428 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



|May 19, 1894. 



Mr. D. S. Kimball, a noted angler, in a very creditable 

 and interesting article on fly-fishing published in one of 

 our magazines some time ago, gives the following 

 example in the same line. He says: 



"I remember one August day in '84, when I had taken 

 my guide, Wm, Smith, and gone below the dam to fish as 

 far down as the falls, and, in my haste, had carelessly put 

 the wrong flies in my pocket, so that when I had reached 

 the first pool where flies could be used, found I had a lot 

 of dark and refuse ones. The only thing I could do was 

 to make the best of a bad job, and tried my stock faith- 

 fully, and with not a single rise. As a last resort I put on. 

 as stretcher-fly, a dilapidated yellow Sally which had 

 seen very much better days— wings eaten off to a stump, 

 legs gone and body moth eaten — and yet the trout rose to 

 it at almost every cast, until I was "broke," and lost poor 

 Sally. At any rate, I got quite a few trout, and this on a 

 hot morning, with a bright sun, and the water clear 

 and without a ripple. In July, '90, 1 had somewhat the 

 same experience with bright flies on the same river, at the 

 head of the meadow just below the Alders, where, on a 

 hot, a very hot day, and the water as smooth as glass, my 

 scarlet-ibis, red-hackle and yellow-dollie were risen to con- 

 tinually, and I have found that a white-miller or a coach- 

 is as useful, when the fish are on, throughout the day as 

 they are at other waters morning or evening." 



My advice to all anglers is to have their fly-books well 

 filled with a choice and varied "assortment. My bill for 

 flies last season— and this was only for re-stocking— 

 amounted to over $50, and though I used but few I found 

 it a great satisfaction to know that I could offer Mr. S. 

 fontinalis a bill of fare out of which he could assuredly 

 find something to suit either his greedy or fastidious 

 palate, be it on a bright or dark day, in storm or calm, 

 and furthermore, in such mouthfuls as he desired, for the 

 size of the tempting lures ran from the minimum to the 

 maximum, from a No. 12 to a 2-0 sproat. Stint yourself 

 in anything else but your tackle, and let that not only be 

 ample but of the very best, "and don't you forget it." 



After the capture of the last trout we returned to camp, 

 Ned declining any further attempt to lure. He was satis- 

 fied I had caught the one that had broken away with our 

 flies, and therefore his interest in the contest had entirely 

 ceased. There are few better or more unselfish anglers 

 than Ned, and if he would only drop his idiosyncrasies 

 relative to flaming and bushy flies, would make an in- 

 comparable record, but as he delights in his own handi- 

 work, as did Tubal Cain who, it is said, fashioned the first 

 fish hook, we will leave him to his feathery idols with 

 our best wishes in his attempted rivalry of the artistic 

 fly-makers. Alex. Starbuck. 



[TO BE CONTINUED.] 



The Channel Catfish in Texas. 



Waco, Texas, April 28.— This is one of our gamiest 

 fishes. It is in all our waters southwest of the Red River 

 of Texas. It is equal in fighting qualities to the black 

 bass. It is with us much superior to the bass in edible 

 qualities. Many do not know of the characteristic differ- 

 ence between the channel cat and the blue catfish. The 

 channel cat has a distinct lateral line, above which the 

 color is light blue. The fins are nearly white. The sides 

 are light bluish. The abdomen is of a satiny white. The 

 head is narrow for a catfish. Mouth one-half as large as 

 of an ordinary catfish. The eyes are not elevated above 

 the orbital bone. The contour of the body is more deli- 

 cate or slender than that of an ordinary catfish. Tail 

 very forked. There are small black spots both above and 

 below lateral line all along the body of an inky color, 

 about one or two lines in width. When you capture it, 

 it utters several croaky grunts. On skinning it there is 

 revealed a salmon color layer of flesh on each side of 

 spinal column, which is characteristic. It never in our 

 waters weighs over 51bs. 



It feeds mostly on the bottom, and will take either 

 worms or minnows or grasshoppers. At the head of 

 swift-running, narrow pools is the best place for its cap- 

 ture. It does not rise in its play above the water as does 

 the bass. But in staying fighting qualities it is equal to 

 the bass. It never stays in lakes or lagoons, but is found 

 always in running water. If you will compare the fish 

 with our blue cat the difference is at once apparent. The 

 blue cat does not grunt or croak on capture, runs in 

 weight up to 201bs., has a deeper blue color, with lateral 

 line less distinct, the eyes are larger and are elevated 

 above the orbit bone, head is broader and mouth twice 

 as large and has not that delicate or feminine appearance 

 of the channel cat. Its tail is less acutely forked. There 

 is no golden color to the layer of flesh along the spine, 

 and the flavor is rather rancid, somewhat similar to ran- 

 cid butter. 



I have never known the channel cat to take the fly, but 

 it will often strike the spinner. 



To call more attention to this much neglected because 

 unknown fish is the object of these few lines. 



J. Walter Cock, M.D. 



California Fly-Casting Tournament. 



San Francisco, Cal., May 4.— The Midwinter and Ex- 

 position fly-casting tournament was held to-day under 

 very successful weather conditions on Stow Lake, in 

 Golden Gate Park. Many spectators were present; indeed, 

 the public interest shown was such as deserved a more 

 numerous attendance of competitors. Col. George C 

 Edwards managed the affair, assisted by Messrs. W. J. 

 Golcher and E. T. Allen. Judge Hunt was referee. The 

 records are as follows: 



Single-handed fly-casting for distance.— Hooks not larger than 

 No % V B }£gle gut leader, 6 to Oft., rod not exceeding lift. : Harry Bab 

 ot*™^ \f; ^ iQt " 81< £ ; H - Skinner ' 75ft -; H- Batter; 70b£ Geo. 

 ming 64ft ' g6 0ammm Z' 74ft - Tie: Babcock, 79ft. ; Cum- 



Distance and accuracy.— Rods lift, and under 8oz. Scores- Skin- 

 Fllnt ' >W Babcock, &m Edwards, 62*; CumniLfs, 45* 



Distance, accuracy and delicacy. -Rods 10ft. and not to exceed 

 502 ;.: A. Cutnming 68>&S; Edwards, 62^; Skinner. 49J^ Batter S 



Salmon-caslmg for distance.-l S^Benn, 105ft.; Edwards vst ' 

 A UummiDg, 91tt. ' f 



Line-casting for distance and accuracy.— A. D. Avres longest onat 

 *l?t Jin Verag6 G3ft - ; Q - W ' StreU ' Io ^at cast 8^ft '8inTa V ert?e 



i'he Forest and Stream is put to press each week on Tues- 

 day. Correspondence intended for publication should reach 

 US at the latest by Monday, and as much earlier as practicable 



Protection for the Mississippi River. 



Dubuque, la. — Editor Forest and Stream: An associ- 

 ation has lately been incorporated in this city under the 

 name of the Mississippi Valley Game and Fish Protective 

 Association, of which I have the. honor of being president. 



Knowing, as all of us do who live on the hanks of the great 

 river, the reckless, wanton and utterly useless destruction of 

 food fishes by every cunning and murderous device, both 

 ancient and modern, in and out of season, that goes on every 

 day, we believe that public sentiment has at last been edu- 

 cated upito a point where it would favor the enactment of 

 restrictive legislation and the due and proper enforcement of 

 law to prevent the use of seines and other murderous devices 

 for the capture of fish. 



It has been a popular but erroneous belief that the Missis- 

 sippi and Missouri rivers were uDder the exclusive jurisdic- 

 tion of the Federal Government for all purposes, and under 

 this impression the game and fish laws of several States ap- 

 pear to have been enacted. This is especially true as to Iowa, 

 for I find that a section of the fish law reads: "Nothing 

 herein contained shall be held to apply to fishing in the Mis- 

 sissippi, the Missouri or the Big Sioux rivers nor so much of 

 the Des Moines that forms the boundary between the States 

 of Missouri and Iowa." 



This extraordinary exclusion leaves about 400 miles of the 

 Mississippi River extending along the east coast of Iowa 

 without any law or protection whatever, so far as the laws of 

 Iowa are concerned, and permits outrages of every kind to be 

 carried on with impunity: and to such an extent is seining 

 and pound netting carried on, that the so-called professional 

 fishermen have arrived at the same termination as the old 

 woman who killed the goo.=e that laid the golden eegs. 



To settle the question of jurisdiction and bring the bound- 

 ary rivers within the purview of the Iowa laws, this Associ- 

 ation procured the introduction into the Iowa Legislature of 

 two bills, one for the repeal of Section 11, above referred to, 

 and another prohibiting the use of seines, nets, explosives, 

 and all other devices except the hook and line in Iowa waters, 

 boundary rivers included. These bills failed of passage. 



The following correspondence explains itself, and is of such 

 general interest to sportsmen and others that you may deem 

 it of sufficient importance to give it the benefit of your large 

 circulation: 



Jurisdiction Over Inland Waters. 



U. S. Commission op Fish and Fisheries, Washington, 

 D. C, Feb. 16, 1894— Hon. D. B. Henderson, House of 

 Representatives, U. S.: Dear Colonel— I anr- very much 

 obliged to you for your letter of the 14th inst. with inclosures 

 indicating the activity of the sentiment in Iowa in favor of 

 the protection of fisheries. My judgment is that the prac- 

 tical way to secure proper protective measures for the Missis- 

 sippi Riv^r. is by co-operative laws between the States lying 

 along the east and west banks of the river. Up to this time 

 no attempt to exercise control over or regulation of the fish- 

 eries of our interior waters has been made by the general 

 Government. In the case of the Great Lakes, the States 

 bordering on them e>M rcise jurisdiction and enforce State 

 laws up to the State be* :udary line. A year or more ago the 

 question of joint regulation by this Government and that of 

 Canada over contiguous and international waters came up 

 in reference to the fisheries of the Lake of the Woods, a 

 proposition having been made to the Canadian Government 

 looking to the concurrent regulation of the fisheries in this 

 body of water. The conclusion acquiesced in hy the State 

 Department was that the Lake of the Woods, so far as it lay 

 within the boundaries of the United States was within the 

 territorial limits of the State of Minnesota, and that it was 

 the province of the State to regulate its fisheries. Very 

 truly yours, M. McDonald, Commissioner. 



I have only to add that large sums are appropriated by the 

 States of Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa for the 

 maintenance of fish hatcheries, stocking steams, etc. , within 

 their borders. Large numbers of fry and small fishes are 

 placed in the rivers of those States by the various fish com 

 missioners, the large majority of which ultimately find their 

 way into the waters of the Mississippi River, where they fall 

 an easy prey to the professional pirate, who for every mar- 

 ketable fish he catches, beyond question destroys' 100 small 

 ones, and such fish so captured as are not of the game variety, 

 and not so readily salable, he leaves upon the bank to rot and 

 pollute the air. 



Twenty years ago the Mississippi River, from St. Paul to 

 Davenport, at any rate, and I don't know how much lower 

 down, abounded with black bass, silver bass, wall-eyed pike, 

 sunfish, and in fact almost every variety of food fish, game' 

 and otherwise, and an angler could always count upon a 

 royal day's sport. Now they are all but exterminated, and 

 your angler can scarcely get a nibble, even if he have all the 

 modern improvements m the way of tackle. « 



The remedy for all this is the total exclusion of all kinds 

 of seines, nets, etc. Could this be accomplished the Missis- 

 sippi would soon be restored to its former attractive condi- 

 tion, and would afford sufficient sport and pleasure-to thou- 

 sands residing on its banks to whom such boon would be a 

 luxury and a blessing beyond compare, and go far to make 

 pleasure resorts, and infuse new life into the towns and vil- 

 lages along its banks, which at the present time seem to be 

 almost beyond hope of resuscitation. It seems to me that if 

 these towns would turn their attention to protecting the 

 fishes and birds, providing sportsmen and pleasure seekers 

 with fair accommodations at reasonable prices, it would go 

 far to restore in some measure their vanished prosperity. 



Alfred Hobbs. 



The Defeat of the Gilbert Bill. 



Boston, May 8.— Editor Forest and Stream: The Gilbert 

 bill has again been defeated. In addition to his usual fol- 

 lowing Mr. Gilbert had a special advocate this winter in the 

 House and in the Senate. 



The Committee on Fisheries and Game has always been 

 made up in the interest of his pet scheme in part and in 

 part in favor of various other interests. Never in the last 

 four years has there been a committee ready to give an im- 

 partial and candid consideration to the arguments that have 

 tjeen presented every year by the representatives of the Mas- 

 sachusetts Pish and Game Protective Association. 



In one of our dailies. Senator Atwood is reported as saying 

 "The Governor has listened to the alluring strains of the 

 sirens and been led astray. He was caught by the aristo- 

 cratice amateur sportsmen who set their net, and the Gov- 

 ernor was secured in the meshes. The bill, however, will not 

 down. The members of the Massachusetts Game Associa- 

 tion are responsible for the Governor's veto." 



The Association, I think, is not disposed to deny the soft 

 impeachment. 



Your readers may be interested to know the relative 

 strength of the opposing interests. The bill was fought in 

 the House with a good deal of effect, but the opponents of 

 the hill, who were chiefly members from the western por- 

 tion of the State, accepted an amendment by which the four 

 western counties were to be exempted from the application 

 of the bill. The adoption of this amendment practically put 

 an end to opposition in the House. 



In the Senate, the amendment offered by a member of our 

 Association, Senator Gray of Walpole, received eleven votes 

 in favor to eleven against, and President Butler decided it 

 lost. When the bill came up for enactment Senator Gray 



moved to strike out the enacting clause. The vote, on this 

 proposition stood eleven to sixteen. Three senators who 

 voted against the bill last year voted against striking out the 

 enacting clause this year. One of these is thought to have 

 been influenced in favor of the bill by the support given the 

 measure by our newly-appointed commissioner, Mr. Buffing- 

 ton of Worcester. Another represents a district in one of 

 the counties excepted by the House amendment. Had the 

 three members alluded to voted as they did last year the bill 

 could not have been enacted. 



Too much praise cannot be given to Governor Greenhalge 

 for the noble stand he has taken. Our Association and all' 

 friends of game and game fish are justly proud of the tri- 

 umvirate of governors of the old Commonwealth who have 

 conspicuously served the interests of all true sportsmen in 

 sustaining the principle of protection — Governor Robinson, 

 who secured for usthe iron-clad statute for protecting trout 

 in 1876; Governor Russell, who in 1892 vetoed the Gilbert 

 bill; and last, but not least, Governor Greenhalge, who has 

 so grandly recognized the stability of the principles we advo- 

 cate, and the soundness of the arguments put forward by our 

 Association. 



Permit me to ask your readers to recognize in the result of 

 this contest the necessity for organization, and to urge upon 

 them, if they have not done so already, to ally themselves 

 with some sportsmen's organization. 



Individual effort is good so far as it goes, but in these days, 

 when organization and combination and pooling interests is 

 the rule in all enterprises, whether of business, social, or 

 moral movements, or what not, the individual should associ- 

 ate and ally himself with those holding the same views and 

 purposes if he wishes to carry out his cherished aims in any 

 direction. Let every sportsman, then, become a member of 

 some association, if there is one in his neighborhood, if not, 

 let him start one, even if he can not get more than a dozen 

 members. 



One of the most encouraging signs for us is the constantly 

 increasing number of such organizations. Let the good 

 work go on. Henry H. Kimball, Sec'y. 



Mass. Fish and Game Prot. Ass'n. 



Minnesota Fishing Interests. 



Duluth, Minnesota.— State Game and Fish Warden W. P. 

 Andrews, of Minneapolis, was in this city recently from a 

 trip of inspection in the northern part of the State and said 

 that the strictness with which the fish laws have been 

 enforced during the past year has had salutary effects, and 

 that in the northern part of the State where fishing had 

 begun it is reported better than before. At the trout 

 hatchery in St. Paul a new battery has been added and now 

 50,000,000 eggs can be hatched. There are about 44,000,000 

 now hatching. The bass hatchery at Brainerd is proving a 

 success and the commission expects in the course of the next 

 two years to be able to stock all the lakes in the State 

 which have been depleted. 



The Duluth hatchery is beginning to ship fry. Four mill- 

 ion whitefish were shipped last week— 1,000,000 to Iron River, 

 1,000.000 to Flag River, and 2,000,000 to Raspberry Bay, all on 

 the south shore. The balance of the 10,000,000 hatch will be 

 divided between Bayfield, Isle Rovale and Willy's Island, all 

 on Lake Superior. About 30,000,000 pike-perch spawn were 

 brought down from Tower, Minn., bySupt. Wire's assistants. 



Since the mistake of the last Legislature, which practically 

 permits duck shooting at any season, the sentiment against 

 spring shooting of any kind, with the exception of snipe, has 

 grown so strong that Mr. Andrews expects it to be entirely 

 shut off at the next session. 



hmuh 



FIXTURES. 



DOG SHOWS. 



May 30 to June 2.— Alameda County Sportsmen's Association, at 

 Oakland, California. 



Sept. 4 to 7.— Des Moines Kennel Club, at Des Moines, Iowa. M. 

 Bruce. Sec'y. 



Sept. 10 to 14.— Toronto Industrial Exhibition Association, at 

 Toronto. C. A. Stone. Sec'y. 



Sept. 18 to 21.— Rhode Island State Fair Association, at Cranston. R. 

 I. W. W. Dexter, Sec'y. 



FIELD TRIALS. 



Sept. 5.— Manitoba Field Trials Club, at Morris, Man. R. J. Gallaue 

 her, Winnipeg, Sec'y. 



Nov. 5.— United States Field Trial Club, at Bicknell, Ind. P T. 

 Madison, Indianapolis, Ind., Sec'y. 



^ Nov. 6.— Lnternational Field Trials, at Chatham, Ont, W". B. Wells. 



Nov. 23.— Eastern Field Trials Club, at Newton, N. C. W. A. Coster, 

 Saratoga, N. Y.. Sec'y. 



Nov. 28.— Philadelphia Kennel Club, at Newton, N. C. Dr. G. D B. 

 Darby, Philadelphia, Pa., Sec'y. 



LOUISVILLE DOG SHOW. 



May 9 to 12. Entries 54-S, Doers Benched 511. 



If the Louisville Kennel Club never does another thing for 

 dogs, it has conclusively shown that the month of May is too 

 late to hold a dog show so far below the Mason and Dixon 

 line. Another year the same date may be a cool one, but it 

 is a mistake to invite exhibitors to run such a risk again. 

 The first show held by the recently organized Louisville 

 Kennel Club must be chronicled as a success. From the 

 time the show opened, May 9, till a late hour Saturday night 

 the people of Louisville showed their appreciation for a good 

 dog. The first night an excellent lepresentative crowd of 

 Louisville's best society people filled the Armory building. 

 Handsome women predominated, and dressed in their best 

 bib and tucker the scene was a brilliant one. On Thursday 

 night there was a thunder storm and the audience was re- 

 stricted almost entirely to men, but on Friday eveniug the 

 crush almost beggars description; it reminded one of the 

 New York show on Washington's Birthday, and many who 

 managed to squeeze in scarcely got a glimpse of the dogs. The 

 management did not care but simply hugged themselves and 

 Mr. Mundy wore a smile as large as himself. Mr. Mundy is 

 the secretary, and to his untiring exertions from the time 

 the show was first thought of until it closed, its success is due 

 in no small measure, for he has worked hard in its behalf. 

 He assumed too much or found that he had to, for he re- 

 ceived little help the first two days, excepting from Messrs. 

 D. P. Ritchey and Norvin T. Harris. The heat was very 

 trying the first two days, and Mr. Mundy remarked that he 

 must have lost 401bs. in weight, and as he only weighed 

 about 47 anyhow, he looked on things from a serious point 

 of view. 



The local entry was a heavy one, and in many classes more 

 than held its own with the visiting teams A glance at the 

 prize list will show that the quality in many breeds was ex- 

 cellent. 



The Armory building was small for such a large number 

 of dogs, but the benching was well arranged, though many 

 of the smaller breeds were benched along a gallery. One 

 ring was pitched in the center of the hall, and in this Major 

 Taylor judged his classes. From a side door one entered a 

 large inclosed lot, and here Mr. Mortimer did his work in the 

 open, Mr. Williams also availing himself of the unusual op- 

 portunity. The rings, especially Mr. Mortimer's, were not 



