FOREST AND STREAM. 
TAuG. I, 1903. 
cated muscallunge. The bait used in this new school 
of muscalkmge fishing is usually a sucker weighing 
about a pound or so, and the casting is done from a 
stiff rod, so that the angler is able to pitch the bait 
quite a distance from his boat over the weedy bars 
where tl'.e muscallunge is most apt to be found lying. 
In this practice one of course needs a wired hook, but 
it is not necessary to us^ a shark hook in order to lard 
a muscallunge, and some fishers do not go larger than 
60 in their selection of hooks for this purpose. Of 
course, when the muscallunge swirls up and strikes 
the sucker, the angler simply relaxes strain and lets 
the fish run away with the bait. Presently, just as in 
the case of a bass with a frog or a pickerel with a min- 
now, the muscallunge bolts the bait and makes a sec- 
ond run. The hook, therefore, is apt to catch him 
pretty well down in the gullet and does not need to be 
so very large in order to hold him. Mr. Wolff says 
that sight of a big muscallunge swirling up at a bait 
just as if strikes the water is one of the most exciting 
things he has ever seen in sport, and it far outclasses 
the heavy tug on the probably submerged spoon hook, 
which is usuall}^ the first indication of a strike when 
one is trolling. 
In Little St. Germaine Lake this spring the Wiscon- 
sin Fish Commission seined a female muscallunge 
which weighed 84 pounds, and removed from the fish 
nearly six pounds of spawn, according to the story, the 
fish being then returned to the water. The commis- 
sion retained this big muscallunge for a while and 
wired the United States Fish Commission and the 
Smithsonian Institute, querying whether they would 
like the muscallunge preserved as a specimen. It was 
not, however, killed, but returned. 
The guides have a notion in these muscallunge 
waters that the nimble speckled frog is a poor sort of 
bait whether for trollmg or casting for bass. One 
does not recall any instances of a muscallunge being 
taken on frog bait, but there is no ground for the local 
prejudice against the frog as a bass bait. Mr. Wolff 
himself, for instance, one time went out frogging and 
picked up a dozen or so, and his catch of bass that 
afternoon was a complete refutation of the theory of 
the guides that the bass in that countrj' would not rise 
to the frog. 
Singular lacideats ia Fishing. 
A week ago last Tuesday Dr. J. W. Meek and Mr. 
F. H. Wolff were down at Koutts, Indiana, attending 
the tournament of the Valley Gun Club. They took 
the opportunity to do some fishing in the Kankakee 
River, and found it no trouble at all to catch all the 
pickerel (pike) which they wanted. They saw no bass 
and say that local men like George Hofferd, game 
warden at Koutts, tell them that the bass fishing is 
ruined in that part of the river, which was once so 
notable in that specialty. The recent stories are true, 
and pickerel, innum_erable carp and swarms of dog fish 
infest the Kankakee now. The Chicago men had a 
little sport with the pickerel in fault of anything better. 
In the course of this fishing, in which they had a num- 
ber of pickerel up to 4, 5 and 6 pounds, Mr. Wolff 
hooked a good-sized fish and landed it in due time. 
He thought he felt something give, but the fish did not 
make its escape. When he got to it he discovered that 
the hook had broken off in the gullet of the pickerel, 
and the snap of the steel swivel, in passing out towards 
the mouth of the fish, had caught in the side of the 
cheek. Any one who knows how one of these spring 
snaps is arranged will realize that the tongue of the 
snap would act as a sort of barb, like the barb on tht 
so-called barbless hooks. At any rate it served to 
fasten and hold this big pickerel. One does not recall 
hearing of any similar incident in angling experience, 
yet the informant stated that this was the second time 
that the same thing had happened to him. Last year, 
while fishing for muscallunge in Wisconsin, the hook 
broke off in connection with a big sucker concealed in 
the anatomy of a heavy muscallunge. The swivel snap 
fastened the fish in the mouth, just as was the case 
with this Kankakee pickerel, and the old fellow was 
landed in this rather inglorious though singular man- 
ner. 
Still another odd incident in angling seems to have 
taken place on the salmon river of Mr. Charles H. 
Davis, of Saginaw, the Little Pabos. Full information 
from Mr. Davis is lacking, but Mr. W. B. Mershon, of 
Saginaw, in a chance letter, refers to the matter in 
this way: "You should get full particulars of Mr. 
Davis' salmon story, for it is about as strange an oc- 
currence as I ever heard of. The knot that fastened 
the leader to the line came untied after the angler had 
been playing this fish for a while. Each end of the 
pool was a shallow rapid, and the guides put a boat at 
each end and kept the fish from running out of the 
pool, and then chased it around until it got tired and 
took refuge under a log. Then with the gaff hook they 
carefully raised the leader and fastened it again to the 
line and Mr. Davis' friend finally landed his fish." 
That certainly was a gentlemanly sort of guide who 
could have gaffed a salmon and gaffed the leader in- 
stead, and so let the fight go on to a finish under the 
proper rules of the game. 
For the Nepigon. 
Mr. C. D. Viele, of the Deere & Webber Company, 
Minneapolis, Minn., is chief of a party of five who 
start within the week for an extended trip on the 
Nepigon River, This party are outfitting with V. L. 
& A. of Chicago, under the supervision of Mr. Von 
Lengerke, who has been on the Nepigon and' knows 
what is needed. 
Slagle Rivef Fishing Club. 
The Slagle River, or, as it is better known, the 
Slagle Creek, of Michigan, has been considered for 
many years as one of the best trout propositions m 
the south peninsula, Its special virtues have not been 
overlooked, and now comes the information that there 
will presently be formed the Slagle River Fishing Club, 
which will take over and preserve a good portion of 
thi§ strf^am. Mr. E- J. Marsha]!, Qf Toledo, Q,, is in- 
terested in this work, and sends out a prospectus which 
he hopes may be interesting to Chicago gentlemen de- 
sirous of valuable club privileges on this stream. He 
writes: "You notice that we contemplate but twenty 
members for our club, and we believe that this is one 
of the finest propositions ever oft'ered to the genuine 
sportsman. This property was purchased some years 
ago by Mr, Daniel Segur, of Toledo, an enthusiastic 
fisherman, and he has cleared the titles from the usual 
tax titles, etc. At current prices the land is worth 
more than the price put on it, so that you can see the 
undertaking is not made with a view to profit. We 
should be pleased to form a small club of gentlemen 
sportsmen who are interested in the sport. We expect 
to have some first-class gentlemen from this town and 
should be glad to hear from others of the right sort 
who want a membership in a good fishing club." 
It is to be hoped that Mr. Marshall will succeed in 
his undertaking. The Slagle River rises in Wexford 
County, in Michigan, and flows westerlj' through Wex- 
ford and Manistee Counties, emptying into the Manis- 
tee River. It is a wading stream, with a bed of hard 
gravel. The water is extremely cold, clear and pure, 
and the supply inexhaustible and constant. The 
stream is neither meandered nor navigable within the 
meaning of the statutes of Michigan, and it is there- 
fore a private water under the laws of the State. In 
Manistee County the stream is very crooked and for 
the most part quite free from brush and serious ob- 
structions, rendering it an ideal fly fisher's stream. It 
is well stocked with brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, 
which are noted for their extreme gameness and high 
color, these qualities being attributable, it is claimed, 
to the very cold water and rapid current. The upper 
waters of this stream flow through a very dense cedar 
swamp, nearly impenetrable to man, and absokitely im- 
penetrable so far as fishing is concerned. The State 
of Michigan has recently established a trout hatchery 
on this stream above the property which it is proposed 
to purchase. These facts guarantee undisturbed fish- 
ing grounds and insure an inexhaustible supply of fish. 
There are over five miles of stream on the property in 
question, and the greater portion of this lies within 
one mile of direct distance, the stream being so crook- 
ed that a twenty minutes' walk up stream -covers a 
distance by water of fully three miles — sufficient for a 
day's sport with the rod. Mr. Marshall shows several 
letters from sportsmen who are acquainted with the 
Slagle, and will no doubt be glad to give further de- 
tails upon request. 
Chicago Fly-Casting Club. 
The following are the records of the Chicago Fly 
Casting Club, at the last meeting on the North La- 
goon, Garfield Park, this city: 
May 23, 1903. 
Dist. & Accy, Fly. Bait-Casting. 
Per Cent. Per Cent. 
I. H. Bellows 93 97 
G. W. Davis 90 4-10 
Tohn Hohmann .. 96 8-10 
H. G. Hascall 95 2-3 98 1-10 
N. C. Heston 92 2-3 97 4-10 
G. A. Hinterleitner 97 2-10 
Chas. W. Keiser 89 5-10 
E. L. Mason = = 97 2-10 
E. R. Letterman 92 97 2-10 
H. B. Noyes 93 6-10 
F N Peet. 95 2-3 97 3-10 
C. B. Robinson 94 8-10 
F. S. Smith 96 3-10 
June. 20, 1903. 
Dist. & Accy, Fly. Bait-Casting, 
Per Cent. Per Cent. 
H. H. Ainsworth 94 97 9-10 
T H Bellows "3 2-3 96 7-10 
w. T. Church!::..:::.:: 89 2-3 90 7-10 
John Hohmann -a;.„o ■ ao o i a 
H. G. Hascall 95 2-3 98 3-10 
G. A. Hinterleitner 95 4-10 
B. J. Kellenberger ncom 
E. L. Mason f 
V "NT Peet yl 1-6 91 S-iU 
H W. Perce: 90 97 9-10 
C. ' B. Robinson ,..„„. 83 9d 9-10 
A. C. Smith 90 2-3 97 6-10 
J. Waddell 92 95 5-10 
Re-entry. 
Dist. & Accy, Fly. Bait-Casting. 
Per Cent. Per Cent. 
H. H. Ainsworth 87 93 1-10 
W. T. Church 88 1-3 93 
B. J. Kellenberger ' •• 8*4-10 
H. W. Perce 91 2-3 97 2-10 
A. C. Smith 94 1-3 98 2-10 
July i8, 1903- 
Long Dist., Fly. Accy. & Del'cy. Del'cy, Bait. 
Feet. Per Cent. Per Cent. 
I. H, Bellows 122 87 1-6 96 5-6 
C. F. Brown 93 1-6 85 1-6 
W. T. Church 79 ^-^ l\ 1-2 
John Hohman •• 
N. C. Heston ■• 
B. J. Kellenberger i'% 
E. R. Letterman •- cii't 
\i. W. Perce " 74 1-2 94 2-3 
C. B.Robinson •• aak'i 
Robt, Slade, Jr .•• • • 9^ 1-^ 
A, C. Smith 117 911-12 f 
F. S. Smith •• 8b 5-6 
E. P. Sperry •• 
Re-entry. 
Long Dist., Fly. Accy. & Del'cy. Del'cy, Bait. 
Feet. Per Cent. Per Cent. 
L H. Bellows,... HI •■ 
C. F. Brown 
W. T. Church •• 9^5-6 
N. C. Heston .• 94 5-° 
B. J. Kellenberger •• 
E. L.Mason..,.. -•• 5i' 71-:) 07 iq 
F. N. Peet 125 91 '-12 97 1-3 
C B, Robinson • •-- •• a-b 
A?c: IS..^'::::::::::::::::: iis 9111-12 972-3 
E. P. Sperry •• ^ ^ '^ 
Unhappy Trout Trip. 
Messrs. C. C. Haskins, of the Illinois Trust and 
Savings Bank, and Mr. T. L. Smeads, also of Chicago, 
started out recently for a trout trip on a remote Wis- 
consin stream, Mr. Smeads tells the story of their 
experience. Mr. Smeads himself was a beginner in 
the game, but Mr. Haskins professed to be an expert 
and supervised the outfitting and personal conduct of 
Mr. Smeads very carefully. They chartered a guide, 
who was guaranteed to take them to the best trout 
fishing in the country. Mr. Smeads declares that he 
and his friend Haskins crossed country where the foot 
of man never trod before or ever ought to have trod 
at all. Probably they got into a cedar swamp. Being 
a little short-winded, Mr. Smeads fell behind, and 
along in the afternoon was rejoiced to see his friend 
once more. Mr. Haskins was sitting on top of a high 
bluff, fighting mosquitoes. He asked of Mr. Smeads, 
as he toiled up to the same spot, "How many did you 
get?" "Three," said Mr. Smeads, producing tfiat 
number of troutlets as long as his finger, "I got two," 
said Mr, Haskins. "Do you mind if I put them in 
your basket? They tire me carrying them around," 
He produced two fish a little bit smaller than those 
taken by his friend. When these five were ensconced 
in his basket Mr. Haskins, with a wild whoop, jumped 
on the creel and pounded it and its contents into a 
shapeless mass. "That's what I think of trout fishing," 
said he. About that time they saw a bent figure toil- 
ing towards them in the distance. It was the guide. 
He had 112 nice ones, -j sii 
Some Catches. 
_ Messrs, E, T, Hyland, Walter Brophy and A. Cutt- 
lier brought back some good bass from their recent 
trip to Fox Lake, Illinois, where for a time the bass 
went on the feed, 
Mr. E. W. Brooks, of Chicago, took a twelve pound 
pickerel at Green Lake, Wisconsin, last week, and his 
party had eighteen pickerel in all. 
Dr. W. F. Fowler took a five pound big mouth bass 
at Round Lake, Illinois, last week, and one or two 
others stopping at Smith's place nearby had g"ood 
takes of bass. 
Mr. Albert Smith was high hook on Pawpaw Lake. 
Michigan, last week, with a three and a half pound 
bass, although this is not extraordinary for that water. 
At Nippersink Bay, adjoining Fox Lake, Illinois, 
the bass have been rising for the knowing ones for the 
last week or so, although it is generally conceded that 
the best of the bass fishing is now over and that the 
big fellows have retired to the deeper waters. 
At Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Norman Manzer, a boy 
seven years of age, last week was lucky enough to take 
a twelve-pound pickerel. The kid is somewhat noted 
as a fisherman in spite of his tender j'ears. 
At the Lauderdale Chain of Wisconsin fairly good 
bass fishing has been the rule during the recent cool 
weather. One of the clerks of the St. Paul ofHce here, 
who returned this week, said that if a man was a good 
bass fisherman he would have no trouble in picking up 
a good string in the Lauderdale district. He reports 
pickerel ."ilso numerous, and says that there are a good 
many squirrels in the woods thereabout. 
There arc several Chicago parties at Travers Lake, 
Michigan, and among the lucky anglers are Messrs. 
Cameron and Cisler, who in one day's fishing during 
the week took fourteen bass. 
The Sand Fly and the Bass. 
For four or five days cities along the west shore of 
Lake Michigan have been persecuted by innumerable 
swarms of sand flies, which have been hatching out 
somev/here about the lake in a most copious and un- 
restrained manner. When the sand fly hatch is on on 
any of the bass likes of Michigan or Illinois, then is 
the time for the fly fisherman to get busy. 
The Man and the Mule, 
There appeared in the Forest and Stream ofi'icc to- 
day a gentleman from southwest Iowa, who for per- 
sonal reasons does not wish to have his name made 
public. This gentleman is a sportsman and has been a 
warm admirer of the Forest and Stream for many 
\ears. He is here on the single errand of receiving the 
Pasteur treatment for a mule bite. A few days ago he 
had the misfortune to be bitten by a mule, which local 
authorities subsequently declared to be in a rabid con- 
dition. The animal caught him by the ankle and hung 
on, and had to be pounded loose. This sportsman does 
not want to come down with mule hydrophobia, and it 
is cheering to be able to say that there seems to be no 
doubt whatever of his .perfect and prompt recovery. 
E. Hough. 
Ashland Block, Chicago, 111. 
A Convention fot Lobster Discttssion. 
Capt. Jos. W. Collins, Chairman of the Massachusetts 
Commission of Fisheries and Game, has sent out to the 
fish commissioners of the New England States and Mari- 
time Provinces a call as follows : 
"A convention of commissioners of the lobster-produc- 
ing States and the British Maritime Provinces will he 
held at Room 249, State House, Boston, on Wednesdaj', 
September 23, proximo, for the purpose of considering 
what can be done to secure a better protection of the 
lobster, and, if possible, to obtain laws which are as nearly 
uniform as possible in the various States and Provinces. 
"You are cordially invited to attend this convention, 
which we anticipate will be one of the most interesting 
and important ever held for the purpose of trying to pre- 
vent the ultimate commercial extermination of the lobster." 
The Game Laws in Brief and Woodcraft Magaziae. 
The Brief, bearing date of July, 1S03, for the term July to Oc- 
tober, contains all the game and fish laws of the United States and 
Canada (except Tennessee and Washington) revised to date. The 
year has been extremely prolific of nev/ laws, and the changes 
are numerous. There are also contained in the Woodcraft c'-yision 
of the number these capital sketches and stories: Fishin "igns 
of the Zodiac, by Fred Mather. Vacations in Tents, b- F. 
Brown. The Ways of the Black Bass, by Dr. Tarleton L 
A Night Adventure on the Levee, by Tripod. The Joy ■ " » 
Crocodile Hunting in Cambodia. About the Devil's Blowuu's, by 
Buckskin Brady. The White-Headed or Bald Eagle, by Alexander 
Wilson. He Killed the Hog; Hog Killed Hmi, by O. Gr -naud. 
The Shortened Shirt, by Andrew Price. Styx, a Battery Dog, by 
F. W. Carruth. Exploits of "Old Shacklefoot." The Hill Fox 
in Scotland. A Beaver Skill- Cap. The, Sportspiap's Den, by C. 
L. Br^cll?y. 
