432 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Nov. 30, 1901. 
showed by his eyes bulging in surprise that my small 
float was a new idea to him, whose four floats were two 
inches in diameter, resplendent in red and green paint, 
and as I raised my hook, a No. i Sproat snell, and he saw 
its size and the two small three 000 shot sinkers, he 
gave ine the gratuitous advice, "You'll never get a darned 
thing on that hook of 3'ourn, for them sinkers won't take 
your minner down, and if it did and a big minner bit it 
he'd break that hook mighty quick. I'll tell yer, Jedge, 
you can't catch any bass with that there fool rig." How 
much more advice he would have given if uninterrupted 
I will never know, for seeing a slight movement of the 
float I gave a twist of the wrist holding the bamboo, 
and then a few turns of the reel, and lifted into the boat 
a good three-pound bass. As I looked at my fisherman 
friend, his eyes were "bulging out," to use an apt western 
expression, and to my question, "What do you think of 
that?" his only answer was, "Well, I'll be hanged." His 
boat was kept near to mine as I passed back and forth 
over the good fishing water, but without a bite as far as 
I could see, until m pity I asked what kind of bait he 
was using, to be told, "Black suckers, and there hain't no 
better bait for bass," but I persuaded him to put one of 
my chubs on each of his hooks, and was sorrowful when 
I saw his hooks. No. 5-0 Carlisles, but it made no differ- 
ence in the result, as he caught nothing, and my supply of 
ten chubs was soon used. But I had seven good bass and 
a giant crappie in the boat, all caught on a hook so small 
that he had said "A good minner will break it." 
This morning brought a cold, stiff north breeze, with 
a cloudy sky, and one of the editors of a Topeka paper, 
who called at the office, and opened up with, "So you 
made a big catch of bass yesterday, the boys have told me, 
Judge. Can you go down with me a little while today 
and show me how it is done?" 
Fearing for my laurels, I spoke of the unfavorable 
weather, and of work that ought to be done; but my 
partner stopped all excuses by saying: "I will do all the 
work there is to do, and you can go without any trouble 
on that account." 
Realizing that I could find no available excuse, I soon 
had on the rubber boots and overcoat, with woolen mit- 
tens, and started Avith the editor. After about two hours 
of hard work turning over the stones on the rapids. I 
found that I had in my minnow basket thirteen chubs 
and seven black suckers — "hoodoos," as to numbers. 
Entering the boat I rowed directly to yesterday's fishing 
ground and found it so exposed to the wind that waves 
more than a foot high were ruffling the surface of the 
water. Dropping the anchor of the boat, we fished and 
froze for about two hours until the chubs were gone, 
and we had learned that, although my friend of yesterday 
had said "there hain't no better bait for bass than black 
suckers," the bass would not even notice them. We then 
returned to town, bringing ten good bass, of which it had 
been my luck to catch eight. We were in time for my 
editor friend to catch his train for home, taking with him 
as fine a string of bass as has been caught here this fall, 
and what was on, to all appearances, one of the most un- 
favorable days that could have been selected. 
While the catch on either day was small, as compared 
with results in other years on this stream, and on other 
bass grounds that I have fished, yet tonight I cannot re- 
call any other two days' sport with bass, that gave such 
complete satisfaction as these two days have given in 
the retrospect. Hence, the question stated at the begin- 
ning of this article, and my solution is that the adverse 
circumstances that contended against success, in being 
conquered, have added to the pleasure of the victory. 
Hoping that some of your contributors can give a bet- 
ter solution if I have not found the right one, I am to- 
night, at least, a satisfied black bass fisherman. 
W. F. RlGHTMIRE. 
Cottonwood Falls, Kan,, Nov. 22. 
League of Salt-Water Fishermen. 
New York, Nov. 21. — Editor- Forest and Stream: At 
the regular meeting of the Protective League of Salt 
Water Fishermen, held at 106 West Thirty-first street. 
President Albert Baywood in chair, about 125 members 
were present. Mr. A. N. Hoxie, of Massachusetts, who 
is and has been fighting against pound netters setting and 
maintaining pounds in navigable waters as a public 
nuisance, etc., addressed the boys in his able manner, and 
at the finish a rising vote of thanks was tendered to him. 
We also had Mr. Chas. A. Shriner, of Paterson, N. J., 
with us, and were very much pleased to hear his address 
to the boys. New life was put in the League" at once. 
The League is in need of funds to help us carry on this 
fight, and our financial secretary will bt glad to hear 
from any one who has some sportsman's blood in him. 
So please send in your Httle mite, no matter if smaH ; it 
will surely help a great cause. Our fight is against 
pounds in navigable waters ; no other nets are mentioned, 
as they do not obstruct anything. Come, boys, send in a 
check of any amount, and you may rest assured it will 
be used for the purpose named, and the donor's name will 
be withheld from the public if desired. If you cannot 
subscribe something, do help us by becoming a member 
of the League; it costs only one dollar per year, and that 
is all, so do join us if nothing more. You know the 
wrong that is being done right along, and you wish to 
help stop it, so here is a chance for each salt-water 
fisherman of New York to show himself in his true 
color. United we stand and divided we fail. Help us to 
swell the funds that some of the generous have started; 
write to the office for any information desired. 
At the close of the speaking a novel surprise was sprung 
on the members present, when ex-President T. Biedinger 
unveiled a frame with the officers' pictures in it. In fact, 
it was such a surprise that even our President found it 
hard to find words to express his admiration of the work, 
but he said enough to thank the donor (the ex-President) 
in behalf of the League, Mr. Biedinger responded in a 
few well-chosen words, saying that he had been prompted 
to show his good will toward all the officers and mem- 
bers. A rising vote of thanks was extended to ex- Presi- 
dent Biedinger for the kindness shown, and the hope was 
expressed that we would live many years to enjoy the 
fruits of bur efforts to restore good fishing in our near-by 
gait wEtt?r§, § tiding that sg ^lany bejieyed ■yvou}^ i^eyer 
be accomplished, but which they now see will be done in 
the very near future. Pounds are no longer visible, and 
they wdl be known and treated as the modern pirates. 
The time is near. 
The frame was an elaborate affair, which bore as deco- 
rations the button of the League, trolling spoon, pearl 
squid hook, float, sinker, crossed hooks, fishing rod, reel 
and line, landing net and gaff, eel spear, clam shell, tarpon 
scale, starfish, horseshoe crab, skate egg, mussel shell and 
high-water mark. There were also set forth the League's 
objects as follows : 
The objects of this League are, namely, to obtain legis- 
lation looking to the enactment of beneficial laws for the 
protection of salt-water fish, the co-operation of fishermen 
at large in conforming to and enforcing the same, and, 
generally, in furthering and aiding all lawful methods 
looking to prompt action in all violations of law apper- 
taining thereto. 
The portraits contained in the design were of the officers 
and directors : 
Officers for 1901-2 — A. BaA'wood, President; H. Kot- 
zenberg, Vice-President; J. M. Wheeden, Recording and 
Corresponding Secretary; E. Fliedner, Financial Secre- 
tary; D. A. Nesbitt. Treasurer. 
Directors — T. Biedinger, Chairman; H. Taxter, H. 
Berge, F. Hochgraef, Sr., H. Graeter, J. Demand, A. E. 
Medard. T. Biedinger, 
Tame Fish in Upper Burma ^ 
When in camp the other day I was riding through a 
village, when the village headman asked me if I would 
like to see "the fish." I, not knowing what the headman 
meant, at once went with him down to the banks of the 
stream, followed by several villagers with baskets of ses- 
sanum and paddy mixed together. Then the Thuggi 
called "Lay. Lay, Lay, Lay," for a few moments, when, 
lo and behold ! a large herd of ngatwe, or big, short, flat- 
fish fish came up just under our feet, and were promptly 
fed by the Burmans. The fish were amazingly tame, and 
tolerated being stroked and petted even by me ! There 
were in all about thirty-three of them, varying in size 
from 18 inches to feet long, the larger ones having a 
girth at the gills of about 30 inches or 36 inches. They 
would go away, and come back whenever they were called. 
The villagers told me, and I see no reason to doubt 
what they say. that these same fish come up against the 
monsoon flood at the end of June, and go away about 
October every year. They can recognize individual fish 
by marks, scars, etc., which they pointed out to me. 
The Mon is nearly dry in the cold and end of the hot 
weather, and the fact that these fish return to this one 
village landing stage every year regularly, and never go 
or more to any other is quite worthy of remark. A vil- 
lager who kills any of them has to undergo a penalty of 
los. bj'^ common consent, and great care is, in conse- 
quence, taken of them. 
The ngatwe of Upper Burma is a very short, thick fish, 
tapering very rapidly from behind the gills to the tail, 
has long feelers on both upper and lower lip, and has no 
noticeable teeth. He makes very good eating, and has 
but few bones. I have often heard of tame fish in tanks, 
but a herd of tame fish in a monsoon river connected with 
the great Irrawaddy is a very bizarre phenomenon. 
Another question, answered in the negative by an emi- 
nent authority in Burma on fish, is whether the fish hear 
the human voice or feel its vibration, or whether they see 
people on the bank through the pea-soupy water. — ^Burman 
Correspondence London Field. 
The very interesting note by Mr. E. D. Duckworth re- 
calls to my mind the similar observations made by the 
late Dr. John Anderson during the expedition to TJpper 
Burma in 1874-75. The short description given by Mr. 
Duckworth of the tame fish of the River Mon points to a 
silurid or catfish, probably allied to, if not specifically 
identical with, the one described by Dr. Anderson as Rita 
sacerdotum. This fish. Dr. .Anderson tells us. wa^ ob- 
served in the long reach of the Irrawaddy in which the 
pagoda of Thingadav/ occurs, where it was considered 
vcrj- sacred, and was under royal protection, a mandate^ of 
the sovereign existing which made the death of one of 
these fishes by hook or by net a very serious offense, and 
fishing for three miles above and below the little island of 
Thingadaw was prohibited. The fish were daily fed by 
the priests who resided on the small rocky islet, and also 
by passing devotees. The most interesting feature, how- 
ever, connected with this fish is its peculiar habit of 
responding at great distances to the call of tit-tit when oft 
repeated. After many calls of tit-tit. Dr. Anderson ob- 
served the fishes, at some considerable distance off, rise 
to the .surface, apparently answering to the call by making 
straight for the banks of the island, where they soon 
showed themselves. Many were of great size, measuring, 
in all likelihood, nearly 5 feet in length. They were so 
tariie that \h&y raised their heads above water to be fed, 
and even pern\itted him to introduce his hand into their 
mouths. They al?o offered no objections to their barbels 
being felt and pulled, and the devout Burman was wont 
to adorn their heads with golf leaf as a work of merit. 
There is no doubt that most fishes are sensitive in the 
water to noises made on the banks, as all anglers know, 
and the Romans are credited with having trained some 
fishes to answer their call. Catfishes, like Rita, are espe- 
cially sensitive to sounds, the vibrations being conveyed 
to the acoustic nerves through the air bladder, which 
is in direct contact with the thinned skin of the sides of 
the body above the pectoral fins, and connected with the 
ear by a chain of ossicles, the so-called Weberian appara- 
tus which is common to them and the cyprinid and chara- 
cinid fishes. Many among the silurids are also provided 
with sound-producing organs. — G. A. Boulenger in Lon- 
don Field. 
'^Kentucky" and '^Frankfort/* 
The courts have just decided, after long litigation, that 
Messrs. B. C. Mdam & Son have the exclusive right to use 
the names "Kentucky" and "Frankfort" as applied to fish- 
ing reel. 
All comraunications intended for Forest and Stream should 
always be addressed to the Forest and Stream PublUUingr Co., aa4 
PiqX iflcjiyid^ coni»?cte4 witl? the pap«r 
The Campets* 
The Woody Printing Co., of Kansas City, Mo., send 
us a copy of their Proof Sheet, which is devoted to a 
chronicle in verse and picture of the summer vacation 
experiences of th eCampers, in their Uneeda Rest Catno, 
which is reached by handcar from a railway station in 
northern Minnesota. 
Mr. Sidney F. Woody, who figures in the story as Sin- 
less Fabrica Woody, sends us one of the cuts, a "Pretty 
Face," and we quote the Act. II. just to show how the 
Camoers camped, and how .the Kansas City Shakespeare 
handles his subject: 
ACT II. 
Scene I. — ^A camp in the woods near a lake. Scipio getting wood 
to build a fire. Time, early morning. 
Enter the Doctor. 
The Doctor. Come, Scipio, unjoint thy city slothfulness and 
hasten breakfast, while I wake up this sleeping camp. (Goes 
to tent where Hercules and Justus are sleeping.) Come, wise 
maker of a nation's laws, and honest Justus, wake up I Come 
out and let this biting air brace up thy limping livers. 
The Judge (within). I am awake, good doctor, nor have I slept 
this night. The noble Hercules hath snored so loud that not a 
wink of 'sleep hath closed my eyes. 
The Lawgiver (within). So am I awake, friend Melampus, and 
so I have been all night long, for never hath mine ears heard 
such sounds as Justus makes in sleep. Sometimes 'twas like a 
winter's wind sighing through a leafless forest; then, gathering 
A PRETTY FACE. 
force, 'twould seem as though some awful storm was sweeping 
through the trees, and mountain waves were thundering on 
some rocky sliore. 
The Doctor (moving away). Oh, I heard you both, and could, 
had I not half an ear. (Goes to Romu!u.«! and Petronius' tent, 
sticking his head in.) Hello, my merry Nimrods, know ye not 
morning is here? Arise, and let the hoary frost drive out thy 
wish for sleep; and this may help you up, (Kaises the cover and 
throws a cake of ice in their bed, then retires; a great noise 
with much tumbling about within.) 
Voice of the Professor. By golly, was that the north pole? 
The Doctor (coming to Sinless and Isabella's tent). How now, 
happy Sinless and sweet sister, why slumber 6n when every 
fish in yonder lake is waiting but the chance to take your 
hook. 
Isabella (within). Good brother, my worthy mate has been gone 
this good hour, and said he'd bringr a fish, that we might have 
some meat for breakfast. 
Scene II. — All up and strolling about the camp or washing their 
faces in the lake. 
Enter Sinless, coming £i-om lake with large fish. 
Sinless. Good morning, friends and fair companion of my joys 
and ills, you see I've kept my word, and here's as fine a fish 
as ever stretched a line. Here Scipio (gives it to Scipio), have 
it broiled to taste and do it soon, for hunger presses on my 
appetite. 
Presently Scipio appears and announces that breakfast is ready, 
and all go into cabin. 
Newfound Lake. 
Newfound Lake, Bristol, N. H., Nov. 23. — The State 
Fish Commissioners have finished their annual work of 
taking spawn from the large fish in this lake for artificial 
propagation. From the lake trout have been taken about 
40.000 eggs ; from the salmon from 60 000 to 70,000, 
There have been taken for exhibition purposes from 
these waters eight lake trout, averaging 15 pounds each, 
also six landlocked salmon, it being the intention of the 
Fish Commisioners to have them placed in tanks at the 
Sportsmen's Show soon to be held in Boston, to let the 
angling fraternity know that there are plenty more in 
NeAvfound Lake just as good as these. If the intentions 
of the Commissioners do not miscarry next year and 
future years, we may expect to have fingerling salmon and 
trout placed in our waters, when even a better result will 
be expected and attained than from the usual method 
of dumping in thousands of young fry on the live or die 
principle. The fingerlings will be large enough to take 
care of themselves until later years, when the boy with 
the "hoe" and the fish pole, or the man with the hackle 
and fly-rod comes along. 
Ne-w York Fish Commission* 
At the meeting of the Forest, Fish and Game Commis- 
sion Nov. 19, Commissioner Babcock, who has charge of 
the distribution of fish from the hatcheries of the State, 
made a report. The number of fingerlings distributed is 
by far the largest ever made by the Commission in one 
year. 
During the period, 1,631 applications for fish were re- 
ceived and 1,259 were granted. The number of petitions 
rejected was 193, which included ninety-two for black 
bass, twenty-seven for pickerel, four for bullheads, four 
for rock bass and three for catfish, none of which the 
Commis.sion has for distribution. The summary of the 
fish distributed frorn the various hatcheries of the State 
during the year beginning Oct. I, 1900, and ending Sept. 
30, 1901, is : 
Shad, 19,675,000; whitefish, 32,250,000; pike> 46,900,000; 
mascallonge, 4,520,000; frostfish, 4,900,000; shrimp 158,- 
0005 cjscoes, ^00,090; torn cods, 35,000,000 j bullheads, 50; 
