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fJtJNE IS, 1895. 
NEWS OF BOSTON FISHERMEN. 
Boston, June 8. — There are very few places in the East 
which furnish such good bass fishing as the ponds lying 
near Belgrade Mills, Maine. They are large bodies of 
water, and seem to contain an inexhaustible supply of 
bass. A few years ago the fishing was but little known 
to Boston men, and the few who went there were careful 
to say but little about it. Even now there is some attempt 
to keep it quiet, but the fishing public have gradually 
become acquainted with the facts, and in the future the 
locality promises to be well frequented by hopeful anglers 
each season. John J. Ray, A. G. Weeks, Jr., Dr. Harry 
Hamilton and M. C. Greaves are some of the men who 
go there each season. 
The bass do not run to very heavy weights, QUba. being 
quite large size, but there are any quantity from $f to 3 
lbs., and they are all good fighters. Dr. 'Hamilton will 
soon leave for the Rangeley Lakes, and will stop on his way 
home for a few days at a farm which he owns near Belgrade, 
driving over to the ponds to enjoy the fishing. This gentle- 
man has dropped his line into the waters of all sections of 
the country, and is about as devoted to the rod as one can 
be. About three years ago he took an extended fishing 
trip through the Yellowstone country, He has also had 
great sport with the salmon on the Pacific coast, and has 
made two trips into the Lake St. John country, fishing 
for salmon at the Grande Decharge, and going far to the 
north of the lake in the woods with guides, where he 
found plenty of large trout. Speaking of Western fish- 
ing, it has become quite a fad with some Boston parties to 
take a camping trip of six or eight weeks through the 
Western mountains, and even up into British Columbia. 
They generally start toward the last of the summer, 
extending the trip into the fall in order to get both fishing 
and shooting. All who have tried it are enthusiastic to 
the highest degree, and speak of it as exceedingly reason- 
able in the matter of expense. 
Mr. A. A. Merrifield and a few friends have just 
returned from a bass fishing trip to the Cape. They have 
been fishing Hog, Spectacle and other ponds near 
South Sandwich, and succeeded in getting many bass and 
a number of pickerel. Mr. Merrifield spent last season 
fishing the streams of Colorado, and has some stories to 
tell of his experiences in that country which are extremely 
interesting. 
One of the largest parties which have visited Moosehead 
Lake this season has just returned to Boston, after a week 
spent at the lake. They are the members of the New 
England Guild of Gas Managers and their friends. They 
left Boston on June 1, and the party consisted of C. H. 
Dickey, Baltimore; A. B. Slater, Providence; H. B. Leach, 
Taunton; W. H. Curtis, Haverhill; F. W. Norton, Nashua; 
F. M. Hammond, W. H. Spaulding and W. H. Gibbs, of 
Clinton; J. H. Bledsoe, Waltham; C. S. Spaulding, 
Wakefield; J. A. Leonard, Lynn; G. F. McMun, Marl- 
boro; H. A. Norton, Frank Lawrence, F. J. Davis, C. W. 
Hinman, F. J. Rabbeth and F. W. Thomas, all of Boston. 
The party made their headquarters at the Kineo House, 
going from there in steamers to different parts of the lake 
and fisbing from canoes taken with them. Most of the 
fishing was trolling, but they caught some with the fly. 
Three hundred and eighty-three fish made the sum total 
of trout taken, about equally divided between square 
tails and lakers. Tbe largest laker weighed 14ilbs., and 
was taken by Edward Leonard. The largest speckled 
trout was 31bs. and 9oz. The weather was cold, and too 
windy for much fly fishing, but all hands were well satis- 
fied with results, and had a grand good time. 
Mr. G. N. Talbot, C. D. Sias and W. W. Sias are mem- 
bers of a club who have a large preserve near Williman- 
tic, Conn. Being so near Boston, it is convenient to run 
over there quite often, and last week five of the club 
members who made a short trip over captured 225 trout 
of good size. Pretty good this for a few hours' ride 
from Boston. The club have a nice house and a well 
kept farm on the preserve, and enjoy every comfort while 
there. 
The express companies are catching it right and left 
from returning fishermen just now, and there seems to 
be some justice in the many complaints that are made. 
The railroad companies will not check the fish, and there 
is no resource left but tbe express company, unless one 
wishes to take upon himself the task of lugging along the 
heavy package in the hand. The complaints made seem 
to arise from two causes: first, the matter of overcharge- 
and secondly, the difficulty of getting the package after 
reaching Boston. 
Two gentlemen of my acquaintance, who have just 
returned from the Rangeleys, were obliged to pay $3 
charges for 501bs. of fish to Boston. This seems to me 
very exorbitant, but, as I am not thoroughly conversant 
with express rates, I do not feel like criticising the price. 
I do know that it is the general impression tbat the 
express companies are taking advantage of the people' 
who are using them as carriers, and all seem to agree 
that it is impossible to get any rebate or satisfac- 
tion of any kind. In regard to the second complaint, 
nearly all returning fishermen who arive at the Union 
station in Boston get there at night, and practically all of 
them have long distances to go to get to their homes. 
Naturally, they wish to take their fish with them at once, 
and it is decidedly unpleasant to wait around for two and 
even three hours at the depot, as some parties have had 
to do, before the packages were delivered. This is so 
plainly wrong that I cannot believe the companies would 
intentionally do it, and the matter should receive the 
prompt attention of those in authority for correction. 
Judging from the indignation displayed by those who 
have had this experience, I think they will conclude to 
change the rules in this respect very soon, as they are 
bound to hear of it quite forcibly. 
Mr. G. W. Pitcher, of Providence, has gone to Cape 
Breton, where he fishes the Baddeck, St. Denis and other 
streams. He will be away from home the entire season, 
and later on will go to Newfoundland to enjoy some of 
the great fishing to be had on that island. Florida in the 
winter and the far North in the summer time is the motto 
of Mr. Pitcher, and his rod and tackle box accompany him 
everywhere. 
Messrs. Swain, Grover and Iiixon, of the Swain-Grover 
party of Lynn, have returned from the Rangeleys. 
They had a splendid time and were well satisfied with 
the fishing. They stopped at Camp Betnis for two weeks 
It was Mr. Hixon's first extended fishing'trip, but surely 
will not be the last, as he was very much taken up with 
the sport and gives fair promise of becoming a confirmed 
disciple of Walton. His score for the trip was 32 trout, 
the largest 61bs,, then 4|lbs., the rest grading down to 
lib. in weight. Mr. Grover was high line for the party, 
getting 47 fish, the largest weighing 5lbs. Mr. Swain's 
score reached 42 nice fish. Their best fishing was had 
near Toothaker Island, although Mr. Grover's largest fish 
was taken right off from the camp. 
C. F. Dowse has just returned from the Rangeleys. He 
has been stopping at Billy Soule's and also at Student's 
Island. His companion (a brother^ I believe, and a 
novice at fishing) broke his rod so badly almost the first 
day out as to give up all hope of fishing with it again on 
that trip in its complete form. Being of an ingenious 
nature, he rigged up the butt piece with a ring lashed to 
the ferule, 'and in that condition took the largest trout of 
the trip. Accidents evidently do not overcome this gen- 
tleman, 
Mr. John Reding, of Boston, and Arthur B. Waring, of 
Yonkers, N. Y., are on their annual trip at Moosehead 
Lake. These gentlemen have gone at about this time 
every season for some years and are generally very suc- 
cessful. Jacob Gray Estey, of Brattleboro, Vt., and Bos- 
ton, is at Moosehead to try the fishing. He will stay at 
the Kineo House for about two weeks. Dr. Eliott, Wil- 
liam Lee and Joseph Brown, all of Lawrence, are 
stopping with Wilson at the outlet and are having good 
fishing. E. F. Coburn and Judge Stone, also of Law- 
rence, have just returned from Wilson's. Their largest 
fish weighed 41bs., the smallest If lbs. They also had 
good fishing at Indian Pond until the lumber company 
let the logs down, which spoiled the sport. A great 
many people are coming and going in the Moosehead 
region this year, and everybody speaks well of their luck. 
J. H. Hoyt and P. B. Mansfield, of Lynn, and W. E. 
Beggs, of Woburn, have arrived home from Grand Lake. 
They had warm weather and only fair fisbing. There is 
considerable criticism of the Maine Commissioners among 
sportsmen in regard to their failure to provide a fishway 
in the dams on Grand Lake stream. It does seem a 
crowning neglect. Why is it? Hackle. 
BOSTON AND MAINE. 
Boston, June 5. — The trout fishermen are returning, 
the first grand rush for the lakes and streams being 
over. Most of them bring back bronzed cheeks and some 
of them sun-burned noses. The last week has been very 
hot, with a glaring sun and little wind. This has made 
very poor fishing at many of Maine's best resorts. Such 
is not the tone of the reports in the papers, the only object 
of which is to boom the fishing resorts, however. To 
read these papers one hears only of the successes; the 
many failures are never mentioned. The lovers of the 
angle should read these papers with the above idea in 
view, and look to the Forest and Stream for the facts. 
Mr. C. Z. Bassett, of Appleton & Bassett, with Mr. G. 
N. Smalley, have returned from their spring fishing trip. 
They went first to Billy Soule's, where they had fair fish- 
ing. They then came down the lake and over to the 
Middle Dam. The fishing at the Middle Dam has been as 
good as at any point in the Ranpeley region. Mr. J. R. 
Stewart has caught there a trout 29in. long and weighing 
81bs. This fish was forwarded to Boston and shown in 
Appleton & Bassett's window, where it attracted a good 
deal of attention. 
But the most peculiar piece of trout fishing luck of the 
season also has happened at the Middle Dam. The good 
fortune has fallen to a lady, Mrs. C. W. Dunham, of Brat- 
tleboro, Vt. Mr. C. Z. Bassett gives me the account for the 
Forest and Stream, and it is doubtless correct, for Mr. 
Bassett was there at the time. It seems that Mrs. Dun- 
ham was trolling from a boat with her husband, and 
George Thomas as guide. They were moving along in 
front of the Sandbank, when Mrs. Dunham felt a tre- 
mendous strike and hooked her fish. This was late in the 
afternoon, and the fun immediately began. Mrs. Dunham 
clung to the rod, following the directions of the guide and 
Mr. Dunham. But not an inch could she gain on the 
vicious fighter, and nearly all her line was out. One hour 
passed, and it was after sunset, when Mr. Dunham offered 
to take the rod. but the plucky lady declined. Her hands 
became numb from the effects of the strain in holding the 
rod. The guide would rub them and pound them and en- 
courage her, when the fight would be renewed. Two 
whole hours had passed, and still the trout had scarcely 
yielded an inch that had not been quickly taken again. 
Darkness was coming on, and a lantern was sent out by 
another boat from the Middle Dam Hotel. The fight was 
continued for two hours and twenty minutes, when the 
fish finally came up to where the guide could reach him 
with the net. Curiously enough, the big fellow did not 
come up head foremost, as is almost always the case, and 
the guide found some difficulty in getting him into 
the net. He finally succeeded, and the trout was in the 
boat, when— behold! he was hooked securely through the 
dorsal fin. His weight was exactly 91bs., one of the 
largest of Rangeley brook trout. Such a hooking and 
such a battle with a big trout by a lady must go down 
into the annals of angling as a most remarkable instance. 
Mr. Bassett and Mr. Smalley went on to B. Pond in 
company with Mr. Edgar W. Curtis, one of the proprietors 
of the new camp at the Pond in the River. There jthey 
had fine sport fly-fishing. Mr. Bassett caught eighty trout 
on the fly, nearly all of which were returned to the water 
uninjured. 
June Another trouble has struck the trout and 
salmon fishermen, coming upon them unusually early. 
The hot weather of last week turned out millions of black 
flies and mosquitoes. These pests were not due for a 
week, at the very shortest time; but the hot week in May 
seems to have warmed the water in the pools, a condition 
favorable to the early development of insects. The Camp 
Stewart party at Richardson Lake was actually driven out 
by mosquitoes and black flies several days earlier than the 
members intended breaking camp. The fishing was poor 
enough to magnify other troubles. Mrs, George T. Ffee- 
man made the best catch of any one in the party. She took 
twelve trout in one day, none less than half a pound and up 
to 21bs. in weight. This was her best catch. The next 
day she took a 41b. trout, however. Dr. Wood got a trout 
weighing 3£lbs., and Mr. Freeman one of 41bs. No 
catches were being made in that region when the party 
left on Monday. Many fishermen are very sorry that a 
public camp has been established at Big Richardson Pond 
Mr. John Chadwick, who has charge of the camp hotel at 
the Upper Dam, built a camp at Richardson Pond last 
winter and has put in boats there. Heretofore there have 
been no boats to be had there, except private property. 
Parties can hire this camp of him, with boats, and he will 
provision them. The result is that the pond is being pretty 
rapidly fished out. Mr. Harry Dutton has a camp also at 
Borie Beach. Such is the march of improvement. 
The last Boston party for the Katahdin Iron Works 
reached that celebrated trout section last week. They 
struck the hot weather, and with it such a swarm of 
mosquitoes and black flies that they were almost driven 
from the woods. In the party were Messrs. J. S. Richards, 
Wm. F. Keeler, F. N. Sleeper, of Boston, and Wm. B. 
Tobie, of North Berwick, Maine. Mr. Wm. J. Follett, of 
Boston, did not go, for the reason that he was delayed a 
day or two after the party had gone, and the others wrote 
him of the flies and mosquitoes, and he did not start. 
Mr. Follett will go to the Inglewood later, of which 
association he is a member. He hopes to have a large 
party that will go for fly-fishing altogether. His wife 
and boys will accompany him. Mr. Henry E. Cobb left 
for the Inglewood to-day. He is to be accompanied by a 
friend or two, I understand. They will fish for several 
days. Col. C. A. Hopkins has been down to the Ingle- 
wood with a party of friends. They had very fair fishing, 
but were troubled somewhat by mosquitoes and flies. 
They are at loss to account for the very early appearance 
of these pests of the angler. 
Mr. Edward L. Pickard, for many years a prominent 
member of the Oquossoc Anglers' Association, is just back 
to business from his annual visit to Indian Rock. He had 
fair fishing only, but was much delighted with the cap- 
ture of a landlocked salmon weighing 4 or 51bs, He also 
got a 3*lbs, trout. 
Dr. T. Jefferson Scales^of New York, has been having 
his share of the good fishing at Middle Dam. He struck 
that resort about the right time. There are still more 
glowing accounts of fly-fishing at B. Pond. It is reported 
that anglers are getting 201bs. a day there, returning all 
the small trout to the water. Well, if we must fish for 
count and to beat, then it is better that the small trout all 
be returned to the water. But how would it do to culti- 
vate the habit of getting our enjoyment out of catching 
the few trout actually needed for the table? Senator 
Simpkins, of the Cape, has been at B. Pond with a friend. 
He fully expected Mr. J. Otis Wetherbee, of Boston, to 
join him, but at last accounts that gentleman was being 
kept at home. 
June 7.— Codfishing parties down the harbor begin to be 
in order. Yesterday Com. Ned Dixon, of the Atlantic 
Yacht Club, with Tom Herbert, William D. Finley and 
Arthur F. Winslow, of the Boston Globe; M. J. Desmond, 
of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Thomas Brophe and 
others, were treated to a fine sail down to the Light on the 
clipper catboat Pilgrim. The boat was in charge of Capt. 
Emil Saxon. He took the party through Hull Gut and 
out into Quincy Bay after the fishing waB over. The 
codfishing, as well as the sail and the rest of the outing, 
was thoroughly enjoyed by the newspaper men and the 
others. About 100 rock cod were taken in two hours' fish- 
ing between the Light and the Red Buoy. Such fishing is 
rare, and all speak in the highest terms of it. 
Mr. David H. Blanchard, with Mr. Riohard O. Harding, 
for so many years secretary of the Massachusetts Fish 
and Game Protective Association, hope to start for Mr. 
Blanchard's salmon river about June 19. Later they ex- 
pect to be joined by Mr. E. Rolins Morse. Mr. Blanchard 
will spend several weeks at his salmon preserve, and Mr. 
Harding will stay as long as business will permit. Mr. 
Blanchard has lately returned f rom a trouting trip to some 
of the Monson, Me., ponds, which ponds he has fished on 
former seasons. He found that the ponds were being ex- 
cessively fished even before his arrival. 
It is out at last. A paper, published at Rangeley, Me., 
and called Rangeley Lakes. The initial number is well 
put together, as a newspaper; to be devoted exclusively 
to booming the Rangeley region, and first; last and for- 
ever, the fishing there. Every good catch since the ice 
went out is recorded in the first issue, but not a single 
failure is noted. Give us the whole truth, boys, or don't 
tell all the favorable side and leave the hundred and one 
disappointments unmentioned. Such a bright, little sheet 
as you show yourselves to be capable of making deserves 
to succeed. But it cannot succeed upon misrepresenta- 
tion. Dare to tell us how Jones or Smith fished for 
several days with scarcely a trout; how their faces were 
burned; how the mosquitoes and black flies did bite. 
Tell the truth, the whole truth, and shame the man who 
wants you to lie about that fishing resort. This will 
inspire confidence in your paper, and confidence begets 
success. 
The Col. Rockwell Party is back in Boston again. They 
found very poor fishing and a great plenty of hot 
weather, glaring sun and mosquitoes and black flies. 
They fished from Allerton Lodge and from the home of 
the Oquossoc Angling Association, but with little success. 
Some of the party c ught absolutely nothing, while 
others got very few. The party generally feels that they 
were too late. 
Fishing has really been better, even during the hot 
weather at Moosehead than at the Rangeleys. Please excuse 
me, ye Rangeley boomers, for daring to say such a thing. 
Mr. J. F. Dwinell, of Boston, who has visited Moosehead 
for a great many years, is there at the present writing. 
But this time he is accompanied by his grandson, J. F. 
Dwinell, Jr., and it is plain that the young man is of as 
much consequence as the fishing. He is 15 years old and 
is enjoying the sport as only a boy can enjoy it. He has 
caught some fine trout trolling, and writes his father that 
he wishes his grandfather would teach him to throw 
the fly. Mr. Dwinell is having very good success, taking 
several 21b. and 31b. trout on the fly. A cousin of the 
young fisherman is also there, but so far the boy has beat- 
en him. Special. 
The Shrinkage of Fish Out of Water. 
Geneva, N. Y., May 25.— Editor Forest and Stream: 
One of our local fishermen took a lake trout from our lake 
here (Seneca) last night that ten hours after taken from 
the water weighed nearly 22lbs. We have gotten into a 
little controversy over the amount of shrinkage there is 
in a fish, and wish you would state in your paper about 
what is generally considered a fair estimate in Bay from 
ten to fifteen hours after being out of the water. 
E. H owell Howell. 
American Fisheries Society. 
The American Fisheries Society met on Tuesday of 
this week in the New York Aquarium. A report of the 
meeting will appear in our next issue. 
