Aug. 26, 1893.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



167 



riishing spring water forms a smaU pool, and on the bottom the 

 golden salmon congregate to spawn. The coolest water is nearest 

 the bottom and here the noble fish refesh Themselves. It is at this 

 spot that 26 of the 89 salmon were caught, not by casting the fly, but 

 by trapping the salmon or sfcriljing them foul by the use of snatch 

 hooks or a rake hook combination. The MechanicvUle fishermen have 

 caught the salmon In a crooked way in this jjoqI, and in a way that 

 would be ludicrous if it was not so foul and intamous. They take an 

 ordinary rod and line and equip the line with an array of hooks, one 

 hook being placed above auotbeJ'. Sometimes several groups of 

 hooks are fastened on the line. Each group of hooks is called a gang, 

 and a gang embraces from 6 to 18 hooks, all in a group. Several of 

 these gangs are attached to a single hne. The tops of the hooks are 

 covered with a piece of fat pork. Then the hne thus ecjulpped is 

 thrown into the pool and it smks to the bottom. Into this pool the 

 lish come to spawn, or to refesh themselves, and they move close to 

 the bottom, where they throw theur spawn or where they get the 

 coolest spring water. The big salmon, when moving about close to 

 the bottom, strike the hooks or gang hooks, and jar or stir the line. 

 Just as soon as the salmon sand-bagger at the end of the rod feels the 

 jar, he jerks on his hook-laden line, and with his hooks and gangs of 

 hooks, catches the golden salmon in the beUy. One hook or a dozen 

 hooks may thus strike the salmon foul in the belly, but the noble fish 

 at once makes a great struggle for life. The salmon sand-baggers 

 have often been an hour landing fish t'nxis foully impaled. 



If this method of fishing is nocin violation of law we are greatly in 

 error. At ah events it is an infamous way. Some devoted sports- 

 men who love fishing visited the Jlechauicville pools last week, and 1 

 when they learned of the crooked fishing done there they were simply 

 dumb-founded and left the river in disgust. We found dead large 

 salmon floating in the river, having been fatally hooked by the rake 

 lines, but not Urnily enough to land the salmon. The fish escaped 

 only to die. So far as we can ascertain but three salmon have been 

 fairly caught at Mechanicville this season, and they were landed by 

 W. E. Hagen and Dr. Bloss, of Troy. About all the others taken were 

 murdered by the sand-baggers. On some of the hooks used by these 

 malefactors flies are used, but one of the sand-baggers on Wednesday 

 last bragged that the flies were a fake, that the pork as bait was a 

 humbug, but the real scheme was to hook the salmon foul on the 

 belly as they moved about in the pool. The salmon hooked by the 

 sand-baggers has no chance for his life, something that every true 

 sportsman is wiUing to give a fish, be it the lordly sahnon or the insig- 

 nificant "pumpkin seed." The salmon murderers do not fish from a 

 boat as a rule. They stand or lay beside or over the bed of the spring 

 that flows into the river, and after casting their line to the bottom of 

 the pool hold then- '-pole" until a salmon runs on to the hook. Then 

 the sand-bagger rakes the salmon's belly with his aggregation of hooks 

 and if the strike is effective he jumps in a boat, is rowed out into the 

 river and In open water the salmon struggles for his life, with evexy 

 chance closed against the salmon. 



A couple of days ago a Telegram man went to MechanicvUle to see 

 the sahnon sandbaggers at work. The sight he witnessed at the pool 

 just in the rear of the Hotel Tallmadge was comical and Indicrous, at 

 least the sight would have been of that kind if it was not so awfully 

 brutal. About forty alleged fishermen congregated there, thirty of 

 them being La a space about fifteen feet long, and all waiting for 

 sahnon to enter the pool; but the salmon came not. The cackles were 

 of a curious and varied descrijjtion. There were aU sorts of arrange- 

 ments baited with pork, and frequently flies were noticed constructed 

 of hen's feathers with a body of tin foil taken from a package of 

 chewing tobacco, Wu-e lines were also in use, being stronger, and 

 some poles were equipped with lines that could almost be used for bed 

 cord or a clothes line. There were poles of every description. It was 

 a motley crowd of people, sitting in the hot sun waiting for the fish 

 which never came. Mot a strike did the sandbaggers get. Even the 

 salmon must have, by intuition, become acquainted with the brutal 

 methods in vogue, because they deserted the pool. In an entire day 

 only one salmon was seen to jump for air. Ten days ago the price of 

 fat pork was way up in Mechanicvdle, but now it is very cheap. Flies, 

 however, which the sandbaggers have no use for, came high, costing 

 about four times as much as they do in Albany. 



BOSTON AND MAINE. 



Boston, Aug. 19. — Fish Commissioner Henry O. Stan- 

 ley, of Maine, was in Boston last week, at tlie St. Margret 

 Hospital, where he has had a morbid growth successfully 

 removed from his lip. He is much pleased with the suc- 

 cess of the operation. Concerning the game in Maine, Mr. 

 Stanley says that the deer have increased wonderfully, 

 even during the past year. At his own town, Dixfield, 

 scarcely a day passes but what somebody sees a deer. The 

 same good report comes from all the towns where dogging 

 and illegal hunting is not practiced. There is less Uunt- 

 ing this year out of season than has been the case for sev- 

 eral seasons. The more the people become informed and 

 the more they look rationally into the work of the Com- 

 mission, the more willing and anxioius they are that the 

 game laws shall be respected. The Commission has 

 brought a number of visitors from out of the State to jus- 

 tice for killing game in May and June. These have been 

 glad to walk up quietly and pay their lines, and request 

 the wardens to "say nothing." 



D. H. Blanchard returned from his salmon river last 

 week. Since Mr. Richard O. Harding came out with his j 

 29-pound salmon, an account of which has aiijeady been I 

 published in the Forest and Stream, Mr. Blanchard has 

 taken 26 salmon, the largest weigliing 271bs. This is a | 

 very good score, indeed, and Mr. Blanchard's friends are 

 congratulating laim. This catch, with the five that were 

 taken during Mr. Harding's visit, makes -31 salmon for 

 Mr. Blanchard's river, the northwest branch of the St. 

 Mai'gueritte, this year. 



Mr. Henry C. Litchfield, with Dame, Stoddard & Ken- 

 dall, a gentleman very well known in the fishing tackle 

 trade, went Saturday on his vacation. He goes to an 

 island in Lake Champiain, where he will doubtless do 

 some fishing and a good deal of resting. 



Mr. Herman T. Stranger, a boatman at Wareham, has 

 had some good luck with squiteague this season. He 

 took the other day, oil Four Buoys, eight big fish. 



Dr. Bradbury has returned to Boston after an absence 

 of five weeks in the Maine woods. He spent a good part 

 of the time in the neighborhood of Eustis and the lakes 

 and ponds further back. Dr. E. B. Kellogg, of Boston, 

 who intends to take a fishing trip every year, has just re- 

 turned from a trip to the World's Columbian Exposition, 

 where he has spent his vacation with his family. Mr, 

 George T. Freeman has also given up his annual fishing 

 trip to Richardson Lake this, season, for a trip with his 

 family to the World's Fair. He returned last week, much 

 pleased with what he had seen, but after all, the old 

 longing for a trip to the woods is there. Mr. G. N. 

 Sniaily, of Boston, has recently made a second trip to the 

 Rangeleys with a party of friends. He made his usual 

 spring trip with his friend Bassett, of Appleton& Bassett, 

 and had the excellent sport already reported in the For- 

 est AND Stream. On his second trip he found only 

 moderately fail' fly-fishing. 



The pet deer belonging to Mrs. President Cleveland got 

 away on Sunday a week ago. It was at their beautiful 

 home at Buzzard's Bay. It ran down the road at first and 

 then took to the woods, with about all the dogs in town 

 after it. Though fahly tame, it was so frightened by the 

 dogs that it was given up for lost in the woods of Bourne. 

 But later a dispatch to the daily papers says that it has 

 been secured. This is the deer that was given to Mrs. 

 Cleveland as a little fawn three or four years ago, I be- 

 Ueve. Special. 



The Forest ajjd Stream is put to press each week on Tues- 

 day, CoiTespondtnce intended for jniblication should reach 

 us at the latest Monday, and as much earlier as practicable 



CANADIAN ANGLING NOTES. 



Those salmon fishermen who remained on then- streams 

 until the end of the season are now returning. Mr. David 

 H. Blanchard, of Boston, passed through here last week 

 on his way home from fishing his pools on the northeast 

 branch of the Marguerite, weU satisfied with his season's 

 sport. He took twenty-sis salmon in twenty-eight days, 

 or an average of rather better than a sahnon a day for 

 every day he fished. 



Dr. H. F. Hamilton and ]\Ir. J. S. Mason, of Boston, re- 

 turned some days ago from Lake St. John, having made 

 a magnificent round tour in the country north of the 

 lake. They descended the Grand Discharge to the River 

 des Aulnaies, which enters into the Saguenay over very 

 high falls, some twelve miles above St. Anne, opposite 

 Chicoutimi. This river they ascended as far as Lac des 

 Isles, driving the first fifteen miles on buckboard in con- 

 sequence of the wild character of the falls and rapids, of 

 which the stream is here composed. Lac des Isles they 

 found just swarming with small trout, and then passed 

 by various short portages into and through Lake Ray and 

 Bear Lake, and by way of the River Blanche into Tschot- 

 agama. In Lac Broohet, which they also visited, they 

 took red trout up to 3+lbs, in weight. From Tschotagama 

 they retm-ned to Lake St. John by way of the Peribonca 

 River. 



A party of six Buiialo sportsmen passed through Quebec 

 on Thursday last on their way to Lake St. John, whence 

 they take six canoes, with twelve guides, tents, provisions, 

 etc., for a three wrecks' camping tour. It was their inten- 

 tion to ascend the Peribonca to Lake Tschotagama, and 

 perhaps somewhat higher stiU. in search of bears and 

 ouananiche, and they will probably also visit the fifth 

 falls of the Mistassini. The party consists of Messrs. C. M. 

 Daniels, M.D., M. Benson, C. A. Brunn, superintendent 

 of the Erie Railway; C. T. Sloan, N. C, Recktenwalt, 

 Prof. A. Jttiller. 



Chief Justice C. "W. Andrews, of the Coiu't of Appeals 

 of New York State, has recently retui-ned home to Syra- 

 cuse, charmed with the sport enjoyed in his ascent of the 

 Mistassini with his wife and son. At the fifth falls the 

 J udge took forty ouananiche in one day. At the same 

 locality Mr. R. R. McCormick, stock broker, of Lake 

 "Worth, Florida, and his son Wm. F. McCormick had also 

 .splendid sport last %veek with the ouananiche, and have 

 made arrangements to retm-n next year. 



The Messrs. Bruce, of Scotland and Philadelphia, re- 

 tm-ned last w^eek from a magnificent fishing trip of some 

 ten days' duration. From Roberval they ascended the 

 Ashuajjmouchouan River to Lake Jimme, and thence 

 portaged through intervenmg country into a chain of 

 small lakes that led to the Mistassini River. They had 

 good fishing at the Fifth FaUs, but experienced the best 

 sport of the trip at Lake Jimme, where one of the jjarty, 

 among other fish, took two 6-pound ouananiche in one 

 morning. They also took several good-sized dore. 



There has been good fly-fishing on the larger streams 

 up the Lake St. John cotmtry within the last few days, 

 notably on the Triton tract and the Ouiatchouan, some of 

 the best waters on the latter being now controlled by a 

 Quebec club. Last week a speckled trout weighing 51bs. 

 when it reached the city was taken there. Among those 

 who have enjoyed splendid sjjort on this river within the 

 last few days are A. J. Turcotte, M.P., C. Panet-Angers, 

 L. Stafford and JVlartel. 



By next week the fall fishing for trout in the larger 

 lakes ought to be almost at its best. The water is 

 aheady growing cooler in consequence of the decreasing 

 temperature and increasing length of the nights. The 

 guardians of the various American fishing clubs in the 

 territory north of Quebec are preparing for the visits of 

 several of their members. 



In the St. Lawrence, below Quebec, the fishing for 

 striped bass, locally caUed "bar," has commenced, and 

 good catches of fish 12 to 20in. long are reported from the 

 vicinity of Madam Island. E. T. D. Chambers. 



Quebec, Aug. 15. 



CHICAGO FLY-CASTING CLUB. 



The first annual scientific angling tournament for the 

 World's championship, open to aU, will be held at the 

 World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, Sept. 31. 



The tournament will be held at the Walton House, on 

 the North Lagoon, commencing at 9:30 A. M. Thursday, 

 and continuing tmtil all events are finished. 



Entries to ah events close Sept. 16. 



Tlu-ee gold medals, emblematic of the World's cham- 

 pionship, wfll be awarded in the expert class, and the 

 same in the amateur class, and one gold and one sflver 

 medal in the Ught rod competition. The medals are made 

 from original designs by Mr. Geo. W. StreU, president of 

 the club, and represent a trout and creel for the fly- 

 casting, and a bass and creel for the bait-castmg events, 

 in gold, connected with sflver sti-aps and suitably in- 

 scribed. 



In addition to the championship medals in the amateur 

 and light rod classes, merchandise prizes wiU be awarded. 

 Others than those mentioned here will be announced pub- 

 licly in the programme on the day of the contests. 



Three judges shall be appointed and their decision shaU 

 be final. The captain, who wifl be the executive field 

 officer of the day, shall start and close aU events. He 

 shall signal the judges with a flag, and caU time to the 

 contestants. 



EXPERT CLASS. 



Conditions.— Open to all. All casting shall be single-handed; rods 

 over lift, long barred, and rods shall be unconflned in casting. Three 

 iiies, of a size not larger than No. 5, allowed. Leaders shall be single 

 gut and not longer than 9 nor less than 6ft. Kjiotting of lines, or any 

 device to lend weight to the cast, prohibited. 



Event No. 1.— Long-Distance Flj'-Castlng— Entrance fee $10. Prize, 

 gold medal emblematic of the World's Columbian Exijosition Expert 

 Eong-Distauce Fly-Casting Championship. 



Rule to Govern Contest. — Five minutes shall be allowed each con- 

 testant. No cast shall count when the stretcher fly is missing yo 

 time aUowance shaU be granted to replace ally; it must be done within 

 the five minutes. The length of the cast shall be measured from the 

 ; score line on the pier to the spot reacbed by the stretcher fly. Con- 

 testants whose scores are tied shall compete three minutes longer. 

 I Event No. 3. — Fly-Casting for Dtstaijce and Accuracy Combined — 

 Entrance fee §10. frize, gold medal emblematic of the World's Col- 

 umbian Exposition Expert Championship for Distance and Accuracy 

 Fly-Castiug Combined. 



Rule to Govern Contest.— Three buoys shall be placed as follows: 

 The tirst. :5ft. from the score hne, but 5ft. to the left of a direct line; 

 the second, 60rt. distant, but oft to the right of a direct hne; the ildrd. 

 Soft, di.scant, but in a dh-ect line from the pier stake. Any part of the 

 leader fading across the object buoy shall be counted perfect, viz., 

 100 per cent.; one point shall be deducted for every foot distant the 

 leader or near&st tly shall be from the buoy. Five easts shah be made 

 at each buoy; inhty becouos sliail be aUowed at the start to extend 

 line, and cast one shall be called on tiie back cast at the expiration of 



the thirty seconds, or sooner if the contestant calls time. The dis - 

 tance of the leader from the buoys at each cast shall be added together 

 and divided by three (3) ; the total shall be deducted from 100, which 

 shall be the percentage. The one having the highest percentage shall 

 be declared the winner. Ties shaU be cast ofl: at the 8oft. buoy, Ave 

 casts, thirty seconds to extend line, time called on back cast. 



Event No. :3.— Black Bass BaitCasting for Distance and Accuracy 

 Combined.— Entrance fee, $10; prize, gold medal emblematic of the 

 World's Columbian Exposition's Expert Championship for Black Bass 

 Bait-Casting for Distance and Accuracy Combined. 



Eule to Govern Contest.— The casting shah be done on land, in a 

 straight court 30ft. wide, a tape line rtmnmg the full length eqtudistant 

 between the boundaries. All casts shall be made single-handed, and 

 the weight cast shall weigh J^oz. ; weights shaU be ftu-nished by the 

 tournament committee. Eacn contestaat shall make five casts, three 

 trial casts being first .allowed; if the contestant desires he may caU 

 time on any one of the three casts, after which the fom* foUowing 

 casts shaU be coimted. The average of the five casts shaU constitute 

 the record, to be determined as follows: If the weight falls within 1ft. 

 of either side of the tape hne fuh measm-e shall be counted; for every 

 foot over 1ft. away from the tape line one point shaU be deducted 

 from the length of distance cast: thus, if tne weight hes 3ft. away 

 from the tape hne at the 140ft. mark, then 138 shaU be credited; if 15ft. 

 away from the 140ft. mark, then 126 shall be credited, and so on, the 

 foot to be counted nearest which the weight hes; no fractions allowed. 

 The longest single distance cast shall be entei-ed as a matter of world's 

 record, recognised by the award of a silver medal, with the distance 

 inscribed on it. 



AUATEUR CLASS. 



Conditions. — The amateur class shall be open to all who have a 

 known fly-casting distance record of not over B5ft., or bait-casting, not 

 over 140ft., with a }^oz. weight, or who have never won a medal in any 

 open event. The conditions and rules of the expert class shall govern 

 all amatem' events, except where otherwise provided. AU merchandise 

 prizes wiU be announced in the completed progamme. 



Event No. 1.— Long-Distance Fly-Oastmg— Entrance fee $2. Prize, 

 gold medal, emblematic of the World's Columbian Exposition Ama- 

 tem- Long-Distance Fly-Casting Championship and merchandise prizes 

 as per programme. 



Event No. 3.— Fly-Casting for Distance and Accm-acy Combined— En- 

 trance fee §2. Prize, gold medal, emblematic of the World's Colum- 

 bian Exposition Amateur Championship for Distance and Accuracy 

 Fly- Casting Combined, and merchandise i^rizes as per programme. 



Event Mo. 3.— Bait-Casting for Distance and Accuracy Combined- 

 Entrance fee $2. Prize, gold medal, emblematic of the World's Colum- 

 bian Exposition Amateur Championship for Bait-Casting and Accuracy 

 Combmed, and merchandise prizes as per ijrogramme. 



LIGHT ROD COMPETITION. 



This competition shaU be for 6oz. rods and tmder, open to ah 

 amateurs who have never won a prize or had a known record of over 

 85ft. This event shall be for accuracy, delicacy and distance com- 

 bined, the accuracy and distance to be decided according to rules 

 governing this event in the amateur class, only that the buoys shah 

 be placed at 35, 40 and 4.5ft. The delicacy of delivery shall be decided 

 by points, 10 to be considered perfect. The contestant making the 

 highest score, when the total per cent, and points are added, to be 

 declared the winner. Entrance fee 12. Prizes, gold medal emblema- 

 tic of the World's Columbian Exposition Light Rod Championship and 

 a light spht bamboo rod; second prize, Columbian souvenir silver 

 coin, mounted and inscribed, "Second Prize, World's Columbian 

 Exposition Light Kod Championship," and merchandise prizes as per 

 programme. 



AMATEUR CLUB TEAM CONTEST. 



Conditions. — Five entries from any recognized club to constitute a 

 team. At least three teams must be entered or no competition, en- 

 trance $3 per man. Prize, if five teams ai-e entered, the prize wiU be 

 §50 cash. If four teams enter^ the cash prize wiU be $40; if three teams 

 enter, the cash prize w ill be 530. A bait-casting rod second prize in 

 bait-casting event, and fly-rod in fly-casting event. 



Event No. 1.— Bait-casting team distance and accm'acy combined. 



Event No. 2. — ^Fly -casting team distance and accm-acy combined. 



ORDER OF CONTESTS. 



Amateur club team contests wUl begin at 8:30 A. M., Thursday, 

 Sept. 21. 



Amateur class events wUl begin at 10 A.M., Thm-sday, Sept. 21. 

 Any events unfinished at 1 P. M., wiU be continued Friday at ti:6u A.M. 



Expert class events will begin at 2 P.M., Thm-sday, Sept. 21, and con- 

 tinued, if unfinished, Friday at 2 P. M. 



Light rod competition wUl occm- Triaay upon the completion of the 

 expert class events. 



PROTESTS. 



The tournament committee will entertain protests bearing on the 

 ineligibihty of competitors in the classes in which they are entered, if 

 put m writing, and presented not later than one hour before the con- 

 test, and if any one is found to have entered himself wrongly, the 

 tournament committee shall transfer the entry to the proper class. 

 The hst of entries wiU be posted in the Walton House Monday, Sept. 20. 



There must be tlu'ee entries in each event or no competition, and the 

 event will be declared of!:. 



There shaU be no appeal from the decision of the judges. 



Entries to all events close positively Sept. 16. 



The judges will be announced later in the sportsmen's press and 

 programmes. Programmes, entry blanks and other information may 

 be obtained of Frank. B. Davidson, Sec-Ti eas. 



12r W. Washington Street, Chicago. 



Gbo. W. StrkiJj, Chairman Tom-nament Committee. 



Chas. F. Johnson, Captain Tournament Committee. 



Nova Scotia Trout. 



Upper Musquodoboit, Halifax County, N. S. , Aug. 7. 

 — Trout fishing has not been so good as in former years 

 owing to the lateness of tbe season, so there are no wonder- 

 fifl fish stories to relate. I made four trips to Lakes 

 Diamond, Henry and Pot Hole — catches, 89, 58, 31 and 11. 

 My friend, Geo. W. Stuarc, of gold mine fame, accom- 

 panied by Messrs. H. Dixon and J. P. Eobtnson, went to 

 the Tangier Waters (East Halifax) about five weeks ago, 

 and returned after an absence of three days with 350 

 trout varying from 3i to 21b3. each. 



There are no sea truut up to speak of, owing to lack of 

 water. As I write it is raining and wiU stai'C the lish 

 running. I am stopping at Riversitie House, Upper Mus- 

 quodoboit, kept by Kaymond FLske. There are lakes on 

 afl sides and good fishmg in the river close by. To any 

 one visiting Nova Scotia in seai'ch of good trout fi.-jhtng 

 I would say, by all means visit Halifax coimty, east and 

 north. J 



A few days ago a blue- winged duck flew against the 

 house and killed itself; it was in fine condition of flesh 

 and feather. J. In, S. J. 



Cholera-Scorged Hindostan. 



Loogootee, Ind. — I shah send you in a few days a 

 photo of 38 bass caught by me in two hom-s at natural 

 falls in White Eiver, five miles from my home. This 

 place (Hindostan) was the first county seat of our county 

 and when the cholera came the inhabitants were almoot 

 entkely removed by the scourge and the bufldings 

 burned, and the town was never rebuilt. This was a 

 half century ago and now everything is grown up witii 

 imderbrash and the site of the flourishing town of su 

 long ago is the favorite resort of anglers, etc. P'ishiug 

 has been very good here this season, the greatest number 

 of iish taken being white bass, next black bass, large and 

 small-mouth, with some rock bass; and early m tlus 

 spring I was successful in taking two salmon weighing 

 12 and 6flbs. each. The salmon were taken witfi five 

 chub bait, whfle the bass were all taken with minnows 

 and would not take the fly at afl until July 15, but smce 

 that time have taken it freely. R. R. B. 



Where to Go. 



Anybody desiring information with regard to the hotels 

 advertised in Forest and Stream, such as rates, routes, 

 fishing and hunting opportunities, should address Forest 

 AND Stream Information Bureau, where all reasonable 

 inquii-ies wifl receive prompt answers. 



