1S2 
FOREST « AIN D STREAM. 
[FsB. 14, 1903. 
cooked herring, fish puddings, fish cakes in wine sauce, 
cooked halibut, smoked and canned salmon, mackerel, 
baked and smoked, ditto hashed in oil, mackerel roe, fish 
hash with crab sauce, etc. 
The variety of the foregoing preparations is sufficient 
evidence of the progress of this branch of fish industry; 
but with the view of insuring its utmost development, the 
Government has established a school at Bodo, a town op- 
posite the Lofoden Islands, the center of the Norwegian 
fisheries. At this institution experiments are constantly 
under way, involving new methods of preserving fish and 
fish products, or of the manufacture of new compounds, 
the pupils being instructed as to the accepted processes, 
and taking part in those that are purely experimental. 
Some of these latter are curious; for instance, the 
preparation of cod heads as a simulation of canned 
lobster, and of cod livers as a suggestion of goose-liver 
paste, or pdie de faie gras. Neither article is as yet suffi- 
ciently tested, and, therefore, is not on the market. Cod 
lieads have long been utilized in Norway as cattle fodder; 
indeed, there \vas formerly a herd of cows upon Cape 
Cod that subsisted upon fish refuse. Both instances 
aflFord evidence that the bovine, as well as the human 
palate, is susceptible of education, and it is to be hoped 
that the latter, in view of the lobster's threatened ex- 
tinction, may be tickled into an acceptance of cod heads. 
Other preparations are fish meal from haddock, clean and 
white, fish tripe (stomachs) in brine, also the same 
smoked or dried. 
This institution promises excellent results, not only 
from the general training of its pupils, but also in devis- 
ing uses of waste products as well as improvements in 
existing methods of fish utilization. The question of the 
profitable disposition of the myriad roes, livers, etc., now 
wasted in American fisheries would probably be solved by 
the establishment of a similar experimental station upon 
our coast. In its absence we may trust that our manu- 
facturers will assume its functions, the path is revealed 
to them, they have only to master the processes so profit- 
ably employed abroad. A. H. Gouraud. 
In Southern Waters. 
The channel bass had been biting but indifferently for 
a week past, and with little hopes for any luck I took my 
rod, cast-net and tackle box and made my way to the 
pier. This is constructed solely for the benefit of anglers 
(and incidentally the profit of the owners). It runs out 
200 feet into the ocean, and at high tide has seven or eight 
feet of water beneath it. 
When half way to the end I stopped and reconnoitered 
for bait. Directly below me, and in about a foot of water, 
I saw a school of small nmllet. A quick estimate of the 
distance, a bit too quick it proved to be, and out went the 
net. A "water haul," as the natives say. Imprecations 
and preparations for another cast. This lime I was more 
successful, for on shaking out the net I found a dozen or 
so of the little fellows, averaging four or five inches in 
length. This size I have found by experience to be the 
best lure for the channel bass. Other and far better 
fishermen claim that a piece of full grown mullet, cut 
crossways and about two inches in length, is more apt to 
tempt the epicurean ta.stes of the bass ; but to be expres- 
sive, if not elegant, "you must show me." Satisfied with 
my bait I continued my walk to the end of the pier. 
As you may know to your sorrow and expense, salt 
water is most destructive to all articles not impervious to 
rust, so the first thing that I do in making my prepara- 
tions is to oil all rod joints and exposed nickel parts with 
some good gun oil to keep them from corroding and later 
prevent them from being taken apart. After seating my 
reel and running the line through the guides, I attach the 
sinker, a patent diamond-shaped one weighing about five 
ounces. Here again do many anglers differ from me, pre- 
ferring the round shape, as it allows the bait to roll with 
ihe surf, and hence, they claim, attracting the fish more 
than it would were it to remain stationary. This advan- 
tage is more than offset, to my mind, by the frequent re- 
casting necessitated, which is so annoying and requires so 
much time. There is a swivel at the top of the sinker, 
and through this I run my line, without trying it, for 
when a big fish is hooked he can make his rushes with- 
out having to drag the heavy sinker through the water. 
Next the hook. Here I pause and ask myself whether 
1 want to take the time to land the sharks which one is 
almost sure to hook if fishing for bass, or let them go on 
their way with hook and a fond farewell. If I decide 
upon the former course, as I did the day I write of, T at- 
tach ail O'Shaughnessy hook, called by them "tarpon," and 
as large as many anglers use when fishing for the "silver 
king." This hook has a three foot wire snell connected 
al both ends with a swivel to keep the line from un- 
twisting. If a wire snell be not used the chances are 
ten to one that the shark, if hooked, will never be seen, 
for unless hooked in the corner of the mouth their teeth 
will instantly cut the heaviest line. The last move before 
making tlie preliminary cast is to attach the bait. The 
mullet, which has been kept alive in a bait pail, is hooked 
through the skin, ju.st above the dorsal fin. The skin is 
very tough and will not tear unless roughly handled. 
A cast of 100 feet, and I sat down to await develop- 
ments. Hardly had the bait touched the bottom when a 
gentle, steady pull warned me to be up and doing. I gave 
him an answering pull and the sport began. The barb 
went deep, for as mad a rush I never saw a bass make ; 
100, 150 yards of line, and still he kept going. Only the 
high places were touched on that first rush. I had begun 
to fear for my rod, when as suddenly as he started he 
stopped. Thinking that he had expended his strength, I 
commenced to work him in. About 25 feet of the way 
v.'ere traversed, and then that heart damaging experience 
— slack. I thought he had left for parts unknown, and 
was giving him a fitting send-off, when a little jerk told me 
he was still there. Straight toward me he came, and as 
fast as he had gone out. My wrist ached from the exei"- 
tion of turning that reel crank. He was almost to the 
pilings before he turned, and then another dash of 40 
or 50 yards. His stopping place seemed to please him, 
for there he stayed. I could not induce him to go another 
foot, and so had to resort to that process known as 
"pumping." It would of course be impossible to reel a 
fish of that weight toward one, so the only alternative is 
to drop the poi»t «>f the rod directly toward tlie fisjj. 
press on the leather thumb brake, and lift the point in 
the air ; then by again dropping the point of the rod, and 
reeling in the slack, it is comparatively easy, by often 
rcpating this method of procedure, to work a very large 
fish toward the boat or pier. 
Little by little I "pumped" him in, every foot of the 
way contested, until I could see him almost directly be- 
low me. One more wild rush and the fight was practical- 
ly over, for an occasional little jerk was all the resistance 
offered until I had him beached high and dry. It is neces- 
sary to beach a fish of more than ten or tAvelve pounds, 
for the pier, even at high tide, is ten feet above the water. 
This requires the use of a gaff with a 14 foot handle, and 
correspondingly awkward to manipulate. If fishing alone, 
as was the case on this occasion, I have found it almost 
impossible to hold a large fish against the force of the 
breakers with one hand and wield a long heavy gaff with 
the other. 
After extracting the hook, I weighed my fish. An even 
35 pounds, and as he lay there in the sun he would have 
made a beautiful photograph. Unfortunately I have no 
camera with me on this trip, and so have missed many 
opportunities of taking good subjects that I will alwaj^s 
regret. 
The channel bass resembles in shape his fresh water 
cousin. He is of a reddish gold color, white belly, and 
has a black spot the size of a dime just above the tail. 
Certainly a most beautiful fish. 
But there were more like him in the surf, so I hastened 
back to the pier. 
A new bait was attached and I cast again. A very few 
minutes and another strike was telegraphed up the line, 
but different from the former. A sharp, quick jerk, the 
butt from me, and then a rush to the top. Clear out of the 
water jumped a shark, shaking his head as he broke. He 
looked a good bit larger than I cared to see, for I pic- 
tured myself gazing at a shattered rod minus some 200 
yards of line. Contrary to my expectations he did not 
offer as strong a fight as the bass I had just landed. Hi? 
one airing seemed to satisfy him, for down to the bottom 
he went, and there he stayed for some minutes, despite 
my efforts to raise him. Time after time I used as much 
strength as I thought the rod could stand, but all to no 
purpose. After satisfying myself that I was playing a 
losing game, I sat down and awaited developments that 
the shark should make. Eventually he started off, but 
very slowly. Ten yards of this and he stopped again. 
I' or over half an hour he kept these tactics up, until my 
patience was completely exhausted. I decided to force the 
fighting, even at cost of rod, reel and line ; so bracing the 
butt of the rod under a convenient railing, and using 
every particle of strength at my command, I lifted. Up 
to the surface he came, but the second I rela.xed down he 
v/ent. Time after time I brought him up, but each time 
he went down again. Eventually it told on him, and 45 
minutes from the time he was hooked he lay exhausted on 
the top of the water. 
There was no manner of weighing so large a fish, and 
I was forced to be satisfied with measurements : 7Y2 feet 
from tip to tip. I had great difficulty in extr.acting the 
hook, for he had swallowed it with eight inches of the 
snell. " 
After completing this most disagreeable task, I re- 
turned once more to the end of the pier. Again I cast, 
and again a strike; this time a bass. And so it went for 
four or five hours, until I was completely exhausted, and 
only too glad to answer the summons to luncheon. I had 
t.iken nine bass, the smallest weighing 12 pounds and the 
lc,rgest 35; five sharks ranging in length from 3J4 to 7Y2 
feet. 
When I remember that this was done with a six foot 
steel rod, and of the entire number of fish hooked only 
three were lost. I shall always think of it as one of the 
finest half day's sport with salt water fish that I have 
ever experienced. 
It may seem to some that I have stretched a point when 
I relate of landing a 7Y2. foot .shark with a No. 22 Bristol 
steel rod. But there were many witnesses who will verify 
these statements. And then again it must be remembered 
that all fish are not as lively at this time of year in these 
waters as their weight would seem to warrant. 
I know of no fish as variable in their struggles against 
the angler as the channel bass. I have caught one of 12 
pounds and from the manner he made my reel sing have 
estimated him at 35 or 40 pounds, and the same day have 
caught a 30-pounder and would have said that 15 pounds 
v/as an overestimate as to his weight. No other fish 
that I have ever caught, in fresh or salt water, are as 
deceptive as to weight, while fighting, and none of salt 
water so satisfying, both as to catching and eating, as the 
channel bass. E. H. Moulton, Jr. 
Seabreeze, Fla. 
An Anglingf Souvenit. 
AsBL'RY Park, N. J., Feb. 2. — Leisure incident to con- 
valescence from a tedious illness permits me once again 
to say a word in "our journal." The many good things 
which have appeared in each issue during the winter have 
been a perpetual feast. In truth be it said that but little 
cf interest to the angling fraternity can be told. Our fall 
fishing, which we always look forward to with such inter- 
est, was nil; and so far the winter fi.shing follows suit. 
We had a few days of good whiting fishing in December ; 
but the fish soon disappeared. Cod have been extremely 
scarce, and it is almost impossible to get a fresh fish ; a 
few ling are being offered, and I was informed this morn- 
ing were bringing 7 cents a pound. 
T have received from my old fishing friend, Robert 
Large, now of Dawson City, Alaska, a most beautiful and 
valuable souvenir of his success in the icy regions. He 
left here three j'ears ago and struck it rich and is invest- 
ing his money in Vancouver, B. C, real estate. The pres- 
ent is a most unique thing, a large scarf pin representing 
a "miner's pan" crossed by a mountain trout, the whole 
surrounded by nuggets of gold just as- taken from one of 
his claims. He also inclosed in his letter a leader and 
hook, on which he had taken a 9-pound trout. He hooked 
the fish while casting from a rock, and his description of 
the battle is most graphic. To paraphrase him: "I ran 
and slid over rocks and boulders, lost my hat, skinned my 
shins, my face and hands; was twice in water up to my 
armpits — but I got my fish; and the court plaster and 
arnica only cost me $1.10." Leonabd HuliTv 
Fly-Casting at New York. 
On Friday evening, Feb. 20, the Canadian Camp Fire 
Club will give a banqtiet in the Garden to some two 
hundred or more of its members and their invited 
guests. The dinner will be in strict accordance with 
the tenets of the club, in that it will be a camp dinner 
pure and simple, the only departure from the ethics 
of wood life being in the serving of wine and other 
beverages. The Canadian Club is a representative 
sportsmen's organization composed of campers, httnt- 
ers and fishermen of this country and Canada, camp ex- 
perience in the Dominion being one of the conditions 
of eligibility to membership. Following the dinner, the 
club members and guests will witness a full-dress re- 
hearsal of the cantata of Hiawatha, and will enjoy a 
private inspection of the exhibits and scenic effects and 
features of the show. 
The Anglers' Tournament programme has been pre- 
pared, starting with the black bass casting contest, on 
the opening night, Feb. 21, and continuing through the 
two weeks of the show. 
Anglers* Casting Tournament — General Rules Governing al^ 
Q)Qtests. 
Rule t. All contests shall be governed by two judges and a 
referee. In case of disagreement the referee shall decide. 
Rule 2. No one shall be permitted to enter any contest, except 
those "open to all," who has ever fished for a living; who has ever 
been a guide; or who has been engaged in either the manufacture 
or sale of fishing tackle. 
Rule 3. All persons competing shall pay an entrance fee of 
$1 for each event. No entrance fee will be required in the 
women's contest. 
Rule 4. The order in which the contestants shall cast shall be 
determined by the judges. The contestants must be ready to 
cast when called upon by the judges. 
Rule 5. The leader and fly or lure in each contest must be in- 
tact at the time of record by the judges, and the length and weight 
of the rod must be recorded. 
Rule t). Arrangements shall be made by the judges to accurately 
determine the point at which the fly or lure falls. 
liule 7. Contests shall be called promptly at 2:30 P. M., and 
7:30 P. M., and closed at 4:30 P. M., and 9:30 P. M. 
liule 8. After the contestant has taken his place on the stand, 
which is a platform not more than 18 inches above the surface of 
the water, his time shall be counted from the moment he says, 
"Ready," and the first cast thereafter shall count. The longest 
cast during the five minutes succeeding the word, "Ready" snail 
be taken as his record for distance. 
l^ule 9. The rod must be held in one hand, and no rod shall 
exceed liy2 feet in length, except when otherwise specified. The 
line must not be weighted. 
Rule 10. The barb and point must be removed from all hooks. 
Rule 11. Trout flies on hooks not smaller than No, 12 shall 
be used unless otherwise specified. Leaders which must be of 
single gut, shall not exceed the length of the rod by more than 
2 feet un'ess otlierwise specified. 
Rule 12. Time will be allowed, in case of accident, to make 
repairs, at the discretion of the judges. 
Rule 13. The switch style of casting will not be allowed except 
in the class devoted to that method of casting. 
Rule 14. All difficulties or disputes arising and not provided for 
in these rules or the rules governing each contest shall be referred 
to the judges, whose decision shall be final. 
Rule 15, When the method of casting to be employed is .spec hed 
in the rules governing an event, no other style than that desig- 
nated will be allowfl 
In each contest there will be three prizes, gold, silver and 
bronze medais. 
Saturday, l^'eb. 21, 7:30 P. M.— Class A, black bass fly-castmg 
contest. Distance only to count. At the discretion of the contest- 
ant a fly on No. 4 or larger hook may be used, to be furnished by 
the committee. Open only to those who have never cast more 
than 75 feet in any similar contest in either club or open tourna- 
ment, eight of rod and length of leader unrestricted. 
Monday, Feb. 23, 2:30 P. M.— Class B, trout fly-casting for dis- 
tance only. Open to youths not over twenty years of age. Weight 
of rod and length of leader unrestricted. 
Monday, Feb. 23, 7:30 P. M.— Class C, switch trout fly-casting 
contest. Distance only. Open to all excepting those who have 
cast more than 75 feet in any similar club or tournament contest. 
An obstacle will be placed 15 feet back of the contestant. Weight 
of rod and length of leader unrestricted. 
Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2:30 P. M.— Class D, trout fly-castmg contest 
for distance only. Open only to those who have never cast more 
than 60 feet in any similar club or tournament contest. Weight of 
rod and length of leader unrestricted. 
Tuesday, Feb. 24, 7:30 P. M.--Class E, light trout fly-rod con- 
test. Distance' only. Rod must not weigh more than 5 ounces, 
with an allowance of thi-ee-quarters of an ounce for solid reel 
seat. Open only to those who have never cast more than 60 feet 
in any similar contest in either club or open tournaments. 
Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2:30 P. M.— Class, women's trout fly- 
casting contest for distance only. Open only to those who have 
never taken a first prize in any similar club or tournament event 
in which there has been competition. Weight of rod and length 
ol leader unrestricted. 
In case there shall be no more than two entries for the 
women's contest, an additional event may be announced to take 
place at the time. 
W'ednesday, Feb. 25, 7:30 P. M.— Class G, light trout fly-casting. 
Distance only. Rod must not weigh more than 5 ounces, with 
an allowance of three-quarters of an ounce for solid reel seat. 
Open only to those who have never cast more than 75 feet in any 
similar contest in either club or open tournament. 
Thursday, Feb. 26, 2:30 P. M.— Class H., switch trout fly-casting 
contest. Distance only. Open to all. Weight of rod and length 
of leader unrestricted. An obstacle will be placed 15 feet back 
of the contestant. 
Thursday, I'^eb. 26, 7:30 P. M.— Class I, trout fiy-casting contest. 
Forward obstacle. Distance only. Open to all. A horizontal bar or 
tape, under which the cast must be made, will be placed in front 
of the contestant at a distance of 30 feet, and 6 feet above the 
water level. Weight of rod and length of leader unrestricted. 
Friday, Feb. 27, 2:30 P. M.^Class J, light rod trout fly-casting 
contest. Distance only. Rod must not weigh more than four 
ounces, with an allowance of three-quarters of an ounce for solid 
reel seat. Open only to those who have never cast more than 
75 feet in any similar club or open tournament contest. Length 
of leader unrestricted. , . . , . 
Friday, Feb. 27, 7:30 P. M.— Class K, black bass fly-castmg con- 
test. Distance only. Open to all excepting those who have cast 
85 feet in any similar contest in either club or open tournament. 
At the discretion of the contestant a fly on No. 4 or larger hook 
mav be used, to be furnished by the committee. Weight of rod 
ami length of leader unrestricted. 
Saturday, Feb. 28, 2:30 P. M.— Class L, bait-casting contest. 
Distance onlv. Open to all. Stripping the line, "Greenwood Lake 
style," with 'half-ounce rubber frog, to be furnished by the com- 
mittee. No limit to rod or line or reel, but cast must not be 
made from the reel. The longest cast forward, made within the 
five minutes succeeding the time the contestant announces 
"Ready" to count. Unless the frog falls within the side bounda- 
ries of the tank the cast shall not score. 
Saturday, Feb. 28, 7:30 P. M.— Class M, contest for ac- 
curacy. Open to all. No restrictions as to weight of 
rod and line. The contest is to be conducted as follows: 
When the contestant has taken his place on the platforni 
and has said, "Ready," he shall begin to cast, at a buoy, and 
after saying, "Count," or after having made five casts, the sub- 
sequent five shall be noted for record. The buoy shall be placed 
against the bank of the stream and 30 feet from contestant under 
an overhanging bush, which shall extend 3 feet over and be 3 feet 
above the water. The score shall be kept as follows: The buoy 
at which the casts are made is a semi-circular disk 6 feet in 
diameter. It is level with the surface of the water and marked 
by concentric circles 6 inches apart. The fly landing in the center 
counts 10, in the next space 9, in the next space 8, and so on down 
to 5. The highest score wins the contest. 
Monday, March 2, 2-30 P. M.— Class N, trout fly-casting contest. 
For accuracy only. Open to all. Distance at buoys 50, 55 and 
60 feet. W'eight of rod and length of leader unrestricted. There 
shall be five casts at each buoy. If the fly falls withm one foot 
of the buoy cast at, the cast shall be considered perfect ; for each 
fopt or fr!»ctiop of « lp.it in exces* of on« foot worn such a buojf 
