May 25, 1895.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
413 
very fine salmon fishing in the provinces. He is an adept 
. at the art and dearly loves the sport, but this year will 
deny himself the annual trip to the provinces, as he in- 
tends shortly to sail for Scotland, where he intends spend- 
ing the summer. He will devote himself over there to 
grouse shooting, etc., and expects to have some good sport 
of that kind. Another Norwich man, who is generally 
found at the Bangor pool in Mr. Mitchell's company, is J . 
M. Johnson. He is also a persistent angler and gets his 
share if there are any fish in the river. It seems to be 
the opinion of nearly all the men who have fished at this 
pool for a few years that the salmon are growing more 
scarce each successive season, and if the present state of 
affairs continues it will not be long before this celebrated 
water as a salmon fishing resort will be only a reminis- 
cence. I sincerely hope with many others that these 
feaTs will prove groundless. 
Quite a wonderful record was made this year at Moose- 
head Lake by a party of Bangor men, who took, only two 
days after the ice went out, about 300 trout, all with the 
fly. This is very unusual and worthy of comment. The 
fishing was done off John Ross's wharf at Williams's 
Stream and one other point, and the party consisted of 
Dr. Stetson, Mr. Walker, Ezra Stearns, Dr. Gibson, F. H. 
Small and Mr. Arnold. 
That great New Brunswick salmon stream, the Grand 
Cascapedia, is reported to be full of water, owing to the 
heavy melting snows up in the hills among which it takes 
its source. A number of Boston men are only waiting 
for word to come that the stream is in good condition to 
make a start. Mr. 0. B. Barnes is one of the old veterans 
of this water, and has fished the Marquis of Lome pool 
for some years with great success. Mr. Lyman Nichols 
will probably accompany him this year, and they hope to 
be on the stream early in June. Mr. F. B. Greene will 
also fish the Cascapedia pools further down the river. In 
addition to salmon, splendid sea trout fishing can be had 
on this stream, and there rarely comes a time when one 
cannot obtain either. 
Judge A. C. Stone and E. F. Ooburn, of Lawrence, 
Mass., left on Saturday last for Moosehead Lake, where 
they will stop at "Capens," on Deer Island, for one week, 
to enjoy the fishing. From there they will go to Mr, Co- 
burn's camp, situated on Russell Stream, about one and a 
half days' journey in from Northeast Carry. This camp 
is located ha a great game and fish country, and tne tro- 
phies annually secured by Mr. Coburn in this region are 
very numerous. Another Lawrence party who left last 
week for the Maine woods are Dr. C. W. Partridge and 
Clarence M. Dyer. They went in from Eustis's and will 
stop two weeks at the Blakeslee camps. 
E, O. Noyes and J. Chipman, of Brockton, have just re- 
turned from Weld Pond, where they have been stopping 
for a few day6 at Pine Point Camps, They had excellent 
luck fishing, catching five landlocked salmon and fourteen 
lakers during the three or four days of their stay. 
J. E. Gallier, F. A. Keith and Dr. Hall, of Boston, have 
returned from a trip to Newfound Lake, N. H. They 
were very fortunate, catching a number of lake trout and 
salmon, the largest of which tipped the scales at 151bs. 
There were many fishermen at the lake during their stay, 
and most of them were doing well. Mr. Gallier, Col. 
Benson, William G. Read and others left on Friday last 
for a ten days' trip to Moosehead. They will stop at the 
Kineo House and fish the lake and streams near by, 
Frank Harrison and Mr. Heiniscb, both connected with 
the Heinisch Shear Concern, of Newark, N. J., have also 
gone to Moosehead for a ten days' fishing trip. They will 
stop at the Deer Island House. Mr. Harrison is a veteran 
in Moosehead fishing, and knows every nook and corner 
where the trout hide. 
The shoe manufacturing business of Lynn is heavily 
represented in the Grover and Swain party, the first sec- 
tion of which (consisting of C. S. Grover, J. F. Swain 
and W. S. Hixon) left Lynn on May 14 for a two weeks' 
stay at Capt. Fred Barker's Camp Bemis, Rangeley 
Lakes. The rest of the party, Mr. Frank T. Arnold, 
wife and daughter, of Peabody, Mass., and Willis W. 
George and wife, of Lynn, left on May 17 to join the 
others. I believe this is Mr. Hixon's first trip, but he 
certainly could not have placed himself in the hands of 
better teachers than Messrs. Grover and Swain will prove 
to be. 
W. G. Russell, one of Boston's most prominent lawyers, 
his son and Rev. John Cuckson will leave in a few days 
for Canada on quite an extended fishing trip. Mr. 
Stevens, a gentleman very prominent in Canadian politics, 
• will join the party at Montreal. They are going after 
large fish, and, judging from the past record of the 
Messrs. Russell, will succeed in getting them. Hackle. 
The Kingfish. 
Asbtjry Park, N. J., May 16. — Here is a bit of news 
which will be welcomed by all lovers of salt-water fishing. 
I have visited the markets of both Philadelphia and New 
York the present week, and learn that kingfish are com- 
ing in in unusual abundance from the coasts of the Caro- 
linas. If the weather holds good this should give us fine 
sport by Decoration Day. These fish have been very 
scarce during the past three years, and unless the entire 
run is taken in by the pounds, we have some sport near 
at hand. To the angler who has never taken this su- 
premely game and toothsome fish a few points may 
be of assistance. The tackle should be much the same 
as that ordinarily used for weakfish, except the hook, 
which should not be larger than 3-0. (I have always 
found the Chestertown admirable.) The bait either 
shedder-crab or blood-worm, and always presented to 
them at or very near the bottom. Of course, if fishing 
in the surf, bottom fishing has to be practised; but 
this can be modified a little, and greatly to the advan- 
tage of the angler, by placing a small piece of cork 
midway the length of the leader. This will buoy the 
bait a few inches from the bottom and be much more 
readily seen, besides keeping it free from the annoy- 
ing sea-spider. When fishing in an estuary a float 
can be used to advantage, having the line well leaded, 
and paying off with the tide. And by all means fish the 
flood tide, as that appears to be the only time at which 
they feed. Again, the instant the bite is felt, strike firmly, 
but not too hard, for the alertness with which the king- 
fish can steal a bait often proves a surprise to the novice. 
When hooked the kingfish offers as fine play and strong 
resistance, weight considered, as any fish I have ever 
taken. Leonard Huut. 
"GUNNERY" TALES, 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
It was several years ago that I used to catch black bass 
in Waramaug Lake, near Washington, Litchfield county, 
Conn. In fact, to be correct, it was thirty-one years ago 
that I went fishing up there with 01 Gunn, and had such 
a nice time that I have often thought of it since then at 
night when I was alone in camp among the whispering 
pines away up on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains, or 
down on the big prairies, where many a night, behind 
some little bank that answered as a windbreak, I have 
lain and the past has unrolled itself before me like a pan- 
orama, and "the cares that infest the day have folded 
their tents like the Arabs ann" silently stole away." 
And now I'll tell you about it as well as I can. 
One noon in '64, 01 Gunn, a cousin of F. W Gunn, was 
tired of resting and wanted a change, so he asked me if I 
wanted to go fishing. It was Friday. Waramaug Lake 
was four and one-half miles away, and I used to take a 
blanket, some grub, my rod and creel, walk up there, pass 
the night in a barn on the shore of the lake, cook an early 
breakfast, get a boat, fish all day and return home at night 
generally well loaded with black bass, and so tired that I 
couldn't cut up any of my usual monkey shines for one 
Sunday anyhow. 
01 Gunn was a soldier home on furlough. He had been 
a prisoner, and when he was exchanged he was so weak 
that he got a furlough and came home to recruit up. He 
was about thirty-five years old and was one of my ideals 
of a soldier. Tough as a pine knot, open and simple as a 
child, a good talker and companion, never out of temper; 
but he would fight a circular saw if the saw seemed to 
want to fight real bad. 
"Do you want to go up to the lake fishing, Dick?" 
"Why yes, of course I do, if F. W. will let me. But 
he may refuse me. You ask him and he will probably 
let me go." 
I knew I was, or ought to be, on the black list with F, 
W., for I had — well, yes, I'll tell you what I had done. 
I had greased the lowest step of Miss Mary O'Halloran's 
private staircase with lard — Miss O'H. was the cook. 
She weighed 2501bs. , and when she hit the step she sat 
down hard, then told F. W. about it and said she knew 
I had done it, for that I was the "manest" boy in the 
wide world. 
Poor F. W. had called me before him and lectured me 
a little, and then said, "Dixon, I don't know what to 
do with you," sighed, smiled and turned me loose. But I 
knew he couldn't refuse 01 anything, and, as I anticipated, 
I was shortly called up and F. W. said: "Dixon, 01 
wants you to go fishing with him. You can go, but get 
back by 9 o'clock to-morrow night, or you will hear from 
me." I was sixteen years old, 5ft. llin., weighed 1151bs., 
could eat 21bs. of beef at a sitting; light hair, blue eyes, 
pale and looked very delicate, but was as tough and tire- 
less as a black snake. So at 4:30 off we went on foot, 
my creel packed full of food prepared by the fair hands 
of Miss Mary O'H., who had recovered from her jar, and 
who couldn't ever stay angry with me more than half 
an hour at a time. 
The road is very hilly, but we made it in an hour. I 
once more looked at that beautiful sheet of water and was 
glad that I was alive. Six miles long or more; crystal, 
cool water, surrounded by green hills covered with big 
trees. Mysterious bays indent its coast. Little sandy 
beaches are at the heads of the bays that were made on 
purpose to beach a boat on. One or two rocky ledges run 
down into the water, where big bass He like tigers to catch 
the unwary minnow as he comes past. And the birds! 
Oh, the birds! they sing all day, and at night the whip- 
poorwill whistles his mournful, creepy cry; and it is a 
relief when a big owl says boomingly, Who-who, who, 
and from far up the mountain side rolls down the reply 
of his mate. 
We sat and feasted our eyes, and then we rented a boat 
from Sherman, who kept a little office on the shore, where 
he rented boats and sold soda pop and other beverages. 
It took us but a short time to catch a pail full of minnows, 
for I had a bait net hidden in Sherman's barn and long 
before dark we had four lib. bass sputtering in the frying 
pan. I can smell those fried fish and that coffee yet. 01 
smoked his pipe after supper and I set a line or two for 
eels and soon caught and skinned enough for breakfast. 
There was no moon. 01 went to sleep and I tried to, but 
I couldn't, so I slipped out and sat on the wharf and 
caught more eels. It was very dark, but it was nice. A 
mink crept up on the wharf while I went up to the barn 
for some lunch from the basket and commenced lunching 
on one of my eels. When I came back he jumped into 
the water off the wharf with a great splash and startled 
me. 
Finally I quieted down, crawled in beside 01 and went 
to sleep, with an owl, whippoorwill and bullfrog chorus 
sounding fainter as I passed away. 
It's hard for me to go to bed and just as hard to get up, 
and so Ol pulled down the blanket and threw some water 
on me when he had my eels cooked brown. I'll give him 
credit, though; he called me about six times first. Whew! 
how good eels fried and new potatoes boiled are outdoors. 
Then up the lake in a rowboat, 01 managing our two 
poles, 50yds. of line out and a spoon hook for bait. Before 
we had got well started, bang ! here comes a savage bite. 
Up goes a 21b. bass into the air, and the day is commenced. 
By noon we had more than we could carry home; by night 
we had given Sherman all he could carry, and two men 
who passed when we were getting dinner all they cared to 
take home. 
At about 6 o'clock Maj. Burnham (a couBin of 01), who 
was home on a furlough and lived near the lake, invited 
us to stay over night. I was afraid to, but 01 said he 
would fix F. W. when we got home, so up we went in 
Burnham's carriage, with 601bs. of fish to carry home and 
a big string for Burnham. 
He lived in a pretty cottage, half a mile from the lake, 
midway between the lake and the village of New Preston, 
a mill town with power furnished by water from the 
lake. 
After supper we men went to a Second Advent camp 
meeting, where about 500 were camped, and attended ser- 
vices in a big grove lit up by torches and large fires. 
Next morning I got home at about 11 o'clock. 01 fixed 
F. W, so that he did not say anything to me that would 
hurt my feelings, and sixty people had fresh fish for 
breakfast Monday morning. I can't or will not tell about 
any fish we caught, but we caught them with a spoon, 
with live bait, with a big fly, and with worms and grass- 
hoppers. They would bite anything, but they bit live bait 
best. Sherman now has a hotel on the bank of the lake, 
and I hope to fish there again with some Gunnery boys 
before I stop fishing. W. J. .Dixon. 
THE "SAGINAW CROWD'S" CAR. 
Saginaw, Mich. — Editor Forest and Stream: I enclose 
herewith a couple of circulars describing our car. The 
floor plan might be of interest to sportsmen so that they 
may know what a hunting car is like. 
In the parlor end, the chiffoniers are mighty handy, for 
each man can have a drawer with his own lock and key, 
to carry all his clothing. They hold as much as an ordinary 
sized trunk, and thus obviate the necessity of taking trunks 
or any other bagga ge, and there are enough of the drawers 
to accommodate a party of 12 or 15 very nicely. 
Facing the passageway are the gun racks which can be 
locked up, are dust tight, and are lined with plush so that 
there is no danger of marring the guns. 
Underneath each berth is a large drawer containing the 
car linen. The bathroom is a great feature. After one 
has been away from the car for a few days on a hunting 
trip, this feature is appreciated. 
Then we have a nice large kitchen with a refrigerator 
in the corner which is big enough to hold all the supplies 
wanted for several days. We also have a charcoal broiler 
in addition to the range. 
From the side view of the car proper you will notice the 
locker arrangement underneath, being the same on each 
side. The large locker we use for carrying a Bond port- 
able boat in which we can put a folding camp stove, two 
tents, tent pins, etc., besides leaving room for decoys. 
Then fastened alongside of this locker are the long poles 
belonging to the tent, together with a light ladder which 
we find mighty convenient to have along. The other 
locker is divided so that one side of the car, opened by 
three doors, is a fine refrigerator. Putting ice in the cen- 
ter compartment leaves two cold storage compartments in 
which you can carry no end of perishable supplies, or 
keep fish and game if needed. In the opposite side is 
simply dry storage for carrying non-perishable articles. 
Oar tanks are arranged to carry lots of water, 500 
gallons or more. This is something which is appreciated 
by those who have been side-tracked at little stations in 
the western prairie country where it has been difficult to 
get water. A great thing to have lots of it on hand. 
On the rear platform, the kitchen end, one side is with- 
out steps, and serves to hold a large chest that we can use 
for carrying an extra supply of coal, or it is lined for an 
ice box. 
The weight of the car is 86,000 lbs., and it has six-wheel 
trucks with outside bearings, everything strong and 
modern, making us feel that we are as safe as can be, and 
are in no more danger of being jammed up than the 
strongest car on the train. Plates of iron are bolted on 
the sills of the car, running the whole length. We have 
steam heat, which is also arranged so that we can heat 
ourselves when we are not on roads that heat by steam, 
couplers that will connect with cars on any road fix us 
so that we can go anywhere that railroad cars can be run. 
We take along a cook and porter and aim never to 
overcrowd the car. Too large a party spoils the fun. 
The question is often asked, "What does it cost to have 
a car pulled?" This is easily answered. The majority of 
the roads require eighteen tickets, some of them require 
but fifteen. It makes no difference how large the party 
is, provided it does not exceed the number of tickets. If 
it does, then you have to buy a ticket for each passenger 
in addition. Taking everything into consideration, we 
find that with a party of six or ten, it doesn't cost us as 
much to go off on a three weeks' trip in the far West as 
it would if we went without the car and paid for sleeping 
cars, dining cars, hotel bills, etc. W. B. Mershon. 
DETROIT FISHING NOTES. 
It is reported that fish in Flint River, Genessee county, 
Mich., are dying by hundreds from some unexplained 
cause. Large fine fish can be seen swimming along the 
stream near the shore in a lifeless, half-unconscious con- 
dition, and can almost be taken from the water by the 
hands. 
There have been discovered upon some of those thus 
taken small ulcers, a peculiarity never observed in this 
locality before, and it is feared that some disease is affect- 
ing the fish in these waters. 
A black bass similarly affected was seen by a gentle- 
man who had been at the St. Clair Flats this season. 
The fish, which was a large fine-looking fish, was swim- 
ming lazily about in the water, and manifested no alarm 
upon the approach of the visitor. After watching him 
for some time, the gentleman quietly bent over, and, put- 
ting his hands slowly under the fish, lifted him out bodily, 
the bass making no struggle to escape. The back and 
sides of the bass were covered with a deep green slime, 
and what appeared like the barnacles that are found on 
the hulls of vessels. After examining the fellow for a few 
moments he returned him to the water, and shortly after 
again took him out with his hands as before. The fish 
was undoubtedly sick, but no dead fish nor any other af- 
fected like this one were seen in the vicinity. 
Fishing in Lake Michigan on the west coast of Michi- 
gan, in the vicinity of St. Joseph, is the poorest in years 
this spring, so much so that the fishing tugs Hahn, 
Sanford, Violet and Payne have been hauled off, and 
others will be laid up soon. The catches, which formerly 
ran from 1,500 to 2,5001bs. per lift, now yield but 50 to 
3001bs. 
American fishermen in Canadian waters are having a 
decidedly interesting experience this spring with the 
authorities. The cutter Petrel has already made two 
large hauls of nets belonging to American boats, which 
were discovered inside the boundary line. 
Last week, in one day, eighty-two gill nets were picked 
up twenty-two miles south of Rondeau, six miles inside 
the limit. The nets contained about a ton of fish. The 
following day over 100 nets were captured and taken to 
Amherstburg. All the nets, it is said, belonged to Cleve- 
land parties. The vigilance of Canadian officials is making 
poaching in those waters very unpleasant and somewhat 
expensive. If every gill net fished in Lake Erie, whether 
in Canadian or American waters, were utterly destroyed, 
it would be a blessing to the fishing interests of these 
waters. Frank Heywood. 
Dbtboit, May 11. 
