FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Sept. 16, 1898. 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



[From a Staff Correspondent.] 

 The Fly-Casting Tournament. 

 Chicago, 111., Sept. 6.— The judges of the angling tourn- 

 ament of the Chicago Fly-Casting Club at the World's 

 Fair, Sept. 31, will be Dr. Jas. A. Henshali, Mr. W. C. 

 Harris, and Mr. H. L. Stanton. TJiere will be expert and 

 amateur classes, light rod competitions, an amateur club 

 team contest, etc., and the day should prove of interest. 

 The preliminaries are all now about concluded. Mr. 

 Stanton's appointment as a judge, though late, is a good 

 one. 



This will be the first angling tournament held in Chi- 

 cago, to my knowledge, and it will be a spirited event. 

 Let us hope that it will work a new era for the Chicago 

 Fly-Casting Club, and begin one which shall know less of 

 the squabblings and bickerings of the past. That such an 

 event will bring out hot competition and diligent effort 

 among the rival rod makers goes without saying. If the 

 rod representatives carry emulation too far into what 

 purports to be a sportsman's club, they do not best sub- 

 serve their own interests, for a club split and harried is of 

 small use to any one. Mr. Osgood, of the Spalding Bros., 

 has Kosmics in the hands of Mr. Johnson, Mr. Goodsell, 

 and Mr. Wilkinson. Mr. Leonard is coming from New 

 York and will likely have his rod represented.^ Mr. 

 Isgrigg, of Montgomery Ward & Co., will probably use a 

 Leonard for his long distance work, and for delicacy and 

 accuracy will use the Abbey & I m brie, which he has used 

 during the summer. So we wiU have rivalry all right. 

 What should be hoped is that the result will be a friendly 

 and sincere handshake all around when the returns are in, 

 and may the combination of the best man and the best 

 rod and the best luck win, as it probably wUl. 



A Cheap Attraction. 



I notice that the club publishes a brief list of merchan- 

 dise prizes. This is unfortunate and gives an unmodern, 

 behind-the-times and countrified air to what should be an 

 event worthy of the time and place. Times change with 

 them. The old ways will not do. The plunder list is one 

 of the abominations of beggary, and has had place long 

 enough in the history of tournaments. If a body of gen- 

 tlemen wish to offer a prize for competition, why do they 

 not put their money together and go buy one and not beg 

 one? If the gift comes without asking it is quite another 

 matter, but better a tin cup bought than a silver vase 

 begged, The latter is not worthy a club of sportsmen. 

 Donors will not look at it this way from selfish motives 

 alone, but from the position of principle. A donor would 

 be willing to give out of his own pocket to a needy sports- 

 man twice what he will with a feigned and timorous 

 cheerfulness give to a club of sportsmen or to a money- 

 seeking management. But let the right of it go. It is 

 enough to say that times have changed, and ttiat to tack 

 a plunder list to a programme to-day cheapens it and does 

 not improve it. A scrap of paper will do for a trophy 

 among gentlemen, and the thought of money gain should 

 be left out of and far away from the gentle art in any of its 

 forms. If we must then have prizes, let us not have those 

 begged for under an absurd old system, whose day, more- 

 over, is quite gone. 



Will Pay for the House. 



The Fly-Casting Club has never yet succeeded in paying 

 for its structure, the Walton lodge. Mr. Davidson, the 

 secretary, informs me, however, that the debt will soon be 

 canceled. Himself and five others of the club have 

 decided to send their personal checks for $50 each, the 

 funds to be repaid by the club later or not as the club may 

 choose. This is certainly a mighty generous thing to do, 

 though it shows mighty bad business management on the 

 part of the club in building before it had its funds. Cer- 

 tainly men like Mr. Davidson, Mr. Stanton, Mr. Strong 

 and the others should not be allowed to advance this 

 money alone. The club should repay it as early as it can. 

 But with workers so zealous and unselfish as these in it, 

 how can we predict for the club anything but a future of 

 ultimate succes? Cut off your useless lumber, gentlemen 

 of the club, kill off your wranglers and quarrelers and 

 gobblers, insist on businesslike and parhamentary meet- 

 ings, pay your debts and then go slow, and you have in 

 this Chicago Fly-Casting Club the opportunity of making 

 a highly useful sporting organization. 1 1 has" the material 

 for it. Let us heartily hope the coming tournament will 

 constitute a prominent step in that direction. 



Justice and Injustice. 



By the way, the secretary of this club, Mr. F. B. David- 

 son, one of the most unselfish and disinteiested club work- 

 ers I ever knew, and one of the best secretaries, writes me 

 a letter in regard to my recent criticism of a club ofiiciars 

 conduct, and states that, being misinformed, I have done 

 the club an injustice. This is something I would not will- 

 ingly do, and which I would go a long way to right when 

 I found I was at fault, Mr. Davidson points out that the 

 dates of the meetings were often set by himself, and 

 shows dates which could not favor any one paper more 

 than another. This I am very glad to state. Mr. David- 

 son also says that what I call a "star chamber" meeting 

 (my information as to this came from two other members 

 who were present) was not really closed, but that there 

 was one other man there, not a member of the committee; 

 "and," he naively adds, "that man made as many motions 

 as anybody." I am glad to know this, too. As to the others 

 of my statements, I only wish I could find myself mistaken 

 there also, but fear I cannot. Mr. Davidson is a man who 

 will always be young. He will always believe that all the 

 women are good and all men are honest. To look at his 

 great, honest face is enough to rest one, and I love the 

 boy (he is married and has a family), though, as I told him 

 yesterday, I don't believe he wouldi see a load of hay go 

 across the table in a game of poker. It is, I fear, owing 

 to this inabihty to see a load of hay that Mr. Davidson is 

 of the belief that my informants twisted the tenor of the 

 remarks I quoted. I wish I had a similar visual defect, 

 but even Mr. Davidson would lose it in this unholy call- 

 ing. As to the main features I fear I am right, and am 

 sorry that I am, so let it go at that. I am sorry. I apolo- 

 gize. I will not do it again, not until the next time when 

 for journalistic reasons pure and simple, and for those 

 only, it again becomes necessary. Then I probably wiU. 



Plenty Wise Paper. 



The popular wisdom department of the Chicago Inter- 

 Ocean for Aug. 25 has the following: 



"Naperville, Aug. 30. — To the Editor: What is the 

 weight of the largest black bass fish? W. D. 



"The weight of the sea fish known as black bass is 

 from *lb. to ITlbs,, and the last-mentioned size is very 

 seldom found. The black bass of the lakes is a smaller 

 fish and seldom exceeds 81bs. in weight." 



On the whole, this is not so bad, except that there isn't 

 any black bass in the sea, and that it inhabits streams as 

 well as lakes, and that it sometimes weighs over 201bs. It 

 is pretty good for a swift grab at facts, and conveys the 

 impression that the Intfir-Ocean is plenty wise in natural 

 history. E. HOTJGH. 



909 Security Building, Chicago. 



LATE NEW ENGLAND FISHING. 



The fishing parties are about done for the season of 1893. 

 Close time began on trout in Massachusetts on Sept. 1 , 

 and it begins in Maine on Oct. 1. On the whole the sea- 

 son has been a good one, though opening veiy late in 

 Maine. A gi-eat many ti-out have been taken. The only 

 wonder is as to where so many trout have come from. 

 Naturally the question arises, can the supply be kept up, 

 considering the increase in the devotees of the rod and 

 reel? Personally I am acquainted with three men and the 

 wife of one of them, who never fished for trout till this 

 year, and one trip has made them enthusiasts. My ex- 

 perience is only one of many. The passion for trout and 

 salmon fishing is very decidedly on the increase. Bass 

 fishing is fairly holding its own; nothing more. The 

 supply can be kept up with the demand only by restock- 

 ing. This restocking must largely come from angling as- 

 sociations and anglers themselves. State commissioners 

 can hardly be depended upon to do the work, with the 

 limited means at their command. If they can carry out 

 reasonable protection during close seasons, and enforce 

 reasonable fishing in the open seasons, they will accom- 

 plish a good deal. I learn from the Rangeley region and 

 the ponds back of that section that the custom of return- 

 ing small trout to the water, especially among the best of 

 fly-fishermen, is a growing one, and has been particularly 

 noted this season. 



Occasionally a belated fishing trip is mentioned. Mr. J. 

 W. Chickey, of the Boston Herald, with a friend made a 

 fishing trip to Lower Bartlett, N. H. . the last of August. 

 They took ten trout from the Ellis, fishing down that 

 stream two miles or more. They caught a number of 

 trout too small to count. Their largest trout was 13in. 

 long. The trout were small and the stream showed signs 

 of having been fished to excess. It is evident that it is 

 early cleaned out each year, and hence few ti-out beyond 

 two or three years old can be taken. 



Mr. E. M. Gillam, of the Boston Advertiser, has gone on 

 his vacation. He is much disappointed that business com- 

 pels him to take his "vacation this year too early. The 

 open season on most of the gome and game birds in New 

 Jersey has not begun, and Mr. Gillam feels it his duty to 

 spend his vacations in that State at the paternal home- 

 stead, where his mother is living. He will visit his brother, 

 city editor of the Philadelphia Becord, and together they 

 will occasionally try the shore birds in New Jersey. Mr. 

 Gillam, with a Mr. Black, of Reading, spent Labor Day 

 (Sept. 4) on a pond in Boxf ord, Mass. They drove eighteen 

 miles from Reading for the sake of trying the black bass. 

 They used crickets for bait, Mr. Black'obtaining them the 

 night previous. There were several other boats on the 

 pond, but Mr. Gillam and liis friend seemed to get all 

 the bass there were taken. They attributed their success 

 to the bait they used, but did not bother to explain this 

 matter to the other fellows. They took six good bass 

 before dinner. In the afternoon their success was not as 

 good, for the reason that they got tired of fishing.. 



Sept. 6 J. A. French, landlord at the Upper Dam, Rich- 

 ardson Lake, Me., dispatched that the fishing was good at 

 that celebrated trout pool. The weather had been very 

 cool, the mercury registering 40" for several mornings, 

 and this weather had brought the trout to the fly, as it 

 usually does there. From the 1st to the 5th a number of 

 big trout had been taken, with a good showing of smaller 

 ones. One weighing 71bs. loz. had been taken by T. L. 

 Barber, of South Framingham, Mass., and that gentleman 

 had also taken one weighing 61bs. lOoz. Dr. Drake, of 

 North Weymouth, Mass., had taken a trout of 61bs. 12oz. 

 Besides, a trout of 61bs. loz., and one of something over 

 51bs. had been taken. All these trout are reported to have 

 been taken on a fly, in the pool below the dam. l\h-. N. 

 G. Manson, Jr., mentioned in the Forest and Stream last 

 week as being at his camp at Cherrytree Point, head of 

 Richardson Lake, Me., is having good fly-fishing, or as 

 good as he cares for, never fishing but for camp use. He 

 is accompanied by his long-time friends, Mr. and Mrs. 

 Bynner, of Cambridge, and Mr. Will Jones and 

 wife, of Brewef, Me. Mr. Jones is likely to be 

 highly pleased with what Mr. Manson will introduce 

 him to in the Rangeley woods. But game will be scarce, 

 even if the trout fishing is good. Mr. Geo. H. Cutting, of 

 Andover, with his brother Will, were for ten days at 

 Camj) Stewart, on the same lake, engaged in repairing 

 and rebuUdihg boat houses at the ponds. George reports 

 that they saw but one partridge during all the time. 

 Under circumstances of partridges faii'ly plenty they 

 should have seen twenty at least. Other reports indicate 

 the same scarcity of ruffed grouse in all the Rangeley 

 region. It is reported that another moose has swam 

 Richardson Lake in the vicinity of the Narrows, and that 

 he was shot by some tourists. The game wardens have a 

 clew to the perpetrators of the deed, and they are Ukely 

 to be invited to settle, if indeed they have not already 

 done so. A moose swam that lake last year, at about the 

 same spot, and was shot during the hot weather. I have 

 never heard that anybody was punished for the shameful 

 breach of the game laws. That moose was reported to 

 have rotted on the shore. 



Mr. Henry Whitmore, with Mrs. Whitmore, mentioned 

 in the Forest a>T3 Stream recently as making their first 

 trip to the Rangeley Lakes, is back to his Avork on the 

 Boston Herald. They were the guests of Mr. Hal. Has- 

 kell, at Allerton Lodge, on Mooselucmaguntic Lake. 

 Both are greatly pleased with the region. Harry did not 

 expect to take trout on this his first trouting trip and so 

 early in his experience in trout fishing. But he was most 

 happily disappointed. They made a pool, each putting in 

 "a cartwheel dollar," the pool to go to the member of the 

 party taking the largest trout. To Harry's surprise, he 

 took the big trout and the pool. The money will go 

 toward some improved fiLshing tackle. Special, 



A DAY WITH THE 'TAUG. 



The writer was tautaug hungry; not literally, but he 

 was aching to go fishing. A few days ago he mentioned 

 this fact in the presence of the ever-ready "Cad" C, and 

 it was not long before a short trip was planned. 



' 'You just come down to the cottage in the morning, 

 and Jim and I will be ready to go," was Cad's remark, 

 and the consequence was the writer took the first boat 

 down the bay one fine fishing morning and landed at S. , 

 where Cad has a neat summer cottage, and where he and 

 Jim spend a good portion of the hot weather. They were 

 both there, Jim busilj'^ engaged in overhauling his tackle, 

 and Cad smoking the favorite little briar and making 

 miscellaneous comments about Jim's precaution regarding 

 his tackle. Now -Jim is a thoroughbred from the word 

 go. Fish! Why that man will fish to the last minute, at 

 any time, and "for anything! A sticker is he and an ex- 

 pert. 



"That's all right," was his reply to some one of the 

 lazy C.'s remarks about his care in testing the line, etc. 

 "We don't know what we may strike down where we are 

 going. Don't you remember that big fellow I hooked 

 and who broke away because I had one of your old rotten 

 lines? I do, and I tell you it's best to know what you 

 have got before you start." 



"Yes, yes," was C.'s reply to this shot as he came to 

 meet the arriving fisherman. "Well, old man, you did get 

 here after all. Jim and I thouglit probably you wouldn't 

 get up in time." 



"Well, we're ready and the train leaves at 9, so you 

 fellows better get packed up, and I'll take the wheel and 

 go down shore after the fiddlers, and meet you on the 

 bridge." 



We settled down on the piazza, packed the duftle and 

 tackle into the baskets, and sat smoking, when Mrs. Cad 

 appeared with a good-sized package which she carefully 

 laid in the cleanest basket. We knew what that was; it 

 was C.'s lunch, and the size of the package brought out a 

 new volley of remarks. 



• "Yes, it looks pretty big, to be sure, but after you have 

 been fishing by the salt water a few hours I reckon you 

 will be glad to help me get outside of some of it; that is, if 

 you get a show," was his return; and he proceeded to 

 mount the bike and start for the bait. 



Jim and the writer sat on the porch telling the standard 

 fish stories, of which we generally get a good supply, and 

 then started for the station. "The train came and we 

 boarded it, arriving at the "Meadows" in due season. No 

 Cad was on the bridge as agreed. 



"I'U bet the lazy rascal has stopped somewhere; but 

 never mind, you hitch up the rods and get things ship- 

 shape, and I'll go along down shore and get enough fid- 

 dlei's to last us till he comes, anyway." 



Our fishing point at this time was the railroad bridge' 

 crossing the Warren River, and upon one of the stone' 

 piers we took up om- station. Several parties were fishing 

 for bass, using a long hand line, with hook baited with 

 small eel or sand worm. At this point the tide rushes; 

 back up the river like a mill race, and the current servedl 

 the purjiose of a movmg boat, the line being paid out andl 

 then drawn up taut, giving the worm the same motion 

 that trolling from a moA'ing boat would. Several small 

 bass and bluefish had been caught already, and we were 

 promised some good sport, 



"There's Cad," said Jim in a short time, "now let's see 

 what he has to say for himself." 



Full of apologies, the smihng C. dismounted from his 

 wheel, looking rather dusty "and warm. "You see," 

 began he, when he had recovered some of his breath, 

 "I had a good lot of fiddlers and was coming along the 

 road O. K. when I passed a carriage in which were some 

 friends, and in trying to raise my hat the machine caught 

 in a rut and I got 'spilled.' Well, sirs, you ought to have 

 been there and seen those fiddlers scatter (and have 

 helped to catch them again, too). The result was I had 

 to go back and get another lot." He looked closely at 

 one and the other, but we remained silent. Jim was 

 fi.shing. He always set in first. No waste of time. He 

 means business. 



"Come, come," said he, "you fellows get to work, if 

 we are going to take home a mess." 



We did. That is, we worked. Baiting hooks for blue' 

 perch, or "chogsets," is surely work. 



Pretty soon the writer has a good strong bite. The 

 way the little rod bent and twisted bade some kind of a., 

 good fish. We all looked as the catch was slowly brought 

 to the surface, dragging, floundering and making quite sc 

 stir. We got a sight of it. The other two laughed in a. 

 rather disgusted sort of a way and paid closer attention 

 to their own lines. The first catch was a "dog." 



C. and the writer talked a good deal, and whether it 

 was our inattention to "business," or the stories that C. 

 tried to spring about his catches in the past, we don't 

 know. At any rate Jim silently took his departure for 

 the other pier. 



The tautaug were not biting very voraciously. We 

 pulled in several fairly good sized ones. I say "we," that 

 is the way we always do. "We" covers a good deal. 

 Jim caught the 'taug. Cad and the writer became tired 

 in the latter part of the day, and not having any great 

 degree of luck (or skill) proposed that we leave for home. 

 Of course it was our "off day." Jim was having good 

 luck and fishing all around us, and we declared him a 

 "Jonah." 



Cad started for the cottage on his wheel leaving the 

 writer to bring his duds. Jim fished nearly until the en- 

 gine whistled, and we scrambled aboard arriving at C.'s 

 with a good mess of tautaug. 



It is early in the season, but the outlook for October 

 catches is fair. Tode. 



An Indian Fish Fry. 



Eufacla, Ind. Ter. , Aug. 29. — I inclose you a true state- 

 ment of a huge fish-killing that occurred near here lately. 

 You wiU readily see that our red brethren- play gi-eat 

 havoc with the fish. The story is told in the Fort Worth 

 Gazette: 



"The biggest fish fry on record in the Creek Nation, or 

 pf^rliaps the Indian Territory, came oft' at Rock Ford, on 

 the north fork of the Canadian River, two mUes east of 

 Eufaula, to-day. About 3,0001bs. of fish were caught and 

 about 500 Ci-eeks from all parts of the Nation took part in 

 the grand fish festival. Over 1,500 bushels of "devil's 

 shoestring" were used by them to vitiate the water pre- 

 paratory to catching the fish. 



"This mode of fishing is practiced a great deal by the 



