Sept. 15, igoo.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
209- 
Fishing in Florida. 
A I'lsHiNt; party, with fishing regalia, a full hamper of 
toothsome edibles and a typical Florida day ! No wonder 
It was that the crowd envied them as they drove off in 
their light-running camp wagon. The party numbered 
but four. First was the expert fisherman, the most 
scientific angler of the county— a true fisherman in every 
sense of the word. Next came the visitor from Pennsyl- 
vania, who for three winters had practiced the art of 
Florida fishing, plying his line six days a week, resting 
on the Sabbath by talking "fish" and recalling to mmd 
those childhood days when it was too wet to go to Sunday 
school, but not too damp to go fishing for chubs in the 
little brook back of the old homestead. The third 
member was the Florida resident and business man 
who enjoyed the sport for the recreation it brought, as 
well as for the eating that always "goes." It mattered 
not whether this individual fished with a silk line or a 
liemp string — he caught fish, his comrades claiming for 
him that he caught as big fish as he sat on the brook 
asleep as at any other time. The fourth member was 
the "tenderfoot," a young Pennsylvanian, who tangled 
his line among those of the other fishermen, whose 
"score" often became weighty from his fellow fishers' 
catch, and on a return from an expedition, distributed 
fish with a gusto that was childlike and mirth-provoking. 
A ride of ' twenty-five miles through open pine forests, 
stretches of prairie and along the shores of Tohopekeliga, 
and our party halted at Canoe Creek late in the after- 
noon. The two Northern men, with that eagerness that 
belongs to the angler, made a rush to the creek to try 
their bait and be convinced that the trout Avere biting. 
The tent was pitched and hay given to the horses; later, 
however, it was decided a better camp could be made 
Tight on the bank of the creek. Here the "chug, chug" 
of the striking trout kept up an incessant commotion in 
the water as they fed on the minnows, and fairly set on 
iirc the enthusiasm of the entire party. While two of 
the members made camp, the visitors took off the wiry 
edge of their enthusiasm by catching a dozen or so trout 
for supper, each cast of tlie minnow being quickly fol- 
lowed by the landing of a fish. 
Supper was soon aimounced, with its steaming coffee 
aiul sizzling trout, trout done to a mouth-watering 
brown, that had but a few minutes before been leaping 
and s|:riking in the water. How the hearts of those 
Northern men pulsated with excitement as they listened 
to the swish of water made by some large trout striking 
only a few feet from them. 
Supper was Sofin dispatched and the party betook 
themselves to the bank of the creek for an hour of royal 
sport. The scene was picturesque in the extreme — a 
nickering camp-fire and four very happ3% excited fisher- 
men, each anxious to out-do tiic other in size and nuin- 
Ix-r of fish caught during this period of ferocious feeding. 
Above was a cloudless sky with the round full moon 
rising slowly out of the forest on the left, while to the 
right, bordered with a narrow fringe of cypress, stretched 
three miles of lake. A broad prairie lay in front, its 
level surface only marked by the winding sluggish creek. 
The Florida men, after pulling in fish incessantly for 
an hour, wearied of the sport and quit, the fish still 
hungrily taking the hook. The trip had been arranged 
for the special pleasure of tlie senior member of the 
party, and to give him an experience of "catching fish as 
fast as a baited hook could be thrown" — a statement he 
had always taken with a "grain of allowance." It was 
now proposed that the finishing touch should be put to 
memory's pictui-e, and that the elder man should make a 
record. Witli two poles and the expert angler baiting 
liooks and taking oft' fish, this Pennsylvania member was 
put on his metal pulling out trout for five minutes, and 
such trout as they were, when it was found that he had 
fourteen beauties to his credit, averaging about 3 pounds 
each. 
A lively minnow thrown into the water meant instantly 
a strike from a trout- — in fact, they were so ravenous that 
they struck at the corks on the lines, and finally to test 
their rapicious appetites, a piece of skin from the flank 
of a large grinuel was put on the hook and several trout 
were caught with it. Provided with two buckets of 
minnows from town, this rapid fishing soon exhausted 
them, and while two members of the party went to the 
lake with a minnow seine, the others continued to catch 
trout with dead minnows and flank of grinnel. As the 
two Pennsylvania members continued to satisfy their 
score, it Avas discovered that the hay had been left at the 
first camp site. The excitement and danger encountered 
in this short walk can best be related by the man who 
so narrowly escaped death, and is as follows: 
"Walking along the prairie by Harwell's side, tufts of 
wire grass dotted the way. Just before reaching our 
first camp site, which was near a large bunch of saw 
palmetto, I was suddenly hurled a distance of about 10 
feet by the vigorous shove from Harwell's right arm, as 
he at the same time exclaimed 'Gracious, what a rattle- 
snake !' As I had seen no evidence of a snake, nor heard 
any, I was inclined to believe the treatment rather a 
rough joke, and asked where the snake was. He pointed 
to the ground over which I had just passed and toward a 
dark object, which I had thought v.'as a bunch of grass 
and had moved out of my course enough to keep from 
striking it with my toe. Still, not hearing the electric 
sound of the rattle, and from my position it yet looked 
like a dark stump, I could not yet believe Harwell saw 
aright, but shifting to the side where my rescuer stood, 
the rays of the moon clearly showed the large yellow 
diamonds of a very large rattlesnake in its coil, head erect 
and ready for business. It was not until we began to 
peer closer and lay plans for killing him that he sounded 
his rattles. This metallic sound on the still night air 
had very much the effect of an electric shock — a cold 
shiver ran up the spinal column, and a shaking of the 
knees followed, when T realized the cloee call I had 
made. W^ith guns at camp, our only alternative was 
for one to stand guard near the snake while the other 
went for sticks with which to kill him. He now soon 
ended his career, and was taken back, to caitap, but was 
left outside. We decided not to mention the snake 
episode that night lest the fishing dreams of our friends 
be intermingled with scenes of diamond-backed rattlers." 
At daybreak the Northern anglers were again hard at 
work away up the stream., When they came in, the elder 
man had completed a score of 100. He was satisfied and 
happy, and ready for breakfast. During their absence the 
rattler had been stretched its full length (6 feet) beside 
the tent, with its head under, just near where the tender- 
foot slept. On their approach, the hideous reptile met 
their eyes— the cooks indifferently ( ?) working away at 
the other side. The elder man for: the moment felt the 
shock, but he quickly recovered himself, and taking in 
the situation, helped the plotters stampede the tender- 
foot in his mad rush for his gun inside the tent, which 
was unfortunately near the snake's head. He came rush- 
ing out without it, his face aglow and his eyes almost 
popping out of his head, saying he "Couldn't get his gun 
for the snake," but determined that the trophy should be 
his, he rushed frantically around, all oblivious to the 
mirthful faces of the party who were simply splitting 
their sides at his buck ague and acrobatic feats over the 
guy ropes of the tent. Grabbing a shotgun from the other 
side, it was with difficulty he was prevented from filling 
the snake full of holes, and thus spoiling the skin as a 
trophy. This amusing climax to the snake episode was a 
bright ending of an averted tragedy. 
"A fisherman will fish and a fisherman will .lie," but 
no need did tliis parly have for the art of Ananiasism. 
Away from Kissimmee, but a fraction over a day, they 
caught fish till they wearied over it. The fish had bitten 
so magnificently that at the beginning it was realized more 
fish could be caught than could possibly be disposed 
of, therefore care was taken to unhook the fish without 
injury, and return them to the water. Of the morning, 
catch, enough was saved to supply all friends with a 
mess. • . * . 
In memory's storehouse this fishing trip in Florida ever 
lingers, and those Northern men live over and over again 
the delightful experience ' to Canoe Creek as they tell 
it to friends in that Monongahela "Valley, where the 
taking of a catfish or an occasional sucker is a feat rare 
and worthy of newspaper comment. 
Minnie Moore- Wilt.son. 
KtSSIMMEE, Fla. 
ANGLING NOTES. 
Pound Nets in Lake Erie, 
A JTiRM of fish dealers in New York city applied , to tne 
Fi.sh Commission for a license for each of the pound nets 
to be' operated in Lake Erie outside of the limit fixed_ by 
law. inside of which no nets may be operated. The firm 
paid the license fees and ol;)tained their licenses and sent 
material to tire fishmg grounds to construct tlieir pounds, 
and then the trouble began. Local fishermen in Buft'alo 
objected to this Avholesale fishing, and Commissioner 
Lansdowne, who resides in Buffalo, was appealed to, and 
he. acting under rules framed by the Commission, wrote, 
to the office of the Commission in Albany on Aug. 16 
and directed that the licenses should be suspended until 
■ action could be taken by the full board at their next 
monthly meeting. On the first of the week following, the 
president of a sportsmen's association in New York city 
appealed to Commissioner Wood at the New York office 
of the Commission, and he, not knowing that Commis- 
sioner Lansdowne had already directed that the licenses 
be suspended, also wired to the Albany office of the Com- 
mission, giving like instructions. The firm of fish dealers 
then appeared in Albany, through an agent, to know 
why, etc., but Commissioner Lansdowne had acted prop- 
erly under Rule 17, printed on every license issued, which 
says : "The Forest, Fish and Game Commission reserves . 
the right to alter, amend, repeal or modify any or all of 
the foregoing rules and regulations, and maj^ adopt new 
ones at any time as thej' may deem expsdient. They may 
revoke any license granted hereunder at any time, and 
for any reason which to them may seem sufficient." 
The Commissioners make the rules, and they have 
power to amend or alter them at their pleasure, but the 
Legislature makes the laws, and the Conmiissioners have 
no power to amend or change them at their own pleas- 
ure or at the pleasure of any one else, and it is their duty 
to enforce them after the lawmakers have framed tfiem, 
and here is one of the laws handed over to the Commis- 
sion to enforce. It is .Section 73 of the Forest, Fish and. 
Game LaAv: 
Nets in Lakes Ontario and Erie. 
Fisli may be taken with nets in the waters of Lafee Erie except 
within one-half mile of the shores or islands thereof, and within 
five miles of the mouth of Cattaraugus Creek; and on Lake On- 
tario, except within one mile of the sIioimjs or i.slauds thereof and 
within three miles of the mouth of the Niagara t-iiver. Fishermen 
licensed to fish in said lakes may hang or reel licensed nets on 
the shores thereof to clean and dry the same. 
LTnder this and other sections of the law which permits 
the use of nets, the State has granted i,i8o licenses to 
net fish as follows : 
Hudson River, Section 75. , 650 
Delaware River, Section 75 25 
Wappengers Creek, Section 75 10 
Rondout Creek, Section 75 15 
Salt wa:^r, Section 76 25 
Bays, east end Lake Ontario. Section 74 100 
Lake Ontario, Section 73 too 
Lake Erie, Section 73 IQO 
Otsego Lake, Section 81 45 
Minnow nets, Section 62 100 
Mill Site and Perch lakes. Section 64 10 
1,180 
The licensing of minnow nets and nets to take coarse 
fish in inland waters not inhabited by trout other than 
lake trout is discretionery with the Commission, and has 
been done only for obtaining bait, and the licenses were 
issued last fall for frost fish, bullheads, etc., in Perch 
Lake. 
The matter of issuing licenses is" placed in the hands 
o*f one person, who, under the general directions of the 
Commission, scrutinizes all applications and bonds, seeing 
that they conform to the l.aw and rules of the Com- 
mission as ta fsffii and sufficiency, and who has studied 
the license system since its beginning in 1895., He writes' 
all the licenses and they are signed by the secretary or 
assistant secretary of the Commission. 
In the matter of exercising the discretiSnery powers 
conferred by the Legislature upon the Commission ta 
license the use of nets to take coarse fish in inland lakes, 
it may be said that this power was exercised to grant only 
ten such licenses in iSgg, and none were granted in i^. 
The license clerk issues this form of license oflly as' 
directed by resolution of the Coimnission. _ ' 
In Lakes Erie and Ontario the Commission has no 
discretionary power, and any kind of net can he used.- 
See Section 73, already quoted. All persons who have 
complied with the law and the rules have been licensed 
to use pound nets in said lakes, ' without reference tb 
residence of applicants. The law allow.s no discretion in 
the matter of licensing any particular kind of form of 
net in these particular waters, nor does it limit the privi- 
leges to residents of any particular locaUty as long as 
they are residents of the State. ' 
The license provides that no net shall be used with rnesH- 
less than i>^-inch bar (this is a rule, not the law), and 
the license is granted subject to the following provisions' 
printed in it and forming a part of the licenses : "Pickerel, 
pike and wall-eyed pike must not be taken dtaring March 
and April. - , o i' 
"Muscalonge must not be taken between Feb. 28 atid 
May 31. Black and Oswego bass must not be taken' 
between Dec. 31 and June 16; more than twenty-four of 
such fish must not be taken in any one day by any one 
person; if any such fish are taken less than 10 inches in 
length they must be immediately rettirned to the water- 
from which taken, without injury. 
"Lake trout or salmon trout less than 15 mche? ro 
length, must not be taken; if caught they rnust be re- 
turned to the water immediately and without injury." 
These provisions are incorporated in. the license be- 
cause they conform to the law and are entirely outside 
of the jurisdiction of any rules that may he made by 
the Commission. I shall not attempt to discuss the 
merits or demerits of wholesale netting, but I have tried, 
to explain the situation,in regard to the particular licenses 
that were granted for Lake Erie by giving the law and 
showing the difference between the kw and the rules 
made by the Commi--sioners. If it is wrong to license 
nets in Lake Erie,, the remedy lies in a repeal of the 
law and not in finding fault with a Commission that had 
nothing to do with making the law. Upon repres'entar; 
tions made to one of the Commissioners the licenses for 
the pound nets have been suspended, and what the next 
step will be remains to be seen. I have heard that fhe. 
fish dealers will mandamus the Commission to compel 
it to make their licenses operative under Section 73r 
should it fail to act favorably at its next meeting, but up.? 
to this writing it is all in the air. The primary object 
of a fish commission is to cultivate food fishes and 
cheapen this form of food supply, and incidentally to 
propagate the so-calkd game fishes, which are just as- 
much food fishes, as the comniercial fishes. The fishes, 
classed as commercial fishes are as, a rule much, more, 
proliiic than the game fishes, and some of the former can , 
be taken only in nets, as they do not bite a J^aited hook. 
For instance, the brook trout pfoduces on an average, 
from 500 to 1,200 eggs, the black bass from 2,060 -to 
10,000 eggs, and they iiiay be called typical game fishes. 
The shad produces from 30,000 to 150,000 eggs and will 
not take a hook; the whitefish produces on an average 
35,000 eggs and will not take a hook; the pike perch .pro- 
duces from 200,000 to 600,000 eggs; the muscalonge pro-- 
duces from 100,000 to 400,000 eggs : the pike, commonly 
called pickerel, produces from ieo,ooo to over 600,000 
eggs. Salt water fishes taken in nets and on trawls are 
still more prolific, as for instance the codfi'sh, which pro-- 
duces over 9,000,000 eggs; striped bass, over 2,000,000: - 
flat fish, 500,000 to 1,500,000 eggs; mackerel, 600,006 r 
eggs; tautog, 1,200,000. It would be manifestly unfair 
to permit the use of nets in a trout brook to take fish 
that do not spawn much over i.Bbo eggs per fish, and ' 
which may require . 150 days to hatch the eggs, while it 
would be, proper to net pike perch under restrictions 
which first of all observe the breeding season — a fish 
that produces an average- of 200,000 eggs and which re- 
quires but. twelve to eighteen days to hatch. Net fish- 
ermen, the men who take food fishes in a manner tt) 
reduce their cost to the people, must from the very na- " 
ture of things have some rights which the law ie bound 
to observe, but what these rights may be I shaJl not 
venture an opinion here. 
Anglers (hook and line fishermen) are apt to look oh 
all netting in fresh waters with disfavor; but when they 
look at the luatter dispassionately they mu^ fealize that 
restricted netting is necessary if food fish is to be 
placed before the people at a reasonable price. The con- 
flicting interests appear to clash, -vehen each should have 
its own field of operation, if the selfish element could be 
eliminated and have common sense take *ts ptece. 
The Staelfaead. 
The steelhead tr&ut, formerly called the steelhead sal- 
mon, is another introduced fish from the far 'West that 
promises to do well in, at least, some Eastern waters. 
They have been planted in several lakes and streams in 
New York, but just what they will do in public -waters i3 - 
so far a matter of conjecture. 
Mr. Kent, of the Tuxedo Club Fish Committee, wrote 
me in July: 'T wish to get some landlocked salmon 
smelt for Tuxedo Lake. We have done so remarkably 
well with the steelhead s'almon, which have proved them- 
selves to be a most excellent fish and exactly suited to 
our . waters, that I am anxious to help matters by pro- 
viding them -vvith prooer food." Later I had some corre- 
spondence with, another member of the committee, Mr. 
Thos. Stokes, and I quote from one of hh letters: 
"I was glad to know that you had tried the experi- 
ment of planting steelhead troMt in Long Island and Lalc€ 
George, but fear that you have put the fry out too yoting, • 
as we have found in our experience in Tuxedo that it 
does not do to put thprn out before they are two years old, 
so that they can protect themselves, particalarly ?l there 
are pickerel or Mack bass in the same lake. We have 
found that the steelhead gro-w very opidly afflter they 
are put out, and are very game, and at t!ie age of 
