June 2, igoo.] 
431 
veiglied 2 pounds 10 ounces seven hours after his cap- 
ure. 
Receiving hearty congratulations from my companions, 
jvell satisfied with our outing and success, we turned o.ur 
iteps homeward, proud to know that at the dawn of the 
Lwentieth century hillside and dale, covert and marsh, 
.ipland and sea shore, were still the home of such variety 
and quantity of fur and feathered game, and that little 
trout brooks which the fisherman may readily stand 
astride of in the old and densely populated State of 
Massachusetts still contain such trout to attract and re- 
ward the patient and persistent angler, who knows their 
haunts. Geo. McAleer. 
Worcester, Mass. 
Spring Fishing in Canada. 
Two of the first fish taken with -rod and line this season 
in Lake St. John waters weighed together 77 pounds, and 
were captured by the same lucky fisherman within an hour 
of each other. Both were p.ke, one weighing 40 pounds, 
the other 37. They were captured by Pierre Lavoie, 
one of the new settlers of Honfleur-sur-Peribonca, near 
the mouth of the Little Peribonca River. Some years 
ago a specimen of the true pike weighing 49 pounds was 
taken in the Grand Peribonca. 
The members of the Triton Club who are already upon 
their preserves were joined on Saturday last by the fol- 
lowing additional members and guests: C. G. Cole, of 
Corning, N. Y., and A. K. Hiscock, C, W. Andrews and 
W. S. Andrews, of Syracuse, N. Y. 
Ouananiche fishing opened last week almost immediately 
after the ice had left Lake St. John. All along the lake 
shore from Chambord to Pointe Bleue the natives have 
been taking large quantities with bait. In the pool at the 
mouth of the (Juia^chouan the fly-fishing is now excep- 
tionally good. This is no doubt largely due to the fact 
that the Gov^ernment has this year refused to issue any 
licenses for net fishing in this part of Lake St. John. 
.■\t the mouth of the Metabetchouan in the early part of 
this week Mr. Hamel, of Fraserville, took forty splendid 
fish in two days. As the water is still very high in the 
lake, this fishing ought to continue good in these open 
waters for another ten or fifteen days before the 
ouananiche appear in the Grande Decharge. As usual at 
this time of the year, large flies are proving the most 
effective. 
Notwithstanding the extremely cold weather and gen- 
eral backwardness of the season, a number of American 
anglers were even earlier than usual on their fishing 
grounds in the St. Maurice and Lake St. John regions this 
year. The result of their angling was practically nil for 
several days. At the Metabetchouan Club's preserves, the 
only fish taken last week were small ones for table use, 
coming from the brooks and streams about Kiskismk, and 
both at the Laurentides and Stadacona clubs the best of 
the fishing is only just setting in. At the latter, Mr, A. 
W. Boswell has just secured a handsome trout of 4^ 
pounds. A catch of 250 fish was made on the Jacques 
Cartier lakes in three days by a small party at the end 
of last week. Most of the anglers who were on their 
limits last week are remaining over in expectation of belter 
sport. None of the visitors to the Triton Club waters 
have yet returned. 
Mr. Geo. E. Hart has deferred his trip to the Triton 
tract until the autumn. 
Maskinonge fishiMg, both in the St. Lawrence and the 
Ottawa, is very fair at present, and at St. Anne de Bellevue 
specimens of 30 to 40 pounds have already been taken 
this spring. 
The action of the Ontario authorities in prohibiting the 
sale or export of trout, while allowing the sale of the 
same fish imported from Quebec, is engaging the atten- 
tion of the authorities here, and may result in the pro- 
hibition of exporting trout froin this Province. 
The annual meeting of the St. Bernard Fish and Game 
Club will be held at Saccacoma Lake, the club's head- 
quarters, in rear of Louiseville, P. Q., on the first Mon- 
day in June. Among those who will be on the fishing 
grounds about that time are General Henrv, P. B. Laird 
and C. W. Wilson, of Glens Falls. 
Lake St. Joseph has recently yielded some excellent 
catches of brook trout, in some ca=;es all the specimens 
exceeding a pound in weight. E. T. D. Chambers. 
Quebec. May 2B. 
Some Salt-Water Fishing Kinks. 
New York May 23. — Editor Forest and Sti-eam : I here- 
by send you a copy of the lecture by Fred Etz at the last 
meeting of the Protective League of Salt- Water Fisher- 
men, Monday, May 21, 1900, at Wall's Hotel, 106 West 
Thirty-first street. He said: 
How to Place the Reel in the Seat. 
There are many who do not understand how to place 
the reel in the reel seat, whereby they loosen the four 
screws that really hold the reel. In order to avoid that, 
' place your two middle fingers, one on each side of the 
reel plate, the back of your hand toward the tip of the 
rod, your thumb on the cross-bar of reel facing the butt. 
Rest the tip of rod on the ground and cause the rig 
to fall forward, which gives you the opportunity to place 
your reel properly before tightening; then raise the rod 
upright and with your two middle fingers press the reel 
plate home. Then bring your ring over the reel plate. 
By doing sb you Will avoid loosening the plate screws. 
To Remove the Reel. 
Place the butt in left hand, the tip on ground, and with 
thumb of left hand on reel plate press forward, your 
thumb acting as a lever. By trying to remove the reel 
othenvise you will injure your reel and be'wondering how 
it got so shaky. 
The Rod to Use for Surf Fishing. 
Choose a rod 6 feet 6 inches, exclusive of the butt; butt. 
22 inches; the rod devoid of guides. This rod is most 
convenient to carry. By omitting guides your line has free 
passage, giving a longer cast. On other rods as few guides 
as possible the longer the rod, the lon.ger the cast, 
How to Cast. 
Take the rod -in the left hand, placing the thumb of 
the left hand on the spool of the reel, and with the right 
hand underneath the rod a little forward of the reel, and 
with a gentle swing bring the rod forward, releasing your 
right hand, and with 3'our left raise your rod, and guide 
as the line runs, your thumb acting as a brake on spool. 
A Hint About Winding. 
Before starting to fish it is good policy to unwind your 
line from the reel about 200 or 250 feet and then rewind 
tight. The reason why this should be done is that the 
weather is a great factor affecting the line. If it should 
be dry 3-our line will become limp, and when damp it will 
shrink, causing it to be kinky, and unmanageable from 
the reel. 
Dont's for Fishermen, 
Don't take undersized fish and then brag of your luck. 
Don't use stale bait nor be stingy with fresh bait. 
Don't keep all good spots to yourself. 
Don't anchor above another who may alreadj^ be fishing. 
Don't cast your anchor as though you were pitching a 
game of quoits 
Don't be noisy; noise frightens fish and disgusts your 
neighbors. 
Don't make a practice of saying the biggest got away. 
Don't imagine you know it all. Ideas of a novice are 
sometimes followed with success. 
Don't go ab'out in wet shoes and clothes. 
Don't carrj' loose hooks in your pockets. 
Don't blame your tackle dealer always if your rod or 
reel breaks. 
Don't let the wind and rain get at your bait. 
Don't keep worms in cigar or cedarwood boxes. 
Don't attempt to cast over 3'our companion's head. 
Don't become discouraged if you fail to catch fish. 
Don't forget to write or send your name and address to 
the oihce of the league. 
Don't forget to attend our next meeting, June 18, 1900. 
There were other interesting subjects he spoke on, 
which would take up too muchspace in your valuable 
paper. The meeting was very enthusiastic, and there was 
a large attendance. 
Eugene Flikdner, Rec. and Cor. Sec'y. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
* Our Michigan Trouting Trip. 
Chicago, 111., May 20. — The comforts of our lodging 
place repaid us well for the long ride from Alpena. Buck, 
the lodge-keeper, was as good as a whole circus himself, 
and we spent the first night principally engaged in laugh- 
ing at his stories. Our first morning, which was also the 
first morning of the season, May i, was hardly to be 
called an ideal day, but it was bright and clear, and the 
wind did not deter the party from an early start to the 
trout waters. Mr. New and Mr. Fletcher went on horse- 
back to a point four or five miles up the stream. Mr. 
Hawks took another party in a wagon, Messrs. Graham, 
■Siblej' and Churchill. Mr. Boardman, Mr. Nichols and 
mji^elf were driven by buck to the lowest point on the 
stream taken by any part}'- on that day. We were by 
courtesy given what was thought to be the best of the 
water, but -the deep pools proved unproductive on that 
day. Mr. Boardman worked up the stream from the 
wagon, and Mr. Nichols and I fished down. Mr. Board- 
man had very fair luck, but Mr. Nichols and I could not 
get the trout to come up out of the deep water to the 
liy, our work being done over the deepest part of the 
stream. We had less than a dozen fish between us, 
though they were nearly all good ones, Mr. Nichols 
having two which weighed over three-quarters of a pound 
each. My biggest trout was something of a disappoint- 
ment. I raised him once at the edge of a log, and was 
wise enough not to cast for him again until I had re- 
moved the dropper of my two flies, which I feared would 
foul me in that snaggy pool. After having everything 
ready, I dropped the roj'al-coachman over him, and he 
came up dull}'^ and simply swallowed the fly. I never 
saw a trout so sluggish. When I struck him he hardly 
moved, and he played like a salt mackerel, yet he was a 
fish of over three-quarters of a pound, I should say. I 
have never fished a midwestern stream where the trout 
averaged so large. Mr. Nichols and I found the Lord- 
Baltimore and the royal-coachman the. best flies that 
day. 
When we got back to camp that night we found that 
those who had gone higher up the stream had found the 
best fishing. Mr. New and Mr. Fletcher had full baskets, 
and so did Mr. Hawks. Mr. Boardman was next, wdth 
the rest scattering. There were about 150 nice trout 
taken b}'^ the partj-^; Mr. New had 50, Mr. Fletcher 44, 
these being the best taken. 
Heavy forest fires were seen springing up that day all 
along the stream. This was the beginning of the big 
fires which were reported that week from Alpena, She- 
boygan and Presque Isle counties, which burned out 
the towns of Larocque and Tower, and desti'oyed hun- 
dreds of thousands of dollars in timber and manufactured 
lumber. We were directly on the ground, and could see 
how these fires started, and how hopeless it is to attempt 
to check tliem when once started. Messrs. New and 
Fletcher were nearly caught by the fire, and had to ride 
hard to set around the edge of it when they were coming 
home. The line of fire seemed that night some miles in 
extent, and we could see the fires eating off to the south 
and east below us. This is how much of the wild forests 
of America have been rendered hopeless tracts of ruin 
and desolation. We had no means of telling who started 
this fire, but thought it might have been done by a 
party of Alpena anglers who had been doing a little 
early work on the stream. 
Salted Minnows. 
These Alpena rrien were using the singular bait of 
salted minnows, of which they had two or three pailfuls. 
This was a new bait to me. but it had been very effective, 
for these people had caught with them over 150 big 
ti'out. One can carry a pocketful of these salted min- 
Ttows. which are simply mummified by the salt. They 
ar? fioft and ea?il.y torn away. b«t when run through ft 
good deep pod are pretty sure to raise a good trout if 
there is one there. 
Our second day's fishing rather reversed the sequence 
of the previous day. Mr. Boardman was not quite so 
lucky. Mr. Hawks had about twenty-five fine fish and 
Mr. New and Mr. Fletcher, who again fished together, 
took very good baskets, but not so many as the day 
previous. Mr. Nichols had perhaps the best basket on 
this day, about twenty-five or thirty fish, which packed 
his basket full. I had a couple of dozen myself, some of 
which were beauties. Messrs. Sibley, Churchill and 
Graham also took fish, although their experience in trout 
fishing was less than that of the others. 
Through the Burning Woods. 
_ Mr. Hawks took me with him on this' day, and very 
kindly told me to go ahead down the stream. We had 
learned, much to my own continued surprise, that the 
bright flies had been the successful ones on the day be- 
fore, such as the grasshor^oers, the jungle-cock and the 
Montreal. I tried a Montreal, a royal-coachman and a 
dark fly. At the first cast I had a rise, and the next 
instant got another, and to my surprise found that I 
had a double. I found they had taken the royal-coach- 
man and the Montreal. Mr. Hawks followed on down 
through that bend, and in fifteen minutes we had a half 
a dozen trout apiece. The day was opening well, tho'ugh 
a bad wind was blowing and the smoke of the forest 
fires was hanging all over the country. As we fished 
dowri we came into the burning woods. Bits of bark 
and ashes fell continually on the water, and sometimes 
the smoke was almost blinding as we got into a bend 
where the fire w-as buring close at hand. This sort of 
thing did not help the trout fishing, for the water was 
covered with floating pnrticles which must have de- 
ceived many a trout. Perhaps this might have been 
the reason why the bright flies proved so successful. I 
figured it out that the bright colors could be seen more 
clearly, as distinguished from the ashes and charred bits 
of wood. I put on a grasshopper as my hand fly, aiH 
found that the fish wanted it. I advanced it to second 
place, and found that they wanted it still more. Then I 
used it for tail fly the rest of the day, with Montreal 
above it, and this I found to be a good cast. The dark 
flies were not successful. 
The fire and smoke spoiled what would otherwise have 
been an ideal day, or, rather, an ideal morning. At about 
2 o'clock a cold wind set in and sent the fish down, so 
that the best of the fun was over before the day was half 
done. Mr. Flawks went on down the stream rapidly, 
trying to get below the fire, which was (dropping trees 
all among the banks and making a smoke which was not 
pleasant. At lunch time Mr. Hawks, Buck and myself 
rounded up together and compared notes. Buck took 
our fish, of which we then had about a couple of dozen 
between us, Mr. Hawks' basket showing iialf a dozen 
beauties, which he had taken out of one bend in the 
river. After lunch we sought still further to escape the 
smoke and fire. Buck hitched up his wagon, and we 
started for a point a couple of miles down stream. In 
that country you cannot travel far if you get oft' the road, 
for the down timber and destroyed logs make driving 
an impossibility. We were, therefore, somewhat dis- 
turbed when we found that the fire extended directly 
across our road. We lost half an hour trying to get 
through, and at one time were fairly surrounded by the 
fire. Buck brought us throttgh by making a little detour 
and driving through the edge of the fire where it proved 
thinnest. By the time we reached the river it was w 11 
on in the afternoon, and the fishing from that time on 
was not so good. Yet it happened, oddly enough, that 
Mr. Nichols caught his big fish right in the middle of 
the smokiest bend on the river, and when the water Was 
covered with ashes. 
The stream we found perfectly practicable for thigh 
waders, though some of the party used the high wading 
pants. A lovelier water I never stepped into, nor did I 
ever fish a stream in iMichigan or Wisconsin where the 
trout ran so large. There were a lot of i-pound trout 
brought into camp that night, and, I believe the average 
length Nvas quite above 9 inches. 
Lost the Big One. 
I had one odd circumstance happen to me early in the 
day. I was fishing a leader of very fine drawn gut, which 
had theretofore proved strong enough, but which was 
destined to lose me a very good fish. I saw a nice stump 
under which I thought there should be a good trout, and 
after a few casts he came out with a rush. He looked 
so big as he struck that he startled me, and I hit him so 
hard that I parted the leader, losing the two flies and 
most of the cast. I stepped back across the stream to rig- 
up again, and as I did so there came a piece of floating 
cedar top, a bit of bough half as long as my arm, which 
floated directly over the place where the trout had risen. 
As it crossed him he rose at it savagely, and seemed to 
fight it as a dog would a rat. pulling it about violently. 
At first I thought he might have fouled one of the flies 
in the floating top, and perhaps this was really the case. 
My frjends told me that sometimes a trout will rise at 
a bough in this way to take off some insect which they 
see hanging to it. I never saw a similar incident in my 
trout fishing before. 
This must be a splendid stream to fish in the proper 
season. We were really a little too early, and the trout 
were not rising at their best. I only saw three trout 
rise on the feed during the entire day, and I caught two 
of them. Yet with all discouragements included, I had 
the best day of trotit fishing that I have had for many 
a long year in this country. The total catch that night 
was again about 150 trout for the oarty. Mr. Nichols 
was going to Detroit the next morning, and Mr. Hawks 
said that he would have to take some trout out with him 
or ("Ise the entire oartv wnu'd have to stoo fishiner. 
This was my last day with the party, and it was a heart- 
breaking thing to have to turn away and leave them, wher 
I knew that the fishing was going to be better every day. 
.ind that Buck's 'best stories were yet to come. Fate 
was relentless, however, and on the next morning I saw 
the entire party start out for the stream, again, while Mr 
Nichols and I had to face the long ride out to the rail- 
road, and leave tlie fun behind us. Later I must add 
some further notes about dur party and its doings, all 
too briefly described here. 
Amon^ tht good fishing streams of this part of th9 
