166 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Aug. 26, 1893. 



miles from Lake St. John, the distance is covered by- 

 canoe in a day and a half. Here the river drops about 

 soft, in a beautiful fall about 200ft. in length. To the 

 right is a small rocky island on which we camp, and still 

 to the i-ight is another fall 20ft. wide. The smaller fall 

 is divided into four or five leaps, and here it is that the 

 ouananiche ascend. From the rocks jutting into the 

 pools at the foot of both falls, the fishing is done. In the 

 white, boiUng water, the fish seem to He, an average cast 

 of about 80ft. reaching them. 



Mr, H. N. Cm-tis of New York accompanied me to this 

 point in July, andjiti two and a half days' fishing we 

 secured eighty-two fish, with an average of SJlbs. One 

 morning in particular, a dark showery day, I secured 

 fourteen fish and lost seventeen, in four hours and a half. 

 This I did at the expense of both rods, several leaders and 

 a number of flies broken. In fact, one may always 

 expect to lose more ouananiche than are saved, their 

 fighting and leaping being so tremendous that something 

 must occasionally break. Nine out of ten of these fish 

 will plunge, jump and sulk, as I have never seen another 

 fish do. The first action in betag hooked is to leap from 

 the water, then a mad running from side to side with an 

 elf ort to run under the falls. I find the most successful 

 way to handle them is to stop the line running out and 

 play them with about 20ft. Draw sufficient line into the 

 left hand to ease the jumps; a.nd hold them perfectly 

 tight, and more will be saved than any other way. If 

 poorly hooked, they are reasonably sure to get away, but 

 if fairly hooked, a tight Kne will save them. They do 

 not but rarely take the fly into the throut, but are hooked 

 through the hp. I find a fair-sized ouananiche of 21bs. or 

 more will make, a fight from fifteen to twenty mimites. 

 They will shake violently both in and out of water to get 

 rid of the fly, then plunge 8 or 10ft. down and sulk and 

 pull. They are in constant motion in or out of water, 

 and only when tired out can they be safely led to the net. 

 On two occasions I have seen an ouananiche when 

 hooked, jump entirely across a canoe of the fisherman in 

 a mad leap. I saw Mr. Curtis hook one in a pool at the 

 head of a 12ft. fall in the Mistassini, and saw the fish go 

 over the fall with fly and fine; and in a moment jump up 

 the fall to the pool again. It was well hooked fortu- 

 nately, and saved. I have yet to learn of a trout or bass 

 doing this. 



lu fact, enough cannot be said in favor of the ouana- 

 niche, and as far as I can see nothing detrimental to his 

 fighting qualities or to the fish itself. The best proof is 

 to catch the fish in his native waters (Lake St. John), and 

 I trust that others wiU try it and have the same un- 

 equalled sport that I have had. Eugene McCakthy. 



THE WAYS OF THE SALMON. 



San FB.ANCISCO, Aug. 9. — ^I see I am called upon by om- 

 mutual friend Judge Greene to give my experience and 

 observations on the question of whether salmon feed after 

 entering fresh waters en route to their sources to deposit 

 spawn. 



The Judge evidently beheves they do; but I am sorry 

 to be obhged to differ with him, so far as my observations 

 have gone in that direction. 



The only instance wherein I have given the subject any 

 special attention was on the last occasion when I fished in 

 Navarro River, when I was led to investigate by the 

 remark of a seedy old party sitting on a saw log watching 

 my fishing, who, after expectorating, said, "What pesky 

 creetures these sammen are to live so long without eatin' 

 nuthin' and be so pe-ert and lively." 



I said, "Are you sure they do not feed while in the 

 river?" 



He replied, "Waal, I reckon I have seined nigh on to 

 fifty tons on 'em outen this liver, and never found a derned 

 thing in any on 'em." 



After that and during the time I was fishing there I 

 opened every fish I caught, some thu-ty-five or f ortj^ all 

 told, but found nothing in their stomachs. Subsequently 

 I fished at the headwaters of the Sacramento River with 

 the same results, with the exception of two instances. 



In opening these two fish I foimd fresh salmon roe; but 

 as several parties were fishing with roe for bait, and this 

 being difficult to retain on the hook, the fish sfiecified may 

 have taken the roe in that way. 



On another occasion, when fishing for rainbow trout in 

 the McCloud River, a tributaxy of the Sacramento, I 

 caught a salmon with salmon roe for bait, and found quite 

 a quantity in its stomach, accounting, as I supposed, for 

 tlie several baits lost from my hook. 



One theory I have heard advanced was that the salmon 

 being a fish remarkable for its rajjid digestion, never bites 

 or takes the fly until what it may have previoiisly swal- 

 lowed is entirely digested, when it begins to think about 

 its next meal.' If such is the case its habits are enth-ely 

 different from our experience with all other varieties of 

 fish, and again, as a case in point is related in an article I 

 saw in the Forest and Stream, I think, where it is stated 

 that a whole trout was foimd in the stomach of the 

 salmon caught, aU of which leaves the question as unset- 

 tled as before. The waters of the Navarro River for two 

 or three miles from its mouth are brackish, in fact quite 

 salt at flood tide, and I noticed, when standing on the 

 rocks at the entrance — which is quite deep and narrow, the 

 water rushing in and out with considerable force between 

 rocks — ^that the salmon came in with the tide and at the 

 ebb went out, playing in and out as it were, and not re- 

 maining in the river permanently until the first rise after 

 a heavy rain, after which they ran up, and few were 

 again seen at the mouth. Their time for business had 

 arrived, after which they would not bite at anything and 

 fishing was over for that year. Hence it may be consid- 

 ered a settled fact that saiman cannot be caught with the 

 rod when running, imless they meet with obstacles in the 

 way of dams that check theii' progress, when they ac- 

 cumulate and occasionally take the hook. 



That salmon do not always return to salt water after 

 depositing their spawn is proven by the fact that they are 

 taken diiring the subsequent months at the headwater's 

 of the Sacramento River in passable condition, having re- 

 cuperated from the effects of their long run uj) the river 

 and presumably must have fed on smaU fish, there being 

 no other food obtainable. All of which proves that all 

 theories as to any fixed rule in regai-d to the habits of this 

 fish are imrehable. 



In driving along the road lying close to the banks of the 

 headwaters of the Sacramento, I have seen whole schools 

 of very large salmon lying close to the bottom, using just 



enough force of fin and tail to stem the not over rapid 

 current; but although I have stopped and essayed with 

 my most tempting flies and also bait, could never get a 

 rise. It is only in deep pools and rapid water of this river 

 that they can be taken, and then only with salmon roe for 

 bait. 



My theory is, that having deposited theu- spawn a cer- 

 tain percentage of them remain to recuperate, and do not 

 return to salt water, probably reasoning that it is a saving 

 of labor to remain until the subsequent spawning season, 

 instead of making the several hundi-ed miles trip over 

 again. At any rate, it is an established fact that many 

 do remain all summer in those waters and recover their 

 condition. 



In the deep swift pools of the McCloud River, the home 

 of the rainbow trout, a tributary to the Sacramento, 

 salmon are caught all through the summer with roe for 

 bait, and also in Eel River, another deep and rapid stream 

 north of us. 



The conclusion I have arrived at is that no fixed rule 

 can be applied to the habits of salmon covering aU waters. 

 Their methods are quite at varia.nce in different locations. 

 Their habits in Canada waters, for instance, are entirely 

 different from those in the rivers of the Pacific coast, 

 where they do not take the fly as readily as in Canadian 

 and Maine rivers; but still, it is an error to say that they 

 do not take the fly at all on this coast, as has been, and is, 

 constantly asserted. See, for instance, the statement 

 made in the August number of the Century by Mr. Heniy 

 A. Herbert, who writes a charming article on salmon 

 fishing. Speaking of the rivers flowing into the Pacific, 

 he says, "The salmon in these rivers have never been 

 known to rise to or take any known description of fly." 

 Presumingly an artificial fly is meant. That this is an 

 ei-ror I am able to say from my own personal experience, 

 for on several occasions on the Navarro River (my favorite 

 fishing groimd) I have caught sahnon of from 12 to 201bs. 

 with the ordinary-sized trout fly. It is true that on oc- 

 casions I have failed to get a rise to the fly when they 

 would greedily take the feathered spoon. Why they will 

 take the fly one day and refuse to do so the next is one of 

 the commdrums I have never been able to solve. I re- 

 member that on one occasion particularly I caught twelve 

 fine fish in succession, using the common brown-hackle, 

 peacock body. 



Mr. J. Pai-ker WTiitney, who writes a very interesting 

 description of his fishing in Monterey Bay, in FoptEST 

 and Stream of Jxfly 29, describes the method he adopted 

 pecuUar to that locality, of sinking his bait 30 or 40ft. 

 below the surface. We troll with a sinker in Lake 

 Tahoe for the large trout of that locahty for the reason 

 that the water is so clear and limpid that a ten-cent 

 piece can be seen at a depth of 60ft. , hence the fish will 

 not rise to a surface bait. Mr. Whitney's method sug- 

 gests the experiment of trying the sunken fly for salmon 

 when next I visit NavaiTo River. I have used a sunken 

 fly with gi-eat success in Lake Edward, Canada. 



There is one thing that surprises me, and that is, that 

 skilled fishermen persist in usuig that rehc of barbarism, 

 the gaff", which is uncertain and disfigures the fish so 

 dreadfully, when a large oblong landing net is so much 

 more certain and lands your fish in perfect oi'der. 



The net should be of a size specially adapted to the size 

 of the fish taken. For salmon it should be of oblong shape, 

 say 20 or 24in. wide and 36in. long, with a stiff shaft or 

 handle 7ft. long, which will reach your fish before he can 

 strike the boat and get loose. I have yet to lose a fish 

 with a skillful man in the boat with me to handle the 

 net. Whereas, before I conceived the idea of using such 

 a landing net, I lost many a fine f eUow in futile efforts to 

 gaff him in his struggles. It is Little less than butchery 

 to gash and mar the beauty of your fish as the gaff does, 

 and I enter my earnest protest against its use. 



I have wondered why manrffacturers of fishing tackle 

 have not long ere this turned their attention to manufac- 

 tming such a landing net adapted to the handling of 

 large fish. To the best of my knowledge you cannot at 

 the present moment find in any fishing tackle store in 

 New York a landing net suitable for landing a fish over 

 2 or 41bs. weight. 



I am sorry I cannot bring comfort and solace to the 

 soul of our friend. Judge Greene, in indorsing his views 

 that salmon do feed in fresh waters; and yet I do not 

 assert that they do not. I merely give my own personal 

 experience and leave the question for wiser men to settle ; 

 it is about as much of a muddle as that of whether rattlers 

 do or do not spit. 



Hereafter, inasmuch as we are aU interested in getting 

 at the facts of the case, I shall make a point to hold a 

 post-mortem on every salmon I land in my subsequent 

 fishings, and if I find any groimd to do so I will cheer- 

 fully go over to the Judge's side. Let us hear his views 

 and reasons for his belief. The Judge has the floor. 



PODGERS. 



A Tale of a Tailboard. 



Manchester, N. H. — ^The approach of the opening of 

 the himting season calls to mind my last experience in 

 that line. It was last March, a snowy day, when Old 

 Probabihties said the morrow would be clearing, that 

 Warren F. Wheeler, Henry Parsons and I got together 

 and arranged a rabbit hunt for the following day. War- 

 ren was to furnish dogs, of which he had two of the best; 

 Henry was to be guide, being acquainted with the locahty 

 where "they haven't been hunted and are thick," and I 

 was to put uj) transportation. The morning dawned 

 bright, and the recent storm had given us six inches of 

 snow; in fact, it was an ideal morning for our sport. An 

 early hour found me with a team and two-seated pung 

 sleigh at the engine house, from which Warren and Henry 

 "run with the machine," and with a complete outfit for 

 the purpose of our hunt we were soon started on om- long 

 drive in high spirits. Everything necessary was in our 

 favor— dogs, snow for excellent running, sleighing, team, 

 aU were to om- liking. Not a stop or scarcely a thought 

 of else but rabbits occm-red imtiiwe pulled apat t lie house 

 of Henry's friend, in Candia, where the team was to be 

 left while we slaughtered our game. 



Warren led the horse to the stable, Henry showed him 

 the way, and I was supposed to carry along the halter 

 which I was sure I had taken from the livery stable, but 

 could not then find. "Never mind," said Henry, "we 

 wfll borrow from our friends." Om- horse having been 



comfortably quartered, shooting jackets and guns wen- 

 our next needed ai'ticles, and they proved to be our weak 

 point. We ransacked the pimg in vain, and were at our 

 wits' end to account for their absence, when my eye fell 

 on the taflboard of the pimg swinging loose beneath the 

 end, when we were all immediately dumbfounded, too 

 much disappointed to say anything, and we aU saw there 

 was but one thing to do— not shoot rabbits. All we 

 possessed of the full equipment was one lunch basket and 

 the dogs. Four hundred dollars worth of the balance 

 had been sti-ewn between us and home. 



With a solemn funereal mien we began retracing oiu' 

 route so recently and so light-heartedly covered, and 

 luckily when within one mile of home, then 11 o'clock, dis- 

 covered the whereabouts of the last missing gun, but havo 

 never seen the other things. Suflice it to say, we did not 

 find another day during the remainder of the season for 

 rabbit himting; ff we had, the taflboard of the sleigh 

 woifld have been firmly in its proper place when we ar- 

 rived on the grounds. As the joke was solidly on us, we 

 have never refused to ' 'settle" when the matter has been 

 mentioned by our knowing friends. 



Sportsmen hereabouts seem to be keeping very quiet, 

 doing but httle fishing — simply waiting for the open sea- 

 son for game, Sept. 1. Payson. 



SALMON AND PORK BAIT. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Like most sportsmen who read the papere I was 

 wrought up to a high pitch of excitement by frt ■ 

 quent reports of the large number of salmon bein^ 

 "caught on the fly" during June and July in tht 

 Hudson River at MechanicviUe. The first article oi 

 the kind which came to my notice was printed in tlu 

 Times, and the "sporting" editor of that paper told oi 

 how a local fisherman had taken two "speckled beauties' 

 of large size on a silver-doctor. Then foUowed at regiilai 

 intervals article after article in other metropoUtan daihes 

 until I finally got into such a state that my slumber- 

 were nightly disturbed by visions of speckled salmoi 

 bobbing up all around me, and whfle standing on theii 

 tafls begging me to come up to MechanicviUe and brio ^ 

 some silver-doctors, Jock-Scotts and such other daintie; 

 as salmon are poprdarly supposed to hanker after. 



Along about July 20 I could stand the strain no longer 

 so borrowing a brand new 15ft. salmon rod from mj 

 friend A. D. Higham, Esq. , than whom no finer sports 

 man fives, and providing myself with a supply of im 

 ported flies and leaders, I took the Exposition Flyer at ; 

 o'clock one day, doing the luO mUes to Albany in exacth 

 165 minutes. At Albany I changed cars for Mechanic 

 viUe, arriving at my destination in time for late supper 

 I was met at the station by a fine turnout which Captaix 

 Campbell, of the Hotel Tallmadge, had sent for me. Mt 

 Clute, the assistant postmaster, had kindly made ai 

 arrangements for me, including securing a guide an 

 boat, so that I had nothing to do after supper but list ■ 

 to the wonderful stories of the large salmon that wt J 

 taken the week previous. My spirits began to fall whei 

 I was informed that no salmon had been taken for fom 

 or five days; and they kept going down, when by degree^ 

 the facts came out that whfle flies had been used, so alsi 

 had pork! 



I went early to bed and had visions of salmon as largi 

 as taii)on sitting at the table with napkins tucked imdei 

 their chins, dining on pork. Before daybreak my guidi 

 cafled for me, and by the time it was light I had begm 

 whipping the pool with a silver-doctor; and although i 

 fished every square rod of water from fifty rods belosv 

 the State dam to two miles below, never a rise did I gel 

 I tried it a few hours next day, but with no better sue 

 cess. 



From aU the information I could gather, twenty-eigli 

 of the twenty-nine salmon kflled at MechanicviUe tliij 

 season were taken on hooks baited with small pieces o 

 salt pork. The only exception was one taken by a Dr 

 Bloss, of Troy. The Doctor claims to have taken hi; 

 salmon in sportsmanlike manner, with a fly and withou 

 the superior inducement of pork. The local "Kanuck 

 (he claims to be a Frenchman from the banks of the Seine 

 between St. Cloud and Sevres, in which stream he used 

 when a boy, to see Kjiights of the Legion d'Honneur catcl 

 salmon), says that Dr. Bloss admitted to him that he hac 

 also used pork. The weight of evidence, as between tht 

 Doctor and the Kanuck, is decidedly on the side of tin 

 former; but circumstantial evidence is as strongly again-; 

 him, as he had been known to use pork as bait on a pr.- 

 vious occasion, and it is oven said that he had a supply oi 

 pork with him when he made the capture. 



The subjoined ai-ticle is from the Albany Telegram. Tlw 

 "fish editor" of that paper, it wiU be noted, caUs then 

 "golden sahnon," getting his idea as to their outward ap 

 pearance presumably from a can of Columbia River sal 

 mon. I heai'd nothing whatever about gang hooks, am 

 the Telegram is evidently mistaken in saying that sue! 

 tackle had been used. The bottom of the river, where thi 

 salmon were taken, is covered with a dense growth of ee 

 grass, and the use of gang hooks would have been an ini 

 possibility. The Telegram is also mistaken in asserting 

 that the fish were taken in the deepest water. On th( 

 contrary, the water was nowhere deeper than ten o 

 twelve feet at the point where the salmon were taken 

 Just there the river is as sluggish as a miU pond, and thi 

 water is duU and lifeless, as imhke a typical home of sal 

 mon as one cordd imagine. The small volume of wate: 

 injected into the warm water of the river by the smal 

 spring which empties into it there has no appreciabb 

 effect upon the color, but doubtless does lower the tern 

 perature, or the fish would not congregate at that particu 

 lar j)oint. 



For fear that some one wiU accuse me of inconsistenc} 

 I may as weU admit that I also put a piece of pork on mj 

 hook, and sinking it to the bottom tried my luck with tht 

 other pot-huntei-s, but only once, and then for a few min 

 utes only. I corddn't conscientiously continue such a rep 

 rehensible practice, particularly as the salmon were no' 

 himgry for pork and files just then. Hear what the 

 Albany Telegram has to say. Noah Paljier. 



XVom the Albany Telegram. 



On Salmon Sand-Bagging. 



The salmon have been seen In a pool in the river at MechanicviUe 

 just back of Captain Campbell's Hotel Tallmadge. All along that sidi 

 of the. rivex are numerous Hprings from which flows cold aud sparklini 

 water. Near the hotel the overllow from various springs have be« 

 brought together aud piped to the river. The spring water florti 

 through a large pipe and enters the Hudson in a BoUd stream, ai 

 bright as crystal and as cool as can be. A few feet from the shore Vai 



