290 
FOREST AND STRiiiVM. 
[April 13, 1901. 
Notes from Quebec. 
The arrival of the crows and the dwindling of the 
snowdrifts are not the only indications of the near ap- 
proach of another fishing season. The letter carrier's 
burden grows heavigr, and almost every day I find among 
my mail matter one or more letters on matters connected 
with fishing. I am asked all kinds of questions concern- 
ing the fishing season of 1901, and the probable date of 
its practical opening, of which, so far, I am totally igno- 
rant. The season in which trout may be legally taken 
commences, of course, on May i. But the leopard of the 
Ijrook sets all State and Federal fish laws at defiance, and 
may not be taken by fair and legitimate angdng at any 
fixed date or season. Upon this point I can only say 
that we have winter stUl with us. We are no longer, it 
is true., rubbing our ears to keep them from freezing, but 
some people are still to be seen on the streets wearing 
fur caps, and though wheeled vehicles have commenced 
to appear upon the principal city thoroughfares, four to 
live feet of snow is still piled up upon many of the country 
roads. The winter has been unusually severe so far as 
frost is concerned, though the snowfall was lighter than, 
that of last winter. No rain fell from November till 
March and there was no thaw during that period. Con- 
sequently there is no ice on the ground under the snow, 
and the thaw is likely to be rapid and to cause heavy 
freshets, In rivers where logs are to be floated there is 
therefore reason to hope that they will be driven out be- 
fore the best fishing of the season commences. 
The prospects for northern travel during the coming 
summer are said to be very promising, the number of 
inquiries for accommodation at the various angling re- 
sorts being in excess of those of former years. Never 
were there so few salmon pools offered for lease or so 
many disappointed anglers seeking for salmon fishing. 
Salmon rivers in Canada are safer investments than gold 
mines. 
Several American parties of anglers from the New 
England States are expected upon their preserves in 
the country due north of' Quebec during the third and 
fourth weeks of May, and some of them write that they 
are bringing guests with them. Lake Edward has booked 
a n.uinber of angling guests, who are to come north as 
soon as notified that the ice is out. The hotel at the 
Grande Decharge will not be opened until the month of 
June, but there will undoubtedly be good ouananiche 
fishing from soon after the middle of May around the 
shores of Lake St. John, though it is astonishing how 
very few lake advantage of this earliest spring fishing. 
Among the fish and game clubs which will be repre- 
sented in the first angling arrivals from the United States 
are the Triton, the Metabetchouan, the Tourilli and the 
Amabalish. Some members of the Nonantum Club may 
also be here early in the season. I shall endeavor, as 
usual, to keep you posted as to the progress of the season. 
A most determined effort is now being made to put 
an end to the poaching that has so long been indulged 
in upon the limits of the different clubs in the Lake St. 
John district. The story of the good work now being done 
in this direction finds a more appropriate place in another 
letter which Lam sending the editor, but the remark 
may fitiinglv be made here that everjr member of a fish 
and game club in the Province of Quebec and every 
sportsman who comes to Canada should extend a helping 
hand to the newly establi.shed Sportsmen's Fish and Game 
Protective Association of the Province of Quebec, which 
lias its headquarters in this city. E. T. D. Chamber.s. 
Quebec City, April fi. 
Trout Waters. 
Some Good Tfotit Streams in the States of New York 
and Pennsylvania. 
We will first take a few first-class streams on the line 
of the Delaware, Lackawanna & W^estern Railroad, be- 
cause the waters on this line have never been advertised, 
consequently are not generally known and overfished. 
We will select to start with the country surrounding 
the Utica Branch, as the waters are central to the large 
inland towns of New York State. First and foremost 
among these streams is the Geneganset Creek, which is 
the outlet of the lake bearing the same name. For twenty 
miles from Geneganset Lake it winds in and out among 
■rolling hills until it reaches and empties into the Che- 
nango River, five miles below Greene's Station. Through- 
out its whole length it is a perfect trout stream; dozens 
of fish are annually taken that weigh from 2 to 
pounds each, while occasionally one of even 4 pounds 
IS recorded. 
• If there is one part of this stream better than ano*^her 
It is Smithville Flats, and up to the lake the biggest 
fish are most likely to be found in the mill dam at Smith- 
ville, Several small streams empty into the Geneganset, 
all of which contain trout. 
In this stream and its tributaries is enough good water 
for a hundred sportsmen to fish at the same time. No 
angler worthy of the name can come away from Gene- 
ganset Creek after a few days' acquaintance without feel- 
ing satisfied with the result, and a determination to nay 
it another visit as soon as time and opnortunity offer. 
At Green's Station we find Wheeler Brook. It is a 
first-class piece of water, yielding some good large fish, 
and ii thoroughly fished will always yield an ordinary 
sized creel of trout. Below the dam the stream is full 
of bass, therefore has but few attractions for the trout 
fisherman. 
At Hubbardsville we come across the headwaters of the 
Chenanoro River, which are well stocked wi'h trout, and 
Bome of the best trout fishing in New York State is to 
be found in the Chenango above Hubbardsville. At 
Chenango Brids^e we corne across the Thomas Brook, an 
excellent little trout water. 
For the trout fishennan who enjoys a good scramble 
over rocks and through the woods, and a healthful walk 
after his speckled friends, we can recommend ihe streams 
in the Pocono Mountains: there are plenty of them, and 
all have trout. Get off at any stat'on from Stroudsburg 
to the too of the mountains, and_ the angler wt'I find 
good streams within reasonable di.qtances. At Henry- 
ville especially there arc some excellent ones. Passi.ng 
to the opposite side of the mountains we find a pretty 
little stream running alongside of the railroad track. 
Moscow is the station of this stream. Walk up the track 
a couple of miles, strike' the stream and fish down to a 
couple of miles below Moscow. There are two magnifi-^ 
cent streams about ten miles from Moscow, in an east- 
erly direction; two years ago it was an easy matter to 
catch a hundred in a day in either stream. 
We will now take a few streams on the line of the 
Erie Railroad, which have been advertised, and are there- 
fore known. 
Mongaup River, reached from Port Jervis, 6 to 10 miles. 
It is a large open water, and after the first week in may 
excellent for fly-fishing. It contains, many large trout 
that can only be tempted with minnows. 
Carpenter's Brook is reached from Pond Eddy. Go 
back 3 miles and fish down to the Delaware. It is a 
first-class early stream for bass fishing. 
Shohola Brook is reached from Shohola Station. Drive 
back to the falls 10 miles distant, and fish down. About 
two miles below the falls are a series or 20 or 30 lai"ge, deep 
pools. These pools all contain some enormous trout, but 
they can only be taken with either minnows or spoons — 
they will not rise to a fly, and but seldom can be tempted 
with worms. 
About a mile below these pools a stream runs into the 
Shohola on the left, about half a mile above the 
farmhouses. The pool where this feeder joins Shohola 
is very deep under the bank. On a fine day if one ap- 
proaches carefully he can generally count from 30 to 40 
trout lying out in the pool, any one of which would reach 
54 to ij4 pounds. 
If the readers of Forest and Stream want another 
Hst of trout streams, we shall be glad to give them, but 
as all fishernten know, trout want catching. As an old 
Maine guide once said to the writer, "Tre-out be the most 
cussedest of fish. Always a-biting at what you haven't 
got." Still the pleasure of seeing a fair catch beautifying 
one's creel more than repays for the hard trudging, 
bramble scratches and torn gorments that are generally 
the accessories of a trouting expedition. 
J. Ctiurchward, 
New Yorjc, April 8. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
The Tarpon Clafa of Texas. 
Chicago, 111., April 6.— Mr. Ralph H. Hobart, briefly 
mentioned as having taken the first tarpon of the season at 
Aransas Pass, Texas, has been good enough to forward a 
little account of the doings at the Tarpon Club this spring, 
writing interestingly last week as follows : 
"Tarpon Club, Texas, April i. — The first tarpon of 
the season to be caught off the coast of Texas were taken 
from the waters of Aransas Pass on March 24. Two 
were landed on that date by guests of the Tarpon Club. 
Charles P. Frame, of New York, took the first fish, a 
large one, measuring 6 feet 3 inches. The second, meas- 
uring 4 feet 10 inches, was landed b5'^ myself. Although in 
previous years tarpon have been taken at the Pass as 
early as the middle of Marclv, the month just past has 
been an unusually poor one for fishing, owing to the' 
prevalence of high winds,, which have kept the water 
rauddj'. During the last few days conditions have im- 
proved materially. Several fish have been taken, and from 
the large number seen jumping it is anticipated that the 
season will be a good one. 
"Within the last half-dozen years the attention of 
fishermen from all parts of the country has been directed 
toward the magnificent sport to be had at Aransas Pass, 
and many who had heretofore been going to Florida 
waters for tarpon have of late been visiting Texas. The 
method of fishing at Aransas Pass differs materially from 
that generallv followed in Florida. At the Pass trolling 
with rod and reel, some 300 feet of line being carried, is 
followed exclusively. The bait, a live mullet, hooked 
through the mouth, is kept near the surface of the water, 
generally not more than four feet below. This means 
that the boat must be kept in constant motion except when 
a strong tide is running. 1 
"The Aransas Pass is a channel of water from two to 
four hundred yards wide, and perhaps half a mile in 
length, which separates two long islands and connects the 
Gulf of Mexico with Aransas Bay. Practically all the 
tarpon that are taken in the locality are caught in this 
limited area of water. Both the Tarpon Club, located on 
the island to the north, and the town of Tarpon, on the 
island to the south, are within a few minutes' row of the 
Pass, and it is in the town of Tarpon that the men who 
pull the boats live. A hotel is run at Tarpon for the 
accommodation of sportsmen not members or guests of 
the club. 
"The Tai-pon Club, now entering its third year, and 
having a membership of 330. is an organization somewhat 
unique and certainly one which appeals to the man who 
has ever felt the thrill that comes when the gamy tarpon 
makes his strike. The club owns and keeps open through- 
out the year a large and well-appointed chib house. The 
building, wharf, etc.. are lighted by electricity, the loung- 
ing room is provided with a most entertaining electric 
piano, and a naphtha launch is at hand when an excur- 
sion to some other point is desired. The club house is 
of comparatively easy access to the mainland, it being a 
matter of a twelve-mile sail in the mail boat, or if time 
is an object, a more speedy trip in the naphtha to the 
town of Rockport, located on the mainland. 
"Rockport is 160 miles from San Antonio, and is 
reached in an afternoon's ride on the San Antonio & 
Aransas Pass Railway. Rockport is located in the heart of 
one of the fi.nest duckshootinglocalities in the country, and 
it is doubtful whether better redhead and canvasback shoot- 
ing can be found than was had in this vicinity last November. 
As the tarpon are not caught at Aransas Pass later than 
October, some members of the club put in the winter 
months at duck shooting, and many are the good bags 
made. .■ •• 
"A glance at the roster of theTarponClub is interesting. 
Some fifteen States are represented, and while Texas 
naturally has a large preponderance, there are fifty-four 
members who hail from St. Louis, twenty-four from 
Denver and fourteen from New York. Among the New 
York members are found the nar^f of Edwin Gould, 
Henry C. Rouse, the late ColHs P. Huntmgton, John W. 
Gates and several others of prommence, Araong the 
Chicago contingent are T. H. Wickes, vice-president of 
the Pullman Company, and Dr. Nicholas Senn, Mr. E. 
H. R. Green, of Terrell, Texas, known before he came 
to the Lone Star State and made a name for himself as 
president of the Texas Midland Railway, as the son of 
Hetty Green, is president of the Tarpon Club, and it is 
largely owing to Mr. Green's efforts that the club was 
established." 
The Spring Run. 
The first of the Western fishes to begin the spring, run 
are the pickerel, suckers and wall-eyed pike. Most anglers 
are unaware of the numbers of these fish in the streams 
or the destruction to which they are subjected, for the 
reason that the regular angling season does not begin 
until- May or June, whereas the first run of the fish in 
the little creeks and overflows begins in March and April. 
In the neighborhood of Beaver Dam and Fox Lake, Wis., 
the carp and suckers have been ruiining for a week, and 
the residents of the farming precincts thereabout have 
been spearing them by wagon loads. The pickerel in that 
vicinity are also being speared in very large numbers over 
all the marshes. A good many parties are thought to be 
spearing for the market. Of course, in this blind spring 
run of the spawning fishes they are altogether careless 
and practically helpless.^ While seining for minnows 
in a little creek running into the Fox Rixer, I have more 
than once taken twenty or thirty pounds of big suckers 
which had crowded up into the little run, seeking to get 
as far up as they could into the shallow water. With a 
spear one could have done a great amount of destruction 
in such a place, and there are many such places visited 
by many men who have no scruples about spearing the 
most fish they can. Were it only c^rp and suckers which 
got killed, the matter would not be so bad, but the better 
class of fishes also suffer. Of course, there are laws 
against it, but what would you have? Is not this Amer- 
ica, the land of the free? " E. Hough. 
Hartford Building, Chicago, HI. 
New England Fishing. 
Boston, April S- — According to his usual custom the 
president of the Massachusetts Fish and Game Protective 
Association opened the trout season, at the preserve of 
the Tihonet Club, His first trout was one of a pound and 
a quarter, a good one for Massachusetts wafers. One 
or two others were about as large, with several of smaller 
caliber. Secretary Kimball took a good one (?) weigh- 
ing several ounces. The weather was very cold, with need 
of fur coats and mittens. Some fourteen miles of stream 
was covered on Monday, by the shore fishermen of the 
party, while others tried' to fish from boats, but the wind 
blew and the water was very rough. Altogether it was a 
cold and rough opening of the trout season. Only a 
few trout were taken by the Monument Club members 
who went down for the opening. The weather was so 
severe that members of the party fished but little, some 
not at all. Mr. George N. Talbot and F. H. Warner 
have gone to their Connecticut trout preserve for the 
openiiig of the season. There are no reports of success 
there yet. Mr. Charles Sias, who is a member of the 
same club, and is usually there at the opening of the 
season, is still in the South with Mrs. Sias. 
.A Bangor, Me. report of Thursday says that the first 
salmon of the season has been taken at the Big Pool, and 
that a lady was the captor. The fish weighed 18 pounds, 
and sold for $1.25 per pound. The first salmon of the 
season there is usuall-y purchased and donated to the 
Governor of the State or the Mayor of the city. It has 
been several times proposed to send this first fish to the 
President, but I am not sure it has ever been done. 
Boston, April 8. — Now it seems to be likely that the 
entire Rangeley region is to be opened up by a further 
extension of the Portland & Rumford Falls Road. It 
has long been understood by sportsmen that there is a 
region of fish and game country above the Rangeleys and 
to the north and west that has been visited but little, be- 
cause not easy of access. This region lies between the 
Rangeleys and Megantic region. A crew of surveyors and 
prospectors will commence looking out the route from 
Bemis to Haines' Landing as soon as the snow is out of 
the way, and that part of the road is soon to be built. 
It is also reported that the Canadian Pacific is desirious 
of a more direct connection with Portland, and is plan- 
ning a connection with the Portland & Rumford Falls 
line at Haines' Landing or Indian Rock. It is not known 
what the course will be from the Megantic country to 
Indian Rock, but it will follow one of the water course?, 
either of them good fish and game sections. Thus a large 
section of country will be made easier of access to the 
sportsmen. 
A handsome string of brook trout was shown in 
Faneuil Hall Marekt Thursday, and the captor claimed 
that they were wild trout. He is mum as to where he 
caught them, however. Some of the brooks to the north- 
east of Boston were fished early in the week, but the 
weather was too cold and the water too high. The fisher- 
men brought back nothing. Fish Commissioner L. T. 
Carleton. of Maine, is in receiot of several communica- 
tions asking as to the probabilities of the departure of 
the ice from Lake Cobbosseecontee. The writers desire 
to be first at the opening, pince some good salmon are 
usually taken at that time. The lake is easily reached by 
rail to Gardiner. 
The measure for an appropriation of $S.ooo for a fish 
hatchery at Moosehead Lake, Me., was not defeated after 
all. This hatcher}'- is to be arranged to fum'sh as many 
young fish as all four of the other hatcheries of the 
State, and should give superior propagating and restock- 
ing facilities. Special. 
Four mftes west of Thomaston, Conn., on an unfrequented 
i-oad, stands a house which shows evident signs of age. In front, 
beneath a shady maple, are two tombstones of persons who died 
in 1776 and 1778. A long, lank individual named Worrell lives a 
sort of hermit life in the house, which is reached by a long pair 
of stairs. The house within is a veritable curiosity shop, the v^alls 
being covered with huge hornet nests, wreaths made from potato 
bugs, all. grasses of the field, besides Innumerable butterflies and 
insects fastened to the walls with pins. A shelf room in the 
rear is a museum in itself— cases of stuffed birds and snakes, 
frogs owls hawks, pigeons, minerals, a chair 120 yeers old, a 
wreath of snake skins, another of potatoes, a third of_ eggs, a 
whisky bottle 160 years old, lizards of all species, a frame inclosing 
a wreath made of the claws of anima.Is. 4,800 in all, and all sorts 
of odd thiuK* frwW vroods.. 
