May 24, 1902.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
411 
with the average outfit which is offered him to-day. This 
may sound a little like heresy, hut it is not such. It is a 
simple tip on the tendency of the times, and the dealer 
who is first to realize that tendency is going to be the first 
to profit by it. 
Choke-Bo re Fly-Rods. 
. As to fly-rods, we know more, in this town than we did 
ten years ago. There is sometimes a vast difference be- 
tween a pretty fly-rod and a useful one. My friend Mr. 
Graham H. Harris, and his friend, Mayor Harrison, claim 
the credit of having induced a certain well-known Eastern 
maker of fly-rods to put more backbone into his rods — 
that is to say, to make them stirrer. I got a couple of 
these rods this spring, taking them out of stock, and not 
being able to first give them a thorough trial. I find 
both the rods too stiff for short-distance fly-casting, and, 
in fact, too stiff for any distance fly-casting unless rigged 
with very heavy casting lines. One of these rods is sH 
ounces. My friend Mr. Mershon had one of these rods 
of the same make. It was a 4-ounce rod. This was just 
about the weight which I ought to have had. In short, 
these rods seem to me to have too much backbone. They 
are what I should call choke-bore rods, intended for long- 
range shooting. Now it is all right to talk about long- 
distance fly-casting, but that is not what catches trout. 
For some kinds of trout fishing you want to fish close to 
you, with a delicate fly and a short line. In such cases, no 
matter how heavy your line, your rod with too much back- 
bone does not begin to work. Your line does not 
straighten, your leader is bound to fall in wrinkles. I 
have long felt that our shotguns are made to shoot too 
close, and I believe the same of our makers who put too 
much backbone into their rods. For dry fly-fishing or 
even the method which I call the Taylor system, indeed 
for all fishing at short range, there ought to be more 
pliancy in the rod than is to be found in the celebrated 
makes in weights sometimes of 5 or 6 ounces. These 
rods are beautifully made, and are equal to 50 or 60 feet 
of line. In short, they are choke-bore rods. Yet I am 
due to say that I shall have to have one more rod — that 
is to say, a rod for short-range fishing. When it comes 
to reaching them away out yonder, I don't want better 
rods than I now own. 
Gaylord Club. 
A lot of gentlemen went up to Gaylord Club, Wiscon- 
sin, to-day, among these Mr, Charles R. Corwith and 
James R. Walker, of this city. Mr. F. M. Stephenson, 
of Menominee, Mich., president of the Gaylord Club, is 
back from Mexico, and started for the club waters yester- 
day afternoon. 
Are Croppies Bass? 
Mr. L. A. Moore, of Zanesvile, O., writes as follows: 
"Will you kindly inform me on the within if the fish 
commonly called 'croppy' is a true bass or not? Our 
State has* wisely passed a law, 'prohibiting the catching 
of bass between May 1 and July 1.'' As croppies (called in 
our local lakes here, 'Lake Erie bass') seldom bite here 
before May 1, and after the water becomes warm the lat- 
ter part of June and during the months of July, August, 
September and October, seldom bite at all, and if they 
do occasionally, their flesh is almost unfit for food. If 
pronounced a true bass, they are surely well protected. _ 
"As vice-president of our Sportsmen's State Associa- 
tion, I am strongly in favor of protecting black bass as 
above, also prohibiting all spring shooting, but opposed to 
allowing squirrels killed during the month of August, as 
allowed in our late law, so as to permit hunters to enter 
the woods in August or September to shoot squirrels. 
This acts on grouse, the same as permitting the shooting 
of prairie chickens in August, as it is 'the sooner' that 
kills the prairie chicken, and the so-called squirrel hunter 
that kills the grouse. Beside, squirrels are the poorest 
in flesh during the month of August, and almost useless 
as food during that month. 
"We. have to thank the northern part of our State for 
the clause permitting spring shooting; who for the squir- 
rel law at this writing is unknown, as none wishes to 
father the idiotic clause." 
I presume the authorities would advise Mr. Moore that 
his croppies and black bass would belong to the. same 
family, but the legal authorities probably would not allow 
him to classify the croppy as a bass. The local name of 
the croppy may be anything of a score of things, but it 
belongs to the perch family, as does the black bass, of 
which latter but wo species are recognized. However, no 
one can tell what a judge or a jury may decide. Try 'em. 
Grayling Not Extinct. 
Here is a bit of news which you shall keep absolutely 
secret in your bosom. The grayling are not extinct. I 
saw a Mr. King, of Chicago, who caught three grayling 
below Wakeley's on the Au Sable this week. Mr. D. R. 
Brown, who was on the car with us, saw old Shabbona- 
gontz, an old Indian, take a big grayling last week on the 
Manistee. Elmer Knight, of Grayling, Mich., caught 
fourteen grayling on the Manistee two years ago. and 
many others are reported to have caught this fish this year 
on that stream. Moreover, and this is the part which you 
must keep to yourself, a gentleman whose name I cannot 
learn, came down the road the day before I did. The 
conductor, the baggageman and others vouch for the fact 
that this gentleman had more than forty grayling in his 
box. He had fish of pounds, and the conductor said 
even 2 pounds weight, fine grand grayling, as big as were 
ever taken in Michigan. He said that he caught them 
after a twenty-five-mile ride out into the wilderness, but 
declined to state the exact locality where he made his 
catch. It hardly need be said that diligent inquiry is now 
being made as to the facts regarding the locality. There 
is no doubt whatever regarding the extent and character 
of the catch. If we can find out just where these grayling 
were taken, there is a possibility that the Saginaw Crowd, 
or some members of it, may take an Unofficial sneak up 
north to have a look into that stream. It would please 
me much to go, for I have never yet in my angling ex- 
perience seen a live grayling in Michigan. "I consider this 
to be angling news of an important character. The gray^ 
ling is not extinct in Michigan, nor is it apt to become 
utterly so. The Fish Commission has solved the problem' 
of hatching grayling, apd is in truth planting numbers 
of grayling fry every year, the Manistee River being the 
stream most favored. This river is reached easily from 
the town of Grayling, and anything going into that famous 
angling center might do well to have a look at the Manis- 
tee 1 . Of course one need not counsel any angler to use 
moderation. If he takes little grayling he should put them 
back. If he takes one or two or three good-sized fish, he 
should be content with that. The stream ought to be 
closed for a term of years, and that would re-establish 
the grayling in it. 
As to the extent and proportion of trout and grayling 
on the Manistee, Elmer Knight told me that in three days 
he and his party caught 184 trout and fourteen grayling. 
Nearly every one agrees that the grayling is practically 
extinct in the main Au Sable River. It is rarely taken in 
the north branch of that stream, nor does one hear much 
of any being taken now in Big Creek. I had one angler 
tell me that he caught a grayling, a rainbow trout and a 
speckled trout all at the same cast, on three flies which 
he was using. This I believe was on the Au Sable River. 
It is possible, but not apt to be probable from now on. 
There is angling in Michigan in that northern section, 
such angling as I did not suppose possible. I have been 
trout fishing scores of times, but I never had pleasanter 
fishing. The rigid laws of Michigan are having their good 
effect, and there was never a better law than the eight-inch 
limit which applies on the stream where we fished. 
As to the laws, it was a trifle hard not to be allowed to 
bring home a single one of all these beautiful trout which 
I caught, but as a non-resident I could not do so. The 
baggageman at Grayling, whom I asked to check a basket 
of trout to Saginaw for a friend, said he hoped I was 
not trying to send any to Chicago. I told him that I 
did not so intend. "Some gentlemen who were up here 
a few days ago," said he, "checked some fish out to 
Toledo, Ohio. They were caught at Detroit by Fish 
Commision men, and the anglers lost not only their fish, 
but also their rods and entire outfit. It proved rather an 
expensive trip." 
A word to the wise might be in place in regard to this. 
If you are going to try to smuggle trout out of Michigan, 
please don't. E. Hou'gh. 
Hartford Building, Chicago, HI. 
Will Some One Please Explain? 
Llano, Texas.— Editor Forest and Stream: I am go- 
ing to put a question to you that has stumped me for 
many years. I live on the Llano River, in Texas, and I 
suppose there is no better fishing stream in the State than 
the Llano. We have trout, perch, gaspergoo, and two 
species of the catfish. They grow large and the good fea- 
ture is that they bite. 
Last week I laid off and went fishing. It was a lovely 
day, and I thought how nice it would be out in the woods 
along the streams with" the fish. On my way to the fish- 
ing grounds I struck up with a "cracker kid;" he had the 
poorest outfit to catch fish that anyone ever went fishing 
with, and I felt sorry for him, and intended, should any 
misfortune happen to his tackle, to help him out. I. very 
soon "scraped 'quaintance" with him, and asked him 
where he was bound, and he said, "Fishin'." We walked 
on a few hundred yards in silence, and finally arrived at 
the "Blue Hole." I got out my Bristol rod, automatic 
reel, and silk line; he unwound his 2-for-a-nickle line 
from a crooked willow stick, and we went to work. I 
got the first bite, and .pulled in a two-pound cat. Then 
the cracker got in his work and landed a cat about twice 
as large as mine, and kept it up. I did not get another 
bite. He gave me some of his bait, and I even let him 
bait my hook, but it was no go. Not another bite did I 
get, and that boy caught twenty-three fish, in weight from 
two pounds to fifteen. 
Now, will some of you fishermen please tell me why a 
negro or a cracker can catch fish with his crooked stick, 
twine lines and bent wire for hook, while we can't do it 
with the best Bristol rods, automatic reels and snelled 
hooks? _^ X- H. C. 
Buzzard's Bay* 
Boston, May 19— The Massachusetts Legislature de- 
feated the bill "to permit of seining in Buzzard's Bay last 
week. Ostensibly in the interest of the menhaden com- 
panies, the privilege of seining for menhaden in that bay 
was asked. Hook and line fishermen were much alarmed, 
well knowing that once seining was permitted for men- 
haden all other fish would be destroyed. The Massachu- 
setts Fish and Game Protective Association was very 
naturally arrayed against the measure, and its officers and 
members feel gratified at their success. All the hook and 
line fishermen who have heretofore enjoyed fishing in 
Buzzard's Bay are rejoicing with them. Special. 
Tapeworm of Salmon and Other Fish Abso- 
lutely Harmless to Man. : 
"British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, 
London, S. W., Feb. 22. — Dear Sir: The tapeworms of 
salmon and other fishes are absolutely innocuous to man. 
This is a matter which has been well settled, as you may 
find by reference to any of the manuals on parasitology, 
particularly, I believe, in P. J. Van Beneden's well-known 
treatise entitled 'Animal Parasites and Messmates.' 
— G. A. Boulenger in London Fishing Gazette. 
Lake Simapee. 
Blodoett's Lanuing, N. H., May iy. — Another big 
week's fishing at Lake Sunapee. Dr. A. E. Pratt landed 
seven square-tailed trout from 1% to 3J/2 pounds, and one 
8-pound salmon; Fred H. Gould, nineteen, square-tailed 
trout 011 Saturday and Sunday from i?4 to 2<4 pounds; 
Dr. Hall, one trout, 2 pounds; H E. Fox, one, 3 pounds; 
A. Martin, six trout and one salmon, 4 pounds; C. H. 
Bradford, two salmon, S l A and o pounds ;, W. S. Leach, 
eight trout, 2, 1%, 3, 3, 2 and zVk, one salmon 4 
pounds; Dr. H. Moore, of Llartford, Conn., two white 
trout, 3^2 and 3% pounds; A. E. Rollins, two trout, i}4 
and. 3. pounds. 
State Commissioner Col. Nat. Wentworth and a part}' 
of friends have been at his qamp_, and with their usual 
good luck have landed quite a few large aureolus or 
golden trout during the last few days of last week. 
The brook trout fishing around Kearsarge and Sunapee 
mountains has been exceedingly good all the season. A 
party from the Forest House caught thirty-seven on 
Thursday afternoon weighing ll l /2 pounds; one tipped 
the beam at 1 pound 2 ounces. F. W. Huntoon. 
100 Sportsmen's finds. 
Some of the Queer Discoveries Made by ThoBe Who Are 
Looking for Game or Fish, 
83 
The Deutsche Fischerei Zeitung relates that a poor 
peasant living in the neighborhood of Brescia found a 
remarkable black ball in an eel. He showed it to some 
friends who told him it might be valuable, so he took it 
to a jeweler in Brescia, who pronounced it to be a black 
pearl worth at least 30,000 francs. The peasant then 
took his find to a jeweler in Milan, who paid him £1,500 
for it. 
Yachting. 
Yachting Fixtures, t902. 
Secretaries and members of race committees will confer a favor 
by sending notice of errors or omissions in the following list and 
also changes which may be made in th« future. 
MAY. 
24. New Rochelle, Y. R. A. of L. I. S., open, New Rochelle, Long 
Island Sound. 
24. Manhasset Bay, club raceabouts, Port Wasbingtori, L. I, Sound- 
24. Corinthian, club, Essington, Delaware River. 
30. to Tune 4. Corinthian, cruise, Chesapeake Bay. 
30. Indian Harbor, special, Greenwich, Long Island Sound. 
30. American, club, Milton Point, Rye, Long Island Sound. , ( 
30. Fall River, open, Narragansett Bay. 
30. Harlem, Y. R. A. of L. I. S., open, City Island, L. I. Soundl 
30. Manhasset Bay, club raceabouts, Port Washington, L. I. Sound*, 
30. Columbia, club regatta, Chicago, Lake Michigan. 
30. South Boston, M. Y. R. A., open and tender race, City Point, 
Boston Harbor. 
30. Seawanhaka Corinthian, club races, Oyster Bay, L. I. Sound. 
30. Atlantic, club, Sea Gate, New York Bay. 
31. Seawanhaka Corinthian, Y. R. A. of L. I. S., opw w»ee»k 
Oyster Bay, Long Island Sound. 
31. Wollaston, club race, Quincy Bay, Boston Harbor. 
31. Hull-Massachusetts, club, Hull, Boston Harbor. 
31. Winthrop, club, Winthrop, Boston Harbor. 
JUNE. 
7. Boston, Cheney cups. City Point, Boston Harbor. 
7. Atlantic, Y. R. A. of Gravesend Bay, Sea Gate, N. Y. Bay. 
7, Knickerbocker, Y. R. A. of L. I. S., open, College Point, 
Long Island Sound. 
7, Manhasset Bay, club raceabouts, Port Washington, L. I. Sound. 
7. Seawanhaka Corinthian, club, Oyster Bay, Long Island Sound. 
7. Corinthian, club, Essington, Delaware River. 
7. Winthrop, club, Winthrop, Boston Harbor. 
14. Hull-Massachusetts, club, Hull, Mass. 
14. Seawanhaka Corinthian, club race for Centre Island Cup, 
Oyster Bay, Long Island Sound. 
14. New Rochelle, Y. R. A. of L. I. S., open, New RockelI*„ 
Long Island Sound. 
14. Beverly, club, Monument Beach, Buzzard's Bay. 
14. Hull-Massachusetts, club, Hull, Boston Harbor. 
14. Columbia, race to Michigan City, Lake Michigan. 
14. Corinthian, open, Essington, Delaware River. 
14. Winthrop, club, Winthrop, Boston Harbor. 
14. Boston, cruise, racing run, Boston to Marblehead, Mass. Bay. 
14-17. Boston, cruise, City Point, Marblehead, Gloucester and Hull. 
15. Boston, cruise, racing run, Marblehead to Gloucester, Massa- 
chusetts Bay. 
16. Boston, cruise, racing run, Gloucester to Marblehead, Mass- 
achusetts Bay. 
17. Atlantic, annual, Sea Gate, New York Bay. 
17. Boston, cruise, racing run, Marblehead to Hull, Mass. Bay. 
17. Hull-Massachusetts, Y. R. A., open, Point Allerton, Boston 
Harbor. 
17. Beverly, open, sweepstake, Monument Beach, Buzzard's Bay. 
17. Corinthian, club championship, Marblehead, Mass. Bay. 
19. New York, annual, New York, Lower Bay. 
21. Winthrop, M. Y. R. A., open, Winthrop. Boston Harbor. 
21. Corinthian, club, Essington, Delaware River. 
21. Duxbury, club, Duxbury, Massachusetts Bay. 
21. Corinthian, club championship, Marblehead, Mass. Bay. 
21. Nor walk, Y. R. A. of L. I. S., open, South Norwalk, Long 
Island Sound. 
21. Larchmont, spring regatta, Larchmont, Long Island Sound. 
21. Seawanhaka Corinthian, club race for Centre Island cup, 
Oyster Bay, Long Island Sound. 
21. Brooklyn, Y. R. A. of Gravesend Bay, Sea Gate, N. Y. Bay. 
22. Wollaston, club, Quincy Bay, Boston Harbor. 
23. Eastern, open, Marblehead, Massachusetts Bay. 
24. New York, club, Glen Cove, Long Island Sound. 
26-28. Seawanhaka Corinthian, Y. R. A. of L. I. S., Oyster Bay,, 
Long Island Sound. 
28. Beverly, club, Monument Beach, Buzzard's Bay. 
28. New York C. C, Y. R. A. of Gravesend Bay, Ssa Gate, Nev<« 
York Bay. 
28. Corinthian, club, Essington, Delaware River. 
28. Duxbury, club, Duxbury, Massachusetts Bay. 
28. Winthrop, club, Winthrop, Boston Harbor. 
28. Boston, Y. R. A., open, City point, Boston Harbor. 
28. Hull-Massachusetts, club, Hull, Boston Harbor. 
28. Wollaston, Y. R. A., open, Quincy Bay, Boston Harbor. 
28. South Boston, club handicap, City Point, Boston Harbor. 
30. Bridgeport, Trial races for selection of representative for Sea- 
wanhaka cup contest, Bridgeport, Long Island Sound. 
JULY. 
1-3. Bridgeport, trial races for selection of representative for 
Seawanhaka cup contest, Bridgeport, Long Island Sound. 
4. City of Boston, M. Y. R., open, City Point, Boston Harbor. 
4. Beverly, open sweepstakes, Monument Beach, Buzzard's Bay. 
4. Larchmont, annual, Larchmont, Long Island Sound. 
4. Hartford, Y. R. A. of L. I. S., open, Saybrook, L. I. Sound, 
4. Seanwanhaka Corinthian, club, Oyster Bay, L. 1. Sound. 
4. Corinthian, open, Marblehead, Massachusetts Bay. 
4. Columbia, annual open regatta, Chicago, Lake Michigan. 
4. Milwaukee, club regatta, Milwaukee, Lake Michigan. 
4. Duxburv, club, Duxbury, Massachusetts Bay, 
4-5. Eastern, open, Marblehead, Massachusetts Bay. 
4-7. Manchester, Quincy Y. C. challenge cup races. West Man- 
chester, Massachusetts Bay. 
5. Winthrop^ club, Winthrop, Boston Harbor. 
5. .Mosquito Fleet, M. Y. R. A., open, City Point, Boston Harbor, 
5. Seawanhaka Corinthian, club race for Centre Island Cup, 
Oyster Bay, Long Island Sound. 
5. Beverly, first Corinthian, Mon. Beach, Buzzard's Bay. 
5. Riverside, Y. R. A. of L. I. S., open, Riverside, L. I. Sound. 
5. Hull-Massachusetts,, club, Hull, Boston Harbor. 
5-14. Atlantic, annual cruise, rendezvous Larchmont, L. I. Sound. 
10-12. Indian Harbor, Y. R. A. of L. I, S., open, Greenwich, Long; 
Island Sound. 
10-12-14. Newport Y. R. A., open, Newport. 
12. Duxbury, club, Duxbury, Massachusetts Bay, 
12. Winthrop, club, Winthrop, Boston Harbor. 
12. Hull-Massachusetts, club, Hull, Boston Harbor. 
12. Corinthian, club championship, Marblehead, Mass. Bay. 
12. Beverly, second Corinthian, Mon. Beach, Buzzard's Bay. 
12. Seawanhaka Corinthian, club, Oyster Bay, Long Island Sound 
12. Marine and Field, Y. R. A. of Gravesend Bay, Sea Gate, New 
York Bay. 
13, Squantum, M. Y. R, A., operi, Quincy Baj, Boston Harbor, 
