100 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Aua. S, 1898. 



OLD CONNECTICUT SALMON SWIMS. 



My summer home is under the Hadley elms; old elms 

 bending with the weight of two centuries, but still heavy 

 with frondage, thanks to beneficent nature, and harbor- 

 ing innumerable birds which continually flit, chatter or 

 sing, according to their moods and the time of day. It is 

 within easj' walking distance of what was once one of the 

 most abounding salmon swims on the continent, none in 

 Canada excepted, though now, alas ! as bare and empty 

 as a worn-out circus ring and twice as sad to contem- 

 plate. Few fish have been caught there since 1800. 



That was the year when my father was born. 



Of course he never wet a line or dipped a net at that 

 epoch, but my grandfather, I dare say, often stopped on 

 his evangelical circuit, in the latter part of the century, 

 after the Revolutionary War was over and he had laid 

 down his musket and bandolees, to watch the fishing 

 operations of the farmers and market netters during the 

 height of the salmon run in May, gathering as they did 

 from all j)arts of the Connecticut valley. The experience, 

 therefore, is quite within my ancestral lines, and being 

 only two removes back, genealogically, seems almost 

 within my day — ^f or I remember my grandf a,ther very weU; 

 and when I pass my trailing fly over the familiar face of 

 the pool I incontinently expect to move a fish. But, 

 alack ! it is like gazing into vacuous eyes from which 

 the sight has departed, yearning for telepathic responses 

 which never come. One may flail the emj)ty air with 

 equal chances of evoking arise as to whip those tenantless 

 waters for salmon now. 



One morning last June I put a St. Lawrence skiff into 

 the river at the north end of old Hadley street and took a 

 six-mile pull around the great horseshoe bend which 

 incloses the town site and meadow, and came out at the 

 south end, rather less than a mile by land from the start- 

 ing point. [There are three parallel streets in Hadley 

 which cross the peninsula, each sixteen rods broad, lined 

 with stately elms and maples, and carpeted with lawn, 

 and there are no avenues to compare with them in all the 

 land.] It was a phenomenal boat ride through a purely 

 pastoral landscape, with no up-stream current, and 

 capable of indefinite repetition by simply hauling the 

 skifi^ across the neck back to the place of beginning — ^one 

 of those few and fluent passages of a chequered life so 

 often longed for but seldom realized. In the bucolic 

 stretch of river there were at least three notable salmon 

 swims in the olden time. One was below the mouth of 

 Mill River, on the Hatfield side, and it is a reputable 

 place even now for black bass and pickerel, and an occa- 

 sional mascalonge. A still more important swim was a 

 little east of the lower end of old Hadley street, at a 

 period when the river flowed close up to the bank, instead 

 of being separated by a wide alluvial flat as at present; 

 and a third was in Hockanum MeadoAV, right under the 

 brow of 5It. Holyoke, near the Northampton Ferry. AU 

 of these are long sweeping reaches with gently moving 

 current, where the salmon loved to disport and rest after 

 the ascent of the arduous falls below, an ascent so difli- 

 cult, indeed, as to effectually bar the upward passage of 

 shad. The depth of these swims varies from 6 to 20ft. , 

 and in no respect whatever do they resemble the tumul- 

 tous Laurentian pools, or even the Connecticut above 

 Bellows Falls. 



Looking off from the commanding summit of Momit 

 Holyoke over the extended landscape which verges on 

 four States, it is a grand sight to survey the expansive 

 river plain, with its circumvallant mountain ridges, and, 

 tracing out the sinuous coru'se of the majestic stream, 

 note the lackadaisical w^ay it has of meandering through 

 the meadow after it has chafed and elbowed its impetuous 

 exit from the rugged gateway of the New Hampshire 

 Notch. It is a vivid expression of the moods and vicissi- 

 tudes of human life. The Indians called this region Nor- 

 wottuk, signifying "the midst of the river," which is ap- 

 propriate. Elbridge Kingsley, the inimitable artist who 

 has his home and birth-place here, has transferred some 

 wondrous sweeps of this grand scenery to broad canvases, 

 every line of which, and bit of color, is full of inspira- 

 tion. Kaleidoscopes the like of this do not offer them- 

 selves at every odd corner of the earth, and happy is the 

 man who can revel in the phantasmagoria. Mr, Kingsley 

 has made good use of his opportunities, and I commend 

 his studies to such lovers of nature as are fortunate enough 

 to have access to them. One may spend hours of pleasure 

 in his quaint studio. 



Sylvester Judd, the historian, of Hadley, says that Elihu 

 Warner (who hved until 1850, or later) remembered when 

 forty salmon were caught in a day near the lower end of 

 old Hadley street, about the year 1773, the largest of which 

 weighed between 30 and 401bs. Josiah Pierce and six 

 others operated a seine in Hadley in 1766, from which 

 they derived considerable joint income, and Northampton 

 men had fishing places on the river at Hockanum. In 

 South Hadley there was a noted salmon stand near the 

 mouth of Stony Brook, and another above Bachelor's 

 Brook against Cook's Mill. Many salmon were taken at 

 those places. Twenty-four were caught at one haul of a 

 seine near Stony Brook which ran from 6 or 8 to 401bs. in 

 weight. Falls, wherever occurring, were always choice 

 fishing stands for both Indians and settlei-s, who caught 

 thejn in pens and scoop nets. South Hadley Falls, called 

 Patucket in the aboriginal vernacular, was the favorite 

 place of all. Dipping salmon was arduous but exciting 

 work. I have seen it practiced on the Columbia and on 

 the rivers of Nova Scotia. Men stood in mid-stream in 

 boats and skiffs, or on the margin on eligible rocks, 

 and with a down stream sweep of the deep, long- 

 handled scoop bagged the salmonheaded up current. 

 In like manner they dipped for shad in after years, 

 when it had come to be no longer regarded as a dis- 

 reputable fish; but up to the year 1700 those who dipped 

 for salmon threw the shad away, when they happened 

 into the meshes. So numerous were the fishermen along 

 the Connecticut during the season that they and the 

 lumbermen together sufficed to support a goodly inn kept 

 for many years by one John Stickney, whose house, a 

 brown, gambrel-roofed one-story building, stood near the 

 mouth of Stony Brook for more than a century. 



Quoting Sylvester Judd: "Salmon were seldom noticed 

 in records of the seventeenth century. Salmon nets 

 began to appear in 1700, and some salmon were salted in 

 casks by families before and after 1700. They were 

 seldom sold, and the price in Hartfoi'd in 1700 was less 

 than one penny per pound. Fish Avere so plenty in the 

 Connecticut and its branches that laws were not necessary 

 to regulate fLshing for a long time. There waa a law in 



Massachusetts against erecting weirs or fish dams in 

 rivers without permission from the Court of Sessions. 

 Petitions for liberty to erect weirs to catch fish in the 

 Hampshire streams began in 1729, and there were several 

 after 1760, In Northampton salmon were sold from 1730 

 to 1740 at one penny per poimd 'ih lawful money.' The 

 price in 1742 was a penny ha'penny, and from 1750 to 

 1775 it was commonly two pence per pound. The price 

 was from two to three pence in 1781 to 1787, four pence 

 in 1794, and it advanced to seven or eight pence in 1798. 

 The first dam at South Hadley, about 1795, impeded the 

 salmon, and the da.m at Montague was a much greater 

 obstruction, and salmon soon ceased to ascend the river.'' 

 This curt record is enough to make anglers weep. 

 Dammed for 100 years, the Connecticut has been a fruit- 

 less stream. Recently reports have become current that 

 salmon have been taken in its upper Avaters. Let us pray 

 that this noblest of New England rivers -will be speedily 

 rehabilitated, then we can all swing the two-handed rod, 

 and perchance even dip, as our forefathers did. And 

 what if the price of those regal fish would once more 

 drop to a pemiy a pound! Wouldn't it be gay? 

 . Hadley, Mass. CHARLES HaLLOCK. 



BOSTON ANGLERS. 



The salmon fishermen are returning, some of them, 

 while the more fortunate men of leisure will stay another 

 month. The reports from the Canadian and New Bruns- 

 wick waters are conflicting. Generally they mention 

 poor fishing for the season, but of late these reports are 

 better. More salmon have been taken, but the size runs 

 rather small. Mr. H. M. Howes, of Boston, is back from 

 the Southwest Branch of the Miramichi. He was absent 

 but a feAv days, yet he took two salmon, one weighing 

 ISlbs. and the other lOUbs. He also took a number of 

 grilse. Mr. I. W. Adams and .John Fottler, Jr., have been 

 fishing the St. John, Gaspe, as usual, and they have had 

 good sport. Mr. Adams has been trying an exjDeriment 

 and keeping a careful note of the temperature of the 

 water. He has fished almost altogether with the Jock- 

 Scot't, though using different sizes. He is convinced that 

 any good fly will take a salmon, if of sufficient size, when 

 the temj^erature of the water is between 40° and 60°. 

 When the water is warmer, he concludes that it is of little 

 use to fish. The salmon then seem to be sluggish and 

 will not rise, no matter what the fly is. The largest 

 salmon taken this year on the St, John weighed 281bs. 

 Mr. L. Stackpole has had good success on the Nepisquit. 



Mr. Daniel Gunn, the veteran Boston printer, as well as 

 lover of angling, has again made a trip down to the 

 Provinces for sea trout. He is just back to business, and 

 he says: "I have done it again." It must not be forgot- 

 ten that it was Mr. Gunn who was making a speech be- 

 fore the Massachusetts House of Representatives on some 

 fisheries subject, when the speech was so good that the 

 old wooden codfish that has ornamented the house for so 

 many years, "turned and winked his eye." This time he 

 has been down to Prince Edward's Island. Landing at 

 Summerside he tried the trout in that section for a day or 

 two without much success; there were too many Amer- 

 icans there for the same purpose. He next went over to 

 Souris. Here he found a number of American fishermen 

 also and they were getting some good trout. But they 

 were jigging them and taking them with bait — any way 

 to get them — and this Mr. Gunn did not like. The land- 

 lord at the hotel where he stopped suggested that he fish 

 with the other guests, but when he objected he said that 

 he had a boat and w^ould go himself. So he rigged a boat 

 on wheels, fixed a nice cushioned seat for Mr. Gunn, and 

 they drove off each day where they pleased. They fished 

 Eagle Lake and Black Pond, both arms of the sea — or 

 regularly filled wth tidewater. Mr. Gunn says he never 

 saw better fishing, when the tide was right. The trout 

 were particularly beautiful and silvery. He took up to 

 over Bibs, in weight, but generaUy they were smaller, 

 from Hlbs. to 21bs. The other sportsmen at the hotel be- 

 came interested. Mr. Gunn was beating them, in spite 

 of jigs and bait. The evening before he came away he 

 took 36 trout— a most beautiful string. As he brought 

 them to the hotel the sportsmen all gathered around, ad- 

 miring the fish. They desired Mr. Gunn to give them the 

 name of the fly he used, particularly as it was his last 

 time fishing. But that gentleman is not naming his flies 

 to jiggers and bait fishers, though I have not the slightest 

 doubt but what it woifld gi^'e him pleasure to post any 

 reader of the Forest and Stream desiring to fish fairly. 



Fishing for cod is popular at this time with Boston 

 sportsmen who cannot get away for something better. 

 The other day the employes of the Boston Chamber of 

 Commerce chartered a tug and went over to the fishing- 

 grounds after cod, Mr. E, M. Gillam, commercial editor 

 of the Boston Advertiser, and J. Carlton O'Brien, who 

 holds the same position on the Boston Journal, were in- 

 vited guests. They caught a number of fish. They made 

 up a pool, each putting in a small sum, the man taking 

 the largest fish taking the money. As usual, Mr, Gillam 

 was high line, taking the greatest number of cod, with a 

 sculpin or two, but the largest fish fell to the hook of Mr. 

 Burgess, of the ship news department of the Chamber. 

 Later in the day the wind blew a gale, with a shower, 

 which, put a stop t<o the fishing. 



Mr. Harry B. Moore, already known to the readers of 

 the Forest and Strbaii for his good stories, and some- 

 times practical jokes, has just retm-ned from a most en- 

 joyable trip where codfishing came in as the chief incen- 

 tive to him. He was the guest of Mr. Robert S. Gardinerj 

 pi-esident of the Rand & Avery Supply Co., also the pub- 

 lishers of the Pathfinder, at the Algonquin. Hotel, at St. 

 Andrews, New Brunswick, of which hotel Mr. Gardiner 

 is part owner. The entertainment was perfect, and 

 among other features was fishing for cod from a 

 little steamer in Passamaquoddy Bay. The bay- 

 is i beautiful, with the finest of scenery. But 

 Harry was scarcely pleased with the want of enthu- 

 siasm evinced by the other membex-s of the party. They 

 would sit and fish almost stupidly over the side of the 

 boat with scarcely interest enough to occasionally draw 

 up their lines to see whether their hooks were baited. 

 Mr. Moore was getting about all the fish taken. He re- 

 solved that he would interest them in the scenery, if they 

 did not care for fishing. "What a beautifnl view!" he re- 

 marked, at the same time turning his head away from the 

 fishing. The gentleman next to him turned around to 

 look. Harry gave his line a tremendous tug, but his hand 

 was away before the owner could turn his head. "Good- 

 ness!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. ''What a bite I 



had!" Then he was interested and fished in good earnest. 

 "What do you suppose it was? A whale, a big cod or a 

 shark?" Harry did not know, AIL hands fislied then in 

 good earnest, bound to catch the big one, "Mr. Moore 

 will please not call our attention to the view again," one 

 gentleman remarked. But Avhen he said view all eyes 

 were turned voluntarilj'^ to look. The view was truly 

 beautiful. That gentleman felt a sharp jerk at his Une, 

 but Harry was fishing earnestly. Again all hands tried 

 for the big fish that had nearly jerked the line out of the 

 hands of two of them. In the meantime Mr. Moore had 

 caught 12 cod, a couple of haddock and a sculpin or two. 

 He was high line, in fact the others had caught very few 

 fish from sheer lack of interest till the big bites came. 

 They wondered over and talked of the big bites tiU reach- 

 ing the hotel. Sir. IMoore explained that it was his own 

 hand that had given their fines the jerks. Special. 



THOUGHTS ABOUT FISHING. 



Walton wrote : ' 'We may say of angling as Boetler said 

 of strawberries; 'Doubtless God could have made a better 

 berry, but doubtless God never did;' and so, if I might be 

 judge, God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent 

 recreation than angling." This in a mild way tells a 

 plain truth, as many a^ humble disciple of its famous 

 author will testify. Where would the angler look for the 

 amusement now furnished by his search for the finny 

 tribe? Where would he look for any apology of a substi- 

 tute for it? How could he spend his day afield in mid- 

 summer without it? Furnishing, as it does, enjoyment 

 for all classes, rich and poor, high and low and inter- 

 mediate, bait being the same, the man with his millions 

 or the boy with his dimes, are on the same level, with the 

 chances in favor of the boy getting the most fish, and 

 both enjoying themselves equally well. There are num- 

 berless sports, such as baseball, tennis, tai'get ipractice, 

 horse racing and the like, all good in their places for cer- 

 tain classes, but no thoroughbred angler would agree to 

 substitute either of them for his favorite sport for recrea- 

 tion, any more than the average man would visit coimtry 

 cousins for a month, or attend an ordinary church 

 sociable and caU it enjoyment, though he might enjoy 

 either of them for a brief change— like castor oil, a little 

 is good for a purpose, but that little wfll go a long way. 



There are fishermen and fishermen, most of them good 

 fellows, none of them angels, all of them with their own 

 ideas of the sport and favorite ways of enjoying it; and a 

 jealous set I have found them to be when plying their 

 art, always afraid the otiier chap or party will get the 

 first, most, or largest fish, yet generous to a fault when 

 another has had bad luck, loses or lacks anything needed 

 during his outing. 



The ways of a flshermaji as he applies them to sport. I 

 have found a good criterion of his ways of doing business 

 in the everyday walks of life. The man who has a day's 

 sport arranged and agrees to be at a certain place at an 

 appointed time for a start, and is late, it is safe to set 

 down as a laggard and drone among his associates, and 

 not to be depended upon in anything that requires 

 promptness and nerve. The best company on an outing 

 is he who is on time at the start, and -will tell you if the 

 start is an early one, that he has "looked at the clock 

 every hour during the night," being afraid his alarm clock 

 would not work and the start delayed. Such a man can 

 be counted on as an enthusiast, and will not complain 

 school-girl like, nor A\-ish he liad remained at home sliould 

 the fish not bite the first hour, the sun prove a little 

 warm, or tlie day be a trifle cold or wet. Of all the dis- 

 agreeable company to encoimter, the gi-uinbler, the man 

 never satisfied with the day's sport, continually remind- 

 ing you that he is wasting "his time, disliking to pay his 

 share of the expense, etc., is the worst and mc>st uncom- 

 fortable. Such are not sportsmen, and for the sake of 

 peace of mind should be avoided. I well remember hear- 

 ing an eminent sportsman say that "game is secured by 

 being game yourself and staying tUl you w^in," As per- 

 seA'erance is necessary for success in hunting, business, or 

 anything with a goal worth reaching, so it is essential in 

 its fuUest sense with the fisherman, supplemented with 

 pluck and skill, if he would make a showing. 



The fishing interests of the State are not all a matter of 

 sport. As an investment by the State they pay 

 handsomely. One of our best law^-ers and legislators 

 recently said : ' 'We receive back ten doll ars into the State 

 to every doUar paid out. The first question a man look- 

 ing for a place to spend a vacation nearly always is— 

 What is tlie fishing in the locality?" Such being the fact 

 it behooves the State to stock our waters so that they will 

 teem with all desirable kinds of fish, particularly the 

 streams witli trout and other bodies with bass. Much ia 

 expected of our new Fish and Grame Commissioner, W. 

 H. Slmrtleff', as with his known abilities and intense love 

 for sport it is natural to expect a boom in this long 

 neglected matter. Prohfic, and cheaply handled as fish 

 are, there is no excuse for poor fishing in any nart of the 

 State. 



The lai-gest string of brook trout brought into the city 

 this season was by Frank Lamper and weighed 91bs. He 

 is a speciahst in that fine and stands without a peer. 



The closing of the mfilg in the city and throwing the 

 15,000 people out of employment, I predict will increase 

 the number of anglers here for a time and have a tendency 

 to decrease the number of fish in this vicinity. Payson. 



MANCHEsrait, N. H., July. 



The Kingfishers in Camp. 



The Kingfishers have gone into camp again, "Old 

 Hickory" writes, on Platte Lake, Michigan. They have 

 laid out a programme of fishing, exploring and yarning, 

 to last until Aug. 25. 



Monterey Salmon. 



Monterey, Cal., July 30.— The largest salmon caught, 

 mine, as mentioned in my article, was given at 30 or 

 Sllbs. Since then I have caught one of^lUbs., and the 

 total catch up to date is 85 salmon, weigiiing 1.41Slbs. 



J. Parker Whitney. 



