Sept. 23, 1894.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
& 4 9 
TROUT1NG IN NEW BRUNSWICK. 
I lay more claim to being an angler than a writer 
and had rather cast a fly than trail the pen. But if all 
the brothers of the angle would do the first and neglect 
the latter I fancy the pages of good old Forest and 
Stream would soon be uninviting to many of its readers. 
So I send in my quota of experiences for the "good of the 
cause." 
I found myself on the waters of a stream in New Bruns- 
wick. At this period the water was low, clear and warm 
in the lower stretches of my favorite river. The trout 
were consequently lethargic and dull, loath to rise toa fly 
however attractive. Tiring of my efforts in this part of 
the river to induce fontinalis to be friendly, I took it in 
my head to go to the upper stretches of the stream and 
test my skill in the dark, deep, cool pools near its source. 
So with two canoes, four guides, tent, food, gun, rods 
and other impedimenta our small flotilla set out. A 
journey of five days was before us, at the end of which 
we pitched our tent upon a point of high land at the 
junction of a small brook with the larger stream and con- 
tiguous to the pools where the trout ought to be found. 
It was a wild region, sixty or more miles beyond any 
human habitation, the approach to which was a contin- 
uous ascent from our starting point, to overcome which 
required constant use of the setting poles of the guides 
and a continuous exercise of muscle. Many miles of the 
distance the guides dragged the canoes, the water being 
too shallow to admit of progress otherwise. The con- 
stant, friction of the river, sand, and gravel upon the 
bottom of the birch bark canoes did not tend to improve 
their seaworthiness. Frequent halts were required to 
make repairs, which eventually resulted in the exhaus- 
tion of the pitch and cotton of our stores adapted to close 
leaky seams and fractures resulting from that style of 
navigation. 
Still we got there, and arranged a comfortable abiding 
place for angler and guides and prepared for business. 
About sunset of the day of our arrival, and after putting 
the camp in order, with my two pet guides I essayed to test 
a promising pool near camp. 
The guides quietly placed my canoe at the margin of the 
pool, upon which I gently laid the flies. Didn't the water 
fairly boil! The trout of the pool were at home. Away 
went the flies, seized by eager mouths; the reel sang a 
melody; the rod bent like a willow bough in the wind; 
two fish were firmly hooked and proceeded to test the 
light tackle to the best of their ability, and render matters 
very interesting. A few minutes' violent exercise sufficed 
to calm the exuberant spirits attached to the hook, and 
soon they came with much struggling within reach of 
Johnny's net and were safe in the canoe, rapped on the 
head, and laid quietly upon some grass to be admired. 
They were a pretty pair; one of 34-lbs. weight, the other 
3J, 7ilbs. for the two — a good beginning. 
Angler and guides lighted pipes — the festive mosquito 
had appeared. After a brief rest and examination of 
leader and flies, which seemed perfect, another cast was 
made. Two swirls — the flies disappeared with a rush 
and nearly took the rod overboard. A 20-pound salmon 
could not have exhibited more strength. A regular fight 
ensued, lasting some minutes. When the strain relaxed 
the line was easily recovered, and Johnny netted a 
"measly," subdued trout which only scaled 4flbs. One 
had escaped. All the leader below the coachman had 
been carried off by the absconder. Of course the larger 
was lost; 'tis always so. His weight? Well, call it lOlbs.; 
6 probably. It was now dusk; we had plenty of trout and 
too many mosquitoes, so we returned to camp and exhib- 
ited to the wondering eyes of the guides the beautiful 
fish. Supper, a smoke and a chat occupied a few hours, 
when the camp became silent and all sought a needed rest 
on our beds of fragrant boughs. 
The cook's shrill voice announced breakfast the morn- 
ing following at an early hour. Now I lay no claims to 
being a dude. I do not go to the woods to do penance, 
but for comfortable sport and relaxation; consequently 
my kit contains a well assorted variety of articles requis- 
ite for enjoyment. My guides understand what is 
required of them and rarely fail to contribute their pro 
.rate of duty. Of the four with me on this occasion, three 
were fair cooks, the fourth was a camp artist and a chef. 
A couple of pieces of boards supported upon a pole resting 
•on forked sticks driven in the ground at either end, was 
ibis table. This was first covered with thick paper, upon 
which was spread a snow white damask cloth, an 
'enameled ware plate well warmed and resting upon a 
mapkin; silver-plated knives, forks and spoons rested near 
by; a china cup with a saucer was ready to receive the 
•coffee, and seated on an empty box, the angler ate 
breakfast' consisting of golden flesh trout, nicely broiled 
:and dry as flour; light biscuit, straight from the camp 
oven; butter, fresh and firm; coffee, distilled from the 
berry grown in Asia; as dainty a breakfast as a camper 
out need desire. 
The morning was calm, clear, and cool, the surround- 
ings pleasant, and while enjoying the pipe a survey of 
my location disclosed a clearing of about two acres in 
•extent surrounding our camp void of large trees, but 
•overgrown with brush two feet in height, mostly blue- 
berry bushes laden with ripe fruit. In years agone it had 
been a loggers' camp; a bear trap at one side contained the 
remains of an unfortunate bruin who had fallen a victim 
to his hunger or curiosity; on the other was a small hun- 
ter's shelter in fair condition. It was Saturday; trout 
pools were near, water, wood and berries were at hand. 
A council was held and decision made to remain in this 
place until Monday or longer before continuing our up 
stream journey. 
This matter settled, one canoe containing myself and 
two guides, with suitable appliances for the business in 
hand, not forgetting material for lunch and an axe, 
pushed into the stream to make a day of it among the 
pools. The day was without incident, except that one 
lusty trout insisted on taking refuge under the canoe, 
evidently expecting thereby to get clear of the hook to 
which he had become attached, in the desire to gratify 
curiosity or secure a tempting bit of food. He was a 6- 
pounder in the water, and fought well for his life. A 
bamboo tip was smashed in the skirmish, but the angler 
and Johnny combined were too much for him; he came 
to the net at last, was knocked on the head with a stick 
— weighed 41bs. on the scale — and laid with his brethren 
in the bottom of the canoe. Returning to camp about 
4 P. M. the score was thirty -one trout weighing 471bs. A 
query arose as to method of properly disposing of the fish. 
We had too many for food and too many to waste. We 
were in a dilemma, but our guide, Jimmy, was equal to 
the occasion, "Bah gosh, we smoke him." Acting on this 
suggestion, bark was peeled, a salting trough improvised 
therefrom, fish split, cleaned, laid therein, lightly sprinkled 
with salt, covered, weighted down and left for the night. 
The hunters' camp was cleaned, covered with bark and 
converted into a smoke-house, in which on Sunday 
morning were hung the trout and a fire started with fuel 
of white birch wood, producing abundance of smoke. 
We kept up the fire for about forty hours, with the result 
of a choice lot of nicely saved smoked trout. 
Now. a 2lbs. smoked trout when properly manipulated 
by an ingenious cook furnishes a dish next in quality after 
smoked Atlantic Coast salmon, and those which were 
then and subsequently processed in a similar manner fur- 
nished choice morsels not only to our party but to friends 
to whom I donated such of them as I was able to convey 
to civilization. 
Sunday was a charming day, and one of leisure. I 
never cast a fly on the first day of the week no matter 
what may be the inducement; hence this Sunday in 
August was spent about our pleasant camp, resulting in 
discovering that the blueberry patch in which we had our 
camp was a pasture ground for several families of full- 
grown grouse. 
Good appetites were attendant upon the evening meal, 
and night closed in upon a band of gossipers occupying 
positions around the camp-fire. I smoked and listened to 
the wonderful tales of the guides — their experience of 
former years. The Oracle predicted rain shortly. The 
smokehouse was made secure for the night, and all sought 
their blankets. 
Our weather prophet had been right. Bain commenced 
falling about midnight and continued through the night. 
Early morning was dark and gloomy. A storm of rain 
with wind prevailed, but oui tents were dry and no large 
trees, if blown down, could reach us. We were safe from 
accident from that quarter. Breakfast was cooked and 
eaten under difficulties; wood was gathered to keep up 
the camp-fire, and all indications pointed to a rainy day 
in camp. About 10 A. M. a change of wind was noted; 
the rain ceased, the clouds drifted away, and soon the sun 
shone bright and warm. 
It was voted too late to move camp that day, so an 
early lunch was partaken of, after which, with my 
guides, I visited the adjacent pools. Many handsome 
trout were taken and retained; small ones, if uninjured, 
were returned to their native element. I was not there 
"for count." Returning at an early hour, Billy, the ehef, 
had a surprise. He, with his assistant, had been manipu- 
lating the shotgun. Nine fat, plump grouse, denuded of 
feathers, and nicely prepared for the culinary process, 
were lying in a pan. Billy was proud of his success, and 
greeted our returning party as we came in sight, in sub- 
stance as follows: "Bah gosh, I'll ketch it more as you. 
See most as dix perdrix in he pan, one more of it keep 
for look." The one "keep for look" was a beautiful male 
bird in full and perfect plumage, not a feather disarranged 
or broken; no mark of injury discernible upon the closest 
inspection, evidently captured by some process unusual. 
Inquiring as to the mode by which this bird was taken, 
Jimmy produced a pole, in length of about ten feet, from 
one end of which attached thereto, and pendant there- 
from, was a thread of moderately thick twin© perhaps 
three feet long, with a running noose at the end. This 
grouse when disturbed had flown and alighted upon a 
branch among the lower limbs of a small tree, where he 
stood upright. With the apparatus described, Jimmy had 
quietly crept within easy reach of the bird, encircled its 
neck with the noose, then with a quick and sudden jerk 
had secured his prize beyond any possible chance of 
escape. 
Reserving from the day's catch trout sufficient for the 
camp, the remainder were prepared for the smoke-house 
and duly deposited in proper position therein with their 
fellows. 
Preparations were made to depart up the stream the 
following morning. All articles not needed for the en- 
suing three days were cached in a place secure — except 
from wandering bears. A comfortable night was passed, 
breakfast partaken of and with canoes lightly laden, we 
started on our way. Low water, sandbars and sharp 
rocks, played havoc with our birches. Fallen trees and 
brushwood obstructed the narrow stream, but a few blows 
with a keen axe delivered by strong arms cleared the 
former. Setting poles judiciously applied removed ,the 
latter. Wading here and poling there we slowly made 
our way into a part of the river where we had never been 
before. Reaching a spot at the junction of the stream, 
the route became uncertain; a sandbar prevented further 
progress. A portage became necessary, and lifting the 
canoes bodily this was safely passed. Night found us 
twelve miles on our way and within four miles of our 
destination, when we made camp. 
Inspection of the canoes in the morning resulted in 
finding one wholly unserviceable; it could go no further 
without repairs. Inventory was taken of materials 
necessary for that purpose, but it was a discouraging out- 
look. Something must be done — we knew that, but how 
to do it, was the query. 
We held a palaver; Johnny, who was the eldest, finally 
said we muse "shoo him the canoe, must get gum and 
patch him first." Arranging for the "get gum" from the 
surrounding spruce forest, and to cut some small cedars 
from which to split and prepare shoes, false bottoms, for 
the birches, myself and two guides proceeded, leaving 
the remaining two at camp to "get gum" and prepare 
shoes. Three hours' poling and wading brought us to a 
lake, one of three in a chain, of which the stream was 
the outlet. Paddles were applied and the birch moved 
smoothly over the shallow mud-bottomed, surf ace-covered 
pond, where lilies, reeds and rushes contended for the 
ascendency— a very paradise for deer and ducks had any 
been in the country. Through a tortuous channel we 
passed into the second pond, a lovely body of water, with 
gravel bottom. A few casts of the fly developed it to be 
the home of numberless trout, quite differently marked 
from those in the stream and of less average weight, 
bright as newly coined silver, with brilliant crimson 
spots, most beautiful fish. Slowly paddling across the 
pond we reached a gravel bar, over which the canoe was 
stopped, and in deeper water shoreward was truly the 
home of fontinalis and many of him. About twenty 
minutes was spent in casting, the result of which was 
many trout averaging about 8oz. each. 
Resuming the paddles we moved to the third body of 
water, in length about four miles, with an average width 
of one and one-half miles. This body of water was also 
stocked with trout of medium weight, and doubtless the 
home of a larger variety. The water was deep and cold 
and everything indicated that good sport could be had by 
trolling. Heavy fish were seen to break the water, but 
no single fly or combination of flies would provoke a rise, 
and as no trolling appliances were of the outfit the canoe 
was headed campward. When we arrived we found a 
repaired canoe, cedar shoes for the canoes nearing com- 
pletion, and Jimmy with a cut leg from a glancing blow 
of his axe. The first accident had occurred. Eighty 
miles from civilization, two damaged canoes and a 
wounded comrade did not tend to create hilarity in our 
quintette. Jimmy had tightly bandaged the wounded 
leg and could hobble and was not discouraged. Remov- 
ing the bandage exposed the gaping wound the width of 
the narrow blade of his camp axe. I produced from my 
"ditty bag" my needle, silk, sticking plaster, scissors and 
bandages and proceeded to close the gaping wound, which 
was successfully accomplished. The edges were brought 
together and made fast, strips of plaster applied to secure 
the edges of the cut in place, bandages encircled the whole, 
which was then wrapped with a stout silk bandanna, and 
barring a stiff leg Jimmy declared he was "so good as 
never was before;" pronounced me no end of a man whose 
canoe "he push for nothing forever." Surgical work had 
occupied so much time that canoe shoeing was suspended 
for the day, to be resumed at an early hour the following 
morning. 
About 4 A. M., the clip, clip, of the little axes awoke 
me to find "all hands and the cook" busy finishing and 
putting in place the cedar strips on the bottom of the 
birches, joining them together and fastening them to the 
canoes by an ingenious use of some wire found at an 
ancient lumber camp, and by 6 o'clock the canoes were in 
the water ready to receive us. Soon the breakfast was 
eaten, and the camp packed and ready to be put on 
board. Embarking about 8 A. M. we pushed out on our 
return, reaching camp Cache at 11 A. M., accomplishing 
a distance in three hours which had consumed nearly 
seven on our up trip. Here we halted for the remainder 
of the day and night; in the meantime reducing our 
baggage to a minimum bulk in readiness for an early 
start in the morning. We found the smoke-house and 
cached stores undisturbed, and leaving camp we again 
reached civilization at the end of the second day there- 
after, and thus closed an exceedingly pleasant outing. 
1 Aberdeen. 
A STARVED TROUT. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
In your issue of Aug. 11 appears an article comment- 
ing on a trout which recently died in the aquarium of 
Mr. F. H. Francis, of Belfast, after a fast of eight months. 
You say, "If true, it ought to be verified," thereby im- 
plying a doubt. Your account of the fish was based on 
an article which I furnished to a State paper. I will give 
you the facts in the case, for the trout was seen by myself 
nearly every day from the hour in which it was placed in 
Mr. Francis's tank until it died. 
Mr. Francis is a retail dealer in boots and shoes, and has 
his place of business on Main street. He is an ardent fish- 
erman and loses no opportunity to indulge in the pas- 
time. He has a small aquarium in his store both for his 
own satisfaction and that of his customers. His favorite 
fish are Swan Lake trout. He has one male that must 
weigh between' five and six pounds which has been in his 
tank more than two years. 
Swan Lake is a pretty sheet of wator in the town of 
Swanville, six miles from Belfast. In this lake are some 
of the largest and handsomest square-tailed trout to be 
found in the inland waters of Maine. Trout weighing 
81bs. have been taken, while 51bs. fish are common. 
While very plentiful, the fish will not take the hook 
readily, and comparatively few fish are taken. 
For several years the State has maintained a hatchery 
at this lake with a view to stocking this and other waters 
qf the State. The lake also contains numerous smelts and 
other food upon which the trout thrive. 
Last November when the commissioner was stripping 
fish for eggs, Mr. Francis had obtained a female trout 
after she had been relieved of her spawn. The fish was 
put into the tank along with the male before mentioned. 
The female was about 20in. long, and when in condition 
must have weighed 4 or 5lbs. The fish did not eat, which 
was not suspicious, for trout do not eat much from the 
fall until into February. At the latter date the male 
;began to eat, but the female could not be induced to take 
anything, in fact the female did not eat, with but one ex- 
ception, from November until she died in July following, 
a period of eight months. Once last spring after a long 
trial she swallowed one or two small worms. At one 
other time Mi-. Francis says she took a small piece of 
meat into her mouth, but he thinks she did not swallow 
it. The fish became much emaciated, shriveling up to 
half its former size. The male trout ate everything that 
was given him. 
The fish died in July and was given to a fish dealer 
who dissected it. The intestines were found to be perfect, 
and apparently there was no trouble with the organs. 
The most remarkable feature was the entire absence of 
blood. There was not a single drop of blood either in the 
gills or body of the fish. The flesh had lost its pink color 
and was white and dry. 
The above are the facts — you can draw your own con- 
clusions. That the fish died of starvation there can be no 
doubt, but why she refused to eat I do not know. 
Belfast, Me. R. G. DYER. 
Loss of Trout by Drought. 
Haddam, Conn., Sept. 11. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
The dry summer has nearly destroyed the trout in our 
small streams throughout the State, Many of the streams 
are entirely dry for long distances. I walked over the 
bed of one where a year ago last spring I put in 4,000 
young fry, and there was not water enough to wet the 
soles of my shoes, and of course the poor trout have per- 
ished. Even in the larger streams the water has been so 
low that only shallow pools have remained, which has 
enabled the water snake, that persistent and deadly foe of 
the trout, easily to capture its prey. Even with restock- 
ing it will require several years of favorable seasons to " 
again replenish our streams. A. 
