FOREST AND STREAM. 
tJtJLif 11, 1896. 
nd kind, took my Cheney rod and went out about 
June 1 in Bearch of tarpon. I attached a float about 
2tt. above the hook, put on a mullet and com- 
menced to fish. In this way I fished probably five 
days at different times, from early morning until late at 
night, and while I had a great many strikes from large 
tarpon, in each instance they either broke my leader, my 
hook or my line. In one or two instances I bent the point 
of the hook in endeavoring to jerk it into the fish. There 
wpre hundreds of tarpon there of all sizes, from 40 to 
IbOlbs., as I estimated them, jumping around, sometimes 
within 10 or 15 ft. of the boat. Concluding that my tackle 
was not sufliciently strong to land such fish, even if I suc- 
ceeded in hooking them, I wrote to Rockport for a com- 
plet«^ outfit— rod, lines, leaders and hooks. They arrived 
on Wednesday last, the reel having on it 200yds. of line, 
and that afternoon at 6 o'clock I took the train for Mor- 
gan's Point. I had telephoned ahead for a boatman, boat 
and bait (mullet), and to have all ready at 5 o'clock the 
next morning. I arrived at Morgan's Point at 7:15, and 
bad time to make all my arrangements for an early start. 
At 5 o'clock in the morning we had a cup of coffee and a 
couple of eggs (good ones; they did not break the yolk 
when they were opened), and within ten minutes we were 
finhing for tarpon. We had to go only about 300 or 
400yd8. at the far end of the bulkhead, where the bay has 
a fair sweep into the channel, and around which 
bulkhead the mullet come from deep into shallow 
water. I had perhaps seven strikes before I fas- 
tened to a fish, but when I did it was a good-sized one, 
weighing probably ISOlbs. Each time a fish would strike 
he would jump out of the water 8 or 10ft. clear and shake 
the hook out of his mouth. When I hooked the big fel- 
low it was about 8:30, and the tide was running out. 
Contrary to the usual actions of these fish when hooked 
— which is to run against the tide — he turned out through 
the canal and took to sea, jumping at least 10ft. clear of 
the water every 50ft. until he had jumped seven times. 
His plimge and his gait were equal to those of a wild 
broncho, and he traveled at the rate of about a mile a 
minute. With all the efforts of the oarsman and with all 
the weight I dared to put upon the tackle, it was almost 
impossible for me to prevent him from taking my 200yds. 
of line, and at one time he had out at least 500ft. 
"After going about a mile he concluded he was wrong 
about the tide, and, circling through the bay a little, 
went back into the channel, going past where he was first 
hooked and down through the canal by the town. I pre- 
sume there were 150 people in the town, and I gave a 
great yell that they might come and see me take him in 
through the canal. In less than five minutes I think 
every inhabitant of the place, black and white, old and 
young, was on the bulkhead watching the sport. Three- 
quarters of an hour had probably passed since he was 
hooked, when, after reaching this end of the canal and 
getting into San Jacinto Bay, he turned in the direction 
of the sunken boats or logs, and when I attempted to turn 
him went around a sunken log, which gave me some 
trouble. 
"At last, however, I extricated the line and then had him 
in fair play again for perhaps half an hour. At the ex- 
piration of that time he turned back up the canal until he 
reached the spot where he first went aroimd the sunken 
log, and there repeated the same maneuver, going around 
the log and turning immediately back behind me, though 
I was not aware of his shrewdness at the moment. It 
seemed impossible for me to extricate the line this time 
and atter -a great deal of pressure it evidently wore. The 
fish jumped out of the water, breaking the line. 
"I had him in play probably an hour and a half, and I 
had him well hooked and partially under control. 
"Ten o'clock had arrived, at which time I had break- 
fast, and at 11 o'clock I was out again at the same place 
fishing for tarpon. I had four strikes, losing each 
fish, when the tide changed and was running in and the 
wind was blowing quite hard, making an imusually rough 
sea. 
"The boat had taken water to some extent, and not 
having many mullet in the well I had the boatman tie up 
to a bulkhead in order to bail out, and also to relieve the 
well or pool of the water. 
"As I had made my arrangements to return to Houston 
at 2 o'clock, I told the boatman that if he would give me 
one more fresh mullet I would bait the hook, and when 
that was taken we would go in. He gave me the mullet, 
put his oars in the locks, and was ready to start when I 
threw my bait overboard. It had not gotten 3f fc. from 
the boat before there was a mighty splash. Water was 
thrown all over me, and my mullet was taken by a tar- 
pon. I was scarcely prepared for him, but at the same 
lime I prevented his getting too much line, and the reel 
sang the prettiest kind of song, until he had gone about 
50ft., that I ever heard. At this distance he jumped at 
least 10ft. out of the water, and finding I had him safe I 
gave him no more slack whatever. He turned immedi- 
ately out the channel to sea against the tide, and con- 
tinued his rapid gait, jumping clear of the water every 
hundred feet or so until he ha!d jumped nine times. He 
kept up the pace until he had gone three miles to sea and 
into very deep water. 
''I had no control of him whatever, and he had taken 
on several occasions during this outward sea movement 
nearly all my line, at least 550ft. After this distance he 
turned to the left and went at least two miles until he 
got into 6 or 6ft. of water. Then he turned back across 
the channel and went on the opposite side of it probably 
a mile and a half. After two hours and a half he went 
back into water 8^ to 4ft. deep, and I had some hopes of 
getting him into water where I could gaff him, but with- 
out warning he turned to sea again and did not stop until 
he had gone a mile and a half. This fish took us around 
over the bay for five and a half hours and a distance of 
not less than twelve or thirteen miles. I found I had no 
control over him and knew I had him foul in some way, 
because no pressure that I dared bring to bear seemed to 
turn his head, and when I got him broadside toward me 
and endeavored to hold him I would draw him broadside 
to me and not head foremost, which told me I had him 
hooked somewhere in the side. 
"After I had worn cut both Capt. Frank Marsh, my 
boatman and myself, and we had on several occasions 
almost decided to cut the line and let the fish go, we 
began to have a little control over him, and worked him 
toward shallow water, and at 6:15 I got him into water 
about ditt. deep, and the captain got into the water him- 
self and worked up to the fish and gafted him, as he had 
a gaff with a handle about 6ft. long, After he got the 
gaff into the tarpon he drew him toward the boat and I 
killed him with an oar. 
"This was the greatest battle of my life with a fish, and 
during the entire time I did not give him an inch of 
slack line and did not have a chance to take a drink of 
water or light a cigar. The tarpon was hooked in the 
side back of the gills. I imagine he jumped over the 
mullet and jerked the hook into his side. This was why 
I had no control over the fish and made the fight last so 
long. 
"During the struggle the waves were rolling pretty 
high, and I had to sit in the stern of the boat all the 
time with the bow toward the fish, and the captain pull- 
ing the oars under my directions. 
"If the sea had been smooth I could have taken the 
bow, and it would have been comparatively easy for the 
boatman, but the high sea made it impossible for me to 
do this. The boat took water so often until it was nearly 
half full, and having seen people in the town with glasses 
looking at us, I concluded that by waving my hat they 
would understand and come to my relief and bring 
another boat, which was done, and we changed boats 
about an hour and a half I landed the tarpon, otherwise 
we would have abandoned him on account of the boat 
taking so much water. The tarpon weighed 105|^lbs. and 
measured 6ft. lin. in length. I will go down again to- 
night and report results. I would give anything in the 
world if you were here to join me in a trip of this kind. 
"There is nothing on the face of the earth in the fiah 
line that gives such sport, and I will never be able to fish 
for smaller fish again." 
I am afraid that my friend does not give the tarpon 
time enough to swallow the mullet bait before he strikes, 
hut the Texas method is so different fiom that practiced 
in Florida that comment at this distance is imwise per- 
haps. Certainly to land a foul-hooked tarpon gives one a 
heap of fishing. A. N. Cheney. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
The Season of the Sand Fly. 
Chicago, IU., June 26. — This week has been signalized 
all over the middle West by the appearance in vast num- 
bers of the sand fly, May fly, cisco fly, shad fly, caddis 
fly, or whatever other local name may be given to the 
creature, which I presume is somewhat the same in all 
instances, and a member of the family of ephemeridcB or 
soft-winged flies which come up out of the water, though 
they are popularly supposed to come out of the woods. 
Chicago and it suburbs this week have received a visita- 
tion from the "sand flies," as they are called here. The 
insects have fairly clogged up the electric lights during 
the night time, and in the morning the streets have been 
covered with them. 
Yesterday morning I picked up one of these sand flies 
as it lay in its customary listless way upon the sidewalk, 
apparently careless whether school kept or not. It was 
not like the caddis fly of the Wisconsin lakes, whose 
habits I have had occasion to study from the angling 
standpoint. The caddis of those regions is larger and of 
lighter hue, and the wing is a trifle wider in proportion. 
This sand fly was of darkish color, body and all, and his 
wings were somber, though delicately veined. I could 
not call him so pretty and edible looking an insect as the 
pale green caddis of the Wisconsin waters, but none the 
less I took him to the tackle dealers and tried to find his 
artificial counter). 'art, or rathfr that of my caddis fly of 
larger type. To my surprise I could find no caddis fly in 
Chicago tackle stores, and indeed the only ones I ever 
saw here were sent me from a stranger, These files were 
nicely tied, with the pointed, gray-mottled, upright 
single wing, and the long, upturned soft tail with the 
soft, hair-like "feelers" indicative of this delicate and 
graceful fly. Having tried these flies alongside a clumsier 
imitation, I had in past years learned the nice discrimina- 
tion possessed by the black bass in such matters, even 
after dark, and I wanted just that sort of a fly and no 
other, because I am going up to the annual "Camp Forest 
and Stream" next week, and want to carry out the tradi- 
tions by taking a few bass on the caddis of evenings. 
But I could not get my fly nor one approximately like it, 
and the best I could do was to get some imported May 
flies with upright but double wings and a body sticking 
straight out in a most awkward fashion, which I fear will 
be spurned by my fastidious fish. These May flies, how- 
ever, I have trimmed down into something like the 
proper shape by free use of scissors, and I hope, if the 
night be very dark, to be able to persuade my bass that 
they are the correct thing. 
I am surprised that I hear of no one in Chicago who 
takes advantage of the caddis season to enjoy the evening 
or night fly-fishing for bass, which is then absolutely the 
best of the season, and I am surprised also that our tackle 
stores do not carry this useful fly among their weird and 
variegated outfits of feathers. As to what luck my May 
flies have, we shall see later. We may be a trifle late for 
the caddis this year, for the season is early, but it shall go 
hard if we do not find out what makes the circles in the 
water over the sand beach just after sundown on a cer- 
tain lake I wot of. 
Laat week I was out in Iowa, and I met several gentle- 
men who were just back from Spirit and Okoboji lakes, 
the two most famous fishing waters. They all said that 
the sport was very poor. "The shad fly was all over 
everything and the fish were not biting at all," said one 
angler to me. Now, the truth is that no doubt if he had 
understood the situation he could have had the nicest sort 
of fun right where the fish "were not biting at all." The 
bass do not care for heavy feed when the caddis is rising, 
and often will only play at biting a frog or minnow then, 
running with it and not swallowing it so eagerly as they 
will when they mean business. The boats come in with- 
out any fish, and everybody is discouraged. By sundown 
everybody goes to the hotel and sits around and kicks — 
yet at just about that time the bass are coming in over 
the sandy reaches where the caddis is rising in the cool of 
the evening, and there the main meal of the day is going 
on. The frog and the minnow and the crawfish are every- 
day fare for bass, but when the caddis comes it is the sea- 
son of peaches and cream, and great is the joy thereof. I 
imagine my friend from Spirit Lake has overlooked a 
good thing. I have rarely enjoyed any of our lake angling 
for baas more than that we had on some evenings with 
the fly rods on our little lake, when it was so dark one 
could not see where his fly struck the water, yet every 
once in a while would hear the splash and feel the tug of 
a hooked fish. To be sure, the largest bass were not taken 
in this way, and we got a great many rock bass and crop- 
{)ie8, but once in a while we struck a heavy bass, and often 
ost them in the rushes and weeds. I have seen dozens 
and perhaps hundreds of fish feeding furiously this way 
after dusk, on a water where everybody swore there was 
no fishing, and J. B. H. and I used to enjoy the won- 
der of the populace over our constant strings of bass. 
Yet still the dealers do not know the caddis fly in the 
trade. If they can do no better, they might by diligence 
be able to get a sand fly or two here in Chicago for a 
model this week. 
The Muscallonge Season. 
We are able now to give some information about the 
muscallonge season in Wisconsin this year, as several 
parties are back from their trips this week. On the 
whole the season must be called very unsatisfactory, if 
the opinion of the majority of anglers interviewed be 
taken as index. I have seen few 'lunge of any size at 
the offices of the railroads running into the Wisconsin 
fishing country. A box of fish stood in front of the Wis- 
consin Central oflice here the other day, but there were 
only a few 'lunge in it and none over 61bs. There was a 
nice lot of wall-eyed pike in that box, of a curiously dark, 
coppery color, showing them to come from some far 
northern water, stained by the tamarack roots. This 
same road displayed a grettt pickerel, caught compara- 
tively near the city, at Brown's Lake, Wis., the fish look- 
ing big enough to go 201bs. in its jar of alcohol, though it 
was modestly marked 12ilbs. 
A large party is just back from Big Sand Lake, Wis., 
wher^ they put in a couple of weeks or more trying for 
'lunge. This party was composed of Messrs. B Dicks, 
W. P. Mussey, L. M. Hamline, J. M. Sanborn, Stephen 
Sutherland, R. R. Street, C. D. Gammon, H. D Nicholls, 
Alex. White, Al. Humberstone, J. Hansell, Dow Lewis 
and Mr. Hudson, of the Great Northern Hotel of this 
city. Big Sand Lake is northeast of Eagle River, Wis., 
and is the head of the Little Deerskin River. It is a 
great 'lunge water at times, and did not utterly disap- 
point these anglers this time, for th^y kiUed a number of 
fish, though none was very large. They had some weigh- 
ing 22i, 18*, 16, 13i, 9, 7 and 6lbs. Almost all the party 
had the fun of takmg his 'lunge, and the trip was a very 
good one in point of pleasure. Deer are reported very 
abundant in that region, and are being hunted by a good 
many residents and non-residents in the height of the 
close season. In the opinion of the above gentlemen, who 
base their belief on the statements of guides who have 
rowed on different waters this season, the muscallonge 
season is not up to the average this year. 
These gentlemen bring down a curious and exciting 
story of a ereat muscallonge killed this spring on Little 
St. Germaine Lake, not far from where they were fishing, 
by one of their guides, Art. Matthews, who was at the 
time rowing banker McKenzie, of Eagle River. When I 
say "killed" I mean this more literally than is usual in the 
angler's sense of the term. This fish was literally killed, 
and, shades of George Washington! it was killed with a 
hatchet. Matthews saw the fish swimming on the surface 
(it was probably in the spawning season, when muscal- 
longe are often speared thus on the surface), and either it 
was sick or injured in their opinion, for it allowed them 
to come up close enough to deal it a heavy blow over the 
head with a club. It then sunk and was supposed to be 
little hurt by the blow. On the next day the same fish, 
easily distinguished by its great size, was seen near the 
same place, and this time the men got up to it again and 
struck it across the head with a hatchet, splitting the 
skull across. Again the fish sunk, to the chagrin of the 
pursuers, and it was thought to be lost forever. Two days 
later it was foimd floating, quite dead. This fish meas- 
ured 6in. across the skull from eye to eye and was Wl'm. 
long. Matthews thought it would weigh nearly 60 or 
65lb8. It is the largest 'lunge reported from those waters 
at any time, so far as I can learn. 'The manner of its 
capture was singular enough to make it a historic charac- 
ter on the Eagle range. 
Messrs. W. H. Haskell and Frank Gray have returned 
from a trip to Boulder Lake, above Trout Lake, on the 
Manitowish chain, and report very good success. They 
got one fish of 321bs. and a second of 28ibs., with several 
smaller. I have not at this writing any word from Turtle 
waters, and do not hear from the Plum Lake or Big St. 
Germaine waters, where there should be some fishing this 
summer. 
A Muscallonge Pocket. 
But I have not told my biggest bit of muscallonge news, 
and indeed I hardly know how to tell it, for the news 
comes to me under the injunction of secrecy, and some- 
times a newspaper man cannot tell all he learns in this 
way. In short, I have undoubtedly run across something 
which I did not believe existed to-day — a muscallonge 
pocket, a new 'lunge water which has betn fished by only 
a very few. As to the exact whereabouts of this water I 
dara say no more than that it is between Ashland and 
Duluth, and beyond the range of waters which have gen- 
erally been supposed to include all the 'lunge fishing; but 
I am at liberty to give the names of the men who have 
fished it. The gentleman who gave me the information is 
Capt. George C. Kober, and he says the friends who were 
with him make up what they call the Hummer Fishing 
Club, the other members being Messrs. C. E. Lewis and 
Henry Hooh, of Minneapolis, and Edward Sumner, of 
Chicago. This last trip was their second to this water, 
and theirs was by all means the largest catch of the sea- 
son, nor is it likely that it will be equaled on any other 
water. It represents, in short, sometning of the old fish- 
ing which was common ten years ago in all the 'lunge 
waters where now the fishing is about gone. These an- 
glers took thirty-four muscallonge of an average weight of 
201bs,, and they took last fall fifty muscallonge averaging 
26i^lb8. They took last fall on one trip of a few days 
I,a001b8. of wall eyed pike, and on that same trip killed 
100 black bass averaging 41bs. in weight. This summer 
they caught in two days 225 black bass, all running very 
large. Knowing what I do of the character of the fish- 
ing in these Wisconsin waters when they are first opened 
up, I do not doubt the above figures in the least. Under 
the cii'cumstances I can make no comment on them ex- 
cept that which they convey of themselves as mere figures. 
Capt. Kober tells me that the fish were shipped to char- 
itable institutions in Chicago. Would he be offended if I 
suggested that the usual custom nowadays is to restore to 
the water any muscallonge not needed in the camp or as 
special trophies? Would this not be as well as snipping 
