B46 



KOMST AND STREAM. 



[Dec. 23. l8W3. 



ANGLING NOTES. 



Fishing Conditions and Prospects. 



During tlie autumn I received a number of letters from 

 anglers in Great Britain in regard to the fishing of the 

 past season, and all agreed that it had been bad; very bad. 

 The following extract from a letter written by an English 

 clergyman, known to anglers by his pen name of "Cots- 

 wold Isys, M. A.," will serve as a sample: "I have been 

 away up in the North, fishing; but a lamentable experi- 

 ence my friend and myself had there, the rivers being 

 dead low from the long drought we had had in England, 

 and the fish absolutely refusing to rise or come out of the 

 lakes in which they were trying to find a little water. 

 Wf 11, it was no use fishing under those untoward circum- 

 stances. I hope you have had a more enjoyable time and 

 that you had good sport. 



"I presume you will have heard what a terribly disap- 

 pointing time our anglers have had in England, and Scot- 

 land too. We never remember anything like it. I never 

 do. I do not remember ever looking forward to my fish- 

 ing holiday in the more hope or desire. Yet I never had 

 sucli a trying and disappointing one. I fished on the 

 Yorkshire Eden, on the Yore and on the Derbyshire Wye, 

 but all were low and wrong, and it was little more than 

 vexation of spirit. It was enough to make one smash all 

 one's rods and give up angling altogether. But what 

 H lould we do without hope? So I did not smash mine, but 

 said, 'It is a long lane that has no turning,' and who can 

 tell but what, if spared to see it, 18y4 may improve upon 

 its eight predecessors?" 



When I read of the conditions existing over the sea 

 that fishermen had to contend with, I thought how much 

 more fortunate w^ejin this big country, are in that respect. 

 The fishing may be off in one secMon because of drought 

 or flood, but generally there is fishing to be found in some 

 other section, and as for a whole season of drought, 

 throughout the country to ruin all the fi.shing, we know 

 nothing about it. To be surft the conditions obtaining in 

 the two countries are altogether different, and I need not 

 go into that, but lately a thought has come into my mind 

 that possibly we are not so highly favored of the gods as 

 I had supposed, and perhaps we have reason for some 

 slight alarm abput our future fishing prospects in some 

 parts of this country. 



What will the Harvest Be. 



"Cotswold Isys" means by fishing, fly-fishing, and this 

 in turn means, as a rule, stream fishing. Let us look at 

 our own streams in northern New York, A year ago the 

 streams were extremely low, when winter came with 

 frost and ice and her white fall, and later she made a 

 record for herself for severe and long continued cold that 

 stumped the okU'St inhabitant and Inid him out stiff and 

 stark when he tried to rec;dl a similar winter. Mountain 

 brooks, feeders of large trout streams, and the nurseries 

 for young trout, were frozen solid to their beds, and I 

 know c trout of spawning size being caught in pools and 

 frozen into the ice. This must have destroyed a number 

 of fingerling trout and the eggs in many spawning beds, 

 but its effect on the fishing will not become apparent for 

 a year or two or more yet. 



Now winter is on us again. After an autumn to be 

 long remembered — an autumn without rains, tiie frost 

 and the ice have "shut pan" and the snow has covered 

 the eartli, and it looks as though it had come to stay. 

 Again the streams are low and constantly running lower, 

 so that a water famine is threatened in some northern 

 towns. Many trout spawned two months ago, and it is 

 not unlikely that some of the spawjiing beds have be- 

 come easy prey to frost and ice. There is no prospect 

 at this writmg that we will have more rain at present, 

 and more spawning beds may become exposed to de- 

 struction. It is true that all trout do not spawn in the 

 small mountain streams, but they are the feeders of 

 other waters and the havens of safety for the newly- 

 born fry that find an enemy in their own kin of larger 

 growth. Many trout spawn in ponds and lakes where 

 springs bubble from the bottom, and others sijawn in 

 streams where even extreme cold cannot reach their 

 beds, therefore, the prospect is not all dark, but injury 

 to the spawning beds in the small bruoks must, it would 

 seem, have its effect on the fishing of the future. 



The Remedy. 



There is a remedy for this state of affairs which can be 

 applied to a certain extent, and that is the planting of 

 artificially-reared ti'out, trout fry or older fish to fill the 

 void that natui-e has made or may make, and under these 

 circumstances we more fully understand and appreciate 

 the value of artificial fish propagation. As it is many of 

 the State waters owe tlieir present supply of trout largely 

 to plantings made by the State, and the stock is kept up 

 in part, at least, by annual contributions from the same 

 source. With this work of restocking trout waters there 

 have been, in the past, some experiments looking to the 

 making of new tr^jut waters, or converting waters filled 

 with predacious fish into trout ponds. Next spring will 

 not be a good time for experiments of this kind. Tlie 

 Fish Commissioners will not permit it if they know it, 

 but they cannot watch every j)lant. Only waters that 

 now contain ti-out should be planted with trout, leaving 

 all other waters until another time to be experimented 

 upon. 



The State is supposed to f urnisli fi.sh only for public wa- 

 ters, open to fishing by the public. In years past many 

 State fish have been planted by authority of the Fish Com- 

 mission in private waters, owned by clubs, from which 

 the general public had been excluded, but this custom I 

 believe is no longer practiced by the State. Private fish- 

 ing clubs, and tiiose who lease waters for private fishing, 

 and do not hatch fish to keep up the stock", can buy trout 

 fry very cheaply; one trout breeder having written me 

 within a few days that he should furnish strong, healthy 

 trout fry in lots of 10,000 and upward at $3 50 per thous- 

 and, and he adds that he always turns out large fry. Any 

 fallmg off in the natural increase of trout owing to de- 

 struction of fry and eggs caused by low water and the 

 severity of the cold last winter, or any fallmg off that 

 may be caused by similar conditions this wiiiter, will not 

 be felt for from two to four years hence, but Chose who 

 wish to exercise good ju Igment wfll make every effort 

 to obtain a supply of artificially reared ti'outfor planting 

 in the streams in the region where the drought and cold 

 have combined to do injury, and thus discount any .possi- 

 ble scarcity of trout in the "future. 



"Tilts or Set Lines." 



A correspondent in West Gardner, Mass., writes that 

 he desires to come to New York State this winter "for a 

 few. days fishing for pik^ and pickerel, if I have the right 

 to use tilts or spt lines. I shall attend them myself and 

 I shall go merely for the pleasure I derive from fishing; 

 but I do not wish to violate the law and so ask about it 

 before I start." 



The correspondent will find in Game Laws in Brief, to 

 be obtained at the office of Forest and Stream, that in 

 New York angling only is permitted, and that angling is 

 defined to mean taking fish with hook and line, and by 

 rod held in hand, and does not include set lines. The 

 lake he inquires about is mentioned specifically in Game 

 Laics in Brief, and I would prefer that he should read the 

 law^ for himself, as there is a difference of opinion about 

 what it really does mean in regard to taking fish through 

 the ice, but the set line clause is clear enough. There is 

 one point that I Avish to make. The correspondent men- 

 tions "tilts or set lines" as if they were different names 

 for the same device, and I contend that they are not. 

 The lines used in pike or pickerel fishing through the ice 

 with the "tilt," "tip-up" or "bush" accompaniment are 

 not set lines any more than a rod with line attached that 

 one rests on the side of the boat while he eats his lunch 

 is a set line. A set line is an entirely different device 

 distinct and separate from the lines attached to tflts or 

 tip-ups. I have referred to this on a previous occasion 

 in these columns and then said that the Supreme Court 

 of New Hampshire had decided that fishing for pickerel 

 through the ice with tilts was fair angling and conse- 

 quently the lines used in such fishing were not set lines. 



A. N. Cheney. 



Iowa Fish Commissioner. 



.Tony G. SjriTH's name has been associated with the State 

 fish commissionership for some weeks, but his candidacy has 

 not been publicly announced until it appeared in the State 

 Eegister Sunday morning. But before it was announced 

 Mr. Smith had assurances of .support which warrant him in 

 feeling very hopeful of appoiutmeat. His wide acquaint- 

 ance gained in the last session of the legislature and his rcc- 

 oguizf d qualifications for the office have won him a very 

 cordial aud hearty encouragement from the beginning. 

 There is not probably a man in Iowa who has had more op- 

 portunities to acquaint hiiu.self with the work that such an 

 office would require, or who.se tastes and interests have been 

 more in line with his official duties than Mr. Smith. As 

 president of the State association for the preservation of fish 

 and game he was for many years actively interested in the 

 work of the society all over the State. In the legislature he 

 introduced several bills reforming our game laws, and took 

 a special interest in all legislation relating to fish and game. 

 His writings in various periodicals and books on hunting and 

 fishing have attracted attention, aud he is vA-ell known every- 

 where in the West for his intelligent interest in these matters. 



Should Gov. .Jackson appoint Mr. Smith as Mr. Griggs's 

 .onucessor, the good work ol protecting the fish aud game of 

 the State will be continued, and the efforts already well 

 begun for .stocking our lakes aud rivers will receive special 

 attention. Mr. Smith will give the office his uudi%'ided at- 

 tention, and bring to it the fruits of long scudy and expe- 

 rience, and a lively interest in the success of the work. He 

 has every needed qualitication for the pof^ition, and if chosen 

 will give it a still higher degree of importance to the State 

 than it has yet held.— D'P2-'er Dts Moines, Nov. 29. 



Buzzards Bay Fisheries. 



In its report for the year the execntive committee of- 

 the Southern Massachusetts Fish and Game League says: 



"The great object for which this and kindred organiza- 

 tions were formed was last winter accomplished, and an 

 act of the Legislature was passed prohibiting the setting 

 of stationary apparatus for catching fish in the waters of 

 Buzzards Bay, and so long as the law stands unrepealed 

 no licenses can be granted to set weirs, pounds or traps 

 in the waters of the bay. 



"The question now is whether it is worth while to 

 attempt to keep what we have worked so hard to secure, 

 for there can hardly be a doubt but that those who oppose 

 restrictive legislation for the protection of the fisiieries 

 will spare no effort or expense to have the statute repealed, 

 and leave us just where we were before — ^at the mercy of 

 the seh'Ctmen of towns. 



"It is unfortunate that the law as it stood gave the 

 selectmen of towns the right to grant licenses to set 

 pounds and weirs for a term of five years, so that the 

 value of the legislation of last winter cannot be fully 

 realized until tlie longest term license shall have expired. 

 It IS understood that while the bill of last year was under 

 consideration and appearances began to show that it 

 w^ould become a. law, the selectmen of Dartmouth, and 

 perhaps some other towns, granted licenses to several 

 persons for the full term of five years, which licenses 

 have now four years to run. 



"The bay is now protected against the use of all seines, 

 net weirs or pounds, except where there are unexpired 

 licenses. And we trust their use will never again be per- 

 mitted, for we are more than ever convinced that they 

 are destructive of the fisheries and productive of evil, and 

 that continually. It is a monopoly and a benefit to 

 nobody except to those who own them or are engaged in 

 a business dependent more or less upon them. 



Unless these associations are kept up by those who are 

 most interested in the preservation of the fisheries, and 

 best able to bear the exjjense, it will be useless to hope 

 that the protection now given to us by law will be con- 

 tinued. It is idle to suppose that the menhaden fisher- 

 men and the trap and pound men will give up a battle 

 upon which their business depends, and whicJi they are 

 so abundantly able annually to renew. If it is worth 

 while to gain the victory it w^ould be the height of folly 

 to abandon the field we have so har'ily won." 



George H. Palmer, Sec'y. 



New BEDPonD, Mass. ARTHUR ElCKETSON, Pres. 



The Pennsylvania Association. 



Rooms, 1020 Arch street.— There was a large attendance 

 at the meeting uf the Pennsylvania Fish Protective Asso- 

 oiation on Dec. 9 at the rooms. No. 1020 Arch street, 

 Pliiladelphia. The conference to be held in New York 

 on Dec, 13 to discuss the subject of the exhaustion of food 

 fishes along the Atlantic coast was considered and con- 

 sumed nearly the entire evening. The following delegates 

 were appointed to represent the association : Mr. A. M, 

 Spangler, Henry C. Ford, Cyrus S. Detre, Charles B. 

 Reynolds, James H. Miller, Bernard L. Douredoure, Hariy 

 W. Quick, Alfred A. Hand, H. O. Wilbur, H. A. Chase, 

 Dr. Bushrod W. James and William P. Thompson. Mr. 

 Cyrus S. Detre favored the meeting with an able and 

 interesting address upon the destruction of food fish by 

 pound nets along the coast. 



Nominations as follows: President, A, M. Spangler, 

 H. O. Wilbur; Vice-Presidents, Edwin Hagert, William 

 H. Burkhardt and Dr. B. W. James; Corresponding 

 Secretary, J. Penrose Collins; Secretary, M. G. Sellers; 

 Treasurer, Wm. S. Hergesheiiner. Executive Committee 

 —Henry C. Ford, H. A. Chase, Collins W. Walton, R. 

 M. Hartley, C. H. Fitzgerald, J. A. Sypher, George T. 

 Stokes, H. A. Ingram, Col. John Gay, Robert Coleman, 

 Jr., Wm. P. Thompson, H. O. Wilbur, Cyrus S. Detre. 



M. G . Sellers, Sec'y. 



Souvenir Spoons. 



We have left a very few solid silver Forest and Stream 

 souvenir spoons made expressly for the World's Fair at 

 Chicago, which we wish to close out. These we will send 

 to the first applicants by registered mail on receipt of 

 price, $'i each. I'orest and Stream Pub. Co. — Adv. 



A NEW-SUBSCRIBER OFFER. 



A b07Mfide new subscriber sendiug us $5 will receive tor that sum 

 the FoaKBT Ami Stream one year (price $4) and a set of Zimmernian's 

 ramouB "Ducldng Scenes" (advertised on another page, price 85)— a 

 89 value for $5. 



This offer is to new subBcribers only. It does not apply to renetealt. 



For 83 a bona fide new subscriber for six months will receive the 

 FoRBST AND Stekam during that time and a copy of Dr. Van Fleet's 

 handsome work, "Bird Portralte for the Young" (the prloe of which 



The Sacramento Salmon Egg Record. 



Baird, Shasta Co., Cal., Dec. 5.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 The actual number of salmon eggs taken at this station of the 

 U. S. Fish Commission this year is 8,000,000. The number 

 that appears on the record is 7,761,4.50, but such liberal meas- 

 ure was given in placing the eggs in the hatching troughs 

 that the actual number easily reaches 8,000,000. This ex- 

 ceeds the average of the most prosperous years of the station, 

 and may be directly traced to the efforts which the Commis- 

 sioner of Fish and Fisheries has been making since 1885 to 

 restore the salmon fisheries of the Sacramento. 



LiviNGSTOK Stone. 



A DeUghtful Trip South. 



Leave New York via the Pennsylvania R. R. 4:30 P. M., Richmond & 

 Danville'.s Limited, a strictly Pullman vestibuled train, composed of 

 dining and sleeping cars, operated solid. New \ ork to New Orleans 

 via VVashington & Atlantic, also carrying Pullman sleeping cars. New 

 York to Asheville, Hot Springs, Augusta, Oa., and Washington to 

 Memphis. Another train, Richmond & Danville, fast mail, leaves New 

 i ork at midnight, first thiough .sleeping car service to the South. 

 Announcement of the opening of tlie new short line to Florida will be 

 made within a few days. Schedule will be so arranged as to lea^e 

 New York after business hours, 4:30 P. M., arrive in Jacksonville next 

 evening for dinner. Write Alex. S. Thweatt, Eastern Passenger 

 Agent, P. O. Box 1287, New York city, for rates and excursion tickets 

 on sale to Southern winter resorts.— ^du. 



immt 



FIXTURES. 



DOG SHOWS. 



Dec. 20 to 23.— Northern Ohio Pet Stock Association^ »t Akron, O. 



H. F. Peck, Sec'y. 



1894. 



Jan. 88 to 26.— New Orleans Fanciers' Club, at New Orleans, La. G. 

 W. Sentell, Jr., Sec'y. 



Jan. 16 to 19.— Saratoga Poultry and Kennel Club, at Saratoga, N. 

 Y. L. W. Clute, Ballston Lake, N. Y., Sec'y. 



Feb. 20 to 23.— Westminster Kennel Club, at New York. James 

 Mortimer, Superintendent. 



Feb. 27 to March 2.— Columbus Fanciers' Club, at Columbus, O. G. 

 F. Mooney, Sec'y. 



March 7 to 10.— City of Straits Kennel Club, at Detroit, Mich, Guy 

 D. Welton, Sec'y. 



March 13 to 16.— Mascoutah Kennel Club, at Chicago, III. J. L, 

 Lincoln, SHC'y. 



March 20 to 23.— St, Louis Kennel Club, at St. Louis, Mo. 



April 3 to 6.— New England Kennel Club, at Boston, Mass. D. E. 

 Loveland, Sec'y. 



April 18 to 21 —Southern California Kennel Club, at Los Angeles, 

 Cal. C. A. Sumner, Sec'y. 

 May 2 to 5.— Pacific Kennel Club, at San Francisco, Cal. H. W. 



Orear, Sec'y, 



FIELD TEIAL8, 

 1894, 



Jan. 1.— Southern California Field Trials, at Ontario, Cal. H. 0. 

 Hinman, Los Angeles, Cal . Sec'y. 



Jan. 15.— Pacific Coast Field IVial Club, at Salmas, Cal. J. M. Kil- 

 garlf, Sec'y, San Francisco, Cal. 



Feb. 5.— southern li'ield Trial Club's Trials, at New Albany, Miss. T. 

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



Feb. 19.— United States Field Trials CUub's Sprhig Trials, Grand 

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



CHICAGO KENNEL CLUB SHOW. 



One always associates a spirit of progressiveness and go 

 with the Windy City, and this seems to be carried even iuto 

 the realms of dogdom. Most, in fact all other cities content 

 tbenibelves with giving one dog show in a year, and far from 

 feeling any great desire to repeat the venture are often glad 

 to rest on their laurels, and sometimes, we regret to add, 

 count their losses aud vow never to give another. Not so 

 with the World's Fair city. Somebody once said Chicago 

 could give a show every month aud still make it pay. Be 

 that as it may, the show held last week did not seem to be 

 affected in any way by those that had recently gone before, 

 and though the crowds that we have seen in late years were 

 not so evident this time, the attendance was quite large 

 enough to place the management in a good humor. 



The show opened on Wednesday morning last with a very 

 fair lot of dogs, though it mu.'<t be said there was in many 

 breeds a falling off in quality and numbers, too. There wei» 

 about 430 entries, the catalogue numbering 4t)6, but of these 

 Ihiity-six were N.F.C, The building in which the show was 

 held is known as the West Side Armory and was situated 

 in quite another part of the city to that in which the previous 

 shows have been held. That the move was a happy one we 

 are not prepared to say, but that it did not suit the dog- 

 men so well is very certain. Hotel accommodation is not 

 good in this neighborhood, and though the building is in 

 the midst of a residential part of the city the crowds were not 

 so large, nor were there so many "smart" people to be seen 

 strolling through the aisles as we were wont to find in Bat- 

 tery D on the lake front. The light was n it at all good and 

 the unfavorable condition of the weather added to the gloom 

 so much so that the lights were turned on most of the day. 



The judj^ing was carried on in a rather desultory manner, 

 but this was caused in some part by the inability of Mr. 

 George Wilson to be present tne first day, owing to an acci- 

 dent, he having fallen on the icy pavement on Tuesday and 

 sprained his arm. On Thursday, however, he turned up in 

 fair condition and got through his classes in good order. The 



