846 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Oct. 31, 189S. 



ANGLING NOTES. 



A Defective Fish Law. 



When the fisK and game laws of New York were 

 printed after the passage of the Game Code in 1892, I 

 noticed that Sec. 110 read: "Black bass or Oswego bass 

 shall not be fished for, caught, killed or possessed between 

 the first day of January and the thirtieth, day of May, 

 except as provided by Sections one hundred and forty-four 

 and one hundred and sixty-eight." I imderlined "one 

 hundred and forty-four," and wrote in the mai'gin, "This 

 probably means Sec. 148." I did this because Sec. 143 re- 

 lates to special seasons for black bass in certain waters in 

 the State, and Sec. 144 does not, as it refers only to the 

 Consolidation Act of New York city. At the time I 

 itiiought Sec. 143 was so specific that it would care for it- 

 self, and I called the attention of one of our lawmakers 

 to the evident error that it might be corrected as a mere 

 matter of form, not suspecting that it might interfere 

 with the enforcement of the law. The error was not 

 corrected by the last Legislature, and a few days ago my 

 attention was called to a violation of Sec. 143, in that black 

 bass had been caught out of the season provided by the 

 section. Then only was it discovered that there was no 

 penalty for violating Sec. 143. The penalties for violating 

 the sections of an article are contained in the concluding 

 section of each article. Sec. 110 is in Article V. and Sec. 

 143 is in Article VI. In the first the penalties are given 

 correctly, but in the second there is no penalty for violat- 

 ing Sec. 143, although there is a penalty for violating 

 Sec. 144, and thus the error in Sec. 110 is perpetuated, for 

 there can be no doubt that in each instance 144 should read 

 143. In following up the case referred to as being a 

 violation of Sec. 143, a curious muddle regarding the 

 nomenclature of our fishes was developed which empha- 

 sizes the need of reform in this respect. 



The section provides a close season for black bass in 

 Lake George until August 1, and information was ob- 

 tained that a hotel keeper on the shore of the lake had 

 been serving his guests with black bass caught in the lake 

 in the month of July. There were three witnesses to the 

 transaction, the cook in the hotel, a man of all work 

 •about the place, and a resident nearby. Upon examina- 

 tiod under oath not one of the witnesses would swear 

 that the fish were black bass, but one and all did swear 

 that they were Oswego bass. As a matter of fact, there 

 is not a large-mouthed bass, the so-called Oswego bass, 

 in the la,ke, and never has been; but as long as I can 

 remember the bass of the lake, which are all the small- 

 mouthed species, have been called by a large number 

 of people about the lake Oswego bass or "Swagoes." 

 More than ten years ago I was subpoenaed as an expert 

 by the district attorney of Essex county, who had a case 

 against a man for taking black bass illegally in Eake 

 George. The man contended that he had not caught 

 black bass, as charged, but had caught Oswego bass. I 

 had to send to Greenwood Lake to get a large-mouth 

 bass to show to the jury, and of a great many Lake 

 George fishermen that I showed the big-mouth to not 

 one had seen its like before. On one occasion the New 

 York Fish Commissioners "resolved" that the name "Os- 

 wego" applied to black bass should not be recognized by 

 the Commission, but it still has a place in the statutes. 

 They also "resolved" into disuse the name "salmon" trout 

 as applied to lake trout, but salmon trout yet has a prom- 

 inent place in the fish and game laws of the State. 



October Black Bass Fishing. 



.In the autumn black bass fishing, if there are plenty of 

 bass, is good, bad or indifterent, depending largely upon 

 the temperature of the water. As the water becomes 

 cold the bass resort to broken rocks in deeper water than 

 any in which they are found during the summer. I know 

 of "shoals" in water over 50ft. where the best fishing is to 

 be found at the tail end of the season, although this is 

 deeper than the fish go as a rule. 



On Monday of last week Mr. D. P. McQueen of Schenec- 

 tady joined Mr. Gilman Mason of Sandy Hfil at Kattskill 

 Bay, Lake George, to wind up the fishing season with a 

 day's black bass fishing. They caught seventeen black 

 bass, the largest one weighing 4ilbs., and all were caught 

 in water from 13 to 15ft. deep on rocky shoals. A fev\' 

 weeks ago when there was a week of cold weather the 

 bass were deeper than they are now. Black bass fishing 

 in Lake George reached a very low ebb owing to years of 

 illegal fishing (chiefly by taking thein on the spawning 

 beds), and a legal open season that did not cover their 

 spawning operations. A rigid enforcement of the law as 

 to the means of taking bass, and a close season that per- 

 mitted the bass to spawn unmolested for the past few 

 years has done wonders for Lake George in the way of 

 improving the bass fishing. A few hundred black bass 

 have been planted in the lake, but the jalanting of such 

 bass as can be obtained from the State will not do as much 

 for the lake as the close season covering the spawning 

 period, and the enforcement of the fish laws. 



Minnow- Casting Records. 



In compiling the best fly and minnow-casting records 

 for the World Almanac I investigated a printed statement 

 that the longest minnow-cast on record, 148ft. , was made 

 in Wisconsin in 1891. I knew that 148 was not the long- 

 est cast on record, but I wished to know why it was called 

 so. To my surprise, I found that the cast was one of five 

 in a competition, the average of which did beat the best 

 average of five casts on record. At the National Rod and 

 Reel Association tournament at Central Park in 1888, Mi: 

 A. F. Dressel averaged 137ft. in five casts, and with 33 

 Ijoints for accuracy, or a total of 170, he took first place 

 from Mr. Sidney Pry with an average of 140^^ and 20 points 

 for accuracy, or a total of 160|. Mr. Dressel made three 

 casts of 156, 161 and 168ft., and Mr. Fry made two casts of 

 159ft. each. At a touruainent held at Camp Lake, Wis- 

 consin, July 4, 1891, Mr. E. C. Sturges made five casts of 

 131ft. 9in., 140ft., I47ft. Sin., 137ft. lOin. and 148ft. An 

 average of 140ft. llin. Mr. Sturges, who is secretary of 

 the club, writes that the conditions were as follows: 

 "Each man to have five casts. Rods not to be over 8ft. 

 in length: casting to be done single-handed with a quarter 

 ounce loeigM; line to fall within stakes set 10ft. apart. At 

 the time of contest the wind Avas blowing from the side." 

 Mr. Stm-ges used a rod 7ft. 3in. long and weighing 8oz. 

 I hunted up the old score book of the National tourna- 

 ment of 1888, and I find that Mr. Dressel iised a rod 8ft. 

 4in. long and 9oz. in weight. Mr. Fry used a rod of same 

 length, but a quarter of an oimce heavier. Both used a 

 linker weighing ioz. The score book gives Mr. Fry's 



average of five casts 140|^f t. ; but I am satisfied that this is 

 an error, for upon footing up the five casts they make 

 make I40ft. 4in., and every other record is given in feet 

 and inches. A. N. CHENEY. 



NEW JERSEY COAST POUNDS, 



ASBTZRY Park, N. S,— Editor Forest and Stream; In 

 my former article on our coast pounds I endeavored to 

 outline the abuses of that system. But after five months 

 of assiduous study and hard work I realize that there yet 

 remains much to learn. In order to secure such facts as 

 are necessary for proper enlightenment on the subject I 

 have enlisted the services of several men who are directly 

 connected with the fisheries, men who have been com- 

 pelled to give up their boats and hire with the potmd 

 owners; for their former vocation is gone, and they have 

 no other trade. Pound fishing is for them a last resort. 

 I now wish publicly to thank these men for their kind 

 oflices, and the valuable assistance they have rendered. 

 In every instance letters addressed to them have been 

 answered promptly and intelligently, and in every case 

 where the same questions were propounded to ten or 

 more parties the answers have been so uniform that no 

 possible room is left for question regarding their accu- 

 racy; and the fact is established beyond cavil or doubt 

 that it is a serious condition and no idle theory which con- 

 fronts us regarding the future supply of our food fishes. 



There is no State perhaps in the whole Atlantic seaboard 

 of more importance to our large cities than is our own as 

 regards the necessary supply of fish; and there is none 

 whose laws are moi-e lax and certainly none which is not 

 better provided with fish wardens and other much-needed 

 protection. It is contiguous to two of the largest cities in 

 our Union and with a population increasing rapidly. It 

 becomes the duty of every citizen to foster and protect 

 our fish in every available manner. Southern Europe 

 years ago felt the need of stringent measures regarding 

 this subject, and acted accox'dingly with her Mediterranean 

 fisheries, imj^osing the severest of penalties for the wan- 

 ton destruction of fish, and subscribing immense sums of 

 money for the erection and maintenance of hatcheries, 

 even far-away Russia appropriating large sums in order 

 that she might have fish sent within her borders, until 

 now that body of water is teeming with the life that at 

 one time threatened to become extinct. Our Pacific Slope, 

 with only a tithe of the Eastern population and with ad- 

 vantages far superior to our own for the successful 

 spawning and growth of fish, has found it necessary to 

 make a close season for all food fish, particularly the 

 salmon; and pounds are not allowed of smaller mesh than 

 a given size. Fishermen must return aUve to the water 

 all small fish that may be taken; and their nets and fish 

 wheels must be out of the water dming Saturday and 

 Sunday of each week during the open season. 



Note the difference here in New Jersey. There is no 

 close season for any variety of salt-water fish, our pounds 

 are down every day in the week, including Sunday; they 

 use a mesh less than lin. square, and fish the entire sea- 

 son, beginning with the running of the shad, until the 

 supply is either exhausted or has left our waters. 



Examination and inquiries fully convince me tliat nine- 

 tenths of all early caught fish of all varieties are females 

 endeavoring to respond to nature's prompting to reach 

 their spawning grounds. Between Barnegat Inlet and 

 Sandy Hook there are but two streams which fish can 

 enter and spawn in, viz. , Manasquan and Shark rivers. 

 These two streams heretofore poured out annually millions 

 of the young of all kinds of fish, but now, as matters 

 stand, every approach to these streams is shut off by 

 pounds, so that they might as well not exist so far as 

 propagation is concerned. 



We must, however, give our State Commission credit 

 for honest and earnest endeavor to maintain and increase 

 our supply of shad by placing annually millions of fry in 

 the Delaware River and protecting them all along its 

 course until they have attained sufficient size to be able 

 to care for themselves. But it simply exemplifies the case 

 of building a house on the sand. Let us f oUow these 

 same fish and see what becomes of the vast majority of 

 them. Of course they reach the southern waters, winter- 

 ing there, and start back with the large fish: in the spring 

 they have attained the size of a herring, and their numbers 

 perhaps as fifty to one. Compared with adults, every 

 poimd along the shore gathers its quota. Of course they 

 are destroyed, being gilled in the small meshes, and as 

 they are not of marketable size they are thrown away. 

 Thus we see that perhaps one-half of all shad fry that are 

 planted find their way in the pounds, and are wasted 

 after they have reached the age where all would become 

 mature fish. One fisherman, of whose integrity there is 

 no question, assures me that the pound in which he fishes 

 caught and destroyed a great many thousands of these 

 valuable fish in the spring of 1893, and he adds, "I would 

 not be surprised to learn that each pound on the entire 

 coast is equally destructive," Is it for this that our State 

 spends vast sums of money, honestly endeavoring to pro- 

 mote public welfare, only to have the results of their 

 labors thwarted by a reckless disregard of public benefac- 

 tion? 



The injury to the shad supply does not stop with the 

 destruction of the small fish, however. In the summer 

 months, when buck shad are running, great catch of 

 these also are made. These are matm-e fish; and as they 

 are not allowed to be sold in the markets they go over- 

 board with the rest, dead, an expensive bit for dogfish 

 and skates and a sorrowing monument to the honest en- 

 deavors of our Commissioners of Fisheries. I have positive 

 information that in July, fully one month after the 

 season was closed, shad was offered and sent to our retail 

 dealers from the pounds, thus making themselves amen- 

 able to our State law, advantage of which vsdll undoubt- 

 edly be taken. 



Again, our law of last winter makes it a misdemeanor 

 to fish with hook and line or in any manner on Sunday. 

 The pounds are down and open during the entire season, 

 Sunday and weekday alike, and as this is positively a 

 manner of fishing tliey must as a matter of com-se stand 

 open to conviction. 



Great stress has been placed upon the menhaden fishery, 

 and State laws have been passed prohibiting that iniqui- 

 tous system from being ]3ursued within the three-mile 

 limit. But desti-uctive and disastrous as this is, when 

 compared with former fishing it is of but small import. 

 'While we know that at times they make great catches of 

 food fish, yet they do not hover aroxmd every small inlet 

 on the coast; they do not fish at night nor Simdays, and 

 their nets are only down periodically when they discover 



a school of fish. They do destroy the menhaden, upon 

 which our fish depend largely for food. I would not say 

 one word in support of the menhaden fishery; it is repre- 

 hensible, but I use it only to draw comparison to show how 

 necessary it is that we have immediate legislation against 

 the pounds. 



The venerable Geo. W, Childs, in a strong editorial on 

 this matter recently, pointed out how important this sub- 

 ject has become to our State, showing conclusively that 

 when great catches are made they ship a small quantity 

 to the markets, carting them through our streets as a 

 blind, then employ a tug or smack to take away the vast 

 remainder to the fertilizer manufacturers to be converted 

 into that product, while the residents of inland towns and 

 the farming population would gladly pay good prices for 

 them could they have the chance. But, of course, it pays 

 the pound men better to dispose of them quickly and in 

 bulk, even at small price, so they can get their nets ready 

 for another day's catch and so avoid the delay and work of 

 landing them on the beach. 



To show^ how every subterfuge is adopted to deceive 

 the people in this matter, a prominent pound owner 

 announced publicly that an agreement had been made 

 between pound fishermen not to land on the beach smaller 

 fish than those of marketable size, under a penalty of 

 $250 for each olfense. (Nothing, of course, was said 

 about throwing them away at sea or allowing them to 

 hang gilled in the net until they rot and drop out.) His 

 boat was watched, and on the morning following th'e 

 statement great quantities of small bonito and mackerel 

 were landed whose individual weight would not exceed 

 3oz. Demand was immediately made upon him through 

 the newspapers for the money, but up to the present 

 writing he has not kept faith with his promise nor ofl'ered 

 explanation of any sort. 



According to United Stales statistics, completed June 30, 

 1889, the hook and line industry of New Jersey was the 

 most important of the States in the Union, giving employ- 

 ment to over 5,000 men, who supported their families and 

 provided plentifully, of whom the majoi'ity owned their 

 homes; and winter always found them with a goodly sum 

 laid up and ample kirder provided. Now how different. 

 They can catch, if very fortunate, about fish enough to 

 provide a living only during the fishing season, and when 

 that is done they are compelled to do any odd job which 

 presents itself the remainder of the year. A great many 

 work in the pounds at the pittance of $50 per month, glad 

 even to stroke the hand which smites them, so pressing 

 are the demands of little ones and hunger. And all this 

 that a few men may grow rich, little caring how hard the 

 lot of the line and net fishermen becomes, heeding not the 

 fact that three to five years at best will see even their vo- 

 cation gone; for at the rapid rate of decimation now going 

 on all tlie gregarious fish of our coast will have been prac- 

 tically exterminated. One significant fact points this 

 plainly. The fishermen all say that of their entire catches 

 of bluefish all they now take are of very large size. None 

 of the medium weights are met with, thus conclusively 

 .showing that practically all the spawning of the 

 past two or three years have been destroyed by the 

 pounds during the great southern migration in September 

 and October, when 20,000 to 50,000 to each net is about 

 the average daily destruction. This, indeed, assumes a 

 sei'ious aspect and threatens a national calamity unless 

 stopped and at once. Protection is thrown around the 

 quail, the rabbit, the insectivorous and song birds. The 

 oyster and even the humble hard clam all have their 

 welfare guarded, But our most important product, the 

 salt water fish, is left open to every system of vandalism 

 that can be concocted in the brain of man and a ruthless 

 and wanton waste heretofore unheard of in the annals 

 of civilization. As a menace to navigation these pounds 

 stand paramount to all obstructions on our coast, stretch- 

 ing as they do over one-half mile seaward and supported 

 by an immense chain cable. Small mercy will be shown 

 the occupants of any ill-fated light craft which may be 

 caught in a sudden squall and temporarily unmanage- 

 able become entangled in that labyrinth of ropes, nets 

 and chains. Will not our board of lighthouse supervisors 

 investigate this matter and satisfy themselves that these 

 assertions are true. 



The entire population of our State is aroused and on 

 the alert regarding this matter. Protective associations 

 are being formed along the whole coast, represented by 

 om- best citizens, all demanding redress from tliis over- 

 shadowing grievance which enriches a few and impov- 

 erishes the populace in many ways. There are no ex- 

 tenuating circumstances to be held out in favor of tlie 

 pounds; it is simply a game of present wealth to the 

 owTiers and extermination in the near future of the fishes. 

 And he who wantonly and without excuse or reason wil- 

 fully destroys so valuable a gift of our beneficent Creator, 

 lowers his status of citizenship and should be held ac- 

 countable by his fellow man. Leonakd Hulit. 



A Big Fish for Chicago Day. 



Clayton, N. Y., Oct. 9. — Editor Forest and Stream: 

 Last Friday, 6th inst., in company with Lew Marshall, 

 oarsman, 1 had the good fortune to capture one of the 

 handsomest maskalonge I have ever seen. This fish 

 weighed 421 bs., and measured 4ft. 7.>in, in length. De- 

 siring to afford others an opportunity of viewing such a 

 magnificent specimen, I expressed it, with my compli- 

 ments, to Capt. J. W. Collins, Chief Dept. Fish and Fish- 

 eries, and Dr. J, A. Henshall, in charge Angling Pavilion, 

 with the request that it be placed on exhibition in the 

 Anghng Pavilion, during Monday, 9th inst., which I be- 

 lieve is Chicago Day at the Fair. Among other parties in 

 Chicago, whom I advised accordingly, was your Mi-, E. 

 Hough, G. M. Skinner. 



Queen City Fishing Club. 



Cincinnati, O., Oct. 14.— On Oct. 8 the Queen City Fish- 

 ing Club, one of the largest organizations in the State, 

 will formally dedicate its new club house, situated at Oak 

 Point, Put-in-Bay, where the club, which is a stock com- 

 pany with a capital of $12,500, owns eleven acres of land. 

 The building is a model one, consisting of eighteen rooms 

 and kitchens. Accommodations are prepared for from 

 fifty to seventy-five persons. Among the members are 

 Messrs. G. T. Sterritt, W. B. Smith, Mayor Masby, City 

 Treasurer Ziegler, Hon. Geo. R. Griffiths, Gen. Frank 

 Kirchner, Jr., Norman J. Kenan, Dr. T, W. Graydon, A. 

 Howard Hinkle, Hon. H. B. Morehead, John Hethering- 

 ton of New York, H. M. Little, James Ftonegan and rail- 

 road magnate W. W. Peabody. Dick. 



