Sept. 30, 1899. 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
269 
York," as it had not cDiiae Under' his observation when 
bis list of fishes of the State was last printed. 
Man Versus Woman. 
A friend writing roe this morning concludes his letter 
hus: "We spent two weeks at Charleston Lake; had 
jood weather and a fine time. I especially enjoyed my- 
self watching my wife fight the black bass. One day we 
00k fourteen small-mouths, and my share was one small 
)ne. The total score for two weeks showed two to one 
igainst me." I was on one occasion fishing for perch with 
I lady, and we were fishing" for perch because the wind 
ras too strong to hold anchor on black bass ground, and 
ve had taken refuge behind an island, which was near 
he shore. The lady was in the stern seat, the guide was 
jn the middle seat and I was in the bow. The lady 
:aught a yellow perch, and continued to catch one after 
mother, until she had caught over 100 fish. All this time 
he guide and I were fishing without a single bite. Really, I 
)Ughti to stop thei'e and not relate the rest of the story, and 
[ would were it not to . show how peculiar a school of perch 
nay be. 
After a time the guide began to catch perch, and the 
lady's score began to fall below "one as soon as the baited 
hook was in the water." After a still longer time, the 
perch deigned to notice my hook, although the guide was 
taking the greatest number of any one. At the end i 
alone was taking perch, and the other occupants of the 
boat were sitting with hands idle. The school of perch 
where we anchored happened to be so that the edge of it 
was reached by the fair angler in the stern of the boat, and 
they gradually moved from the stern toward the bow. 
Nevertheless, I have contended for years that angling 
was particularly fitted to be a pastime for women, and 
when one practices angling and becomes interested in it 
she becomes expert. This year I saw a lady depart on 
several occasions from a summer hotel on fishing bent, and 
I saw her fish on her return. That particular hotel boasted 
of some of the best anglers within or without the State — 
men who devoted nearly every week day to fisHing, and 
who had everything that long purses could buy to aid 
them in their sport, but the lady caught the largest black 
bass taken by any one from the hotel up to the titne I 
left there, and it was the largest bass of the .season from 
the lake, and about as large as they grow there, judging 
from what have been taken during the past twenty-five 
years ; but it was not alone in a single large fish that she 
excelled, for she caught many large ones, and except for 
'her maid and the boatman, she fished alone as a rule ; but 
one evening she returned, and her husband was with 
her, and when I asked him of her success, he smiled, and 
replied that his wife cai:ght the fish and he looked on. 
Never do I talk of write of M'omen anglers but a picture 
comes to my mind of what I once saw on a Maine lake. 
At a camp not far from Parmachenee Lake 1 met a lady 
whose husband was away in some back camp, and from 
this fact I assumed that she did not fish, and it seemed to 
be a most lonesome sort of place for her under the cir- 
cumstances. I asked her if she would, like to go in my 
boat one day when I was to fisli the lake near the camp, 
and she said yes, hnt she would only be in the way, and 
she knew men did not care to have women about when 
they were fishing, and my flies might catch in her gown 
and I would wish her further away than the camp. She 
was so thoughtful about the comforts of others that 1 
wished to make some return for her courtesies, ai^d 
actirally offered to teach her to cast the fly, but she said 
she would not impose upon me. I can say now, after the 
lapse of many years, that I would have been glad to take 
her fishing, and I did not feel that she would have been 
in the way, and I did not have a selfish feeling when I 
offered to take her for lessons in fly-casting. Well, one 
day I was returning to camp, and as the guide pulled 
around a point, I saw in the distance a woman standing up 
alone in a boat casting a fly so artistically as to make the 
picture that I referred to earlier in this note. Left alone 
in the camp, she had tired of reading, and had gone out 
alone in a boat to fish, and there was no more graceful 
caster in the camp than that lady. She said she did not 
pretend to fish, and was out more for exercise than for 
fishing, but she could cast and catch fish far better than 
some men I have seen, and yet fearing she would be in the 
way, she hesitated about going out to fish regularly at 
some of the good places more removed from the camp, and 
was cheerful and contented to remain at camp and do up 
smashed fingers and furnish tar oil to the unfortunates 
who had used up their own supply. 
Photograph on Fisfa. 
A gentleman writes me from Macon, Ga., as follows: 
"My interest in all things piscatorial, and a recent reading 
_of some New York official reports, in which you have 
some artilles, is my reason for writing you. 
"I note with interest observations of yours touching the 
changing hues of black bass, in which j^ou seem to hold 
that the changing is a matter of will with the fish. Some 
years ago in a novel of mine, 'Sons and Fathers,' Gerald, a 
character, is made to photograph a picture upon .the 
whitish side of a bass taken from deep water, and the 
statement is made that these fish, covered with a thin gela- 
tine, are sensitive plates, so to say, and that exposed to the 
sunlight they darken quickly; which accounts for the fact 
that the back (top) of these, and probably all fish, is the 
darkest surface. Is it not possible that the final reduction 
to one hue of the many colored and barred fish observed 
by you in the tub of a boat was caused by the action of 
light upon the gelatine ? The matter is not one of great 
importance, perhaps, but I should be glad to have your 
views upon it. It may be true that the degree of light- 
ness in the hue of every family of fish is determined by 
the ability of the waters 'they inhabit to transmit light, and 
that the variation in localities is explained by the fact." 
Mr. Edwards raised a novel question and a most in- 
teresting one. The mucous covering ("gelatine") of a fish 
comes from the pores along the lateral line, and it serves 
as a protection to the scales and skin. Once this mucous 
is removed, fungus sets in and death follows. This much 
we know, but what the chemical properties of this .gela- 
tine m.ay be has not, so far as I know, been determined, 
nor has there been, until now, any need of a chemical 
analysis to determine it. The variable hues of fish I 
charge to a wise provision of nature, which enables the 
fish to put on a coloring similar to its environment, and 
thus be more secure hom observatioTi of its enemies- That 
this change is brought abotit by the chemical composi- 
tion of its enveloping mucus is possible, and the sub- 
ject is well worth investigating. The bass that I wrote 
about and to which Mr. Edwards refers were caught of 
various hues, and when confined alive in the well of the 
boat they all assumed the same hue. The well was dark 
and the fish were dark when taken out. This was the first 
time that I observed that black bass had the power to 
change external coloring and take on the color of their 
immediate surroundings, although I had often observed 
it in the brook trout, even in a more marked degree than in 
the case of the black bass. The next step in this matter 
will be to obtain a chemical analysis of the mucus cover- 
ing fishes, and see if it is in the nature of a sensitive plate, 
as Mr. Edwards suggests that it may be, and until that 
is done, mere opinions on the subject will be valueless. 
Trout with Extra Fin. 
In a former note of perhaps a year or so ago, T had 
something to say about the monster hunt by Dr. C. G. 
Seligmann, of St. Thomas' Hospital, London, but his 
monster hunt was not of the kind that our newspapers re- 
fer to, as he is making a study of monsters in the salmon 
family. His work was interrupted by a trip to New 
Guinea, from which he recently returned, and now sends 
me a paper with an illustration of a brown trout with an 
extra fin. In a letter. Dr. Seligmann tells me the trout 
was caught by Mr. Frederic M. Halford, and the fin stands 
erect just back of the head and on a line with the dorsal. 
This extra fin has ten soft rays, and all the other fins of 
the trout are present and normal. In the illustration the 
extra fin has the appearance of a plume or cockade, and 
the doctor states that no similar malformation has been 
met with. ' A. N. Cheney. 
White Perch of Deep Water Lakes, 
Among the game fish of this country the white perch is 
but rarely mentioned. However, under the right circum- 
stances he shows good fighting qualities and makes a 
great battle. 
While these fish are caught in rivers, small ponds and 
lakes where the waters are brackish, yet in these locali- 
ties they rarely attain much weight and size, and being 
rather small are not sought after. In the places men- 
tioned the early morning is the best fishing time. Shrimps 
are the best bait, if they can be obtained. Next in value 
are worms, pieces of fish or small strings of pork. As- ' 
certain where the fish are rising; then get as near to the 
spot as possible, and without a sinker, save perhaps one 
small split shot, make repeated casts and strike quickly. 
Use a light rod and reel and a single gut hook of a 
medium size. If any of the small fry of live bait can be 
procured, the fish will take them readily. Late in the 
afternoon is also a good time for fishing. 
In the large lakes the white perch are found in deep 
water, and are large, strong and full of fight. While a 
few are taken on a trolling spinner, only large numbevj 
are taken when still fishing. A small sinker is placed on 
the line a little above the gut of the hook, the line al- 
lowed to reach bottom, when it is reeled in about a foot 
or pidled up this distance if a hand line is made use of. 
Then the fisherman, keeping his bait moving a little, 
waits for a bite. 
Live bait, minnows, chubs, etc., rank first as lUres ; next 
is a good fat worm. 
During the latter part of August of this year I was bass 
fishing in one of the large Maine lakes, having with me 
my son, a lad of fourteen. I used flies almost entirely, 
while the boy tried the spinner worm and live bait— the 
little chubs found in salt or brackish water — tough little 
chaps, tenacious of life, easily transported, but rather 
dark as regards their coloring. Good catches of bass had 
been taken, but always the majority, gently detached from 
the hook, were throAvn again into the lake to grow larger 
and later to furnish sport to other followers of Walton. 
While resting on one of the charming bits of green and 
rocks that give beauty to the waters, waiting for the 
fish to be done to a turn, I noticed in a little pool a tiny 
fish darting gracefully about. 
Success came to me and I captured this specimen, a 
bright silver spark of life not known to me. The guide 
said it was an alewife and added that just at this season 
plenty of them could be found at certain hours of the 
day in the eel pots at the other end of the lake, just below 
the dam. Never had I seen such a sparkling bait or one 
that should be so readily taken — an ideal bait, except for 
the extreme tenderness and being very hard to keep alive. 
However, the next day before starting out, quite a num- 
ber were secured. Many died in spite of my efforts to 
aerate and freshen the water in which they were placed. 
We rowed directly to a favorite ground and selected a 
good position. It w^as 11 o'clock; there were clear skies 
and a gentle breeze was stirring the surface of the lake. 
The lad used a light rod and reel and single hook. My 
rod weighed about 6oz. and I had a fairly light reel, a 
strong single leader and three single gut hooks in place 
of the usual flies. The live bait was hooked directly 
through the head, just in front of the eyes. 
Many ripples about the boat made by fish breaking 
were noticed. The baits hardly touched the water before 
they .were well taken. Each time I secured" three fish, 
striking the first one well and allowing him to swim 
about until the remaining hooks held a fish. The lad was 
kept hard at work, securing a fish at each cast. Several 
boats were near us. I gave some. of the dead alewives 
to a fisherman in the nearest boat, and out of the lot we 
were the only ones that luck smiled upon. Soon the little 
silvery baits were used, but now the perch were in a good 
biting mood, and worms, pieces of fish or pork, etc.. 
were taken well, while the large body 01 fish seemed to 
keep between the boats, where the bait, I believe, truly 
had held them. 
The fisherman ro whom I had given all I could spare 
of the alewives, being the proprietor of a large hotel 
nearbv, said he could use every fish I was willing to let 
him have. This being the case, we kept on fishing, and 
glorious sport it was. 
The lad and myself took 267 white perctt with rod and 
reel in the manner I have mentioned; also some ten or 
twelve bass, the largest one weighing an even 4lbs. 
Every fish taken was immediately killed. This, in my 
npniiuii" should Mlways be done, it saves anv possible 
suffering, keeps the fish in better condition and saves get- 
ting ugly, ill-healing scratches from the fins, particularly 
with white perch, for a prick from their fins seems rather 
poisonous. 
The white perch are luost delicious eating, and can be 
cooked in a variety of ways. 
The only excuse offered for this article is simply this: 
That with light tackle, rod, reel, leader and hooks, live 
bait, especially a shining one like the little alewives, most 
excellent sport can be obtained, and that the white perch 
usually found in the deep waters of the large lake,s_ can 
be lured to the surface and tempted into sharp biting 
moods. And with the remembrance of that morning and 
of its exciting sport, I would plead for him that liis 
name be added to the list of game fishes, as his strong 
rushes for liberty, his sharp biting and his good fighting 
on a light tackle surely make him worthy of recognition ; 
also with the hope that to my fellow sportsmen this de- 
scription of method of capture may be of some value and 
interest and will at a future time give them pleasure in 
a trial in which I wish them all "Good luck." 
F. M. JOHNSOK. 
Boston, Sept. 21. 
Fishing Up and Down the Potomac. 
The Seven Locks. 
A LITTLE more than a mile above where Cabin John's 
Run enters the Potomac, two others come in opposite 
each other— Rocky Run on the Maryland side and Dead 
Run in Virginia; neither is large or long. Locks Nos. 8 
to 14 on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, which runs close 
beside the river here, are so near together that the bunch 
has been long known as the Seven Locks. Comparatively 
easy to reach, yet away from the usual run of picnics and 
what our English friends call "trippers," this locality has 
been much fished, but like all the waters between Great 
Falls and tidewater has few record catches to its credit. 
Just why, no one seems able to guess. Perhaps the 
crowding into it of the sea fish which run up here in 
the spring and some of which may be found here at all 
seasons, maj^ interfere with the spawning and rearing 
of the bass. 
From Stubblefield Falls, a mile and a half above, to the 
breaks at Cabin John's is a long, level stretch of mostly 
deep water with muddy bottoms and rocky sides. 
A day or two since we drove up, for our first trip this 
year, most of the way in an early morning rain, but we 
had that infallible fisherman's proverb for our consolation 
and hope: "If it rains before 7 'twill quit before 11." 
Besides, the weather bureau had promised fair weather 
for the next two days. As well admit here, it rained on 
us all the way home that night. 
We reached the waterside before 7 and put up at Lock 
No. 10, the usual stopping place at this point, where 
visitors are expected and cared for. It was still raining, 
hut we strolled about over a bare field where the soldiers 
had camped during the Civil War, when for months the 
bulletins read : "All quiet on the Potomac." 
Nothing had grown here since but ragged pines and 
vagrant weeds, and in a gravelly gulch of reddish clay one 
of the party picked up, half-buried in the sand, a gold 
dollar, dated 1862. 
It was a curious find, more likely a relic of the war than 
of any recent loss, for the little coin was no doubt more 
familiar then in this locality than it has ever been since. 
A little later the clouds cleared away and we started for 
the river. The water was very low, the cove at the mouth 
of Rocky Run, where we find Bob's boats, is shallow, the 
rocks are many and it is a devious way the heavy punts 
must take to get to fishing water. Before we reach it we 
see breaks everywhere, principally carp, showing a great 
yellow broadside, a few bass and several J41b. striped bass 
or rock fish, which seem to stay here all summer. At the 
first likely spot, a group of rocks out from the cove, a 
small-mouth black bass something over lib. snaps the No. 
4 crow fly and makes a game fight, never showing till he 
quits at the net. A little way up the river is Plummer's 
Island, willow fringed, that feeds our hopes with promise 
of good sport, and above this a cataract from a canal 
waste that runs through Cat Hole, where the local fisher- 
men get all their minnows; here, too, we are sure to find 
plenty of fish, but, alas for human hopes, especially the 
angler's, another shower starts, and such a rain ! For an 
hour it poured and we could do nothing but sit huddled 
under a great plane tree covered with the Virginia creeper, 
wrapped in a mackintosh, and take our drenching. The 
tree was first-rate shelter until it became full and took to 
leaking, and then it was worse than the open. The 
drops which fell from it were each a spoonful, and where 
they struck the water, bubbles as large as a baseball floated 
for a few seconds, until they were exploded by another 
drop, which left a new bubble in place of the old. 
At last the clouds break again, but that's more than the. 
fish do all day. A rise in the river begins to show on 
the edges ; there is a yellow streak creeping down the 
Virginia shore from Difficult Run, and warned by many 
experiences that it is useless to coax the bass to the surface 
under such conditions, the rod is abandoned for the 
camera. There are a half-dozen boats out, and they do 
not turn in till 6 o'clock, but there is only one other fish 
brought in, and that too was taken with the fly. Still- 
fishers had not a fish to their credit. Our experience is 
without a break, though of course others may have fared 
differently, that swelling water sends the bass to the deeps, 
and lylft- flood was on when the boats came in. 
What can be the reason of this? The water was not 
muddy, its condition was easily 3oin, ; it may be it was 
muddy at the bottom, or that muddy water behind was 
pushing it down, but the surface water was not yet bad. 
Whether the fish in fright hunt their holes or lose their 
appetites, or whether the fresh flood brings them slathers 
of food from the overflowed margins of the little streams, 
which is daintier than anything we offer, is one of those 
• things no fellow can find out ; at least we cannot, and none 
of the books we have seen tell of it. In fact, the salmon 
seems to be differently affected, for a fresh ".spate" is prime 
fishing on some salmon streams, but it is not so with bass 
in such streams and pools as we have had opportunity of 
trying, and rule No. i in Potomac bass fishing, so far as a 
half-dozen anglers may establish a rule, is that when the 
water com.es up the bass go down, and on the fir!;t intima- 
tion of a freshet, ooe may as well up h"ne and away. This, 
I 
