230 
FOREST AJND STREiVM. 
[March 23, 1901. 
A Day^s Ice Fishing. 
The first I knew anything about it was on the morning 
of the day we took the trip. I was awakened about light 
by a loud pounding on the door, and sticking my head 
out of the window I found Fred there to see if Ned and 
I didn't want to go fishing. And he wanted to know in 
a hurry, too. 
About 9 o'clock we were ready for the start. Fred had 
his brother's horse, which animal, his brother assured 
hini. was a good reader "if you would only ply him well 
wifli the club," and Fred said that if that was the only 
thiiig lacking for fast time, he'd guarantee to supply that. 
But as it proved, this sort of talk was all nonsense. 
The horse, we found, was right after his business, without 
the need of any stimulus of the club. In twenty-five 
minutes we were at Kezar Falls, 4>4 miles, where 
-we stopped to get bait, and soon after 10 o'clock 
had covered the g miles to the pond we had decided to 
strike. Finding a chance for the team at a convenient 
farmhouse, we were soon on the pond ready to begin cut- 
ting the holes. 
In this work — which is hardly the most enjoyable fea- 
ture in winter — Fred went ahead with the chisel, I fol- 
lowed dishing out the ice chips with the cover to the 
lunch box, and Ned came behind sounding and setting 
the lines. I thought it was kind of selfish in Fred, keep- 
ing all the fun to himself of handling the chisel, but 
being of a modest turn I kept niy thoughts to myself. 
Five holes were cut and rigged, and then Fred and 
Ned thought it best to go to another pond which they 
knew of but a few rods distant, and set some lines there, 
leaving me to look after those already in position. This 
was agreeable to me, and after the boys' departure, I 
began pacing expectantly up and down the line of holes, 
wliich extended across the mouth of a small cove, seeing 
that the lines were in working order, shaking up the 
"tommies" occasionally, and all the time keeping a sharp 
eye out for "flags." 
There was one hole in particular that seemed somehow 
to claim my closest atention — the last one cut, away Out 
to one end of the line. I liked the location of that hole 
from the lirst. It was offshore a little further than the 
rest, the \\:\tcr was black and deep, and I could seem to 
see the big fellows lying sleepily around down there in 
the dark depths, waiting for their appetites to notify 
them that they must be looking around for a raeak 
"If a big one is caught to-day, it will be there," I said 
to "nyself. and I spent the greater part of my time fussing 
around at that end of the line. The flags were rising 
quite briskly all along, but it generally proved to be the 
work of perch, which haA^e a provoking way of dropping 
the bait, and .^t the end of a half hour I had but two small 
Xjickerel. 
After a time a boy fame down from the house with . 
his skates. He was a decidedly agreeable sort of boy. - 
who courteously replied to the numerous questions I 
put to him, chiefly regarding the best fishing grounds 
and the character of the shooting there in season; but 
I didn't wholly enjoy his visit for fear he'd be where he 
could grab hold and haul out that big fellow I was ex- 
pecting every minute to have a scrap with, although by 
.sharp maneuvering I managed to keep mj^self for the^ 
most part of the time between him and the favorite hole. 
The perch were bothering some at the other lines all the 
while, and meantime I caught another pickerel. It was 
small, like the others, but I kept up courage by thinking 
that when I heard from the u]ipcr end of the line it 
would be dift'erent. 
Well, it was soon after the boy left that the expected 
happened. I was at the opposite end of the line, of 
course, when the flag went up, but it took me only about 
three seconds to get on the spot. My fingers trembled 
as they grasped the line, which was running out rapidly, 
and my heart Avas thumping loudly. I didn't let him have 
it long — big ones are apt to spit out the hooks, you know, 
if you do — ^but as soon as I had my feet well settled 
among the ice chips, began pulling in — slowly at first, 
but as there was little resistance the idea seized me that 
he was coming the old trick of following on with the 
line, and fearing to give him slack I put more strength 
into every pull. I felt as though T was exerting about 
10 horse-power, Avhen suddenly something gave way, and 
the rest of the line went flying over my shoulder. The 
hook had lost hold, but he was still floundering around 
in the hole, and into it I went, both arms to the elbows 
and. fingers going like snapping turtles. I-don'tJ<now 
how many times I closed on him and lost hold again, be- 
fore T saw his actual size — not a bit over eight inches. 
When I realized the fact, I discontinued operations in 
a hurry, and it was so still round there for t)ie next few 
minutes you could hear the squirrels chattering half a 
mile avva3f. 
Soon after this Ned came down, on his way to the 
house for water. He and Fred had out nine lines, but 
had caught nothing yet. I had caught nothing more at 
noon, when Fred came down for more bait and the box 
of dinner. He had pulled out a pretty good one just 
before he left, and some of the other baits had been 
chewed up badly, so I decided to leave my lines and go 
up to eat dinner with them. 
It was only about five minutes' walk. They had a fire 
midway their line, and looked as cozy as could be. Fred's 
pickerel was still flopping on the ice — a good 2-pounder, 
and so plump and pretty that it just made me hanker 
for more. 
After getting all the lines in shape, Ave _ piled more 
wood on the fire, fixed up some seats round it, and drew 
up for dinner. We didn't have anything very nice to 
eat, but there was plenty of what we did have, and 
somehow eA'-erything tasted terribly good, out there in 
the onen air, and Avashed down by plenty of the Avater 
Ned had brought from the house. 
And rierht here I want to say to the uninitiated, "Don't 
drink dirty pond water when you go fishipg." There's 
not a bit of need of it, for plenty of drinking water can 
always be had at the nearest house. And such water — 
AA'hv. it's alniost Avorth while .going fishing, even if you 
don't cat-ch any fish — to get a few drinks of such water 
as you find back here among these hills. In the case of 
the housp we resorted to on this occasion, the well was 
in the cellar, after a practice quite common In this sec- 
tion, and tit* water must have flown througrh some sort 
of mineral deposit at some stage, for it was of a slight 
reddish tinge; but this did not detract from its quality 
in the least, as all agreed that better water was never 
drunk. 
Of course, we kept watch of the lines as we ate. After 
a few false alarms Fred landed a pickerel, and Ned got 
a good one almost into the hole, but lost it. Then came 
more unaccountables, and finally Ned captured a perch. 
We were not getting many fish, but what with the fine 
weather, the fire, the dinner — and the water — we were 
enjoying ourselves hugely, especially Fred, who hadn't 
had a day out before for months. I quite forgot about 
the lines I had left, in the fun we Avere having, but it 
Avas just as Avell, for on calling for them on the way bacl< 
not a flag was up. 
It was late when we finished dinner, and after two 
hours' more fishing, during which Fred and Ned each 
caught a pickerel, we packed up and started for home; 
Fred beguiling the return trip with stories of certain 
eccentric characters with Avhich he had become acquainted 
in a sojourn in the great West. 
It was dark when Ave reached home. We had but eight 
pickerel and a perch, but all three declared that it had 
been a great day's fishing. Templar. 
Cornish, Me. 
would be well if our streams could be rid of them. 
In my boyhood days I had a large experience in spear- 
ing eels and I know the skill required and the pleasure 
this sport affords, and the only things we ever could take 
were eels and suckers, water snakes and snapping turtles, 
but the latter two are not protected by the humane pro- 
visions of the Fish and Game law. 
A section should be added to our present fish law sub- 
stantially as follows^: 
Eels and suckers. — Eels may be taken with a bob in 
any of the Avaters of this State between the ist day of 
May and the 30th day of .September, inclusive. Eels and 
suckers may be taken with a spear in any of the streams 
of this State not inhabited by trout between the ist day 
of May and the ,30th day of September, inclusive. 
J. S. Van Cleef, 
PoUGHKEErSIE, N. Y. 
On Eels. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Did you in the days of your older boyhood ever live 
in the country near some stream full or ordinary fish the 
very nearness of AA'hich made you unhappy unless you 
could steal aAvay on Saturday afternoon for a half day's 
sport, or unless you could try your luck at night after 
the work of the day was over? And if so, do you re- 
member that when you started out equipped with a bam- 
Anglers^ Association of Onondaga. 
Syracuse, N. Y., March 12. — A large number of en- 
thusiastic anglers braved the unpleasant weather last 
night and attended the annual meeting of the Anglers' 
Association of Onondaga held at its rooms in the BettS 
Block. The reports show the work of the Association 
during the past year to have been very . successful and 
satisfactory and indicate that it will be continued during 
the coming season with all the interest and aggressive- 
ness which has obtained for the Anglers' Association of 
this city a reputation that is almost national. 
The report of the treasurer shoAved the receipts dur- 
ing the pa?t year to have been $764.09. The expenditures 
were $717.80, leaving a balance on hand of $46.29. Of 
the receipts $200 came from the county through the 
Board of Supervisors, the balance from the members. 
The expenditures were chiefly for salary and expenses 
THE INDIAN CAMP AT THE NEW YORK SPORTSMEN'S SHOW. 
boo pole, and a home-made line on Avhich you had put 
a hook bought at the country store at the rate of two for 
a cent and a piece of cork for a float, and then brought 
home a string of fish on a long twig with a crotch at the 
lower end, you were happier than you ever have been in 
your more mature years as an angler? 
To be sure you did not catch fish Avhich you would look 
at to-day. They consisted of shiners, sun-fish, perhaps a 
few 3'elloAv perch and chubs and possibly a pickerel or 
two, and it may be you snared a fcAv slickers. And per- 
haps at night you bobbed for eels or took them Avith a 
spear or in a spirit of laziness fished for catfish. 
And has it ever occurred to you that if you and I were 
young again those happy days could never return? And 
yet it is only too true. 
There are very few streams now in this State in which 
the native fish have not been largely or wholly destroyed 
through the introdLictiom of black bass furnished by the 
State, for as fish sharks they are tenfold worse than 
pickerel. 
There is only one fish which they do not and cannot 
destroy — ^that is the eel ; and now our fish law says to the 
country lad that he .shall not even take an eel either with 
a bob of worms or Avith a spear. 
Is it not a little hard to destroy the fish natural to the 
stream and then say to the country lad that he shall not 
even take an eel from the stream Avhich perhaps runs 
through his father's farm, except by angling with a hook? 
Yet that is the law of this State to-day. ' _ 
There is not much pleasure, and certainly no skill, m 
taking eels with a bob, but it is certain that no other 
fish could be taken with it, but taking eels in running 
water at night with a small spear by the aid of a torch 
or a light held in the hand requires as much experience 
and skill as taking trout with a fly, and it is quite as en- 
joyable, and those Avho have never had the opportunity 
to enjoy this sport have certainly missed a great pleasure. 
In wading a stream of swift running water by the aid 
of an artificial light, to be successful requires a very 
quick eye. a steady hand and an accurate aim. In fact 
it requires nights "of practice before success is assured. 
Is there any reason why this privilege and sport should 
not be restored to our farmers' boys in streams not 
abounding in trout? And supposing that those trying to 
spear eels should take a few suckers or carp, what hartn 
could it possibly do? They are both spawn eaters and it 
of the protectors and for planting fish and fry in the pub- 
lic waters of the county. 
The fact was emphasized that this Association is not a 
private fishing club, has no preserved waters and does no 
work on private streams. All of its labors are in public 
waters and all of its money is expended for the benefit 
of all the people, and the good that it has accomplished 
IS almost incalculable. 
It Avas also said that the provisions of the game laAvs 
are better knoAvn and more, generally observed in this 
vicinity than in almost any other portion of the State 
;..nd the fishing in the waters of this county is second to 
that of no other settled locality, and there is little doubt 
that it is due to the work of the Anglers' Association of 
Onondaga. 
The following officers Avere elected for the coming 
year: President, John H. Forey ; Vice-President, M. H. 
Schwartz; Treasurer, Charles H. Mowry; Secretary, J. E. 
Bierhardt; Members of the Executive Committee, Riley 
V. Miller, De Forest Candee and S. T. Betts. _ 
President Wood on retiring from office, said: "I am 
proud to be the president of such a successful organiza- 
tion as this one is, especially so on this its eleventh an- 
niversary. From its birth in the year 1890 I have had 
the pleasure of being in an executive capacity. We have 
had our struggles, but have maintained our noble and 
beneficent organization. 
"Our labors the past year have been crowned Avith 
greater results than ever before in our history. We 
should at this period launch out and pull for the point 
of increased membership, and Avith the encouraging as- 
sistance received from so many sources retain our local 
and national reputation and achieve still further progress, 
"A constant supply of food fish for all the people can 
only be maintained through the efforts of true anglers 
like the members of this Association, yet it behooves 
every person having an interest in such work to give 
those Avho are in the front of the battle against fish 
pirates and general indifi^erence to the preservation of 
fish their earnest support. With the Anglers' Associa- 
tion out of existence, how long would it be before ever\^ 
stream and lake in central New York would be barren? 
.A part of our work should be to educate the public up to 
its importance. The masses of the people are with us, 
yet there are many good citizens Avhose support we 
need, and which let m secure," 
