FOREST AND STHEAM. 
[Marcb ty, igo*. 
The Cayuga Association. 
At the regular monthly meeting of the Fish and Game 
Association of Cayuga Lake Basin, at the president's 
office on Wednesday evening, the condition of legislation 
proposed by the Association was reported — Mr. Surface 
then being in Albany in the interest of the Biological Sta- 
tion bill. Provision for the building pf iishways is made 
in the general game law, which has passed the Legisla- 
ture and was signed by the Governor. The bill pro- 
hibiting the sale of game birds has not been reported, and 
the Association was informed that there was no possibility 
of passing the bill this session. 
Judge Almy outlined a plan for improving the trotit 
streams of the county, contemplating a three-year course 
of preparation or stream farming which he had investi- 
gated and wished the Association to undertake under 
arrangements with the owners of the lands similar to 
those -under which other farming is done. He stated that 
there are in Tompkins county over 270 miles of streams 
that are constant even in drought and whose waters are by 
nature adapted to the growth of the speckled trout ; but 
he ventured the estimate that the members of this Asso- 
ciation after a day's labor in whi{)ping the streams would 
eat all the speckled trout caught in the county. The 
clearing away of the forests, the destruction of shade so 
necessarj- to fish of the salmon family inhabiting shallow 
water, and the lack of such vegetation in the streams as 
supports aquatic insects and crustaceans leave the waters 
nearly barren of fish food, and consequently of fish. 
It will be but a small labor for each member during the 
coming season to take one stream and thoroughly ob- 
serve it, beginning with the early spring, ascertain the 
species and amount of aquatic life, amount of shade, and 
what arrangements can be made with the owners of the 
land as to mutual benefits, in consideration of the Associa- 
tion's planting thoroughly the Caledonia moss, Castalia 
herbage and other species of plants, and another year 
when this vegetation is sufficiently plentiful, of planting 
the fresh-water shrimp, the prawn and other animals and 
insects that thrive upon these plants and are the natural 
food of the trout. 
With this work thoroughly done there can be no doubt 
that in a few years the plant and animal life mentioned 
would be general throughout the courses of the streams 
and the amount of brook trout regularly and continually 
produced by them would exceed that of any other period 
of their existence. He also stated that he had applied for 
shipment of the vegetation desired if the Association 
should approve the plan outlined. The proposition met 
the hearty approval of the members present, who volun- 
teered to engage in the work. C. M. Clinton and H. L. 
Haskin taking Willow Brook; John McCormick, South 
Danby Stream ; Bert Willson, Van PeU's, in East Dry- 
den; John Vann, Pearson's and Lick Brook; Theodore 
Lewis the Burtt Stream, Almy, Carpenter and Williams 
Fall Creek, above Forest Home; Terry Potash and Mor- 
gan Brooks, E. Gillette and H. Y. Parker, Lower Six- 
Mile Creek; C. B. Brown, Upper Six-Mile Creek; C. J. 
Rumsey and Chas. Van Kirk, Newfield Creek; LIri Clark, 
Cascadilla Creek; Frank Davis, Inlet from county line; 
F. A. B. Ridgeway, southern branches of Six-Mile Creek. 
The other streams will be included later. 
Professor H. A. Surface is preparing a set of preserved 
specimens representing the life of all kinds (plants as 
well as insects and animals) of these streams, to be kept 
for reference at the club's headquarters in one of the 
rooms at Judge Almy's office. 
These specimens are labeled with their common and 
scientific names, and can be used for comparison in de- 
termining others collected. 
Professor Surface has al^o agreed to determine the 
contents of the stomachs of all fish caught by the members 
of the Association in order to know just what they have 
been eating. Records will be kept of all these determina- 
tions and collections, and the result will finally be a com- 
plete .'-cientific biological survey of all the streams of 
Tompkins countj'. Q, 
The Salt Water League's Bill 
New York, March S.-~Editor Forest and Stream: The 
object of the Protective League of Salt Water Fisher- 
men is mainly "to obtain legislation looking to the enact- 
ment of beneficial laws for the protection of salt-water 
fish," and, under existing legislative conditions, it is a 
difficult undertaking, as, unfortunately, we are all poor 
men._ Ten thousand members of this League signed a 
petition asking that net fishing (excepting for bait) . 
should be prohibited in the waters of the city of New 
York, not already protected, and for ten miles from 
the boundary line in the Atlantic Ocean, so far as it is 
controlled by the State of New York, and in Long 
Island Sound for the same distance. A bill (No. 809) 
covering this was presented in the Assembly on Feb. 6 
by John F. Maher, a Democrat, and a similar bill (No. 
1,000), on Feb. 13, by John A. Weeks, a Republican; 
both these bills were referred to the Fisheries, Game and 
Forest Committee. These bills are absolutely non-parti- 
san, and have the approval of most of the newspapers, 
and all of the rod and reel and hook and line fishermen of 
this city and vicinity. 
The law at present prevents net fishing in the waters of 
Richmond Borough, East River. Harlem River and Long 
Island Sound to the northern boundary line of this city. 
The law has proved beneficial in these waters. If good on 
one side of New York Bay, why not on the other? 
I went to Albany on Feb. 20 and appeared before the 
Assembly Committee on behalf of the League. As there 
was some apparent opposition, I consented to cut down 
the limit to three i.iiles and permit shad fishing, which 
was apparently satisfactory, and I presumed that the bill, 
with these alterations, would be reported favorably. 
The curse of the New York city and Hudson River 
fishermen is the menhaden fishermen, who, with their 
immense seines, deplete the vicinity of the entrance to 
the Hudson River of most of the fish endeavoring to 
enter. It is onlv since my visit to Albany that I learned 
what we were "up against," and whv it was almost im- 
possible to pas^ a law interfering with m^'nliaden fishing, 
c>T with the menhaden. fertili;?ing'plant at BarrenTsland. 
The American Fisheries Company is a trust (page 120 
World Almanac, 1899), incorporated 1898, under the laws 
of New Jersey, with its principal office at No. 135 Front 
street, New York city. Its capital is $10,000,000. Charles 
J. Cauda, President; Winthrop M. Tuttle, Secretary; 
Charles J. Cauda, Lord Lurgan, John E, Searles, Chaun- 
cey M. Depew, William N. Coler, Jr., Nathaniel B. 
Church, F. B. Jameson, George V. Sims, John J. Cairnes 
and Winthrop M. Tuttle, Directors, opposed our bills, and 
that settled them. This company has unlimited money, 
is not afraid to spend it, and has active agents and lobbyists 
in Albany. Their principal representative, so far as I 
could learn, is Joseph M. Hallock. a member of the As- 
sembly from Suffolk county, and a member of the 
Fisheries, Game and Forest Committee, who said to me, 
"It is better to tell the truth about the matter, I am for 
the menhaden fishermen." Wc had no chance against 
them, and, of course, our bills were not favorably reported 
by the committee. 
I had an interview with Captain N. B. Church, manager 
of the American Fisheries Company, on March 5, and en- 
deavored to persuade him to withdraw the opposition of 
this company to the three-mile limit. He refused to do 
so, and stated, inter alia, that such a bill would be an en- 
tering wedge, and that next year, probably, more would 
be asked; that most of their fishing was done within 
three miles of the shore, and that last year and year be- 
fore they had done very little fishing in and about New 
York Bay, as there were few fish there, but that this year 
they might catch hundreds of barrels within our proposed 
prescribed limit. He also insisted that net fishing did not 
interfere with the catches of the hook and line fishermen. 
COL. J. F. MlLLIKEN, 
Director Protective League Salt Water Fishermen. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
Around the Stove. 
I DROPPED in at the store last night. There was quite 
a crowd and several brands of tobacco smoke. The 
Lion's tail was not twisted once — the talk was season- 
able, and was of fish. The fact is, some fine black suckers 
had been caught yesterday, and many people hold that "no 
finer fish swims." The meat is said to be firm and flavor 
delicious. Be that as it may, the fact that any kind of 
fish were biting was good news indeed, and those of us 
who had been thinking a good deal about fishing felt 
that wc could now hold forth on our favorite topic with- 
out bein^ "called down." The old village coachniaker 
told me m confidence a day or two ago that the time for 
"talking fish" was at hand. "All the signs are favorable," 
said he. "What are your signs?" I asked. "Well, just 
this : For some days back men have been coming to my 
shop with little vials and asking for coach varnish. They 
are very mysterious and never let on what it is for; but 
I know. It is for fishing rods. You catch the idea, don't 
you? There will be fish talk at the store to-night." 
When I went into the store last night I saw that the 
old man's "signs" were all right; the rods had been 
varnished and the fish talk had begun. Old Doc Turner 
and Rev. Smythe were having it out on bass flies. Doc 
believes that two or three flies are all that are necessary, 
and the Rev. goes in for variety, and is always getting up 
new patterns; he showed us his latest decoction or con- 
fection, which he felt sure would bring the answer on 
opening day. He claims it has all the taking points, in 
color and construction, that are found in the most popu- 
laV flies or lures. These are so blended that they present 
to the bass the sum of all his desires in one sweet morsel, 
which is to be deftly wafted on the water just over the 
devoted and unsuspecting head of the fish. 
"Your theory may be all right," said the Doctor, "but 
in the first place there is no such thing as an unsuspect- 
ing bass, and when he sees that fly he will think it is too 
much of a good thing." 
The fly was passed around and all the wags had their 
fling at it. A striking fly it was, to be sure — a strange 
fly. There was the green cutaway coat of the grasshop- 
per, the bandy legs of the helgramite, the white cape of 
the coachman, the whiskers of the dusty-miller, and the 
twisted tails of several other things. It was agreed to 
call the fly the poo-bah. 
The Doctor, who was reeled up for a long run, and 
felt that he had the gallery with him, continued: "My 
dear man, I admire your enthusiasm; it is very proper 
at your age, and does you credit. A few years ago I was 
a younger and wiser man than I am now, and knew a 
great deal more about bass. I, too, had my pretty winter 
conceits. When the streams were frozen hard I looked 
at them lovingly and hopefully; a time came when my 
hopes melted with the ice, and ran down into the sea 
with the snow water. Every spring I had some crys- 
tallized ideas. I thought they were tlies; thej^ were snow 
flakes. I got to calling them my castles in Spain, and 
you may be sure it did not take a Dewey to knock them 
about my ears. They served their turn along with the 
old stove here. On opening day I made room for them 
in my fly-book, but rarely tried them, unless the fish 
were rising very freely. The more the fish would not rise 
the more I would not use them. If my old familiar 
friends failed me, what was the use? Let the young 
make the experiments: they have the time. We have 
served ours. There is not so much in the kind of fly 
you use after all. It is the man behind the rod that does 
it. (Let us give thanks right here, that it is not the little 
finger.) Look up his sleeve and you will find the secret 
of his success or failure." 
"That's all right," cried a voice from behind the stove, 
"but I notice you scientific fishermen don't bring home 
many fish, all the same. When I go fishing I go for fish, 
and I get them, too. I wouldn't give 2 cents for a dozen 
of them flies — not if I wanted to get fish." 
"That's me, too," chimed in Eph Horn, the hero of the 
black suckers. 
The old Doctor looked at them over his "specks" and 
then looked at his watch, and I knew we would hear no 
more from the sage that night. The Reverend (or 
Revren, as he is called) and the rest of us youngsters 
were soon crunching our way along the frozen board 
walk toward home; our faith in fatal flies was somewhat 
shattered, but in our dreams they killed the biggest bass 
in the creek — a monster bass, with a mOuthful of broken 
hooks and fish lines hanging down from bis chin like 
the Jye.ar*? of ,a Will jam goat Potomac. 
Comes from Colorado. 
Last May, as I reported in these columns at the time. 
Major Wm. Cooke Daniels, of Denver, Colo., came to me 
to ask where he could get some early fly-fishing for trout. 
1 sent him up to the Prairie River, in Wisconsin, to 
Dudley'.s place, about eighteen miles from Merrill. Here 
I met him later. We all had bad weather and poor sport 
last spring. Yet I learn that Major Daniels said that he 
thought the Prairie River the sweetest stream he ever 
set foot into in any corner of the world, and he has fished 
pretty much all over the world. I learn also that he has 
given Dudley orders to build him a log lodge up there and 
to get him a team of horses. Major Daniels will come 
all the way from Colorado to spend the month of June 
upon the Prairie: and this is as much of a compliment as 
that stream ever had. I presume that in scientific knowl- 
edge of fly-fishing and fly-tying he is the peer of any man 
who ever fished Wisconsin waters. He met on that 
water Messrs. E. E. Critchfield, of this city, and W. B. 
Stephens, of Harvard, III, and got them both wild over 
tying their own flies. The latter writes to Mr. Critch- 
field : 
"I receive a letter from our friend, Major Daniels, quite 
often. I have had the fly-tying outfit that he promised 
to send me for some time, and have made a little progress 
in tying flies. He has been so good and done so much 
for me that I feel rather embarrassed. He made me a 
present of the whole outfit — books, tools, feathers, etc. 
I had never dreamed that he was going to do such a thing, 
T should have considered it a great favor for him to get 
everything together for me. 
"He ofl^ers to do everything in his power to help me in 
the study of fly-tying. Have inclosed a couple of flies 
that I tied in order to let you see the progress I have 
niade. This class of flies are called fancy flies ; they do not 
imitate anything. (The same as we have always used at 
Dudley.) They are the easiest to make; but when it 
comes to imitating the natural fly, the troubles will begin. 
I tell you. Brother Critchfield, when we can catch a fly 
that is on the stream, sit down and make an imitation of 
it, we have something to be proud of. You know the 
way we have always done was to commence at the be- 
ginning of the fly-book and try every fly in it, trying to 
find something that the fish would rise to. 
"If you will remember the day that you and I fished in 
the rain. That day the flies were plentiful, and I am 
confident that if we had had an imitation of the natural 
fly we would have gone home with good baskets. Fishing 
with the natural fly I am in hopes to learn in time, through 
the kindness of my good friend. Major Daniels. ' If I am 
not very much mistaken, he will show the fishennen at 
Dudley something this coming season. Everything was 
against him last year. I am in hopes to be there when he 
is this coming season." 
Illioois Fisheries. 
President Nat. H. Cohen, of the Illinois Fish Com- 
mision, points with pride to the fact that Illinois pro- 
duced during the past year probably 15,000,000 pounds of 
fish, worth about a half-mill ion dollars. He savs that 
bass and croppies are more abundant than ever. 
A Pelkaa in Illloofs. 
Mr. M. P. Woodford, of Dixon, 111., recently killed a 
fine specimen of the pelican, which had apparently lost 
its bearings and which had alighted in the mill pond of 
the R-ock River at that point. This bird was shot some 
time in January just past, and is mounted and kept as a 
local curiosity. 
A Mastodon in Iowa. 
At Rome, la., near the Skunk River, while workmen on 
the C, B. & Q. Railway were excavating for a bridge, they 
lately dug out the hind leg of a mastodon. This is the 
second discovery of mastodon bones in Iowa of which I 
have heard within twenty years, a good specimen being 
taken out near Perry, la., as I remember it, about 1878 
or 1880. E. Hough. 
300 BoYCB Building, Chicago, 111. 
San Francisco Fly-Casting Club* 
Medal contests, series 1900. contest No. 2, held at Stow 
Lake Feb. 24 and 25. Wind, southwest ; weather, perfect. 
Event 
No. 1, 
Distance, 
Feet. 
Young 83 
Stratton 76 
Crowell 74 
Heller 68 
Muller 97 
Skinner 
Golcher 115 
Edwards 72 
Battu 88 
T.ovett ...I.... .. 
Mansfield ..... ... 
Keed 93 
W^att 
Mansfield break 
Judges, Young, 
clerk, Crowell. 
First Day. 
Event 
No. ?, 
Accuracy, . Event 
Per cent. Acc ^ Del 
4 
94.8 
84 
87 
71 
91 
88.4 
92 
92.4 
90.8 
95.8 
84 
8.5.4 
85.4 
88 
84 
92 
94.4 
89 
93.4 
93 
92.8 
75, 
65 
71. 
50. 
82. 
69. 
82. 
65. 
66. 
80 
No. 8, 
.% 
10 
8 
10 
6 
2 
6 
10 
S 
71.8 
NetjS 
82.1 
74.6 
78.6 
68.1 
85.3 
76.7 
87.3 
80.1 
77.10 
86.8 
90.8 
82.8 
Event 
No. 4, 
Lure 
Casting^ 
75 2-5 
62 1-& 
65 
78 
83 2-5 
84 1-5 
79 1-5 
56 
s club record in del 
Muller, Golcher ; 
Second Day. 
icacy and accuracy, 
referee, Edwards ; 
Battu 100 94.4 
Babcock 85 88.8 
Brooks 78 75.8 
Brotherton ...110 S8.4 
Crowell 79 81. 8 
Fotilks S3 79.8 
Golcher 113 92.4 
Haight 78.6 85.8 
Heller 74 37.8 
Huyck 94 87.4 
Klein 81 89 
Mansfield 113 95.4 
Muller ........105.6 94 
Reed 95 92.4 
Strattan 83 66.4 
Walker 
Young 96 93.8 
Judges. Muller, Klein, 
clerk, Huyck, 
94 
91.8 
80.4 
91.4 
86.4 
81 
88 
91.4 
85,8 
91 
87.4 
93.4 
89 
93 
90.8 
92.4 
Golcher 
70.10 
82.5 
60 3-5 
67.6 
79.7 
77 
m 
70.2 
68 
70 
80.8 
96 1-5 
67.6 
76.11 
48 
74.2 
77. r 
50 1-5 
80.10 
84.5 
73.4 
82.4 
55 
70,5 
56 2-5 
69.2 
80.1 
60 
73.8 
63 4-5 
80.10 
87.1 
79 1-n 
83.4 
86.2 
09 1-5 
75 
84 
-16 
68.4 
79.6 
87 3-5 
75,10 
84.1 
,60 
referee, Mansfield ; 
