Oct. 22, 1898.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
331 
ty, 23m. long, and weighing Slbs. 2oz. "Boss" Corson, of 
the Lockport Union-Sun, ran him a close second with a 
5lb. black bass. To the Sun representative fell the honor 
of catching the largest string of brook trout, capturing 
in three hours more than a lazy man would want to carry 
a half-mile on a smooth trail. Muscalonge were most 
plentiful in Pine Lake, and they fought like demons as 
fierce as the rugged hills that overshadowed their native 
depths. 
This story, too long already, can give but a brief inti- 
mation of the glorious sport afforded in that enchanting; 
Nipissing district, only one night and a dav distant from! 
the heated thoroughfares of New York. The nights are. 
delightfully cool, and the days are days of comfort in; 
that northland. We have blazed the trail for you, and! 
with the autumn glories of Lake Talon beckoning you,, 
perhaps you can be pursuaded that another summer 
would prove too long a postponement for the unadul- 
terated pleasures in store for those who there get "near 
to nature's heart." M. H. Hoover. 
The Montana Grayling* 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
In an interesting article on the grayling of Mon- 
tana (Forest and Stream of July 23), Dr. J. A. Hen- 
shall, the well-known angling writer and ichthyologist,, 
writing from Boseman, Montana, says that these fish 
exist "only in the three forks of the Missouri River— 
the Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin rivers, and theiir 
tributaries." This statement' excludes it from the Mis- 
souri and its tributaries inflowing below the three forks,, 
the birthplace of the Missouri proper. 
It is true that the fish, both in its Michigan and Mon- 
tana habitat, shows the same apparent capriciousness; 
in the choice of its home that its European brother in 
England and in Europe generally has long been noted! 
for, but the range in Montana can be considerably ex- , 
tended beyond the limits mentioned by Dr. Henshall. 
During a period of some ten years past the writer- 
has been frequently connected during the summer 
months with the field work of the Geological Survey in 
Montana, and in this way has gained an extensive and 
intimate acquaintance with all that mountainous part 
of Montana which lies east and south of the Missouri, 
and north of the National Park. He has fished, often 
from pleasure and frequently from necessity, in the 
greater number of its streams, and has gained informa- 
tion of the others from observation and the knowledge 
of local 'residents. A considerable amount of informa- 
tion concerning the habitat of the grayling in this re- 
gion has been thus gained, and it may be useful to put 
it on record here. 
They are found in Deep or Smith River and its- 
tributaries, and according to local information in Belt. 
River also. These are the two first most important 
affluents which fall into the Missouri from the east, above 
the three forks. The author has not found them in the 
smaller streams which run directly into the Missouri, 
like Sixteen-Mile and Deep Creek, near Townsend, nor 
has he heard of them in these streams, though it is 
quite possible that they may occasionally occur. Their 
existence in Smith River is mentioned in the report of 
the Ludlow expedition to the National Park in 1875, by 
Messrs. Dana and Grinnell, and they are reported as at- 
taining (if memory of the passage is correct — the report 
not being at hand) a weight of several pounds, which 
is much above anything seen by the writer. 
In the streams mentioned the average weight is 
about half a pound, with individuals running to a pound, 
while those of a pound and a half are quite uncommon. 
This is, of course, merely the writer's experience as to 
size. 
In the streams running into the Missouri below Belt 
River the grayling has neither been seen nor heard of 
by the writer. Thus it does not appear in High wood 
or Shonkin creeks, nor the Arrow or Judith rivers, al- 
though the head waters of these streams contain an 
abundance of trout (Salmo mykis). Nor does the 
Musselshell system contain them or trout either, though 
its head waters are admirably adapted to either, it 
abounds in whitefish (Coregonns ■zfilliamsonii) , which, as 
it exists in all the streams mentioned in this article, is 
thus the most- widely distributed of the three members 
of the salmon family found in these waters. Similarly 
the magnificent system of waters of the Yellowstone 
does not contain the grayling, though it abounds in 
both trout and whitefish. Concerning the streams fall- 
ing into the Missouri on its left or west and north 
bank, the writer has no information. 
In general, it may be remarked here that the shal- 
low, winding, oozy streams which rise in the lower 
cretaceous country of this region contain neither trout 
nor grayling, though sometimes the whitefish in con- 
siderable abundance. This is due to the character of the 
water, which often contains considerable alkali; the 
whitefish appear to be able to stand a quite strong solu- 
tion of it. 
Nor is the grayling found in the rapid, torrential 
head waters of those systems it inhabits, although these 
mountain brooks usually contain trout to their very 
heads. The description, in fact, given by Sir Humphrey 
Davy, of the conditions of stream required bv the gray- 
ling are as true in Montana as in England; he says: 
"They do not dwell like trout in rapid, shallow streams; 
nor like char or chub, in deep pools or lakes. They re- 
quire a combination of stream and pool; they like a 
deep, still pool for rest, and a rapid stream above, and a 
gradually declining shallow below, and a bottom where 
marsh or loam is mixed with gravel, and they are not 
found abundant except in rivers that have these char- 
acters." 
Of' all the streams which contain this fish in Mon- 
tana, that the writer has seen, Sheep Creek, in the 
Little Belt Mountains, a considerable tributary of Smith 
River, answers the above description best, and it also 
contains the most grayling.-and its upper portion, which 
runs for miles through beautiful mountain encircled 
meadows and open parked ' country, affords the finest 
angling for this fish that is probable one can obtain. 
The writer recalls looking cautiously over an old 
stump on; the bank into a pool about 5ft. deep, from 
which he had just taken several specimens of this beau- 
tiful fish, and seeing resting quietly at the bottom a 
school of about forty more ranging from half a pound 
upward, with but a few small ones. 
The same stream contains an abundance of both trout 
and whitefish. Each has its distinct habit of place in the 
stream. The trout, as usual, are found just where the 
swift water of the ripple breaks into the pool, the gray- 
ling lie lower dowrt in the upper half of the pool, or 
reach where the water, though moving swiftly and not 
yet come to rest, does not break or boil, while the white- 
fish are more apt to be found in the shallower and quiet 
water, toward the tail of the pool or reach. Thus the 
angler, moving downward, may take specimens of all 
three on the same fly from the same pool. The white- 
fish, from their quick motion and small mouths, are 
the hardest to hook, they recall in their manner the 
dace or chub of Eastern streams. They are quite good 
game on the hook, but not as much as the trout or 
grayling. As between the latter two the palm must be 
awarded to the trout; the grayling, although high game, 
is not so long and persistent a fighter. His habit of 
curling sideways in the swift water puts a heavy strain 
on the rod at first and produces the impression of a 
larger fish. • 
Both for trout and grayling in these waters black flies 
are generally best, such as the black prince, black hackle, 
black gnat, etc. Flies of gray or gray mixed with yel- 
low, or green, such as the professor and grizzly king, 
will be found excellent. The coachman is also a good 
fly. But the black are most serviceable in the long 
run. Winged flies may- be tied on No. 8 hooks, the 
hackles, which, as usual, are best used as droppers on 
No. 9 or to, sproat sizes. The grayling, like the trout, 
take the fly with a quick rush, and .require a quick 
;strike. 
The best time for fishing is in the middle of the day, 
and this applies to both trout and grayling. Tn these 
high mountain regions there is even in midsummer a 
sharp chill in the air, until it has been warmed by the 
sun, and consequently no insect life abroad to tempt 
the fish to commence feedings The fact that the writer 
has caught trout during a heavy snowstorm iu early 
September does not disprove the generality of this rule. 
The long, late afternoon and evening fishing of more 
genial climates is unknown here. 
On the table the grayling is an excellent fish, resem- 
bling strongly the whitefish of the same habitat, but in 
the writer's opinion is not the equal of the trout there 
found. On a number of occasions, while camped on 
Smith River and its tributaries, all three fish have been 
•on the table at the same time, and our party have always 
unanimously declared in faA r or of the trout. But then, 
4c gustibus 11011 est disputandum. 
It appears to the writer that it would be an excel- 
lent thing if the Montana Fish Commission could in- 
troduce this beautiful and interesting game fish into the 
Yellowstone system of waters. It is not probable, from 
what experience we have of the habits and character of 
the grayling, that it could in an}' way injure the supply 
•of trout, and it would -in the future, if successfully estab- 
lished, add to the interest and pleasure of the angler 
and sportsman, an increasing number of which every 
year visit those waters. L. V. Pirsson. 
New Haven, Oct. 1. 
Vermont's Fishing Interests. 
The fourteenth biennial report of the Vermont Com- 
missioners of Fisheries and Game gives a highly satis- 
factory record of the fishcultural work during the years 
1897-98. We quote: 
We have now in our ponds about 3,500 breeding fish- 
and several times that number in yearlings, which will 
keep the supply of breeders up to the full capacity of 
the hatchery for many years. There has been no unusual 
mortality among the breeding fish. Our landlocked sal- 
mon and lake trout have never yielded any eggs, prob- 
ably because of their confinement in unnatural waters. 
Our rainbow trout do not yield eggs until late in winter 
or early spring, and a very small per cent, of the eggs 
taken ever materialize in healthy fry. Our brown trout 
give a few eggs, but are not a success. Our Vermont 
brook trout are the only fish that thrive- in Vermont 
brooks and brook water, and to them we devote our 
time and attention. The year 1897 was remarkably proli- 
fic; more than 90 per cent, of all the brook trout eggs 
materialized in strong, healthy fry, and were successfully 
planted. The number of brook trout fry planted in 1897 
was 1,028,000, and the total plant of all kinds 1.375,400, 
being a number almost equal to any two previous years. 
The year 1898 was an off year; not more than 50 per cent, 
of our brook trout eggs materialized in fry; 585.000 brook 
trout fry were planted, and a total plant of 972,200 being 
a number in excess of any year prior to this biennial 
term. While 1898 was not as successful as the com- 
missioners would desire, the work of the two years are 
verv gratifying indeed. 
The commissioners cannot account for the great mor- 
tality in 1898; 100.000 eggs failed to fertilize, 300,000 
fry died in the sac period and 100,000 died in our hatch- 
ing troughs and nursery ponds after having fed well for 
a few weeks. Advices from other fish hatcheries indi- 
cate a like unusual mortality. 
Does the Fish Hatchery Pay? 
Our present biennial appropriation is $5,500. The out- 
put of fry for the same period is 2,288,000; the output of 
fingerlings, 59.600. The fry at $2 per M. and fingerlmgs 
at $30 per M, which is the market price during this 
period, would amount to $6,334. It is therefore a matter 
of demonstration that the hatchery has not only been 
self-supporting during the present biennial period, but 
has paid for all additions and improvements, with a 
balance in favor of the hatchery. Taking the other 
and larger view of the question, the hatchery pays. The 
commissioners have satisfactory evidence from respon- 
sible citizens in all sections of the State that the trout 
planted from the hatchery do live and increase, and that 
our brooks are fast becoming repopulated, and our 
ponds are furnishing good fishing. To satisfy the most 
skeptical that Vermont is on the forward march as a 
summer resort State, I ask you to compare the hundreds 
of beautiful ponds and lakes, with their spacious hotels, 
cottages and camps, where thousands of our own people 
mingle with visitors from abroad during the - summer 
months, with conditions that existed ten years ago. 
The Six Inch Trout Law, 
The mair? argument in favor of a law placing a limit 
on trout as to length is in the fact that by thus protect- 
ing the smalt trout they have at least one opportunity 
to spawn and reproduce. This law is well observed by 
sportsmen throughout the State, although there are 
communities where sentiment is very generally opposed 
to the law, and where fishermen who fish for numbers 
rather than size and regardless of sport utterly disregard 
the law. It has its objectionable features in that the 
careless fisherman, not in sympathy with the law, will 
maintain that a small trout once hooked almost invariably 
dies. That this statement is not true may be substan- 
tiated by the fact that several thousand short trout were 
caught for stocking the breeding ponds at Roxbury, with 
no noticeable mortality as a result. Nearly all the New 
England States have followed the example of Vermont 
in placing a statutory limit upon the trout to be legally 
caught. 
There has been a misunderstanding among many 
fishermen who were of the impression that it is legal to 
take trout of less than 6in. in length from public waters 
for stocking private waters, In cases of this kind the 
owners of the private waters have been allowed to restore 
the short trout to the public waters again without further 
action. 
It is a notable fact that in communities where pub- 
lic sentiment upholds this law better fishing prevails 
than in more rural communities where the fishing should 
be the best. 
The law is growing in favor among sportsmen as they 
begin to see results from its enforcement. It must be 
confessed, however, that in many of the mountain 
streams the law is almost totally disregarded. 
New Varieties of Salmonidae. 
The thirteenth report speaks of the rainbow trout as 
being introduced by the commissioners in waters for- 
merly the habitat of the brook trout, but which have 
been changed in the progress of civilization to such an 
extent that while the water is still comparatively pure, 
it reaches too high a temperature in the summer months 
to sustain the speckled trout. It is found that the 
rainbow trout will stand a higher temperature of water 
than the speckled trout, but its successful introduction 
in waters described above has not been very encourag- 
ing. There are, however, a few streams where it seems 
to thrive. 
The steelhead trout has been quite extensively intro- 
duced by the U. S. Fish Commission into the waters of 
Lake Champlain and tributaries of the lake. Sufficient 
time has not expired since this work was begun to know 
whether the experiment will be successful or not. Fre- 
quent catches of this species have been reported. This 
trout in its natural habitat sometimes attains the weight 
of 18 or 2olbs. 
The U. S. Fish Commission is co-operating with the 
State Commission in introducing the landlocked sal- 
mon in Vermont waters. It is proposed to confine the 
work to very few .desirable lakes until this species is thor- 
oughly established to such an extent as to warrant col- 
lecting spawn from them. The lakes in which the work 
has been begun are Morey, Willoughby and Caspian. 
There are a few other lakes sufficiently large and of suit- 
able water for the successful propagation of this valu- 
able species, which has become so popular in Maine and 
New Hampshire. 
Where salmon are introduced into a lake, it is con- 
sidered desirable to have an ample supply of fish food 
for them, and the smelt is regarded as the most de- 
sirable food to introduce. Adult smelt have been in- 
troduced in some of our Vermont waters from time to 
time, and also smelt spawn. The commissioners were 
somewhat doubtful as to the results of introducing smelt 
spawn, but have recently, been informed that smelt have 
been seen in Caspian Lake, which must have resulted 
from the spawn thus introduced. 
Free Hook ard Line Fishing in Lake Champlain. 
f Some people have frequently argued that hook and 
line fishing in Lake Champlain should be free at all 
times of the year, and that there should be no close 
season on any fish inhabiting the lake. The fish of the 
lake are not protected at all except the black bass. It 
is well known to all bass fishermen that black bass can 
be caught off from their spawning beds without even 
baiting the hook, and in such quantities that if the liberal 
laws now in force are amended so as to permit free hook 
and line fishing, the rapid depletion of the black bass 
will follow. The commissioners do not believe that the 
people of Vermont who are most benefited by the revenue 
from summer tourists want the law changed. At pres- 
ent our laws are more liberal for the waters of Lake 
Champlain than the laws in any other one of the New 
England States or of New York State, which protects 
the fish in Lake Champlain much more fully than does 
Vermont. If any change is to be made in the existing 
laws for the protection of fish, it might be proper tp 
shorten the close season on the wall-eyed pike, which 
now prevails as to the tributaries of Lake Champlain 
and other waters. The black bass in Lake Champlain 
does not get through spawning before June 15, and 
protects its young for some little time after the spawn 
have hatched. 
St. Louis. 
Oct. 8. — Exceedingly heavy rains last week throughout 
Arkansas and south Missouri have caused a flood in those, 
sections, and high water prevails, so that the angler is 
again shut out from his favorite fishing grounds. There 
is not a club preserve in that section which has had two 
weeks' consecutive fishing during this entire year. 
Fishing at the new preserve of the Castor River Fish- 
ing and Hunting Club in southeast Missouri was first- 
class during the last two weeks in September, when the 
water was in good condition. Members who visited the 
club house at that time made remarkable catches of 
black bass, many of these running of large size. It is 
the intention of the directors to have a deputy fish war- 
den' appointed within g few weeks, and put a stop to the. 
