[Aug. II, 1900. 
perhaps, is not fully appreciated by outsiders. It has 
been said that we are the most governed people in the 
Avorld. Perhaps a little explanation may be interesting 
as to why there has not been more done on the recom- 
mendations of your secretary. The jurisdiction of fish- 
ing, so far as license is concerned, is left to the Provincial 
Government, and I understand it has to some extent met 
the views of this Association. the park question ts 
with the Dominion Government, but in it are several 
departments. There is, for example, the Department of 
Marine and Fisheries, and the islands are under the 
Indian Department. The head of the latter has been 
away and was absent Avhen your secretary was there. 
This much has been done, however— the islands that were 
for sale have been withdrawn from sale. I have no 
doubt that whoever make up the government of the 
Dominion after the elections will favorably consider the 
matter of the reservation. 1 have seen what has been 
done on your islands, and am told that one is used so 
much that the lire has not been out of the fireplace this 
season. It seems that what you have done is serving a 
most beautiful purpose. I agree with what has been said 
about the freedom of the St. Lawrence. The alien labor 
law question has caused seme friction on the river. 
People around here have gotten the idea that Canadian 
waiters who went to Alexandria Bay were turned away 
and also that some steamer employes were turned off 
because they were Canadians. These things. tend to 
cause delay, but I hope will not prevent the carrying 
out ultimately of what the Association wants. 1 think 
the secretary is a little mistaken regarding the $5 license 
fee for fishing away from the river, but we will not dis- 
cuss that now. There are three things we want, and these 
ale: " To adjust the close season for fishing; to prevent 
netting at the mouth of streams from Snake Island to 
PresCott or Brockville, and to limit the size of catch. I 
will do what I can to further the interests of the Anglers' 
Association." 
T. B. Kerr said it was unfortunate that the alien labor 
law- of the United States should complicate local matters 
on the river. "We watit reciprocity," said he, "as to St. 
Lavyrence River matters. It is not an international 
question, but a local one, and it is hoped that our Cana- 
dian brethren will do the square thing, as anglo-Saxons 
always do, and do as Americans have done." 
President Skinner: "This is not an international 
.question, and this Association is not mterested in who 
are deckhands on steamers or waiters in hotels. What 
we want is the liberty of the St. Lawrence River from 
Lake Ontario so far as Ave desire to traverse it. We 
would never have had an international park but for the 
action of the Anglers' x^ssoc'ation.- and I hope our 
Canadian members Avill co-operate with us in trjnng to 
bring about what is now needed on the river." 
Secretary Thompson also spoke concerning the alien 
labor law, saying that any Canadian was at perfect liberty 
to come on the Ajnerican side and row there Avithout in- 
terference. 
Mr. Kerr brought up the subject of seining for mm- 
nows- in the little bays near the island residences He 
desired that a committee should be appointed to 
endeaAW to have a laAv enacted to extend the jurisdiction 
of private property owners on the riAcr so as to coyer 
their, "back yards." He did not think it right for out- 
siders to come into the little bays where property owners 
had baited m.innoAvs and seine the latter.- R. P. Grant 
thought that property owners on the river had no right 
over the Avater, and if a man Avanted such a right he 
Avould have to go to the Legislature as an individual and 
ask it. On motion of Mr. Kerr a special committee Avas 
appointed to take up the question of minnows or batt 
in the A'icinity of priA'ate residences on the islands. 
Protector Northrup said he understood that property 
owners at the islands did not OAvn bej'ond the Avater line. 
President Skinner thought there ought to be some 
marks to indicate the location of the international bound- 
ary on the riA'er. He spoke ot the placing of small buoy& 
on shoals, not including those of the Government in the 
main channel. He said he Avanted last winter to get 
from the Legislature an appropriation for small buoys,. * 
but did not succeed in doing so. He thought the too 
persons who OAvned yachts on the riArer had some rights 
to protection as Avell as the owners of the larger bo^ts. 
He applied to the State Forest, Fish and Game Com- 
missioners, and they furnished fifty buoys. The buoys ■ 
are- 4' feet long, and each, has a patent anchor Aveighing 
SO pounds. They are noAV in charge of Protector North- 
rup,. and they can be had of him, the only requirement 
being that the person taking one shall take care of it. 
G. M. Britton said the Canadian GoA'crnment were 
making a survey from Kingston to Prescott. 
The privileges of the floor were extended to Mayor W. 
B. Carroll of Gananoque, Avho Avelcomed the members 
of the Association. He said it had been deemed a fitting 
occasion to present a medal of the Royal Humane Cana 
dian Society to E. H. Bissett, of Brockville, who saved 
a lad from drowning on July i, 1899. He made a grace- 
ful speech in presenting it. 
Ex-Mayor E. B. Moles of Brockville. responded in 
behalf of Mr. Bissett. and expressed the pleasure it 
afforded him to meet the members of the Anglers' As- 
sociation, 
Hon. Chas, E. Britton spoke in an interesting manner 
of the objects of the Anglers' Association, and referred 
at some length to the international park question. From 
Kingston to Brock\'ille, said he, we ought to haA^e 
morg than brotherly relations. Dufing the fishing season 
the river ought to be open to all. 
Hon. Daniel Derbyshire also made a brief but enter- 
tainijhg address. He was glad to see so many present 
from both sides of the river. 
The nominating committee reported the following 
officers', and they Avere duly elected: President, Wm. C. . 
BroAvning. Ncav York city; Fir.st Vice-President. Henn' - 
R. Heath, Brooklyn; Second Vice-President, Charles R. 
Skinner, Albany; Secretary. Wm. H. Thompson, Alex- 
pndria Bay; Treasurer, R. P. Grant. Clayton;. Executive 
Committee, A. C. CornAvall, Col. O. G. Staples, Alex- 
andria Bav; Geo. H. Strough. Clayton; Geo.. C. Boldt. 
Cfias. G. Emery. New York city; Col. W. M. Griffith 
Utita: Rev. R. H. Pullman, Baltimore, Md.; Geo. r! . 
MalSy. Ogdensburg; Chas. E. Britton, Gananoque. Ont. ; 
T. X: Gillesoie. Pittsbure:. Pa.: Chas A. Sterling, Or- 
ange, N. J.; T. B. Kerr, Engle'wood, N. J. ' 
It Avas 3:30 P. M. when the business session of the 
Association adjourned and the mem.bers sat doAvn to 
their annual banquet in the dining room of the Gan- 
anoque Inn. At the conclusion of the dinner the anglers 
were photographed in a group in front of the hotel. 
AV. E. W,OLCOTT. 
UiiCA. N. Y., Aug 2. 
New England Angling. 
Boston, Aug. 4. — Mr. H. ■ A. Phinney, Mrs. Phinney, 
Mr. and Mrs. Peck and Mr. F. S. Frost, of Boston, have 
just returned from a fishing and oudng trip to Round 
Mountain Lake, Me. The same party Avent there last 
year, and are more and more charmed Avith the surround- 
mgs, as well as the fishing, They had particularly fine 
fishing in the lake. Avhile the stream fishmg Avas enough 
to delight the heart of the angler. Big and Little Alder 
are the trout streams of that region. One dons Avadmg 
boots and fishes down the streams through the woods. 
Only the larger trout are saved and those injured. Mr. 
Frost, " though over seventy years of age, is becoming 
an enthusiastic angler. His photographs of nature 
are the delight of his friends. Since the death of Mr. 
George T. Freeman, of whom Mr. Frost was the mentor 
photographic, he has kept on, and has contmued to pro- 
duce pictures of what he sees in nature. His photographs 
on Little and Big Alder are_ particularly true to nature. 
Mr. Frost pictures nature with the camera for the loA'e 
of the art, and no effort is spared in his work. 
The club house of the Sebago Club, Sebago Lake, Me., 
has been sold to a couple of Boston gentlemen, who will 
use it as a summer cottage. Mr. H. S. Fisher, to Avhose 
energy the building of the club house and format on of 
the club is due, has become somewhat tired of fish ng al 
Sebago, and the other members of the club agree Avitli 
him. After their trip to Sebago in the spring, resulting in 
only tAvo or three salmon, Mr. Fisher, Mr, Harding and 
Mr. Whitman made a trip to ncAV waters, under Little 
Squaw Mountain in Maine. Here they had all the fishing 
they could ask for. taking over 400 trout, the mo5t of 
which were returned to the water. Mr, Fisher says that 
they could have taken 1,400 just as well had they d ^ 
them. They Avill build a camp there if they can nnL- 
proper arrangements for the land. A whole township is 
what they Avant. , 
The United States Fisheries Commission sent from 
Wood's Holl Friday five or six barrels of the celebrated 
tileiish to F, F.. Dimick, secretary of the Boston Fish 
Bureau. The)' A\'ere sent for distribution among those 
most interested. The claim of the Commission is that 
the tilefish is a A'ery valuable food fish. It Avill be remem- 
bered that, this fish entirety disappeared from our coast 
for thirty or forty years. But a fcAV years ago a few 
Avere taken by deep-sea fishing. They were a puzzle to 
fishermen at the time, but were finally identified by the 
United States Fish Commission. Since that time the 
Commission has given considerable attention to locating 
the tilefish. and has attempted their propagation b}' arti- 
ficial hatching. Those sent to Boston Avere taken by 
one of the Commission boats by deep-seat fishing with 
hand lines, between thirty and fifty miles souiheast of 
Wood's Holl. The samples weighed from 6 to 7 pounds.. 
They are silvery in color, with bright yellow spots. 1 
Aug. 6. — The summer boarder and golf are holding full 
sway at many of the leading Maine and New Hampshire 
fishing resorts this month. Still, there is some fly-fishing 
at Moosehead, with fair results. Some fine strings of 
togue. or lakers, have been taken there within a Aveek, one 
string weighing 72 pounds. George W. Canterbury. 
Charles Bishop and Richard Bishop, of Boston, have re- 
turned from a fishing trip to the West Branch. They 
caught great numbers of fish, and chased deer and moosc- 
out of -the water to their hearts' content. At Rangeley 
some flA'-fishing is being done, and one gentleman, Mr. 
Frederick Skinner, of Boston, has continued trolling. 
He had already taken the biggest salmon of the sea.son — 
12 pounds — and last week completed his score by adding a 
trout of 6 pounds. Stream fishing is reported to be ex- 
cellent in the vicinity of Kingfield, Lexington, Jerusalem 
and Flagstaff. The great amount of rain in that part of 
the country has kept the streams up to a good fishing 
pitch. Mr, L. O. Crane writes his friend, Wes (Mr. Wes- 
ley C: Hemenway, of Boston ) : "After supper the other 
night I went to a pond a quarter of a mile away, caught 
twenty-five trout, from % to V2 pound each, and saAv 
thirteen deer, returning in time for a game of pitch in the 
CA-ening. The other morning I went to NorthAvest Pond 
and took forty trout and returned before 10 o'clock A. M. 
Such fishing is good enough for an idle sport. You must 
get time to come up here and enjoy the fishing." Mr. 
Crane is Avriting of the Megantic "preserA-e, where the 
fishing is excellent Good black bass fishing is reported 
at Centerville. N. H. The Plymouth. Mass., ponds are 
also yielding good bass fishing. Mr. W. D. Barnes, of 
Boston, took a trout of 6 pounds at Haines Landing, 
Moosehicmaguntic Lake, last week. Canoeing is a popu- 
lar sport at Mountain View, Rangeley Lake, just now, 
some NcAv York canoe experts being quartered there. 
Not much interest is yet being taken in shore bird 
shooting by Boston guimers, although the open season 
on snipe, plover, rail, etc.. begun July 15. There are birds 
to shoot, but the weather has been very hot, Avith other 
vacation interests in order. Special. 
Bluefish Bitmgf Ffcely. 
QiTEENSw.^TER, L. I.. Aug. 6.— Bluefish have been biting 
freely during the past week, and many good catches are 
renorted. In fact, it has been very ea.sy to catch all the 
fish. the average party cares to get in an hour or so. A 
few striped bass have been caught, but they are still 
scarce. Out at the Fishing Banks the usual variety of 
bass, blackfish. fluke, etc.. are being caught by the 
barrelful. There is a great demand for boats suitable for 
large fishing parties, and all the large sailboats and yachts 
m the bay are engaged for several weeks in advance. 
American Fistieries Society. 
The Treasurer of the American Fisheries Society is 
Mr. C. W. Willard, of " Westerly, R, L 
Piscatorial Poetics. 
From the London Fishing Gazette. 
PoPE''s bosom friend, John Gay, Avhose writings (be- 
yond, of course, "The Beggar's Opera," the ballad of 
"Black Ey'd Susan," the libretto to Handel's "Acfs and 
Galatea," and perhaps those "dapper couplets," as the 
younger Colman called them, in Avhich his "Fables" were 
Avritten) are scarcely known to this newspaper-readings 
generation, has, in the first canto of his Georgic on 
"Rural Sports," some lines descriptive of the angler's 
art which are easy and agreeable reading : 
When genial spring a living 'warmth bestows. 
And o'er the year her verdant mantle throws, 
No swelling inundation hides the grounds. 
But crystal currents glide within their bounds; 
' The finny brood their wonted haunts forsake, 
Float in the sun and skim along the lake; 
With frequent leap they range the shallow streams, 
Their silver coats reflect the dazzling beams. 
Now let the fisherman his toils prepare. 
And arm himself with every watery snare; 
His hooks, his lines^ peruse with careful eye, 
Increase his tackle, and his rod retie. 
« If: 4 
The fisher to the neighboring current speeds. 
Whose rapid surface purls unknown to weeds; 
Upon a rising border of the brook 
He sits him down, and ties the treacherous hook; 
Now expectation cheers his eager thought. 
His bosom glows with treasures yet uncaught. 
Before his eyes a banquet seems to stand. 
Where every guest applauds his skillful hand. 
Far up the stream the twisted hair lie throws. 
Which down the murmuring current gently flows; 
When if or chance or hunger's powerful sway ' ■. 
Directs the roving trout this fatal way, 
He greedily sueks in the twining bait. 
And tugs and nibbles the fallacious meat; 
No>v, happy fisherman, now twitch the line! 
How: thy rod bends! Behold, the prize is thinel. 
Cast on the bank, he dies with gasping pains. 
And trickling blood his silver mail distains. 
Space forbids the continuance of the quotation. After 
discoursing fluently on worms and flies, and the cunning 
artificial lures Avhich tempt the "roving' troM," the poet 
comes at length to the fresh- water king, and giA'^es the 
folloAving spirited description of landing a salmon : 
If an enormous salmon chance to spy 
The wanton errors of the floating fly. 
He lifts his silver gills above the flood 
;Vnd greedily sucks in the unfaithful food: 
Then downward plunges with the fraudful prey. 
Ami bears with joy the little spoil away: 
Soon in smart pain he feels the dire mistake. 
Lashes the wave, and beats the foamj' lake ; 
With sudden rage he now aloft appears. 
And in his eye convulsive anguish bears; 
And now again, impatient of the wound. 
He rolls and wreathes his shining body round: 
Then headlong shoots beneath the dashing tide, 
The Trembling fins the boiling waves divide ;' 
Now' hope exalts the fisher's beating heart, 
Now he turns pale, and fears his dubious art; 
He views the tumbling fish with longing eyes. 
While the line stretches with th' unwieldy prize; 
Each motion humors with his steady hands, 
And one slight hair the mighty bulk commands; 
Till, tired at last, despoiled of all his strength. 
The game athwart the stream unfolds his length. 
He now, with pleasure, views the gasping prize 
Gnash his sharp teeth, and roll his bloodshot eyes; 
Then draws him to the shore with artful care, 
And lifts' his nostrils in the sickening air; 
( Ipon the burthen'd stream he floating lies, 
Stretches his quivering fins, and, gasping, ^i^s. 
With what seems a curious inconsist4;ncy, while ap 
parently feeling no pity for the "finny prey," he condudes 
the canto by urging the use of artificial flies as "less cruel" 
than torturing worms or liA'ing insects ! 
Grand old Michael Drayton, in his famous "Polyolbion" 
—"that strange, Herculean toil" which runs to thirty 
books — gives a description of the leap of the salnion which 
certainly ranks as one of the prettiest piscatorial word- 
pictures to be found in English poetry : 
Whenas the salmon seeks a fresher stream to find 
(Which hither from the sea comes yearly by his kind, 
As he in season grows), and stems the wat'ry tract, 
Where Tivy falling down doth make a cataract, 
Forc'd by the rising rocks that there her course oppose. 
As though within their bounds they meant her to inclose; 
Here, when the laboring fish doth at the foot arrive. 
And finds that by this strength but vainly he doth strive; 
His tail takes in his teeth, and, bending like a bow 
That's to the compass drawn, aloft himself doth throw; 
Then, springing at his height, as doth a little wand 
That, bended end to end, and flirted from the hand, 
Far off itself doth cast, so doth the salmon vault. 
And if at first he fail, his second somersault -■- 
He instantly essays; and from his nible ring,.. 
Still yerking, never leaves, until himself he fling 
Above the streamful top of the surrounding heap. 
And in "The Muses' Elysium," Nymph&l VI., wherein 
a woodman, a fisherman, and a shepherd swain contend 
for who should be deemed worthiest, he makes Halcius, 
the fisherman, thus praise his favorite occupation: 
The crystal current streams continually I keep, 
Where every pearl-pav'd ford, and every blue-ey'd deep, 
With me familiar are; when in my boat being set. 
My oar I take in hand, my angle and my net 
About me; like a prince myself in state I steer. 
Now up, now down the stream, now am I here, now.tlipre. 
The pilot and the fraught myself; and at my ease 
Can' land me ^yhen I- list, or in what place I please. 
The silver-scaled shoals about me in the streams. 
As thick as ye discern the atoms- in the i)eams, 
Near to the shady bank, where slender sallies grow, - 
And willows their shag'd tops down t'wards the waters bo.ii'. 
