July 38, 1894.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
ANGLING IN TASMANIA. 
Lecheron, Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania. — Editor 
Forest and Stream: Tasmania, being a singularly well- 
watered country, drained by numerous rivers and streams 
or creeks, tbe waters of which flow over rocky and pebbly 
beds and of the purest description, is peculiarly adapted to 
salmon and trout. A great number of the rivers and 
creeks have been stocked with brown trout and California 
trout, and recently the Loch Leven trout has been intro- 
duced into our lakes. 
The California trout turned into the creeks we have 
found do not thrive, and are better adapted for the lakes; 
but the brown trout have done remarkably well and have 
attained larger dimensions than in any other country in 
the world where they have been introduced. I have had 
some excellent sport with this fish. On one occasion, with 
a friend of mine, I camped out on this river one night 
and started to fish at daylight on Christmas. We fished 
up stream till late in the afternoon, and took over four 
dozen between us, averaging lib. 
I am sorry to say that there is one serious enemy to the 
trout — i. e., a large black cormorant, which devours them 
in an alarming manner. At one time the Government 
offered a bonus for the destruction of this bird, but I 
regret to say that it did not keep it up long enough. 
The center of our island colony is one great plateau, 
with an average elevation above sea level of 2,000ft., and 
is bordered with bold and rocky mountains, rising to an 
altitude of 4,700ft. A description of the scenery in these 
wild parts is beyond my powers. On this plateau are four 
or five large lakes, the largest being some ninety odd miles 
in circumference and ten broad, and about twenty fath- 
oms deep. Some very large salmon and trout have been 
taken with a spinner in one lake, notably the Great 
Lake. 
Sir Bo her t Hamilton, our late Governor, who was a 
great fisherman, on a trip to this lake, captured eighteen 
fUh, averaging 121bs. ; and last year a party of three or 
four gentlemen caught over 4001bs. weight of fish between 
them, some of the fish running as high as 181bs. 
I must not omit the fact that there is to be had good 
snipe and duck shooting in the vicinity of the lakes. Any 
American sportsmen arriving in Tasmania will find 
obliging and courteous gentlemen who know these lakes 
well and would be happy to give them any information 
they require as regards a trip. It is necessary to take out 
a license for salmon or trout fishing. As Tasmania is as 
little known by its own inhabitants as it is by the people 
of the neighboring colonies, it is easy to imagine that it is 
so little known to Americans, but I am glad to state the 
colony is now taking steps toward advertising one of the 
most charming islands in the world, with a temperate cli- 
mate and everywhere abounding in magnificent sceneiy. 
For the past three summers there have been a great 
number of visitors to Tasmania from all the colonies, but 
not one-half of them visit the more beautiful and wilder 
parts, simply for the reason that there is no communica- 
tion to them and no accommodation when they get there. 
If it were not the case we would have a much larger in- 
flux of visitors and thereby derive a great benefit. 
Of the indigenous river fishes of Tasmania, one is the 
bx-eam or golden bream, a fish usually to be found in the 
brackish waters of tidal rivers at their entrance to the 
sea. With this fish I have had some exceUent sport. 
Not far from my home, on the northeast coast, is situ- 
ated the Scamander, which is a fine, broad, deep river as 
far as the salt water reaches, some six or eight miles from 
the mouth, and there I have had some fine days fishing. 
The best bait for bream is a small mud crab found in 
thousands on the mud flats when the tide is out. When 
they are biting well catches of seven or eight dozen can 
be made, some of the fish weighing 4lbs. In this river are 
to be found several other species of fish, such as the native 
salmon and mullet. The former is a fish more like, a 
mackerel than anything else I know of, but larger. The 
best way to catch tliese is by spinniug for them out of a 
boat. V. M. 
WHY HE WAS GLUM. 
Asbury Park, N. J.— It was Brower— Brower, the im- 
maculate fisherman, with whom I have fished night and 
day, through wet and dry, and at all seasons when fish 
were biting good and when they bit not. I have fed him 
from my lunch basket, skinned his eels, and dug up half 
an acre of ground by moonlight looking for bait. But 
the die is cast, for the chain of friendship is no stronger 
than its weakest link, and my weakness shows when the 
other fellow is getting all the fish. 
That is the cause of our coluness. I met him last 
Friday night jusfc at dark, trudging homeward, armed 
with rod and reel, and carrying his huge fish basket, 
which seemed to be enormously heavy, for his shoulder 
had assumed a decided sag. The instant he recognized 
me, he showed extreme embarrassment, and tried to 
avoid me by turning down a street leading directly 
away from his home, simultaneously starting to whistle 
in his shrillest tone a selection from the "Mikado." 
"Brower," I sang out, " which way have you been and 
where are you going?" No response. "Brower," I 
shouted, "I want you to stand and deliver." Seeing that 
escape was impossible, he faced about, keeping his basket 
on the side opposite from me, and viewing with apparent 
alarm my near approach. "Well, what luck?" I asked, 
"why don't you out with it?" 
"Been out gathering mushrooms," he ejaculated, "and 
they are heavy, too. Guess I'll set my basket down." 
And suiting the action to the word he deposited the basket 
on the sidewalk, instantly plumped himself down on one 
of the fids, and closing himself like a jackknife placed 
his feet on the other lid with an I'll-stay-here-all-night 
expression in his eye. 
"Brower," I said, softly, "people don't gather mush- 
rooms with rod and reel; neither do they when on that 
mission wear a bait box pinned to their side. If you have 
something you're ashamed of, why didn't you leave it or 
bury it where it was?" 
All this while I had been working my knee to a firm 
position against the handle of his basket; and with a 
sudden lurch I sent h i m and basket both on their side; 
and as he scrambled to his feet a fine black bass fell from 
his coat tail pocket, while from each compartment of the 
basket heads and tails of bass began protruding. In- 
stantly the truth dawned upon me — he had been to Sun- 
set Lake, and he had good evidence of his skill. "Brower!" 
I said, "is this right? Is it brotherly?" At the same time 
I took count of his fish— four, six, eight — "when you 
know that these same fish have been hugged in anticipa- 
tion during the past long winter. HowSeger, Hamilton, 
Edge, Savage, Scott and myself have gloated over what 
sport we should have, and now you in one fell swoop 
clean out the lake [ten, twelve]? Is.it right, I ask, that 
you should go without taking me along? I wish to re- 
mind you that at your suggestion in the past I have 
slipped out of bed early irf the morning, leaving a hurried 
[fourteen, sixteen] note to my wife to the effect that I 
had taken an early train to the city, and gone to your 
house, put up your clothesline and helped you carry the 
water, and while you sipped your coffee, split up the bil- 
lets of wood too large for you to handle, and all that Mrs. 
B. might let you down easy [eighteen, nineteen]. Twice 
when you have fallen overboard [twenty] I have loaned 
you my dry clothes and stood out in the sun with your 
wet ones on until they dried. Yes, I know you performed 
a kind office for me once [twenty-two], when old Ram- 
sey chased us out of his pear orchard with his bulldog and 
followed us clear across the old peat bog, swearing he 
would lamb seven kinds of fire out of us if he could catch 
us. You led the way manfully, so it was easier for me as 
you cut a beautiful swath through vines and briers 
[twenty-four, twenty-five]; and when we were out your 
face resembled a Chinese puzzle that had played in hard 
luck, so thoroughly had the briers decorated it [and two 
are twenty-seven]," 
Through all the talk he had answered only in mono- 
syllables, and there seemed to be an air of dejection per- 
vading his spirit. 
' ' Will you tell me what the trouble is now?" I re- 
marked. "You should be as happy, as doubtless you are 
proud. No, thank you, I generally catch my own fish." 
"My boy," he said, "I have been foolish," at the same 
time laying his hand on my shoulder and resuming all his 
old-time frankness, ' 'it is my first experience with melan- 
cholia, but it was so aggravating, and I was so sure of 
him." 
"Say no more," I interposed. "It's a case of the big 
fish of the day getting away, I imagine." 
"That's it, that's it, and I did want one more so much," 
and picking up his basket he trundled off in the darkness, 
and as he turned the corner I heard him grumble, "Why 
must a fellow now and then get disappointed?" 
Leo nard Hulit. 
LAKE MINNEWASKA- 
Here are some particulars of a fishing point, sent in re- 
sponse to the inquiry of a correspondent, J. J. B., in a 
recent issue : 
Omaha, Neb. — I am a perfect stranger to you, but I am 
always interested in persons who want information that I 
can give, and I can tell you where you can go and have 
perfect, utter rest. If you want it, royal good fishing and 
the best vacation you and your sisters ever had. From 
Buffalo preferred, you take Western Transit Co.'s steamer 
(or any other line) at Buffalo, for Sault St*\ Marie, con- 
necting there with the L. M. & L. S. T. Co. 's steamer. 
Touching at Marquette, Ashland, etc.; steaming past 
the wonderful Pictured Rocks, you reach finally the city 
of Duluth. If you are all tired out with business cares 
and city life, when you leave Buffalo, you will scarcely 
know yourself when you reach Duluth. Your appetite 
for the delicious Lake Superior whitefish and trout will be 
something awf ul, but you will get all you can eat. 
Do not, however, stop at Duluth. Take the Northern 
Pacific Railroad for Glenwood, Minnesota. At Glenwood 
(Pope county) is Lake Minnewaska — Snowy Water — one 
of the most beautiful of the thousands of beautiful lakes 
for which Minnesota is famous, nine miles long, three 
miles wide, bordered with the loveliest woods and 
surrounded by a beautiful country, which is full of the 
most delightful drives, or a capital place for a cycler. 
This lovely lake has a hard white sand beach and bot- 
tom. Away out, about quarter of a mile, it is very deep; 
but from the edge of the water the bottom is a very gentle 
slope until it suddenly drops. I have waded out (I cannot 
swim) until the water was level with my chin, and I was 
a long way from shore. This lake is full of fish — pike, 
oerch, bass, pickerel, cat, and I do not know what other 
kinds. 
You can imagine what the bathing is in a lake like this. 
The water is beautifully clear and the white sand bottom 
is what gives the lake its name. On the east shore of this 
lake the Y. M. C. A., of Minnesota, have forty acres of 
land, beautifully situated. Here, during the month of 
August, they have then- summer school. They have, I 
think, a dozen or more cottages, which they rent. These 
cottages are, of course, not elaborate— just a neat little 
cottage — a place to sleep or sit when it rains, but rarely 
used under any other circumstances by the majority of 
campers. Mattresses are furnished, and I believe you 
can carry your own blankets and sheets, or rent, just as 
you please, but I am not sure. You can, if you wish, do 
your own cooking. But there is a large dining hall 
where people who don't want to be bothered with cook- 
ing, can find abundant and well-cooked meals. Boats — 
five cents an hour — cheap enough, surely — lots of them, 
big and little— oars or paddle. Drinking 'water — a lovely 
spring near the lake, pure and cold and health-giving. 
This lovely place is one and one-half miles from the 
railroad station at Glenwood, by stago. This stage visits 
the camp every day, bringing mail, if you have it 
addressed in care of the Y. M. C. A. Camp, or you can 
row to Glenwood if you prefer. 
Now, you may not be a Y. M. C. A. man, and you may 
think you would not enjoy your vacation with them. 
Let me tell you the young men of the Y. M. C. A., of 
Minnesota, who bring their wives and sisters and friends 
to this summer camp are as fine a lot of young men as 
you will find anywhere. Jolly, happy, helpful, good 
company — you could not find a better place to take your 
sisters, for they will find the wives and sisters of these 
young men. You will all have good company, good boat- 
ing, fishing, driving cycling, good and abundant food, 
well-cooked. 
They have meetings, but you need not attend if you do 
not wish, and you will be treated just as well. The sum- 
mer I was there, there was a gentleman who came en- 
tirely for rest. He was all tired out. He never attended 
a meeting. He was up and away early in the morning — 
fished all day, and returned at night. He was welcomed. 
It is liberty hall, and the pursuit of rest, health and 
happiness reigns supreme. It is one of the chief con- 
siderations, and you get all three. I spent two weeks 
there — I was completely tired out and thin when I went 
there (to visit my sister), I was up every morning at 4 
A. M., fished (from a boat) until breakfast, after breakfast 
rowed until dinner time, after dinner we generally lay 
around in hammocks until 3:30 or 4, when we went into 
the water for an hour or more. Then a good run on the 
beach on coming out of the water, then supper; then 
everybody went rowing until bed-time. This was my 
programme for two weeks, and in that two weeks I 
gained lOlbs. of flesh, a fresh flow of spirits which (alas) 
has had to last me ever since. 
You can have any amount of fun, even in a Y. M. C. A. 
camp. You can go in July if you wish, and stay as long 
as you wish. You won't find much style, as these people 
go there to rest and have a good time and they leave their 
good clotheB and jewelry at home, except a traveling 
dress. It is the cleanest place I ever saw. You can't 
get dirty in the pure white sand of the beach. It is clean, 
healthful, restful, quiet, lovely. 
I cannot tell you terms, but if you will write to 
William Francis, Secretary Y. M. C. A., Minneapolis, he 
can tell you all about it. 
You may think I am very enthusistic — so will you be 
if you try it. I am not interested at all in the Y. M. C. A. 
camp, but I am interested because I believe I know of 
just the place you want to go. F. N. W. 
BLACK BASS IN KANKAKEE. 
Kankakee, 111. — The coroner of Kankakee county is 
quite an expert fisherman, and knows every hole and 
spot in the Kankakee River within ten miles of this beau- 
tifully situated city, where one can tempt the bass; so it 
was with pleasure I agreed to go with him for a couple of 
hours' sport. We started early in the morning, going 
about five miles down the river to "Little Canada." 
It is an ideal spot for bass. Willrnan soon had on his 
waders and was out as far as he could wade comfortably, 
and near a hole where he knew the bass made their head- 
quarters, while I had to content myself with a pair of hip 
boots which would not allow me to get quite near enough. 
The current ran so swift that it was hard to throw my 
minnow so it would float near the desired spot, while 
Willrnan was where he could reach them nicely. Soon 
he had a nice fib. hass on his hook which went through 
more evolutions than you could see at a country dance on 
the Fourth of July. The fisherman's eyes would sparkle 
and I could see him grow six months younger with every 
bite. I asked him if he enjoyed it better than eating 
mince pie. His emphatic acquiescence seemed to express 
his feelings fully. He soon had half a dozen nice bass on 
his string, while I had not a bite. I told him to catch a 
dozen as soon as he could, so I might have a chance; and 
he did catch exactly 12 without moving 20ft. Then I 
moved down to another hole and at the first cast caught a 
nice one. My yell of delight to Willrnan apprising him 
of my good fortune probably scared all the fish in the 
river, as neither of us could get another. We were well 
pleased with our catch of a baker's dozen, running $ to 
fib., although Willrnan caught the dozen. Only two 
weeks before Will man's eight-years-old son had caught 
five bass in the same place. He is a "chip off the old 
block," and enjoys fishing as well as his father. Some 
ten days later Willrnan caught six bass where he had 
caught his dozen. 
If any one wants to get up that "tired feeling," also an 
appetite, let him carry a lunch, pair of hip boots, coat and 
rod on a bicycle, also carry a minnow bucket in one hand 
half full of water, leaving only one hand to steer by; and 
ride five miles uphill and down on roads far from smooth, 
and face a strong head wind all the way home, coming 
home without a fish — the worst part of it. 
Several rainy days there have been some good strings 
of small rock bass taken off the dam and some good 3 and 
41bs. bass and pickerel up the river two or three miles 
among the islands. 
In the spring there is generally good fishing: at the dam, 
some large fish being caught. Last spring Mr. Willrnan 
caught, early one morning, two catfish that weighed 
exactly 81bs. each — must have been twins. He had con- 
siderable sport with one of them, his victim being C. n. 
Smith, who was then superintendent of the I. I. & I. Ry. 
Mr. Smith seeing the fish, wanted to go with Mr. Will- 
man in the afternoon and try his skill. Mr. Willrnan 
slipped the head of one of the catfish into his pocket, in- 
tending to slip it on to Smith's line if opportunity offered. 
They had fished for some time, but with no success until 
Mr. Smith said he believed he would go to his buggy a 
couple of rods away and get some new bait. Willrnan 
told him that would be a good plan. This gave him the 
desired opportunity and he slipped the head on to the 
hook. When Smith returned he noticed that something 
was on his line and thought he had one sure. Willrnan 
told him to "play" him, as he thought it was a big one by 
the size of the nose, which kept bobbins; up in the water. 
Smith was all excitement for a few minutes until he 
pulled it out of the water. Then the "audible" smile 
from Willrnan, with a remark that he had pulled the 
head right off opened his eyes to the sell. 
The best fishing for bass is reported to be east of here 
about three or four miles, near Waldron, in season. 
A Reader. 
Mak-saw-ba Bass. 
Chicago, July 16. — I have been fishing in the Mak-saw- 
ba Club waters. Considering the earliness of the season 
the fishing is good, as we (A. D. Wiggins and myself) 
caught thirty-two black bass, nine wall-eyed pike and five 
pickerel. The bass ran from a pound to 4-£lbs. , and were 
nice pan fish at that. The pike and pickerel run larger 
and are delicious when baked by Mrs. Pease, the superin- 
tendent's wife. If one got no fish it would well repay 
him to go to Mak-saw-ba and eat one of the good dinners 
prepared by her. Superintendent I. N. Pease is as nice a 
man as one meets in a long time, courteous and ever try- 
ing to please his guests. 
We fished only two days, as the wind was not promis- 
ing. Mr. Card was down two days and caught twenty- 
two and twenty-four bass. Mr. Kinney came down 
Wednesday and in two days caught sixty -four fish, mostly 
bass and wall-eyes. 
I would not be without Fobest and Stream for twice 
the price of subscription, as I welcome its coming with 
happy anticipations of the good things to follow. 
A. H. Rich. 
