190 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Sept. 3, 1893. 



THE CHAMPION TARPON. 



Visiting the Columbian Exposition in May last I saw 

 for the first time the great tarpon which was taken by 

 Mrs. Geo. T. Stagg, and which is the most pT-ominent at- 

 traction of the Forest and Streaii exhibit. This mag- 

 nificent fish, weighing 2051bs., and 7ft. 3in. in length, has 

 held pre-eminence among captives of his species since 

 May, 1891. Prior to that date Mr. J. G-. Hecksher, with 

 hi8l841bs. fish, held the cliampionship of tarpon taken 

 with rod and reel, Mr. A. M. McG-regor nearly broke the 

 record last spring with a fish of 1961bs. Mrs. Stagg, how- 

 ever, still holds the belt, or cestus, or girdle, or whatever 

 should be the appropriate decoration for her sex. The 

 fish was a surprise to me, who have seen very many speci- 

 mens of this grandest of game fishes, and who have struck 

 and played at least fifty of them. An extract from a 

 letter received by me from Mrs. Stagg soon after the cap- 

 ture of this fish may interest the readers of Forest and 

 Stream as briefly describing its captvu-e: 



"We certainly had wonderful success for the time we 

 fished at Myers. Twenty tarpon in two weeks. Every 

 day that Dode (the colored boatman) was out with us we 

 caught fish, and had bait been plenteous, we would have 

 caught more. We hooked twenty-five, lost five, three 

 by breaking lines and two by faulty rods. The river was 

 full of tarpon, the weather splendid, convincing us that 

 May is the month, and it appears that the Caloosahatchie 

 is tlie place. A prettier spot could not be found to angle 

 for and play them. I inclose a scale from The Tarpon; 

 I wish you could see him. He is grand! The first run 

 took out nearly 300ft. of line, when Dode told me to 

 strike him, not knowing what it was. On striking, he 

 came out of the water, and then made another run, tak- 

 ing nearly all my line. The fight was a stubborn one, 

 with few jumps, but a steady pnll. When we got him in 

 we found the snood nearly in two. It was the oulj one 

 of the twenty which showed any wear to speak of. We 

 had no idea that we had broken the record until the fish 

 was put on the scales, though Dode said he was longer 

 and larger than my first one which weighed 1751bs." 



F. S. J. C. 



POTOMAC NOTES. 



Sajlt -water fishing at the mouth of the Potomac River 

 has been fine for two weeks. At Colonial Beach Shannon 

 reports fishing for young bluefish (Tailors) very good. 

 Quite a large number of Washingtonians are stopping at 

 this beach, and not a few enjoy the fishing. Shrimps are 

 used for bait, and there is no trouble to obtain all one 

 wants. The fish, of course, run small for the kind, but 

 they are game and eat well. 



Colonial Beach is a good point for woodcock also, one 

 pa,rty bagged 16 of these birds in a single day's outing. 



Piney Point is having good fishing this season. Rock- 

 fish are jjlentiful and are biting well. As a matter course, 

 spots, croakers and other fish are abundant at the mouth 

 of the river. Much fun has been derived from fishing 

 the creeks at night, when they are found full of fishes. 



Mr. Mohler made a trip to Farnham, Richmond county, 

 V a., recently and while there went over to the Union Mill 

 pond, which is full of large-mouthed black bass. This 

 pond is near the Chesapeake, between the Potomac and 

 Rappahannock rivers, and at tlie time of M.'s visit was 

 low and roily, the water having been swashed up on the 

 banks by high winds. 



Union Mill Pond is one of a hundred of ponds which 

 teem with large-mouthed black bass in the lower counties 

 of Virginia. .Along the Rappahannock are ponds, one at 

 Urbana, so well stocked with bass as to satisfy the crav- 

 ings of hosts of anglers. They are game fish, too. It is 

 a delightful trip to the Rappahannock by steamer from 

 Baltimore. 



In the upper Potomac bass fishing has improved, and 

 from the Great Falls to the headwaters of the river the fish 

 are biting. 



Mr. Tom Marion reports a bunch of young willets on 

 flats of the Eastern Branch above the navy yard. One 

 was shot by a boy and taken to the Smithsonian for iden- 

 tification. Tae occurrence of these birds at this time 

 (Aug. 13) is unusual, as they are rarely seen here during 

 the summer. 



A few yellow-shanks have. also been seen. BtrjBT. 



Channel Cat on the Fly. 



Fairmont, W. Va., Aug. 20.— At this place, in the Mon- 

 ongahela River, about the 1st of August, A. B. McDonald 

 caught a catfish— one of the kind known as a channel cat 

 in this neighborhood— upon an old-judge fly while fishing 

 for bass. A few days after he caught another upon a 

 Montreal. I received the story of these two catches with 

 something of a mental resexvation, as I could easily imag- 

 ine a fisherman scratching for bait who had failed to 

 entice the wily bass with the fly. A few days after that, 

 however, a friend returned from a camp uj) the river with 

 the report that a channel cat had been caught there on a 

 set line, having in its mouth a fly which had been lost by 

 one of the party the day before. This is the flrst time I 

 have heard of a catfish striking a fly, and I would like to 

 know if any of your readers have experienced a similar 

 circumstance. C. W. W. 



Chicago Fly-Casting Tournament. 



Secretary F. B. Davidson, of the Chicago Fly-Casting 

 Club, writes of the club's angling tournament, which will 

 be held Sept. 21: "We announce as two of the judges Dr. 

 Jas. A. Henshall, in charge of AngUng Pavflion, World's 

 Columbian Exposition, and ]\Ir. Wm. C. Harris. Mr. 

 Geo. W. Strell consents to act as the other judge, provided 

 we cannot find some one else who will be acceptable, and 

 we may announce a change later. Since programmes 

 were printed we have secured several valuable additions 

 to our prize list, and many more are promised, which we 

 will announce later. 



He Woke Them Up. 



Manchester, N. H., Aug. 23.— A shot from a Kodak 

 pointed at Mr. Frank J. Clark, one of our best anglers, at 

 the time he woke up the nest of hornets while brook 

 trout fishing in the southern part of the State last week 

 would make an interesting pictm-e and one gotten up 

 without regard for etiquette on his part. The hot-footed 

 "birds" are still guarding his rod and several imcomfort- 

 able spots on as many dift'erent parts of his anatomy he 

 still retains as souvenirs of his sport. He reports but 

 little water in the str. ams and very feir trout. Payson. | 



"POUEST AND STREAM" FISHING POSTALS 



Send us a postal card report of your own luck, your partner''s luck, 

 your neighbor's luck, your father-in-law's luck, ^nd— her ittcfc. 



Oregon, Long Island (Cutchogue), Aug. 6.— Fishing 

 has been good during the past few days, and large strings 

 of blackfish are being caught. J, Carr 27, J. O'Neil 46, 

 R. Lang 15, F. Shell 17, J. Smith 21. Mr. O'Nefl caught 

 largest, Sflbs. All Brooklyn residents. With 

 weather fishing will be fine for a long time to come. 



James J. Smith. 



Three Lakes, Aug. 22.— Mr. Albert Young, of Kansas 

 City, caught in two days' fishing, at Butternut Lake, 94 

 bass, average 2ilbs., largest 4|lbs. Mrs. S. E. Young, of 

 Chicago, caught a 26i^lb. Itmge. Fishing is good. 



F. R. French. 



Driven Out by Black Flies. 



Albany, N. Y., Aug. 19.— Our party of three have just 

 returned from the Q'riton tract, the other side of Quebec, 

 Canada, and we had a rough and tougli experience. 

 Weather very hot; water very warm. We caught no big 

 lake trout, as they kept in deep water. Only the moun- 

 tain trout would rise to the liy, and then only in the 

 rapids in the cool of the morning. The most taliing bait 

 was a yellow^ fly, a Parmachenee-belle. The black flies 

 were out in swarms and so tormented us that we had to 

 leave or be eaten alive. Three days were enough for us. 

 This experience taught me that fishing in Canada is like 

 anything else. It has its drawbacks as well as its advan- 

 tages. 



To-morrow my brother and myself start for Jerry's 

 Ferry in the Maine woods. Will notify you later of our 

 luck. Silver Doctor. 



Bass at Alexandria Bay. 



Alexandria Bay, N. Y., Aug. 22.— The fishing here is 

 good as illustrated by the catch to-day of F. W. Emery 

 and A. E. Clark off Point JoUy Oaks. The day was fine, 

 and after baiting for wall-eyed pilje and waiting a short 

 time for a bite, they had a pull on the rod, and in landing 

 the fish fotmd it to be a wall-eyed pike weighing S^lbs. 

 In one hour's fishing they caught six more weighing 6, 

 5, 5i, Gi, 7 and Slbs. We find the fishing greatly im- 

 proved this season. We have had a photo of some of the 

 largest, and will send you a print. While in Redwood 

 to-day I saw a black bass taken from Butter field Lake, 

 which weighed 4rJ-lbs. ; and several others of varying 

 weights, 3 to 3^- and 2ilbs. Fishing there is good. 



W. H. Thompson, Sec. Anglers' Ass. 



Big Basswood Lake. 



SowERBY, Can., Aug. 6. — ^We were mduced to come 

 here by the letters and description in Forest and Stream 

 last fall by the "Kingfishers." We find their account in 

 every description regarding fishing up to the mark. In 

 fact, we find it over and above their statement. There 

 are four of us in camp, Paul Zagelmeyer, Alexander 

 Zagelmeyer, Jack Zedar and the subscriber, aU from Bay 

 City, Mich. We find Mr. Dyer a disciple of Izaak Walton, 

 a lover of the gun and a good . judge of a dog. He is 

 expecting some of the "Kingfishei-s" back again this 

 week, for they are not satisfied with the sport they 

 expected at Piatt Lake, where they are at present. Any 

 gentleman wishing good fishing may safely be advised to 

 locate her. Trout are just making their appearance. 



H. WOGEL. 



Set-Iiines in Massachusetts. 



Fitghburg, Mass., Aug. 24.— Six men have just been 

 arrested here, tried and fined §14.20 each for using set- 

 lines in Whalom Pond, not fa«r from this city. The prose- 

 cution was pushed by the fish and game committee of the 

 Fitchburg Rifle and Gun Club. The club proposes to 

 stop the illegal taking of fish and game, both out of sea- 

 son and on Simdays. It is high time that these abuses re- 

 ceived attention. 



The Whalom set-fine fishermen had about SOlbs, of fish, 

 including pouts, perch, bass and pickerel. They had three 

 log trawls out. To these trawls were fastened about a 

 thousand fish lines. B. 



The Game Channel Cat. 



Beatrice, Nebraska, Aug. 20. — I shall send you an article 

 on channel catfish some time when I can spare the time, 

 and will describe a truly game fish, which is unknown 

 east of the Missouri River, for the benefit of the wielders 

 of the split bamboo "buggy whip." Last week I was out 

 one evening and got nine; and had a four-pounder run 

 out nearly 125yds. of line, three times in succession, 

 before I brought him to the net. El Comancho. 



The Goggle Eye. 



Columbia, S. C, Aug. 21— In "Answers to Corres- 

 pondents" in last issue you make me say, "Our goggle 

 eye is a poor fish, etc." If you will refer to my letter 

 you will see that I said pan fish. It is considered a fine 

 fish here, weighing from 1 to Slbs. . and esteemed very 

 highly. H. E, 



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 addr-ess Forest 

 and Stream Information Bureau, where aU reasonable 

 inquu-ies wiU receive prompt answers. 



No Rattler, But a Rattling Good Paper. 



Henderson CoraTy, N. C, Aug. 18.— Editor Forest and Stream: I 

 have not been able to secure another rattler to send you, but have 

 people on the lookout for one. Ihe change of date of publication of 

 your valued paper is very acceptable to such as live so far off as this. 

 I can now enjoy it the same week as published, which is a boon I 

 could not before realize. Thanking you. for the alteration, I am sin- 

 cerely yours, Geoege Holmes. 



The Forest and Stkiiam is^-nU to press Mich iveekon Tues- 

 day, CoiTBspondence intunded fur publication should reach 

 ■lis at the latest by Monday, and as }nuch earlier as practicable. 



"CAMP-FIRES OF A NATURALIST." 



PmisoKS who have visited the Kansas State Buildmg at the great fair 

 m Chicago, cannot fail to have noticed there the large and effectively 

 niounted collection of North American mammals which forms a part 

 of the exhibit of the Kansas State University. There may be seen 

 buffalo and elk wild sheep and white goats, fighting moose and snarl- 

 mg wildcats, playful panthers and sneaking coyotes, besides many 

 smaller species. In the collection most of our important North Ameri^- 

 can manimals are represented and the groups are of unusual interest. 



A book which te s how these anunals were collected has just been 

 written, and, as t,ti]1 be evident to any one who looks at the collection, 

 such a story covers huntmg in many fields in the western portions of 

 this continent. Practically, all the animals here on exhibition, besides 

 many more which are not shown, were secured by Mr. L. L. Dyche, 

 who is the Professor of Zoology and the Curator of Birds and Mam- 

 mals m the Kansas State University 



nn'wS^hr^°! Naturalist," wfitten by aarence E. Edwords. and 

 pubhshed by D. Appletou & Co., gives the story of 14 collecting expedi- 

 tions made in search of North American mammals for the Kansas 

 Museum, and IS compiled from the field notes and diaries of Prof. 

 Dyche. The book is simply and well written and gives a carefully ac- 

 curate picture of one phase of outdoor life. It deals wholly with 

 tacts which are tre.ated in a matter of fact way, and in the relation 

 there is no striving for effect. No effort is made to tell exciting hunt- 

 ing stones, but the volume gives a very faithful picture of the labors 

 which must be undergone by the hunter, and especially by the hunter 

 who IS trying to collect museum specimens. 



Usually a book of this kind suffers when it is written at second 

 hand. However well the work may be done, no story of what a man 

 has accomphshed can be told as completely by another as by the chief 

 actor or an eyewitness; no recital made up from note books and 

 diaries alone can present a picture as vivid as that given by memory 

 assisted by dairies and note books. The facts which are the body of 

 the story may all be set down, but the feelings and impressions of the 

 men who saw and acted.are needed to breathe life into that body, before 

 the reader can see the pictures drawn, as they Avere seen by him who 

 took part in the events related. Mr, Edwords', however, has succeeded 

 in putting real life and spirit into the story of these hunts, and his work 

 is quite remarkable for its fidelity. " 



Prof. Dyche is a good specimen of a self-made Western man. From 

 nfancy his days were passed in Kansas, and from his earliest years 

 necessity made hun a worker. At the age of twelve he could read a 

 httle, and by sixteen had saved enough money to enable liim to go to 

 sehool. Af ter three years spent in the State Normal School he entered 

 Kansas University, then in its infancy, and after five years work grad- 

 uated at the head of his class, obtaining two degrees. During the 

 course of his studies Prof. Snow became interested in young Dyche 

 and after his graduation offered him the position of assistant in his 

 department. Later, the chair of Anatomy and Physiology was created 

 and given to Dyche, and again still later, he was made Curator of 

 Birds and Mammals. 



It now became Dyche's ambition to make the collection of mounted 

 mammals m the Kansas State University as complete as possible, and 

 in securing specimens for this collection he traveled over a great por- 

 tion of the Western country. The book teUs of killing antelope in 

 Kansas, bears m New Mexico, wildcats and turkeys in the Indian Ter- 

 ritory, white goats in the Cascade Mountains, mountain sheep in the 

 coaiit range, moose in the Northwest Territories, and elk in Colorado, 

 and mmgled with the travel and the hunting adventure which consti- 

 tute the main portion of the book, is a great deal of useful informa- 

 tion about the habits of the animals which the hunter was in uur- 

 suit of. ^ 



The volume is illustrated by thirteen full-page half tone engravings, 

 which are reproduced from photographs of mounted specimens. 

 Among the species so figured are the white goat, prong-horned ante- 

 lope, two species of deer, grizzly beai-, moose and elk. Many of these 

 half-tones are made more efl'ective by vignetting, the hack ground of 

 sky having been cut away. We notice that the titles of the illustra- 

 tions facing page ~'l and 97 have been in part transposed. The figure 

 of a white tad buck is called a mule deer buck, while the plate of a 

 male and female mule deer is called a group of Virginia deer 



The book contains a great deal of information which is worth put- 

 ting on record m popular and attractive form, as this has been put 

 on record, and it ought to be in the library of every big game hunter 

 and of every one interested in the mammals of the United States 



Imnel 



FIXTURES. 



DOG SHOWS. 



wVh^S Sec^^'"' ^'^^°' 

 ^Sept.^11 to 15.— Toronto, Canada. C. A. Stone. Sec'y. Entries close 



gSept. W to 23.-Moimt HoUy, N. J. H. I. Budd, Sec'y. Entries dose 



Sept. 19 to 22.— Rhode Island State Eair Ass'n at Narraeansett Part 

 Cranston, K. I. D. C. Cofiins, Sec'y. Entries close Sept 4 

 Sept. 25-30.— Kansas City, Mo. ' ' 



Sept. 26 to 29.— Ottawa, Canada. Alfred Geddes, SecV 

 Oct. 3 to 6.-]\Iinneapolis K. C, at Minneapolis. H. T.Y&k Duster. Sec. 

 Nov. 21 to 24.— New Jersey K. L., at Newark. Dr. W. F Seidler Sec 

 Dec. 12 to 15.— R. 1. Poultry and Pet Stock Ass'n, at Providence'. 

 FIELD TRIALS. 



Sept 4.— Northwestern Field Trial Oub's second annual trials, Man- 

 itoba. Thos. Johnson, Sec'y, Winnipeg. 



Sept. 12.— Manitoba Field Trials Club's Trials, Souris, Manitoba R 

 J. Gallaugher, Sec'y, Winnipeg. > i ^v. 



Oct. 30.— National Beagle Club trials, at Nanuet, N. Y, Geo Laick 

 Tarrytown, N. Y., Secretaiy. ' ' 



Nov. 6.— United States Field Trials Club's Fall Trials, Bicknell Ind 

 P. T. Madison, Sec'y, Indianapohs. 



Nov. 7.— New England Beagle Club trials. W. S. Clark, Linden, 

 Mass., Secretary. 



Nov. 7.— Intei-national Field Trial Club's Fourth Trials. Chatham 

 Ont. W. B. WeUs, Sec'y, Chatham. ' 



Nov. 15.— Ohio Field Trial Club's Second Trials, Canton, O. C. V, 

 Lellinger, Sec'y. 



Nov. 20.— Eastern Field Trial Club's Trials, at Newton, N. C. Mem- 

 bers' Stake Nov. 16. W. A. Coster, Sec'y. 



1894. 



Jan. 29.— Southern Field Trial Club's Trials, New Albany, Miss. T 

 M. Brumby, Sec'y, Marietta, Ga. 



Feb. 19.— United States Field Trials Club's Spring Trials, Grand 

 Jimction, Tenn. P. T. Madison, Sec'y, Indianapolis, Ind. 



Don't forget that Toronto entries close Thursday, 

 Aug. 31, with C. A. Stone, 82 King street, Toronto. 



Toronto Dog Show. 



Mr. Stone says the entries ai-e coming in in good shape 

 and the prospects are that the Toronto show which opens 

 Sept. 11 will be the most .successful one ever held. They 

 have accommodations for something like 8,000 dogs, and 

 everything will be done to secure the comfort of exhibi- 

 tors and their dogs. Judging will commence promptly on 

 Monday, Sept. 11, at 3 P. M. E.xhibitors from a distance can 

 send their dogs to arrive on Saturday, the 9th, which will 

 give them all Sunday to rest. 



Acknowledgment for the amount of the entries will be 

 issued immediately upon receipt, and the identification 

 papers and numbers of dogs will follow later. By these 

 means exhibitors will be made aware that then- entries have 

 been received and their dogs entered. 



The following additional .special prizes have been offered; 

 The association offers a bronze medal for the best skye ter- 

 rier in the show, and Mr. A. B. Foster, of New York, donates 

 an Obrig Camera Co.'s Kodak for best brace of field spaniel 

 bitches. 



The exhibition outside of the dog show will be the grand 

 est ever held at Toronto. Over $100,000 has been expended 

 on new buildings, and the ring attractions will be the best 

 that money can procure. 



Remember that the dog show entries close Thursday, 

 Aug. 31. Premium lists can be procured at S3 King street, iC 



