610 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
[.JxiiO!^36j ,1897. 
A Few Days inl (Maine Woods. 
Boston, June 19.— Editor Forest and Stream: A week 
ago it looked very much as though my luck -wouldn't be re- 
ported in your excellent paper this year. I had a chaace to 
get away, but I knew the conditions of weather and water 
were all against me. However, after two postponements, I 
decided to take chancfs, and last Monday found me on 
laoaid the train bound for Redington, a saw-mill station on 
the Phillips & Eangeley Railroad fourteen miles before you 
get to Eangeley. The day was a changeable one— sunshine 
and clouds, with an occasional shower — and the ride was a 
deliehtful one, the train service over the Boston & Maine, 
the Maine Central and the narrow gauge, from Farmington 
up, being excellent, as it always is. "1 he broad fields of 
grass never looked better, and a big hay crop — always an 
important one in Maine — is an assured fact. Six-thirty the 
train pulled into the station and the first person to greet me 
was Willis Eaton, chief clerk of the Redington Mills Com- 
pany, to whom I am indebted for many courtesies. I also 
lound my old liiend, W. H. Hariison, who has resumed 
charge of the boarding house, and who is always ready to go 
fishing The management of the company has changed 
hands since my last visit, Mr. Fletcher Pope being in charge 
of both the mill property and the Phillips & Rangeley Rail- 
road. Mr. Pope is a capitalist and a business man, he is 
also a keen sportsman and is an expert witb rod and 
gun. He has already made suitable arrangements to 
entertain sportsmen who may come to Redington in 
tie fishing and hunting season; a private dining- 
room is provided, the rooms are neat, the beds good and the 
food is all right, and plenty of it. Parties desiring to go up 
to the Dead River will be carried up on the spare engine 
that is always kept in the yard, and brought back ia the 
same way. These improvements are so in hne with what 
my ideas have been that I am glad to give them the publicity 
of your columns, for the efforts of Messrs. Pope, Eaton and 
Harrison are in the interests of true sportsmanship, and de- 
serve success. And I can truly say that to the man who likes 
stream fishing, I know of no place that offers attractions 
equal to Redington. The Auberton stream, the Redington 
brook and the Dead River are all bandy, and they are teem- 
ing with trout, and it is never difficult to get a good mess of 
a size sufficient to clear the law in all cases. And then the 
pond — that is too easy — you simply go and sit on the logs 
that line the shore, and catch i and -^Ib. trout, with an occa- 
sional larger one — the smaller ones are always returned to 
the water. X)l course, the weather and water conditions 
were such that the fishing was not as good as usual, or as it 
will be later. Tuesday was an off day, and I got but few ; 
but on the nest day on the Redington stream, below the 
dam, I struck them in great shape, and got all the fish any 
reasonable man ought to have in one day's sport. Thursday 
morning I had lots of luck in the pond, and the net result 
was that I brought to Boston nearly as fine a lot of fish as is 
my usual custom. The water is rapidly running out, and 
the fishermen who are fortunate enough to drop a line into 
the streams I have mentioned, within the next week or ten 
days, will get fine sport. I only wished I could have re- 
mained longer, but "business is business," and I was obliged 
to get into line after a few days of my favorite pastime in a 
delightful country. Wm. B, Smakt. 
Blue Herons as Fish Destroyers. 
State op Maisk. — Commisioners of Inland Fisheries and 
Game, — Dixfield, June 16. — Editor Forest and Stream: You 
aak me why we ordered our wardens to shoot the blue 
herons that gathered at their nesting places in Maine. For 
the reason we have foimd them the most destructive bird of 
the trout and salmon we have in the State. Not only wiU 
they kill and eat the small fish of 6oz. and under, but, they 
will kiU the large trout of 3 and 41bs. At Auburn, and also 
at Monmouth, they killed several 3 and 41b. trout, by spear- 
ing them with that long bill of theirs, making a hole in the 
fish like driving in a board nail. I picked up several large 
fish they had killed in that way. Quite a large number of 
our large spawning fish that came into our rivers at Auburn 
and Monmouth bore the mark of the blue heron. We caught 
them at it and are not mistaken about it. They would stand 
in the brook like a statue, motionless, and woe to any fish 
that passed. If small, they landed the fish in their stomachs; 
if large, they struck, and wounded them out of pure cussed- 
ness. 
They ate a night, as well as a day bird. As I under- 
stand it there are two varieties, day and night herons, 
they are both culpable. I have often caught trout that bore 
their marks, but not until last fall did I know what had 
done it. Last fall we caught them in the act, also gobbling 
the smaller fish. I have no sympathy for the blue hCron, 
I consider them worse than the mink or fish- hawk. We 
have had several letters from philanthropic gentleman asking 
us to spare this bird, but if they had seen what I have seen 
them do to our trout and salmon both large and small, I 
think they would sign a petition for a bounty on their scalps. 
Henry O. Stanley. 
New Jersey Coast Fishing. 
AsBTJEY Pake, N. J., June 18. — Great changes have been 
wrought in surf fishing during the past week. The warm 
weather and westerly winds have sent the fish shoreward, 
and good catches of kingfish and plaice is now the order of 
the day. To-day several weakfish were taken from our pier, 
a circumstance that never occurred before in this month, as 
we never get them in the sea before August and rarely earlier 
than September, when they begin moving southward, and 
press close inshore the spearing and sand lant, upon which 
they feed in a most ravenous manner. 
A monster school of bluefish broke in close to shore this 
morning and became easy prey to the hand-line men who 
could procure boats. They would undoubtedly have run 
directly into the surf, as they were feeding upon a school of 
menhaden; but the crew of a menhaden steamer spied them 
out and endeavored to lay a net around them, but the blues, 
alert to their danger, look French leave to the music of ap- 
plause and hand-clapping from anglers and spectators on 
beach and pier, so the menhaden men, like many another 
pirate, had discomfiture for their pains. 
Our genial fish warden, James F. Edge, has just caught a 
27ilb. striped bass, and with the fish slung over his shoulder 
by a rope he is being paraded through the town in ex- Senator 
James A, Bradley's private carriage, driven, by the Senator 
himself. This fine specimen was brought to beach on a 
nine- thread linen line and 3-0 Limerick hook. 
Leonabp HuIjIT. 
Prophetic Fish. 
In an article on fishing in West Africa, Mary H. Kingsley 
writes: "The lagoon fish are not particularly good, as a rule 
they are supremely muddy and bony; they have their uses, 
however, for I am informed that they indicate to Lagos 
when it may expect an epidemic; to this end they die, in an 
adjacent lagoon, and float about upon its surface, wrong 
side up, until decomposition does its work. Their method of 
prophesy is a sound one, for it demonstrates (a) that the la- 
goon drinking water is worse than usual ; ip) if it is not 
already fatal they will make it so. 
Iowa Black Bass and Pike. 
Chakles City, Iowa, June 15.— As soon as June freshets 
aie over on the Cedar, there promises to be the best black 
bass and pike fishing in many years. Bass taken are running 
small; the larger ones no doubt are still on their spawn beds. 
The largest black bass thus far taken, on June 14, weighed 
4f lbs. A wall-eyed piked weighing lO^lbs. was secured the 
day before. Crappies, Oswego bass and pickerel are biting 
better, and average larger than last season. 
Vajse Simmonds. 
Mmmt 
F I XTU RES. 
FIELD TRIALS. 
Sept. 1.— Continental Field Trials Club's chicken trials, Morris, Man 
Sept. 6. - Manitoba Field Trials Club, atorris, Man. 
Oct. 25.— Brunswick Fur Club's ninth annual trials. 
Nov. 1.— Dixie Red Fox Club's third annual meet. Waver ly. Miss. 
Nov. 2.— Monongahels, Valley Game and Fish JProtective Associ- 
ation's trials, Greene county. Pa. 
Nov. 8.— Union Field Trials Club's triak-, Carlisle, Ind. 
Nov. 15.— F. T. Club's trials, Newton, N. 0. 
Nov. 16.— International Field Trials Club's eighth annual trials 
Chatham, Ont. 
Nov. 22.— U. S. F. T. Club's autumn trials. 
1898. 
Jan. 10.— U. S. F. T Club's winter trials. West Point, Miss. 
Jan. 17.— Continental F. T. Club's trials. New Albany, Miss. 
SCHOOLING THE DOG.— V; 
As these instructions are written mostly for the benefit of 
the novice, it is necessary to give a list and definition of the 
commands in common use in handling the dog. Of course 
any one can train his dog to obey any commands he chooses 
to adopt, as there is no inherent potency in one word as com- 
pared with another when used as a command; but when one 
buys or sells a dog for field work it is well to know and use 
such commands as have received the sanction of usage. In 
any case it Js desirable, for the sake of convenience, that 
each command con-sists of not more than one or two words, 
and these should be distinctly different from those used in 
any other command. Nearly all the commands have cor- 
responding signals, so that the shooter may be able to handle 
his dog silently when working near game, or, for that mat- 
ter, when working at all ; but they are specially useful when 
there is any probability that the shooter's voice would alarm 
the birds. The signals also serve to assist in handling the 
dog when the shooter's voice cannot be readily heard, as 
when the dog is working far away, or when he was up- 
wind from the shooter, 'the following are sufficient for the 
requirements of field work : 
"Come in" is the order which denotes that the dog is 
forthwith to come to the trainer. A few prolonged blasts 
on the whistle have the same significance. 
"Heel" is the order given to the dog when he ia to get be- 
hind, and follow behind the trainer. A motion of the hand 
to the rear is the corresponding signal. 
"High on," some years ago, was considered the most ele 
gant command to use in ordering a dog to bpgin ranging. 
"Go on," or "Get a'way," is the "command now commonly 
used for that purpose. A wave of the hand forward, or a 
wave of the hand accompanied with a snap of the finger or 
a simple click of the tongue has the same significance. 
"Drop" is the command commonly given when the dog is 
required to lie down. The orders more in use some years 
ago are "Charge" and "Down Charge," but they are now 
almost obsolete. 
The right or left hand raised a little higher than the level 
of the head is the signal for the dog to drop. 
' 'Hold up" signifies that the dog is to rise to his feet, and 
therefore it is given to him when he is dropped or lying 
down. A slight beckon with the hand or forefinger has the 
same significance. As the dog is rarely in the position re- 
quired by the drop except when obedient to that command, 
the signal to rise is in accord with his inclination, hence is 
soon learned and eagerly watched for. A click of the tongue 
also serves the same purpose. 
The dog can also be trained to obey orders given by the 
whistle, each order having a disiinct note or notes which are 
used invariably with it. This, however, is an unnecessary 
refinement and of but little practical use in actual work. 
They are, moreover, rather difficult to teach to any dogs 
other than the most intelligent ones. 
The fortgoing are the commands which are used the most, 
and they are of constant service, whether the dog is idling 
about the house or working in the field. 
"Fetch" is the command used in ordering the dog to re- 
trieve. "Find" denotes that the dog is to seek for a dead or 
wounded bird. "Seek" and "Seek dead" are sometimes used 
for this purpose, but less so now than formerly. 
Obedience to "Toho" was formerly considered an essential 
in a dog's education. It is the order which denotes that the 
dog is to stop at d stand still. The trainer was supposed to 
derive great assistance from it in teaching the dog lo point, 
for in times past it was commonly supposed that the trainer 
taught the dog to point. As "Toho" was very plausible in 
theory, and served well to stuff a part of a book on instruc- 
tion, it did a grateful service in that respect. It is one of the 
most difficult orders to enforce, and the discipline required 
to make the dog reliably obedient is, in most instances, a 
hundred times more difficult to establish than it is to teach 
the dog to point. After the trainer had taught it by much 
pams, he had little opportunity to use it; for, inexplicable 
as it is, few if any considered the fact that out of the 
total opportunities for the dog to point birds, the trainer 
would not know the correct time and place wherein to 
order the dog to make his stand, he not knowing where 
the birds were, or indeed whether there were any at 
all. If by any chance the trainer did know where the birds 
were he could seldom get the dog into the right position to fit 
the order — for it did follo^v^ as a sequence that if the trainer 
saw the birds the dog could scent them— and the attempt to 
get him in the right place with the bawling out of "Toho" at 
the same time seldom failed to flush the birds. Again, if the 
dog by chance did stop to the order without having a scent 
of the' birds it was a meaningless act, and if he really got a 
scent of them, he in his excitement paid no more attention 
to the order than jie-paid to the murmur of the breezes. He 
might be delightfully obedient in the yard, or even in the 
field when game was not present, and absolutely unmanage- 
able when on game. A further absurdity is that the dog 
learns to point from experience, some taking to it quite 
readily and naturally almost from the beginning To force 
a dog to stop and stand still when he is roading does not con- 
stitute a point. Nevertheless, a few of the old school will 
maintain that they taught their dogs to point in that man- 
ner, when in fact the dog learned to point in spite of it. The 
arm extended at a little less than a right angle from the body 
was supposed to be the signal which denoted Toho. Most 
dogs which were obedient to it were good for little el e. 
Long commands, such as "Come here to toe, I tell you I" 
or "Dead bird, hunt it up!" or "Hie, there! what are you 
about?" should be avoided if the trainer can possibly do so, 
but if he must talk or perish, it is better then to use plenty of 
words. 
"Hi !" or any other exclamation consisting oE a single word, 
may be used to command the dog to desist from undesirable 
acts or to attract his attention to a signal. One word serves 
the purpose better than more, particularly if the more are 
epithets. 
Whatever words or notes of the whistle or signal are used 
to denote the command, they should be used ahke invariably, 
so that they will always have a fixed and definite meaning to 
the dog. Sometimes the beginner, when the dog, birds and 
himself are excited, will deliver a continued discourse to the 
dog, which for any beneficial effect might better be defivered 
to the trees. 
Teaching the dog obedience to the foregoing commands 
and giving him the necessary discipline to make obedi- 
ence habitual, can be done in what is called his yard 
training 
The implements commonly used in training are the whip, 
whistle, ctieck cord and spike-collar, the latter being heartily 
denounced by many sportsmen as being an instrument of un- 
necessary cruelty. Again, others object to the whip for 
much the same reason. Whether they are cruel or not de- 
pends entirely on the manner in which the trainer uses them. 
If he loses his temper and then beats and chokes the dog to 
gratify it, the whip or collar are used cruelly, but so would 
any other article under the same circumstances. The fault 
then lies with the trainer and not with the instruments. If 
he cannot use the whip or collar as useful adjuncts to the 
training, it is then much better not to use them at all, and 
the use of bis boots or the first club at hand is not permis- 
sible at any time. Indeed, if he finds that his temper is be- 
yond his control and that he cannot refrain from punishing 
his dog unnecessarily in consequence, it is better to give up 
the attempt at training. Anger and violence unfit the 
trainer to teach and the pupil to learn. But, cruelty being 
inflicted, the trainer should blame himself and not the instru- 
ments used. 
The whip is commonly used to punish the dog for any 
misbehavior, though some trainers use it to assist in forcing 
the dog to retrieve. The whips most in favor are those 
which are flexible and, therefore, easily stowed in the 
pocket. The ones heavily loaded with iron or lead at the 
butt should never be used, as there should be no intention to 
kid the dog at any time as part of his training, and the whis- 
tle in the end of a whip is also a very useless article. The 
trainer should select one which tapers nicely to a point 
which ends in a linen or silk cracker, as the crack of the 
whip will, at limes, serve the purpose quite as well as its 
direct use. 
The spike- collar should be both of good material and 
simple in construction. Its purpose should be solely to in- 
flict pain without any accompanying physical injury, hence 
ihe points should not be long and capable of piercing the 
skin when ordinary force is applied. Though commonly 
called a spike-collar, it is a combination of spike-collar and 
choke collar. It has been claimed that the choke-coUar 
without any spikes serves all purposes for which a collar is 
needed in training the dog. However, it is far more cruel 
than a spike collar. It requires more force to make it effect- 
ive, and the consequent choking and shocking injures the 
whole organism, differing thus from the local harmless hurt- 
ing done by the spikes. The correct use of the collar will in 
due time be fully treated in connection with the subject of 
retrieving. 
As to the material and construction of the collar, a hrief 
description wiU suffice. The material should be the best 
medium weight harness leather, free from sponginess or 
flaws. For convenience in using it the collar is made in two 
pieces as shown in the cut herewith presented. The longer 
part should be about 22 or 24in. in length by l^in. in width. 
The strap when looped should play through a square, or 
more properly an iron parallelogram, for if a ring be used 
instead the collar when in use will roll and twist and thereby 
impair its efficiency. The inside dimensions of the iron 
parallelogram must be governed by the width of the strap 
and the thickness of the leather used. The shorter strap, 2 
or Sin. in length, has a square buckle in one end and a ring 
in the other. The spikes, screwed through a steel plate on 
one side of the leather strap and secured by nuts on the 
other, should project about -Jin. or fin,, and the points 
should have a very short bevel so as to hurt the dog without 
injuring him or inflicting unnecessary mutilation. It should, 
always be kept in mind that mutilation or real injury is 
neither desired nor intended, and also that the least i)08sible 
punishment which will accomplish the purpose is all that is 
necessary or desirable. B. Watbes. 
The Chicken Trials. 
Mr. G. B. Boeradailb, Honorary Secretary-Treasurer 
of the Manitoba Field Trials Club, writes us that chickens 
are reported to be plentiful all over Manitoba and the terri- 
tories, and that the well-known handlers Messrs. Stoddard, 
Rose, Nesbitt, Richards. May field and McCartney have sig- 
nified their intention to be present. The advertisement of 
the Manitoba Field Trials Club, contained in the biisiness 
columns of this issue, give all required information concern 
