- 

 tion down stream 

 told me I had a 

 fish. How I land- 

 ed him I never 

 knew. I have a 

 dim remem- 

 brance of a 

 splashing and 

 surging object, a 

 whip-like pole 

 bent in all man- 

 ner of shapes, and 

 linally a real live 

 fish at my feet. 

 How I danced 

 and halloed. No 

 prince ever pos- 

 sessed more price- 

 1 e s s trophy. I 

 shall never forget 

 the pace I set for 

 home that hot 

 afternoon. Bare- 

 foot though I 

 was, I never 

 halted for briers 



or stones, rmtil breathless and the sweat streaming down 

 my face, I held up my prize to mj astonished father, who 

 was plov\-iug corn. I guess my "first sucker proved mj'- 

 mascot, for 1 escaped my deserved thrashing, and there- 

 after had the liberty of the creek whenever mj- time 

 could be spared. He weighed just S^bs., and I carried 

 his tail and fins in my pocket a long time as a relic. 



Since that time I have fished many streams, both salt 

 and fresh: am regarded as an angling rrank; and have 

 caught almost every variety of fish indigenous to our 

 waters, but of all the scaly prizes that have been killed 

 on my hook none have given me the thrill and hilarious 

 joy that did my first sucker. And even yet, surrounded 

 on all sides by good salt-water fishing, I cannot forego 

 the temxrtation of at least one day in the spring at my 

 early stamping grounds on the fresh-water creek. 



• While Mv. Clieney's method of the heavy sinker is very 

 good I have what I consider an improvement. I use a 

 very hght but thoroughly tested lanccwood rod, a small 

 combination rubber and German silver reel, and nine- 

 thread C'uttyhunk line. After carefully grading the 

 depth of my pool 1 set my float so that the bait will just 

 clear the bottom, then having stationed myself at its 

 head, I carefully pay off tire Ime until the entire length 

 of the pool is ti:aversed, repeating this until either success 

 crowns my efforts or failure convinces me that the fish 

 are not there. But in no case do I use more than one 

 worm at each baiting, and leave as much as possible of 

 its length to Avriggie free at the end of the hook. I have 

 taken both trout and suckers in this manner, while the 

 ice water was still running in the creeks. 



Leonard Hulit. 



Burbot in the Mississippi. 



On March 18 Dr. S. P. Bartlett saw a burbot 14in. long, 

 which was caught at Canton, Mo., twenty miles above 

 Quincy. This is the second fish of the kmd known by 

 him to occm- in that region, and as his acquaintance with 

 the fisheries is extensive, it may be accepted as a settled 

 fact that the bm-bot is an uncommon species near (^)nincy. 



The most southern locality reached by the fish thus far 

 known is Kansas City. ]\lo. In the Clreat Lakes, the 

 upper ^lissouri, and throughout British Columbia and 

 Alaska the burbut is a comuion fish. As a representatiA'e 

 of the cod family its jiermanent residence in fresh water 

 is unique and interesting, but as a food fish, except in a 

 few places, it is not esteemed. 



At Quincy the fishermen were afraid to handle the 



specimen seen by Dr. Bartlett on account of its eel-like 

 appearance and its formidable mouth. A figure of the 

 fish is to be found in the "Fishery Industries" and in the 

 report of the Pennsylvania Fish Commission. 



UNCLE BILLY. 



It was early in the season, about May 10, and I was 

 whipping the open water between the lily pads at the 

 head of the lake with fair success, fish rising freely and 

 ranging from i to Ijlb. It was an ideal spring morning, 

 w ith just breeze enough to create sufiicient ripple partially 

 to conceal the angler, and no jarring sounds had broken 

 the music of the feathered tribe, when suddenly and just 

 as I landed a fish of about 8oz. , a derisive laughter vibrated 

 on the morning air. I glanced in the direction whence 

 the sounds appeared to come, but my view was obstructed 

 by a clump of willows on a prominent point of the shore. 

 My next cast was rewarded by a fish a trifle larger than 

 the average, and as I landed it, I heard, or imagined I 

 heard, a soft chuckle. To my next cast I had a double 

 rise and both fish proved to be small fry and were re- 

 turned. Before this could be done, however, very de- 

 risive and most aggravating laughter shook the air; and 

 when I looked up I saw a little stoop-shouldered, gray- 

 haired and gray-whiskered old man gazing at me through 

 a pair of steel blue eyes full of contempt and merriment. 

 He said, "Take no notice of me or my peculiarities, 

 stranger, but go on and fish, if that is what you call it; 

 or if you feel so inclined, come with me a short way and 

 I'll show you what I call fishing and sport." 



I Avas too mad for civilities and told him to lead on. 



He brought his skiff around the point and led the way 

 to a stretch of abrupt rocky shore, where the water was 

 deep, and commenced proceedings by raising a 16ft. cane 

 from the bottom of the boat and baiting a 4-0 hook with 



'MOUNTAIN LODGE," NEW CLUB HOUSE ON MOOSE LAKE. 



a grub about the size of my thumb. After carefully lash- 

 ing the bait to the hook he nodded to me, cast to within 

 about Gin. from the shore, and gradually drawing Ms bait 

 in, as the heavy sinker threatened to lodge it. The first 

 cast was a failure. To the second, however, after the 

 bait had reached a depth of 6ft., a fish responded. The 

 old ]nan struck and not without some effort landed a 

 trout of about 31bs. 



He never looked in my direction, but adjusted his bait, 

 and in about 45 minutes caught seven fish weighing 

 iSflbs. He then asked me how many fish I had. I 

 counted twenty-three, weighing 81bs. and did not know 

 what to reply, when the old fellow, looking at me re- 

 proachfully, said: "Why could you not let them live till 

 I would have caught them. They would have weighed 

 401bs. at least. See what you wasted." 



Thus I made the acquaintance of "Uncle Billy," a '49er, 

 and about the queerest and nicest old fellow I ever met, 

 and I vowed that, early in the season, in this lake I would 

 not cast another fly, but become a convert of the virtues 

 of the 4 0, the grub and a 9oz. lancewood bait-rod. 



About a week after our first meeting, I noticed Uncle 

 Billj^ in his boat approach a point in the shore where I 

 was lounging: and I decided to watch him for a few min- 

 utes to see whether he would not now and then take in 

 a small one. After roAving to within about 30ft. from 

 shore, he raised his rod, looked critically at his bait and 

 went to work, making several casts without a strike; he 

 then came closer in and cast to deep water, bobbing his 

 bait Indian fashion,, and being almost immediately re- 

 warded by a strike and disappointed by a miss. He slowly 

 lowered his bait again, struck and missed a second strike; 

 tliat was too much for the old hero; he got on his feet, 

 lowered liis bait, and with considerable color in his face 

 and set teeth muttered: "Take it again; there take it," 

 and with emphasis crescendo, "I dare you to take it again, 

 you coward." I had to leave my j)oint of observation for 

 fear that I could not suppress "my merriment, but con- 

 cluded that it was worth while to cultivate the old gen- 

 tleman's acquaintance. 



With this object in view I paid Uncle Billy a visit and 

 was introduced to his .4-5-70 Marlin, his 8-gauge America 

 trigger action and his three hounds, one of which is his 

 owner's pet and understands every word addressed to 

 him. I was told, and felt inclined to believe, after witness- 

 ing Avhat followed. LTncle Billy was casting bullets: and 

 whenever a nice full bullet would drop from the mold he 

 would point it out and exclaim: "There is another one." 



The dog wotdd rise to a sitting position, gaze at the bulletj 

 wag his tafi. and lick his chops, whereby he not only ex- 

 pressed his pleasure at being addressed, but also his inti- 

 mate knowledge of what was meant by "another one," 

 at least so his actions were translated to me. 



Uncle Bniy fishes for the market, but vs^ould no mofe 

 think of fishing for or handling fish under lib. than hfe 

 could be induced to kill a doe out of season, even if he 

 were out of meat and the animal stepped into his cabul. 

 A buck, however, as soon as well in flesh and fat, I feai: 

 would stand less chances. Take him aU in all, he comes 

 nearer my standard of a gentleman sportsman than the 

 majority of us who pretend at a claim to the title. 



•* ^ Mux. 



SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, FISHES. 



Prof. Carl H. Eigenmann has prepared, and the 

 National Museum has published in its proceedings, an 

 account of the fishes of the southern part of California, 

 or more especially, of San Diego and vicuiity. One 

 hundred and seventy kinds are enumerated in his list, 

 and a very large proportion of thorn bring forth their 

 young ahve. 



"San Diego Bay is about eighteen miles long by one to 

 several miles wide. Its shores are sandy or muddy. 

 There being no streams emptjnng into it it contains pure 

 sea water. False Bay is much smaller and shallower, 

 and in winter receives the water of the San Diego Eiver." 



Fish are caught in these bays by seines and giU-nets, 

 and the seining has proved so disastrous as to threaten 

 the speedy ruin of the fishing. Trolling fines and hand 

 lines are used off shore, the former in the capture of 

 Spanish mackerel and barracuda, the latter for taking 

 whitefish and rock cod. The whitefish is not Uke our 

 comhion one of the Great Lakes, and does not belong to 



the same family; 

 it is related to the 

 famous tilefish of 

 the Atlantic, and 

 takes the hook 

 with equal readi- 

 ness. The rock 

 cod are brilliant 

 spiny-finned 

 fishes of the same 

 f a m i 1 y as our 

 Eastern rosefish 

 or red perch. 

 These fishes are 

 abundant and 

 furnish almost 

 endless amuse- 

 ment for anglers 

 all along the west 

 coast. Young 

 mackerel, Span- 

 ish mackerel and 

 barracuda enter 

 San Diego Bay, 

 sometimes in 

 great schools. 

 Large fish, as a 

 rule, are found in 

 drep water. 



■'The color of 

 the same species 

 of bottom fishes 

 inhabit ing the 

 bay and the out- 

 side varies great- 

 ly, and even the 

 same species at 

 different depths 

 oj- on different 

 bottom show 

 remarkable 

 changes." One of 

 the rock cods 



"varies from flesh color to the brightest scarlet and 

 olive." A sculpin found both in the bay and on the fish- 

 ing banks shows similar variation. Specimens in the bay 

 are dvdl colored, chiefly brown and mottled, while ex- 

 amples from the banks have the brown replaced by vivid 

 scarlet. " 



In the list of the fishes may be recognized nearly two 

 score of the familiar species on our east coast, including 

 such forms as the spined dogfish, the shark, hammer- 

 head shai-k, thresher shark, shark ray, devil fish, lady 

 fish, striped mullet, remora, swordfish, thimble-eye mack- 

 erel, Spanish mackerel, tunny, porcupine fish and sunfisb. 



The rainbow trout is the only" member of the salmon 

 family in the fresh waters. It abounds in the streams 

 rising in Smith Mountain, tributary to the San Luis Eey 

 River, and occurs also in mountain streams east of San 

 Quentin, Lower California. 



The barracuda is one of the most valuable food and 

 game fishes of the region. It becomes abtmdant about 

 the end of March, spawns early in July, and departs upon 

 the approach of winter. 



The swordfish has been seen on the Cortes Banks and 

 northward, but is not brought in to San Diego. Two 

 kinds of weakfish are found in San Diego Bay, "one of 

 which reaches nearly 4ft. in length. 



In crab holes under rocks at Point Lorna lives a re- 

 markable little bhnd fish of a beautiful pink color. On 

 mild days, when tides are veiy low, many of these fish 

 may be foimd by overturning the stones, and sometimes 

 the fish live out of water on clamp gravel and sand tmder 

 the rocks. Although the eyes do not serve for seeing, the 

 skin is super-sensitive, and when food comes in contact 

 with that of the head esj)eGially it is readily seized. The 

 fish wiU live in a small quantity of water for several 

 weeks without change. The eggs are bright yeUow and 

 a,re often attached by threads forming clusters like 

 bunches of httle grapes. 



The rock cods are f omid in bewildermg variety and 

 number, twenty-eight kinds being mentioned by Dr. 

 Eigenmann. Many of them are large and very hand- 

 some, and all of them take the hook freely. 



Among the most interestmg of the fishes are the vivi- 

 parous perches, wMch produce from about twelve to 

 fifty young, fuUy developed before they leave the bodies 

 of the females. These perches extend northward to 

 Alaska, and it is expected tliat Hving specimens wiU. be 

 obtained bv tlie U. S. Fish Commission in Puget Sound 

 for the World's Fau-. 



?y)!lRONDACK- LEAGUE -CLUB. 

 nooSE-LAKE - HERKinER.- CO--/N-Y. 



