866 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



(June 39, 1898. 



LAKE ST. JOHN OUANANICHE. 



New Yortj, June 24. — After my experience of June 12 

 at Mechanicville I proceeded to Quebec for the purpose of 

 putting in a bid for the ten years' fishing rights offered by 

 the Quebec Grovernment for lease of the waters now 

 fished by the Governor-General on the Grand Cascapedia 

 River. 



The auction room seemed to be quite well filled with 

 prospective bidders, but when the auctiou opened there 

 appeared to be no one who meant business excepting Mr. 

 Hogan, of St. Lawrence Hotel, Montreal; Mr. H. W. De 

 Forest and myself; and the waters were finally knocked 

 down to Ml'. De Forest at an annual i-ental of $6,125. I 

 understand that Mr. De Forest represented himself, E. 

 G. Dun, Wm. K. Vanderbilt, E. W. Davis, and a few 

 others. 



It was just the right season for ouananiche fishing at 

 Lake St. John, and as I had long desired to try my hand at 

 taking these much-written-aboiit and largely-advertised 

 fish, I took the train on the Quebec & Lake St. John E. R. 

 for Lake St. John, and on the evening of Friday last (the 

 16th inst.) found myself at the Hotel Roberval, located 

 near the little village of Roberval at the head of the far 

 famed Lake St. John. 



This hotel is a fine one, and has all modern improve- 

 ments, including electric lights, etc. ; but the season had 

 scarcely commenced and there were only about a dozen 

 guests, mostly fishermen and tourists. 



The next morning I took the little propeller yacht Un- 

 dine and in about two and a half liours found myself at 

 the foot of the lake (distance, twenty-five miles), comfort- 

 ably located a.t the Island House, a very nice hotel, run 

 under the management of the proprietor of the Hotel 

 Roberval. The proprietor has employed Mr. Patterson, 

 formerly a Hudson Bay Company agent, whose entire 

 business is to look after the fishermen and provide them 

 with guides, canoes, etc. I found Mr. Patterson a very 

 intelligent man and an expert in handling canoes and in 

 everything pertaining to fish and game. 



He quickly made arrangements for two good canoe- 

 men and a birch canoe under the control of one of the 

 best guides, John Morrell by name; but as it was too late 

 to go down to the Grande Discharge that afternoon, Mr. 

 Patterson suggested that he would himself take me out in 

 a canoe late in the afternoon and see what could be done 

 by trolling for ouananiche with a spoon; so about 4 o'clock 

 we went across the river where there -was a little swift 

 water right at the mouth of the river and commenced 

 operations. 



We had gone but a little distance when I had a strike 

 and lost a fine fish. However, we tried it again, and in a 

 few moments we had another strike, and I landed a 41bs. 

 ouananiche. Of course, I was more than curious to see 

 this renowned fish, and upon examining him, I became 

 satisfied that he was not a landlocked salmon at all. He 

 had the head, the mouth and the shape of a trout, and 

 his body was scaled like a bass (with smaller scales how- 

 ever) and covered with dark spots. In fact, the fish 

 looked more like a New York Bay weakflsh than any fish 

 I have ever seen. He by no means gave me the fight that 

 I expected, but after one or two leaps out of the w^ater he 

 came readily to the net with scarcely any struggle what- 

 ever. I was BO surprised at this that I asked Patterson 

 what it meant, and wa,s informed that he thought that 

 the water was not swift enough, and that when I began 

 to take the fish in the rough waters, they would give more 

 of a fight. 



We then resumed trolling and within an houi-'s time 

 kiUed two more ouananiche, one of which weighed 41bs. 

 and the other 31bs., and we also killed a pickerel of about 

 3 lbs. weight, which gave us almost as much of a fight as 

 the ouananiche. 



The next morning bright and early I took my two 

 guides and the canoe, and we went down the river and 

 in due course of time found ourselves in the white water 

 about i mile below the foot of the rapids of the Grande 

 Discharge, distance from the hotel about three miles. 



Now as I had read a great deal about the fish taking 

 the fly right from the foam, to the foam we went as fast 

 as we could go there. We found it in a large pool at the 

 foot of the rapids on the lower side of the river, and I lost 

 no time in casting away for aU that I was w-orth, but 

 after about one-half hour's fruitless endeavor, the guides 

 said that the fish "were not rising in the foam that day," 

 and suggested that we move over to a large rock or point 

 that jutted out from the shore, around the end of which 

 a heavy current was flowing. 



This we did and almost the first cast that I made with a 

 silver-doctor hooked a 31bs. fish which, after a couple of 

 jumps in the air, came to the net in the most placid 

 manner and was taken in, 



I continued casting for about half an hour without suc- 

 cess and then handed the rod over to John Morrell and he 

 mstantly hooked a large fish and promptly lost him, as he 

 did with two others right there and then. I at once saw 

 that he did not understand how to handle a fish that was 

 taken on a fly-rod, so the next fish he hooked I took the 

 rod from him and landed it without trouble. I then re- 

 sumed work and soon had another fish that weighed 

 about 51bs., but he gave me no more sport than the first 

 ones. He did not take out One inch of fine nor make any 

 attempt to sulk nor make a long run or anything of that 

 sort. ^ 



We remained on or about this rock all day long and 

 took thirty-two fish, about a dozen of which were only 10 

 or 13in. long and I promptly retm-ned them to the water 

 Ihe remamder of the fish we took to the hotel and o-ave 

 some of them away, and selecting about a dozen of the 

 largest, I thought to take them home with me, but when 

 we arrived m Quebec, the weather was so warm that I 

 concluded it was better to present them to the proprietor 

 t)t the Hotel Florence. 



WeU to return to the ouananiche, On further investi- 

 gation I found that the flesh of this fish is pink, but a 

 very light shade thereof, and is neither as firm nor as 

 toothsome as the flesh of the salmon, or the trout or the 

 black bass. In tact, I must frankly say that I was never 

 so much disappointed m a fish in my life, both as to its 

 fighting qualities and its uses for the table. 



nf H^'ff f''^''!■'^T^^u''■^®^1^^l^"^ ^'^ '^1^' I ^'ell satisfied 

 f' ^ ^^^"^ landlocked sahnon on the 



Lri and Lake Stream m Il&me, and the real landlocked 

 salmon is almost identical in appearance with the regular 

 salmon that comes up from the sea, but the ouanaSiche 

 IS a different fish entirely. It has not the white beUy of 

 the salmon, but has a distinctly yellowish tinge on the 

 beUy, the same as a bass or perch. 



The scenery at the Grande Discharge is magnificent. 

 The roar and rush of the waters is Hke Niagara, but I can 

 frankly say that I would rather kill a 3-pound bass, and 

 would" be sure to get more fight and more sport out of 

 him, than an ouananiche of double that weight. 



It makes me smile now when I read the high-flown 

 accounts of the "far-famed ouananiche." 



Robert C. Lowry. 



HUDSON RIVER SALMON. 



New York, June 2d.— Editor Forest and Stream: My 

 fijst visit to Mechanicville was made on May 23 After 

 finding comfortable quarters in the Hotel Leland, I made 

 the acquaintance of Mr. Thomas L. Pratt, of Mechanic- 

 ville, whom I found to be a most enthusiastic fisherman 

 and quite desirous to see the killing of a. fine salmon in 

 the river. Mr. A. N. Cheney, of Glens FaUs, also came 

 down to meet me, and as soon as we had dined, I put my 

 rod together and speedily found myself on the river, but 

 unfortunately there was such a high wind blowing up 

 river, that it was impossible to cast a fly to any advantage, 

 and after spending an hour or two in vain endeavors we 

 gave it up. I think that no salmon had arrived there at 

 that date, as we saw none breaking water and no signs of 

 any. As I had determined to give the water a thorough 

 and fair trial, I left my fishing tackle with Mr. Pratt; and 

 on June 12 I paid another visit to Mechanicville. 



This time everything seemed favorable. Not only w^as 

 the water fine, but about 60ft. of the dam at Troy had 

 gone out or broken away early the morning of the day 

 jefore, and as it w^as a well know^n fact that there were 

 plenty of salmon seen below the Troy dam, I of course 

 expected that they w^ould quickly find their way np to 

 Mechanicville. 



Mr. Pratt soon had his boat afloat and took me up as 

 near as the limit would allow, below the falls at the dam, 

 and we spent another morning in a vain endeavor to 

 take a fish. 



I used every variety of fly in my fly-book: Silver-doctor, 

 Jock-Scott, silver-ranger, silver-gray, black-dose and fairy, 

 but without success. After about two or three hours' 

 casting, without seeing a fish break water or any signs of 

 any, Mr. Pratt and myself went ashore and walked along 

 the high stone wall alongside of the pulp mill, just below 

 the dam. In a few moments we had the pleasure of see- 

 ing a large salmon in the w^ater below ns. I should judge 

 that it weighed not less than 301bs. and perhaps more; he 

 seemed to be in a great state of excitement and was mov- 

 ing rapidly in almost every direction. I think that he 

 had just arrived from down the river and was mystified 

 by the surroundings, including the lime-water that at 

 times flows from the pulp mill. This water is exactly 

 the color of milk and leaves a heavy white sediment 

 along the shore of the river, which of com-se means death 

 to the fish. 



As the salmon above referred to was inside the lawful 

 limit, of course I made no attempt to see whether he 

 woulil notice the fly or not. In the afternoon we took 

 our boat down stream and went to fishing just below the 

 rapids, located some three miles below Mechanicville. 



It is as fine water as I ever saw for salmon, and although 

 I fished it M^ith the greatest care, we did not get a rise or 

 see any fish. 



From the above experience it is my belief that the 

 salmon will not take the fly at Mechanicville or at any 

 place located so far distant from sea. The water was 

 very warm, and this, too, was against us. I also doubt if 

 very many fish had yet arrived there, for I received a let- 

 ter yesterday from Mr. Pratt, dated June 19, in which he 

 informs me that he has seen any quantity of salmon in the 

 river since I left. 



He saw them frequently breaking water out in the 

 river just above the Mechanicville Bridge, and upon going 

 up to the stone wall he saw five lying in the clear water 

 in front of one of the wheel pits. He also saw a large 

 number jumping on the apron of the dam in the endeavor 

 to go up stream. 



The fisliwayat Mechanicville is in good order, excepting 

 that it is choked up with brush and debris, and the Fish 

 Commissioners ought to clean it out immediately. 



Mr. Cheney also informed me that about two weeks ago 

 one of the game protectors at Hudson had taken some 26 

 salmon aUve in his nets and turned them loose. By the 

 way, I might remark that my opinion is that whenever 

 salmon are caught in the nets and turned loose or hooked 

 by a fly and escaiie, they immediately return to the sea. 

 In fishing in our Cascapedia River we have frequently 

 lost fish, and the netters at the mouth of the river took 

 them the next day with our leaders and flies in their 

 mouths. 



At the mouth of the Dartmouth River at Gaspe Basin, 

 Quebec, there is a Government system of traps for catching 

 the fisli for propagating purposes, and as soon as they are 

 stripped they are returned to the river alive. This process 

 has almost ruined the Dartmouth as a salmon river, for 

 the fish are so frightened that they do not return. In 

 fact, some few years ago a number of them were tagged 

 and were taken later on in the St. John and York rivers, 

 both of which empty into the Gaspe Basin, with the cop- 

 per tags still intact. 



Long experience has also taught nie that the salmon is 

 very much and very quickly affected by the temperature 

 of the water, and the moment the temjjerature rises above 

 about 60° the fish seem to be stupefied, and wiU remain in 

 one place for weeks without stirring or taking notice of 

 the fly, but should a cold wave occur or the temperature 

 of the water be lowered by a freshet, they will immedi- 

 ately bestir themselves and eagerly dash at the fly when 

 presented, Robert 0. Lowry. 



Hudson River Salmon with the Fly. 



Mr. T. L. Pratt of Mechanicville, on the Hudson, 

 writes us that on June 23, with Mr. Miller, of the same 

 town, he killed two salmon, taken with the fly, weio-hing 

 9ilbs. and lOilbs. Mr. Pratt's first fish took the fly as the 

 town clock was striking 5 in the morning and was safely 

 m the boat at 5:28. Mr. Wm. H. Yandenberg took an 

 llilbs. fish on June 20, Several others have been lost. 

 Many others are trying for Mechanicville salmon, and it 

 IS probable that other fly-fishing records will be made. 



A CHANGE of publication day, which is necessary to meet 

 the requu-ements of a growing constituency in the South 

 and West, wfll be made beginning with the second num- 

 ber of the new volume. From that date the Forest and 

 Stream will be put to press on Tuesday instead of on 

 Wednesday of each week. 



AMERICAN ANGLERS IN CANADA. 



There has been an immense rush to Canada of both 

 salmon and ti'out anglers from the United States dui'ing 

 the last few days. Mr. H. De Forrest, of New York, for- 

 merly secretary of the Restigouche Salmon Club, w^ho 

 was here last week, was the fortunate purchaser of the 

 fishing rights of the Grand Cascapedia, for which he paid 

 $6,125 per annum. The Governor General of Canada and 

 the Countess of Derby are now on the river, which they 

 will fish till the termination of their lease on the third of 

 July. 



Rev. Dr. Rainsford, with a party of friends left here on 

 Saturday for the Restigouche, and on the same river are 

 Messrs. George von L. Meyer and Louis Curtis from Boston. 

 Mr. Walter Brackett, of the same city, is on the St, Mar- 

 guerite, where Mr. D. H. Blanchard is also expected about 

 the end of next week, Mr. E. C. Fitch has gone down to 

 his North Shore stream, the Romaine, and on a portion of 

 the Cascapedia Messrs. C. B. Barnes and F, W. Ayer are 

 now whipping the pools. 



But the greater rush of the angling fraternity is to the 

 more readily accessible waters in the Lake St. John dis- 

 trict, where 'fishing privileges are in thousands of square 

 miles of territory, free to the patrons of Mr. Beemer's and 

 Mr. Baker's hotels at Lake St. John and Lake Edward. 

 Upon this latter lake is now snugly encamped on Isle 

 Paradise, Mr. Kit Clarke, of New York city, who has 

 ah-eady this season been to Grande Discharge for a tilt 

 with the ouananiche and killed a number of fine speci- 

 mens ot fontinalis in the Metabetchouan, on the preserves 

 of the Spring-field Club. Judging by the very heavy 

 fish which have been ah-eady taken this season in 

 Lake Edward, Mr. Clarke is likely to have a good time 

 before him . The waters of the newly-formed Triton Club, 

 a little to the south of Lake Edward, have turned out 

 especially well, and the American members who are now 

 encamped upon them report very gratifying success. This 

 ti-ack possesses the advantage of being the most accessible 

 of any of the preserves in the district leased to American 

 fishing clubs. Members may leave Quebec at 8:30 A, M. 

 and commence fishing shortly after 1 o'clock the same 

 day. The club house of the New Haven Fishing Club on 

 Commissioners' Lake was unfortunately destroyed by fire 

 a week ago. It will be immediately rebuilt. Messrs. Dr. 

 Stetson, A. H. Mayo and A. W. Hooper, aU members of 

 the club, are now fishing its waters. The season at the 

 Grande Discharge has opened very auspiciously for anglers, 

 the ouananiche having been plentiful since the 10th inst. , 

 when one of eight pounds weight was taken by the well- 

 known guide Johnny Morel. Four and five pound fish 

 have risen freely to the anglers' flies diu'ing the last ten 

 days, and with them have been killed some good specimens 

 of the whitefish, averaging some two pounds each. 



It will probably be news to some of the readei-s of 

 Forest and Stream that the splendid new steamer Mis- 

 tassini is now crossing daily to the Grande Discharge from 

 Roberval. She usually makes the 25 miles across the lake 

 in about an hour and a half. Among others who are 

 shortly expected here to fish the Grande Discharge are 

 Judge Vann and Eugene McCarthy, of Syracuse. 

 Quebec, June 22. E. T. D. ChaJMBERS. 



THE MISSOURI DYNAMITE LAW. 



Jefferson City, Mo., June IS,— Editor Forest and 

 Stream: In your issue of May 25 your correspondent 

 "O, H. Hampton, traveling agent Atlantic Dynamite 

 Co.," in commenting on the act passed by the last Legis- 

 lature of Missouri for the protection of fish and to regulate 

 the sale of dynamite, is, I think, premature in his con- 

 demnation of the law. He says: "As a matter of fact, 

 it is so heroic that no one observes it and in consequence 

 it is worthless." Whereas, "as a matter of fact," this act 

 of the Legislature has not yet taken eft'ect and is not yet 

 the law; and will not become so "until ninety days after 

 the adjournment of the session at which it was enacted." 

 (Const. Mo., Article IV., p. 71, Sec. 36, Rev. Stat., Mo., 

 1889.) There was no emergency clause adopted making 

 it take an earUer effect. I believe the Legislature 

 adjourned late in March, and ninety days thereafter the 

 act takes effect and becomes the law. 



Again, Mr. Hampton says: "I am familiar with the 

 dynamite trade in Missouri, but have not heard of any 

 one paying any attention to this law, and probably never 

 win hear of such a thing." That's reasonable. But if he 

 remains in the business after the act becomes the law, 

 with a like experience, wouldn't he make a good witness 

 before a grand jurj'? I would advise Mr. Hampton to go 

 a little slow^ with his dynamite sales hereafter, at least 

 in this "neck of woods," as our prosecuting attorney is- 

 foolish enough to think the law ought to be complied 

 with. 



Mr, Hampton says: "A good deal of the dynamiting is ; 

 not done with dynamite anyway. It is a well knowm 

 fact that a bottle filled with rifle powder is just as effec- 

 tive as dynamite, and is used in many of the supposedl 

 dynamite cases." Fortunately this contemned Missouri 

 law provides for bottles of powder as well as other things. 

 Sec. 5086a is as follows: "No person shall place or use in 

 any of the waters of this State any medicated drug, any 

 CocGulus indicus or fish berry, or any other poisonous 

 thing or substance calculated to poison, kill or injure any 

 fish, nor shall by such means kill, catch or take any fish 

 that may be in said waters, and no person sliaU place any 

 dynamite, giant powder, niti-o glycerine, or any explosive 

 substance of which nitro glycerine composes a part, or 

 any other explosive substance or preparation [that 

 catches rifle powder in bottles, doesn't it?J in any of the 

 waters of the State, whereby any fish that may be in 

 said waters, may be killed, injured or destroyed, and no 

 person shall by such means kill, catch or take any fish 

 from said waters." 



This law was not made for good citizens, but for scoun- 

 di-els who prey upon the public; who to get one fish will 

 slay a thousand; who will wantonly and criminally destroy 

 aU the fish in a river, and thus deprive whole communi- 

 ties. Why will the United States and the States appropri- 

 ate and expend tens of thousands of doUars for the 

 propagation of fish and replenishing the "dynamited" 

 rivers? If dynamiters are to go free for a small fine which 

 they never pay, if it is too severe punishment to send them 

 to the penitentiary, then stop the appropriations and let 

 the fish go. 



I have yet to hear the man who does not say the peni- 

 tentiary is the place of any one who would desti-oy fish by 

 explosives. 



The enforcement of the law may be troublesome, but 



