280 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[March 17, 1894. 



"If this court understand herself, he do." 

 "Can't you pull him in?" 



"I should not like to try it just now; besides, you don't 

 like.to see the fishes flapping in the boat." 



"It seems queer that I cannot see him at all. What sort 

 of a fish is it? " 



"It is a big-mouthed bass, and they do not always show 

 themselves until compelled to do so, but you will probably 

 see him soon." 



The bass was growing weary, and I reached for my 

 landing net. 



"Oh, 1 do believe I can see it— it is a bass, sure enough." 



The fish gradually approached, the net slid softly under 

 the gleaming form, and it lay in the bottom of the boat 

 with never a single flap. The lady drew a long breath, 

 for despite previously conceived ideas, she had been fol- 

 lowing the proceedings with much interest; and a certain 

 gratified expression lighted up her countenance. 



"Oh, I never saw fish caught like that before." 



"How do you like my way of angling?" 



"Why, it is a great deal better than I expected." 



There is much satisfaction in finding fish where you 

 expect only water. I made a few more casts, and was 

 successful in landing three. The fourth broke away, and 

 the ocbitelka seemed quite disappointed. Then I boated 

 another — this time a 3^-pounder, and said: "I believe 

 that is about enough for ourselves and the neighbors, isn't 

 it?" 



"Don't you think Mrs. W. would like one? She will be 

 here this evening." 



'■Perhaps she would." And in obedience to the implied 

 command I placed upon my hook a frog (which 1 had 

 previously killed for the purpose), and taking a stroke or 

 two of the bowfacers, sent my line to a little cluster of 

 lilypads, which I had for some time had in view as the 

 possible lurking place of a "buster," 



The frog alighted just outside the lily leaves, and as it 

 descended the water broke to the rise of a rousing bass, 

 and the reel sang in sympathy with his movements. 



"Now," said J, "there's business ahead; and if we can 

 manage to land that fellow I think that Mrs. W. will to- 

 morrow have fish enough for more than one meal." 



It was a very large small-mouth, and when he felt the 

 steel and sprang clear from the water the lady clapped 

 her hands in astonishment. 



"My! Why, he hopped right up in the air." 



My tackle had shown signs of being a little tender, and 

 having much sympathy for Mrs. W., who is an honest, 

 hard-working woman, but though fond of bass, possesses 

 not the art nor tackle requisite to the beguilement thereof , 

 I felt that it was incumbent upon the ocbitelka and 

 myself to see to it that she had this particular fish for her 

 breakfast. 



Out leaped the bass — once, twice, thrice; and at every 

 spring there was a subdued exclamation from the stern 

 of the boat. At last the great fish floated alongside, over 

 the net, was safe, and we each drew a long breath. It 

 weighed — whatever you choose. (I may here state that 

 I never use more time in playing a fish than the circum- 

 stances seem to justify.) When I had reeled in my line, 

 laid the rod in the boat and assumed the oars, the lady 

 said: "I never liked to go fishing before, but I have very 

 much enjoyed the trip. I think that I should like to go 

 again some day." 



And so Mrs. W. had her fish. Kelpie. 



CALIFORNIA CASTING TOURNAMENT. 



sum of the credits divided by five shall determine the score upon 

 which the championship and the medals are a warded, but the greatest 

 single cast shall constitute the Pacific Coast record. 



It was also decided that in matters not covered by these rules, the 

 rules of the Chicago Fly-Casting Club shall govern. Namqtjoit. 



NIAGARA COUNTY ANGLERS' CLUB. 



Lockport, N. Y. , March 5. — Editor Forest and Stream: 

 The Niagara County Anglers' Club held their annual 

 meeting Friday, March 2, and the reports show a healthy 

 growth of the club. We number 130 members — 101 in 

 good standing, dues paid to date — at $2 a year. The club 

 has prosecuted and convicted three for illegal fishing. 



We offered a reward last year of $25 for the detection 

 and conviction of all persons caught fishing in violation 

 of the game laws. This year we pay $10, and as much as 

 the fine is in addition, and propose to assist the game pro - 

 tector, James Ripson, to drive the devils out of the land. 

 We paid $75 in rewards last year, and having $500 in the 

 treasury we are better prepared to prosecute the work. 



Half a million trout fry had been placed in Lake On- 

 tario in April, 1893. Dynamiters and illegal fishermen 

 had been prosecuted and punished, and $75 paid in re- 

 wards to informers. 



The public as well as the law breakers had recognized 

 the sincerity and firmness of the organization in carrying 

 out the objects which it was formed to promote. The 

 past year has been a very successful one for the club. It 

 has 129 members, with $500 in the treasury, and the 

 coming year is likely to add to its strength and useful- 

 ness. Including the 500,000 whitefish and the same num- 

 ber of trout fry expected within a few days, the club will 

 have placed 3,000,000 fish in Lake Ontario, which will in 

 time greatly improve the fishing there. 



The prizes offered a year ago for the highest count of 

 fish taken during the season were awarded as follows: 

 First, silk umbrella from A. L. Smith, to William Hart, 

 Gasport. Second, silk line from C. W. Hatch, to W. H 

 Case. Third, vest pattern from J. W, Peuss, to W. E. 

 Huston. Mr. Hart's catch was 332 fish or 5,048 points, W. 

 H Case, 258 fish or 4,594 points, and W. E. Huston's, 49 

 fish, or 1,342 points. 



The election of officers resulted as follows: President, 

 W. H. Case; Vice-President, J. F. Little; Secretary, F. 

 K. Sweet; Treasurer, G. W. Weaver; Directors, W. A. 

 Williams, Jos. Dumville and John A. Merritt. 



In view of the large amount of work performed by the 

 secretary, a salary of $25 per year was voted that officer. 

 Mr. Sweet has been secretary before and there is no more 

 active member of the club. 



Mr. W. H. Case, the new president, is as good a selec- 

 tion as could have been made, and he will keep the boys 

 awake this year. The meeting adjourned until Tuesday, 

 April 3. • F. K. S. 



Death of William S. Miniszek. 



Membees of the fishing tackle trade, particularly in the 

 West, will be pained to learn of the death of Mr. William S. 

 Miniszek at his residence in this city on Tuesday of last 

 week. Mr. Miniszek was the representative of the well- 

 known fishing tackle firm of William Mills & Son, of 

 New York, having traveled for them through the West 

 and on the Pacific Coast, since 188(3. He had an extensive 

 acquaintance with the trade, and not only was he ex- 

 tremely popular, but was held in high esteem for his sterling 

 qualities as a m an. 



JgistyuUuw mid ^ginh ffroki[tian. 



1 offer these as possible explanations of the difference, and 

 would like to know if my friend A. N". Cheney thinks them 

 plausible and probable. Sam. Webtser. 



Portneltf, Quebec. — Editor Forest and Stream: In your 

 issue of Jan. 27, Mr. A. N. Cheney had a communication 

 respecting the growth of landlocked salmon. My experience 

 has been as follows: 



On the <tth of June, 1890, I placed about 8,000 fry of those 

 fish (hatched by me from eggs obtained from the U. S. 

 Hatchery, at Grand Lake Stream) in a. fine stream or large 

 brook flowing into a lake of about 10 square miles in super- 

 ficies and connecting with other lakes on nearly the same 

 level with about as much more. 



Nothing was seen or known of these fish (except that some 

 lumbermen reported that they had seen some of them dead 

 the following spring — which report I do not consider very 

 reliable), until last summer, when one was taken in a river 

 flowing into the first named lake, which might weigh a trifle 

 over J^lb. 



This fish must have been one of those I planted, since none 

 are known to exist in any waters directly or indirectly con- 

 necting, or nearer than the Lake St. John region, some 125 

 miles away. 



I am not surprised that no more fish have been taken, but 

 am rather surprised at their slow growth. The extent of 

 water area is too great and too little" llshed for any results to 

 be looked for by the occasional fisherman in so short a time, 

 but the late Col. Hodge, of New Hampshire, told me that 

 they might be expected to weigh from 2 to 31hs. in three 

 years, although he did not think they would breed under 

 five years. Consequently the contents of Mr. Cheney's letter 

 vary so widely from my experience that I take the liberty of 

 calling attention to it. The fish caught was some three 

 miles (or more) from where the fry were placed and in a rapid 

 half a mile above a high and steep fall. Another fish was 

 heard and one seen to leap out of the water of the lake, in 

 which there are no other leaping fish, only the gray trout 

 (tourili), perch and minnows. 



I put some 12,000 fry into another brook falling into 

 a lake of the same water system but several miles 

 away, and only connected with the first through eight 

 or nine small lakes and their connecting streams. None of 

 these have ever been heard from, but we go anywhere near 

 them very rarely indeed. 



In 1891 several thousand fry were (through mischance, for 

 I intended to put them elsewhere) put iuto waters quite close 

 to our favorite trout lake, which is fished more or less almost 

 every day in the open season; but none of them have ever 

 been discovered. Some hundreds, at least, of the 1890 eggs 

 and fry must also have been spilled out of our hatching 

 trough into the same waters, and as the lake would seem to* 

 be a place in every way favorable for them, I think it sur- 

 prising that not one has been seen. There are no fish in that 

 lake except speckled trout (in abundance) and minnows. I 

 did not want the ouananiche in it, preferring to learve all the; 

 food for the trout. 



Postswiirt— Since I wrote the foregoing I have received 

 some further information. Having seen the man who actu- 

 ally caught the one landlocked salmon mentioned I find it. 

 was only a very small one, perhaps some 7in. long, which 

 makes me suspect that it was of a second generation, the 

 product of the fry I planted in 1890. 



1 fail to see how it can be otherwise, and the fact puts a, 

 very encouraging aspect on my experiment. 



That little fellow sprang at the fly directly out of white 

 foam in a boiling rapid, into which the line was drawn to 

 prevent it from getting entangled in some branches. 



I shall hope for further developments next summer. 



G. DE MONTAUBAN. 



Central Lake, Mich., Feb. 28. — A man living on the shore 

 of Torch Lake (about four miles from this village; tells me 

 that he saw a fish taken from that lake recently which he 

 believes to have come from a plant of landlocked salmon 

 made by the Fish Commission six or seven years ago. He 

 has never heard of any other result from this plant, though 

 he saw the superintendent, Mr. Marks, some three years ago, 

 at a time when they were netting, in order to secure evidence,, 

 if possible, that tuese fish had lived. 



This specimen weighed about 3lbs.,had no spots, was white 

 or silvery on the sides, but darker on the back. My inform- 

 ant tried to buy it, in order to send it to the Commission, 

 but was unsuccessful. Kelpie. 



A Disease of Embryo Salmon. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The fry of Salmonidai at the Craig Brook Station have 

 suffered occasionally from quite a list of diseases, the most 

 of which have, however, inflicted but slight injury. The two 

 most serious attacks were experienced in 1890 and 1892, dur- 

 ing the sack stage, and their ravages were so extensive that 

 I wish to consult other fishculturists with reference to any 

 similar experience they may have had. I have considered 

 the two attacks as coming from the same disease, though 

 there are some reasons for thinking this point doubtful. 



When the disease first made its appearance about the 

 middle of April, 1890, the fry attacked were approaching the 

 middle of the sack-stage. The first symptoms observed was- 

 a blotched appearance of the sack, which arose from the 

 presence of numerous small white spots just under the sur- 

 face, scattered all over the sack, but mostuumerous near the 

 tip. These spots increased in size, and ran together some- 

 what, especially in the. tip, which soon became, quite white. 

 Meanwhile the subjects of the disease appeai-ed to lose the 

 instinct to hide, became indifferent to light, and instead of 

 clustering in the corners lay scattered about on the bottom 

 of the trough, resting on their sides. The breathing now be- 

 came weaker, and after a while ceased altogether. The 

 heart continued to beat a little longer, but finally this ceased 

 also and the fish was dead. After the first deaths in a 

 trough, the mortality would rapidly increase until, in some 

 of the worst cases, twenty per cent, or more would die in a 

 single day, and the lot be almost, annihilated before the com- 

 pletion of the absorption of the sack. 



About thirty per cent, of the fry of all kinds succumbed to 

 this epidemic in 1890. lb began with the Atlantic salmon, 

 but was more deadly that year with the landlocked salmon 

 and saibling, and attacked all other kinds to some extent. 



In 1891 there was no trace of this disease among any of the 

 fry, but in 1892 it re-appeared and was even more destructive 

 to the Atlantic salmon than in 1890, but no other sorts were 

 attacked, though we were rearing landlocked salmon and 

 brook trout under exactly the same conditions as the 

 Atlantic salmon. 



The epidemic was generally prevalent among the Atlantic 

 salmon in 1892, but iu 1890 it attacked only certain lots, not 

 appearing to be infectious, but running in families. That is, 

 there was evidence tending to prove that* the descendants of 

 certain parents were subject to the disease while the de- 

 scendants of other parents were exempt. There was also evi- 

 dence in favor of the view that the cause of the disease was 

 local and not general. In some cases lots of eggs were 

 divided and parts of them shipped to other stations, with the 

 result that while those retained at Craig Brook suffered 

 from the disease, those hatched and reared in other waters 

 escaped entirely. 



If other fishculturists have had experience with any such 

 disease as I have described, they could render an important 

 service by reporting the facts they have observed in full, and 

 offering any suggestions they may be able to, as to causes 

 and remedies. C. G. Atkins. 



Craig Brook Station, East Oiiand, Maine. 



San Francisco, Cal. — Editor Forest and Stream: Fol- 

 lowing are the rules adopted for the fly-casting tourna- 

 ment which will be held here May 4 and 5: 



Rules to Govern the Contests. 



1. Officers. — Each contest shall be under the direction of a referee, 

 two judgeSj a timekeeper and a clerk. The clerk shall see that each 

 contestant is properly registered and that his tackle conforms to the 

 rules governing the particular contest in which he is about to en- 

 gage. The clerk should keep the records of the contest for which he 

 is clerk. The timekeeper shall indicate by means of a flag the begin- 

 ning and the ending of the period of time allotted to each contest- 

 ant. The judges shall determine the degree of excellence of each 

 performer and shall make the awards The referee shall decide cases 

 in -which the judges disagree or when a contestant shall appeal from 

 the decision of the judges. The referee shall interpret the rules in 

 case of a misunderstanding. In matters not covered by the rules 

 the referee shall decide. The decision of the referee shall be final. ' 



2. .Fee.— The entrance fee for each contest shall be $2. 



3. Who May Compete —The contests are open to all, there not 

 being as yet sufficient basis for a separation into classes, but the 

 executive committee may, for cause, decline to receive the entrance 

 fee of any person, and may decline to admit him as a contestant. 



4. Medals— For each event there shall be a first medal of gold, a 

 second medal of silver and a third medal of bronze. The medals 

 shall be awarded in the order of averages, the highest average takes 

 the Pacific Coast championship; but in events 1, 4 and 5 the longest 

 cast shall be the Pacific Coast record. 



5. Hooks, Lines and Reels.— Each fly-caster may use one, two or 

 three flies. The kind of reel is not prescribed and" the kind of line is 

 not prescribed. The leader for events 1, 2 and 3 shall be of single gut 

 and shall not be less than 6ft. nor more than Oft. in length. The line 

 shall be free from knots or any device to add weight to the line. For 

 events 1, 2 and 3 the hooks shall not be larger than No. 5, for event 4 

 the hooks shall not be larger than No. 4-0. To prevent fouling the 

 measuring line or the buoys, and to prevent possible injury to the 

 spectators, all hooks shall be broken just below the barb. 



6. Rods.— For event 1 the rods shall not exceed lift, in length. The 

 weight is not limited. For event 2 the rod shall not exceed lift, in 

 length and shall not exceed 8oz. in weight. For event 3 the rod shall 

 not exceed 10ft. in length and shall not exceed 5oz. in weight. For 

 event 4 the rod shall not exceed 18ft. in length. For event 5 the rod 

 shul not exceed 10ft. in length. The weight of rod in events 4 and 5 

 is not limited. 



7. Style of Casting.— -For events 1, 2, 3 and 5 the casting shall be 

 single-handed. For event 4 the casting may be double-handed. 



8. Time Allowance.— time allowed each cintestant to extend his 

 line and mako his casts is 10 minutes. No time shall be allowed for the 

 replacing of lost flies, but the judges in their discretion allosv time for 

 the rejointing of a rod or the replacing of a broken section. No cast 

 in which the stretcher fly is missing shall be scored. Each contestant 

 shall, after beginning the 10 minutes allotted to him, inform the 

 judges when he desires the scoring to begin, calling score to designate 

 that he is ready. 



9. Buoys and Scoring.— In casting for distance and accuracy (Event 

 No. 2), tnera shall be two buoys distant 50ft. and 60ft. from the edge 

 of the casting platform, and there shall be made ten casts at each 

 buoy. If the leader falls within 1ft. of the ' buoy cast at the credit 

 shall be 10. A demerit of 1 for each foot in excess of 1ft. from the 

 buoy cast at shall be made at each cast. The sum of the points 

 scored at both buoys, divided by 2, shall determine the percentage. In 

 Event No. 3 the two buoys shall be distf nt 35ft. and 45ft. from the 

 casting platform, the number of casts and the distance demerits to be 

 the same as in Event No. 2 In addition there shall be kept an account 

 of the delicacy, 10 being considered perfect. The total number of 

 points both for accuracy and delicacy at both buoys shall be added 

 together and be divided by 4 to get the percentage of each contestant. 



10. The Platform shall be at least 8ft. sq iare and its surface shall 

 not be more than 1ft. above the surface of the water. 



11. 7"he Lure Casting shall be done on land on a court 30ft. wide 

 and 200ft. long, through tne main axis of which, shall run a tape 

 marked off in feet. The casting shall b- done single-handed from one 

 extremity of the court. The weight shall be a H oz - lead sinker. The 

 line shall run from the reel and the rod shall not exceed 10ft, in length. 

 Three preparatory casts shall be made and then five casts for record. 

 To determine the record of a cast, subtract from the actual distance 

 the number of feet, less one, that the weight falls from the tape, the 



Planting and Growth of Landlocked Salmon. 



Chaelestown, N. H., Feb. 7.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 My friend Cheney's last letter on the habits of the winninish 

 (or wanuanish, as Mr. Brewer tells me they pronounce it in 

 Canada) recalls the fact that the plant of them which I made 

 at the Connecticut Lakes in 1880 followed the habits of their 

 Grand Lake progenitors and went down stream to spawn. 

 When I was up there in '82 and inquired for them "Uncle 

 Tom Chester" told me that one about llin. long had been 

 taken near the outlet of Second Lake, in which the first 

 plant was made. I have never heard of another one being 

 seen in that lake, but two or three years ago they began to 

 appear in First Lake, and last year quite a number were 

 taken there. 



It is impossible for them to get up stream into Second 

 Lake again, as the crest of the dam overhangs the pool 

 below, which is very rocky and turbulent. There is also a 

 log chute at the falls half-way down which pours its water 

 out through a trough in the same manner, and it would be 

 impossible for any fish to scale it. On the other hand, at 

 the outlet of First Lake there is a sawmill, with a rack, or 

 strainer, through which they could not go down, and it is 

 two miles away from the place where they entered the lake, 

 if the first lot spawned, as I think they did in the stream 

 between the two lakes, where there is plenty of good spawn- 

 ing ground. 



There is no such ground for at least half a mile below First 

 Lake, as the channel is there a steep rocky gorge, and any 

 fish which might have escaped at the outlet would have to 

 keep on down the river to more quiet waters. 



I have taken lake trout (Salmo namaycush) in the little 

 pool where the sawmill wheel discharges, but that pool is 

 not more than 15 or 20ft. in diameter; and they had probably 

 been swept down when small and could not get back again. 



Sam. Webber. 



Postscript,— Further thought on what I have said about 

 the spawning habits of the wanuanish leads me to make the 

 suggestion that the position of the first plant may hav r esome 

 effect on the future migration. 



As I remember, the first, and certainly the subsequent 

 ones at Sunapee, were made iu the waters of Pike Brook, on 

 which the hatching house now stands; and the young fry 

 were brought up and educated in those waters, and naturally 

 returned to them to spawn themselves. 



On the other hand the fry I took to the Connecticut Lakes 

 were planted in the lake at a point where a strong spring 

 broke out on the shore of the lake and spread itself over a 

 bed of loose stones and coarse gravel, under which the young 

 fish found shelter instantly. It was late in the day, our ice 

 was exhausted, and we did not dare to risk the pull of a mile 

 iu a boat and another mile tramp in the woods to find a 

 suitable place to plant the fry in one of the inlets. The 

 place where we did put them was on the same side of the 

 lake as the inlet and not very distant from it, uud probably 

 their distinct— or in other words their inherited— experience 

 led them to the outlet as the nearest running water. 



I think this may have been the case also in the plant in 

 some lake in central or western New York, of which I can- 

 not recall the name, though it has been often spoken of, 

 where I think the plant was directly in the lake, but where 

 the fish were afterward found to have gone down to a lower 

 one. 



In the Sunapee case the fish from their own experience 

 went up to the waters in which they were bred; and in the 

 other cases, relying on then- inherited experience, went down. 



