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FISHING IN NEW ENGLAND. 
Boston, July 27. — Oodfishing is a source of pleasure to 
many of the tired merchants and professional men of 
Boston. They go a-fisbing off several points along the 
south shore, as well as in Buzzard's Bay, where some good 
hauls of bluefish have lately been made. Several points 
off Nahant are noted for giving good sport with codfish. 
Tuesday Mr. J, Hallett, of the Industrial Record; John 
Corbet, the celebrated football halfback; Francis Snow 
and one or two others went codfishing off the Nahant 
Ledges. They took in a few hours forty codfish, weigh- 
ing from 7 to lOlbs, They are much delighted with the 
Bport, and will go again in a day or two. 
Wm. F. Gregory, with his wife and boys, is off on a 
fishing trip that promises to be a good one. They went 
first to Kineo, Moosehead Lake. From that point they 
started with the view of canoeing and carrying through 
to the waters of the St. John, and down this river to the 
Provinces. They will fish and camp by the way. The 
party is quite a large one, including also Mr. S. A. Phil- 
lips and Walter Balthray. Nine guides also make up the 
equipment. Mr. Gregory is one of the principals of a 
leading boot and shoe manufacturing concern and Mr. C. 
W. Shaw the other. Both have lately become much in- 
terested in fishing. Mr. Shaw is an enthusiastic member 
of the Duck Lake Club, at the Schoodics. 
L, M, Crane, with his two sons, L, O. and J. F. Crane, 
Is off for Round Mountain Lake. The two sons are ac- 
companied by their wives. All are earnest fly-fiahermen. 
The trip has long been planned, but put off for unavoid- 
able circumstances till late in the season. A letter, how- 
ever, from Mrs. Charles L. Bly last week, mentions excel- 
lent fly-fishing, and hence the Crane party is more hopeful. 
If trout are to be had, there is patience and skill enough 
in Ihe party to take them. 
G. N. Smalley and his son, Harry Smalley, are enjoying 
a fly-fishing trip at Big Island Pond. Late reports from 
them mention excellent fishing. They went in by way of 
Canada. 
The Maine Editors and Publishers' Association has com- 
pleted its tour of the Rangeley Lakes. Quartered at the 
Birches and Bemis, they were also entertained at the 
Rangeley Lake House and Mountain View House. J, 
Parker "Whitney entertained the gentlemen and their 
ladies at his beautiful spot on the Upper Richardson. G. 
S. Rowell, editor of the Portland Advertiser, went a-fish- 
ing on Thursday, and became the lion of the party by 
landing a S^lb. trout. Doubtless that region will now re- 
ceive the desired boom through the Maine newspapers, a 
boom that makes the real sportsman tired, and causes him 
to seek woods and waters more remote. 
Mr. James H. Jones has returned from his fishing trip 
on the bx'ooks in Oxford county, Me. He went without 
great expectations, since it is midsummer, and generally 
the streams are low. From Buckfield, accompanied by 
his father, he fished some of the brooks in Buckfield, in 
Sumner and in Woodstock. He caught strings of trout 
that surprised the natives, who are generally too lazy to 
go a-fishing after the first "go off" in the spring. He 
caught trout up to fib. in weight, and fine strings, out of 
the very brooks the natives told him it was no use to fish 
He visited Little Concord Pond, in Woodstock, and found 
that Portland parties had a camp there, and that they 
have taken some big hauls of trout in the spring. From 
a brook in that section he took an elegant creel of trout. 
Deer are in that section, frequenting Big Concord Pond, 
Little Concord and Shag ponds. Five were killed there 
last fall. Mr. Jones, Sr., had a good sight at one deer. 
Both gentlemen were surprised at the beauty of the 
scenery of that section. Streaked Mountain hangs over 
Shag Pond, 2,000ft. above the sea, and 600 to 800ft. above 
the pond. Little Concord Pond is a jewel among the 
mountains that it takes a hunter to find. The distance is 
nearly twenty miles from a railroad, and a mile or two 
from an old country road that has been but little used for 
many years. But the curious fact is that such an animal 
as a deer was almost unknown in that section thirty years 
ago. Now they are really plenty. Special, 
SUNDRY TOLEDO GOSSIP. 
Toledo, O. July 2i.— Editor Forest and Stream; It 
was scarcely a month ago that I made up my mind 
that Forest and Stream ought to have a bicycle depart- 
ment, and while I was considering whether or not it was 
my duty to write the editor to that effect, behold I the 
department blossomed out as it ware spontaneously. The 
relation of the bicycle to the fisherman is perhaps as inti- 
mate and direct as in any other line of independent sport. 
For the past year or two some of our local fishermen nave 
been riding their wheels along the bass rivers adjacent to 
Toledo, and we have discovered that as a dress for wading 
our bass streams the sweater, knickerbockers and long 
stockings make a costume admirably adapted to use with 
either lubb^r boots or full-length mackintoshes. Toledo 
fishermen are notably enterprising and up to date, and 
they are not only quick to adopt the good ideas of others, 
but have plenty good ideas of their own. For example, I 
encountered one of them the other day who had just 
built a new minnow seine, in the bottom of which, instead 
of the usual lead weights, he had run a chain. It needs 
no diagram to explain to the average fisherman that a 
seine so weighted will adapt itself to every irregularity of 
the bottom, and thus prevent the escape of the small fry. 
And speaking of the bicycle and the fisherman, here 
was a little trip I took the other day, which illustrates 
what combinations of cross-country journeying are ren- 
dered possible with the aid of the wheel. The route in 
question was covered by the morning train from Toledo 
to Dundee, twenty miles, the wheel from Dundee along 
the banks of the River Raisin to Munroe, twenty-five miles 
(the same section of that stream that I ran by canoe two 
months before), thence by coasting steamer along Lake Erie 
twenty miles more to Toledo. Total of the three sides of 
the triangle, sixty-five miles; time, twelve hours, with 
plenty of leisure for a good country dinner in the middle 
of the day, and for numerous visits and gossip with the 
fishermen and farmers along the banks. Then too I car- 
ried my rod in my hand, my reel and my wallet in my 
pocket and a pair of waders strapped to the handle bar. 
I didn't fish, but that was simply because I didn't want to 
fish. It was pleasanter to lie in the shade and watch the 
operations of the man with a 20ft. bamboo, and to listen 
to his explanations of why the fish bit and why they 
didn't, as well as to hear about some of the fishing they 
used to have in the river ten or fifteen years ago, (Alas I 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
that some of us should have been born a trifle late to en- 
joy it.) . 
Has any one ever said to Forest and Stream that it 
was Toledo fishermen who discovered this spring that the 
proper way to take tarpon is to troll for them instead of 
casting a mullet out into the water and letting it lie there 
for five or six hours — more or less? That they were em- 
inently successful in this new departure their score shows 
and the sport was greatly heightened. Possibly there 
may be others who have used the same method, but so 
far as I am aware there is no record of it. Perhaps I 
may be able to send you some notes of their experience 
later. Jay Beebe, 
llion^ Island Fishing:. 
Mr. Wm. Brownell, of New York, who has fished in 
almost every State in the Union as well as along the coast, 
went to Amity ville, L. L, July 15, accompanied by Mr, 
Linaker, and securing a catboat went fishing for flounders. 
The fish were biting well and the tv^o were busy for little 
more than half an hour, when Mr. Brownell, who was 
fishing with an 8oz, steel rod, felt a sudden tug at his 
200ft, of oiled silk line as it began to run out, making the 
reel fairly sing. 
"That's no flounder. It must be a weakfish. She goes 
like a harpooned whale," said Mr. Brownell, who has 
spent many years whaling in the North seas. Nearly 
150ft, of line had run out, and knowing that he could not 
stop the fish with such light tackle, the fisherman called 
to his companion, "Pull up the anchor and follow the 
direction of my line; I will land this fish even if it be a 
shark." The boat was put under motion just as the last 
yard of line was paying out. 
The fish sounded and came to a halt, but quick work on 
the reel did not let it rest an instant. Away it shot sea- 
ward, again making the reel hum, the boat following 
just fast enough to prevent a sudden parting of the line, 
which was kept taut, the fisherman never for an instant 
allowing it to slacken, but keeping the fish constantly on 
the move. Again the fish sounded and again ran; and it 
kept this up for one hour and twenty-three minutes, 
when it came to the surface helpless. Mr. Brownell, who 
had handled it so skillfully, now helped it into the boat. 
The fish proved to be a striped bass and weighed 24i^lb8. 
After the excitement caused by the bass had subsided 
Mr, Brownell tried trolling for bluefish and caught seven 
beauties, the smallest of which weighed Ylbs. When he 
came home on the evening train he had the pleasure of 
showing his friends a barrel well filled with a choice lot 
of fish. Angler, 
New Hampshire Ouananiche. 
Boston, July 23. — I have been much interested in the 
discussions as to the origin of the salmon, and repeat 
what I have stated before, that I believe the "waunanish" 
to be the original or aboriginal type. That perhaps in the 
glacial period, perhaps earlier or later, they were driven 
out of the fresh-water lakes, where they began life, and 
crowded down into salt water, and liked it so well that 
they have spent their winters there ever since, returning 
to their fresh- water homes to spawn and reproduce their 
species under familiar and natural conditions. But that 
some of them do remain in fresh water the first winter 
after spawning I know, for I have seen the kelts taken in 
the canals on the Merrimac, which they could only have 
entered from the upper ends, on their way down to the 
ocean, in the spring. 
If the biennial theory of spawning, now generally ac- 
cepted, is correct, this gives them a full year in salt water 
to recuperate for another spawning. 
I am also very much deUghted to see in your reports 
from the New Hampshire waters of the steady growth of 
these fish, the "waunanish," in those lakes, and to con- 
sider it as an actual "inspiration," which induced my old 
colleague, A. H. Powers, and myself to make the first 
plant of them in Squam and Sunapee lakes in 1877. I 
shall never forget the eight-mile trip through the woods 
over a tote road with a buck board, which my son Sam 
and I took with two cans of fry, into the Connecticut 
lakes in 1880. New Hampshire has been well repaid for 
the expenditures which intelligent Legislatures have 
authorized for restocking her waters, and I am happy to 
say that I beUeve every year shows more and more re- 
spect for the fish and game laws, and fewer instances of 
their willful violation, though they still occur, I hope 
mainly from ignorance, from small boys and "city sports- 
men." Von W. 
Barnegat Bay and the Jersey Coast. 
ASBDRT Park, N. J,, July 24.— Surf fishing continues 
much the same as in my last week's letter, with but little 
of interest to anglers at any point, the only catch of im- 
portance being a 27ilbs. bass by Wm. Skirm, of Trenton, 
taken Saturday evening. Few people realize what the 
capture of suou a fish means, in point of nerve and skill. 
While it is readily conceded that the heavy weights are 
not as swift of fin as those ranging from 5 to 151bs,, still 
their bulldog propensity for a fight is so pronounced that 
only the experienced can successfully cope with them. 
One false move, the fouling of line on guides or tip, and 
the fish with a respectable portion of the tackle is lost, 
and the angler has only reflection for his consolation. 
In a recent issue of Forest and Stream I took occasion 
to say to the net men "Don't," in relation to their fishing 
in Barnegat Bay. I know the feeling of the people in 
that vicinity, to say nothing of the determination of the 
Fish Commissioners to enforce the law. The consequence 
is two of the bold spirits are now languishing in the 
local jail in default of fines imposed. Not within ten 
years has that body of water been as prolific of fish life as 
at present. Everywhere as far as vision can reach may 
be seen the ripple of innumerable schools of menhaden, 
and to their presence can be attributed the glorious fish- 
ing now to be had. Already the bluefish are inside the 
inlet following their favorite prey, and while it may not 
be generally known, still it is a fact that the large weak- 
fish — known as tide runners — feed greedily on the men- 
haden. 
On Tuesday evening, in company with Judge Wm. B. 
Guild, his son Theodore, and John F. Seger, I paid my 
respects to old Barnegat, and such glorious sport few 
have experienced, and I think safe to say none have ex- 
celled. We took 142 fine tide runners, all magnificent 
fish, and it occurred to us that they put on their best 
fighting garb for our especial benefit. 
I have taken black bass from stream and lake, and have 
[Autt. i, 1896. 
caught trout under all conditions; the sti'iped bass and 
bluefish are familiar captives for the past eighteen years, 
still never have I had more gloriously game fish to con- 
tend with, weight considered, than those of which I am 
now writing. To the angler who is skeptical I would say, 
come with me any night when the conditions are right 
and follow out the instructions I have previously given in 
relation to line equipment. To me the glory of night 
fishing is superb. The voice of day vocation is hushed; 
there is nothing but the gentle rippling of the waters to 
disturb the quiet grandeur of the bay, save the occasional 
dash of a shark or porpoise in pursuit of his prey. Far 
away to the eastward shines Barnegat Light with all that 
its name implies, to the mariner and the local salts as 
well. The paying out of line to the tide on the swell of 
expectancy, to be followed by the strike and glorious rush 
of the yellow-finned beauty, which, unconscious of the 
nature of his bondage, puts forth all the powers of his 
nature for liberty — all these are delights whose enjoy- 
ment is alone to be appreciated by the enthusiastic. 
If anyone finds a hook, leader, float and about 25ft. of 
line attached to a weakfish of uncertain size heading 
toward Barnegat Inlet, the same may be returned to 
William B. Guild, Avon, N, J. , and the finder will receive 
a generous reward, as the party above mentioned is in a 
quandary as to how it happened so quick. 
Leonard Hulit. 
Fatal Accident at a Fishing Tournament. 
Port Huron, Mich., July 2i.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: The annual fishing tournament of the Port 
Huron Anglers' Protective Association was engaged in 
Wednesday afternoon at Stag Island, and was brought to 
a sudden termination by a distressing accident, in which 
one of the members, William M. Cline, lost his life. 
Mr. Cline started out to fish in a boat in company with 
J. J. Cronan, Dr. W. S. Henderson and James Boardman. 
The boat was a small one and the four occupants over- 
loaded it, but this fact was not noticed at the time. The 
party rowed to the Canadian shore and ^.nchored out in 
the stream nearly opposite the Haynes cottage on Stag 
Island. The anchor rope was fastened to a seat near the 
center of the boat instead of at the bow, as is custom- 
ary, and the boat swung broadside to the current. Fish- 
ing had been in progress but a short time when the trouble 
began. The boat made a sudden pitch toward the down 
stream side, probably caused by the swells of some pass- 
ing steamer, and Mr. Cline threw himself to the opposite 
side to which the anchor line was fastened. This threw 
the edge of the boat under the water and in an instant 
the current carried the boat over, and the action of the 
anchor was to pull it beneath the surface. Mr. Cronan 
says that when he reached the surface of the 
water the boat could not be seen, and he struck 
out for the shore, which was about 200 or 250ft. away, 
Mr. Cline started to follow, but after swimming 20 or 30ft, 
evidently felt that he was unable to go so far and turned 
back to the boat, which by this time had come to the top 
of the water again. When within about 15 ft, of the boat 
he was seen to throw up his hands, and as he cried, 
"Hurry up," went down and was seen no more. Dr. 
Henderson and Mr. Baardman clung to the boat and were 
rescued; Boardman, however, losing his hold and going 
down twice before being saved. Fred Wargowski and 
Peter Hill, Jr., who were in a boat a short distance below, 
quickly appreciated the situation and were the first to 
arrive. They pulled Boardman into their boat just as he 
was going down for the third time, and towed Dr. Hen- 
derson into shallow water. They did not realize that one 
of the party had been lost till Mr. Cronan came rimning 
along the beach and asked what had become of Cline. 
James Boardman was quickly resuscitated after reaching 
shore and dry clothes were supplied to the party from the 
cottages at the island. Dr. Henderson was the only one 
of the party who could not swim at all. James Board- 
man could swim some, but the excitement unnerved him 
and he became entirely helpless. 
A Bass Story. 
CAMBRiDaE, Mass. — I haven't been fishing as yet this 
summer, but have been doing the next best thing — read- 
ing Forest and Stream. And reading Forest and 
Stream is apt to make a fellow want to tell something of 
his own experiences. If ever there was a black bass 
crank he stands in my shoes, and anything relating to 
that wary and stubborn finny is hailed with delighr by 
the same. Here is a black bass story which is true, I 
know, for it came from the lips of James Bradbury, one 
of the salt of the earth (or perhaps "salt of the water" 
would be better), who is my fishing companion every 
summer on Rodger's Lake, Conn. Mr, Bradbury never 
tells whoppers, though he catches lots of them, One day 
while fishmg for shiners for bass bait in shoal water, and 
using a stick no larger than a horsewhip to which was 
attached a black linen thread and a tiny hook, Mr, Brad- 
bury saw an immense fish move under the boat and swal- 
low the bit of worm. At first he was too rbuch surprised 
to do anything but stare; then he actually pulled into that 
boat hand over hand a 6 Jibs, black bass, which made little 
or no resistance. If anyone has beaten this I would like 
to record it. 
In appearance and disposition Mr. Bradbury resembles 
Fred Mather's Reuben Wood, only Mr, Bradbury still 
clings to the old-fashioned fishing gear, and often refers 
to my split-bamboo as a "first-rate pole for eatchin' shin- 
ers," By the way, I hope Mr. Mather will continue those 
enjoyable sketches. Joe Cone. 
Montezuma Black Bass. 
Montezuma, N, Y., July 20. — I send you photograph of 
a catch of fifty-eight black bass (largest 5^lbs.) and two 
pickerel, made here one day last week by Messrs A. P, 
Milne and A, T, Sansbury, The guide was Phinney Hel- 
mer, who knows all there is to know about the Montezuma 
marshes, S. 
Lake Wentworth (N. H.*) Bass. 
Haverhill, Mass., July 24 — I was up on Lake Went- 
worth (railroad station. Mill Village, N. H.) a short time 
ago with three brother anglers after black bass. We took, 
in seven hours' fishing, over 100 fish from ilb. to 2Hbs, 
Accommodations are good and guides know their busi- 
ness. Only four hoxirs from Boston, Boston & Maine Rail- 
road C. J. Halpen. 
