June 23, 1900.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
489 
every one realized what had happened. Our stout Dutch- 
man, with his 200 pounds avoirdupois, had lost his foot- 
ing in his excitement, and was tiouadering in the water far 
over the stern. So rapid was our headway that the man 
was 50 feet away before Captain Sinclair could change the 
course of the sloop. While we looked, however, tne man 
seemed to stop in his course toward the ocean, and sud- 
denly our lines gave a jerk that nearly puUtd them out of 
our hands. 
"I've got a bite I I've got a bite!" came in a chorus 
from the other four fishermen. Then, in spite of our 
friend's danger, so strong was the charm of the sport 
on us, we began to haul in hand over hand. But what a 
bite ! Every one thought that the Dutchman's shark must 
have suddenly been transferred to his Ime. It was a tug 
that threatened to cut our hands and even to snap the 
stout fresh lines. No one except the Captain was paying 
due attention to the half-drowned man overboard. Each 
fisherman took it for granted that he was the only one 
with a big bite, and he thought all the others were devot- 
ing their time and attention to the work of rescuing their 
mutual friend. In the meantime it would be a stroke of 
opportune luck to land the biggest bluefish of the day. 
From this deep absorption we were aroused by the cries 
from over the stern. They changed from one of fear and 
terror to one of encouragement. "Pull away, pull away! 
You've got me ! Pull away, an' keep your lines from the 
boat ! I don't want to get under it !" 
We all looked up at this, and in an instant compre- 
hended the situation. We were actually hauling in our 
friend instead of a young shark or bluefish. Our lines 
had all become entangled about 50 feet from the boat, and 
the Dutchman had fallen afoul of the snarl, and we were 
all unconsciously engaged in dragging him toward the 
boat. The fact had dawned upon the half-drowned man's 
senses first, but he was totally unconscious of how he 
had managed to get a line around and imder him. He 
took it for granted that we had in some marvelous fashion 
thrown a line to him and had rescued him from a watery 
grave. Without thinking, he had drifted naturally into the 
fisherman's slang, and repeatedly ordered us to keep him 
from the boat. He was mortally afraid that we would 
haul him under the boat and in some mysterious fashion 
he would be unhooked like the bluefish. 
We hauled and pulled on our four lines, and the Captain 
kept the boat hauled up into the wind while we drew one 
of the heaviest creatures toward the craft that ever floated 
in the inlet. 
"Pull avi^ay! Pull away!" the man shouted, almost de- 
liriously. "But keep me away from the boat ! Keep me 
away from the boat 1" 
He was almost exhausted and ready to collapse when 
we finally rescued him, and for some moments afterward 
he kept up the refrain of his cry. Then we proceeded to 
roll the w-ater out of him and to disentangle the lines. In 
doing this we soon discovered the secret of the Dutch- 
man's big fish. On all four lines there was a fair-sized 
bluefish, but on the Dutchman's not the sign of one. But 
his hook had caught the other lines and snarled them 
all up. Instead of pulling a monster fish toward the 
boat, he had been pulling our four Hues, and as many 
bluefish as hooks and lines. No wonder his catch seemed 
like a young shark, or that our lines had all been slackened 
while he seemed to have cornered all the sport. We felt, 
however, that if the snarl had caused all the trouble, it had 
also been the means of saving our friend's life, and we 
were satisfied; but we could not convince our friend that 
he didn't have the biggest bluefish in the inlet on his 
line before he fell ovrboard. And to-day he tells the 
story of his big catch with gusto, and winds up with: 
"That was the biggest fish in the water. And I'd have 
caught him if that'boat hadn't risen up an' knocked me 
overboard. It ain't somethin' to forget in a life time." 
G. E. W. 
The So-Called Rebel'' Shad. 
[The followiner notes, written by Fred Mather, have not before 
been published.] 
In the Hudson River there often occurs a small shad 
that is shorter in proportion to its depth and thickness 
than the normal specimens of Alosa sapidissima, and is 
locally known to the fishermen as "rebel" shad. It is 
believed by the fishermen that these fish are the de- 
scendants of a cross between the sliad and alewife. or 
"herring," as they are known on the Hudson, made by 
Seth Green in his fishcultural operations in former years, 
and they never cease to revile him for producing this fi^h. 
Being in a position to know something of this I will 
state the following facts. From 1872 to 1S75; I was en- 
gaged in shad hatching on the Hudson, and often, in con- 
nection with Mr. Green, impregnated the eggs of shad 
with the milt of the so-called "herring" when no ripe 
male shad was at hand. At Mull's fishery, below Castle- 
ton, we made three hauls on a tide, at night, and the 
last haul often brought several ripe female shad and no 
males. Mr. Green argued, and I agreed, that half a shad 
was better than no fish, and instead of letting from 30,000 
to 500,000 eggs go to waste, they were impregnated with 
"herring" milt, and a due proportion were hatched and 
turned foose to make food for some man. The work was 
carried on by Seth Green's brother, Monroe A. Green, for 
some fifteen years or more, and then, in 1892, the shad 
hatching was turned over by the State Fish Commissioners 
to me, because I was nearer the field. For two .vears I 
observed the fish that were sent to market and heard the 
theories of the fishermen, and af^er giving these facts, I 
will now give opinions for what they may be worth. 
We know that through man's agency some amm-als inay 
be crossed and that the progeny is fertile for a feAV 
generations, and sometimes the succeeding hybrids become 
too weak to reproduce, as in the case of some crosses with 
the canary bird, and witli the mulatto m the human 
race. The infertile crosses of the wild goose with the 
tame soecies and other "mules" are too well known to be 
more than referred to. The proof that the hybrid shad 
hatched by Mr. Green and myself produced an inferior 
fish through their procenv remains to be proved. The 
"rebel" shad are fertile, but the eggs are free, as are 
those of the shad, while the eggs of the alewite or 
"herring" are glutinous and adhere to twigs and other 
''^jCgain, admitting that these small shad, which ti3V(? the 
long sub-orbital bone of other shad, are descendants from 
hybrids, the fact remains that they are fit for human food, 
as their relative, the alewife, is, and as they do not take 
food in the rivers they can in no sense be detrimental to 
the interests of the fishermen. Hatched in the fresh 
waters, they seek the ocean and attain their browth there 
and return to the rivers only to lay their eggs, 
Seth Green believed that the shad could be crossed with 
the striped bass, or rockfish, a belief that I do not share, 
because of the difference in structure between a fish with 
soft fins and one with spinous rays. As well might one 
cross the panther with the sheep. Yet the "heresy" spread 
far and wide, and a fisherman once asked, "What sort 
of a fish would come if a big bass was crossed with a 
sturgeon?" 
There is a lack of physiological information among 
the fishermen, as well as others. They know that the. 
different species of domestic animals cannot be crossed un- 
less they are as closely related as the horse and the 
ass or the cow and the buffalo ; that the dog and cat, or 
sheep and goat will not produce even one mule, and j-et 
they do not realize that the fishes differ in structure and 
habits fully as much as the mammals named, and that 
among fishes the sturgeon differs from the bass, or perch, 
as much as does the cow from the cat, or dog. and that 
interbreeding is entirely impracticable. 
That the trouts and salmons, the shad and herrings, and 
other families, may be crossed is true, and that in some 
cases their progeny may be fertile for a generation or 
two is also true, but that fishes can be crossed indis- 
criminately without regard to genera, family or structure 
is not true. 
The shad and alewife are in the great herring family, 
and while differing in the character of their spawn, are 
closely related in structure and have been proved to be 
capable of interfertilization and reproduction in one gen- 
eration. Further than this nothing is known. The young 
resulting from the first cross may or not be fertile, and 
only their keeping in confinement could prove or dis- 
prove this. 
The Maine Waters. 
Boston, June 16. — "It is God's own country, and I am 
delighted with it." Such was the remark of a Boston 
merchant who has just returned from his annual fishing 
trip to the Maine woods. "Each year I am more charmed 
with the life we lead in the woods, and no sooner is one 
trip over than I am planning for next year." Such is the 
general verdict. It may be noted that the gentleman 
mentioned above is really a beginner, has made but three 
or four fishing trips to Maine in all. The love of fishing, 
camping, cottaging and living in the woods is making 
tremendous growth. I am every day impressed with this 
growth. I can mention beginners by scores, and they are 
all enthusiasts. They declare that they never knew the 
delights of a real outing till they took up fishing and 
shooting in the Maine and New Hampsliire woods. Wliat 
will Maine and New Hampshire do to keep up the supply 
of fish and hence the interest in sporting in their borders? 
Does any one imagine for a moment that the trout and 
salmon waters of those States can stand the drain of so 
great an interest? The best waters in Maine will be ex- 
hausted of both trout and salmon before "the end of ten 
years, unless tremendous efforts in restocking are put 
forth. Do the Fisheries Commissioners of Maine and 
New Hampshire realize the importance of the matter of 
restocking, intrusted to their keeping? Do the people of 
those States appreciate the value of what they have in 
woods and waters? 
Returning fishermen are more generally satisfied than I 
have ever before noted; satisfied, because their catches 
have been especially good. How long this luck can hold 
out is the question. Messrs. Harry B. Moore, Leroy S. 
Brown and E. . J. Bliss, from the Boston Chamber of 
Commerce, have returned from a very enjoyable trip to 
Moosehead. Their fishing was done in the vicinity of 
Spencer Bay. They caught squaretails up to pounds, 
all on the flv, and made some remarkably good scores. 
Togue they got of good size by trolling, but to them the 
fly-fishing was by far the more satisfactory sport. Mr. 
Bliss, who is somewhat new to sporting in Maine, is de- 
lighted. The boys say that he saw a cow moose — a dead 
one— that had floated up to Green Island. Harry Moore 
was bragging of having seen twenty-two deer on the 
trip, when the story of having seen a moose was drawn 
out, but with the final admission that it was dead. Later 
they took pains to see. Behold, its feet were not cloven, 
and it had iron shoes on. Moore lays the find to Bliss, and 
Bliss declares that it was Moore, On the way out Harry 
met George C. Moore, with whom he has enjoyed so many 
happy sporting davs, George having been delayed by ill- 
ness 'in his household. Nothing would do but Harry must 
turn back, and turn back he did, the two having excellent 
success with trout on the fly for three or four days 
longer. Mr. D. H. Blanchard has returned from his 
annual trout fishing to Monson. w^here he fished Lake 
Hebron. The first two days he had good fishing, taking 
trout up to 3V2 pounds, and togue up to 7 and Q^-^ pounds 
But the next dav the fishing had stopped short off, and 
not a bite or a rise could be had. Mr. Blanchard is not 
surprised at such action from trout, having fished many 
seasons, and knowing their ways. He will visit his sal- 
mon river later. The Hildreth party is out from Camp 
Stewart. Richardson Lake. The weather was good and 
the fishing all that coidd have been expected. The party 
cauffht 10^ trout, the largest 4V2 Pounds Mr H. A_ 
Hildreth held the position of high line. W. B. Beal. ot 
Turner, Me., one of the same party, says that the trip was 
of great benefit to him, gaining in flesh a pound a day. 
Trout were served at every meal. F. E. Betts and J. .M. 
Fisher, of Boston, tried Lake Auburn fishing one day 
last week, with the result of a salmon apiece. Mr. Fisher 
owns several cottages at Sebago. but is much pleased 
with Lake Auburn, on his first visit there. Among the 
other successes at the lake last week may be noted a sal- 
mon of = pounds to G. E. Hackett ; a salmon of ; pounds 
to George Morrill; a trout of 4'-^' pounds to James Tracy, 
of Lewiston. and a salmon of pounds; a salmon of 5 
oounds to George Ellsworth. Dr. Wallace Webber of 
Lewiston. has returned to that city from the Rangeleys 
with an excellent catch of trout consisting of sixty-nine 
and two trout, of 7 and g pounds. This gentleman fished 
only fottr davs. Mr. B. L. Picltard, of Newton, who has 
fished Mooselucmaguntic Lake for many years, and almost 
always from the camps of the Oquossoc. Angling Associa- 
tion, says that the trip from which he has just returned 
has been one of the best he has ever made. More and 
larger fish were taken, especially the salmon, which are 
comparatively new to that lake, and affordmg great 
sport. Senator W. P. Frye, went immediately to his 
•cottage, on the same lake, as soon as Congress adjourned. 
Mrs. Frye will soon follow. 
Boston, June 17. — Late reports from the trout and sal- 
mon waters are that the trolling season is about over, 
while the season for fly-fishing has hardly begun. It is 
certain that the trolling season has been a "record 
breaker," both as to size and number of both trout and 
salmon, in Maine waters, while the waters of New- 
Hampshire have done about as well. Fly-fishing has be- 
gun at Kennebago Lake and many of the ponds in 
Maine, with some very good catches. E. H. Vaughn, of 
Worcester, Mass., in five days' fishing at Kennebago, 
Seven Ponds region. Big Island and Long ponds, is re- 
ported to have taken 915 trout, nearly all of which were 
returned to the water. Trout are reported to be slow 
about rising to the fly in the Jackman, Me., region. At 
Attean Rips forty trout were taken in one day last week, 
generally with bait, however. Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Garland 
and A. O. Young, of Worcester, were among the happy 
catchers . .of the fish. At Moosehead the fly-fishing has 
l^egun in good earnest, and trolling is about done for 
the season. A. J. Bigelow, of Worcester, has made a 
record of 140 trout in three days. The fish were gen- 
erally suflPered to return to the water. Lieut. -Gen. J. W. 
Schofield, U. S. A. (retired), has recently landed a 
salmon of S^i pounds at Moosehead. At Bemis Fish 
Commissioner Henry O. Stanley has been fishing. He 
trolled from Haines' Landing to Bemis, stopping at the 
Birches for dinner. On the trip he landed twenty trout, 
the largest pounds. At that point Dr. A. J. Walker, of 
Bridgton, Me., and Dr. A. W. Taylor, of Rockland, have 
recently landed eighty-five trout, the largest 5K pounds. 
Mr. and Mrs. J. Edward Knight, of Boothbay Harbor, 
have lately been at Bemis. It will be remembered that it 
was their son, Richard Knight, who was lost in the woods 
at that point last October. No traces of the missing 
young man have yet come to light. At the Ledge House, 
Eustis, Me., a party of six is reported to have taken 335 
trout in two days. At Spencer Stream good fly-fishing 
is also reported, a Mr. Veiller, of New York, having 
taken twenty good trout at one outing. S. M. Seymore, of 
the same city, has been having good fishing at King and 
Bartlett lakes. At the Mountain View, Rangeley Lake, 
the ladies are taking high honors, Mrs. E. A. Wheelock, of 
Putnam, Conn., having caught a salmon of 4^ pounds; 
Mrs. J. B. Morse, of Brockton, Mass., a salmon of 3)4 
pounds; Mrs. C. F. Porter, of Lynn, Mass., a salmon of 
5-14 pounds. This latter fish, and in fact all the others, 
were brought to the net by the lady anglers themselves 
without assistance. It begins to be noted and mentioned 
that trolling for trout and salmon is primarily a lady's 
sport, and they are taking to it with a good deal of zest 
and a fair amount of skill. 
At Newfound Lake, New Hampshire, it is understood 
that more trout and salmon have been taken than in 
any other previous season. Trolling is on the wane, how- 
ever, but the law on black bass is oft, and a good season 
is looked for. Among the successes with trout and salnion 
at that lake may be noted F. L. Lee, Springfield, trout of 
9 pounds; E. W. Colburn, Boston, trout of 3, 5 and 7 
pounds ; Mrs. H. W. Leonard, Braintree, two salmon. 2^ 
and 10% pounds, and three trout of 3^4, and 8}4 
pounds; Hartford Leonard, trout of 5, 7^ and 12 pounds; 
W. H. Leonard, trout of 11 J4 pounds; C. D. Dearborn, 
Maiden, trout of 3^ pounds; H. T. Mclntire, Lowell, 
salmon of S and 7^4 pounds; M. E. Taplin, Cambridge, 
trout of 3 and 10 pounds ; Frank Eames, Boston, salmon of 
2^ pounds, and trout of 11 pounds. It will be remem- 
Isered that these trout are the celebrated lakers, for which 
Newfound has become celebrated within a few years, since 
they were very rarely taken there by angling till within 
ten or a dozen years. Over 30,000 fry of the same fish 
were put into the waters of that lake recently by local 
parties. Many of the little fish were 2 inches in length. 
At Webb Lake, Me., bass fishing is sa'd to be giod. 
D. E. Stockbridge and H. W. Coburn in one day's fishing 
last week took forty, weighing from ^4 to 3 pounds. At 
Belgrade ponds bass fishing is beginning to be ecord. and 
sportsmen are gathering. Special, 
A Kcpt-Up Good Supply. 
Weld, Me., June 12. — ^Thanks to a continuous and in- 
telligent effort on the part of the local and visiting sports- 
men, I have beeen able to cause some 3-pound trout and 
salmon to dance on their tails. For five years a little 
private hatchery has slipped into these waters some 150.000 
trout and salmon per year. They have chosen the upper 
end of the lake, while the black bass rule and govern the 
lower end, with just enough exceptions to prove the 
rule. They are plump, gamy fish, and a dozen of them 
make a handsome show. Now and then you do get a 
pickerel — say two a day-; they are there, and so are the 
trout; and there will be more of them. When you come 
here fishing leave a dollar in the treasury: it means a 
thousand trout fry more. , . 
There is food for thought here. Many a lake has its 
cold, never-failing streams, and the little 15 by 20 hatchery 
house can and will work wonders in other nlaces just 
the same as here, and the fun and money come back again. 
For where I go fishing I am looking for fish. Th^^re are 
others of my ilk. Pink Edge, 
Another Lar g^c Adirondack Troat. 
Cazexovia, N. Y.. June i5- — Editor Forest and Strenyn; 
The writer reads in your interesting paoer of a brook 
trout caught in the North Woods 20V4 inches long and 
weighing 6 pounds. In June, 1869, the writer cau<yht in 
the^^inlet to Cranberry Lake a brook trout that Charlie 
Marsh (our guide) ^aid would weigh 6 pounds. Un- 
fortunatelv, we had no scales. His exact length was 22^ 
inches. How much would he weigh? 
Ned Net Tunc 
See fhe list of good things in Wogc^mft in our adv. f o/^r, 
