508 
our indifference, evidences the depth of our concern, and 
our hopelessness of any remedy, or prevention. Nor are 
the cheerful attempts so frequently made to dispose of the 
' trouble by treating it jocularly less significant. 
The writer has witnessed with the keenest sympathy 
the sutfering cf a pious, truth-honoring daughter as, with 
5u£fused eyes and burning cheeks, she reluctantly listened 
to one of these miraculous stories from the lips of her 
revered, gray-haired father, a venerable pillar of his 
church, she visibly trembling the while in her fear for 
his final accounting, which in the course of nature she 
saw was but a short way off. 
The case of the Rev. Dr. R. is also i-ecalled. A clergy- 
man of brilliant parts, profound learning and zealous piety, 
. who, after attaining a commanding position, unfortunately 
-took to angling as his pastime, in which art, becoming 
an adept, and proud of a skill acquired so late in life, 
grew fond of recounting his exploits with his rod, which 
in his hands, by his own accounts, was as wonderful in 
its way as the rod of Aaron. 
The evil consequences were soon revealed to him in 
the narrowly averted loss of his flock, with whom he, not 
'without difficulty, effected a compromise upon his pledge 
never again to mention the subject of fishing, but to 
.satisfy his apparent necessity of unburdening himself, by 
contributions, under a nom de plume, to sporting journals. 
Yet even at the cost of such a sacrifice he never regained 
his first estate, and thenceforth found his usefulness sorely 
crippled. 
Most unfortunately this deplorable peculiarity of an- 
glers has recently been the subject of scientific investiga- 
tions by several prominent psychologists, who are almost 
unanimous in declaring that the result of their labors 
establishes the following facts t That the unveracity of 
this class is the manifestation of a temporary mental 
aberration to which it is as unreasonable to attach blame 
as it would be to a bad dream or a high fever; that the 
angler is absolutely unconscious that he is making the 
slightest departure from the simple truth; that he is quite 
as honest on this as on all other topics — neither more 
nor less ,so — yet at the same time no reliance whatever 
can be placed on anything he may say as to his exploits, 
as he is utterly unable for a time to give with any ap- 
proach to the truth an account of what has actually hap- 
pened. The theory which usually obtains that there is a 
substratum of truth on which is built a disproportionate 
amount of fiction is erroneous. According to these sci- 
entists it is wiser to disbelieve the story in toto. They 
Say, in short, that the angler is suffering from a morbid 
mental state similar to, if not identical with, the hypnotic 
trance. It is pointed out that this condition is superin- 
duced by much the same means as hypnotists prescribe. 
-One of the usual methods by which the latter condition 
is attained is, as is well known, to direct the subject to 
assume a position of the body most conducive to mental 
and physical repose. The operator then commands him 
to fix his eyes intently on a bright object placed before 
him for the purpose. He is next to divert his thoughts 
-from their accustomed channels, or else empty his mind, 
'if possible, from all thought whatsoever. All that then 
remains to be done is for him to retain the reposeful posi- 
tion, continue to gaze, while giving the mind up to 
vacuity. The hypnotic influence does the rest. 
Now, these same things, though under a ' different 
environment, and in a somewhat changed order, are 
done by the angler. When he is fishing he dismisses the 
cares which usually infest his days, laj'S aside the sub- 
jects which constitute his ordinary mental pabulum, and 
goes forth amid the charms of nature — charms which 
woo him to a pleasant, dream}^, intellectual repose; or 
else his fancy is excited bj^ visions of the fish he is about 
to capture. At the water side the bright reflection of 
^he sun on the water unconsciously attracts his eyes and 
affects hy slow degrees his imagination hypnotically, so 
that by the time he reaches home he has so inextricably 
^confused the fish he hoped to catch with those that he has 
Captured that anything he maj^ relate of his experiences 
is characterized by an element of fiction, larger or smaller, 
as he is more- or less subject to this very strange influ- 
ence. \: 
It would therefore appear that there is much uncon- 
•scious philosophical truth in the reply we sometimes hear 
made to the angler recounting his exploits; "Yes, in 
your mind you did." This theory may at the first blush 
appear rather fanciful and far fetched, yet its thoughtful 
consideration will discover a quite substantial basis, and 
in harmony with well recognized scientific principles. 
It seems to be consistent with all of the known facts, 
something which cannot be claimed for any other theory 
yet advanced. All persons are not fit subjects of hyp- 
notism. Some do not respond to the magic of the oper- 
ator. They cannot be throM'n into any trance or sleep. 
So, too, there are encountered here and there anglers 
whose stories are so credible as to give us a pleasant 
shock. This class is not numerous, but it exists. There 
is also a still smaller class who are silent as to their 
expertences. They are rarely met with. This theory is 
also explanatory of that demeanor of honesty, that frank 
open expression of the angler's countenance, beyond all 
art, with which he tells his story. He is honest. He 
does implicitly believe. 
The truth of this theory cannot of course de demon- 
strated. From the very nature of the. subject there must 
be at! utter impossibility of proof, as with all other the- 
ories of the causation of mental idiosyncrasies. Investi- 
gations into this shadowy realm involve necessarily no 
iittle of pure speculation. 
Yet whether or not our judgments ai'e convinced, our 
predilections are engaged on the side of this view of 
the matter. It is so pleasant to believe in it, at once 
justifying that skepticism as to fishing stories universal 
among mankind, and vindicating tlie moral rectitude, in 
this particular, of so large a body of exceptionally worthy 
and respectable folk, among whom all of us count some 
of our most esteemed familiars. We hail the discovery 
as a positive blessing. When some dear friend, a belief 
in whose absolute veracitj^ we cherish sacredly, relates 
his recent piscatorial adventures, it will surely be a grate- 
lul, boon to be able to repress any of those horrible sus- 
picions which have heretofore haunted us and inwardly 
exclaim: "Ah, I had not supposed him to be quite so 
hypnotically susceptible." 
G. Carlton Jackson. 
Richmond Va, . , ., 
FORESTj^ ANDj5_STREAM, 
New England Fishing. 
BosxttN, June 23.— Bass fishing is attracting attention, 
while salmon and trout fishing is by no means done. Mr. 
Thomas F. Baxter, one of the high divers at the Boston 
Sportsmen's Show two years ago, returned a few days 
ago from a fishing trip to Calais, Me., waters. He 
found good stream fishing, and caught trout from the 
streams up to 23^ pounds. This gave him great sport. 
He also tried Six-Mile Pond for black bass, with a 
result that greatly_ pleased him, and took some of the 
residents by surprise. They were aware that some of 
the other ponds were stocked with bass, but had little idea 
of the fishing in Six-Mile. Mr. Baxter caught bass til! 
he was tied. He used a bright red fly, with a bit of 
angle worm on the point of the hook. ' Rowing out, he 
would cast in toward the shore. At first the excitement 
was great, the bass being great fighters, coming to the top 
of the water at once, with splashing and jumping that 
would delight the heart of any angler, and frequently 
free the bass himself. When Mr. Baxter found how 
great a number he was catching, he says : "I grew sort of 
ashamed of myself, and when I had a strike I would give 
the fellow something of a chance by dipping my rod down- 
ward a little, and let him get off if he could." The 
result of the day's fishing was fifty- four bass, the largest 
weighing 5 pounds. Mr. Baxter adds : "The string was 
so heavy that it took my guide and a boy to bring them 
out. The next day we dined off the big 5-pound fish. 
That day I went again to Six-Mile and caught thirty. The 
pond is about eight miles from Calais by team. 
At last Richard O. Harding, whom everybody will re- 
member as managing the fisheries exhibit at the Sports- 
men's Show this spring, has seen a big landlocked salmon 
from Dan Hole Fond, Ossipee, N. H. He, with the New 
Hampshire Fish Commissioners, has for some time be- 
lieved that salmon of great size had their home there. On 
Tuesday Mr. C. F. Danforth, with whom Mr. Harding 
had planned to make a fishing trip to Dan Hole, brought 
a salmon to Boston, and showed him in Scott's window, 
218 Washington street. The fish weighed a little over 
14 pounds. It required two hours for Mr. Danforth to 
bring him to the net. The capture was a most exciting 
one, and attracted a good deal of attention at the Roland 
Park House, where Mr. Danforth was quartered. Richard 
only regrets that he was prevented at the last moment 
from making the trip and witnessing the fight. Mr. 
S. H. Emery had good fishing on his second trip to the 
Upper Dam. Still, the black flies were rather severe. A 
smudge had to be kept burning at the Upper Dam camps 
n....'St of the time for some days. Mr. White, of Brock- 
ton, Mass., who was in company with Mr. Emery, had a 
rather peculiar experience with a big landlocked salmon 
at_ the head _ of the lake. He was trolling, only a few 
minutes behind Mr. E., when there came a tremendou.3 
strike. The next moment the fish was out of water. Mr. 
White, not accustomed to handling such powerful fish, 
continued to reel in line till the salmon was thoroughly 
alarmed. He came to the top of the water and out of the 
water half a dozen times, each time throwing all of his 
weight and strength against the rod. After a long fight 
the rod broke under a tremendous lunge of the fish from 
the top of the water downward. Then the fisherman 
seized the line, hand over hand, and under the admoni- 
tions of the guide, at last got his prize up tO' the boat. The 
guide attempted to put the net under the fish, when he 
took alarm again and came out of the water with a 
mighty spring. The spring was a most remarkable one, 
the salmon going completely over the head of Mr. White 
as he sat holding the line, and falling with a big splash 
on the other side of the boat. Mr, Emerj^ says that he 
"never saw anything like it." Again the fish had to be 
played, till at last he gave up, and was netted by the 
guide. He weighed over 6 pounds. He was hooked on a 
two-hook Rangeley-spinner, and no antics known to the 
salmon family could ever have unhooked him. 
June 25. — During the early fishing season of 1899 a 
party of eight gentlemen left Boston for a few fronting 
days at Indian Gardens, Nova Scotia. This was then a 
country little known to most of the party, and is yet new 
to Boston sportsmen as a fishing resort. Last year the 
party was so much pleased that another trip was planned 
for the same location, with a part of the same number. 
In the party this year were Messrs. Henry A. Estabrook. 
John W. Stirason, M'. D., Russell Brigham. M. D., Bert 
Brigham and Myrton A. Cutler, of Fitchburg; George 
F. Richardson, E. H. Tilton and J. Bert Baxter, of 
Boston. The party left Boston by Yarmouth Steamship 
Company's .steamer at 2 P. M., June i, arriving at Yar- 
mouth early the next forenoon. From Yarmouth' they 
enjoyed a delightful sail along the vSouth Shore, in a 
small steamer, the City of Monticello. Arriving at Liver- 
pool, the party took A. L, West's comfortable teams to 
Milton, over "a very rough road. From Milton to the 
Gardens the distance is twenty-four miles. "The road is a 
rough one, but West's teams were comfortable, with our- 
selves the drivers. At the Gardens everything was in 
readiness for us., and we felt no care during our stay. 
Trout we found in great abundance, and they rose vigor- 
ously to flies. Our casts of flies were selected by Mr. 
Baxter, of Dame, Stoddard & Co. We ca.ught a great 
abundance of beautiful trout, and found them both biters 
and fighters. But we kept only such as we wanted for 
food. We caught them up to 1Y2 and 1^4 pounds." On 
Friday the party moved down to salmon waters on the 
Port Medway River, and spent several days in the exciting 
sport of salmon angling. Success again crowned their 
efforts, 9-ix of the party taking one salmon each, weighing 
from to 14 pounds. The fishing was all that could be 
asked all the time, and the party was not unmindful of 
the beauties of early summer, with flowers and song of 
birds. The kindness of everybody ,and the interest they 
took in the party from the States, gave an added charm, to 
the outing. The return journey was made without par- 
ticular incident, the party reaching Boston June 14. 
A Lake Auburn, Me., fisherman mentions taking a 
yellow perch that weighed 2 pounds — a monster for that 
class of fish. He also believes that there are salmon of 
18 to 20 pounds in that lake. He also objects to the 
way some of the "plug fishermen" work. "Sometimes yotJ 
wilt find a fisherman anchored in a favorite spot, with 
from SIX to a dozen lines out, all baited with minnows. 
Sometimes they troll with almost as many lines. So many 
minnows in motion, or near together, is very likely to at- 
[June 30, 1900. 
tract the wandering salmon or trout. Till the salmon 
bite the fishermen amuse themselves by catching yellow 
perch with a baited hand line, Mr. E. C. Verrill, of 
North Auburn, seventy-six years old, somewhat sur- 
prised the younger Lake Auburn fishermen the other day 
by landing a salmon of $% pounds. 
Mr. Eben D, Jordan, of Boston, with his son, Robert, 
has returned from a fishing trip to the Rangeleys. Mr., 
Jordan caught a salmon of 7 pounds, and a plenty of 
smaller fish. Dr. Heber Bishop, of Boston, has been on ix. 
fishing trip to upper Rangeley waters. Rev. C. A. 
Knickerbocker, of yiuburn, Me., formerly of Dorchester, 
Mass., has been fishing in the neighborhood of Andover, 
Me. A party of four citizens of Dedham, Mass., has 
recently returned from a fishing excursion to Mooseluc- 
maguntic Lake. The names are A. H, Smith, C. H. 
Smith, Dr. B. B. Stoddard and Winslow Warren, Jr. 
They caught two brook trout of over 5 pounds, and sal- 
mon of 2 and 3 pounds. Fishing continues good at Billy 
Soule's Pleasant Island camps, Mrs. John W. Mason, of 
Brooklyn, N. Y., a lady of seventy-four years, who had 
never fished before this year, although for several sea- 
sons a regular visitor there, landed last week a salmon of 
6J4 pounds, two of S pounds, two trout of 2^2 pounds and 
two of 2 pounds. Senator W. P. Frye has found the fish- 
ing rather slow since he went to his camps. Lake Moose- 
lucmaguntic, after the adjournment of. Congress. He 
caught a small trout the other day, but threw it back into 
the water. But that trout was evidently ambitious to be 
caught on the flies of so eminent a fisherman, and the next 
evening he was caught again. This time the Senator put 
him back with admonitions to beware of the third time. 
Good fly-fishing is reported at Kennebago, Eustis and 
Seven Ponds. From Kineo come reports of better fly- 
fishing at Moosehcad. C. A. Jones, of Boston, took 
twenty trout on Monday at West Branch, J. Nelson 
Parker, Wilfred Bolster, of Boston, and D. T. Dickinson, 
of- Cambridge, have taken lots of fish at different points on 
the lake. Mr. Bolster made a string of twelve trout 
recently, weighing 18 pounds. Mt. Kineo Hotel is to en- 
tertain the members and giiests of the Maine Sportsmen's 
Fish and Game Association from July 9 to 16. The 
foremost sportsmen and fish and game protectors will be 
present, including Governor Powers, the Maine Fish 
and Game Commissioners and well-known fish and game 
legislators. Papers on fish, game and song bird protection 
will be read. 
L. O. Crane, of Boston, spends one or two days each 
week at Alto Bay and Lake Winnepesaukee. ' Last week 
lie caught a bass of 5 pounds. Fishing in the Pool and 
from the Aprons at Upper Dam, Me., is "only moderate." 
Mr. Eugene Lynch, of Boston, has caught the biggest 
salmon thus far, weighing a little over 5 pounds. The. 
water in the lower lake is falling most too rapidly for good 
fishing. Special. 
Canadian Fishing Notes. 
The angling season in Quebec Province may now be 
fairlj' said to be in full swing, though two weeks beTiind 
the usual time. An instance of this may be found in the 
case of some American gentlemen who were recently sent 
down from here to .some lakes behind St. Flavien, but 
found that the snow was lying 2 feet deep, and they could 
not get in. The fishing all round is steadily improving, 
and many fi.>h of over 5 pounds have been seen here— in 
fact, several speckled beauties weighing from 4^/2 to 5^2 
pounds were recently shown as having fallen to the rod 
of Mr. W. F. J. McCormick, of Bay of Biscaillon, Fla. 
They come from Lake Edward, from which a great many 
fish, most of them large, have come this season. 
Mr. Jas. McSloy, of St. Catharines, Ont., has be:en 
fishing on the Ste. Anne River, in the Tourilli preserves, 
and with his party bagged many big trout, the largest 
running up to 414 pounds. Mr. McSloy had as his guest 
Col. Parkinson, of India, and his sister, Mrs. Leech, of 
St. Catharines, Ont. Col. Parkinson, who is the youngest 
commanding officer in India, had to cut his stay short, ow- 
ing to the troubles in China. 
On Saturday last a party consisting of Messrs, C 
Coates, E. H. Sterns, E. Hildreth, W. S. Ray, W. K. 
Myers and U. M. Donaldson, of .Springfield, Mass., and 
Harrisburg, Pa., left for the Amabalish Club limits, and 
will make quite a stay. Next week these gentlemen will 
fish at the Grande Decharge for ouananiche. 
Master Dutro Plumb, of Detroit, Mich., probably the 
youngest American salmon fisherman coming to Canada, 
arrived in the city on Wednesday morning, and is stopping 
at the Chateau Frontenac. He is about twelve years of 
age, and is on his way to the Mingan River, on the north 
coast, to join his father, one of the most ardent sports- 
men visiting this district This is the second season for 
Master Plumb. 
Local anglers on Monday returned by the hundred from - 
points along the Lake St. John line, and all had stories 
to tell of big catches and bigger fish. Many of them had 
tangible proof of their yarns, too. 
Mr. Gardiner T. Lyon, of Oswego, N. Y., President of 
the Marguerite Salmon Club, passed through the city 
last week. His 6 feet 4 inches made him an easily 
recognizable figure, and accompanying him was Mr. 
Bryant, of New York, President of the Equitable Life 
Insurance Company. 
Messrs. H. S. K. Williams, of New York, and R. W. 
Johnson, of New Brunswick, N. J., also left by steara.ship' 
St. Olaf for the Natashqiian last week. 
Many anglers are expected here within the next few 
days en route for the Lake St. John country, as well as for 
the salmon streams of the lower St. Lawrence. 
One or two exceedingly warm days lately have improved 
the temperature of the water, without making it too warm, 
and the fish are now quite lively. 
The early arrivals at the Roberval _ Hotel this season 
found that they were much too early for rmy ouananiche 
fishing with the fly, but at present writing the fish are 
commencing to come up as the water falls and as its 
temperature rises, just as they do in other years a fort- 
night earlier, and before these lines appear in print the 
angling in the Grande Decharge should be at its best, and 
should continue so far a month at least. 
E. T. D. Chambers. 
Quebec, June 28. 
See tht list of good things in Woodcraft in our adv. cols. 
