Au^. 7, 1897.] 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
111 
THE WALLKILL RIVER. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
- 1 have read -with regret th'? communication of Mr. John 
Wilkin in your issue of this week, in which he criticises the 
very delightful article of Mr. Fred Mather, relating to the 
Kev. Henry L. Ziegenfuss as one of the persons that he has 
fished with, partly because this communication contains 
more serious errors than the article by Mr. Mather, and also 
because Mr. WEkin charges Mr. Mather with making state- 
ments which are not contained in his article, apparently for 
the purpose of refuting them. 
It is true that Mr, Mather is in error in stating that the 
Wall kill River rises in Ulster county, as in fact it rises in 
the State of New Jersey, but it is incorrect that this river 
runs through Orange county until it empties into the Hud- 
son, as alleged by Mr. Wilkin. The fact is that the Wall- 
kill River runs through both Orange and Ulster counties, 
and finally joins the Rondout Creek a mile or two above 
Rondout, and empties into the Hudson River. 
Mr. Mather does not state anywhere in his article that he 
was to meet Mr. Ziegenfuss at Zach Du Bois's Hotel at New 
Paltz, as alleged by Mr. Wilkin, although he was in error in 
claiming that the fisli taken from the Wallkill were trout, 
and yet this mistake is quite pardonable where a person is 
writing from memory in regard to occurrences which took 
place many years ago, especially when the fish were taken 
with the fly. _ 
The Wallkill rises in Sussex county in the State of New 
Jersey, and runs through what are called the drowned lands 
lying near or on the border line between New Jersey and 
the State of New York, and the discharge from these lands 
is so deliberate that the river rarely suffers from drought, and 
as a rule is full of water during the entire summer. 
One or more of the tributaries of this stream abound in trout, 
but for many years there have been very few if any trout in 
the river itself. 
Years ago it abounded in pike or pickerel, and about 
thirty years ago some of the people residing along the 
stream raised a fund by private contribution, and had it 
stocked with small-mouthed bass, with the usual result that 
the pike or pickerel have largely been destroyed. 
These waters abound to-day in small-mouthed black bass, 
many of which have attained a weight of 3 or 41b8., pike or 
pickerel, rock bass, strawberry bass, and also whinfish, 
which abound particularly in the lower portion of the 
stream. 
Tor many years the angler's home or retreat on this 
stream was ttie house of Zach Da Bois, situated about three 
miles south of New Paltz, on the west side of the stream, 
and which has often been visited by almost every angler in 
this vicinity. Mr. Du Bois died two or three years ago at 
an advanced age. 
The Rev. Mr. Ziegenfuss, during his whole life in this 
city, was a constant visitor at this place, and it was here 
that he and Mr. Mather tested their skill in taking black 
bass with the fly, which was one of the favorite sports of 
Mr. Ziegenfuss. 
The Wallkill River has no superior in the State of New 
York as a black bass stream, and it has probably furnished 
more sport in the way of taking bass with a fly than any 
stream of equal size in the State, but it has unfortunately 
been depleted during many years in the past by certain spe- 
cial provisions in our fish and game law, which, until re- 
cently, has allowed the use of nets or fykes in this stream 
during certain periods, and this largely through the efforts 
of the persons in our Legislature representing the district in 
which these waters are situated, and who have openly stated 
that unless these privileges were granted they would, if pos- 
sible, defeat all amendments to the fish and game law, and 
this determined effort to permit fishing with nets or fykes in 
the Wallkill River has, for many years, largely prevented the 
passage of laws throughout the State restricting fishing with 
nets in other waters. 
I have also read with regret the statement by Mr. Wilkin 
that a large number of bass have been placed in the stream 
this year, as it is hardly possible that these fish will not con- 
tain large-mouthed as well as small-mouthed bass, and if 
large-mouthed bass are now introduced into the stream it 
will be practically ruined. 
If the statement by Mr. Wilkin that over 600,000 pike- 
perch have been placed, in the stream is correct, it is enough 
to say that the Wallkill is not at all adapted to these fish, and 
that the result will be the same as in all other like waters 
throughout the State, and that is that they will never be 
heard from any further. Many thousands of pike-perch 
were placed some years ago in some of the waters of this 
county which were as deep and as well adapted to them as 
the Wallkill, and every one perished. J. S. Yxs. Cleef. 
PotjoHKEEPsiK, July 30. 
he finds a good "fishin' hole," and will then invite me to have 
a whack at it with him for a companion; and we will agree 
to let the Wallkill flow on forever, like Tennyson's "Brook," 
while we fish down its banks where every prospet pleases 
and only Zach Du Bois's coffee is vile. Fred Mather. 
No, Mr. Wilkin, I did not mean another Wallkill, 
although I shortened the stream to an alarming extent by 
making it rise in Ulster county, thereby depriving many 
farmers of their water privileges." A look at the map tells me 
that you are correct in having the stream bubble up in New 
Jersey. I also acknowledge that I wrote "trout" m the last 
paragraph in my sketch of Mr. Ziegenfuss, when I should 
have written "black bass," and I am glad to have attention 
called to it. But, having acknowledged to two errors, I 
must stop there and insist that it was at Zach — not Hank — 
Du Bois's where we stopped. 
1 do not know Hank Du Bois, but I'd know- Zach's hide if 
I met it in a tanyard. According to Mr. Wilkin, Hank kept 
a hotel at New Paltz. In a letter from the late Mr. Ziegen- 
fuss, he says: "Four miles south of New Paliz, near Zach 
Da Bois's house — where all true anglers find a welcome and 
get lots of dirt mixed with food and drink — is a dam. It is 
low and broken," etc. The rest of the letter I quoted in the 
sketch. 
Having settled this weighty question, and backed it up by 
showing the original letter to the editor of Forest and 
Stream, I wish to pay my respects to Mr. Wilkin's remark 
that he "enjoys 'Men I Have Fished With' very much, 
although they are nearly all dead or 'has beens.' " My dear 
boy ! Turn to Forest and Stream of July a4, page 71, and 
under the head of "But Some are Fishing Still," you will not 
only find that Col. Raymond, whose sketch was No. VIII. of 
the series, sent me a 251b. salmon of his own take this sea- 
son, but that there are other live corks bobbing about on the 
millpond, although I began fishing fifty-seven years ago; 
and in trying to arrange my companions in chronological 
order I have really not got witliin a quarter of a century of 
to-day, although some skipping was necessary. I haven't 
touched many living men yet, nor have I sketched the men 
I have fished ynih in Germany and Switzerland. 
I really hope that Mr. Wilkin will continue to fish until 
NEW ENGLAND FISHING. 
Boston, July 31.— Considerable has been said of iate 
concerning the hunting and fishing clubs of northern 
Aroostook county, Maine, and it 8eem,s that not more than 
half has yet been told. The country is new; opened to 
the possibility of being reached in the ordinary vacation 
of a busy man by the Bangor & Aroostook and Canadian 
Pacific railways. The waters are truly virgin to sports- 
men. Mr. Henry S. Fisher, with his friend, Mr. Mitten, 
were at Spider Lake last season, on their hunting trip, 
and had great sport. This lake is at the headquarters of 
the Allagash. A. J. Spearen's camps, at that lake, are 
reached either by way of Oxbow, Bangor & Aroostook 
Ry., or by way of Moosehead. The same guide has just 
written Mr. Fisher a letter concerning a new camp that 
he has opened on Musquecook Lake, one of the same 
chain as Spider Lake. Here the fishing is explained to 
be remarkable, with 3 and 41b. trout at almost every cast. 
This season, Mr. Spearen writes that the fishing has been 
-the greatest ever known. Big game is seen almost every 
day. Masardie, Me., will carry a letter to Spearen, and 
readers of Forest and Stream in search of lakes and for- 
ests that have not been spoiled by sportsmen and tourists 
will be likely to come pretty near their desires in north- 
ern Aroostook county, Maine. 
A party of school boys have got into trouble in the 
Maine forests. Game Warden Pollard and Guide Clar- 
ence Morris recently went up to Cauconagonoc Lake, 
where a party of fourteen students and some of their 
teachers were in camp. Near the head of the lake they 
came upon a bear feeding upon the carcass of a cow moose. 
The ears and feet had been cut off and the body evidently 
sunk in the lake, but evidently it had risen and floated 
ashore. Satisfied that the boys knew something about the 
shooting, the warden put the whole of them under arrest. 
Two of the boys came forward and acknowledged the 
shooting. They had tied nine stones to the body, after 
cutting off the ears and legs, to keep it in the bottom of 
the lake. The two boys were brought out to Xineo and 
arraigned before -Judge Durgin, of the Municipal Court. 
Willis E, Parsons appeared for the boys, and the case of 
the State was represented by Game Commissioner L. G. 
Carlton. Mr. Parsons announced that his clients would 
waive examination, pleading not guilty. Continuance was 
asked for, as neither side had had time to prepare for trial. 
The court required bonds in the sum of $500 for each of 
the boys, which were furnished promptly. 
The penalty for killing a moose out of season is four 
months' imprisonment, and it is stated that the boys who, 
when they went into the woods had not much respect for 
the Maine game laws, now feel their position keenly. 
When the wardens first visited the camp of the students 
they found no less than seventeen Winchester rifles, which 
were promptly confiscated, so that there is little chance 
that more shooting will be done. The party was in charge 
of A. S. Gregg Clark. To my mind, the only pity is that 
the teacher in charge of the boys cannot be made to suffer 
double imprisonment along with the boys. 
Reports of almost phenomenal catches of trout continue 
to come in from the Maine waters. C. B. Stevens is in 
Boston again. He was one of the first to be off for Range- 
ley, when the ice left. This year the landlocked salmon 
did not favor his lure so much as last year, when he was 
champion of that region. He soon left Rangeley and went 
down to his beautiful Camp Vive Vale, in the Narrow 
Richardson Lake, There he made a record of eleven 
trout, the united weight of which was 481bs. This is his 
"record breaker" for the season, though he made other 
records. 
L. 0. Crane, now at Round Mountain Lake, writes Mr. 
Hemmingway lof a remarkable catch of brook trout. He 
started in one day, going up fromtlie camps till he came to 
the Little Alder and fished down to the buckboard road, 
about a mile and a half. He used only one fly and no leader. 
The stream was literally alive with trout. He took 117, 
and remarks that if he had had on three flies and a leader 
he could easily have taken 1,000. Three fellows fished 
the stream further up about the same time, with a record 
of about three times as many as Mr. Crane took. Mr. Crane 
is a man who would put the great majority of his catch 
back into the water, saving only a few of the larger for 
the table. But as to the other men who fished the Little 
Alder, I am not as certain; but let us hope that they had 
the good of the future enough at heart to return a lot of 
small trout, that could not be used, back into the water. 
Anglers should remember that fishing in Maine is being 
tremendously drawn upon, and never worse than this 
year. Even the stream fishing has held out till August, 
when usually a few weeds in May and June finishes it. 
The abundance of rain has kept the streams all up to the 
best fishing pitch. Another season is coming, and if all of 
the trout are destroyed this year because circumstances 
have favored the anglers, where are we to look for sport 
with rod and reel? Special. 
Hawk. Fish and Line. 
J 
Mb, Leonard Hulit wrote to us recently of an osprey 
taking a fish with hook and line attached. 'This note, of a 
similar bit of bird life, comes to us from a correspondent 
who writes from Blue Ridge Inn, at Snicker's Gap, Va., 
where they make special provision for black bass fishermen ; 
(the post office is Round Hill. Va,): 
Two gentlemen, while fishing in the Shenandoah River a 
short distance below Castleman's Ferry, one evening last 
week, saw a fishhawk dart for a fish. After a short fight 
the hawk secured the fish and flew slowly by the boat from 
which the parties were fishing, carrying the fish in its claws, 
the fish having a line of about 4 or 5tt, in length dangling 
from its mouth. Upon inquiring, it was learned that a bait 
fisherman had lost several small pieces of line near the place 
where the hawk caught the fish, E. CD. 
Weakfish Near New York. 
Prin ces Bat, S ta ten Island, N. Y. July 31 . — D uring the past 
week weakfish have made their appearance in these waters. 
Parties stopping at J. Smith's Beach House have taken from 
ten to thirty- five most every day, although the water is very 
muddy. The tish are all of good size. A. L. H. 
CAMPING IN THE WHITE HILLS. 
Far up tinder the shadows of New Hampshire's Granite 
Hills, where the noon-day sun scarcely tinges the cool trout 
streams, and fanned by the gentle zephyrs, as they come 
sighing through the tree tops over the woodland's brow re- 
sembling the music of a thousand harps, stands a rustic 
camp, the former abode of three "lone fishermen." 
This spot, hastily selected by us because of its easy access, 
hajB proved that there are yet many advantages offered the 
•■'camping out" tourist within the borders of the Granite 
State. We left the railroad at the old town of Canaan, and 
traveled overland one day, directly toward the Franconia 
range. From the moment we left the shaded streets of 
Canaan, the variegated coloring of the ever-shifting pan- 
orama of the landscape was beyond description. Our road, 
locaUy known as the River Road, ran first along the banks 
of Indian River, then through shady woods, by limpid 
waters, and skirting green meadows, passing on into the 
heart of the hills. ; 
Here the tinkling of distant cow bells, and the musicsil 
notes of the wood thrush, accompanied by the lengthening 
shadows from the majestic mountains on every side like the 
drawing of a gigantic curtain Over the scene, preludes the 
approach of night. Selecting the best location obtainable, 
we "staked out our claim," and made preparation for our 
first night in the open air. 
It is a natural impulse that moves ns to' say "lone fisher-' 
men," prompted by the experience of our first night in camp. 
Being accustomed to lie in bed and count the heavy foot- falls of 
late pedestrians on the sidewalk, or listen to the rumble of the 
electrics for an hour or so preparatory to slumber, it is not 
unnatural that we should conform slowly to the rurul cus- 
tom of being lulled to sleep by the plaintive notes of the 
whip-poor-will, so weirdly wafted on the cool night air over 
the forest-crowned hills, , 
After breakfast we all Set out for the sw'iftly running 
waters of the mountain streams in the vicinity. As v?e 
desired to make a light day of it at first, we returned to camp 
early, having captured seventy -five handsome trout. 
The three remaining days we divided our time about 
equally between trouting, taking views and exploring. 
Many deer tracks were observed in the mud, some of them 
appearing quite fresh, as if made early in the morning. Oiie 
wildcat crossed not a great way from camp. „ 
Many little incidents occurred, to be remembered arid 
referred to always with pleasure in connection with any men- 
tion of the trip. 
The next day we broke camp, and returned by way of 
Canaan to pick up again the thread of active life, all agree- 
ing that our brief sojourn among the green meadows and pine- 
scented forests of Dorchester had forged some of the bright- 
est links in our chain of recollection. 
With a record of 341 phenomenally large trout which 
graced our baskets during the trip, and with an extra coat .of 
tan on our cheeks, we bid you adieu till nest season. " 
Le Rot Smart! 
New Hampshire, July 16. 
Was .Once a Boy Himself. 
Charlestown, N. H,, July 31.— The continual downpour 
of July has kept all our brooks brimfull and overflowing, 
and augurs well for the success of our trout planting of the 
last two seasons. In one case, where the small spring brook 
is very near the house of one of our farmer friends who 
takes an interest in the matter, he reports seeing quite a 
number of good-sized trout as the result of 'last year's plant, , 
and we may hope for some sport next spring. 
"That reminds me," in Forest and Stream of the 24th, 
your correspondent. Mount Tom, accuses ' a gentleman writ- 
ing from Oharlestown, N. H.," of using the expression, 
"those cursed boys." Now, as I know of no other corre- 
spondent from this village but myself, 1 protest against the 
quotation! "I deny the allegation, and defy the alligator!" 
i have spoken of the devastation of our brooks by "the 
small boys and the city sportsman," who will basket every- 
thing that is big enough to bite, if only 2in long, and that 
is what has depopulated our streams. The trout are not 
allowed to grow big enough to spawn, and thus reproduce 
the stock ! 1 never cursed the boys, for when I was ten or 
twelve years old myself, and knew no better, I caught 
fingerlings myself, and used my middle finger a^ 
a gauge, for I often hooked them shorter than that^ 
with all the parr markings on them. In those days I 
used a very small hook, 10 or 13, and also used gut, which 
none of the other boys did, and consequently I always beat 
the crowd, but I also hooked many fish which were too small 
even for my standard, and which 1 returned to the water. 
In later years, while s\ill a bait fisherman, I learned better, 
and went up to a No. 1 or 1-0 hook, with as much worm as 
I could string on, a single No. 2 shot at the top of the gut to 
steady the line against the wind or among the rushes, and 
went for the "big fellows," and was successful again. 
Of course I enjoy fly-fishing above, all other branches of 
the art, but in our mountain brooks it is a simple impossibil- 
ity. Now the rod has to be thrust under an overhanging 
alder; now the bait must be dropped through a hole the size 
of your hat in the overluxurious grass of a meadow, where 
the water, perhaps 1ft. wide and 3tt. deep, is gently gurgling 
away out of sigLt, and here the shot comes in play; or per- 
haps you come to a compound tangle of drift and t)ranches 
over a deep hole, where you are sure there is a good trout, 
but have to shorten up your line to 3ft, to get your hook in 
the water at all, and depend on a quick strike and a straight 
pull to get it out again, with a trout attached to it. 
Kingfisher gave some capital descriptions of this mode of 
fishing, a year or two ago. 
' Thanks to Awahsoose for his kind recollections in this 
week's Forest and Stream. I reciprocate his good wishes. 
VON W. 
Chicago Fly-Casting Club. 
Chicago, IU., July 31. — Editor Foi-est and Siream: I send 
you score of our contest of to-day : 
Long dis- Distance Accuraoyand Bait- 
tance tly, and accuracy, delicacy, castings, 
feet. percent. percent. percent. 
W. H.Babcoek 76 ..- BSij 
I. H Bellows 8i ?a% 82ig 
L. F. Urosby fiiU .. 78 
B. W. GoodseU 85 9c|| Kl U\ 
L. Goodwin, 83 64% 70S 
E. D. Letterman 55 .. .. HQ^. 
O. G Ludlow 70 84% B2% 
G. A. Murrell 90 75?i 7?s 931 
F. N. Pcet 95 83 84U 87 
G. W. Strell 58 ,, 68 
Holders of medals: Long distance fly, F, N. Peet; distance' and 
accuracy, B. W. Goodsell; accuracy and delicacy, F.'N, Peet; balt- 
castiug, G, A, MurrelJ. 
