B4 



LJULT 32, 1893. 



AROUND MINNESOTA LAKES. 



These notes are written, from Two Brothers Camp, on 

 the shore of Lake Melissa, where Jack and I have been 

 for two weeks. Fishing? Well, a little, just enough to 

 keep up our reputation. Why Two Brothers Camp ? Oh, 

 because everybody not acquainted with us always takes 

 us for brothers when they see us together. We are 

 nearly always together somehow, and I doubt if two 

 friends who lore to go a-fishing and have outings in 

 general ever had better times than we do. 



There has not been such pike-perch fishing known in 

 years as the lakes of northern Minnesota have furnished 

 this season. It has been amazing, the strings which 

 have been brought in, and the large average size has been 

 a constant theme among the fisher folk. Several have 

 been caught weighing over Gibs. , and that is heavy for a 

 pike-perch in these lakes. Jack an d 1 have made some 

 fine catches this §uramer. 



The black bass did not begin biting until very late. I 

 caught two in Lake Sally the middle of May, weighing 2 

 and 2-pbs. They were the first bass caught this season. 

 A. R. Stephens caught 8 fine small-mouth bass in Mon- 

 son Lake two weeks later, and about the same time Col. 

 Bartram and Caj). Day sneaked out of town one morning, 

 returning the next day with 79 large-mouth bass, which 

 they ca,ught in Lake No. 6. On this trip they saw a deer 

 near at hand and also a bear. The bear came to the 

 edge of a slight bluff and stood looking down at the fish- 

 ermen in the boat only a few rods away. The day Jack 

 and I went into camp here these same two men went to 

 Trobridge's Lake, and in two days caught over 90 pike- 

 perch and 50 large-mouth bass. 



The other day I went over to Fan- Haven House on 

 Lake Sally, where genial landlord McNeil keeps a smile, a 

 hearty greeting, good beds and boats for all who come 

 during the summer. My errand was to get a boat for use 

 at our camp, and while at the pier selecting a boat Mac 

 showed me his new bath houses, eight in mmiber, of 

 which he is very proud, as well he may be. Miss May 

 McNeil came along and said, "Papa, have you shown Mr. 

 Cooley the fish?" "Oh, I nearly forgot; come here and 

 I'll show you something that will interest you much more 

 than new houses and things of that sort." I went along 

 and found the something to be four small-mouth black 

 bass weighing 5, 4^, 4^ and 41bs., also three pike-perch 

 weighing 6i, 6 and 51bs. They were a pretty sight and 

 excited me greatly. They were caught in Lake Sally by 

 a gentleman from Iowa. 



This has been the worst season for winds ever known. 

 Last week for three days the wind blew a gale, and to-day 

 the lake is foaming and roaring at a great rate. In May 

 there was a heavy tliree days' blow that washed away a 

 rod or more of the beach for a mile each way from where 

 or tent stands. During his blow Mr. Rob Corbett, who 

 lives here, picked up out of a pool behind a log two black 

 bass, one weigliing 6i and the other 51bs. They had 

 washed in and were stranded there by the storm. A pike 

 was also caught, of size exceeding great, that came to 

 grief during the same storm. 



Jack and I liave not caught the prize bass yet but we 

 soon expect to. Mr. H. E. Wilson, of Red Lake Reserva- 

 tion, is urging us to come up there in July and catch bass 

 imtilwe are tired of them, and last week I had a letter 

 from Dr. Mahaffey, of White Earth Agency, telling me to 

 come right up there and go bass fishing with him. A man 

 cannot be everywhere at once, so Jack and I have de- 

 clined these and other kind invitations and rest content 

 in Two Brothers Camp. Myron Cooley. 



Detroit City, Minn. 



MR. HARDING'S SALMON. 



Boston, Jxily 15. — The season for shore bird shooting 

 in Massachusetts opened on Saturday, July 15. Some of 

 the gimners have their ammunition ready, but tlie 

 weather is hot and the marshes are generally worse by 

 reason of low water and dry weather than is usually the 

 case. No flights of birds are yet mentioned and it is 

 doubtful if much sport is enjoyed tUl the weather 

 changes. A few days of east wind and rain woxild doubt- 

 less bring down some flights of summer yellowlegs and 

 jacksnipe. There is a long stretch of coast in the Bay 

 State, with numerous bays and marshes. The locations 

 are numerous where summer shore bird shooting may 

 be enjoyed, but the g-unners have manifested little interest 

 up to date. 



Reports indicate a plenty of bluefish off Nantucket and 

 Boston sportsmen are trying them occasionallj^ with good 

 results. It is also reported that bluefish are coming up 

 Buzzards Bay and that President Cleveland tries tbem 

 frequently. Mr. W. H. Caggin, with Dwinel, Hayward 

 & Co., and whom the readers of Forest and Stream will 

 remember as having made that most delightful trip into 

 northern Aroostook county, Me., last November, stopping 

 at the lumber camps, has a cottage at Falmouth, Mass. , 

 for the summer, and with a friend he was to try the 

 bluefish in Buzzard's Bay early tliis week. 



C. F. Goodwin and Ed. Weston report the taking of a 

 Gibs, landlocked salmon in Sebago Lake last week. They 

 took this fish when stiU-fishing with bait in deep water. 

 It has long been claimed that landlocked salmon could not 

 he taken otlierwise than by trolling in that lake in the 

 spring, but this is a case to the contrary. Two lOlbs. 

 salmon are reported as being lately taken inSunapee Lake 

 in New Hampshire, Occasional catches of a salmon or 

 two are reported from Rangeley Lake and Mooselucma- 

 guntic, 



Boston salmon fishermen continue to fit out for the 

 Canadian and New Brunswick salmon rivers, and some 

 of these spare no expense in these outfits. The tackle 

 people here tell me that outfits costing ,f500, $600, $800, 

 andevenupto$900, are the good things of their experience 

 which sometimes come. Some of the salmon anglers are 

 also returning, but with i-eports of low water, hot weather 

 and rather poor success. Mr. Richard O. Harding, with 

 Appleton & Bassett, and secretary of the Massachusetts 

 Fish and Game Protective Association, came back on Sat- 

 lU'dayfrom a most delightful salmon trip to tlie Northeast 

 Branch of the St. Marguerite. He was absent a couple 

 of weeks and was the guest of David H. Blanchard 

 at his salmon preserve on that river. 



The readers of Forest and Stream will remember Mr. 

 Blanchard as the champion of the celebrated petition for 

 the restriction of salmon netting in Canadian waters. 

 This petition, though not attaining its full object, has 

 resulted in much good, as salmon anglers will gladly 

 testify. Mr, Blanchard has been for some time deter- 



mined that Mr, Harding should take a salmon. They 

 went to Mr. Blanchard's salmon preserve together last 

 season, but alas! Mr, Harding was obliged to leave before 

 he had caught a salmon. This year he is a happy angler. 

 He brings back to Boston a SOlbs. salmon, measuring 43in. 

 in length, and taken by himself on a Jock-Scott fly. This 

 elegant fish was shown in Appleton's window on Satur- 

 day, and Richard's many friends dropped in to congratu- 

 late him. He bears his honors easy, only hoping to go 

 again. The fishing was bad aU the first of his absence. 

 The weather was hot, and the water was low, and not a 

 salmon could they get to rise for several days, though 

 they tried them faithfully every day. At last the welcome 

 rain came, bringing a rise of water. Then the fun begun. 

 The first day they got a couple of rises, and landed one 

 fish. The second day after the rain they got five rises 

 and landed four fish, including the big one taken by Mr. 

 Harding. It took over an hour to bring this feUow to the 

 gaff. He leaped out of the water six times, once clearing 

 the au- for fully 10ft. The catch of these gentlemen thus 

 far has weighed respectively IS^lbs., IGilbs., 2iJ*lbs. , 241bs. 

 and 291bs. Mr, Blanchard wiU remain a few weeks 

 longer, and sportsmen will wish him all the success he so 

 richly deserves. 



One salmon gave Mr. Blanchard and Mr, Harding a 

 good deal of sport, and so severe did it become that it 

 ceased to be sport. One of the guides had been casting 

 out from the shore into a pool some feet from the bank, 

 near which the water was still. He had not had a rise, 

 and was leisurely reeling in his line, the fly dragging 

 across the pool and over the still water. Very near the 

 shore a salmon made a pass for the fly, but did not hit it. 

 He went over the line, however, and the guide struck. 

 The hook caught the fish in the deepest part of the belly. 

 Here was a chance for a tussle. The salmon, maddened 

 by the sting of the hook, started off. The rod was given 

 him as hard as the line would bear, and in this way he 

 could be checked a little. The first man played the fish 

 tiU he was exhausted, then the other would take it and 

 work the reel and the rod till his hands were ready to give 

 out. Mr. Harding says that he has had the privilege of 

 handhng a good rigging with a big salmon at the other 

 end tfll he could hold him no longer. They took turns in 

 ti-ying to siibdue the fish, till at last he was brought to the 

 gaff, after more than two hours of reeUng and running, 

 leaping and sulking, Mr, Blanchard was mightily pleased 

 with the sport, though he does not recommend hooking 

 salmon in the belly as a general practice. It takes too 

 long to subdue them. 



Governor Russell is off for the waters of the Miramichi, 

 and with his friend A, H, Wood and possibly another 

 friend. They are after salmon, and are probably the 

 guests of the venerable actor Joseph Jefferson, at his 

 salmon preserve. Mr. Jefferson wiU be likely to follow 

 later, though at present he doubtless has his hands full in 

 salt-water fishing with President Cleveland at Buzzards 

 Bay. 



W. H. Fox, G. W. M. Guild and Geo. D. Loud are off 

 for the fishing ranch of the Magaguadavic Club, on the 

 river of the same name in New Brmiswick, Mr. Silas D. 

 Dizer, of Prouty & Dizer, an enthusiast as to the Rangely 

 waters, has just retui-ned from a fishing trip to Kennebago, 

 W. B. Hastings, a Columbus avenue grocer, and L. Dana 

 Cliapman, of Dame, Stoddard & Kendall, had a good day 

 with the bluefish at Nantu.cket, July 4. They took nine 

 fish weighing 8i and 8Albs, each, 



H. M. Burt of the Boston Globe, and Henry B. Calender 

 have gone to the Miramichi for salmon. Harry H. Crocker 

 has just returned from a trip to the Megantic preserve. 

 He had most remarkable luck with trout, making a big 

 catch, the real number of which may be published later. 

 He saw nearly 100 deer, one moose and two caribou, while 

 on the trip. Thomas W. Bryant of Torrington, Conn., is 

 at the Megantic Club preserve, with a couple of friends. 

 Gflbert Hodges, with his son and a friend, has just re- 

 turned from a two weeks' stay at the Megantic preserve. 

 W. A. Macloud and Dr. McConnell ai-e about starting on 

 a trip to Tim and the Seven Ponds, in Maine, Special, 



BLACK BASS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. 



"Should you lure 

 From his darlt haunts above decaying brake 

 Or under rock, the monarch of the lake. 

 Behooves you then to ply your finest art." 



The open season when black bass can be lawfully taken 

 is from June 15 to April 30, except Spofford Lake, in the 

 to^vn of Chesterfield, which is protected fifteen daj^s later, 

 leaving but about six weeks in the State at large in which 

 they are covered by the law, but as they feed only about 

 half of the year, abstaining during late fall and winter 

 months in this latitude, there remains but about four 

 months when they can be taken with hook and line. 

 They have been introduced into probably more than three- 

 fotirths of the 600 lakes and ponds and a large number of 

 the streams of the State, and there is a law and ifilOO pen- 

 alty, prohibiting the putting of them or their sy awn in 

 waters where they are not already found, without the 

 consent of the Fish Commissioners. 



There is considerable difference of opinionamongsports- 

 m en as to whether then- presence in our waters is desh- 

 able, manjf claiming that with their aggressive character- 

 istics they kill or drive away better fish than themselves, 

 but their" friends are gaining in numbers, and soon only 

 those who fish for something besides sport will be opposed 

 to them. As the true angler, the man who takes enjoy- 

 ment from the exercise of skill with rod and reel, knows 

 that the pleasure attending the capture of one fair-sized 

 bass is greater than results from the filling of a boat with 

 the small yellow perch, which appear to be the only vic- 

 tims of consequence the bass succeeds in destroying. Be- 

 fore they were put in Lake Sunapee, which claims to be 

 the black bass headquarters, only a few salmon or trout 

 were caught annually there, and the water swarmed with 

 small yellow perch. Now, with the large supply of bass 

 there, the catches of salmon and trout show great gains, 

 and the perch have mostly disappeared. I admit that if 

 a young salmon, shad, chub, sucker, any kind of perch, 

 minnow, or smelt, etc., should come in the way of a bass, 

 and he was hungry, he would take them in, and I believe 

 an Sin. bass would swallow another fish 5in. long, and 

 larger ones in the same ratio, but like the pike, pickerel, 

 or pike-perch, which are almost entu-ely piscivorous in 

 tlieir diet, as their teeth indicate, be will not make either 

 of them a special object of pursuit, and his food natu- 

 rally consists mostly of insect larv^, crustaceans, frogs, 

 crawfish a,nd the like. 



They spawn from February to midsummer, each fuUi 

 grown female producing froni five thousand to ten thou-i 

 sand, which, with her self-reliant, pugnacious disposition,) 

 she succeeds in caring for until they can look out for 

 themselves. On good feeding grounds they will grow one 

 pound each year until matiu'ity. Assuming beef as thai 

 standard of 100 in nutritive qualities, the flesh of the black 

 bass stands at 86.5, brook trout 84.2, yeUow perch 80.9, 

 smelt 73.8, and salmon 107.9. When properly dressed, 

 which should be done very soon after taking from the 

 water, and should include skinning, on account of a, 

 strong, oily secretion imder the skin, with the exception 

 of brook trout and salmon it is the sweetest and best ofi 

 eating. For the tahle nothing is ahead of brook trout fotf 

 me. For sport, my experience with both shows bass to be 

 far in the lead for fighting and general game qualities, 

 weight being equal. And I think my experience coin- 

 cides with others in this particular, I have found, too<, 

 that, as they are harder to land after being hooked, it isi 

 much more of a lotteiy than with other fish as to whether 

 you will hook them at all or not. They seem to have off 

 days, when nothing will induce them to take a bait. 

 Another peculiarity of the bass is that their taste for dif- 

 ferent days varies, if it does not for each hour of the day? 

 the latter I have often thought was the case. At times 

 the angle worm is good enough, generally helgi'amites 

 capture them, artificial bait of a silvery hue for trolling, 

 the live minnow or small frogs are aU temptations they 

 do not resist — when their cranky spell is not on, but 

 shorfld the latter condition exist, after trying part or all 

 of the above without success, as I often have where % 

 knew there were thousands of bass within the soimd ot' 

 my voice, one might as well reel up and go huckleberry-' 

 ing, or home, till they are in better humor. With all 

 their imperfections as weighed from the standpoint ol 

 those who love fishing for the sport, more than the fishj 

 they have attractions to draw anglers to the State in ad-( 

 vance of any species of fish here, though perhaps not 

 among such as two men who went last Sunday to spend 

 the day fishing in a pond in Dunbarton, They derricked 

 in a fish weighing over two pounds and immediately went 

 into ecstacies oA^er their "black bass" and continued td 

 chuckle imtil an old lady came along and told them they 

 had a large sucker. Such Avill of course be happy when 

 eels, poute and suckers are plenty, and if they have hard 

 cider for sauce supremely so, but the intelligent fisher^ 

 man, acquainted with black bass and their ways, wil] 

 always long for waters whose bottoms are as rocky and 

 rugged as the scenery of then- New Ham pshu'e shores, the 

 paradise of the bass, and in which he knows those gamiesf 

 of denizens lurk and thrive to perfection. Payson. 



Manohbstbu, N. H., July 13. 



At a meeting of the Governor and Council, in Concord 

 yesterday, Mr, Wm. H. Shurtleff, of Lancaster, was ap ! 

 pointed Fish and Game Commissioner, as successor to Col. 

 EUiot B. Hodge, who retains his office of superintendent 

 of State fish hatcheries. Mr. Shurtleff is successfully en- 

 gaged in the insurance business. He is an enthusiastic, 

 hustling sportsman, thoroughly awake to the interests ol 

 that class in the State, and being possessed of large exec^ 

 utive capacity and the tact for doing weU whatever hjl 

 undertakes, it is confidently expected that his appoint^ 

 ment will result in a great change for the better protec- 

 tion and propagation of fish and game in the whole 

 State. Payson. 



ANGLING NOTES. 



The Spicier and the Salmon. 

 Only a short time ago while fishing in Sunapee Lake 

 New Hampshire, with Dr. John B. Quackenbos, th(i 

 doctor was reminded of an incident tliat occurred at aboui 

 the place we were fishing. The lake contains land- 

 locked salmon which are taken at the surface for a time 

 after the ice leaves the lake, but as the surface water gets 

 warm the salmon retire to the bottom and are caught 

 only by still-fishing with five bait. The favorite bait 

 the smelt, of which the lake has an abundance of th^ 

 landlocked form, and the salmon, Sunapee saibhng, 

 brook trout and at times the black bass, all feed on them. 

 To attract the smelt a buoy is anchored in water from 

 50 to 75ft. deep and the place is baited by tying a piece oJ 

 meat in a bag to the buoy rope close to the bottom of the 

 lake. Alter the spot is baited for a few hours it is read;? 

 to be fished. The smelt cannot be kept aUve in the warm 

 surface water for any length of time, so you must catch 

 them as you need them. The angler takes with him ai 

 bucket of minnows and his salmon rod is baited with i 

 five minnow until a smelt is secured on a hand line 

 or smelt line as it is called, when the minnow if: 

 taken off and the smelt is put on. For salmon ii 

 is desirable to have a smelt of good size, for small Sunapef 

 saibling, smaller than one wishes to kill, may take thj 

 small smelts if the hook is baited with them. The latel 

 Fish Commissioner Powers and Dr, Quackenbos were fi,sh 

 ing on "the banks" where the water is fifty-five feet deej- 

 and where the Doctor and I were fishing when he told me 

 the story, Mr. Powere had put on a minnow on hit 

 salmon rod, then got his emelt fine in operation and 

 caught a smelt about nine inches long, which was quicklj 

 put on the hook in place of the minnow, and then fishing 

 for a big salmon fairly began. There was scarcely enou^E 

 breeze to ripple the water, but that made little difference 

 to the fishermen, for they were fishing for salmon mon 

 than fifty feet below the surface, A spider was noticed 

 on Mr, Powers's rod, and the anglers watched it as ill 

 crawled toward the tip and spoke about it. When tli« 

 spider reached the end of the rod Mr. Powers shook hii 

 rod gently, throwing the insect into the water, where i 

 struggled for a moment, and then a salmon, which both 

 observers estimated to weigh over ten pounds, swan 

 slowly up, sucked the spider into his mouth without 

 breaking the surface, and backed slowly away and disap- 

 peared. 



An Escape and Capture. 



The following curious incident happened to two fisher- 

 men only a short time ago, and as they related it to me 1 

 thought if ever a book is written about "Strange but 

 Ti-ue iVngling Tales" this should have a place in it. I onc«l 

 told in Forest an0 Stream of a somewhat similar inci'i 

 dent that occm-red in Lake George, and this, too, oq- 

 curred at the same lake, Mr. Alexander Canfield andi 

 Mr. C. H. Hitchcock, both of Glens Falls, were fishing toi 

 pike (the pickerel of this State) from a bridge over Dim- 

 ham's Bay Creek, which enters the lake on the east side 

 about four mfles from Caldwell. Mr. Hitchcock tells me^ 



