AfRIL 23, 1898.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
331 
mafkings of the fish were so plainly shown that I sent 
it in for illustration. 
Pickerel. 
There is a clipping. on my hook which fits in right 
here. Some one sent me an article from the New 
York Sim descriptive of fishing in Florida, and in 
the article is this: "The jnckerel of the Ocklawaha 
are big fellows too. They are exactly the same as the 
chain pickerel of the North (Esox reticiilalus), but they 
are so black that the reticulations are hard to find 
until the fish have been out of the Avater some time. 
From 4 to 61bs. is ordinary weight, and 10 to I2lbs. 
so>nething to boast about." 
This man writes as though he were perfectly familiar 
with his subject, and Esox reliculatus is the chain pick- 
erel all right enough, or it was until its name was 
changed to Lucius reticulahis; but the weights, 10 to 
J2lbs., are what make us gasp for air. The maximum 
weight of this fish was heretofore supposed to have been 
about 61bs. in very exceptional cases, and the average 
from 1^-2 to 2^1bs. The Florida pickerel has been 
described under another name, Esox phaleratns, and its 
southernmost limit is Crooked Lake, Orange county; 
but Jordan says there is no difference between phaler- 
atus and reticulatus, and gives the maximum length of 
the species as 24in., and a 24in. pickerel will not weigh 
anywhere near 10 to I2lbs. It is true that the writer 
in the Sun does not declare that the pickerel of the 
OcklaAvaha do weigh 10 to lalbs., for he says those 
weights are something to boast of; but I do not imagine 
this is said in the same sense that a man would say that 
a brook trout of 25lbs. is something to boast of, know- 
ing that there are no brook trout of that weight. We 
must assume, I think, that the writer intends to convey 
the idea that pickerel actually did grow to the weights 
he mentions in the waters he described, but I would 
really like to know whether this was scale or water 
weight; whether the fish have ever weighed 10 or r2lbs. 
on scales, or when seen in the water they were esti- 
mated to weigh over lolb.s. Will some one familiar 
with the region please enlightenjas<: oil this subject? 
Scfod. 
Another clipping came to the surface when I was 
fishing for the I2lb. pickerel on my copy hook, and 
here it is: 
"The difference between broiled schrod and broiled 
fresh codfish is that the former is salted for about thirty- 
six hours before being cooked." 
I protest against the spelling and the salting. I can- 
not now tell where the clipping came from, but proba- 
bly, from its appearance, from some household receipt 
column in one of the daily papers, and the man who 
wrote it (a woman would have known better) was a 
farmer who may have been an artist at sheep shearing, 
but he was oft" on broiled scrod. First, 'as to the spell- 
ing. The Century Dictionary says: "Scrod (skrod). A 
young codfish, especially one that is split and fried or 
boiled (NcAV England)." 
The first broiled scrod was eaten in New York a good 
many years ago. I was in the habit of going to Fulton 
Market for oysters for luncheon, and I ate them at 
Dorlon & Shaffer's before ever Dorlon dreamed of a 
place in Twenty-third street. I went as usual one day, 
but I had rather tired of oysters, and as I met Dorlon 
at his stand I told him so; and he said take luncheon 
with him, and it would not be of oysters. When a 
covered dish was placed between us I was curious to 
know what was under the cover, and when I saw that 
it covered what I guessed to be a codfish I was disap- 
pointed, and expressed my disappointment, to use no 
.stronger expression. Dorlon advised me to try the fish 
before finding more fault, and I have always re- 
gretted that I kicked before tasting the fish. He 
said that when I came into the market the 
codfish was alive, and had been killed and 
broiled while I sat at table. Since that day I have 
eaten the scrod where it was born, in New England, 
until friends have applied a name to me, and Scrod is 
part of the name. Within six hours of the time that I 
am writing this note I expect to start for Boston, and 
a friend, Mr. J. W. Burdick, that I am to meet on 
arrival, said to me: "We will go by different trains, 
but arrive about the same hour. Meet me at Young's 
Hotel, and we will have broiled scrod about 6ft. long 
for breakfast, and for luncheon we will have just plain 
broiled scrod of any size that it happens to come." Feel- 
ing as I do about broiled scrod, and that tlie young cod 
cannot be too fresh from the water for broiling, salting 
for thirty-six hours seems to me as much out of place 
as a salmon reel on a 50Z. bamboo rod in front of the 
hand. A. N. Cheney. 
Rare Waltons. 
At the coming sale of the library of Hon. Francis 
B. Haj^es, of Boston, says the New York Times, for the 
second time a complete set of Walton's "Angler" will 
be disposed of at an American auction, Bangs & Co. 
having sold Alexander's copies — the first so sold — in 
March, 1895. The "Angler" of 1653 is more sought 
after than are the other Waltons (though the second edi- 
tion of 1655 is said to be rarer) ; but that is because it is 
the first edition. Alexander's copy, measuring 5 9-16 by 
3 5-16, brought $1,325, and £210 was given in London 
in 1892 for a copy that was 5 7-16 by 3^ in size; £310 is 
another of the London big prices, while the highest of 
all, £415, was paid for a 1653 Walton, at Sotheby's, in 
December, 1896. Hayes' copy measures 55^ by 3j^, and 
has been bound in full straight-grained morocco. The 
title has been rebacked and the dedication mended 
at two corners; folios 81, 83, 85, 89, iii, 155 and 161 
have been repaired, and the margins of the music shaved 
closely by the binder, but otherwise it is a tall copy 
and in excellent condition. 
The Hayes Walton of 1655 is in dark olive calf, by 
Bedford, and measures 5 9-16 by 3, Alexander's, which 
brought $210, measuring sV& by 3 1-16. Folio 117 has 
been mended and folio 203 repaired on blank margin. 
The music has been cut into slightly by the binder, and 
in places the headlines are nearly touched. At the 
Alexander sale $150 was gi^^en for a Walton of 1661, 
which was 6 by in size. Hayes' is 5^ by ^Vs, and 
has been bound by Bedford uniformly with the preced- 
ing edition. The back cover, however, has been rubbed, 
the last leaf of text mended, and a few words of tlie 
"Table" restored in fac simile. The Haj'-es Walton of 
1668 is a fine copy, though the lower margin of the last 
leaf has been mended. It is in a binding similar to that 
of the first edition, and is Sy& hy Alexander's two 
copies, measuring 53^ by 39-16 and 59-16 by 3 7-t6 re- 
spectively, sold for $95 and $too. The Hayes copy of 
the fifth edition, 1676, is in green morocco, by Gosden, 
and measures sVa by 3 9-16. The first title is mounted 
and a very small portion of the word "printed" is cut 
away. The second title is reinforced at back. Alexan- 
der's was 6 by 3 g-i6. It fetched $90. 
fish near the boat, and hesitating for a moment, allowed 
the dynamite to explode in his hand. His hand was 
blown off, and the rest of the dynamite was exploded, 
destroying the boat. James sank and was lost, though 
the other two men were rescued later, not so badly in- 
jured as to be unable to swim a little. This was not a 
very good way to die, but the enormity of the result 
overshadows any act preceding it, however ill advised 
Or perhaps ignorant it may have Jjeen, E. Hough. 
1206 BoYCE Building, Chicago. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
The Tfoat Season* 
CmcAG(j, lU., April 15. — The trout season opens to- 
day in Wisconsin, and here I am sitting at my little 
typewriter table writing copy, not doing my duty first 
instead of having pleasure, and not being up to the'knees 
in the Prairie River instead of up to the eyes in work. 
Maybe things might have been otherwise if I had not ' 
heard that there was going to be a log run on the Prairie 
this week, so that the fishing will probably be better a 
little later. 
The White River of Wisconsin is one of the best of 
the early streams in tliat State. It is lower down in 
the State than most of the well-known streams, and the 
trout there take the fly better early than they do later. 
The W^iite is good for some heavy trout each season, and 
it is not an unpleasant stream to fish. Princeton is a 
favorite point of striking it. A great many Oshkosh 
men go to the Wiite River, and among others who 
are reported to have gone there yesterday, so as to be 
on hand at 12:01 this morning, are Messrs. G. A. Buck- 
staff (the beagle lover, game law maker and representa- 
tive in Legislature of the sportsmen of that section), Bert 
Hooper, John R. Evans, F. Challoner, G. L. Madison, 
Willis Minckler, Turn Chase, C. O. Josslyn, William 
Rogge and Dr. Russell. Oshkosh and Fond du Lac 
are fishing cities, and send out an army each spring to 
the trout streams. The Pine River is a favorite water 
also, and among others who start to the Pine to-day 
and to-morrow are Dr. Oviatt, B. Hooper, C. C. Chase, 
A. H. Goss, M. J. Peck, H. N. Clark, H. I. Weed and 
H. L. Battis, all of Fond du Lac, with Frank Favour, 
A. G. Gallinger, C. O. Sweet, W. E. Fildes, Thomas 
Baird, W. C. Kimball and F. Lampert. The Chicago 
men are usually later to make their start for the trout 
waters, it being very often the case that a party will 
prefer to combine trout and 'lunge fishing. It is further 
from Chicago to the trout streams than it is from Mil- 
waukee or Oshkosh, and the sport at this season is so 
problematical that the average Chicagoan waits a bit be- 
fore taking his chances. Still, I don't think that any 
trout ever tastes quite so good as the one caught on the 
first day of the season, just about thirteen minutes after 
sun-up. 
Prepared. 
The members of the Grand Rapids Fish, Game and 
Dog Protective Association have built a new club house 
on the Little Manistee, one of the loveliest trout streams 
that ever lay out of doors, and they will have a grand 
■ opening on May i. The fly-casting tournament of this 
body, June 8 to 9, bids fair to be a good event, and al- 
ready the members are getting together prizes for the 
competitions. 
I do not remember whether or not I mentioned earlier 
the fact that the Flint & Pere Marquette Club, whose 
generous hospitality I sampled to my great edification 
last spring, has this season erected a fine club house 
upon the banks of their stream, Kinne Creek. This saves 
a little walk from the club house to the grounds. This 
trouting club is one of the very best in the W^est, and 
its waters are alive with fish. It has a membership of 
the selectest selection, and if thcv don't have fun over 
there about May i I give it up. Mr. W. B. Mershon, of 
Saginaw, oft'ers to forward the tables of the catch, and I 
anticipate something a bit starthng, for the trout in . 
Kinne Creek at the first of the season are multitudinous 
and accommodating. 
Question of Popular Right. 
An old but still interesting question of popular right 
is up for decision in the Supreme Court of Wisconsin 
this week. Some years ago the A¥ilIow River Club, of 
that State, bought several miles of land along the stream 
of that name, which Avas stocked by the State and also 
by the club members, most of whom live in Minnesota. 
The club notified local fishers that they would not permit 
trespassers on the stream, but a good deal of fishing was 
done by parties claiming that under the law any stream 
was open which had been stocked by the State. Sev- 
eral suits have been brought, and the club has avou 
tAvice in the loAver courts, and once had a case remanded 
by the Supreme Court on technical error. The present 
case is against one Wade, and is brought by stipulation 
of attorneys of both sides. Its decision Avill be aAvaited 
AAdth interest by local men, who claim that this water Avas 
of no value until the State put $2,500 worth of fry in it, 
so that it became tempting to the club men Avho bought 
it. up. As the club has planted much fry of its own, it 
may be difficult to tell Avhich is a State fish and which 
is a club fish, but it appears that the local anglers Avant 
to catch the trout and get them into hand for a careful 
examination on this point. The court will have a nice 
point to settle. 
Blown Up. 
A curious case, the second of the kind Avhich I re- 
member to have seen noted, occurred out in Idaho this 
month, in Avhich a man engaged in dynamiting fish Avas 
blown up by his own dynamite and killed. Mr. George 
H. Garrison, of Olympia, Wash., sends me the account, 
which was taken from the news columns containing a 
dispatch from Kendrick, Idaho. It seems that Henry 
James and two other men Avere dynamiting fish on the 
Clear Water, being out in a small boat. They had five 
sticks of dynamite, and James Avas the operator. He had 
exploded one stick and killed a number of fish, and had 
lighted the fuse on another stick. He saw some large 
The Angfler and the Queen. 
The Balmoral water, lying between the Invercauld 
fishery at Ballater and the Invercauld water at Bniemar,. 
covers a stretch of some seven or eight miles in extent 
on both sides of the Dee, part of which belongs to her 
Majesty the Queen as proprietrix of the manor, and part 
of which she holds on lease from the adjoining lairds. 
The scenery through which the silvery Dee works its 
meandering, rapid, dashing course at this part, if not so 
impressiA'ley grand as that some miles further inland at 
Mar Lodge, is yet most picturesque in the extreme. In 
short, as the guide books say, "The scenery is thoroughly 
highland and very beautiful." The Balmoral fishery in- 
cludes the Balmoral water proper, the Abergeldie water 
and the Birkhall_ section, all of which are at the com- 
mand of Her Majesty's guests. 
"Pol-manear" is a favorite cast near the castle, and 
was always held as the special preserve of the late John 
Brown, Her Majesty's personal attendant. John was 
an enthusiastic and inveterate fisher, and often the royal 
larder was indebted to his proAvess for its supplies of 
spring salmon, when the rods of the other fishermen 
failed to bring them to the bank. 
It is authentically reported among anglers on Deeside 
that when the Queen wanted John he was immediately 
at her call, but Avhen angling; and at such times she 
studied not to disturb him. The tacit understanding be- 
tAveen them is said to have arisen in the following fash- 
ion. Her Majesty one day sent an imperative message 
to the river side, desiring John to immediately Avait 
upon her. "Tell Her Majesty," replied John in his usual 
D oric, "that I am rinning a salmon and I canna come." 
The messenger came back to him in hot haste, saying 
that the Queen desired to see him this very minute. 
"Well, tell Her Majesty this time that I am rinning a 
salmon and I Avanna come." And that settled it. — Illus- 
trated Sporting and Dramatic News. 
Mohawfc "Mullet.'^ 
Danbury, Conn. — Editor Forest and Stream: Not 
having found out as yet Avhat the MohaAvk River, N. Y.. 
fish is named that Ave call the mullet, I wrote to an old 
fisherman who resides at Crescent, N. Y., and lives on 
the Mohawk River, and inclose his letter. Please give 
the n.ame of this fish in the Forest and Stream, 
as the fishermen of Danbui-y are divided about equally 
in their opinion. Your decision in your paper will be 
accepted as final. J. L. S. 
Crescent, N. Y.— There are such fish as mullet in 
the Mohawk River, and plenty of them. We catch them 
Avith a hook and line, but have to use a very small hook. 
Just before dark they bite quite freely. The largest 
Ave catch Aveigh slbs. or upward. It is Avithin only about 
three years that they have been caught here in the river, 
and it is supposed that they come from the lakes through 
the Erie Canal. I am actiuainted with that species of 
fish; years ago I used to catch them at the Troy dam 
Avith a net in the Hudson River. David F. Smith. J. P. 
[It is tlie mullet-sucker. The mullet-suckers,- com- 
monly called "mullet" in the interior, are coarse- 
scaled species, and in the Mississippi Valley 
they are called "red-horse." There are five or six 
species of them, and they range over most of the Missis- 
sippi system, the Great Lakes and NeAV York, at least 
one species inhabiting the Genesee and MohaAvk rivers. 
Their scales are so much larger than those of the com- 
mon white sucker and the stone-roller as to be notice- 
able at once. Somehow they are not so plenty in the 
Hudson as are the small-scaled species. The' small- 
scaled species are in the genus Catostomus and the large- 
scaled hi the genus Moxosloma.] 
The Mastig-ouche "Waters. 
The angling territory controlled by the Mastigouche 
Fishing Club, in the Province of Quebec, Avill not be 
open to the public this year, since the members of the 
club have determined to reserve the fishing for them- 
selves. This, hoAvever, does not of necessity imply that 
all anglers who have in the past proved the delights and 
rewards of Mastigouche fishing need be debarred from 
the preserves, since the club membership, we are advised 
by President Atwater, is not fidl. 
^ In the notice last Saturday of Mr. Mather's entertain- 
ing book, "Men I Have Fished With" (Forest and 
Stream Publishing Co., Ncav York), the admirable jour- 
nal to Avhich the sketches Avere originally contributed was 
represented as the victim of an untoward fate, whereas 
Garden and Forest is the publication that has lately sus- 
pended. Forest and Stream, so far from being in a 
state of suspension, is enjoying its vigorous existence in 
the unclouded sunshine of prosperity, and next month 
will celebrate its tAventy-fifth anniversary. Thus a Avell- 
mtended expression of sympathy Avas Avholly misplaced. 
The case of the elephant and the chickens may be re- 
called. Having killed the mother of a fledgling brood, 
the pachyderm gathered the chicks under his Aving, and 
sitting doAvn on them gently, as the old hen was Avont 
to do, said: "Be easy now; I'll be a mother to you." It 
Avas a case of excellent intentions, but it hurt the feelings 
of the chicks. All the elephant could do AA'as to regret 
the error. Verbum sat sapienta, and the people who 
have conducted Forest and Stream to the maturity of 
its quarter centenary are wise in their day and generation. 
— Philadelphia Press. 
For Sale.— Hunting and fishing preserve in Adirondacks. 12 000 
acres forest land; several fine lakes, 15 miles trout streams. Deer 
in plenty. 14 miles from railroad. A. A. Leonard, Knickerbocker 
Athletic Club. New York. 
