June i, igoi.j 
Where the short-tailed, sharp-eared gentleman came from 
^ve never knew, but he was the last one ever captured 
iHejhgi 
One laiigiiafciie circiilhStilnge i-.ehialllS to. be told. We 
were ready to leave for home, when we iiiiSSeci Jjtfik, and 
called him. He indignantly replied, "You didn't expect 
a fellow to come down in the dark, did you?" 
Jack was still iip in the tree. A'. E. Jay. 
— 
fTotice. 
All communications intendeil for Fq.rest and Stream should 
always be addressed to the Forest and otrejiffi Pdblishingr Co., and 
not to any individual connected with the paper. 
A MArr> vote has been taken on the petition for changes 
\n the fftcillg niles of the A. C. A., the resuh being sixteen 
ill fS¥3f Sf tlig.HeW pljUl.fts a wliolf, thfi't' in favor of it 
fexeept oH.cgi-taiii poiiits lii regard. id paddling, aild thfeS 
votes agaiiist it, sd ihki trie s;Hliflg men woii the $§y 
by a vote of nineteen to three. By this 'vote the sitiliiig 
decked . canoes that were in use last year can sail this 
^feaf with iiHlimited sliding seats and also a fixed drop 
rudder. Only oiie rig caH fe tisefi. Whieli fflUst he a prac- 
tical hoisting and lowering one, not exceedifig HI jf^. ft: 
in area, so that now a canoeist owning a sailing decked 
canoe has only to buy two sails instead of the usual four 
or more, and he must have a practical double bk-ide paddle, 
which may be jointed in the middle. In the^ future a 
flegked sailing caiioe can lower her sails and be paddled 
ilslipi;e, iHstead of beihg k faciilf MftchiHe whose sails 
eo'Ulfl Hot . lie l.oW«fe(i i.ii cise of jieceftsi'tf . Meffe'fofofe: 
racing carioes have seldom carried paddles, stJ. tliai; if 3 
man pulled out the canoe's ntasts and threw tlicni over- 
board he was quite helpless, as he could not get ashore. 
Under the new rules a decked sailing canoe is safer in 
feVfef^ Waty thaii ^i1,dpeil caiioe, and the only disadvantage 
is the extra weight stiicl tosf: Tlie ietieral . impression 
among the sailing canoeists is ttiaf tlif* pficfi df the saiiijlg 
decked canoes will be reduced to nearly the same cOsi a:s 
the open canoes. 
A peculiar feature of the meeting at Gananoque was 
that the paddling men voted against the decked canoes 
beinf forced to carry a paddle. . As a number of the sail- 
ing canoeists have .Writteil tis. iil I'egard to this matter, we 
tftist that sortie Of the paddiihl riieit Will Write atld gx- 
plaitl their motive iti votitig as they did. 
. Mr. B. B. Crowninshield has gotten out plans for 
tlii-e^ eatlogs fpt Mr. Herman Dudley Murphey and two 
yf tile boats Have heSn cofisttUcted ; whether the third 
boat will built tia.s hot beeii deflflitely decided. The 
first boat was built by the Mather Boat .Wotks. at At- 
lantic, " Mass., and has already been tried oil Mystiij 
Lake and has given the greatest satisfaction to all those 
interested in her. The second boat is nearing completion 
at the yard of Mr. W. F. Stevens, at Bath, Me., and as 
soon as she is finished she will be tried out against boat 
number one. Whichever boat is selected to compete in 
the Royal C. C. race in England next August will be 
named Uncle Sam. Mr. Murphey is being assisted in 
his work by the veteran canoeist, Mr. Paul Butler, of 
Lowell, Mass. 
Mr. John Voss, who made a trip to South America in 
an open boat a few years ago, started in company with 
Mr. Norman Luxton on May 21 for a voyage froin Vic- 
toria, B. C., to Great Britain by way of Australia and 
South Africa in a 40ft. Indian war canoe. Mr. Luxton 
is a journalist and he carries with him a complete photo- 
graphic outfit, and if the voyage is a successful one he is 
to publish an illustrated account of their experiences. 
'Mid Reef and Rapid.-XIL 
BY F. R. WEBB. 
"Those fellows are having considerable luck over 
there," said Lac}^ as he raked in the Colonel's last chip, 
and both paused to lake a little nip of something hot to 
keep out the danrnisss before replacing the cards and 
chips in their walnut case. 
The Colonel and I looked over in time to see one fel- 
low playing a big fish, the play ending — in fact, consist- 
ing principally — in his rushing up the bank with his long 
pole over his shoulder and dragging the struggling fish to 
the water's edge, where the other two fellows, who in 
the meantime had taken in their tackle, threw themselves 
bodily upon it, regardless of the fact that it was still in 
the water, and, one of them capturing it, climbed in 
triumph up the muddy bank with the wet, struggling fish 
clasped in his arms and hugged tightly against his breast. 
"That's a big fellow," .said Lacy ; "he'll go 2]4 or .3lbs." 
"Yes; and that's one way to land a fish." replied the 
Colonel' in deep disgust. "I'll bet that fellow's wet; I 
hope so, anyhow." 
"I suppose he thinks he can't get any wetter than he 
already is, out there in the rain," Lacy replied. 
"That's the way they land all of them." said I. "While 
you fellows have been interested in 3four game, I've seen 
them land .several in that way, all big ones, too. They're 
making a fine catch there." 
"Yes; I always considered this a fine fishing place," said 
the Colonel. 
"So did I," I replied; "it's a great resort for Harrison- 
burg fishermen. 
Published in Forest and Stream June 16-23, 1894. 
The Shenandpah is, an ideal bass stream, both for the 
bass and the ba"ss fisher. Its swift water, its rock-ribbed 
bed, ^with its myriads of reefs and ledges; its deep, cool 
pools and bright, sparkling shallows make of it a para- 
dise for bass; while its accessibility, its surpassingly- 
beautiful mountain scenery, its bracing healthful climate, 
its freedom from malaria, its pure, sparkling waters, make 
it equally an ideal stream for the bass fisher. 
Thp l>^sg ^re cjuite numeroua in thQ §tream^ p^f^^Ulsrlx 
FOREST AND STMAM. 
in the more i"eiiiet€ Sfid less fished portions. As a rule, 
they rise readily to the fty, jjithd.ligh with the usual un- 
certainty of tliis peculiarly capricious fish, io some locali- 
ties I have never yet had a rise while taking fteffl freely 
with bait. 
Witii iiabiltty to imperfection which is the lot of 
all things teffest*-fal, the Shenandoah has one serious 
drawback as a fisinfig' st-feStJl viz, ; its tendency to get 
nniddy after a heavy rain. Th6 §iff^a(sg wash from the 
red clay soil of the well-tilled fields sJeiig Its banks 
speedily converts it into a stream of liquid mud of S yivid 
brick red, which tint sometimes remains in the water 
loiig Sftef the thick mud has run out, with a persistency 
friosf aggrav.atihg to- the patient fisherman. On this ac- 
couiit, thgf^foffe, pfdbaWy tlie ttlonths of August, Septem- 
ber and October, witfi ffic \^if.tf part of July, -will be 
fou:nd the most favorable seasotis if! Whieh t§ essay the 
river. 
'fJife fest bait is a sinall piece of catfish, or bull pOiil 
locally icnowif M the "mad toni," which can be caught 
in abundance in almost ai]y of the small side streams 
with a small seine and a lanterii (it. h a peculiarity of 
this little fish that it can best be found after night). 
Minnows, of course, are always good, but the "mad torn" 
—in addition to being if anything a more attractive bait- 
is so kitigH ahd hfttdy that' it will outlive half a dozen 
minnows. It ffiitgf fee hglidled with care, however, as a 
stab from one of the vicioiis littig .lietMs or stickers con- 
cealed iti the fins on either side just f^ack the gills, 
and on the back, is as painful as a bee .sting, alid the 
little fellow i.s so slippery that it is difficult to grasp hirii 
without comiiig ifl eontact with his horns. Helgraniites 
are also excellent for bSit afld.are found in abundance in 
the river in the shallow, swiff WSfef under the rocks, 
and are readily taken by means of a .sm'SJl-ffleshed land- 
ing net, by turning over the rocks and holding thg net 
below as the rock is turned and scooping in the creatures 
fts.th(?s' idOse theif hold and roll up into a little ball, to 
drift a'vyay Wifll tlie swift current. 
The local ciisfoffls Ol tb^ resident fishermen, some of 
whom along the upper rlvef iiotgd for their success, 
are pecuHsr and interesting. While fbe tf?Wfi fishermen 
Use light tackle — either a light bamboo or lancewdod fly or 
bait rod, or a short Henshall rod with light line, leader 
siftd tathef small hooks — the local fisherman uses tackle 
of enofrtiotis pifopdi-'tioas, calculated to strike terror into 
the heart of tbe stfaiifSf.- .The pole (for it certainly -is 
anything but a rod) is usually of the catle species, and is 
seldom less than 2oft. long and large iti proportion, and 
would make a fairly respectable steamboat jackstaf?. Jt 
must, of course, be used with both hands. The line l.s of 
diied silk, rather thick and heavy, and of considerable 
Ifeftgth, tatily less than 200ft., and is wound upon a large 
miiltiplyifig feel, whigh is usually lashed to the butt of 
the pole. Two very largg stielled hooks are used (with- 
out leaders), about 4-0 Carlyle being the usual size and 
pattern, and with this tackle, and standing up in the 
boat, the large, heavy "mad toms" can be cast out over 
thg Water to a considerable distance. No sinker is used 
(except in fishing from the bank), even in swift water, as 
the line is gertefally allowed to run out with the current 
to a great length and a sinker would be a source of end- 
less trouble in fouling among: the ever-present reefs. 
The local fishermen seldom fish from the bank; but 
either wade — not infrequently up to the shoulders-- or, as 
more usual, fish from a boat, which is a broad, flat-bot- 
tomed, comfortable, slow-moving affair about 20ft. long 
and capable of holding six or eight men. and is always 
propelled by a long pole wielded by a man standing in 
the stern of the boat. Some of the fishermen and boat- 
men attain great skill in handling these clumsy, heavy 
boats, and they can be forced up a rapid or against a 
swift current by this means, where a pair of oars would 
be entirely ineffective. 
The boat is anchored directly across the stream, where 
the current will permit, by means of a heavy stone at 
each end; generally attached to a piece of fencing wire, 
that will not chafe or cut on the reefs, and the anglers 
make themselves as comfortable as circumstances will 
permit, casting down stream, of course, and letting the 
line run out in the current to considerable length ; while 
those in the ends of the boat have considerable side sweep. 
When a strike is secured, the line is paid out to the fish 
to a considerable extent— some 20 or 30ft. — before strik- 
ing, and the fish allowed to run with the bait. After run- 
ning some little distance the fish usually stops, and when 
he again gets under way, the angler strikes, with a steadJ^ 
sweeping pull on the long sagging line, W'hich rarely fails 
to hook the fish. 
The theory that the fish seizes the bait by the tail and 
then ejects it and turns it head first before swallowing, 
seems to be well founded, and is sustained by careful ob- 
servation: for, if struck too soon — before turning the bait 
and getting the hook well in his mouth (the bait is usually 
hooked throitgh the lips) — the fish generally escapes, and 
when the line is reeled in and the bait examined, it will 
be found to be scored with the marks of the teeth of the 
fish, in some instances crushed and killed, the marks 
being always on the lower part of the body down to the 
tail, showing that the bait was seized tail first ; while, 
when a fish is caught, if the bait is still in his mouth (for 
frequently a bass strikes so ardently that the bait is sent 
spinning several feet tip- the line, or is thrown clear ofif) 
it will be found to be swallowed head first, with the tail 
sticking out of the fish's mouth. 
When struck, the fish is reeled in and landed as quickly 
as possible, without any preliminary playing; indeed, with 
such tackle, which is capable of lifting a 3 or iflb. bass 
bodily out of the water and into the boat without undue 
strain upon pole, line or hook, "playing" is unnecessary, 
and the local fisherman is generally desirous of landing 
and securing his fish as promptly as possible. In fact, I 
confess to the same desire myself; and never indulge in 
am' more plaj'ing than is necessary for the safety of my 
tackle, having no particular relish for the cat and the 
mouse game. 
In wadin.g, their long, heavy tackle strikes me as being 
bulky, cumbersome and unhandy to the last degree ; and 
I find my little 8oz. Henshall rod of 8ft. 3in. with a 
medium weight of line — not too long — to be as near per- 
fection for this kind of fishing as is attainable in this im- 
perfect world of ours-; but in boat fishing the heavy long 
ta#le p9s§e§§?§ sptn^ ^{^^eniable advantages, |n some 
431 
twd three weeks' fishing fn the Bear Lithia neighbor- 
hood last shimmer, most of which was done from a boat, 
there was not ^ day's fishing in which I did not lose one 
or more fish from having the fish shoot under the boat 
Of foul the anchor chain. The fellows with the long 
tackle, if their fish made for the boat, could check 
him or .Hfser him ofif, while with my light, delicate tackle, 
if my fish tool< t notion to go under the boat, I had to let 
him go or smash niy rod. 
While the Henshall rod is unequaled for-wading, prob- 
ably the best tackle for boat and shore fishing is a ratheir 
siout lancewood or steel rod about loj^ft. long and fully 
as; Wa«y' ounces in weight, which is stiff and heavy 
enough Id sslely snub a fish when be darts Mnder the boat, 
and long enOtigll to be serviceable; with TSOft. of good, 
medium weight oiled silk line (not enameled) and hooks, 
of ■ medium or fairly kfge -siz;e, ranging from No. 2 
Sptoat to 2-0 or 3-0 Carlyle, with or withouf leaders, ac- 
eotding to taste, I generally use a 6ft. looped If.ader, but 
I t'aftWot say that I consider it s-tricfly essential in iiait- 
fishittg. 
In fishing ffdffl tile bank a sinker is, 0f cotff^, st Neces- 
sity. The generally accepted method used bj-' S-henaim- 
doah fishermen of preparing and using a sinkef is t<5' 
ptepare a number of different sized pieces of lead by' fost 
splittifig them with a chisel and then closing up the siJ&t- 
by means of a hammer with some 6 or 8iii. of common 
white cotton wrapping twine or .string closed in the split 
or opening. One of these .sinkers thus prepared is selected, 
the size and weight depending on the character of the 
<Vatef, whether swift or .shallow or deep and still, and 
tied fff the end of the line, and the hook (for but one 
hook is used IK shore fishing) attached to tbe line some 
i8in. or more abovt. the sinker. 
A small piece of cork k/oped in the middle of the snelll 
or snood of the hook will f!ot add to the neat appearanccj 
of the tackle, but will prove invaluable in keeping the bait 
oft' fhe bottom, which, considerin.g the tendency of mad! 
toms and fielgramites to creep nnder rocks-, is quite aim 
essential. The advantage of this peculiar combfination is. 
that the hook is kept off the bottom, and ll anything; 
fouls (and in such reefy -;vaters fouls are of cofflfflon oc- 
currence) it is the sinker, and by a steady, strong pall the 
string will break instead of the line or hook, and the tackle- 
will Cotne free, leaving the .sinker in the river instead off 
the hook; aod as lead is much cheaper than hooks this is 
of no special impottance. 
In fly-fishing in the Shenandoah, as elsewhere, the finest 
and best tackle is the most satisfactory and produces the 
best results; the popular theory of the small boy with the 
M'illow pole, the tow string and the pin hook to, the con- 
trary notwithstanding. A fine bamboo, lancewood or 
steel tod, from 10 to iift. in length and of moderate 
weight, not too light, an enameled, tapered, size F line 
(25yds. is suffident). a 6ft. looped leader of heavy single 
gut, and two flies of moderate size — No. 4 being about 
right — ^will probably prove most satisfactory. 
The bright-colored flieri, such as scarlet-ibis. Parma- 
cheene-belle, white-miller and professor, seem to be tbe 
most attractive, although 1 have had considerable success; 
with the Governor-Alvord, particularly^ in trolling, where 
the slow, steady dratj of this mouse-like object through 
the water seems particularly tempting. George is a skill- 
ful and successful fly-fisher, and his favorite combination 
is a bright fly as dropper and a dark one as tail fly. His= 
theory is that the fish is attracted by the bright fly. aiid if 
in making a dash for it he should, miss it, or for' any^ 
reason decline it, the dark fly i^ close at hand and is sel- 
dom missed. Whether this theory is correct or not,, his 
uniform success would seem to indicate that there' is- at 
least something in it. 
The fish do not, as a rule, rise or break above the sur- 
face, but generally strike from below, and it is but rarely 
that I see a fish take the fly, unless I am standing on a 
reef or other elevation from which I can look down into 
the water and see him make his rush ; consequently, in. 
casting, the flies should be dropped lightly out upon the 
.water and allowed to sink a few inches below the surface 
— a foot is not too much — and then be gently drawn in 
through, not over, the water. I generally get my strikes^ 
just as this dra wing-in movement has begun. It is not 
usually necessary to put out a great deal of line, except 
to reach special places or spots not otherwise attainable. 
George and I have had some Of our finest sport in 
trolling from our canoes on our various cruises, as wc 
cruise along. A collar of flies is attached to the line as 
in ordinary fly-fishing, and the casts made from the canoe,, 
throwing from side to side until some 40 or 50ft. of line isi 
out, after wh?ch the rod is laid out over the stern of the 
canoe (the reel at the canoeist's feet, so placed thafit will 
turn freely and readily), and the tip projecting aft under 
his right arm, with the line trailing out astern. The 
paddle is then taken up and the course resumed. A sharp 
lookout must be kept for stray ledges, and in running 
rapids or threading intricate, reefy places, the line is 
taken in. When not in use, the tackle is carried on the 
decks of the canoes, being secured by a simple con- 
trivance. 
It is not advisable to u.se a fine fly-rod in trolling, as in 
spite, of care fouls will occur, and before the canoe can 
be checked and turned the rod is liable to be sprung or 
broken. I once ruined two tips in one afternoon in this 
same way, while on the sa-me day George only saved his 
rod by dropping it. overboard ; a tedious; half hour's fish- 
ing being required before he could find and recover it. 
A con";in,ou stout lancewood or steel rod, moderately 
heavy, is best for this k'nd of work, wben a strike 
occurs the fi>h promptly notifies the canoeist that he has 
arrived by a jerk thai makes the reel whiz with a vigor 
and suddenness that never fails to startle him, however 
much he may have- become accustomed to it. The paddle 
is then dropped, the rod. taken up and the sport com- 
n-i.ences. If the fish does ' hot much exceed' a pound in 
weight, he ma3' be landed aboard the canoe without much 
trouble, although at all times a landing net is a con- 
venience that cannot be dispensed with without risk of 
losing the fish ; but if a large, heavy fish is struck great 
carx and patience are required in order to successfully 
handle Mm from the light, cranky canoe and get him 
safely aboard. 1 once saw George strike a 4-ponnder 
wh'ch gave him a fight for at least twenty minutes before 
he succeeded in securing the fish, and durih.g which fight 
thf; fi.sh actually towed (^?orgc's canoe vslowiy and gentiy 
