Oct. 6, igoo.l 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
271 
tlie angler by surprise, and which will even jerk the sal- 
mon rod out of his hands, if he is unprepared. And this 
blow is instantly followed by a violent rush, to Avhich the 
run of a salmon can bear no comparison. The rapidity of 
the dash is accounted for measurements of the tail and fins 
as compared with the rest of the body of the fish, which 
show that the superficial areas of the propelling and 
directing powers amouut together to as much as the 
superficial area of the whole of the rest of the mahseer's 
body. The sudden jerk and A'iolent rush make it neces- 
sary to fish for it with a thoroughly pliable salmon rod 
that will yield to the first rush more rapidly than it is 
possible for the angler's hand to do — to yield, indeed, be- 
fore the effect of the blow has even reached the angler's 
hand, and so to allow the line to run out, but for which 
the strongest tacfkle that can be well used Avith a rod 
must be broken. The tackle, too, must be good and 
strong, and the running line, the same as for salmon, 
should be 150 yards long. Other rushes also the mah- 
seer will make before he yields, but none such as his first 
for suddenness and rapidity." ' 
The mahseer has no teeth in its leathery mouth, but 
it has some cruel teeth in its tliroat. I have some that 
Mr. Marston sent me without giving the size of the 
fish from which they were taken, but they seem large and 
strong enough to compare them with the teeth of a tiger, 
provided the tiger selected for comparison is not too 
large. Perhaps Mr. Harnesworth, having had experience 
with both fishes, will give the readers of Forest and 
Stream a paragraph or two from his note book, which 
would be more convincing than the broad assertion made 
by Mr. Kipling, who may have written under a license 
issued to poets, A. N. Cheney. 
Tarpon in Texas Waters. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
In my last letter I did not mention the fishing at 
Galveston, but I will now take the liberty of doing so, as 
. it may interest some of my brother sportsmen. I saw 
an article by Mr. Waddell in your paper, in which he 
says he would like to get* up a discussion on tarpon fish- 
ing. I think I am the first person to help set the ball 
rolling. Mr. Waddell says, very justly, that it is extreme- 
ly unlikely that the tarpon will ever be exterminated. 
The best reason for this is that the fish are unmarketable, 
and only the well-to-do can take part in this kingly sport. 
Now of late years, since the Great Jetties have been 
put up, tarpon, Spanish mackerel, trout, redfish, jack- 
fish (sometimes called horse mackerel), which average 
in weight 25 pounds, abound. I landed one last sum- 
mer weighing 40 pounds. I fought him three-quarters 
of an hour with a small mackerel hook, and when I 
landed him I found the barb of my hook Avas broken 
off. At first I thought it must have been a tarpon, but 
as he did not leap out of the Avater I kncAV what 
r had, and stepped back on to a higher rock, and had a 
great time. I had to handle him gently on account of my 
small hook. This started me on big fish. Before this 
I had dreaded them, and regarded them as a nuisance. 
I have had as many as fifteen hooks and sinkers taken 
by tarpon and jackfish in one afternoon. 
The reason for these fish coming to Galveston is this, 
and it is a marvelous sight: There is one continuous 
stream of mullet running doAvn the jetties all day. In 
fair weather men throw for these fish AA'ith cast nets, and 
we use them for bait, and find they are the best for all 
fish caught there, except redfish and sheepshead. I have 
tried trolling Avith a spoon and also a piece of red cloth 
for mackerel, but did not get a strike. In fishing for 
tarpon Ave use a large mullet about g inches long. For 
mackerel, trout and redfish a piece about 2 inches is the 
best size. Jackfish don't give a cent how big or small 
and take them all. 
Last summer I Avas fishing for tarpon Avith the 
O'Shaughnessy tarpon hook, long wire leader and a mul- 
let about 9 inches long. I got a strike, and never dream- 
ing that anything but a tarpon Avould have the presump- 
tion to take such a mullet, I struck at him, as I have 
found that the best way. Every one Avho has seen a 
tarpon knows that his mouth is like a piece of iron, unless 
you get him in the tongue, and I struck him hard, so as 
to drive my hook into his hard head. Well, you may 
imagine my surprise Avhen I reeled in the line and found 
a small trout about 14 inches long hooked in the side. 
I had a rather queer experience with a tarpon. I 
hooked a big fellow on a mackerel hook with a copper 
wire leader. I Avas then on the rocks. He left the water 
three times. I then called to the boy at the pavilion 
to bring a boat. The tarpon Avas lying a long way out 
sulking. The boy brought the boat, and as I Avas step- 
ping in the tarpon made a run. I pressed too hard on 
my leather drag and fell into the boat. At the same 
time the tarpon left the Avater, and on this jump he must 
have throAvn the hook out of his mouth, and it caught 
in his back just behind his fin. Well. Avhen I found he 
Avas hooked in the back I kncAV I Avas "up against it." 
It Avas then 6:30. but I determined to play him as long 
as the light lasted. He started straight out to sea, 
but after a very hard tussle I managed to turn him back, 
and he took me back by the pavilion. That pavilion 
must haA-e gone doAvn in the hurricane. Ah! that storm! 
But as the man who ran the pavilion made a great deal 
of money, he told me before I left Galveston that he Avas 
going to put up a better one next summer, It is on the 
middle— or Avas on the middle — of the North Jetties, and 
many a delightful night liaA^e I spent out there. Avith the 
cool sea breeze on my face all night and the Avater 
lapping gently on the great granite rocks, 
I haA^e had as many as fifteen or eighteen strikes from 
tarpon in one afternoon; twelve is about the average 
number in an afternoon. At times the- instant your line 
strikes the water you have a strike. The tarpon is the 
king of salt-Avater fish in my estimation, and I am not 
alone. From fifty to sixty Spanish mackerel and trout 
are nothing unusual in one afternoon. 
The way we take sheepshead at home is with a ,32 
Winchester early in the morning when they come up 
to the big rocks that are just under the Avater. You 
can go along the rocks early in the morning and see 
then in great numbers ; a steel bullet does the work. 
There is another way of killing these fish: Take a 
pole about 8 feet long, drive a piece of thin iron in the 
end; have it barbed, and sneak along the rocks and try 
to run it through the fish. The fall is the best time to fish 
for sheepshead at Galveston; shrimp is the best bait 
for them. 
The fishing for tarpon, trout, mackerel, red'fish and 
jackfish begins in the middle of Ma}^ is pretty good in 
June, and from the middle of June to the first of Sep- 
tember is magnificent. Galveston is not much known as 
a fishing resort, but any one Avho goes there and goes 
to the Bolliver Ferry Co. will get all the information he 
needs. It is from there the boat (a naphtha launch) 
leaves for the North Jetties. There will be a new and 
better paA-ilion next summer; and one can stay there over 
night. Any one who goes there Avill leave well satisfied. 
I hope I may have the pleasure of seeing some of ray 
brother sportsmen from the North and East next simi- 
mer. I hope Mr. Waddell will see this, for T am glad 
to try and help him Avith the silver-king. C. K. B. 
A Trip to the Trout Lakes. 
At 8:30 on Thursday morning, May 24 last, Throop, 
?Ia3^es, Dcslaurier and I left by the C. P. R. train, arriv- 
ing at Buckingham station at 9:20, Avhere we found our 
man waiting for us with a good team, and after a very 
pleasant drive of three miles we reached the steamer 
Agnes ready to start up the River Lievre with a party 
of merry picnickers on board going to the High Falls 
to spend the bii'thday of Her Gracious Majesty. Our 
genial friend, Capt. A. McNaughton, was also on board, 
as well as the ©bliging captain of the steamer, Capt. 
Bothwell. We made good time, and arrived at our 
destination at 12:30, where Ave found Isaac and his boy 
Availing for us with the horse and jumper. It did not 
take us long to get the things snugly packed, and by 
1 :30 Ave were at the lake. It would surprise many people 
to see the places over which Isaac's horse took our load. 
He actually Avalked along a single log, and went up and 
doAvn places Avhere it is difficult footing for a man to 
pass. 
We found the boats in good shape, and by 2 o'clock 
we were at the point, Avhere tents were pitched in a 
lovely spot, close to a stream of clear, running water. 
.After partaking of a light lunch we got our rods and 
tackle together and started out for the afternoon's fish- 
ing. Throop and I going in one boat and Hayes and 
Deslaurier in the other. We did not anchor, but kept 
moving about, one paddling and the other casting. By 
this means we of course covered a very large extent of 
water, and this increased the chances of securing what 
fish might be on the lookout for flies. 
We rose most of them close in under the bushes and 
dead trees near the shore. The day was, however, very 
bright, not a cloud in the sky, and for that reason doubt- 
less they did not rise very Avell. HoAvever, Throop and 
I managed to land twenty-fiA'e nice trout between us. 
We returned to camp about 8 P. M., and found that 
Deslaurier and Hayes had some nice fish, and reported 
having lost some very large ones. They did not move 
very far from camp, and fished Avith both bait and flies. 
Throop and I used the fly onlJ^ We found the most 
killing to be the grizzly-king. Montreal, Alexander and 
Zulu, and they seemed to show a marked preference 
for the first-named. The largest trout I caught on the 
trip Aveighed 2>^ pounds, and took a fly I made according 
to no particular pattern, namelj^ body dirt broAvn seal's 
fur; hackle, dark brown; Palmer Avings, and tail well 
marked pintail. This fly somewhat resembles "Dr. 
Shore's fancy," and is a verj- tempting looking fly. 
During the evening we heard and afterAvard saw an im- 
mense trout jump out of the water three or four times. 
From appearances and the noise it made Ave estimated its 
weight at from 6 to 8 pounds. We tried several flies 
OA^er him, but he Avould not rise at them. This day 
was just as bright as the previous one, and the resiflt 
much the same. We returned to camp about 8:30, and 
after a good meal sat around the fire chatting and 
smoking until about II, when Ave turned in for the night 
somewhat tired after having been up since 3:30 in the 
morning and at work all day Avith the exception of about 
an hour when we rested for lunch at noon. The black 
Hies were very troublesome on the lake, but Avere for- 
tunately not A-ery plentiful near the camp. The nios- 
cjuitoes did not bother us at all until daylight. It was a 
great relief to lie down in the tent at night and feel free 
from the black flies for a fcAv hours. We had plenty of 
fly oils Avith us of A^arious kinds, but found the tar oil 
the only thing to keep the flies from biting; CA'en that 
i-t(iuired renewing frequently. Nesmuk's recipe is the 
best I have tried. 
We Avere out bright and early the next morning, Sat- 
urday, and fished until about 10 o'clock, Avhen Ave re- 
turned to camp and packed up, after partaking of a 
sumptuous meal. We then left for the end of the 
portage, Avhere we found Isaac awaiting us (I never 
kneAv him to fail to be on time), and it did not take us 
long to get doAvn to the river, Avhere we divided the 
fish and packed them carefully in our baskets with 
plenty of ice and boughs. The steamer arriv^ed about 
4, and Ave reached Buckingham at 5:30. We drove at 
cnce to the railway station, and had tea at a nice, clean, 
comfortable hotel near by. after which Ave enjoyed a 
pleasant chat over our trip, until the train arrived at 9:20. 
We reached home at 10:15. and all pronounced it, al- 
though short, one of tlic most enjoyable trips we had 
ever liad. Not a single thing Avent Avrong or AA'as for- 
gotten> It is- not often that everything goes right on 
such a trip. A slight accident Jiable to happen, or 
something be forgotten or broken, which might cause 
considerable inconA'enience Avhen one is away from civ- 
ilization: but everything Avent Avell in our case. 
The fine weather of course prevented us making a 
large catch, but Ave did not go for the purpose of making 
a haul, and we Avere all perfectl}'^ satisfied Avith Avhat 
sport we had. Our total catch Avas sixty trout of about 
T pound average Aveight — quite sufficient to make the 
sport interesting. 
With regard to flies we found that the proper size of 
heok Avas No. 5 (old seals), and that the grizzly-king 
dressed Avith a very bushy body of rather dark green 
seal's fur Avas the most effective, as before mentioned. 
Walter Greaves. 
Ottawa, Sept. IT.; 
The Sea^s Exchange. 
I )owN in the deeps of the wintry sea, : 
F&r from the tossing waves; 
Where the clinging weed is the. ptily meed, . • 
O'er tlje sailors' silent graves. 
Down in the deeps an old crab squats, 
Watching with evil eye 
'I'he trawl with its freight of the living dead' 
A? it passes slgwly by, 
I' 
Above in the storm-tossed ocean trougli, 
In the mist of the blinding rain, 
'Fore the scourging blast the creaking maSt 
Groans loud as a soul in pain. 
The craft heels o'er, and the sea's long arms. 
Like tentacles seeking prey, 
.Suck a man from the shell in the seethmg hell, 
The toll of the sea to pay. 
He saw Death's hand so oft before, 
Its terrors he laughed to scorn; 
l?ut oh! for the widow's anguished moan 
At the break of the coming dawn. 
Vet the tiets are heavy with scaly spoil. 
The harvest exchanged for life, 
And his mates must earn for his widow's need 
What he would have earned for wife. 
Down in the deeps 'neath the turmoil wild 
The trawl sweeps slowly past. 
Up from the quiet and ghostly calm 
To the force of the wintry blast; 
And down in its place come the form and face 
Of one who but lately laughed » 
As he judged the weight of the scaly freight 
In the hold of his tiny craft. 
Whilst the old gray crab from his sandy bed 
Crawled over the smackman's breast. ',■ 
"More room for those who are left," be said, 
"May the sea gods help the rest." 
Down in the deeps the old crab watched 
With active and evil eye, 
As the trawl made way for the lifeless clay. 
And drifted slowly by. 
— Kryptos in Loudon I'^ishing Gaxcltc. 
Mahseer Fishing. 
To go with Mr. Cheney's notes on the mahseer, the 
great game fish of Indian waters, we qUQte this story, a 
British angler's experience with the fish in Central India : 
S. and myself took three days' leave to try our luck in 
one of the numerous rivers knoAvn as the "Kali Sind." 
Fourteen miles' ride on an apology for a road all over 
black cotton soil brought us to our camp near a small 
village of the usual type on the river bank. It was 5 
o'clock Avhen we arrived, too late for much chance of a 
fish, so Ave turned out some of the villagers to beat for 
us and had a very good little shoot, getting seven brace 
of partridge and a few quail before dinner time. Next 
morning we turned out early and full of high hopes, fished 
steadily until about 9 A. M., but with no success. The 
river was clear and we could see plenty of fish schooling 
about, but they treated the spoon Avith the utmost con- 
tempt. Occasionally a fat mahseer would sail after it al- 
most to one's feet and then turn aAvay A\'ith a Avag of his 
tail. It was particularly annoying. We caught nothing 
that day. The following day things were not much better, 
S. got one mahseer, 4 pounds, and I got a murril, 45^. 
A murril is not a A^ery sporting fish to catch. He is 
heavy and dull and makes a poor fight of it, but his Avorth 
as an addition to the larder is undoubted ; he is seldom 
absent from any decently s'upplied breakfast table. The 
first time I caught one of these fish I mistook him for a 
kind of snake, and his proceedings justified my suspicion, 
as no sooner had I freed the hook from his mouth than 
he slipped from my hand and did sixteen annas straight 
back to the tank. . I tried to grab him, but could get no 
purchase on his snake-like body, and in spite of my iiing- 
ing myself on top of him he slid gracefully into the 
water and swam slowly away. I know him better now 
and knock him on the head before he is taken out of the 
landing net. * 
Next day Ave Avere both rather stiff and Aveary and 
turned out rather late. The dead still heat in a river 
bed on a September day is something to be remembered, 
and the smell of the damp vegetation is stifling, so it Avas 
not to be wondered at that we were both a bit lazy and 
did nO' fishing before breakfast. There was nothing in the 
weather or water to-day to make one anticipate that it 
would be in any Avay different from yesterday or the day 
before. But that Avas just Avliere Ave made a mistake; the 
niahseer had made up their minds to break their fast on 
this occasion, as I shortly found out. Beginning at the 
same place as on the two previous days — a quiet pool 
below a ford — ^I Avas into a liA^ely 2-pounder the very first 
cast, and in a quarter of an hour had two more the same 
size. ■ I skipped about half a mile of intervening water in 
order to try what seemed the most likely bit — a nice 
rapid about two hrundred j^ards long and interspersed 
Avith rocks — a shoal ran down the length of the rapid 
dividing it from a quiet baclcAvater. Wading down the 
shoal I could cast across the stream, and soon began to 
ha\-e a lively tim^e. For more than an hour I Avas landing 
or losing fish at frequent intervals — the monster of the 
day, of course, defeated me — twice he took out nearly all 
my line, and as I reeled him up short the second time 
I experienced that blank and dismal sinking inside (T 
can't discribe it better). knoAvn only to fisherman, as my 
rod suddenly straightened out and the spoon came flicking 
back to me across the stream. I found on examination 
that the hook had broken — bad luck indeed. I put up 
another spoon, which, however, did not last long. Having 
cast across the stream, I was hauling in the slack when a 
fish snapped up the spoon almost at my feet, the line ran 
out, but being a bit kinked caught round the reel. There 
was a jerk that nearly took the rod out of my hands, the 
line snapped, the rod fortunately stood the strain and the 
line came falling batk through the rings. That 
mahseer got a jog in the mouth that fairly astonished him 
and for full thirty seconds he kicked about on the top of 
the Avater, getting gradually further and further down 
