206 



FOREST AND STREAM, 



[March 10, 1894. 



these trees, and watch the flakes of foam that came down 

 from the dam, get into the eddies and swirls of the deep 

 hole under its roots, where they would sail, turning and 

 twisting slowly round and round, until getting too near 

 the outer edge, they would be carried swiftly down stream 

 by the rapid current, among the rocks, where they were 

 dashed to pieces. I woiud sometimes lie close to the 

 water's edge and watch the sunfish guarding their spawn- 

 ing beds, darting with wonderful rapidity and ferocity^ at 

 the minnows that were hovering around, and pouncing 

 upon the spawn at every chance. 



The spot so beautifully described by Whitcomb Riley in 

 his poem "On the Banks o' Deer Crik," reminds me forci- 

 bly of this place: 



"On the banks o 1 Deer Crik mile or two from town, 

 'Long up where the mill race comes a loafin" down, 

 Like to git up in ther 1 — 'mongst the sycamores, 

 And watch the worter at the dom a frothin' as she pours. 

 Crawl out on some old log, with my hook and line, 

 Where the fish is just so thick you can see 'em shine 

 As they flicker round your bait, coaxin 1 you to jerk, 

 'Tel yer tired ketchen 'em— mighty nigh as work." 



In one of the low lying fields near by there were some 

 deep ditches in which large eels abounded, and many's 

 the night I have sat out for an hour or two hauling in the 

 great slimy, squirming fellows. I used to cogitate and 

 plan to invent some way in which I could get them off 

 the hook without the terrible struggle that followed each 

 capture, and finally adopted the following plan: Ou my 

 way to the ditches I picked up several large stones, which 

 I put in my basket, my idea being to hit each eel, as soon 

 as caught, on the head with one of the stones, stunning 

 it for a time, and enabling me to remove the hook. My 

 plan worked like a charm, each eel was carefully let down 

 into the basket, and after perhaps several attempts was 

 hit on the head with one of the stones. They bit well 

 that night, and when it was time to go home my basket 

 was half full. I wound up my line, took the basket by 

 the handle and lifted it, when behold the bottom came 

 out, and my eels were squirming all over the grass, most 

 of them escaping into the water. The stoning process 

 had completely destroyed the basket, and it took my al- 

 lowance of pocket money for several weeks to get a new 

 one. 



The ways of my youngest boy of ten remind me very 

 much of my boyhood days, and nothing gives me more 

 pleasure than to see the little fellow making his prepara- 

 tions for a day's outing. He will spend a long time of 

 the evening before getting his tackle ready, and will be 

 up betimes in the morning digging bait, and with a 

 lunch in his pocket and rod over his shoulder, will give 

 a happy good-bye as he starts off. Eeturning toward 

 night, besmeared with mud and wet to the skin, he will 

 show with pride his string of mill-roaches and sunfish, 

 excitedly relating the experiences of the day. Those 

 happy boyhood days, like the water that turns the mill, 

 have passed, never to return again, but with how much 

 pleasure do we look back upon them, feeling that the love 

 of nature, and the love of the "gentle art." then instilled 

 into us has had its influence on our whole lives, helping 

 to make us purer and better, both physically and mor- 

 ally. Edward A. Robinson. 



Baltimore, Feb. 23. 



OUANANICHE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I have read with much pleasure, and great interest, Mr. 

 A. N. Cheney's article in Forest and Stream's issue of 

 Jan. 27 last in reference to ouananiche. In fact, I enjoy 

 all of his articles to the same extent. He is a thorough 

 fisherman in all branches of the art, and to me an in- 

 structive writer. 



In the article above mentioned I want to agree with 

 him on some points and disagree on others. 



I firmly believe that the landlocked salmon of Lake St. 

 .John, its tributaries, and its outlet, the Saguenay, and 

 named by the Indians ouananiche, or little salmon, differs 

 quite a little from the landlocked salmon found in Maine 

 and New Hampshire waters. The difference does not lie 

 in appearance or genealogy, as they are unquestionably 

 sui generis. But their bringing up has been different and 

 their behavior varies accordingly. 



There is no question about the descent of either or any 

 of them. They are the direct progeny of the salt water 

 salmon (Salrno salar) that, through some convulsion of 

 nature, or accident, have become landlocked and unable 

 to return to the sea. 



It has been demonstrated also by practical tests made 

 by the Canadian Government that young salmon fry 

 taken from the sea salmon hatchery at Tadousac and 

 placed in landlocked fresh waters, would thrive as well as 

 they would have done had they been left in their native 

 element. 



Now, as to the difference between the ouananiche of 

 Canada and the landlocked salmon of the States. 



In the former case the ouananiche were born and grew 

 to full size in the rough tributaries and outlet of Lake St. 

 John, in waters than which none can be wilder or more 

 rough. They are found where the water boils and 

 tumbles the most — rarely in the still water. 



Their life being passed constantly in such rough water, 

 they are a terribly strong fish, able to ascend through the 

 swiftest current, or mount the wildest fall. Hook one in 

 the tumioil of waters, ^and his action is apparent; a 

 fighter, every inch of him, and to the last I have yet to 

 find a fish his equal, black bass and trout to the contrary 

 notwithstanding. 



Here is where the ouananiche's bringing-up stands in 

 his stead. Born of fighting stock, he fights his native 

 element constantly, and he fights his foe, the fisherman, 

 successfully. I say successfully, advisedly, as I have 

 never individually, nor have I ever seen any one else 

 land even one-half of the ouananiche that have taken the 

 fly. 



I can refer to my most successful catch last season on 

 the Fifth Falls of the Mistassini River, where in four hours 

 I safely landed fourteen and lost seventeen. I retired 

 with an arm lamed to such an extent that I was unable to 

 cast for fully twenty -four hours. 



The fish that I brought safely to net I was forced to 

 play from fifteen to twenty-five minutes each, and they 

 leaped from the water fully six to eight times as a fair 

 average. 



So much for their fighting qualities. The Lake St. John 

 waters are all comparatively shallow as rivers naturally 

 are, and while the ouananiche is a deep-water fish, it can- 



not get deep enough to not be able to see the fly. The 

 consequence is that you can take any rapid at any time 

 of day, understanding of course that you are fishing the 

 right waters at the right seasons, and secure a successful 

 return from your fly-casting. 



As a contrast to this, let us look at the other side, the 

 landlocked salmon of the States. These are confined to 

 and practically found only in lakes of various sizes, a 

 few occasionally being taken in»the streams. Bred and 

 raised in the deep, quiet waters of a lake, their bringing 

 up is far more quiet than the ouananiche, and they are 

 better behaved. The muscle development is not so great 

 and they are far from being as great a fighter. This fact 

 is patent on its face. 



Then, too, they are a lake fish and remain in deep 

 water, too deep for fly-fishing, except perchance at twi- 

 light when the smaller fish will jump and can be taken. 

 This leaves much of the fishing to be done by trolling 

 with a spoon. That I will pass over, as I consider trolling 

 for landlocked salmon worse than a sacrilege. 



In the foregoing lies my argument as to the fact that 

 there is a great difference in the fighting qualities of 

 ouananiche and landlocked salmon, and accordingly some- 

 thing of a difference in the fish themselves. 



I must differ with Mr. Cheney when he says that "little 

 salmon" does not properly describe the ouananiche, stat- 

 ing that they will run to 251bs. weight. This may be true 

 of the landlocked salmon of the States, but is not true of 

 the ouananiche of Canada,, In seven years' experience 

 my largest fish has been7+lbs., and one weighing 81bs., 

 caught by a guide, is the largest I have ever seen. I have 

 made particular inquiry, and with the exception of a sort 

 of fairy tale, a legend as it were, that Mr. Price, one of 

 the great lumber firm of that name, had many years ago 

 caught one of 141bs. in the Petite Decharge of Lake St. 

 John. I have never seen or heard of one to exceed 81bs. 

 I have questioned guides and Indians alike, and they in- 

 variably reply, "Les ouananiclies sont petites." 



The ordinary catch as made will not vary but little from 

 an average of 3ilbs. Occasionally one of 4, 4=$ or 51bs. is 

 taken, but rarely will the average exceed 3 to 3flbs. If 

 excessively large fish are extant, they have never been 

 caught, or even seen. 



The weight in the New Hampshire lakes is still another 

 indication that those landlocked salmon are different 

 from the ouananiche, since if any of these latter existed, 

 they would long since have been caught or at least seen. 



From all this, I conclude that by right of baptism by 

 the habitans, from the fact that a difference in the two 

 fish is shown to exist, from the fact that the fish of Lake 

 St. John is a stronger fish, and a greater fighter than that 

 of the States, that it is but fair that the denizens of Lake 

 St. John should hold to themselves alone the right and 

 title to the name ouananiche, and that their pseudo relat- 

 ives of the States should adhere to their proper name, 

 landlocked salmon. When they usurp their name, they 

 usurp their thunder as well, and that they are hardly 

 entitled to. - 



The landlocked salmon has the reputation, and doubt- 

 lessly is, a hard fighter. I do not form any judgment 

 from actual experience with them, but foraiulate my 

 ideas entirely from the experience of others. I have met 

 many fishermen at Lake St. John and elsewhere, who 

 have fished both the Maine and Canada waters, and all 

 agree that the ouananiche is a greater fighter, and a more 

 difficult fish to land. 



If I am in error I shall be only too glad to be convinced 

 of it, but there is nothing that can make me believe that 

 any fish can exceed, or even equal quite, the king of fresh- 

 water fish, the gamiest of all — the ouananiche of Lake 

 St. John. Eugene McCarthy. 



THE MOHICAN ROD AND GUN CLUB. 



The organization of the new Rod and Gun Club at 

 Glens Falls, N. Y. , was completed the evening of March 1 

 by the adoption of a constitution, a name and the election 

 of officers provided by the constitution. The name is the 

 Mohican Rod and Gun Club, the Indian portion of it 

 being intimately associated with the forests and streams 

 of this region through J. Fennimore Cooper's novel, "The 

 Last of the Mohicans." 



The Indian name Mohican or Mohegan, is that of a 

 tribe of Indians, and the word is derived from Muh-ha-a- 

 kun-nuck, meaning "a great water that is constantly in 

 motion," that is, flowing or ebbing. The Mohicans were 

 allied to the Manhattans, Pequots, Narragansetts and 

 Nipmucks, and occupied the territory from Long Island 

 Sound to the Penobscot. It will be remembered by the 

 great army of Forest and Stream readers that "Injun 

 Levi," the tutor of the immortal "Nessmuk" during his 

 boyhood, was a Nipmuck, Nepmuk, or Nepmug (as it is 

 variously spelled) Indian, and in "Forest Runes" "Ness- 

 muk" explains how he came by his pen name as a herit- 

 age from his tutor. 



Holden says of the Mohicans: "The territory subject 

 to their domination and occupancy extended from the 

 Connecticut to the Hudson as far north as the southern 

 extremity of Lake George. According tn Schoolcraft, 

 these Indians were among the tribes of the Algonquin 

 stock. * * * The early attachment which was formed 

 with the first English colonists of Connecticut by the 

 politic Mohicans no doubt contributed in a great measure 

 to their preservation during the harassing wars which 

 prevailed through the colonial peninsula for the first fifty 

 years of its settlement." 



Dr. Edward Eggleston, the novelist, once told me that 

 these Iudians were undoubtedly skilled in the manufac- 

 ture of weapons for the chase and for war, and manu- 

 factured flint arrow heads, fish hooks, skinning knives, 

 spears, etc., for barter with other tribes. There is evi- 

 dence existing to-day, or was within a very short time, 

 that one great workshop of the Mohicans for making tools 

 employed in taking fish and game was situated near 

 Joshua's Rock, on Lake George, and the lake was prob- 

 ably a highway over which the Indians from the north 

 came to trade with this tribe of savage sportsmen. 



Upon the adoption of a constitution and a name, the 

 club reelected the officers chosen at the initial meeting, as 

 given in Forest and Stream, and in addition Mr. F. F. 

 Pruyn, cashier of the Merchants' National Bank, vice-presi- 

 dent, and the following board of directors: Daniel L. 

 Robertson, Joseph A. Powers, John M. Davies. W. E. 

 Baldwin and Norman R. Gotuiey. As a symbol of the 

 club there was adopted the figure of an Indian head and 

 bust with a tortoise, the totem of the tribe of Mohicans, 

 on his breast. 



The modern sport-loving Mohicans have no fear that a 



band of warlike Iroquois will drive them from their hunt- 

 ing and fishing grounds, as their prototypes were driven, 

 and to signalize the era of peace, good will and brotherly 

 feeling. Col. Marshall McDonald, the chief on the Potomac; 

 Charles B. Reynolds, the sterling chieftain of the Manhat- 

 tans, and Arthur C. Gould, a worthy chief of the same 

 tribe, and John H. Halsted, a chief of the Mohawks, with 

 a lodge at Peekskill, were proposed as honorary members. 



To further cement the "early attachment" existing 

 between the Mohicans and the English, the club extended 

 its invitation across the "great water that is constantly in 

 motion," to London, inviting Robert B. Marston and 

 Williann Senior (whose totem is a "Red Spinner"), in amity 

 to become honorary members of the Mohicans. To their 

 kinsmen the Caughnawagas in the land of the beaver, the 

 Mohicans also extended honorary membership to the 

 person of the great chief, E. T. D, Chambers, who lodges 

 at Quebec. 



The organization of the Mohican Club was timely, for, 

 according to the Glens Falls Star, two black bears were 

 seen yesterday in a piece of woods bordering almost upon 

 the corporate limits of the village, and the Star this 

 morning calls upon the club for action before the village 

 itself is invaded. Last fall three deer were seen within 

 the corporation, so with deer and bear a.t hand, fish and 

 small game only will require attention at the outset, but 

 the club is just now more interested in finding a home and 

 in preparing grounds, than in either shooting or fishing. 



A. N. C. 



BOSTON AND MAINE. 



What is termed "the Boys' Party" of the Monomoy 

 Brant Club is booked to leave Boston on March 28 for the 

 spring shoot. This will be the second party to visit the 

 club's shooting ranch for' the season of lb94. It will 

 include seven or eight members of the club and invited 

 guests, and the names of the happy individuals I will 

 try to give as soon as the list is fully made up. Prospects 

 are reported to be bright for a good brant season. Word 

 comes direct to me from a member of the club that brant 

 have been seen at and near the club's shooting grounds 

 nearly all winter. The Monomoy Brant Club is one of the 

 oldest shooting clubs on the coast and has some of the 

 best sportsmen in its list of membership. The members 

 are not nearly all of them in favor of spring shooting, but 

 they are aware that very few brant could possibly be 

 taken at any other season. 



It may not be exactly Monomoy Brant Club news, but 

 it is worthy of mention that there is to be a wedding 

 this week de>wn there in Chatham. Mr. and Mrs. George 

 Bearse have issued invitations for Tuesday evening, and 

 some of the members of the Brant Club have received 

 them. Their daughter In a Georgie is to be married to Mr. 

 Luther Studley Edwards, of Chatham. Mr. Bearse is cap- 

 tain of the club's gunners, and is very popular with the 

 members of the club. 



The Gilbert trout bill had not got fully through the 

 Senate on Saturday, though there is little doubt but what 

 it will go through. The question of the House amend- 

 ments was not then decided, viz., exempting trout under 

 8in. in length from being sold legally during March and 

 April, and exempting the counties of Hampden, Hamp- 

 shire, Franklin and Berkshire from the provisions of the 

 bill. Mr. Gilbert and his friends are accused of fighting 

 for even this last pound of flesh left to the cause of the 

 poor wild trout in the State of Massachusetts. 



Already the interest in sjjring fishing is beginning to be 

 noted, I have lately met several of the regular visitors 

 to the Rangeley Lakes, and they have begun to discuss 

 the annual and very interesting question, as to when is 

 the ice going out ? I find that there is a feeling of discon- 

 tent among what may be termed the regular sportsmen, 

 as to the amount of fishing to be obtained in the Rangeley 

 waters. The feeling is that vacationists and summer 

 residents have badly over-fished the more noted of Maine 

 trout waters. One gentleman, a visitor to the Rangeleys 

 regularly for many years, tells me that he was badly left 

 as to getting any trout at the old haunts last year, and 

 that he, with a party of friends, will try the waters that 

 are to be reached via the Aroostook Railroad this year. It 

 is true that a great sporting country has been opened up 

 by the opening of this road, but I suggest to him that, 

 from all accounts, there will be a dozen sportsmen for 

 every new point, and that the new fishing grounds will 

 doubtless be as badly overdone as the old. Special. 



California Fly-CastingS Tournament. ' 



A large body of enthusiastic anglers assembled at the 

 Palace Hotel, San Francisco, on Tuesday evening, Feb. 

 20, to hear the report of the committee on programme 

 and rules of the fly and lure casting tournament to be 

 held during the Midwinter International Exposition in 

 Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, May 4 and 5. Among 

 the most noted anglers present were John Benn, the well- 

 known fly-tyer; Capt. Cummins, one of the veteran 

 anglers of this coast; W. J. Golcher, E. P. Allen, official 

 time keeper at the Chicago tournament; H. E. Skinner, 

 Wm. Murdoch, of the Fish Commission ; Alexander 

 Badlam, and the committee, consisting of Col. G. C. 

 Edwards, A. M. Cummings, W. J. Matthews, J. Siebe, J. 

 E. Shain, W. D. Mansfield, and Messrs. Golcher and 

 Allen, previously mentioned. In addition there were over- 

 forty anglers present. 



Col. G. C. Edwards, of the University of California, of- 

 ficiated, Mr. W. D. Marshall, the secretary-treasurer, as- 

 sisting. After a brief address, Col. Edwards stated the 

 objects of the meeting and requested the anglers present 

 to discuss the rules and programme and make what sug- 

 gestions they saw fit. After considerable discussion the 

 following programme was adopted: 



CONTESTS. 



1. Fly-casting for distance. 



2. Fly-easting for distance and accuracy combined. 



3. Light-rod casting for distance, accuracy and delicacy combined. 



4. Fly-casting with salmon tackle for distance. 



5. Lure (spoon-minnow and bait) easting for distance and accuracy. 

 The tournament will be held at the lagoon at the foot 



of Strawberry Hill, Golden Gate Park, a most excellent 

 selection, sheltered, easy of access and an excellent place 

 for the spectators to view the work. 



The Chicago platform was 4ft. from the water. 

 Ours will be but 1ft. Consequently I do not expect the 

 long distance casting will be as successful as regards record 

 breaking as Chicago, as the caster will not have the same 

 advantage in retrieving his line as the Chicago contestants 

 had. There will be a very large local entry. Our best 

 sportsmen are taking hold of it. The rules will be given 

 next week. Nauuquoit. 



