278 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
(April 4, l«u6. 
their game fishes, market fishermen are continually fish- 
ing along the sloughs on both sides of the Mississippi 
through the whole length of the States of Missouri and 
Illinois. This is a great source of destruction of game 
fishes, as these netters not only take large fish, but also 
the small. It is no unusual thing to see on Thursdays 
along Union Market, in this city, rows of wagons from up 
and down the river containing fish caught in this manner. 
Ostensibly they only contain catfish, buffalo and carp, 
but generally in the front of the wagon the shrewd buyer 
can find a supply of bass, croppies and sunfish. We 
recently noted in one of the wagons large strings of game 
fish which really were mere minnows and must have been 
of last year's spawning. It hardly seems credible that 
such small fish could find sale, but they seem to find pur- 
chasers somewhere. 
So far as we are aware, there is nothing being done of 
any moment to prevent the continued destruction of fish 
in the waters of this State. "We have a most excellent 
game law and game commission, but with that great 
amount of intelligence which is often shown by State 
legislators, not a cent of money was appropriated for the 
enforcement of the game laws; consequently they are a 
dead letter. If there was any way to reach the people of 
the State to educate them to the great loss the State is 
sustaining on account of the destruction of game fishes, a 
sentiment might be created which would force the Legis- 
lature to make an appropriation to enforce the statutes. 
The Missouri Fish Commission is doing some work in re- 
stocking waters, but this will amount to little as long as 
the destruction is permitted to continue. What this State 
must have if game fishes are to be preserved is an enforce- 
ment of the present law and the enactment of a close 
season. As it is now fish are taken before and during the 
spawning Beason, which prohibits all chance for the 
natural replenishing of stock. There are intelligent fish- 
ermen who do not know that to take a black bass even 
after spawning means the destruction of the young fish, 
for they are not aware of the guardianship which young 
bass must have before they can shift for themselves. 
We have but briefly outlined what is going on in this 
State, and we only wish that Forest and Stream had the 
power to create a sentiment in this State which would put 
an end to the present disgraceful conditions — not only as 
to game fish, but game of all kinds. Aberdeen. 
St. Louis, Mo., March 20. 
PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION. 
The annual reunion of the Pennsylvania Fish Protec- 
tive Association last evening at 1020 Arch street was of 
unusual interest because of the universally expressed 
opinion in favor of a central State organization, composed 
of the members of the local societies. Among the invited 
guests were State Senators Penrose and Baker and Repre- 
sentatives John M, Scott, William F. Stewart, John H. 
Fow and J. B. Goentner; Alfred Craft, President of the 
Norristown Fish and Game Protective Association ; H. G. 
Unger, Secretary of the same organization; Dr. W. B. 
Shaner, President of the Pottstown Fish and Game Protec- 
tive Association; Professors Christine and Dolley; the 
Rev. Dr. Fulton and Dr. George W. Massamore, Secretary 
of the Maryland State Game and Fish Protective Asso- 
ciation. 
The table was laid in true piscatorial style. There was 
fish carved from ice and fish patterned in sliced lemons. 
Grace was said by the Rev. Dr. Hart, and the address of 
welcome was made by H. O. Wilbur, President of the 
Association. 
Henry C. Ford, President of the Pennsylvania Fish 
Commission, was unable to be present, owing to ill health, 
but sent a paper, in which he said : 
"In the last decade the most valuable of the State 
fisheries— the shad fishery — has signally shown the worth 
of artificial propagation by an increase in value from less 
than $1UO,000 to over $500,000 annually— a result clearly 
traceable to the abolition of fish baskets in the Delaware, 
to the merits of a protective patrol of the river, and the 
advantages of annual artificial restocking. Lake Erie 
shows likewise a similar increase in the value of her great 
fisheries — a marked contrast to the decadence of the 
fisheries of Ontario, where there is no artificial propaga- 
tion. Our mountain trout streams that were fast failing 
in natural production from evident causes again afford 
pleasure and profit to the angler and the farmer, a result 
owing to the liberation in their spring-like waters of the 
progeny reared in the State hatcheries. 
"There is no longer a question as to the results of the 
Fish Commission's work. Its utility and desirability 
are acknowledged by those who were once its determined 
enemits— who sought to counteract its protective enact- 
ments in legislative halls. 
"The Pennsylvania Commission, from its three 
hatcheries, now liberates in the waters of the State over 
100,000,000 of fish annually, and this spring from its com- 
pleted shad hatchery at Bristol hopes to largely increase 
that number, besides giving the assurance of a permanent 
propagation of shad in the future for the Delaware and 
Susquehanna. If, however, the Pennsylvania Fish Com- 
mission has done good work for the State, the outcome 
of that work needs fostering care and protective in- 
fluences. 
"To those of our legislators here to-night we would ap- 
peal to remedy this neglect in the future, so that with 
adequate protection throughout the entire State the Com- 
mission's work may be no longer neutralized by illegal 
devices or unlawful fishing. 
"The Commission has gladly observed the rapid increase 
of fish protective associations throughout the State. These 
societies, like your own, have interested themselves in 
our work, and in their respective localities have made 
protection possible and popular. The thought has 
occurred in this connection that a State association, com- 
posed possibly of delegates from each local association, 
would form a body which, collectively, would influence 
legislation in favor of fish protection and the enlargement 
of the work of the Fish Commission." 
A. M. Spangler, one of the oldest members of the Asso- 
ciation, spoke strongly in favor of the formation of a cen- 
tral organization. He believed that the confederation of 
the local organizations had now become imperative. He 
thought that in this way as much more could be done in 
shaping legislation as the local organizations have done 
by their individual efforts. He paid a high tribute to the 
local organizations and traced their history. 
Senator Baker said that very few people except those 
who come in contact with legislation know what their 
representatives have to contend with in laboring for fish 
protection. As an illustration, he said the Supquerhanna 
River is one of the bpst fishing streams in the State, nat- 
urally, yet many of the counties on this river are the bit- 
ter enemies of the Fish Commission. "The people there 
want to catch the festive eel," he continued, "and resent 
the framing of any laws whatever for fish protection. 
We need national legislation. Congress should, be ap- 
pealed to to forbid the erection of fish baskets or any such 
contrivances in any river passing through two or more 
States." 
Mr. Baker said that the greatest enemy to fish in the 
State of Pennsylvania is the dynamiting Italian, to meet 
whose particular depredations a bill was passed at the in- 
stance of Representative William F. Stewart at the last 
session of the Legislature. The next most destructive 
agency is the manufacturer who pollutes the water, yet 
such is their influence that when brought to book in the 
courts the law books show that scientists are found who 
swore to the purity of that self-same polluted water. 
"We need organization to educate the people. 
We need the aid of the press. There are legis- 
lators elected for the sole purpose of defeating 
the work of the Fish Commission. Once they would 
have succeeded, save for the influence of the Phila- 
delphia Ledger and the good sense of Governor Pattison, 
and for this both deserve the undying gratitude of 
anglers. The Ledger has done a splendid work for fish 
protection and the education of the people in this direc- 
tion. I say frankly that it was almost wholly through its 
efforts that vicious fish legislation was defeated in the 
last Legislature, and the passage of good measures made 
possible. A pamphlet written for the Fish Commission 
for distribution at the World's Fair in Chicago by one of 
the members of its staff is one of the best educational 
works of the kind ever issued and should be read by every 
man in the State." 
Dr. George Massamore told of the organization of the 
Fish Protective Association in Maryland. He spoke of 
the deplorable condition of the fishing industry in the 
State and the efforts made to have protective laws en- 
acted. A measure for the protection of black bass was 
passed on Wednesday night. The Legislature has created 
the position of game warden, and a bill to clear the Sus- 
quehanna River and Chesapeake Bay of fish baskets is 
under consideration. 
Representative Stewart praised the work of the Associa- 
tion, He said that had it not been for the work of that 
organization, undoubtedly the fishing in the waters of the 
State would have been much worse than it is. He advo- 
cated the formation of a central organization. He 
thought further that the various fish protective associa- 
tions should form auxiliary societies in those counties 
along the Susquehanna in which the work of the Fish 
Commission is antagonized. The eastern and northwest- 
ern parts of Pennsylvania are in fairly good shape in re- 
gard to fish protection. It is only along the Susquehanna 
River that the people are ignorant as to their best interests, 
and auxiliary organizations would certainly do good. 
A meeting of the executive committee of the Fish Pro- 
tective Association will shortly be held to take steps to- 
ward the organization of a central association. — Philadel- 
phia Ledger, March 29, 
ANGLING NOTES. 
The Sportsmen's Exposition. 
The Sportsmen's Exposition at Madison Square Garden 
will have been so thoroughly written up in the columns of 
this journal that it will be superfluous for me to say any- 
thing about it, I imagine; and, furthermore, I saw so lit- 
tle of it in detail that perhaps I am treading on dangerous 
ground to say anything, for I have found since I came from 
the show that there were many things there which I 
might have seen had I gone to the places where they were 
displayed. 
It may not have been the proper thing to do, to sit in 
the Forest and Stream office section and visit with old 
friends and talk fish, fishing and fishculture, when there 
was so much to be seen elsewhere; but that is what I did 
chiefly. I did one exhibit thoroughly, and one exhibit I 
missed entirely, if it was there. The fishing tackle dis- 
plays I did inside and out, and was impressed with two 
things: the artificial flies and a fly- rod. I saw flies dressed 
closer to nature than I ever saw before in an exhibit of 
American flies. They were neater, finer and better coun- 
terfeits of natural flies than is customary for our flymakers 
to produce, judging from my personal experience. That 
may indicate that our tackle dealers of themselves have 
arrived at a higher state of perfection in fly dressing, or 
it may indicate that as our trout become more wary from 
their acquaintance with the angling man they require a 
close imitation of a real fly to lure them, instead of a 
nightmare in feathers, silk and tinsel. I saw flies exhib- 
ited at the show that were in every respect equal to the 
finest English, Scotch or Irish flies, both in workmanship 
and design, and that is as much as any man can say in 
praise of artificial flies, no matter where they are made; 
for in Britain they have been in the business since before 
tha Pilgrims landed, and naturally know how to do it. 
The rod that pleased me was a six-strip wood rod. 
Made in six strips, glued together longitudinally like a 
split bamboo, the strips being of greenheart and lance- 
wood placed alternately, the rod had great powers for 
casting and in resistance. The rod was so perfectly 
balanced and the action so evenly adjusted that altogether 
it seemed to be an ideal rod, and as I held it in my hand 
I longed for a line, reel and trout to try it. 
I know that seven or eight different members of the 
staff of Forest and Stream were engaged in writing up 
what the show had to offer in the way of exhibits, and as 
it will be as thoroughly done as space will permit, I will 
refer only to one exhibit that was missing, or if there I 
did not find it, and in this I was not alone. I expected to 
see an exhibit of food stuffs in portable form for sports- 
men, and it was perhaps my one disappointment that I 
did not. In English sportsmen's journals it is as much a 
feature of the advertising columns to display what is fit 
for a sportsman's stomach as it is to mention where he 
can get bis rods, guns, dogs, boats, clothing, boots, face 
grease, gloves, hats, etc., but not so over here. Read the 
advertising columns of Forest and Stream for instance, 
and the only thing one finds mentioned for the inner man 
is a cocktail. Bnt how about the other courses, the soup 
and game pies, and dessicated and desecrated things in 
tins and capsules and wafers and pills that go into your 
pack or pocket and sustain life luxuriantly for from seven 
to thirty days at so much per pill or wafer? The light but 
filling food is what the sportsman of to-day wishes to 
know about, and the place to tell it is where sportsmen 
flock together, and if they are not gregarious at a sports- 
men's show, where are they? 
Only last September I had to wait twenty-four hours 
for a barrel of pork to be brought over the portage to the 
club house where I was fishing in Canada, and ever since 
I have been hoping to find that some one had been able to 
dessicate pork so one could carry in one's pocket enough 
for three meals in a country where trout swim in herds. 
Now having called attention to the omission of an exhibit 
of sportsmen's food stuffs, I trust no one will say it was 
there concealed in one of the departments. 
Steelhead Trout for New York. 
The United States Fish Commission has assigned to the 
Fisheries, Game and Forest Commission, of New York, 
50,000 eggs of the steelhead trout. The eggs will come 
from the Fort Gaston station in California, and may be 
followed by a second assignment if the number of eggs 
taken at the station will warrant it. The steelhead is per- 
haps the best of the black spotted trout, and is considered 
a gamer fish than the black spotted Rocky Mountain or 
cutthroat trout, as the S neykiss is variously called. This 
will be the first of the steeiueads to come into the State 
for planting in State waters. There are now at the 
Caledonia station a few of the black spotted (neykiss) 
trout hatched last year, and they were the first of the 
species to be hatched by the New York Commission. 
Since the time, nearly thirty years ago, that I caught 
thete fish, the neykiss, in waters where they are nat ve, I 
have been impressed with their good qualities as a game 
and table fish and have desired to have the experiment 
tried of introducing them into Eastern waters. Dr. 
Bean, who is familiar with both species, is of the opinion 
that the steelhead will be more desirable in New York 
waters than the neykiss, which I have found in our 
markets sold as brook trout. 
Caddis Flies for Fish Food. 
A correspondent writes me as follows: "I noticed some 
time ago in the Churchman, I think, that th« New York 
Fisheries, Game and Forest Commission gave away fish 
food in the shape of crayfish, fresh-water shrimp and 
flies of the caddis worm. As I do not live in New York 
State, I wish to know if the Commission has authority to 
sell the caddis fly and upon what terms per thousand. 
What does the fly look like before it is afly^when it is in 
the larval state?'' 
The Fisheries, Game and Forest Commission furnishes 
fish or fiBh food only for the public waters of the State. 
It furnishes neither one nor the other for private waters in 
the State or out of it, and it does not sell anything in the 
way of fish, fish fry, fish eggs or fish food. It does not 
furnish the caddis worm or dy to anyone, nor does it cul- 
tivate either. 
It is, however, a simple matter to transfer the larvae of 
the caddis fly from waters where it exists to waters where 
it does not. There are several species of caddis worms, 
and nearly all build cases or sheaths to envelop them in 
the larval stage. To quote from Re tutnur, "The body of 
these larvas is lodged in a silken tube, to the outside of 
which are fastened fragments of different substances se- 
lected for the purpose of strengthening and defending it. 
The sheaths may be quite irregular, rough and prickly, 
or smooth and symmetrical. When the old sheath be- 
comes too narrow or too short the larva makes a fresh one. 
Sometimes the new sheath differs more from the cast-eff 
one than our dress of to-day differs from that of our 
grandfathers. * * * They employ very different ma- 
terials and the kind of material largely affects the dress 
which they put on. They make use of whole or nearly 
whole le ives, bits of leaves, or little sticks and straws. 
Others use reeds, roots, grains of sand gravel, or the shells, 
of water snails and bivalves — in short, all the materials 
which can be found in water are employed by particular 
caddis worms. In some sheaths one only of these mate- 
rials is employed, and these are the most neatly 
constructed. In other sheaths a number of different 
materials are made us^ of, so that the larva is dresstd, so 
to speak, in rags and tatters, and its covering is altogether 
shapeless." One entomologist wishing to watch a caddis 
worm removed it from its sheath and placed it in water 
with bits of mica, and it quickly constructed a case from 
the mica through which its movements could be observed. 
"Each sheath is a hollow cylinder with an opening at 
each end. The fore end, out of which the head and six 
limbs can be passed, is wide. The hinder end is narrow 
and closed with a circular silken plate with a hole in it." 
Some caddis worms creep along the bottom of a stream, 
but others load their cases so heavily with gravel that they 
never move. At best, the larva is a poor swimmer, and 
to move at all they usually creep, hence the name 
"creeper" applied to the caddis and May-fly larvasby the 
anglers in England. The caddis worm has at its hinder 
end two hooks projecting outward by which it holds itself 
in its case should an attempt be made to remove it. 
Reiumur says the cases of gravel and sand are the most 
difficult to construct, and yet a caddis worm will make 
one in five or six hours. In a trout pond on the top of a 
mountain in Vermont I saw the bottom literally paved 
with caddis worm cases of this description, and the trout 
in the pond were perhaps the finest flavored I ever ate. 
Trout eat caddis worms, cases and all, and a French 
scientist has told (and I repeated it in Forest and Streak 
years ago) how many caddis worm cases he found in the 
stomach of a single trout. My recollection is that it was 
over 200. 
When the larva of the caddis passes to the pupa stage 
it reconstructs its case and it is generally shorter than be- 
fore. The pupa emerges from its case, climbs up the 
water weeds or stones until it gains the air, and throws 
off the pupal skin. When liberated it swims about easily, 
but with its back downward, and the fly escapes from the 
floating pupa. The fly has four wings, and wings and 
body have a hairy appearance, as though fringed with 
short hairs. 
"The eggs of caddis flies are laid in water or on water 
plants, or on trees overhanging a stream, or sometimes far 
from the water. They are often of green color, and are 
laid many together in a mucilage which swells out as soon 
as it comes in contact with water, forming a cylindrical 
egg rope, or in some cases a flat disc." 
To transfer the caddis fly for the purpose of furnishing 
