May 12, igoo.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
a heavy oak tree and used the anchor of his sailboat for a 
hook. To be sure, I thought this rather foolish and looked 
upon the chief as laboring under sortie temporary aberra- 
tion of the mind. I told him I would not fish, but would 
watch him. He grunted his approval and swung the 
anchor into the stream. Hardly had the anchor touched 
the water thaii the eye of the chief began to glow with 
that light which comes into the eyes of the true sportsman 
when he gets an uncommon bite. Gentlemen, after five 
minutes' of the quickest work I ever saw done in all my 
fishing experience, the chief landed his catch. It was a 
muskalonge and weighed" 
"Wait a minute," said Aid. Hastings; "you needn't tell 
the weight of that fish, for you could tell anything and 
we'd believe you. That was the beautiful thing about 
your fish story. You led up to the weight so grandly 
that the weight was really of no importance when you 
got to it. It could have been 50 pounds, 112 pounds or 
516 pounds, and not a one of us would think of looking 
upon the figure as being a little stretched. Much depends 
'upon the way you land your fish story. For instance, if 
you had suggested a pin-hook instead of an anchor you 
might have overstepped the credulous in the weight matter 
when you got to it. As it was" 
But just at that moment Mr. Holden said he would tell 
a true story about his friend, Orrie Moffatt. "This is no 
ancient tale. This happened j'-esterday," said Mr. Holden, 
with withering glance in turn at Prof. Horst and Mr. 
Carver. "You know, Orrie, Archie Cameron, Mr. Ott 
and mvself went out to Williamsburg night before last. 
We didn't expect to return until to-day, but we had to 
come back last night. You see, it was this way: _We 
didn't all want to be bothered with the bait, so we decided 
that Mr. Moffatt being an astute politician usually kept his 
mouth shut, so we by common consent appointed him 
bait carrier. It all went very well and Orrie never said 
a word, just as we had planned, until we climbed a rail 
fence. In getting over he struck his knee-cap on the 
top rail and in the moment of pain that followed he 
hollered "ouch," drew in his breath suddenly and swal- 
lowed the bait. We had to come home, and just as Mr. 
Ott had foiind a hole where he had taken out .nine before 
the worm was all off his hook." 
The session then adjourned. 
Fredo Bechtel, of Traverse City, has lost two trout out 
of his aquarium. The death of the famous rainbow "Big 
Boy" removes probably the largest captive trout in this 
section, if not in the State. Before taken sick about a 
week ago the trout weighed about 7K pounds, and after 
its death weighed over 6. Mr. Bechtel caught the trout 
about three years ago, and it had always been in good 
health until about a week ago. This big fellow made a 
great fuss while sick and would splash the water of the 
aquarium into foam. He cracked the glass and threshed 
the tile which was piled up in the bottom until it all lay 
in different places. Both trout seemed to be similarly 
affected, and it is feared .others in the aquarium will 
die too. . - 
Spring Prospects in Canada. 
The receipt of more than the usual number of inquiries 
concerning the spring prospects for angling in northern 
Canada seems to foretell a large mflux of visiting 
anglers when the season opens. It was quite late this 
year when the snow began to disappear, and though the 
thaw was a rapid one, it was not till the last week of 
April that it had all gone from the back streets of the 
city Looking out from the heights of the city to-day 
(May 4) there are still to be seen streaks of snow m 
the outlying country districts, marking the location of the 
heaviest winter drifts. The streams were clear of ice 
about as early as usual this spring, though it was not 
until the last few days of April that navigation was 
opened on the St. Lawrence between Montreal and 
Quebec. From the latter port to the sea the river is, of 
course, open all the year round. , , ^ • . 
On the lakes the ice was thicker than usual last winter 
This is due to the fact that there were a succession of hard 
frosts before much snow fell, consequently the ice on 
some of the northern lakes was from 2 to 3 feet deep. 
Not much of it has disappeared thus far, though 1 
believe it has gone, or is about going from Lakes St. 
Joseph, St. Charles and Beauport. On most of the other 
lakes it is covered with water. j ^t, 
There is not, therefore, much reason to apprehend that 
the opening of the fly-fishing season will vary much this 
vear from that of other springs. On the average, perhaps, 
the ice leaver the lakes earlier than it is doing this year, 
feut tlie temperature of both air and water is likely to be 
hi°-h enough to permit of successful surface fishing tor 
trout by the 20th if not by the 17th of the present month 
There is sometimes a little good fly-fishing here almost 
immediately after the ice goes down, say from the 5th to 
loth of May, and sometimes earlier, but it seldom lasts 
more than a day or two, and usually falls off for a week 
before it becomes really good. - 
■ Ontario is likely to attract fewer anglers from the 
tlnited States this year than usual, on account of the 
gr4at failing off in the sport last year due. apparently to 
a decrease in the supply of game fish, supposed, to be 
caused by netting, illegal angling and overfishmg The 
authorities seem quite alarmed over the matter, and^the 
sale and ^ export of trout from the Province have been 
peremptorily stopped for three years, so that in time an 
improvement may be looked for. , , 
^ Many of the members of clubs having preserves along 
the line of the Quebec & Lake St. John Railway expect 
to be accompanied here this spring by guests. I ^^^e not 
encouraged any of my friends to expect very good fly-fish- 
ing here this year before the iSth of May, and some will 
onh arrive on the 20th and 22d From that on to the 
middle of June a steady stream of visitoi^- is loolied Jor 
at the trout lakes, and by the tirte;^th.s is falling off there 
ought to be good o.uananiche fishing on the t^rande 
Mcharge. Of course, that at the mouths of the 
,G>piatchouan and" Metabetchouan ought to be good by the 
'20th to 24fh of "May. • - , 1, • Cf 
The New York members of the clubs- m the bt 
Maurice country are expected tip about May 18, and 
some even earlier. ' • . . . r -t-u «,^^»«f 
If tmexpected weather occur.s to interfere with present 
prospects I ^shall promptly notify you. ^ ^^^^ 
Quebec May .4. x— i. j-'. v 
New England Early Fishing. 
Boston, May 4. — The fishing season is on, though the 
lakes and ponds are not all clear, the best of them being 
ice bound. Never has the interest in this section been 
greater, sportsmen setting the time for their departure to 
Maine or New Hampshire waters, and going, whether the 
ice is out or not. Cold weather and high winds have 
troubled them, and now they write those who have not 
been carried oft" by the spring fishing fever, to wait a few 
days longer till the ice has been gone a week or ten 
da3's. Such advice is certainly good, but it is only the 
old-stager that can keep the fishing fever down to reason. 
Harmony Lake (formerly Moose Pond), Hartland, Me., 
cleared of ice Wednesday, and a fishing party is being 
made up for that lake. It is likely to include John G. 
Wright, of Boston, who has taken great interest in re- 
stocking that lake, a beautiful sheet of water in southern 
Somerset county. Doubtless Fish Commisioner H. O. 
Stanley will be with the party, by invitation, and pos.sibly 
Commisioners Carleton and Oak. Salmon were put in 
several vears ago, and Mr. Wright and Commissioner 
Stanley are satisfied that there are some large ones there. 
Mr. Stanley is much pleased with his fishing trip to 
Swan Lake, near Belfast, Me., soon after the ice departed. 
By his party thirty fish were taken, running from 2^ 
pounds to over 5 pounds. A large percentage of the fish 
were salmon. This is all the more remarkable when it 
is remembered that no salmon were in that lake whatever 
up to a few years ago, and that even the beautiful brook 
trout, for which the lake is now celebrated, were scarcely 
known there till unearthed by Commissioner Stanley 
and his friend H. B. Hazeltine. Not quite as good suc- 
cess did Mr. Stanley have at Lake Auburn, one day this 
week. He trolled all day without a single salmon strike. 
There were about thirty boats on the lake that 
day, and only five or six fish were taken. Some 
pretty good catches have been made there, however. 
Mr. Geldhill has taken a salmon of 4 pounds. Mr. G. V. 
Turgeon and James Tracey are credited with several 
"square-tail" trout. Forty boats are frequently out in a 
single day there. D. H. Smith brings back to Boston a 
salmon of 6 pounds, caught at Lake Auburn. Cobbossee- 
contee fishermen are making good catches. Sewall Web- 
ster, a boy of eight, caught two large trout the other day, 
one of 3 pounds and the other 4 pounds. O. B. Peckham 
and B. E. Getchell each got a trout of 3^ pounds. E. P. 
Smart and Charles Tibbetts have caught four trout from 
2 pounds to 5}4 pounds. At Maranacook Lake some 
good trout are" being taken. At Great Pond good catches 
are being made. Dr. E. L. Jones owns a cottage there. 
With Mrs. Jones and their boy he was out on the lake 
soon after the ice went out. when the boy caught a tjout, 
which was found to contain two infant white perch and 
twentv-two voung black bass; twenty-five fish landed at 
one cast! Who says that a trout is not a gormand? 
From Kineo. Moosehead Lake, comes the report to the 
daily papers that thousands of small trout are being de- 
stroyed in Tomhegan Stream by dynamite, used by lum- 
bermen to break up the ice. 
Fishing parties are now in order, so far as the ice is 
out of the trout and salmon lakes. Several Boston mer- 
chants are off for Grand Lake and the lakes of that 
chain. H. L. Buss, D. J. Puffer, J. E. Gates, of Boston, 
and F. E. Bailey, of Lowell, left for the Grand Lake region 
Friday. They will fish Junior Lake chiefly. Jacob P. 
Bates and J. T. Winch started for Grand Lake to-day. 
Sunapee and Newfound lakes, in New Hampshire, are 
also being well natronized by Boston fishermen. W. H. 
Holden, of Leominster; Mr. Watson, of Leicester, and 
W. R. Davis, of Newton, left for Sunapee Friday. T. 
J. McDonald, Dr. G. C. Bates, James S. Hanson and 
Albert K. Morton, are off for Newfound Lake for a week's 
fishing. A Bristol, N. H., report says that the first fishing of 
any consequence was done at Newfound Lake Saturday. 
A. G. DoUoff and F. H. Fleer landed three trout of an 
average weight of 4 pounds. C. E. Rounds took a salmon 
of pounds. Bert Gate took a trout of 4 pounds; P. 
E. Hancock and Mr. Sanderson, three salmon of 5, S^A 
and 9 pounds; A. E. Clark, a trout of 6 pounds; T. J. 
McDonald, a trout of 6^2 pounds; Dr. G. C. Bates, two 
salmon of 3 pounds each; Winthrop Parker, two salmon 
of 3 and 3V2 pounds ; Dr. G. H. W. Williams, two salmon 
of 2Vr> pounds each; James S. Hanson, two trout of 6% 
and '81^ pounds; A. C. Sanderson, two salmon of 5}i 
and 9 pounds. . „ . _ , 
A number of Calais. Me., fishermen were off for Lirand 
Lake as soon as the ice was out, but so far the fishing 
has been poor, with very high winds apd cold weather. 
A special from Calais says that P. O. Vickery, of Augusta 
has taken six salmon o'f good size. G. H. Varney and 
Clark Reynolds, fishing on Moosehorn Stream and Moose- 
horn Rips, caught twenty large trout one day last week. 
Parties are in order for Lake Winnepesaukee. A party 
of five Boston merchants left for that lake Friday. The 
names are Felix Tausig, S. L. Lehrberger, Jacob Acker- 
man, Max Bremmel and Louis Wormser. Saturday was 
cold with a high wind from the northwest, and nothing 
could be -done on the lake. Hence, one day was lost to the 
party, and th.ev can be away but a few days. J. M. Cotton 
and a party from Ashland have taken a good string, six 
trout; the largest of 9/2 pounds, the smallest of sVz 
pounds. On Winnesquam Bert Emery has taken two 
trout of T pounds and 6 pounds, and a salmon of 3 pounds. 
In Meredith Bav Oliver Woodman has secured a trout of 
5l4 pounds. Herbert and John Morrison have made a 
catch of four trout, the largest weighing 6 pounds. 
Trolling- opposite Weirs a party of New York fishermen 
caught, Wednesdav, three trout, the largest over 8 
pounds. A Meredith report says that W. S. Cruse, of 
Danvers; H. S. Stephenson, of Boston, and J. M. Cotton., 
of Ashland, have killed eight trout in one afternoon, the 
string weighing 42 pounds. Herbert Constable, of Everett, 
has taken three trout of 4, 6^ and rVi pounds. Henry 
Boyenton, M. Blanchard and Fred Lavalley. of Ashland, 
caught five trout Tuesday that weighed 19 pounds. Mere- 
dith local sportsmen are taking .some good ones: O. R. 
Woodman, two trout of Q pounds ; L. D. Moulton and B. 
T Roberts, three. 14 pounds; Charles Martin. Aimer 
Clark and Joseph Clark, five. 1314 pounds ; H. J. Wallace. 
C. H. Maloon and Thomas Batchelder, four, 17 pounds: 
H b Morrison and Tohn Morrison, four, 13 pounds; 
John Kendrick and- Frank. Clough, three, 14 pounds; 
Albert Kidder, two, 9H pounds. • .-' 
From Bangor, Me., comes the report that, the salmon 
anglers got another start at the big pool last Sunday; 
Thomas Canning, a local angler, landing a salmon of 
20 pounds. This started all the other fishermen, and on 
Monday the pool was covered with boats, but only two 
fish were landed, however. They were good ones, about 
as large as that of Mr. Canning's. No fish are reported 
since, and the season is counted a very poor one. 
At this writing the ice is not out of Moosehead nor the 
Rangeleys. though' it may go any hour. A Moosehead 
dispatch says that the ice at the shores is broken up, and 
guides are betting that the lake will clear to-day, Monday. 
Capt. F. C. Barker writes from Bemis under date of May 
4 : "The ice is rapidly getting shaky, and this week will 
finish it if the sun and wind continue to get in their good 
work." But there has been one cold day since that letter 
was written. No doubt Moosehead and the Rangeleys 
will be clear before this reaches the readers of Forest and 
Stream. Then the New England fishing season of 1900 
wili be fully open. 
At a special meeting of the Massachusetts Fish and 
Game Protective Association, Wednesday, it was stated 
that House Bill No. 1203, prohibiting the killmg of 
partridge and woodcock, except between Oct. i and Dec. 
I and prohibiting the sale of these birds at all seasons, 
would soon reach the Senate. Mr. Bennet told me the 
other day that he did not believe the marketmen would 
further oppose such a bill. , ^ 
The ice is out of Webb Lake, Weld, Me., and on Tues- 
day. May I, seventy-five trout and salmon were taken, the 
largerest weighing 3 pounds. Special. 
Trout Systems and Trout Manners. 
New York.— I am a fly-fisherman. Ergo, I am a fly 
man. No Roman ever asserted with more pride that he 
was a Roman citizen than do I that I am a fly-fisherman. 
More, I wish to be up-to-date, and if I can make my 
readers believe it, I am ahead of date. 
In casting the fly for many years m proper season, i 
have followed the good old manner which governed the 
taking of trout; yet this is an age of progress. What we 
old-timers lacked was system. Art had no substantial 
place in trout fishing. Art was old-fashioned. Art did 
well enough for him who governed his sport by the 
exigencies of the occasion. It was well enough to be 
able to artfully circumvent the wily trout, but art was 
crude. Art is art, but lo! art isn't system. We needed 
system. , 
We may suppose that the spaces above the earth are as 
full of systems as they are full of lectricity. To pick the 
right system out of such profusion required a man with a 
high system of his own; it would be wrong to call it 
art. Presto! It was done, and we have the Taylor 
system" of catching trout with the fly. 
System is much higher in merit than art. A tailor will 
make a suit of clothes by a system. A sculptor will make 
a beautiful statue by the powers of his genius, but lo! 
the svstem is superior to the art. 
The Taylor system set forth in full is clear to any one. 
Definition: "Is really only an independent discovery, 
with local variations and improvements of the old dry 
fly art. Some men have known all about it for years; 
others pooh-poohed at it. Some can work it, 'and others 
think no one else ever did." ' ' , ' . ' . 
But nature was not kind to me. I can t understand 
<-he foregoing abstruse distinctions. Therefore I ask 
some questions. How is the Taylor system "really only 
an independent discovery," when it is "with local varia- 
tions and improvement of the old dry fly art ? If it is 
of the "old dry fly art," whereabouts does Mr. Taylor 
come in as an independent discoverer? „ - 
"Some men have known all about it for years, naively 
declares your correspondent. Again, where then does 
Mr. Tavlor come in as an "independent discoverer . 
if lie is an "independent discoverer," what rnerit is there 
in discovering that which some men have known all 
about for years? What merit is there in discovering the 
man who discovered the discovered? 
I did not know what the term "system" meant as ap- 
plied to catching trout with the fly. It seemed to me 
that there could be no system in a matter in which there 
was a disagreement between and man and fish; in a 
matter in which the man was working largely on chance; 
in a matter in which the fish was at liberty to act as it 
pleased Then I bethought me of Webster, and it is all 
now clear. He savs: "System, 3. Regular method or 
order; formal arrangement; plan; as, to have a system 
in one's business." , -.ir «_ 
Then I looked up the word "manner, and Webstef, in 
his. system of definition, says: "Manner, i. Mode of 
action; way of performing or effecting anything; method; 
style; form; fashion." 
However, all honor to tlie "Taylor system, not tor- 
getting that large and unknowable class, namely, some 
men who have known all about it fot years.' 
Down with the art! Eheu! Old Fogy. 
The Small Salt-Watcf Fish, 
Perth Amboy, N. J., May 5.— Editor Forest and 
Streani: Cannot you use your influence' to curb the de- 
struction of voung fish in our waters? Why do not the 
Commissioners of both New York and New Jersey pool 
their issues and do something? In this town, withiri a 
i.- week. I have seen for sale striped bass of 5 inches, 
l^flounders of the same length, and expect to see lobsters 
w n ;r.r-Vif..i snlrl \\erf in the streets as thev were sold last 
' of 7 inches sold here in the streets as they were sold last 
year. This should Interest you, since one of the fi'^hermen 
told' me that they all came from the creek near Prince's 
Bay. N. Y;. where so many were planted. The hard 
clanis are delivered frequently of r inch largest diam- 
eter. Are there any .game wardens -whose business it is to 
attend to .such things, or are they all alike willing to use 
their influence:*o help their friends stock private ponds 
and streams at public expense, and go down the bay in a 
steam yacht duck shooting? Pro Bono Publico. 
fGamc Laws in Brief. 
S The new number of the Game Laws in Brief and Woodcraft 
f Magazine wiU be ready for delivery this. week. . . . 
