May 20, iSpg.j 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
89d 
Minnesota Fish and Game. 
Editor Pores t and Stream: 
Mr. John Behther, executive agent of the Mihtiesotft Klsh 
and Game Commission, accompanied by Supt. Morgan 
of the State Hatchery, have just returned from Ver- 
million Lake, where they had been to get the usual supply 
of pike spawn for hatching at the State Hatchery. The 
trip was not an unqualified success. On former occasions 
no trouble has been experienced in getting a sufficient 
supply for all demands, but oviring to unusually high 
water, no fish were found on their usual spawning 
gfounds, but were found on sotrte rapids further down tlie 
stream. The swift current made the use of nets almost 
impossible. As ft fesult, about 1,000,000 spawn were ob- 
tained. It was the intention of the commission to get not 
less than 100,000,000 spaWri. 
I see by a Duluth paper that some .sportsmen fire in- 
clined to criticise Mr. Bentner for the failure of the expe- 
dition. In this connection it should be remembered that 
Mr. Morgan, of the State Hatchery, was on the ground 
and attributes the failure to the reason given above. 
It may be further stated that Supt, Morgan has warned 
former commissions that what has happened this spring 
was likely to happen at any time, and has recommended 
the blasting out of the rocks in this particular place, so 
that nets could be used if the pike should ever use this 
place as a spawning ground, 
Fof soffle y&kts many thousand dozen goOse and duck 
eggs have been taken from the breeding grounds of these 
waterfowl, particularly in Kittson county. Last j'ear 
the quantity shipped was enormous. The albuminous 
part of the egg is used in the manufacture of photo- 
graphers' materials. The yolk is also utilized, but in what 
way I could not learn. 
Mr. Bentner informs me that he has stationed men at 
various counties, and will endeavor to prevent the de- 
spoiling of the nests. 
A determined effort will be made to pi"otect moose and 
deer from indiscriminate slaughter in certain parts of 
northern Minnesota. There is the best of reasons for 
saying that lumberjacks have been feasted on moose and 
venison steaks by their employers, who engage a man 
for the purpose of securitig tlle supply for the camp. The 
killing has not been confined to thfe WiUlei' season only, 
but the flesh of these game animals is frequently found 
on the tables of hotels during the summer sca'^on. 
The family who comes from an Eastern State each 
summer and shoots moose at night by torching, should 
receive especial attention. I am credibly informed that 
three moose were killed in one night last season by this 
family. Parts of the carcass are smoked and taken 
home fof fattiily use. There are twelve salaried game 
W-ardeils in this State. It is the intention of the com- 
mission to put the entire force of paid n1en itito tlie 
northern part of the State when the season for shooting 
game birds opens, and they are not needed in their re- 
spective localities. J. W. G. 
A Tfout Quaftette. 
jDuRiNG ohe of thosfe Occasiohli lulls that occur eten in 
i biisV laW bffifee. iiiy mihd latfely fevfetted to a happy day 
aWay batk iii i8'94, Wh^n I hiadfe Ihy tHalbpitin cAtt\i bi 
trout in a small stream at Ticonderoga. It was along to- 
ward the end of the season that I happened to cross this 
cold brook on m^y way from a pond where I had been 
catching bass. No one had fished there for a good many 
years, and a youngster on his way home with the cows 
inquired; "Say, mister, be you a-fishin' for chubbs" as he 
saw me getting- the line i-'e&dy, Welh the boy passed 
along, shying small stones at his_ cattle, and I baited Up 
with an angle worm and threW in jUst. belyW jln old bfid.Sie 
where theffe w^S .a large Stiithp. The line had Scarcely 
toUfched Water when with a loud splash something ap- 
peared from the deep pool, and crouching behind a low 
bush, I saw a mouth and a pair of shoulders that fairly 
made even my veteran heart leap to niy throat. But, 
alas, the mighty trout missed his aim, or perhaps it was 
his last bit of sundown exercise for the day. Anyway, 
back he went to his home among the dark roots in the 
sweet, cold water. No lure in my collection could, draw 
him forth, and I sadly returned to the old log farmhouse 
at "The Vineyard," where I always spend my summer,^. 
I fiould not fotfet those big jaws and shoulders, so, fls 
soon as I CoUld escape from farm work, I repaifed to the 
brook once more, determined to get the old fellow and 
his mate, if possible. It was a bright, sunshiny day, the 
last of the trout season, as I remember, and there was a 
slight western breeze. I had a $1.50 three-jointed pole 
with a cheap reel, and used a large, old-fashioned, Eng- 
lish-made fly that I had recently bought on a bargain 
counter in New York, 
A large insect attracted my attention just then. I 'cap- 
tured it, and following a mere caprice, as anglers often 
do, ran the hook crosswise through its back. I then tell 
to laughing at my ridiculous double bait, as the natives 
called such contrivances. Tlie fly was made of coarse 
feathers, brown in color, and resembled nothing on earth 
or in the sky that I had ever seen. Then the insect 
capped the climax. I am not going tc tell the reader? 
of the Forest .and Stre.vm the name of the live part of 
this bait, for fear of possible future rivals. Bui; to pro- 
ceed with my story. 
I dropped in just above the home of the big fellow, 
thinking that he had perhaps gone up to see hJs friends 
in the horse pasture. As the bait re,sted on the surface, 
something slowly arose with its liead down stream and 
then quietly sank to the bottont. I was altnost sure th.tt 
a large pike had run up from the pond to feed, although 
I had never seen one in such cold water. The fish actu- 
ally seemed nearly as wide as the brook as he came into 
view. Some way, I am alwa3'S the coolest with ray big 
fish, although often nervous with small ones. I lifted the 
point of the rod, and to my intense delight the line was 
■fast to a log— or something about as solid. T waited for 
.ibout two seconds and then witli a twist of the wrist 
set the old hook home. The little channel was only about 
3ft. wide and about 4 deep, but luckily there were no 
roots, so I played my game gently back and forth, keep- 
ing well out of sight, so as not to alarm him. Once he 
got ugly and made a rush for an old snag, but I forced 
him bmU to fiig bg4 without jniuch trouljle, I|e was now 
ptetty well tired out, but still full of mute protest. I than 
adopted a novel preccdurc. Laying the rod flat on the 
low bank, I began to play the fish, holding the line in 
my hands, as we often tlo when out alone on Lake 
Cfiamplain trolling for big pike. I soon had his high- 
ness cornered up, and with the aid of my old gray fedora 
hat, treasured to this vcty day, neatly netted the prize, 
and he lay upon the grass, the largest wild brook trout 
that I have ever seen alive. He was beautifully marked, 
very stockily built and in splendid condition. The weight 
I could not ascertain, as I invariably dress _my fish as soon 
as caught, to preserve the flavor; but I judged it to be 
at least ^J/lbs, His length was exactly i6in. — "one foot 
four." Carefully putting him, or rather coiling him, into 
the basket. J \vorked a little further down stream and 
soon had his mate, a beauty of i5in.. using the same bait 
and fly, and landing her neatly with the rod. I kept on 
for about ten minutes longer, when I stopped, said good 
enough, and started for home. I had added in that time 
two more fish to niy datch, measuring 12 and gin. respect- 
ively. 
There was a jolly trout supper at the old place that 
night, and 7 or 81bs. of fish were used for the first course. 
There are several present readers of tlie Forest and 
Stream who enjoyed my champion catch. I am still 
looking for the man who can beat that "old he one." 
Peter Flint. 
160 Nassau Street, New Yoric, 
The Bullhead as a Standby. 
A Rhode IslaMd correspondent, whose report is of 
white perch fishing that turned oUt to be bullhead catch- 
ing, writes with true Waitonian philosophy of the satis- 
faction to be found even in the humble fields of angling. 
'"We hired a leaky boat." he says, "'rowed oiU to the 
spot that was pointed out as a likely place for white 
perch, and fished faithfully, but took only a few yellow 
perch. Then it was up with the sash weights that served 
as anchor to try another place, and so on all over the 
pond; but not a single white perch came our way. On 
our last anchorage I caught a bullhead, and tlien we both 
fished for them, catching them pretty, fast, some of the 
lieavy ones making a good fight on our light rods. We 
fished Until long after the stars came out. and the new 
moon hung low in the wegt, 
'T like to read of the capture of tuna, tarpon; striped 
bass and other heavy game fish -. and I have spent a good 
many hours casting menhaden bait into the surf for bass 
and catching flounders, skates and sea eels, with the bass 
few and far between. When once a good bass is hooked 
it is grand sport, but I think I would rather fish for lighter 
fish with finer tackle. 
"I would rather catch tfotlt than white perch, and perch 
in preference to bul]head.<5; hut there a (.-ertain satis- 
faction in sitting in a boat on a sunimer evening and 
Watching the daylight fade, and listening to the distant 
sounds, softened bv Coming across the w-ater. Over on 
the side hill the 'whip-poor-wiir whistles, and overhead 
four or five night herons pass with their hoarse 'qua,' and 
.^somewhere in the edge of the pond an old bullfrog tells us 
to 'sink deep," 'sink deep,' as we do. and have lots of fun 
hfinging Up bullheads of a pound weight, about as fast as 
We can handle them. The bullhead is a reliable standby, 
and a'^ one writer savs. when oner hold of the hook never 
tries (0 shake a friend, bitt submits to the inevitable. J 
would advise all who have not done so, to read Nesmuk's 
strong defense of the bullhead, and the catfish family." 
■s ' ■ f «""«•«». 
New Hampshire Fishing". 
Newfound Lake, Bristol, N. H., May 8.— The fishing 
season opened Tuesday, May 2, a number of salmon be- 
ing caUght at the Hebron end of the lake, a good catch of 
seven being credited to Chas. Fox and party of Hill, 
H, S. L. Sawtell, of Lowell, had fair luck, as did 
T. .J. McDonald and Wife, of Lowell. A Boston lady 
caught two salmon before breakfast Saturday morning. 
On the bar at the mouth of Fowler's River, Chas. A. 
Gale took a 7lb. salmon Friday. At the foot of the lake 
in Bristol a lo^lb. salmon was landed by Amasa Hi- 
lands, it being the largest taken thus far. 
The trout are making reels turn merrily, such as. to 
Pa-d Lang, five in one day. total weight 561bs. ; a 12^2 and 
iOV'j-pounder, caught by Ed. Towns, of Bristol; also Dr. 
Ba'lou, lOj'^lbs. ; Chas. Rounds, two trout; Ansel Doloft', 
one; Fred Falls, two, Perhaps a dozen others whose 
names we did not get. We hope to fight it on this "line" 
i: it happens all summer. 
Landlocked Salmon House. 
The Connecticut Fish Commission* 
The Governor has done a most discreditable and 
strange thing in refusing to reappoint Mr. A. C. CoU-ns, 
of Hartford, as Fish and Game Commissioner. Mr. Col- 
lins has been for several j^ears on the commission, but 
before that, as agent of a State Protective Association, 
won wide reputation for the skill, activity, dauntless 
courage wdth which he enforced the fish and game laws. 
Evil doers learned to dread him, and, incidentall}', he got 
to know the State like a book for the purpose of fish 
and game protection. All that kno\vledge he brought to_ 
the position of comtnissioner, and superadded wisdoin of 
fishculture, sequels of which were the decided increase of 
our shad supply, the substitution of trout fingerlings for 
fry. and the intelligent information conveyed constantly 
to legislative committees in relation to fish _and game 
statutes. The "turning down" of such a man is a capital 
misfortune to the sporting interest of the State, and is 
as foolish as it is incomprehensible.— -New York World, 
May 7. 
Quebec Salmon Netting;, 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Recently a committee of two from the Sainte 
Marguerite Salmon Club had~ a conference at Quebec 
with Mr. Parent, Commissioner of Lands. Forests, and 
Fisheries for the Province of Qtiebec, concerning the 
illegal netting that has been going on tor tjjc last two 
years on the Saguenay River. 
Mr. Parent met us cordially, and seemed vesy much 
in earnest in his wisli that th? practice gl>ppI4 fe? 
stopped at once. He agreed to pay one man, we to pay 
his companion, to patrol the Saguenay from Tadousac 
to the mouth of the Ste. Marguerite, a distance of eigh- 
teen miles, during the months of June, July and August, 
and we shall put on two men in addition. 
By the new fish and game laws, passed last winter by 
the Provincial Parliament, these guardians are given large 
powers; for, in addition to being guardian and constables, 
they are made magistrates, with the powers of justices 
of peace, as far as all fish and game matters go. So 
now it looks as though a stop would be put to the work 
of the poaching gangs on the Saguenay. 
We have found that the local justices of the peace here- 
sympathized too much with the poachers, for in 1896 
we had men out who lodged information against four- 
teen men they had seen taking salmon illegally, and 
they were all arrested, but their cases were continued until 
March, 1897, and then the justice discharged twelve and 
fined the other two— one. $2 and the other $5— which, oi 
course, only encouraged the law-breakers to keep on 
with the poaching. . f • , 
Last autumn Mr. Parent sent down one of the higher 
judges to try thirty-one men, against whom Mr. A. J. 
Price had laid information, and they were all convicted 
and imprisoned, good evidence of the earnestness of the 
Government in this matter. > 
Mr. Parent said he was very glad we had come to see 
him, and he wished that representatives of other clab» 
would come to him and talk over any troubles they have 
on their waters. It would certainly be a good thing il 
the members of fishing clubs, on their way to their rivers, 
would remain over in Quebec a day to call upon the 
Commissioner, for it will strengthen his hands to feel 
that all the anglers recognize what he is domg and 
wish to help along the great work he has undertaken. 
He seems determined to stop illegal netting. 
Gar0. T, Lvon- 
On the New Jersey Shore. 
Asbury Park, N. J., May 9.— Striped bass are moving 
along the coast and taking the hook at least a month ear- 
lier than last year. At Manasquan Inlet the catches for 
the past ten days have been fully equal to what is ordin- 
arily to be expected in June. To take five and seven to 
the rod in a single dav is no unussual occurrence. While 
they are not as yet of the large size, still they are most 
welcome visitors and receive most marked attentiOfr. 
The largest one so far was taken to-day, I3lbs. King- 
fish, too. have put in appearance, and share honors pretty 
evenly with the bass; they, too, are unusually early; 
while I have known them to be on thus early in former 
years still, last vear May 30 was the date of the first catch 
from "the beach liere. The weakfish too are about, as they 
arc being taken pretty freely in the pounds, and they 
should be ready for the hook in the surf within the next 
month. I saw large schools of butter fish in Shark River 
last Sunday, doubtless driven in by the weakfish, which 
feed on them most voraciously. A few bluefish have 
been taken in the pound at Elberon, and that is a ta- 
markable fact, as they usually do not approach the shore 
thus early in the season. The indications are that, 
w-eather conditions remaining favorable. \ve should be 
enioying good fishing by June 1 and that is as early as 
we ever anticipate. We now have what long has been 
a dire necessity, viz., a first-class rod factory. To num- 
berless anglers" this will prove a positive boon, as here- 
tofore all repairs had to be sent to the cities, involving 
tedious delays and heavy expense. 
Leonard Hulit. 
Chicago Fly-Casting; Club. 
Chicago, May 13. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
scores of the meet to-day were as follows: 
The 
Lons: 
Distance 
Fly, 
Feet. 
Distance 
Accuracy 
and 
and 
Accuracy, 
Delicacy, 
Per Cent 
Per Cent. 
69 2-3 
901-3 
941-3 
701-3 
81 
71 2-S 
891-3 
93 1-6 
78 
92 5-6 
86 2-3 
871-3 
j H BdTowsl.^.lie 
C H Chadwick.. 
H Greenwood . . 
H G nascal....l05 
E R Letterman. 
F N Peet 118 
H W Perce 
E A Ren wick.. 101 
G W Salter 
Holders of Medals.— Long distance fly, F. N. Peet; 
distance and accuracv, T. H. Bellows: accuracy and deli- 
cacy, T. H, Bellows; bait-casting, F. N. Peet. 
Bait 
Casting 
Per 
Cent. 
89 1-15 
93 7-15 
90 2-15 
93 2-5 
95 13-15 
89 1-3 
96 2-15 
88 11-15 
87 7-15 
83 13-15 
Imntt 
National Fox-Hunters' Association. 
The Foxhound Stud Book, published by authority of 
the National Foxhunters' Association, appears in a most 
artistic dress in its first volume, for 1898. It is compiled 
by Col. Roger D. Williams, keeper of the Stud Book. It 
contains a list of the officers of the association, its coti- 
stitution and by-laws, code of running rules and regu- 
lations, a list of the hunt clubs in the United States, with 
their officers, records of all foxhound trials, standard for 
judging, and pages from 13 to 83 are devoted to registra- 
tions and hstings. It contains portraits of Rear-Admiral 
James E. Jouett, U. S. Navy: Col. Haiden C. Trigg (Full 
Cry), of Kentuckv: Dr. Wash-MiUer, of Kentucky; Dr. 
W. F. Sturgill, of West Virginia; A. B. F. Kinney,, of 
Massachusetts; W. S. Walker, of Kentucky;. Geo. L. 
F. Bird song, of Georgia; Gen'l G. W. Maupin, of Ken- 
tucky; Col. Theodore Roosevelt, of New York; W. W. 
Huffstetter, of Kentucky; Foxhall Keene. of New York; 
Col. Roger D. Williams, of Kentucky; Dr. A. C. Hef- 
finger, of New Hampshire; W. N. Ramsey, of Kentucky: 
Dr. James F. Rosborough. of Texas; J. C. Varner, of 
Arkarfsas: T. H. Brown, of Texas; Carey Randolph Ruf- 
fin, of Virginia; R. E. Lee, yVlabama; J. H. Wallace, Jr., 
of Alabama; George J. Garrett, of Georgia, and R. M. 
Smith, of INI ississippi, all famous in the annals of fox 
hunting. To Col. Williams great praise is due for com- 
piling "and editing a work which so greatly redounds to 
ergdit oi th« Association, 
