270 
FOKEST AND STREAM. 
[Oct. 6, igoo. 
A Lake in County Mayo. 
A CORRESPONDENT sends US this well written sketch of 
fishing in Ireland, from the London Standard of Sept. 
7: 
Who that has once fished in County Mayo in fine 
weather can ever forget it? Sport may not always 
be quite what it was in the* great days when salmon 
and white trout swarmed, when the fisheries had not 
been half ruined by mismanagement, needy landlords, 
and ubiquitous poachers, and the angler was pretty sure 
of a heavy creel wherever and whenever he went out. 
Yet even now, despite many drawbacks, excellent fish- 
ing is here and there to be obtained, white trout are 
fairly abundant, and touching brown trout, every lake, 
every river, every tiny stream that runs sparkling amid 
the glens and mountains of this lovely land is full of 
tliem. As for scenery, there is scarce a corner of the 
British Isles, that can approach County Mayo, with its 
glorious mountains, its romantic valleys and passes, 
its wild moorland, its wonderful seascapes, its unrivaled 
coast line. The clean, soft air, fresh, from a thousand 
leagues of virgin Atlantic, is perfection itself. There 
js nothing else quite like it, except, perhaps, in adjacent 
Connemara. Leaving Clew Bay and its hundred islands 
behind us, we drive in the little governess cart up ^ a 
moorland drive, no great way above the Newport River, 
which, finding an outlet from Lough Beltra, makes its 
short passage to the Atlantic. A seven mile trot into 
Beltra, a beautiful upland lake, set amid perfect solitude, 
lies shining before us. Beyond the lake rises the moun- 
tain of Croaghmoyle, behind us springs Mount Eagle; 
while to the Northwest towers Nephin, one of the most 
formidable of Irish mountains. From Nephin you may 
stretch your gaze over the waters of Lough Conn, and 
see before you in the far distance Killala Bay, where 
the French landed in 1798. We make our way to one 
of the few dwellings on the shores of Beltra. The lad 
we find here assures us with true Irish readiness that 
he has the best boat on the lough, and so we outspan, 
and put up the pony. An inspection of tlie boat, which 
has apparently been lying in the sun for weeks, makes 
us somewhat less certain of our prospects. But the 
eager boy repeats his warranty, we shove the craft into 
the water, and bestow ourselves and our fishing gear. 
Alas, we are not fairly afloat before from half a dozen 
seams the water comes pouring in. Desperate bailing 
enables one of us to keep the craft afloat, while the other 
essays a few casts; but it is evident that our voyage is 
doomed, and with what haste we can muster wc push 
/ across the lake for another cabin, where the right boat — 
it is quite evident we have chanced upon the wrong 
one — is to be found. During this hurried excursion we 
have taken three decent brown trout. 
Having changed boats and dismissed our late rower — 
now too downcast even to say a parting word for his 
once incomparable craft — with the solace of a badly- 
earned shilling, we get upon the water again under 
much more favorable auspices. The sun is a trifle too 
bright, perhaps, but there is a fair breeze from the 
West, and a white cloud or two sails boldly across the 
blue sky every now and again, chequering the lake with 
cool shadows. The sea trout on Beltra have, however, 
been rising none too well of late, and we are by no 
means sanguine. Our boatman manifestly understands 
his business, and moving steadih^ round the lough, wc 
get to work, the soft breeze materially assisting our 
casting operations. Three or four brown trout, the 
biggest of them over half-a-pound in Aveight, are hooked 
and landed, and then comes that deHghtful. boiling rise, 
which can never be mistaken, of a good sea trout- 
white trout as they call them in Ireland. The rise is 
a good one, and the fish is firmly hooked.- and now comes 
a desperate little battle betwixt fish and angler. There 
is no better fighter in the world than this pluckiest of 
the Salmonid(B. Three desperate leaps out of the water, 
displaying the sea-trout's clean shape and silvery sides 
—critical moments these— and then the fish bores away 
frantically, demanding and receiving six or eight yards 
of_ line. But the battle is to the strong, and in five 
minutes the white trout is conquered and brought along- 
side the boat. One quick sweep of the landing net. 
and the fish, a beauty of just upon two pounds, lies 
before us. Having administered the quietus and duly 
admired tlie fair proportions of the capture, we get to 
work again. Another brown trout or two, and then 
follow in pretty rapid succession the bold, pulse-quick- 
cnihg rises of four sea trout, three of which, varj'ing in 
weight from three-quarters of a pound to one pound 
and three-quarters, are, after .some minutes of delightful 
excitement, brought to bag. Then some few 'more 
mixed rises, a handsome brown trout of a pound and a 
quarter, and after that a halt for luncheon. A water 
bailiff has been halloaing to us with great pertinacity 
for the last twenty minutes, and now. putting ashore 
for a brief space, we are able to lull his suspicions and 
produce our licences. Poachers of high as well as of 
low degree are pretty numerous in Tj'eland. and although 
rivers and lakes are better protected than they used to 
he, a good deal of French leave is still taken in these 
remote places. _ For sea trout, as well as for .salmon, a 
one-pound fishing license is required, and- occasionally 
asked for^ where keepers do their duty. 
It is curious, by the wav, hnw little is known of the 
habits of the sea trout. Here in the West of Ireland 
peasants and water bailiffs seem to be even less able to 
enlighten one than their fellows of Scotland or even 
Norway. When and Avhere do the heavier examples 
of these fish snawn? Very few anglers, who understand 
salmon and their ways pretty thoroughly, are able to 
tell you. In various rivers a large proportion of sea 
trout seem to return to the salt water without spawn- 
ing at all. Again, many of the heavier fish seem to 
hang about the_ const and eshiaries. Do these ever 
ascend a river with their fellows? They love apparently 
to drift up and" down with the tide, to Just taste the 
fresh water .coming down from the rivers, and move on. 
The smaller ^sea trout do, of course, ascend the upper 
reaches and spawn: the heavy fish, it would seem, much 
more rarely. Male fish, too, among- he,avy sea trout, 
?eem far scarcer than among s.i1mon. One thing our 
"Wavo friends are able to bear witness to — a fact well 
Imown. of course, to most anglers among the Salmanfricp 
— and that i,?. that wliite trout, unlike their hijf cousins 
the salmon, do feed freely in fresh water. Of that there 
can be no manner of doubt. Upon this very morning 
rhe biggest sea trout killed disgorged the remains of 
several worms upon which it had manifestly been feeding 
greedily. You may also find them at times stufifed with 
other lood; in salt water, for instance, they are very 
partial to sand eels. It is now, of course, pretty well 
established that the lordly salmon seldom, if ever, feeds 
in fresh water; the sea trout is, on the contrary, a hearty 
gourmand in salt water or fresh, and after a spate you 
will occasionally find him absolutely gorged with worm,s. 
Brown trout, plucky as they are, vary greatly in fight- 
ipg energy. Of course, soil, water and feeding have 
much to do with this. There are three well-remembered 
lakes in Norway, all lying within half a mile of one 
another, and all holding good fish. In the first and. sec- 
ond lakes, set amid thick pine forests, the trout were 
dark, heavy and strong, but a trifle sliilr-gish. In the 
third tarn, which lay among rockier and more open 
surroundings, and was much less engirt with timbe) . 
the fish were lighter in color and immensely more ener- 
getic in character. A brown trout of half a pound taken 
in this upland water gave as much sport as a sea trout 
of a pound and a half, which is, of course, saying a 
great deal. In this same Norsk lake char abounded; 
these deep water fish were, however, seldom taken, and 
then only in the hottest weather. 
Towards 6 o'clock, with a respectable creel of brown 
trout, noblj' illuminated hy nine or ten silvery sea trout, 
we run a,shore, inspan our pony cart, settle our trifling 
account with the boat-lad, and lotli though we are to 
leave this fair scene, drive homewards. As we cross 
the solemn moorland, now and again is to be seen 
against the glowing evening sky, plodding homewards, 
a patient ass, its two deep wicker creels, or panniers, 
laden to an im.possible height with turf sods, behind 
which is usually perched a ragged, bare-looted boy or 
girl. The turf sods, dug out of the wild bogland with 
so much toil, represent, of course, winter firing 1 and 
winter comfort in the humble Mayo cabin. These way- 
farers and a bird or two, a heron, or, as an Irishman 
would call him, a "crane," cleaving his majestic flight 
against the yellow sky, or a skein of duck, or a sand- 
piper, are the only occupants of the quiet waste. Near- 
ing home, we cast a final glance backward toward the 
lone, majestic mountains, amid which our lake is set. 
Beautiful Beltra, ever fair to the eye and memory, even 
among the romantic scenery of wild Mayo, how pleasant 
are the days passed amid your lovely solitudes and in 
pursuit of your excellent sporting fish! 
ANGLING NOTES. 
A Salmon Score. 
One day in August as I was going to my train in 
Albany I met Mr. Wm. Sage on the platform, also waiting 
for a train. As both our trains proved to be ten minutes 
late, we indulged in talk about salmon fishing, for I had 
last seen him on the Ristigouche River, in Canada. Soon 
after I made a note of what he told me about the late 
salmon fishing, but he told me another thing about which 
I could not make a note, as it lacked essential details, and 
this was that Mr. John S. Kennedy, president of the 
Ristigouche Salmon Club, had made a remarkable score of 
salmon killed on the Ristigouche and the Cascapedia. 
and that on three different days he had killed his limit of 
eight salmon. The essential details that I refer to were 
the total numbers of fish, weights, etc., and not until I was 
in New York last week was I able to supply them, and 
now give the score complete to the readers of Forest and 
Stream. The score tells its own story, and I only call 
attention to the number of fish killed on the Jock-Scott 
fly. A total of 88 fish, and 56 fell to the Jock-Scott. Of 
the remaining 32 salmon 20 were killed on silver-doctor, 
7 on_ dusty-miller, 3 on black-dose and 2 on silver-gray, 
provided I have counted and figured correctly. First I 
give Mr. Kennedy's score on the 
Ristigouche. 
June. 
13. Adam's Run, 1. 2llbs.. P. M.. Tock-Scott. 
15. Mam Pool, 1, 211bs., A. M., silver-doctor. 
15. Main Pool, 1, 221bs., A. M., dusty-miller. 
15. Main Pool. 1. 22Ib.s., A. M., dustv-miller. 
15. Alain Pool. 1, 241bs., P. M.. dustv-mtller. 
]5. Main Pool, 1, 22Ibs., P. M., dustj-miller. 
15. Main Pool, 1, 2'tlbs.. P. M,, silver-doctor. 
16. Alain Pool, 1. 261b.s., A. M.; Tock-Scott. 
16. Main Pool, 1, ISlbs.. A. M., Tock-Scotl. 
16. Main Pool.'], 14lb5., A. M.. Tock-Scott. 
Vi. Main Pool, 1, 191bs., P. M., silver-doctor. 
16. Alain Pool. 1, 201b,s., P. M., silver-doctor." 
17. Sundav. 
18. Rock Pool, 3. Bibs.. A. M..' Tock-Scott. 
18. Rock Pool, 1, 2.51bs., P. M„ Jock-Scott. 
^ulJ^ 
•5. Main Pool, t, 22!bs,, A. M.. black-dosct 
5. Alain Pool, 1, 91bs., P. M., Jock-ScoU 
Total, 16 fish, 3281bs. 
The sixteen salmon averaged 20^< pounds. Six kelts 
were landed and returned to the river. Mr. Kennedy left 
the Ristigouche Salmon Club at Metapedia on the rnom- 
ing of June 19, and arrived at Cascapedia Club the after- 
noon of the same day. He returned to Ristigouche Sal- 
mon Club July 4, which accounts for the two fisli recorded 
on July 5. 
Cascapedia River, 
.Tune. 
19. Duffy'.s, ], 26lbs.. P, M., silver-doctor. 
20. Rock Pool, 1, 26Ibs.. A. M.. dustv-miller. 
20. Duffv's, 1. 2.31bs.. P. AT., dusty-miller. 
20. Ledge, 1. 231bs„ P. M.. silver-doctor. 
21. Duffy's, 1. 211bs.. A. M., silver-doctor. 
21. Tent, 1, 191bs., A. M., siK'er-doctor. 
21. Duffy's, 1, 251bs., P. M., silver-doctor. 
21. Ledge, 1, SOlbs., P. M., silver-doctor. 
21. Rock, 1, 261bs., P. M., silver-doctor. 
21. Rock, 1, 171bs., silver-doctor. 
22. Rock, 1, 361bs., A. M.. silver-doctor. 
22. Duffy's. 1. 241bs., P. M., silver-doctor. 
23. Home, 1, 181bs., A. M., Jock-Scott. 
23. Duffy's. 1, 261bs., P. M., silver-gray, 
23. Ledge, 1, 251bs., P. M., silver-gray. 
24. Sunday. 
25. Alaple, 1, 261bs., A. M., Jock-Scott. 
25. Maple. 1, 351bs., A. M., Tock-Scott. 
25. Maple, 1, ffllbs., A. M., Tock-Scott. 
25. Maple, 1, mbs., A. M., Joct-Scott. 
25. Maple, 1, 341bs., P. M., Tock-Scott. 
25. Maple, 1, aibs., P. M., Jock-Scott. 
25. Maple, 1, SSlbs., P. M., Jock-Scott. 
26. Maple, 1, SSlbtf., P. M., Jock-Scott. 
26. Limestone, 1, 241bs., A. M., Jock-Soott. 
26. Limestone, 1, 351bs., A. M., Jock-Scott. 
26. Limestone, 1, 221bs., A. M., Jock-Scott. 
26. Limestone, 1, 281bs., P. M., Jock-Scott. 
26. Limestone, 1, 131bs., P. M., Jock-Scott. 
26. Limestone. 1, 26Ibs., P. M., Jock-Scott. 
26. Limestone', t. 401bs., P. AI., Jock-Scott. 
26. Limestone. 1, 40. bs., P. M., Jock-Scott. 
27. Turner's Brook, 1, 231bs., A. AI., Jock-Scott. 
27. Big Camp, 1, 281bs., P. AI., Jock-Scott. 
27. Big Camp, 1, 311bs., P. AI., Jock-Scott. 
27. Big Camp, 1, 321bs., P. M., silver-doctor. 
28. Almonds, 1, 281bs., A. M., Jock-Scott. 
28. Almonds, 1, 34!bs., A. M., Jock-Scott. 
28. Almonds, 1, 351bs., A. M., Jock-Scott. 
2.S. Almonds, 1, 421bs., P. M., Jock-Scott. 
28. Almonds, 1, 231bs., P. M„ Jock-Scott. 
28. Almonds, 1, 22ibs.^ P. M., Jock-Scott- 
28. Almonds, 1, 201bs., P. AI., Jock-Scott. 
28. Almonds, 1, lllbs., P. M., Jock-Scott. , 
29. Almonds, L 291bs., A. AI., Jock-Scott. 
29. Almonds, 1, -Sllbs., A. AI., Jock-Scott. 
29. Almonds, 1, 391bs., A. M., Jock-Scott. 
29. Captain's. 1, 251bs., A. AI., Jock-Scott. 
29. Big Camp, 1, 291bs., P. AI., Tock-Scott. 
29. Big Camp, 1, 271bs., P. M., jock-Scott. ^' 
29. Big Camp, 1, 261bs, P. AI., silver-doctor. 
30. Joe Alartin's, 1, 441bs., A. AI., dusty-miller. 
30. Joe Alartin's, 1, 331bs., P. AL. Tock-Scott. 
30. Toe Martin's, ], 26!bs., P. AL, J'ock-Scott. 
30. Joe Alartin's, 1, 331bs., P. M., Jock-Scott. 
30. Joe Martin's, 1, lOlbs., P. M., Tock-Scott. 
30. Joe Martin's, 1, 371bs., P. M., Jock-Scott. 
30. Joe Martin's, 1, 261bs., P. M., Jock-Scott. 
30. Captain's, 1, 391bs., P. M., silver-doctor. 
July. 
1. .Sunday. . "| 
2. Almonds, 1, 241bs., P. AI.. Jock-Scott. 
2. Almonds, 1, 131bs., P. M.. Jock Scott, 
2. Almonds, 1, 191bs., P. M., Jock-Scott. 
2. Almonds, 1, 251bs., P. M., Tock-Scott. 
2. Almonds, 1, 141bs., P. M,, Jock-Scott. 
2. Almonds, 1, 251bs., P. AI., silver-doctor. 
Total, 64 fish, l,7251bs. 
This produces an average of 26 61-64 pounds per fish. 
The score shows that on four separate days — June 25. 
26, 28 and 30 — Mr. Kennedy killed the limit of eight fish. 
Mr. Kennedy had a guest on the Cascapedia who killed 
eight fish, as follows: 
June. 
30. Leap Pool, 1, 261bs., P. M., silver-doctor. 
.30. Leap Pool, 1, 291bs.. P. AL, silver-doctor. 
July. 
1. Sunday. 
2. Captam's, 1, 411bs., A. AI., Jock-Scott. 
2. Captain's 1, 2.61bs., A. M., Jock-Scott. 
8. Doctor's. 1, 311bs., A. AI., black-dose. 
3. Doctor's. 1, SOlbs., A. AI., black-dose. 
3. Almond.-^. 1, 251bs., A. AL. Jock-Scott. 
3. Big Camp, 1, 341bs., P. AL, Jock-Scott. 
Total, 8 fish, 2421bs. 
Average SO^/ilbs. 
Mr. Kenned3''s score on the Cascapedia will furnish 
one given to figures considerable amusement. The four 
days on which he killed the limit of fish the eight salmon 
weighed respectively 229. 228, 215 and 248 pounds, or an 
average per day of 28^, 28!i4, 26% and 31 pounds, but 
on each of three days the average was brought down by a 
small fish, viz.: 13 pounds on the second day. it pounds 
on the third day and 10 pounds on the fourth day. On 
this day, too. the extremes met, the largest fish, 44 pounds, 
and the smallest fish. 10 pounds. The 29th was almost a 
limit day. with seven fish of 206 pounds, an average of 
-9 3-7 pounds. There were five fish killed weighing each 
40 pounds or more, and four were killed on a Jock-Scott 
and one on a dusty-miller, but I must leave further figur- 
ing to others, as the score will .speak for itself. 
Readers of Forest and STRE/tM may recall a score 1 
gave, made by Mr. James Barnes Baker, a nephew of Mr. 
Kennedy's, a few 3'ears ago in the Ca.scapedia. I lost the 
score, and only recently found it again, and it is well 
worth reprinting, for I doubt if it was ever equaled, and 
probably will not be duplicated, except possibly on the 
same river. Mr. Baker in one day killed seven salmon 
weighing 28, 30, 35, 35, 38, 40 and 41 pounds, or a total of 
247 pounds, making an average of 35 2-7 pounds. 
Kipling on Fishing. 
Win- it is that when I open a book by chance I open it 
to a paragraph about fishing or fish, if it so happens that 
the book contains anything upon these subjects? It was 
in this way that 1 chanced upon Kipling's mention of sal- 
mon fishing on the Pacific Coast, and lately I noticed in 
the library at home a book strange to me, and took it 
from the shelf and opened it. It was "The Day's Work," 
by Kipling, and it opened naturally in my hand to a 
page where my eye caught the word "tarpon," and so 1 
read the paragraph containing it. It was in ''The Brush- 
wood Boy," and the author says : 
"He became a member of the local Teiit Club, and 
chased the mighty boar on horseback with a .short stabbing 
spear. There he met the mahseer of the Poonch, beside 
W'hom the tarpon is as a herring, and he who lands him 
can say he is a fisherman." 
I do not know as Mr. Kipling has ever taken a tarpon 
lo compare his fighting qualities with the big carp of 
India, but Mr. Alfred C. Harnesworth. who wrote ' of 
tarpon fishing in Forest and Stream at my request after 
a visit to T''lorida for the purpose of tarpon fishing, has 
since been to India, and upon his return to t^otidon wrote 
me that except for the heat India would be the finest fish- 
ing country in the world.. He did not specify the kinds of 
fish he found there, nor did he compare the mahseer with 
the tarpon, as probably he could, bur if the big carp is 
really so much superior to the big herring-like fighter of 
Florida and Texas, that the Yankee anglers have come 
to think is the greatest fighting fish of all the list, it would 
be well that we knew more of the giant carp. T doubt if 
any mahseer that swims can equal the jump that I saw a 
tarpon make in Florida, an unhooked tarpon, but I never 
have seen a comparison made between the two fish until 
I read what I have quoted from Mr. Kipling's pen, and he 
has not qualified as a judge. The Entyclopaedia of Sport 
has this to say of the mahseer: 
"The mahseer, commonly running to .50 pounds in 
weight, and attaining as much as 150 pounds, has its 
habitat only in large, rocky, mountain rivers." 
Its habitat would make it a more difficult fish to deal 
vvi\h when hooked than the tarpon, but apparently it does 
not grow to the weight of the tarpon. "To continue the 
description : "It is the most sporting fish in the East, the 
violence of its first rush on feeling the restraint of the 
hook being phenomenal, and constituting a special difficulty 
in its capture. It does not take the bait as a salmon or 
trout ordinarily does, leisurely rising and leisurely re- 
turning to its place, but with a sudden blow which takes 
