A^stt 12, 1902.I 
291 
Fish and Fishing. 
&enerdus ©ffer? to* T>out r CuftuHsts. 
Mr. S. T. Bastedo, Deputy Commissioner of Fish- 
eries for the Province of Ontario, makes a generous offer 
to trout cultiirists; Within the territbr* .£oiitrblled by his 
department is trie famous Nepigon River, claimed by 
rnany of its. enthusiastic visitors to be the best troiit 
stream on the continent,, if not in the world. Of the 
enormous size and splendid fatHe dualities Ot.tjie.Fqfi- 
tlhftHls wnicn inhabit its waters, there is ho possible doubt. 
Mr. Bastedo is anxious to see the experiment tried .of 
fertilizing the" ?ggs of the brook trout in some of the 
preserves with the ; milt, from tHejiifUfe. bl tpk Nepali; 
in a if^brt recently issued, by , him and, in which, I find 
|ne,pffer referred ^o, he thus deals with th!>s interesting 
proposition ^ "Milt, can be retained for days .jn.herT 
metically sealed jars, and has been sent one thousand 
miles or more by mail, and on its arrival used to im- 
pregnate eggs that afterward yielded over ninety per cent, 
of fry. If any of our trout culturists would care to 
make the experiment the department will . endeavor to 
Have a supply of niilt obtained" by its officers at tiic 
Nepigbh. The ffiilt must hot be diluted with water, and 
he eggs should beJiiipregrrfcited within six days from the 
Hlh& it is, taken. The. result.., it is believed, would fee a 
larljiy, and vigorous offspring." 
.."Lik.e father, like son" has passed .'into, a proverb. 
Though nq rule has rflbre exception's ,that that declared 
\\\ this kraiuaf form, little doubt need be entertained mat 
the immediate result of the experiment pfbposed by Mr. 
Bastedo will be just what he forecasts. . What future gen- 
erations of the progeny thus produced will prove to be. 
niust largely depend upon the habitat selected for it. 
In waters similar to those of the Nepigon, there is no 
reason why the race should deteriorate, ..It .is not because 
the trbtit of the Nepigon are of a different variety from 
those of small brooks, and of larger waters in warmer 
latitudes, that they grow so large and lusty. There is 
not the slightest structural difference between, the Nepi- 
gon trout and those Fontinalis which never much exceed 
the size of fingerlings. It is all a matter of environ- 
ment and of food supply. And while there will certainly 
be deterioration, in time, even in the pure offspring of 
Nepigon trout, when planted in unfavorable waters, 
healthy fish from waters in which the trout has remained 
small, will in a few .generations assume the generous pro- 
portions, of those in the Nepigon, if furnished With the 
same Conditions. These include accessibility to an abun- 
1 dant food supply, and a deep cold Water habitat; 
1 for the Nepigon and the lakes by which it is fed contain; 
[ large quantities. of whitefish, while the water is .so cold 
I that its average sUrhtner temperature is not much above 
I forty degrees. This beautiful river and the latcfe of the 
Same nafeie, thirty miles from its mouth, may justly claim 
to be the headwaters of the St. Lawrence, and forming, 
1 as they do, such an ideal home for the brook .troi]t, it 
. is not surprising to find that they often yield fish of 
five, seven, and even ten pounds in Weight. 
f ry-Fisntng fol ^Mt^isk, 
, in "The Ouananiche and its Canadian Env^rolunent, ,, 
I indicated to anglers some six years ago, the interest- 
ing sport afforded by fishing for whitefish in the Graiuk 
Discharge of Lake St; .John. Few fisliernieti . hkye 
troubled" theHi selves ih seeking for this sport, partlr, no 
dbUbt^.bet&use b! tub prevailing supposition tHSt trie 
ft$h .will not rise to the fly, and also because there is so 
mUch more rapid and exciting sport to be had in the 
same waters with the oiiananiche. This exceedingly 
palatable and handsome specimen of the whitefish family, 
invested with .the ; distinguishing badge of the salmonid* 
&p{iears tb cciiobi.. at times, in the Grande Discharge— 
Usually in June and Jul}'— with the ouananiche, swimming 
close to the surface of the water, round and round the 
eddies and pily-covered pools beneath falls and rapids, 
frequently showing its dorsal fin above the scum, and .by 
the similarity of it.s manner, often passing for ouananiche. 
It Occasionally takes the fly intended for this latter, not; 
however, With the boUnd characteristic of those salrhoh- 
pids that are best known to and most frequently sought 
by sportsmen, but quietly and with steady tension. Few 
of the guides appear to know that the fish takes the fly 
at all, and so do not encourage the angler to make any 
effort to Obtain it, though its flesh is delicious and very 
rnUch prized, its form symmetrical as that of the salmon 
itself, and its fight for life and liberty exciting and ob- 
stinate. Of artificial hires it prefers the smallest, and 
these must be dressed on very small hooks and the finest 
of tackle employed. Only one fly^-a gnat, or something 
of that kind — should be used, and the gut should be 
stained the color of the water. No little ingenuity is 
required to induce the whitefish to take the fly and to 
save the fish after he is impaled upon the hook. It is 
not only his shyness that puzzles the angler, but there 
is the impossibility of forcing the fight, as well because 
of the fineness of the tackle and the smallness of the 
hook that should be employed, as for fear that the latter, 
delicate as it must be, may tear itself out from the tender 
mouth of the fish. 
Mr. A. P. Low, the Labrador explorer, tells me that 
upon several occasions in the far north he took white- 
fish on a fly, his most killing lure for them proving to be 
a May fly with rubber gauze wings. 
At the foot of the Virgin Falls — the miniature Niagara 
which occurs near the head of the Nepigon river — there 
may almost always be seen in the summer season, dis- 
porting in the foam, hundreds of whitefish as well as 
speckled trout, and Mr. Bastedo is authority for the state- 
ment that the former take the fly as to the "manner 
born." 
Professor Goode has remarked, it is true, that none of 
the American species of whitefish are of any importance 
to the angler, and of those which inhabit the great lakes 
this is undoubtedly correct. In the far north it is alto- 
gether different. As in the case of the ouananiche, it 
is still a matter of latitude and of the temperature of the 
water. It has long,- now, been established that the 
famous fresh-water salmon which affords such splendid 
sport in Lake St. John waters, is identical with the Maine 
fish, which rarely rises to the fly at all. 
E, T. D, Chamber?, 
Some* Trout f Streams. 
Sa^re, PA,, April 4. — Trout streams . in this section of 
(ioiibtry arc in splendid condition at the present time- 
far C of the ordinary season. There is but little 
snow in the woods, and the streams are rapidly assuming 
normal mid-spring conditions. 
j.n central New York Counties the streams promise ex- 
cellent sport for the trout angler abroad on the 15th 
of the month. The glorious old time resorts — those at 
Slaterville, Speedsviile, McLean, Hartford Mills, Groton 
Citys Cortland, Wilseyville, all in New York— are in good 
stqck of trout,, and should furnish a fine turn of sport. 
I have lately heard some pleasant news concerning 
Shendagen , Creek, at Wilseyville, and the fine sized trout 
It libido, Wilseyville is reached from Owego via the 
D. L &.W. R. the Thomas brook, in Broome 
county, which empties intb the Chenango River, in addi- 
tion to its brook ti'Om supply, holds a mce little stock 
of brown trout. In the viefndy of Elttllra the trout 
streams worthy of mention are NewtOWH Creek, Sing- 
Sing Creek, and Catherine Creek. Elmlra is a goOd out- 
fitting point from which to fish these streams. In 
Coming COUnty, this state, Rock Run, Pleasant Run, 
Roaring finiheii, Gray's ftiitt, fihd LyCorrdttg Creek arc 
all splendid troiit streams. Northern Pennsylvania 
anglers evince a great liking for the Beaverktll River, Sui- 
ilvah t'otliffy; This stream contains many magnificent 
members of the troiit .family, aiid they run particularly 
fine and uniform in size and fighting qualities. Along 
lb* line of the Berniee branch of the Lehigh Valley rail- 
road at MoHfbe'tbh and points further down the line, 
the ti-out fisherman will fifid some Very daring and large 
sized, trout. As a matter, of fact, the Streams suited to 
brook troiit in northern Pennsvlvania and southern and 
central New York should yield spprt With very much nf 
its old time, flavor this approaching season. AH the 
streams in the section of. country Here mentioned ate 
HOW annually Stocked- with tfOUt, and given the fight 
sort of protection the Stock should continue to increase 
rather than diminish, 'fp cite a single, instance in sup- 
port of this statement: The. streams in Chemung cotinty. 
New York, have already been replenished tlfis season 
with 20,000 trout fry, and this is shortly to be supple- 
mented by a consignment of 25.000 more fry. It is alsb 
intended to place 20,000 yellow pike fry in the Chemung 
River. So. too, the Central New York streams are 
being similarly re-stocked. All of which is a gratifying 
Condition for the angler of every kind and degree to con- 
template as he feels himself aglow with the spirit of an 
ever delightful season of the year, M. Chill. 
Fishers of the Night. 
• §AtRE, ^A^iVhiie. ih Ithaca, N. Y., on {'he night of 
March 28, I witnessed novel and quick method of bag- 
ging the appetizing bullfrog^ It happens that a great 
reach of water ,hbw brobds over pOftibhs" 6f $urticipal 
real estate which formerly passed as. dry land\iri the C'o'f j 
lege town, and around the sfjOre bf one of these minia- 
ture lakes, within a stone's thrbw b{ the .Lenigli Valley 
'j>pbt,. a young man carrying a niachinist's torch picked 
up bullfrogs witH the mechanical precision and accura.c'y 
Of a professional knife juggler.. Within trie fifteen min- 
utes. I had an eye 7» mill the deft fingered ybtith caUght 
two dozen of the husky, voiced Slnpli.b'ia'ns. The glare 
of the torch revealed the location of the. aquatic mih- 
itf&i, SsiiM the same, time either confused or fascinated 
them to the extent of allowing 1 the aforesaid yoiith to 
take them quietly in hand, from whence they' ttere shuf- 
fled into a capacious bag carried by an assistant. 
The wonderful attraction which just plain, evefy day 
s'oH of fishing has for many people was likewise vividly 
illustrated upon this becasioh. It ttaS a cold, rainy, and 
altogether disagreeable night— this 2&tfi, bf Mafc'n— filll 
of blackness and ferocious puffs of wind, and down the 
historic Ithaca inlet the waters plunged and frolicked 
i.n a mad race to the wide freedom of the lake beyond. 
Nevertheless, at many points along the banks Of. the. inlet, 
braying the rain and the wild tumult of the night, I saw, 
as the train sped away tip the valley, fishermen patiently 
watching their lines, speculating, nO dotlbt, the While 
upon the prosepct of bullheads or suckers for breakfast. 
Wrapped in great coats and- puffing sweet contentnie'nf 
from the ample recesses of the fragrant sweet brier, these 
rough visaged fellows were in their sphere and were 
tasting much of the joy and gladness which belongs to 
every lover of God's out-of-doors. 
To defy the indescribable discomforts of a cold rain- 
storm on a March night for the chance of taking a mess 
of ordinary table fish, requires something more than a 
mere craving for commercial gain. There is an element 
of genuine sportsmanship, a spirit of the true lover of 
"outdoor life, leading up to the courage that puts a man 
in a fishing humor on such a night. 
M. Chill. 
Fishing in a Sacred Lake. 
A lake which is so sacred in character that boats have 
not hitherto been allowed on it; which is ruffled by no 
breeze; the depth of which has not been ascertained; the 
water of which is slightly brackish, made use of exten- 
sively by leprous natives for bathing and washing clothes, 
and is, in short, so foul that it is hardly safe for a white 
man to wash in it unless it is boiled — this is surely some- 
thing of a curiosity ! Yet such is the description sent 
by Mr. Malcolm Fergusson, the surveyor who accom- 
panied Mr. J. E. Moore on his expedition to the Central 
African lakes, to the Geographical Journal. The refer- 
ence is to Lake Busumchwi, Ashanti. It lies about 
twenty-five miles southeast of Kumasi, and is the fetish 
lake of the Ashantis. It abounds with fish, which are 
not easily caught by a baited hook, but are taken by 
means of huge wicker-work baskets, open at the ends, 
and woven from the split stems of a kind of lily. The 
fishing in this nasty, if very sacred, water is really a 
great industry, as industries go in Ashanti, and people 
from far and near come down to its cleared or wooded 
shores to trade for fish in exchange- for the fruit and 
vegetable produce of the cultivated land. The lake, which 
is nearly circular, with a maximum diameter of about six 
miles, lies in a large basin entirely inclosed by hills, with 
an average altitude of 800 feet, and since Prempeh's time 
the fishery is open, so that twenty-five villages have now 
sprung up around the shore, with a total population of 
nearly 10,000. Animal and bird life is scarce, and even 
mosquitoes are comparatively rare. Still, there are mon- 
keys, leopards, bush antelopes, pigs, pelicans, kingfishers, 
ospreys and hawks, and Mr. Fergusson does not forget 
to mention that the sand flies come out in force in the 
early morning and everting, and are particularly trouble- 
some. — London Field. 
Texas Tafpori* 
Tarpon, Tex.. March 31. — The following is the list of 
tarpon landed from March 21 to 31 : W. E. Thorne, 
Kansas City, 4 ; David T. Beals, Kansas City, 5 ; Geo. R. 
Jones, Kansas City. 2; W. B. Young. New York, 8; A. P. 
Camp, Durango, Cal., 1; Neil Camp, Durango. Cal., 2. 
Large schools are coining in daily. J. E. Cotter. 
Designing Competition for the Sea- 
wanhafca Corinthian Y. C 
■ 1 
To be Known as the Seawanhafca I5-Footers. 
The competition is open both to amateur and profes- 
sional designers. Three prizes will be awarded for the 
best designs of a yacht conforming to the following con- 
ditions : 
I. A keel sloop to measure 15ft. racing length under 
the club's hew rule. 
II. Sails: Mainsail, jib and spinnaker. The area 
of the mainsail and jib shall not exceed 350 sq. ft., 80 per 
cent, of Which shall be in the mainsail. 
ift Planking shall not be less than }4m. in thickness. 
IV. Spalfs shall be solid, and the mast shall be of 
sufficient strength 1o< ba used without runners or pre- 
venter backstays. 
V. Cockpit shall be open, atid bulkheads or air tanks 
are to be provided sufficient to insure the boats being 
non-sinkable. 
VI. The boats shall be capable of carrying full sail in 
ordinary summer breezes on Long Island Sound. 
VII. Construction shall be strong and durable. T'l 
VIIL All competitors must furnish a drawing of the 
lines, Which will also show the position of the lead keel, 
afid a table of calculated weights, which WfH give dis- 
placement, weight of lead, weight of hull, weight of fig, 
ecrtter of bu. yaftey and center of lateral resistance, ce'nteif 
or effort and center of gravity of the lead keel; also a 
sail plan, on Which the diameters of spars and sizes of 
rigging shall be marked; also a deck plan and amidship 
secticf!, Which mil show height of cockpit seats and floor, 
artd height of eCS.ming. The midship section must also 
show the construction. 
The following prizes Will be awarded i First prize, 
$100; SSt'ohd priz!e, $50; third prize, $25. 
In th'e eveht of Ort'e of the prize designs being selected! 
by the club and ya'chfs being constructed therefrom, the 
winner, in lieu of the cash prize, may furnish the neces- 
sary additional plarts and specifications and supervise thf! 
constftietioh artd receive $25 fof each yacht bttiJi In 
awarding the pfiztes, speed will be the first consideration,, 
but appearance, construction, simplicity of rig and con- 
venient arrangement will also carfy weight. 
Sail plan, J4in. scale. All other plans, lin. scale. 
The designs must be received at the office pf Forest ANf> 
Stream, 346 Broadway, New York city, not later tha« 
May ig, itjcte, and should bear a nom-de-plume only. A 
sealed envelope' containing the designer's nom-de-plume, 
together with his own name and address should accom- 
pany the designs. The right is reserved to publish any or 
all of the designs. Those desiring the return of their 
drawings should inclose the necessary postage. 
The designs will be judged by a committee consisting 
of Messrs. John Hyslop, A. Cary Smith, J. Rogers Max- 
well, Jr., and Clinton H. Crane, and the result of the 
competition will be announced through these columns itt 
the issue of May 24. 
The club's new rule referred to in Paragraph I. is as 
follows : Yachts shall be rated for classification and time 
allowance by racing measurement, which shall be de- 
termined by adding to half the load waterline length, 
half the square root of sail area, and a quantity expressed 
as L, and by dividing the sum of these quantities by 1.1, 
% LWL -f- % VSA + L _ RL 
1 . 1 
The quantity L is to be obtained in the following way ; 
B is breadth of load waterline plane at % of its length 
fron^ forward end. 
B' is breadth of load waterline plane at Y% pf its length 
from after end. 
fl" is breadth (greatest) of LW plane. 
C is any excess of (B-f-B') over B". 
. D. is draft at MS+2-5 of any greater draft aft, and all of 
any greater draft forward. 
E is any excess of (B/'-f-D) over 3 1-3 VMS submerged, 
C+E=L, 
