184 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Sept. 1, 1894. 
TEXAS AND THE SOUTHWEST. 
A copious and life-giving rain fell and rejuvenated 
thirty-one counties, comprising the extreme southwest of 
Texas, and put an end to the parching drouth of three 
years' duration. From numbers of localities once famous 
for quail, and from which the birds migrated during the 
dry period, comes the word that the cheery cry of Bob 
White is once more heard in the land. A well-known 
San Antonio sportsman stated last week that he never 
saw so many quail as he did in what is called the black- 
jack district, ten miles south of town. The birds are 
much more plentiful at present writing than for years 
past, and sportsmen of the section are anticipating a 
good time in the field. 
Texas Deer. 
The writer has just returned from a pleasant piscatorial 
journey in the mountain spring streams tributary to the 
Guadalupe River, forty miles northwest of San Antonio. 
Deer were sighted nearly every day, and more than once 
the bamboo was pointed and an imaginary trigger 
pressed. They are very plentiful, an old resident of the 
mountain stating that they "are thicker than for fifteen 
years past." There is plenty of grass and mast, and all 
the springs are doing a lively business, thus assuring an 
abundant water supply for the winter. 
Mitchell's Lake, 
Nine mileR south of San Antonio, which has been as dry 
as a prohibition orator, is now full of water, and good 
bags of bluewings and yellowlegs are made every day by 
the members of the Mitchell's Lake Club (about 75 mem- 
bers). Plover and all kinds of shore birds are beginning 
the initial boring on the coast, and everything points to 
the end of a hot summer and the immediate inauguration 
of a glorious fall. 
Grouse. 
On the fiat prairies between Houston and Eagle Lake 
there has been rare sport on young chickens. The Hous- 
ton boys tried hard to prevent the killing of birds out of 
season, but the country is so large and sparsely settled 
that it is a hard matter to catch the pot-hunting violator 
of the law. Victoria also sends word that chickens are 
plentiful. 
Black Bass. 
The fishing in the Nueces River at Uvalde, Green Lake 
at Victoria, Eagle Lake and the lagoons on the coast near 
Velasco is at its height and bass are captured in large 
numbers. 
Tarpon. 
Everybody catches his or her tarpon this year. Girls, 
boys, men and women, Senators and hoodlums who were 
fortunate enough to go to Corpus Christi, Rockford or 
Aransas Pass and cast lines in the bay were rewarded with 
captures of tarpon, jewfish, stingarees and other denizens 
of the deep, the tarpon fishing particularly being better 
than ever before, everybody landing one or more. It is 
said to be "dead easy" now. Some not fortunate enough 
to catch tbe high-toned fish with costly apparatus "slung" 
clotheslines armed with the commonest hooks and hauled 
the silver king ashore like sacks of potatoes. In fact the 
fishing is so good that the Greek fishermen of the coast 
are in despair, for the sportsmen and sportswomen don't 
buy of them this year. They all catch their own tarpon. 
Five gentlemen asked me to-day why "my friend 
Hough" didn't come after a tarpon. Everybody seeming 
particularly anxious that Forest and Stream be placed in 
possession of facts concerning the good fishing of the 
coast. 
A SadJSpectacle. 
Speaking of the idiotic game laws of our State— the 
greatest game State in the Union — which legalizes the 
murder of deer on August 1, a Mr. Aue of San Antonio 
sends a communication to one of our dailies wherein 
he states that one of his boys went for deer shortly after 
the 1st of August and that he returned with a doe whose 
teats were still wet from the suckling of her fawn. The 
father asked the boy to go out in the vicinity of the kill- 
ing and secure the poor little orphan, which he did. He 
found the half eaten carcass of.tne little fellow. Its pite- 
ous bleating for the motherly breast had attracted a hun- 
gry wolf who lost no time to tear it to pieces. What a 
picture to place before our tender-hearted legislators. 
What a spectacle for the pot-hunting scroundel to con- 
template. Can such men sleep in peace? A. C. G. 
San Antonio, Texas, Aug. 9.— This is written for the 
benefit of brother sportsmen who visit the South and 
Southwest during the fall, winter and spring, especially 
those who visit Texas and as far as San Antonio. If they 
really want a good time with plenty of good shooting and 
fiae fishing they can have it here within a few miles 
of this city on the Gulf shores. Quail are more plentiful 
than we have had them in the last three years. Of plover 
I have never seen so many within ten years. One party 
this week at Sinton on the Aransas Pass R. R. , a few 
miles from this city, killed in one afternoon 73 fat plover. 
Dr. B.uel, of Denver, says he killed plover the other day 
and thinks they must weigh nearly a pound each. Deer 
are killed from eight to fifteen miles out. But for a real 
sportsman's paradise let me tell you where to go for tur- 
key, deer, wild hog, quail, plover, curlew, golden plover, 
snipe, geese, brant and all kinds of duck, where you can 
catch all the fish you want. This is Alazan Bay, forty to 
sixty miles west of Corpus Christi. Come to San Antonio, 
from there you can run down on the Aransas Pass R. r! 
to Alice; there you hire a team to take you via King's 
Ranch to the bay, which is thirty-five to forty miles from 
Alice station. There you can have all the sport you 
want; and you are not bothered by market-hunters and 
game butchers, as they cannot get their spoils to market. 
This is a section that has never been shot, and a good one 
at that, and the expense is nothing to go there. You can 
get accommodations at a good many of the ranches there 
or camp out. The people are kind and hospitable and 
will do anything that is right for you. At San Antonio 
you will find plenty of good, true brother sportsmen who 
are always ready to go with you and do all m their power 
to make it pleasant for you. I write this for the benefit 
of those who spend their winter South and in this section 
— to them I say bring your rod and gun. We have had 
splendid rains here this season, and that means plenty of 
game. Every mother's son of us believes in the Forest 
and Stream platform — stop the sale of game. M. 
Pennsylvania Game Interests. 
Dillinoersville, Lehigh County, Pa.— Editor Forest 
and Stream: In looking over the act for the protection 
of game reported in the House of Representatives of 
Pennsylvania March 10, 1893, 1 find in Sec. 15 the keynote 
of the entire act, in fact, the very keystone of all the acts 
now in force or pending: 
Section 15.— No person, company, firm or corporation shall at any- 
time kill or expose for [sale or have ia possession except while alive 
any of the game herein enumerated, or any part of the sanre with the 
intention of sending or transporting, or having the same sent or trans- 
ported beyond the limits of the State," etc., etc. 
The professional market-hunter is the worst enemy of 
sport and game, and this act does not reach him at all, for 
after game is shipped once within the limits of the State, 
say to Philadelphia or any large city, what is there to 
hinder to have it reshipped out of "the State? Who can 
follow and trace the numerous shipments of game? It is 
an utter impossibility to stop the wholesale slaughter or 
rapid extinction of game in this country except by the 
prohibition not only of the sale or transportation of game 
beyond the limits of this State, but also within the limits 
of the State. This may seem like a very heroic measure, 
but it aims at the very root of the trouble, and it is the 
only remedy that can be applied that will prevent the 
entire extinction of game in the more thickly settled parts 
of the country, and the once numerous game birds will 
soon again be plentiful, instead of being a relic of the 
past, if such an act can be passed, and the professional 
market-hunter will cease to exist, as "Othello's occupa- 
tion will be gone," and the true sportsman, who only finds 
keen pleasure and health in this manly pastime, will rise 
up as one man and call the act blessed. L. W. M. 
" On St. Lawrence Marshes." 
Ontario Game and Fish Commission.— Hamilton, Aug. 
25. — Editor Forest and Stream: In your issue of Aug. 
25 there appears an article from the pen of Frank Law- 
rence Donohue, under the heading, "On St. Lawrence 
Marshes." 
I have no doubt by this time Mr. Donohue has already re- 
gretted the publication of the article in question. Presum- 
ably, Mr. Donohue poses as a sportsman, and therefore a 
gentleman, but his article must place him in a sorry light 
in the eyes of respectable men since he stands self-confessed 
as a violator of the laws which were made to protect the 
game and fish in this Province. 
Mr. Donohue's moral vision must be distorted indeed 
when it causes him glory in his position as a law breaker. 
It is just such disreputable cases as this that tarnish the 
name of the true American sportsmen who visit our Prov- 
ince, and if our game wardens appear to be unnecessarily 
severe in their dealings with foreign sportsmen, these 
gentlemen must thank such men as Mr. Donohue for it. 
If Mr. Donohue intends repeating his visit this fall, and 
will notify me of the time of his arrival, it will afford me 
very great pleasure to teach him a lesson that he will not 
readily forget. 
It is always a pleasure to us to see American sportsmen 
enjoying themselves in our country, but these gentlemen 
must not be confounded with such persons as are repre- 
sented in the person of Mr. Frank Lawrence Donohue. 
A. D. Stewart, Chief Warden for Ontario. 
The country mentioned in their advertisement by Messrs. Schultz & 
Jackson is a good one for sheep, goats and bears. Elk and moose, 
while not so abundant as sheep and goats, occur in fair numbers.— Adv. 
NEW JERSEY COAST FISHING. 
Asbury Park, N. J. , Aug. 24 — Fishing on our coast is 
better than at any period during the past three years. 
September promises all that the angler could wish for in 
the way of weakfish and snappers. Striped bass and king- 
fish are very scarce owing to the ubiquitous pound nets; 
but six bass have beon taken in this vicinity during the 
two weeks just past and but three kingfish. These two 
varieties are regarded as practically extinct in these 
waters. 
I have just returned from a run down to BarnegatBay, 
where I completed arrangements for a week's cruise' 
taking in Forked River, Sunken Ledge Island, Somer's 
Point and Anglesea. While there I fished the night tide 
and took fourteen very fine tide-runners, the heaviest 
444bs. Now that the season for snapper fishing is here, I 
would advise anglers who have never tried the sport to 
keep their trout rods out for a while yet and have a go at 
these superbly game little fellows. With the following 
tackle they furnish excellent sport: A 2-0 ringed Carlisle 
hook with an 8in. section of hair wire which they can- 
not bite off, this fastened to a very small brass swivel, 
which in turn is secured to the line, which' should be 
not heavier than 9-thread in linen or F in silk. 
A small, free-running multiplying reel and a trout rod 
with sufficient backbone to meet the rush with which 
they always take the bait; a 2in. barrel float and a split 
T shot fastened to the wire close to the swivel, complete 
the outfit which in the hands of experience proves deadly 
to the quarry and furnishes exhilarating sport. One 
word as to bait. When possible always procure the 
spearing, or sperling, familiarly known as white bait; 
pass the point of the hook through the mouth out the 
gill opening and back to within half an inch of the tail, 
then through the body. As the snapper always strikes 
at the tail of his prey this gives the greatest certainty of 
capture. As they are a very nomadic fish each school 
covers a wide range. A slick prepared as follows proves 
a strong attraction : Take four or five full size moss- 
bunkers or menhaden, pound them to a mass, inclose in 
a muslin bag and hang them from the side of the boat, 
occasionally agitating, or squeezing, the bag. The exud- 
ing oil produces a slick on the water which passes out 
with the tide, and when met by a school of snappers it 
will be followed to its source, no matter how great the 
distance, and once around the boat they will remain until 
frightened or pursued by larger fish. To the angler who 
has never indulged this pastime and to him who is skep- 
tical I have one word. Try it. Leonard Hulit. 
MICHIGAN'S FAVORED WATERS. 
Nestling within a radius of eight miles of one of the 
most beautiful and picturesque sheets of water in 
Michigan, lie twenty -five other sparkling lakes from whose 
pellucid depths the disciple of Izaak Walton may gratify 
his love for pleasures to his heart's content. 
Crooked Lake, aptly named on account of its peculiar 
shape, is three miles long and one mile wide, the forest 
foliage with its deep green fringe skirting along the shore 
in masses of almost tropical luxuriance. This is the 
center gem so to speak, from which, if a bird's eye view 
were taken, a succession of lovely sheets of water, jewel- 
like in their quiet crystal beauty, would greet the eye in 
every direction. The center of this cluster of lakes lies 
sixty miles west of Saginaw, in the territory tributary to 
the Flint and Pere Marquette railroad, easily accessible 
to those who wish to lay aside the carking cares of this 
prosaic work- a-day world and affording unlimited grati- 
fication to the enthusiastic angler in the indulgence of his 
favorite pursuit. 
Impressed with the idea that Crooked Lake was a spot 
peculiarly favored by nature in many respects, a party of 
Saginaw gentlemen organized what was afterward 
christened the Tchoupitoulac Fishing Club, with a mem- 
bership limited to twenty, purchasing an extreme tract of 
land on the shore of the lake, after which they erected a 
large and commodious club house for members and their 
families. The house is on the east bank of the lake, upon 
a beautiful bluff overlooking tbe sparkling waters 30ft. 
below; and is only a few minutes, walk from the F. & P. 
M. station, which is a quarter of a mile distant. It is 
open the year round. 
It is the intention of the club to work in harmony with 
the game warden and lend all the aid in its power toward 
enforcing the game laws. The lake will be stocked with 
black bass, and wall-eyed pike, other choice fish such as 
pickerel and bluegill already existing in great quantities. 
Shooting in that territory is excellent in its season, and 
hunters report game as plentiful without having to stray 
far away from civilization. 
The F. & P. M. have expended considerable money in 
stocking the lakes and streams referred to with fish, and 
the good work has begun to bear fruit. They planted 
large numbers of fish in the Tobacco, Muskegon and Pere 
Marquette rivers and their branches, all of which con- 
tained originally no trout whatever. This work was done 
with the aid of the United States Fish Commission and 
under the auspices of the State government, extensive 
plants being made every year, transforming the waters 
into the present magnificent trout streams. Two of these 
rivers were natural grayling streams, and the report of 
the United States Fish Commission for 1887, shows that 
the F. & P. M. R. R. Co. conveyed United States fish cars 
free, respectively 1,622 and 2,087 miles. 
The officials of the road have also used their best efforts 
to have the game laws observed by everybody, and in this 
work they have been greatly assisted by the Pere Mar- 
quette Fishing Club, an organization recently formed, 
whose members are principally residents of this city. 
This club purchased a tract, of land at Wingleton of 1,600 
acres, and erected a fish hatchery with its own funds. 
The first year there were hatched over 50,000 trout with a 
very small percentage of loss. Of course, these fish are 
planted by the club, not only on its own domain, but in 
all streams in that territory . G. 
CANADIAN ANGLING NOTES. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
There has been during the last few days quite a rush of 
anglers to the Fifth Falls of the Mistassini. Among 
others who recently started for the camping ground there 
are Messrs. Robert M. Lawrence and J. Arthur Beebe of 
Boston. As an instance of the abundance of ouananiche 
in the Lake St. John waters this season, Mr. Garrie H. 
Haulenbeek of New York, who recently spent some days 
at Roberval, and is to return here next month, relates that 
one of the guests at the hotel recently went out trolling in 
a boat in the bay in front of the house, though told even 
by the hotel people that he would take no fish there. To 
everybody's surprise he came back in a couple of hours, 
having caught SJOlbs. of ouananiche. 
In the Grande Discharge the fish have been taken un- 
usually large, especially low down the rapids. Mr. Davis 
of New York recently spent an afternoon fishing off Isle 
Maligne and took 13 good fish in about two hours, five of 
which weighed 201bs. 
There promises to be a great rush of American anglers 
to our Northern trout waters during the month of Sep- 
tember. 
Mr. Bailey, formerly of the Bank of British North 
America here, and now its manager in New York, a very 
ardent and old-time angler at Lake St. John, has gone up 
the Ashuapmouchouan River to Lac a Jim and will return 
by the Mistassini. 
Rev. Dr. Booth of New York, and other parties, have 
not only had good ouananiche fishing in the Grande Dis- 
charge, but have ascended the Ouiatchouaniche, some 
twenty miles from Lake St. John, to Lake Ouiatchouan- 
iche, where they have enjoyed magnificent sport with the 
trout. Several of 21bs. weight and upward have been 
captured there this summer, and one of 41bs. Rev. Dr. 
Van Dyck, the well known Presbyterian divine of New 
York, accompanied by his brother, Rev. Mr. Van Dyck of 
Philadelphia, and Dr. Ledieux of New York, are enjoying 
a very extended outing in the Lake St. John district. 
They ascended a small stream running into the Grande 
Discharge, until by a few portages they reached Lake 
Tschotogama by way of the River Blanche. In the lake 
they took a large lot of ouananiche up to S^lbs. in weight 
and descended to Roberval by way of the Peribonca 
River. They have now gone trout fishing to La Belle 
Riviere, and later will ascend the Mistassini River to the 
Fifth Falls. 
American anglers should bear in mind that the close 
season for ouananiche commences on Sept. 15. 
E. T. D. Chambers. 
Quebec, Aug. 23. 
Maine Trout. 
Tim Pond (via Eustis, Me.), Aug. 23.— Catch of trout 
made by Percy McElrath, of New York, at Tim Pond, 
Maine, for week ending Aug. 19: 85, 31, 43, 115, 40, 125, 
46; total for the week, 434; largest fish taken on a Mon- 
treal fly Aug. 19, weight 21bs. J. K. Viles, 
