May 30, 1903-1 
than many of the over-dressed, boudoir-fed and pam- 
pered habitues of our seaside and mountain hostlenes 
""suT^after all, we like our wild visitors the best. A 
pafr of blu'e herons have been roostn.g }n f.eU.^ oJ 
^ tall nine half way up the hillside. i hey are not 
disSrber their shy ^refence and half companionsh ps 
are pleasant as they drift on slow wing o d en lot y 
perch at sunset. They are goo^jlots of wildness m 
the swampy places, and can be brought near to the 
eye by «se of opera glasses, as they wade i"' ^edg^J^^"^ 
S?ongh open watery shallows free from reed grass, 
while they look for frogs and hshes 
Nearlv every day we see one or both ot the single 
pafr cfbaM eagle's that have a .'-"'VthrrSrlol? 
these hills. The soarmg and d.ying of tl^J" °/ 
fish-hawks furnish another subject lor inMr"' 
CO versation. During ""'"'"^f "'3''™ I Ss 
JSgt^-lfs'fn'rSan sfflt^S o°^r»^ 
Eitfinra .o-ISir'HSrierut Sfhir.°S 
^^wlurlivpr heron "ull three kinds of owls, blue jay, 
nuScr&n&woodcock, s^^^^^^^^^^^ 
lorn home, dogs, horses, ^faSp ^^^^^ 
yellowbirds have also been el°se to our camp, un 
"muggy" mornings ^^^ave been star led an ^^^^ 
S s^AnrhTf ™ifj'£^^,'^^ 
fol/atg^orwTSclud^Srat hou^ 
one ol their b" 
"'5 faXss^lan "Se dived tm cclably, and probably 
and hairless tan. nc ,V~ ,„ofpr1inp' But we wish 
entered his home below the ^ate Uine^ i^ut 
?e=rlfis^^i'.eTo'-s™er"i^".f"^;Lrr>io?a1ings,a„d 
boys and girls. Nothing maKes i y shoulder 
as -to take a yo»"S,f f C a trolling lure and 
and deposit him in the ^7"°^',P"'^^bout vafching the 
line into his hands, and pa^^le aoout w = 
child's delight in bif.PO^^?,^,^;°;; "Ul lnimbTe presence 
so different ^^-^JZ^^rcv^^^^^^^ 
down m one end of the boat, even i 
longed for because he can see j^^^^ sent 
grateful mothers m some of the 'armnoi 
him little paper-covered g asses f map^^^ 
pans of hot biscui s tokens ,pf ^^^^^PP^.i^^s some- 
his kindness to their chicks. saving. "Never 
times visit us to smoke a pipe and chat, saymg,,, 
nS the trespass -gns; come an go as Y^^ 
f;;r\Sf a^dTSk^in ttelSht'oTthe evening fire^ 
chum "sibly grows yo-g- -.d sa.. that these 
are rich compensations for the 1^^^ streams 
Scotia or 
Q'i^^?*^" in.vm^r tried to tell something of the 
o, hshes a lairly sl<, U- i^I^-^^.^S' to ?ompiain 
average luck, .^e s nan not 
that I never give him practical aid it ne ^^^^^^ 
a-fishing on this nver^ 
Maine Angling News, 
T\T« ATav 91— Editor Forest and Stream: 
days «vhen fishing was hsh.ng. ^ ^ Comnnssra, 
a^'';L^ .nS liceSU-Son'Ip g^^^^^ 
the fishermen have ever enjoyed, at least smce there 
•'liSad/'eZi^h, this has resulted from almost the 
oonoSle co'^^id lion of what would have been prophesied 
lerff Sfe 'pl^llSf ^^iHe a'Ser T,! 
3^ii.°u?=^^?^%=57'5far\r^^^^^^ 
?nn? Maine would have to en oy a long month of 
warm davs with occasional showers to warm the water. 
On the contrary the month has been except for a com- 
naiatWely few days, rather cook although those few 
davs have been scorchers for the time of year, and 
have brought the fish, trout, togue and salmon to the 
suHace qmckly, read^ to take anything that offered 
c ance oTa meal. Perhaps the strongest cause of the 
good success has been tl- low condition of the waters^ 
the early freshets, coming before the lakes cleared 
S ce dropped the water and prevented the fish get- 
Tin i Into the bushes and swamps around the shores, 
an<f so picking up quantities of feed even while they 
were Sut of reach of the average fisherman, lo re- 
J eat not for vears have there been so many successful 
ftshermeja jn Main? as during the present season up to 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
date, and the fish taken have certainly averaged larger 
'^Tie"fo?est fires, to which reference was made in last 
week's letter, have, fortunately been controlled al 
though not without some tremendous work on the part 
o the fire wardens and their ^^-J .f. 
nidit and day, almost, for a week, m the eftort to pie 
■efit the spread of the flames to more valuable timbei 
than was destroyed or, as in some cases, to valuable 
^eSrt^'ropeny, Is, for instance the w.l^k^^^^^^ 
at Indian Pond, near Moosehead Lake, which were re 
norted to have been wiped out. Fo'^t^^^tely only an old 
lumber camp belonging to the same man was burned, 
and although the camps took fire, the flames were ex 
th^guished fnd the fire"^ controlled until all danger was 
pas^sed. Later, heavy showers sv^^pt ^eross the St^e 
drenching everything in their paths Jo that the tun 
herlands of Ma ne practically escaped the great danger 
ordestiuction. Had not this relief come Maine might 
? adily have seen another fire to match the fairious 
Miraniichi fire, since conditions were npe for such an 
e! en and it was impossible to obtam men enough to 
figh the fire's advance. In one town every able-bodied 
man and all the boys obtainable turned out and, m two 
crews fought the enemy night and day. Y ester 
day Commrssioner Ring, who is b°th forestry commis- 
sioner and fish commissioner, assured your correspon- 
S that\ll the fires in the State were out and no 
further danger is to be apprehended. This 'S a year 
when the origin of such fires will be close y investi 
Jated and woe betide the luckless camper who is neg- 
fectfui of the rights of others in this regard and leaves 
a spark of his ?ampfire alive when he breaks camp or 
goes out for a fishing trip. ^„f^,.„ ;t ;= 
Considering these different conditions, therefoi-e, it is 
surprishig that such records have been made. In fact, 
e recofds of some almost make a true sportsman 
o blush for those who permitted their enthusiasm to 
so far outweigh their sense of sportsmanship, and 
Stch more thai could possibly be used in camp or car- 
ried h me But it is always so, and the only protec ion 
tiie fish have when some people are around is not to 
feed. , , 
The Seboomook Outing Club which has been-^^^ 
at least whose first detachment has been— at the club s 
?o eT at Moosehead Lake, has had wonderful luck. 
During but three days' fishing they caught 6q trout 
se era! weighing from 3 to SVi pounds each, whi e they 
sJcured several good salmon weiglung from 4 to 9 
Touncls and togue ranging all weights ^rom 22 po^mds 
down. To enumerate the strmgs t^^^^^" .^^ the different 
men would be to greatly prolong this letter. It is 
Siou-h to sav. that in all the years of this party s com- 
h g S Moosehead. none of the club ever had such sp or 
wilh the fish. Mayor M. Doremus, Collectoi of 
Customs G. L. Smith, M. R. Sherrerd, R. L. Ross, 
W T Johnson and Fred Castle, all of Newark, N. J., 
and all under Mr. Castle's guardian eye, were in the 
party. 
ofher parties on the lake included one of Geo. M 
ShVrman and James M. Hall of Boston, ^^d.o took m a 
few days 90 trout, ranging from 3 pounds down, Llit- 
ioM Bass' and Dr. Eagan, of Gloucester, Mass who 
took in a week 40 trout, one a 5-pounder; F b. bnyder 
and H W Priest and wives, of Boston, who spent a 
week at the former's camp on Williams Stream, and 
Took I W trout; A. D. Thayer, of Franklm, Mass., and 
wife X Lave been among the earliest Ay-casters and 
have had great sport, getting 12 in one trip of a few 
ours J F. MacGowan. of Boston, who also caught 
on the fiy some exceedingly handsome trout, leadmg 
all rivals, some of his trout weighing better than 3 
oounds and a salmon of equal weight; Willard H. 
wSeeler, J H. Spaflford and Wm. C. Atwater, of New 
York Ci y, and Arthur H. Dakin, of Boston, had great 
sport farther down the lake about Deer I/land taking 
all the law allowed during their week, a 4-pound trout 
bein<^ their best squaretad; another party of only two 
caulht in the same vicinity in a few hours, S handsome 
^rout- A. W. Ford, of Salem, Mass^: F. D Barrows 
J S Rowe and E. B. Spearing, ot Foxcroft. fishe^ at 
the Outlet, and in one day took 18 squaretails from 
41/3 pounds down; another party at the same place took 
in a little over two hours, 33 lakers, as the residents 
call the togue. These are but samples of the sport 
fhat has bein going on at Moosehead for the week 
Fishing at Sebec was rather slow for a few days, 
owino- to the presence of logs, bvtt as soon as they 
nlVsed through the sluice and into the river, the salmon 
and trout began to take the troll again and some fine 
batches havfrcsulted. Dr. Holt, of Dover, took two 
salmon weighing 5 POunds 7 ounces^ and 4 P°3\ V 
ounces- Fred Carr. of SangerviUe, 3V2 and 4-pound sal- 
mon and 14^/8-pound togue; N. J. Lamb, o the same 
town 2 togue and a salmon averaging over 4 pounds 
each Judson H. Root, of Hartford, Conn., had great 
sport' w-kh the fly at Long Buttermilk Pond a mile .from 
Sebec, where he took togue weighmg loy. and 15/2 
pounds, salmon of 4 pounds and less, and quantities of 
trout Mr. Root thinks that when togue do rise to a fly 
they are about as gamy as one need ask for 
Attempts to stock Dexter Pond, or bi ver Lak^, 01 
Lake wLssokeag, as it is called by the adherents of the 
several names, have never proved very successful, and 
the fishermen have begun to believe there were no sal- 
mon there. Lately several fishermen, while trolling, have 
lost their entire troll and extensive portion of their lines, 
through the rushes of some big fish. Roscoe Burrill, 
of Dexter, is the only prize winner so far, however, he 
landing a 2^4-pound salmon. , , 
Up the main line of the B. & A. the sport has been 
great, although as those lakes opened later than Moose- 
head, the best sport is yet to come. At Nahmakanta 
Lake, Victor Hodgins, of this city, Arthur Felts and 
John PI. Small, of Boston, secured a fine string, while 
a party from the Debsconeag Club. Wm. -R- Noon, of 
Boston, and Gordon Merritt. of Ridgewood, N. J., took 
in a day and a half at Rainbow Lake. 33 Ponnds of 
trout Mr. Noon, who has gone home, landed at the 
home pond. First Debsconeag Lake, a 19-pound lake 
trout- C H. Gray and a friend of Oldtown, were at 
429 
the same camps, and caught a splendid string at Rain- 
bow, some as heavy as 3 pounds. Ct-^n^r 
Traffic Manager G. M. Houghton and J W Cratty 
of this city were guests of Express Agent Moody, of 
Patten at he latter's Shinn Pond Camp and m their 
Sit of Saturday and Sunday took a splendid string 
one trout weighing A'A, and six going better than 3 
^Tt '^Portage Lake the sport is fast and furious, and 
fine strings are being landed every day. ^ bi^ f ""f' 
hung up at the station as the down tram passed throngh 
therl tS-day, attracted great attention Dr Dobson, of 
Ashland; Warren Pratt, Col. C. P. Allen f d C R A^ 
Phair, of Presque Isle, are among the lucky fishermen 
there this week. ^ u • ^„a tt C 
Herbert Lawton, Morton G. Baldwin and IL C 
Jealous, of Boston, and W. E. Scoville of New Yoik 
City, have been at Square Lake for ten days, but owing 
to the lake being full of logs and other ""toward cir- 
cumstances, some of which they could understand, they 
didn't have the record-breaking sport that success else- 
where would indicate was awaiting their arrival two 
or three fish a day seemed to be the limit, and but few 
salmon were taken. Yet they had continual evidence 
that there are immense salmon and togue there,^ which, 
for some reason, couid not be induced to take the lure^ 
Mr.- Lawton took the banner for salmon, getting two 
of 8 and 5J4 pounds. , . 
The St Croix waters continue to hold up well, in, 
fact, it is doubtful if sport will be longer continued with 
more satisfactory results, in any system in the State as 
in some part of this cham one finds sport from the 
leaving of the ice until the end of the season Capt. 
W S Higgins, of this city, and Lieut. H. G. Gilmore, 
U " S " N went there the other day and caught a they 
wanted of salmon, bringing away all they were allowed 
to, and they might readily have taken many more J. 
Putnam Stevens and G. M. Barney, of Portland, fish- 
ing at Grand Lake stream, caught 42 salmon. 
Megunticook Lake, at Camden, which is famous, not 
so^much for its big trout as its close proximity to the 
sea, and to the mountains, affording a seashore resort, 
a lake city and a mountain range all close by, is de- 
manding its share of credit as a resort for big trout 
L. M. Chandler, of Camden, caught there a 2^-pound 
^'^^And speaking of ponds that are making new records, 
there is Peabody Pond in Bridgton, where the salmon 
fishing is the wonder of the town, and everybody who 
can secure a rig is after the gamy fish. Horace G 
Larrabee leads the string at present with a io?^-pound 
salmon, while Fred Libby is. right behind with an 8- 
^Takr'Auburn evidently feels that it has been much 
maligned, as the majority of fishermen had come to be- 
lieve that fishing in that mnch-stocked lake was wasted 
time Yet this week the beautiful little lake has been 
nobly cleared of such imputations, and furnished in 
three days' fishing only, not including many that could 
not be recorded, 26 trout and 78 salmon. The largest 
salmon weighed qV^ pounds. , , . . , ^ 
The largest bass ever hooked m the Kennebec River 
north of Augusta, in which waters bass are nurnerous 
and °-row to great size, was taken this week at Skow- 
hegan by Fred Niblen, of New York, and weighed 7% 
pounds. 
Among the ponds reached from Bangor is one 
Floods, which, in the earliest years of his chddhood 
the writer used to hear of as a wonderful spot for fish- 
ing, and out of which came the strange trout that had 
no red spots on them. Immense strings of these fish 
were caught there, some of them of large size a„d it 
was many years before Bangor anglers found that these 
''silver trout" were really the American saiblmg, and. 
were indigenous to but one other water in New Eng- 
and or the East, Lake Sunapee m New Hampshire^ 
So hard were the anglers after the beauties that the 
oond suffered severely, and in later years the U. b. ±<isn 
Commission has taken a great deal of its saiblmg spawn 
from the supply there. When the fishmg was at its 
height J. Henry Peavey, of this city, at his own ex- 
pense, secured a supply of salmon and .stocked that 
pond In a few years he caught one of his salmon, 
which had grown to a 13-pound fish, but now for sev- 
eral years not one has been taken or seen. This week, 
while Mr. Peavey and Fred E. Thomas, of this city, 
were out there together, they saw Geo. W. Gould, ot 
Brewer, hook and land a salmon, which upon being 
weighed, was declared to be 9% pounds. Mr. Gould 
and C H. Patterson, while at the pond, caught also 24 
of the'saibling. while Mr. Peavey and Mr. Thomas, hav- 
ing but one day there, landed 13, the heaviest a 3- 
pound fish. Perhaps no more beautiful string has been 
Hken there in recent years than was caught by l^red 
S Cohoon, of Brewer, who displayed a string of 12 
in that city, ranging from 3 pounds down, four o the 
fish ranging above a pound and a half. Singularly 
enough, this species of trout can only be caught in deep 
xvater still-fishing. The salmon was caught on a piece 
of Tchub. whereas this fish will usually only touch a 
As editor Frye and a party of friends are at 
Mooselucmeguntic, and. State Councd or Hames of 
Waterville. is entertaining Governor Hill and his coun 
cil at Great Pond of the Belgrade chain, next week s 
record will doubtless eclipse even this ; but no square- 
tailed tTout will exceed the record held for so many 
years 1 ow by Senator Frye, for the largest trout ever 
landed fn Maine on a fly. Herbert M. Rowe. 
Montana has experienced much trouble in years past 
with the killing of big game by depredating bands of 
Indians while off from their reservations. A law was 
passed by the Legislature this year which is designed to 
prevent the recurrence of such conditions. It prohibits 
the carrying of firearms by roaming Indians ; any Indian 
who is found with arms while away from his reservation 
is guilty of a misdemeanor, and all such arms are to be 
seized and confiscated and sold for the public benefit. 
