July 5, 1902.] 
FOREST AND STHEAM. 
11 
Random^ Notes of an Angler. 
Mote Afaooi ft^eisi 
. Ijn" my last paper I stated, in describing my reel, that 
iiie resistaiice fittilished by the click, is .only sufficient to 
v^ ithstand a tension of six or seven ounces. 
Oiie of my correspondents lias taketi me to task for this 
statement, declaring that 1 iiKvk placed the figures alto- 
gether tco low, and that from eight io teH ouiices Wollld be 
nearer the mark. 
Now T dare say there may be reels which require a 
tension as high as he names, but mine does not, and I 
do not believe it is necessary. 
However, to make the matter absolutely beyond doubt, I 
liMVfe jtist made a flUmbef of trials, and find that the click 
;^'ields at a six-oulice ptill.if thfe feel is f fee f toni the rod; 
ahd if. it is plrtced on the tod and the litte is pass|@cl 
iiiroligii all the guides, thus causing considerable fric- 
tion, a straight pull, i, C.. one thrdugh the guides, the fod. 
i'eing hc;Id horizoilttHy, btit tiiiben't, a teiisioii of eight 
hhlices is 1-feqtiirc.ti. This is fl .siii^ll Watter, it is tfdej but 
u iien oiie stiitts tacts tie must try to be accurate. 
it! de.scribiiig, tlie .reel ih.a former paper T iiit;ended fo 
siiy.that the i'eci click is inside ttie spool, but ina.dvertently 
I dropped the ''click," which made rriy nieatiirig tatbe'r 
vague. 
Care lor Yoof Red, 
One cannot be too particular in cariiig for fais reel, no 
matter how nicel}'- the parts may be- adjusted. Mifilute 
particles of sand and dust will find an entrance, and on 
this account I give mine a thorough overhauling every 
ptason, taking it apart and cleaning it and lightlv oiling 
It with fiite ittadiitie oil, 
Tr{€ks Saiiiioa to Eicajpii 
iii. addition to tilosfe I have .already .rianied, tiie sstiiiiqii 
if gifted with maiiy, artifices by \vhich he strives to fid 
iiihiself of the Hook which is fasteiied in his n.routh. 
divitig tliroiign a. tliass of stiwmergeft drift wood is a 
•■ommon trick with him, and it very oftefi pfofes k sttc- 
tessftil one. 
Running out of fifty or more yards and then quickly 
returning so as to get a .bight in the line bj' wliich he gets 
sufficient slack to enable him to .shake o\it tlie hook is 
another, and darting here and there' -vs-ith fi .toi-liscfevt' 
movement, by which the hook often gets twisted 6'ut is ail 
expedient that is also often practiced. Tn fact, there is 
110 end to the devices by which he seeks to ubtain his 
fteedom, and the ati"ler must constantly be on the qui 
' ive to tiieet and baffle. theUi. 
il tliil-ty-pptiiid fisll is iiot so active' a.s Vd one of half 
th^t Vfeight, .but his streiigtii is rrioi-e tlian pfdpottioliately 
greatei". While tne %iit ,witli a twelve or fifteen pottftd 
salmon is ofteii "short, sharp atld_ decii'i^fe." . that .With ft 
Ifirge one is a "battle royal," iil wlticli slteiigth, eiidufaiTfcg 
and; consummate skill on the part of the aiiglef j(re cftllefl 
for; it is a battle in which no chances may be takeii, and 
every possible expedient known to the craft must be 
availed of. 
Expjdtency of Changing Fl'es. 
t Ijttve already treated of the iliipoi^tance of changing 
'lifef; lot difffefeiit .stages and colors , of waters, and have 
i-etiiaps said all that is ilecessary ; biit .1 fittd .sorilethiflg 
"11 ttiis topic in tiie book "Salhiohia," which I .have 
already referred to that is Wfell wortji fepriittilig here. 
The 'author says : "I will mention a circtinistance wii.kb 
every accomplished fly-fisher ought to know. Yoti 
rlianged your flies with the change of weather, putting the 
dark flies 011 for the bright gleams of the sun, and the 
gaudy flies wiieti the dark clouds appeared ; now, I will 
tell you another principle, which it is. as necessary to 
know as the change of flies for change of Weather. 1 
tdludc to the different kinds of fly to be Used in particular 
pools, and even for particular parts of pools. You have 
fished in this deep pool, and if yoti wete to change it for a 
sliallower one. such as that ajjove, it would be proper to 
use smaller flies of the same color; and in a pool still 
.deeper, larger flies; likewise in the rough rapid at tile 
top, a larger fly may be itsed than below at the tail of 
the water. I have often changed my flies thrice in the 
same pool, and sometimes with success, using three differ- 
ent flies for the top, middle and bottom. I remember 
that when I first saw Lord Somerville adopt this fashion, I 
thought there was fancy in it, but I adopted the lesson 
he taught nie> and with good results in all bright waters," 
As to Hodks. 
Every salmoli angler has had "troubles of his oWil" in 
consequence of barbs breaking from hooks, or the hoolvs 
Ijreaking by the severe strain to which they are subjected, 
md those tl-olihles will be repeated until only the very 
liighest grades are Used in tying the flies; these cost a 
little more than inferior ones, but the difference is so 
small it is an outrage on the angler to sell him the 
cheaper ones. What can be more maddening than to 
lose a good fish by the breaking or straightening out of a 
hook? Yet how often does such an accident occur? 
Many anglers before using their flies test the hooks 
thoroughly by springing them against a piece of wood. 
If they arc defective in any way it can thus be quickly 
proved, and- it is vastly better to suffer the loss of a 
number of such hooks than it would be to have a salmon 
break one and escape. 
Another source of annoyance and loss is found in" the 
imperfect tying of the flies on the hook. If proper care 
is not given to this work, the hook often pulls out, leav- 
in.g only a bunch of feathers and tinsel dangling on the 
ind of the leader as it comes back to the angler. 
To guard against such a calamity, one should carefully 
examine his flie.s, and if he finds any which feel at afl 
loose qn the shank of the hook, he had better reject them. 
If properly tied, the body of the fly is as rigid as if it 
were welded to the steel. There should be no movement 
whatever even with quite a severe test. 
The gut loop, also, should be perfectly immovable, for 
if it is not sectu-ely fastened, the chances for its being 
pulled out are very great. 
Tile Shape of Hooks. • 
I confess I have never been able to sec any great ad- 
vantages which one kind has over otbefs, although iTiost 
anglers have, I know, very decided preferences. I lia'vfe' a! 
well-.stocked book which on examination shows that iHy 
fii'es Ure tied on almost all kinds of hooks, and it is_ not 
sfraiige that tbis is the Ciise, for they have at various times 
becfj bought in at least a ddzeti taekk stores in the States 
and in the F^roviiices. i once pitlfled tity faith on the 
O'Shaughnessy or Lifrtfef-ick I'looks, but fotlttd that the 
steel Avas tempered a trifle too highly, ati.d after setefal 
accidents, I lost faith in them. I am told that tb'e genuine 
Limericks are quite different and more reliable tbafi those 
ivhicb are tempered in England, but the latter seem iO he 
tlifi ofliy kind Wihclt. reach this country; probably they cost 
less. The Kifliy hook has also been a favorite with 
ine, but now as T agai'fi exaniifle My stpek of flies, I believe 
that, if I were to be restricted. to a s'mgU form, I should 
choose the Sproat, and in this {jfobably ffiost salmon 
anglers' will agree with me. 
Genio C. Scott, in his "Fishing in AraeriCafl. Waters,'* 
devotes considerable space to this matter, and also cfuofes 
a ComintiiiiGatloii Which had been printed in the Field, 
which is of tio little ifiterest and itnportance. My limited 
space Will pct*mit me to offer otlly a short extract from it. 
The Writer says : "Iil seven Consecutive days' fishing I 
hooked thirty-six fi,sh, aiid of thcnl landed twenty-seven. 
I was brokeil fotif times. Oflce iily single gut, with which 
I always fish," was frayed by a heavy fish against .sharp 
boulders, and. three titnes the hooks Were traitors— two 
Were Lifnericksi, and one was a Sproat. Three out of 
thirty-six is too large a proportiofi, and it is very desir- 
able to reduce it. Eve/i ffi fishiiTg with single gcit, the 
heaviest fish, if properly handled^ barring the c'ircum- 
stahces of snii^s or boulders, seldom succeed in break- 
ing tlie line, mlt What handling will save a hook?" 
"The only Sproat hook which has broken with me v/etli 
at a point just below the barb. I think it is an admirable 
form of hook. It is less apt. to break than the Limerick, 
both from its form, and because the pull is nearly in the 
direction of the point, whereas in 'the other line of ptJll 
fortils ati obtuse angle at the point." 
S<!al Tfo«t Desifoy Salmon FHcs. 
tio.od salmon flies are e:^peWsi^-e, and offe cannot be too 
careftll in itsihg them.. I v.ehture.to say that sea trout 
ruin many more fiks than do all the salrft'ori ofle kiHs in 
an entire season. 
They are constantly (;n the alert, Uiid the moment ofl'e 
eiists his i\y they are after it. Now, the Utiglef does liot 
vi'isll iti stir up the pool by bothering with these s^hSll 
fry. They £tte good fighters, and when they weigh a pound 
or two they do not. (iofile to. the landing net without a 
good deal of struggiirtg a'ild splashing — and one must ac- 
quire the knack of shaking theni off the hook quickly in 
the watei'. This is an accomplishment which requires a 
little study and practice to obtain, but i* is nfle that in 
(lUite essential. 
if the troUt is. not hooked loo badly, it may be ffefed 
^tfSCtliis mgthod, and the water still remain undisturbed, 
but if it, cafiffot bib thifs disposed of, the better plan is to 
ciiiictly lea.d it aWay to the lurther edge of the pool and 
lift it out before it, becomes very boisterous. 
The numerous fifte, .sharp teeth of the sea trout work 
sad havoc with the flies, and after two or three have 
had one in their jaws, it is pfactiGally ruined, for the 
fibers of the feathers, in fact all the immnith used in 
making the fly, are cut to pieces. 
Varieties of Feaifaers, etc.. Used io Making Salmon Flies, 
All the regions of the earth are ransacked for materials 
(pt salmon flies ; ift faci, there is no other industry which 
derives its raaterials from sUeh varied andi widespread 
sources. 
In addition to flosses, silks, mohairs, various Wools, the 
hairs of seals, various bears, fo«es, otters, hog's down, the 
hairs of different kinds of squirrels and many other ani- 
mals, the feathers of such familiar birds as the domestic 
fowl, land rail, ducks of various kinds, bittern, snipe, 
woodcock, golden and other pheasants, grouse, etc., are 
used. A vast number of birds are also obtained in India — 
in fact, in all the Countries of the East and in the tropjcs 
of both hemispheres, for making the deceitful lures. 
1 find in an old copy of the Field, which I have kept on 
file for many years, a"n exceedingly interesting communi- 
cation on this subject from a correspondent in Bungaiore. 
India. In describing the manner in which many of the 
rare birds are obtained, he says: 
"Sometimes these jungle people offer for sale birds of 
brilliant plumage, as paroquets, golden orioles, honey 
birds, hoopoes, the blue thrush, kingfishers, florican, 
painted snipe, sand grouse, etc., and then is my time for 
securing a stock of feathers for fly-tying. 
"A friend in India, a Scotchman, enlightened nie a little 
on the subject of feathers. He resided in a very jungly 
station, and T wondered one evening to see him baiting his 
compound with strychnine. I wondered still more next 
morning to see two or three jackals and half a dozen of 
the common Indian brown vultures stretched on the 
ground. And he then explained that the brown-black back 
feathers of these great, ugly birds were held in the high- 
est cstilnation by salmon fishers in Norway; that, in fact, 
there was no fly .so killing as one made from their dingy 
feathers. Another friend sets great store on the brilliant 
blue feathers in the Indian roller's wing. But that is 
not surprising, because, when blue is required in the 
tving of a salmon fly, there is no feather brighter than 
this, not even the cerulean tint of the much-persecuted 
kingfisher himself." 
Tenderfoot Lock. 
AVhile it is u.sually the most experienced and aCCotn- 
plished angler who is most successful, one who is famltiar 
v.'ith not only every device known to the art,, but is also 
up. to all' the tricks that the salmon has acquired, and 
there are many of them, the merest tyro is sometimes 
"high line" in a day's fishing. I once invited a friend to 
visit a salmon river of which I was one of the lessees. 
He had had considerable experience in the gentle art. par- 
ticularly in trout and black bass fishing, and had once 
or twice enjoyed the early fishing at the Rangeleys. He 
joined me on the train, and as we sped along to our des- 
tination we - discussed salmon fishing in all its bearings, 
and, of course, built. some very high castles in the air. 
On arriving at the fannhouse which was to be our 
headquarters, and unpacking oar rods and things, I found, 
greatly to ray. surprise, that he had brought his heavj 
ttoiViti^ rod along, and the multiplying reel that he used! 
iii fro.lliflg, I had supposed that be knew what to bring 
and therefore had not given him any advice. 
Well, to make a short story of it, we had the big canoe 
hauled up flie river early on the next morning and the.' 
sun had hardly begun to shine above the tree tops on the 
eastern .shore when we had embarked_ and started on our 
day's run of twelve miles down the river. 
The salmon pools were seven or eight in nuinber, andl 
the water was high enough to permit us to slide dowm 
in the ClfloC from one to another. 
i showed niy friend as well as I could how to proceed'^ 
and giving him the 'begt chances I waited developments,. 
They came (hide and fast. He had hardly begun casting- 
on the upper pool when he rose a salmon; it was slow im 
coming to the fly, and he missed it, but he soon rose an- 
other, which he hooked. It was a lively fish of only about: 
fjght pounds weight, but it gave my friend all he could 
attend to. Darting about on the rocky shore and uttering 
now and then a yell of wild excitement, he played 
the fish to a finish. ' He was harsh with it. of course, for 
he had never been fa.ft to such a fish before, and I ex- 
pected every minute to see his old trolling rod go to 
pieces or his line foul around the crank of his multiplier. 
But good luck attended him, and the fish was gaffed 
iriside of a ten minutes' play, and a happier man I never 
saw than he was when the salmon was laid out on the 
shore before him. We congratulated him, of course, and, 
entering the canoe again, we started down the river for 
the next pool. We worked diligently all day, and when 
the lower pool was reached, we foOTd that we had five 
salmon, of which my friend had killed three, and about 
forty pounds of elegant sea trout. Yes, ^he tyro often 
has the best success, and "tenderfoot luck'' Jias now be- 
come a recognized quantity. 
Edw.\rd a. S^Wi'ilEi.S. 
[to bk continued.] 
The Tuna in Nova Scotia. 
SvDNEV, Cape Breton, Canada, June 25. — Editor Furcsf 
and Stream: I have just learned certain facts concerning 
the possibilities for fine tun^ fishing in Nova Scotia, so 
hasten to send them to yoti, and thus give any of your 
readers, who may so desire, a chance to try here for that 
^ceat fr.sh this season. 
This information was given me by an old residetit ut 
Cape Eiretofl, who lives near the mouth of the Myra; Ktirer, 
about fifteen miles from the city of Sydney. In hiis 
younger days he S'pent a great deal of time on the water, 
so had an excellent opportumty to study the habits of tlie 
tuna, or. as it is termed here, albicore, horse mackerel, 
herring hog or jumper. 
He has killed a number of tiiem by harpooning, and 
even landed one on a hand line. JSTo one, as yet, has tried! 
to fake one in these waters with rod and reel; but miy 
friend, Mr. A, C. Ross, of Sydney, is sending to New 
York for a tuna outfit, and will make the attetnpt thiis 
summer. 
The tuna follow the schools of herring, wbich come 
here early in Jttly and remain till about ihe first of 
October. When the herring fishermen make a batii withi 
a net, the tuna play around, often so close to the boats- 
as to be struck by the oars, waiting for an opportiSJjit}'-' 
to seize a stray fish, and occasionally rushing into tfie: 
mass of herrings by tearing great holes in the netting. 
The tuna are not only very'ijlentiful, but are extremely 
voraciotfs, so there would be no trouble in getting strikes 
when trolling for them in the vicinity of the herring 
schools. 
The fishermen often throw out a herring just to see the 
albicore take it. I have not the slightest doubt that great 
sport could be had here on these fish for three months 
in the year, which is as long a tuna season as they have 
at Catalina Island. 
Careful inquiries enable me to state that boating ou 
the large bays and harbors of this coast during Jnly andl 
August is perfectly safe, and generally so in Sepltemter,, 
although during the latter month there is likely to be some 
wind. The summer climate is said to be delightful, quite 
cool and bracing, but still warm enough to be comfortable. 
Experienced oarsmen can be obtained for reasonable 
compensation, and there are plenty of sound, seaworthv 
skiffs. 
For from fifteen to twenty dollars per day, or perhaps; 
considerably less by the week or month, a steam tug or' 
naphtha launch, with her crew, can be hired. This couldl 
take care of several fishing boats. In my opinion, it- 
Avould be well to have two oarsmen per boat, and to' 
fish in couples, so, if one boat comes to grief in fighting 
with a tuna, the other boat could go to the rescue. 
I would use 1,000 feet of the strongest tarpon line manu- 
factured, with a reel amply large to hold it, and furnished 
with the usual l^eather brake and with one of Mills & 
Sons' patent handles set for a tension of at least fifteen 
pounds. Again, I would double the line for about twen- 
ty-five feet, so as not to lose the fish by breakage thereof 
when fighting at close quarters. The snell should he of 
extra strong wire, fully six feet long and provided with 
three swivels. The bait, of course, should be herring, oi 
Avhich an ample supply would always be readily procur- 
able. 
Several times in the la.st two or three years I have 
heard the statement that the reason nobody fishes for tuna 
on the coasts of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and New- 
foundland, is because of the stormy weather, great waves 
and consequent danger ; so I have taken special pains 
to make inquiries concerning the weather that one is 
likely to encounter here during the summer, and have 
learned that for days at a time the waters of the large 
1)ays arc as calm as a pond, and that there is no dangcr 
whatever to be apprehended. The fishermen often go far 
out to sea for the herrings, and no accident befalls them. 
In my opinion, tuna fishing here during July, Augu t 
and tlie earh^ part of September would ))e no mot*; 
perilous than it is at Catalina Island, and no more so than 
is tarpon fishing on the Gulf of Mexico. 
I have investigated concerning the probability of finding 
tuna ever3'^ day during the season, and have been to'd 
that wherever there are herring there are .sure to be alsv> 
these great fish, which prey upon them; and that large 
srhciok of herring ran be fottnd almost any day during 
the season. The first run comes early in July, and there is 
