May 1, 1867.] 
FOR^IST AND STHfiAM. 
Opportunity never came to meet any of these friends, ancT 
in the course of a busy life they were temporarily forgotten 
but for that very bad habit which some men have for jot- 
ting down things in note books, or of keeping men and events 
in memory. 
Prof. Baird wanted live snakes, lizards and turtles for the 
Philadelphia Zoo, in trust for the Smithsonian Institution 
while they lived, and "Uncle Peter" was sent for to arrange 
for their capture. He dealt in rattlesnake oil for rheuma 
tism and in snake skins for other uses, and-he lived up in the 
mountains. He could get them if any man could He came. 
He was verbally announced, having no card-case with him, 
and I went forth to interview the great serpent-slayi r and 
catcher, for he was said to skin Ih rattlers alive when it was 
desired to retain the colors of the skin for making belts. He 
looked to be a well-preserved man of perhaps sixty to 
eighty years, with a larger percentage of negro blood than 
was usual in the tribe, and one can't figure closely on the 
age of a negro after he passes the noon mark. He was 
seated on a log by I he beach, making figures in the Sand 
with a cane, as I sat down beside him and remarked on tiie 
beauty of the morning. 
Uncle Peter kept his eyes on the figure? in the sand, but 
did not look up; he had sized me up from under his hat as I 
approached. There was a long silence which was to be 
his turn to break ; but he seem{ d to prefer to make figures 
on top of the other flgiu-es, reminding me of "My Uncle 
Toby," although it was years since 1 had read one of Laur- 
ence Sterne's books. Th3 figures in the sand became so 
mixed that I began to doubt if the artist could untangle or 
explain them, when he said, without looking up; "Dey say 
yo' wants to git some snakes." 
"Yes, Uncle Peter, I would like to get alot of the different 
kinds of snakes that live about hei e. They must be ahve, 
and I'm willing to pay for them." 
More drawings in the sand, "Wat yo' spects to pay fo' 
'em?'' 
"A fair price; say $3 for rattlers and pilots (copper heads) 
and $1 for all others over 2ft. long, and 10 cents for little 
fellows, but they must not be hurt." 
As near as I could follow the workings o the old man's 
mind through his diagrams on the sand, he was thinking 
out the battle of Cold Harbor, which occurred a few miles 
away. After occupying half an hour with this, he slowly 
asked ; "What is yo' gwine to do wid 'em?" 
All hope of getting his services was now lost It was ap- 
parent that he had no confidence in any statement I might 
make, so I merely answered ; "They will go to Philadelphia 
and Washington to be studied by men who look after such 
things." 
"Hasn't dey got any snakes up dar?" 
"Yes, but they want snakes from this part of Virginia, 
and if you want to catch some, and get more money out of 
them than their hides and oil are worth, I've got the money 
to pay for 'em." 
Hieroglyphics and cuneiform figures were multiplied on 
the sands, in spite of the protests of a mockingbird which 
had a nest above us, and my patience was nearing the limit, 
when Uncle Peter, without raising his head or his eyes, 
made a few artistic strokes to his complicated map and 
asked: - - 
"Is de Virginny snakes diff'nt fum de udder kinds!" 
Feed Mai her. 
IN THE BLUE RIDGE. 
Highlands, N. C, April 14. — Editor Forest and St/ream: 
As I was saying in my last letter, I never really saw the Blue 
Ridge until "this spring. I havo long ago been all around it, 
through it and under it (or portions of il), but this is the first 
time I have felt like expressing decided opinions about it, as 
based upon personal observation. 
I have been for some time looking for a good, all-round 
climate, with fine scenery, pure air and water, and little 
snow during the winter, and it appears to me that 1 have 
found it. "Therefore 1 am correspondingly grateful to ihe 
friend who suggested that T extend my wanderings to this 
place. 
It seems to me odd that, with the superior facilities afforded 
in this vicinity for the acquirement by sportsmen's clubs of 
large tracts of land, traversed by brooks and streams, on 
which large ponds could readily be established and fish and 
game preserves maintained, so little has Ihus far been done 
in that way. Your correspondent, Mr. Henry SlCivart, has 
about 4,000 acres adjoining this village, and the Cullasaja 
River, which rises in one of the neighboring mountains, 
winds through his estate. On this he has two large ponds, 
and about seven miles of trout fishing. These waters he has 
stocked with rainbow trout, while they already contained the 
speckled trout of our boyhood. He courteously extended to 
me an invitation to make myself at home on his estate, but 
the season has been very rainy, and I have not tried the 
fishing. 
I think, however, that the trout are there. It is related 
that not Very long ago a lady and gentleman went to fish in 
Mr. Stewart's upper pond. For a time all was peace, until 
at last the gentleman, who hid strayed to a distance from 
his companion, was startled by her voice in agonized ac- 
cents, appealing to him to "come quick " Visions of bears, 
panthers and rattlesnakes flashed acros? his mind as he 
rushed to the rescue, only to find the lady sitting in the 
grass. 
"What's the matter?" 
"I've caught a trout." 
"Where is it?" 
'Tm sitting on it. I don't want it to get away." 
"Ooh." 
The trout was saved. It measured 2Sin. in length. 
At another time I may write for you of the wonderful 
mountain scenery, of the dozens of springs, streams, falls 
and cascades, the minerals, plants and flowers, the big trees 
and many other things wh:ch are numbered among the 
attractions of this region, but will close with the remark 
that the railroads seem to be creeping gradually to High- 
lands, and the time for securing desirable properties at low 
figures is before they come much nearer. Keli'ie. 
San Francisco Fly-Casting'. 
At the fifth semi-monthly competiuon, April 10-11, at 
Stow Lake, in Golden G&te PdrJi, the distance records W(re; 
For longest casts, in feet, April 10: Ur. L N. Lowry 911, 
W. L. Bacheller 85, A. E, Lovett 77, Horace Smyth 75, C. 
G. Young 71, A. N. Crowell 64 . April 11: Dr. Lowry 90, 
W. Emery 88. F. H. Raed 84, Chas. Huyck A. E. 
Lovett 7U, A. JST. Crowell 73, C. G. Young 71, J. P. Bab- 
cock 67, Horace Smyth 65, F. S, Butler 60, Chas. Klein 60, 
R. Isen brock 50. 
FISHING IN THE SIERRA NEVADAS. 
M.inYSViLLE!, Cal. — "Well, Ben, when will you be ready 
to start for the mountains?" said I, about the middle of 
July. Ben, Howard and myself were all residents of Marys- 
ville, and were fortunate enough to be able to spend about 
three months every year in the mountains, away from the 
heat and dust of the valley. 
The little city of Maryaville is situated at the confluence 
of the Yuba and Feather rivers, in the great Sacramento 
Valley, about 170 miles northeast of San Francisco, and is 
within a few hours' drive from the fo'^tbills, which gradu- 
ally rise to form the great range of Sierra Nevada Moun- 
tains. 
Within a short distance of Maryaville iaa splendid stretch 
of country, abounding in ducks of many varitties; gpese and 
quail galore. Not the Bob Wbite which I have often brought 
to bag in the Eastern States, but that elegant little game bird 
the California valley quail, which is on the increase every 
year, and, If anything, is more wary and ditficult to slioot 
than its larger brother, the mountain quail. 
The vast stretch of tule land reaching from Butte Creek 
to Suiaun Bay, a distance of 150 miles, is inhabited in the 
winter by millions of ducks, geese and swan, so that there 
is no lack of game in this section 
Ben would be ready in three days. This lime was con- 
sumed in securing good saddle horses and pack mules, and a 
general camping outfit, with provisions enough to last two 
weeks. The time allowed to arrange for our trip wa=i all too 
short, as we had to Icok out a stock of flies and leaders; then 
rods and reels had to be overhiuled, and a hundred other 
little things too numerous to mention. At last .July 17 found 
us all prepared and eager for the fray, 
We had been fortunate in securing the services of Bill 
Conway, as cook and general man Friday about camp. 
It was 13 o'clock at night when we left Marysville, pre- 
ferring to make the first part of our journey in the night, 
instead of encountering the heat and dust cf the day, "and 
headed our horses for Oroville, a mining town in the font- 
hills about thirty miles in a northeasterly direction. We 
j gged along by the light of the moon, and arrived in Oro- 
ville in time for an early breakfast. After partaking of a 
bountiful meal, we resumfd our j urney, still in a norinea-t- 
erly direction, past Pence's Ranch, where we lunched and 
rested our animals, and ihence to Dogtown, where we 
camped, having made flfiy-four miles the first day The 
next morning we were up, and got an early start,; passing 
through the mining camps of Insoip and Chaparral, and 
made camp that night ou the banks of Butte Creek, wherf^ 
we spent such a cold night, that Ben christened the spot 
Icy Cafion. 
I was stirring by 5 o'clock the next morning, and while 
Bill was cooking b-eakfast I put my fly-rod together and 
proceeded to tempt the speckled troui in the creek to break- 
fast on a red spinner or black gnat. I was fortunate to catch 
about olbs. of nice little brook trout about Gio. long whicli ; 
Bill cooked with cracker crumbs, as he knows well how to 
do. I also noticed while wallting up the banks of the creek 
several well worn deer trails, which indicated the presence 
of many deer in the neighborhood. We afterward saw 
eighteen while riding along the road. Owing to the law 
prohibiting the killing of deer for a term of years they have 
increased surprisingly, and are plentiful throughout the foot- 
hill country. 
By the next evening we made Humbug Valley, and while 
Bill was building a fire and unrolling our blankets, we caught 
a nice mess of small trout in Humbug Creek, before the sun 
rolled down behind the mountJiins in g irgpous splendor. 
These we enjoyed for supper, along with four or five gray 
f quirrels thai Howard had knocked our. of the pines with his 
.82 Winchester. During our ride over the ridge in'o Hum- 
bug Valley we noticed several bear tracks, which my Irish 
setter nosed in a curious manner, indicating evidently that 
scent was still fresh in them. 
There are several salt licks in the neighborhood, which are 
great resorts for the deer As we passed one of these we 
disturbed a doe, and on investigation we discovered that the 
whole patch aiound this little salt spring was perforated by 
hoofs. 
The following morning we rode through Prattville and 
arrived shortly after at the famous Big ^Meadows, which was 
to be our camping ground for a w( ek. 'I'hese meadows, a 
grand formation of nature, extend for over forty miles, 
hemmed in by lofty mountain ranges, which have only one 
break to admit of the exit of the Feather River. Here, 
in the meadows, in a favorite wintering resort for ducks and 
snipe, while in summer the fishing cannot be excell- d. In- 
dians and sportsmen then fleck to the banks of the river, and 
enjoy such sport as most of us have had the luck only to 
read about; and there are plenty of fi^h and lots of room for 
all, The point where we rode into the meadows was about 
twenty miles from the head, and we decided to pitch our 
tent on a litt'.e wooded knoll, giving us a splendid view both 
ways. We selected camp close to a small spring, with 
plenty of wood and good feed for the stock. 
That evening, by the light of a large camp-fire (I am a 
great hand for a good fire), we selected leaders and flies and 
put the split bamboo rods together for an early start up the 
stream in the morning. 
As I was the only one in the party who had ever fished 
here before, my advice was eagerly sought as to the descrip- 
tion of tackle to be used ; my favorite lures for this time of 
the year being a small professor, with red tips, on the end of 
a 9ft. leader, and a cow-dung and royal-coach'man as drop 
flies, 3ft. apart. That night we hardly slept, so eager were 
we for the sport that we anticipated on the following morn- 
ing. After a hasty breakfast, prepared by our man Friday, 
we proceeded to wet our lines in the stream and test our 
leaders, as we were no longer after brook trout. Now it 
was more a case of skill. These magnificent rainbow trout, 
seldom running under a pound and noted for their gamy 
qualities, would strain the little strand of gut to the ut- 
most. 
It would be hard to find a more ileal locality for the en 
thusiastic follower of Izaak Walton than this. There are 
few places in the whole forty miles in which the fl}' caster is 
not able to swiag his rod to the utmost, and send out the 
little deceptions in a straight line to drop delicately on the 
water; then to experiencs the thrill of pleasure as he sees 
the swirl and rise of the hungry U-out. a quick moiion of the 
wrist, and then the battle has begun. Only those readers 
who have gone through those few minifies can appreciate the 
sensation. 
The banks are almost entirely free from b ush or trees, 
while overhanging banks and deep pools afford ample protec- 
tion for fish, which are not infrequently caught weighing as 
high as 9 and lOlbs,, the largest fish generally being caught 
with a natural grasshopper or caddis fly. I was more fortu- 
nate than my companions, being an old hand with the fly, 
having had a thorough drilling as a boy from as expert a 
fisherman as ever wet a line in Exe River, Devonshire, 
England. 
At noon we repaired to camp, and on sizing up our catch 
found that we had thirty- four beautiful trout in all, only two 
of which weighed under a pound Ben had caught the 
largest by us'ng a grasshopper on the tail fly. By my pocket 
scales this beauty weighed just 6flbs , and Ben said it took 
him just eighteen minutes to lana him. 
We might have caught many more than we did, but pre» 
ferred to catch only what we could use and giveaway - aswe 
decided by mutual agreement to act as true sportsmen and not 
as game hogs, whose appetite for slausrhtering seems nevei' 
appeased and whose sole ambition is lo break all former 
records, and adopt any means whatever to accomplish their 
object. During the afternoon Howard and I saddled the 
broncos and rode to the foot of the meadows on an exploring 
trip, 1 wish that your correspondent Juli^in could have 
accompanied us, and he would never have raised the queS' 
tion of deer eating lilypads. Just as we emerged from the 
woods on to the open meadows we came on three deer, two 
does and a fawn, browsing in an unconcerned manner on 
pond lilies in about 18 in. of water. 
We thought it nothing unusual at the time to see them 
feeding on lilies, and since nading the many arguments on 
the question in Foebst and Stream I at once recalled this 
instance. 
I could also show Julian, almoot any day before the 
lilies die down, deer feeding on this plant on the Klamath 
Reservation, Ore., where there are many acres of lilypads, 
extending for miles around Klamath Lake. 
We did not regret not having brought our rifles with us, 
as the season for deer does not open until Sept. 15 in this 
county, and even then the California law does not permit 
killing any doe or spotted fawn at any tim!>. 
The deer, on seeing us, seemed to know that there was no 
danger and trotted off leisurely to a clump of timber. 
The next day we learned that a camper was going down 
to Oroville with his team in a day or two, so we decided to 
catch a nice mess of trout and send them down to our friends 
who were less fortunate than we. 
All the next morning we whipped shallows and pooh with 
indifferent success, only once in a while being rewarded for 
our pains by seeing a trout rise lazily to the fly and turn 
away again without accepfing the bait. We tried a variety 
of flies, and even live grasshoppers and grubs, but all to no 
purpose. The afternoon's results were not much better. 
The sun was hot and the water was clear, and our total 
catch footed up to six small trout 
That evening after suf per, when we were stretc'aed out 
beside a huge campfire, enjoying the fragrant weed from 
our "Missouri Meerschaum?," I said, "Boys, we'll have to 
fish with finer tackle if we want to catch any fish to-morrow, 
as there will be no wind, and the water is so clear that they 
can see our deceptions too well " 
So, going to work, I soaked a quantity of light stained 
gut of different sizes and made three leaders, selecting a size 
of gut almost as large as the silk line, and gradually taper- 
ing the lengths down to the farthest end. A leader made in 
this way flies out straight when cast, instead of doubling up. 
I also tied the knots so that 1 could open them with my 
nails wide enough to admit of the snell of the fly. Drawing 
the knots of the leader together again, the fly was kept in 
position by a knot in the snel), which prevented it Irom 
slipping through, at the same time causing the fly to stand 
out straight from the leader, and not wrap around it, as it 
would if looped to the leader. Those who take an interfest 
in fly-fishing would do well lo try this method. In fine, 
delicate casting, where the water is clear and there is no 
wind to rutiie it, I find that il is best to dispense with all 
loops, as the motion of drawing them through the'water 
can es air bubbles, and seems to scare the wary trout. 
The next morning, with our fine leaders and smaller flies, 
we proceeded to a tavorite pool and commenced operations. 
This time we were more fortunat •. Just as Ben commenced 
to cast in a rapid he got a splendid strike; although the fish 
took the fly under water he was well hooKed, and Howard 
and 1 reeled up our lines to watch the fun. 
"You'll have to take him down stream," said I, "and 
drown him out " 
"1 can't;," said Ben, "he's got tangled in some weeds." 
"That's just what I expected," 1 replied. 
"You haven't learnt the lesson yet, Ben; always to take a 
fish down stream, as he couldn't enter the weeds from 
above." 
' '1 don't feel him any more; I guess tie's got away," 
"Hold ou awhile, Ben; you may feel him if he begins to 
struggle." 
Taking the rod from his band 1 was rewarded in a short 
time by feei ng the fish struggling in the weeds. I applied a 
little more force to the rod, and as he continued to struggle 
he gradually b.;came disentangled from the weeds and made 
a break for liberty, taking out about thirty feet of line be- 
fore I could check him. 
"Now take him down stream," said I, as I handed Ben 
back the rod. 
Ben handled Mm very carefully, profiting by his former 
experience; and after two or three leaps and as many rushes, 
he got his fish somewhat under control, and before he was 
able to turn again to make another rush, Howard, who wag 
waiting below, net in hand, had scooped up the magnificent 
fish, still full of fight. 1 weighed it cirefully on my scale, 
and the result was 7lb3. and 5oz. Ben was dehghted and 
V -Wtd that the pleasure of catching 8uch a fish was weT 
woith coming so far tor. 
We had spent about twenty-five minutes playing this fel- 
low, which was caught on a small red spinner, a No. 10 hook 
and 6 ounce rod. 
After this victory we separat°,d, and continued fishing till 
darkness warned us that it was time to return to camp and 
pay our respects to the supper that Bill would have in readi- 
ness for us. 
Our total catch, which we spread out on the grass, footed 
up seventy-three beautiful trout. Of these 1 had caught 
thirty-four, Ben and Howard twenty-six and thirteen, re- 
spectively. 
After a splendid supper, eaten with a zest such as only 
those who have been fortunate enough to enjoy camp lite 
can appreciate, we turned our attention to dressing- and 
packing the fish, to send away in the morning. We adopted 
itie most successful method that 1 know of. First, we 
always killed the fish as soon as taken from the water, by a 
sharp rap on the head, to prevent its bruising itself. Next, 
they should never have any water used to wash or dress 
them with, but the thin, slimy film should be allowed to 
