180 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
lAuG. IS, 1903. 
She takes up little room, does not make the rowing 
tnuch harder, and at this game see to it that when 
you get home a "coal hole" won't admit your 200 
pounds, while she! squeezes in the front door. 
In the South, where in many .places shooting is done 
from a wagon or from horseback, she can gladden the 
day by her presence at all hours, and not spoil the 
shooting much. 
My first experience was on the Indian River in Flor- 
ida, when Madame took six big trout to his two; later 
on the Halifax, when Madame put all men to blush 
by her captures; and again on the Willowemoe, when 
Madame had three rises to his one; and again on 
Hunter's Lake, at Debruce, Sullivan county, New York. 
They were at The Heathstone Inn, when he asked 
Mr. Royce to call him at S o'clock in the morning. 
Madame said, "That must include me." At 6 the next 
m.orning they were off on a buckboard for the lake. 
At 7 they embarked in a cross between a sail boat 
and. a wash tub, but just the sort of a boat for bass 
fishing, inasmuch as it would go everywhere at once. 
They cast their attractions overboard and fishing be- 
gan. 
In a little while he cried, "Turn the boat; my bait 
is moving away. There! steady it there! Madame, just 
move up to that next seat! Willie, hand me that land- 
ing net! Paddle on the left side! My dear, sit still! 
What are you moving for? There will be trouble here 
.in. a minute! Please reach over and take my pipe. 
Can't you keep this boat pointed the other way? 
There!, I guess I have given him line enough. Keep 
your rod away from mine. Reel in your line. Don't 
you see you are in my way? Reel in faster! I'm go- 
ing to strike him now. Now!" And with a lunge 
backward the rod makes a flying leap, unweighted by 
even the bait — 'tis only tile weight of his boots that 
keeps him in the boat. 
Did Madame smile? No. Did she know better? 
No. In that gentle heart of hers was nothing but 
sympathy, and the forms of reason had been built for 
those excuses long years before. 
Chapter two of the doings that morning adds at 
least a moral to the subject of Field Companions. 
A little later a bass madly grabbed Madame's bait 
with a rush born of despair, shot skyward and at the 
limit of his ascent cast the bait and hook .three feet 
in the air, and scurried to his hidden depths to think 
it over. Madame flushed and stamped her foot, while 
he said, "Why didn't you keep a taut line on him? 
Why didn't you work your rod close to the water? 
.Why didn't you see he was coming to the surface? 
Why didn't you -" Here he is interrupted by 
the whizz of his own flying reel, recovers his rod and 
the fight begins with, "I'll show you how it's done 
.now." He stands up, sends the rod along the sur- 
face of the water, straining it in every joint, once 
around the boat; then back and forth, suddenly a 
pickerel two feet long heaves in sight by the side of 
the boat, "sees things," and with a lunge that drenches 
Madame from head to foot, disappears to rise no more, 
while he, crestfallen, sits him down, and well framed 
excuses are in evidence in great abundance. Does 
Madame smile? Yes. Didn't she know better? Yes. 
Wasn't it the wrong time to smile? No. 
At I o'clock they drive up to the Inn, and two mag- 
nificent bass are laid on the stepping stone, while 
Madame is congratulated by all. Did she catch them 
both? Yes. He managed the boat. 
Proprietor Royce notches the kitchen table where 
the two fish lie. The bass record is held by Madame 
at Debruce. 
Why lupt ,take her along? T. E. Batten. 
Trout, Deer and Exploring:, 
[Being a report from a brother in Vermont to a brother in Penn- 
• ' sylvania.] 
North Bennington, Vt., Aug. 4. — I must tell you 
of my fishing trip on the Fourth this year. I went 
alone, as I always do, not that I don't like company, 
but I never found anyone who could follow me on my 
long tramp, and the other fellow seldom wants to go 
the same direction. I had been planning to go for 
some time, and as Saturday was the Fourth and I 
would have Sunday to get back; I started Friday 
morning. 
In the first place I took too much grub, and so had 
much useless weight to carry. I took one of those 
canvas valises that expand, a small spider that would 
go inside, bread, bacon, cheese, tea, catsup and numer- 
ous other supplies. This was all. a mistake; if you ever 
go on such a trip remember and go light. I got away 
at 5:30 in the morning. It was three miles to the foot 
of the mountain, and I took it easy. I crossed the 
first ridge and got to the Taft Branch at 10. Here I 
filled the kettle and had a good dinner, rested an hour, 
then started to fish up the stream. By i I had 32 
trout, and as I could not use any more, quit and struck 
over the next ridge to the east. About 3 I could hear 
water run somewhere, and soon came to a small stream 
running north. I went along until I found a good place 
to camp, got out iny pack, took my ax and soon had 
a bough house built. I cut down a dead spruce for 
wood, then went to the brook and dressed the trout. 
I could see lots of small trout in this stream. When I 
had a good bed of coals I fried the fish, four spiders 
full. You can imagine the feast I had that night. It 
was warm and snug in the lean-to, with a roaring fire 
in front. I went to sleep about 9, and except for fixing 
the fire once in a while, slept very good. 
In the morning the sun rose clear, and after break- 
fast I took a straight course for the east, intending to 
strike the Deerfield River. I came out on a high 
cliff, and climbed a tree to get the lay of the land. 
There was a wide valley, and then another high ridge, 
all heavily timbered with spruce. I struck out, and in 
about an . hour came to a brook. Here I oould see 
more trout, but I wanted to explore, so kept right on. 
Pretty soon I saw a fawn run out of the brush, and a 
big doe followed. They were only about thirty yards 
away; before I reached the top I saw three more, all 
does, and all within range. On this ridge it was good 
walking, the ground being covered with moss. After 
going a mile or so it began to descend, and I could see 
a great level tract, and beyond was another mountain. 
As it got lower, I came into a hardwood growth, here 
I saw another doe, which ran a little way and stopped; 
she kept looking toward a clump of brush, and soon a 
big buck with short spikes ran out. After crossing two 
more brooks I reached the west branch of the Deer- 
field at about 12:30. I got dinner,, caught a few nice 
trout, then thought how foolish it would be to catch 
a lot, as they would spoil before I could get home. 
I wanted to find Lost Pond, and as I figured it, must 
be about noftheast from where I now was. I struck 
a straight course and traveled steadily until 4 P. M., 
when I thought it time to call a halt for the night. 
In the morning I looked my best, but could not find 
the pond. I think it must be grown up to alders; there 
are very few who can find it now, as there is no outlet. 
I finally gave it up and struck for the Roaring Branch, 
which runs into Arlington. I came out at a deserted 
mill on that stream, and fished down two miles or so 
until I got my 6-pound basket full of fine ones. Then 
I went down the branch to Arlington, reaching there 
at 6, and had to wait until 9:30 for the train. I never 
had a better time. Come up next summer and we will 
find Lost Pond. Ned. 
Fish and Fishing. 
Desirable Legislation Refused. 
At the last meeting of the North American Fish and 
Game Protective Association, complaint was made by 
the lessees of Canadian salmon rivers, of the difficulty 
of securing convictions under the Canadian law against 
parties known to be poachers, and possessing the nec- 
essary implements of their illegal calling in close prox- 
imity to the salmon pooLs, unless proof is forthcoming 
that they have actually been seen in the very act of 
violating the law. A resolution was unanimously 
adopted by the Association and forwarded to the Fed- 
eral Government, asking for the amendment of the law 
so as to provide that it be a punishable offense to pos- 
sess .spears or other appliances for illegally taking fish 
at times or places where it is unlawful to use the same. 
I regret to have to state that notwithstanding the gen- 
erous support of the request given by the Minister of 
Justice for Canada — Hon. Charles Fitzpatrick — I have 
been officially informed by the Minister of Marine and 
Fisheries "that this question has in the past formed the 
subject of consideration of this department, and the 
conditions have been such as to render it unadvisable, 
if not, indeed impracticable, to attempt such broad leg- 
islation as is suggested." This decision of the Minister 
is the more to be regretted that it is often impossible to 
secure convictions against poachers known to be such, 
under the law as it at present stands. Only to-day I 
read a report in a New Brunswick paper of alleged 
dynamiting on the upper waters of one of the best 
tributaries of the Restigouche for salmon. So long as 
it is impossible to convict and punish offenders until 
they have actually been seen in the act of destroying 
the fish, so long will the illegal slaughter of our game 
fish continue. 
Lake St. Joha Salmon. 
I have had several reports this season of the taking 
of small salmon in Lake St. John and the Grand Dis- 
charge, and now comes a report from the Peribonca 
River of the taking of a number of these fish during the 
last few days by Dr. Frank Watson and Mr. Ladd, of 
Boston. It is gratifying to be able to add that these 
two excellent sportsmen returned to the water the 
young salmon so caught by them. There is every rea- 
.son now to hope that the planting of the salmon fry 
in Lake St. John waters during recent years will result 
in the stocking of the lake's feeders with the adult fish, 
though it will yet have to be shown whether the mature 
salmon will return to the Lake St. John waters after 
their descent to the sea as smolts. The experiment is 
to be given a good trial, and the Roberval Hatchery 
now contains 250,000 young salmon, which are to be 
liberated in the fall. There are also 750,000 young 
ouananiche in the hatchery, and together they manage 
to dispose weekly of fourteen large beef livers. 
Mr. A. Mitchell, of Norwich, Conn., has been one of 
the most successful fishermen this season so far, at the 
Grand Discharge, having killed 48 fine ouananiche in 
parts of three days' fishing. This is Mr. Mitchell's 
second visit to Lake St. John, and he is delighted with 
the sport it affords. Lieut. Beale, of the American 
Navy, has also been very successful during the last few 
days at the Grand Discharge, and so also have been a 
number of foreign anglers, among whom may be men- 
tioned Colonel and Mrs. McLean, of Bermuda, and 
Miss Geary, daughter of the Governor of the island, 
and the Hon. Oscar S. Straus, of New York, mem- 
ber of the Arbitration Court at The Hague and ex- 
Minister to Turkey. E. T. D. Chambers. 
Black Bass and Dnnfcing: Water. 
BozEMAN, Montana, August 5. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: Replying to your inquiry of July 31 as to 
whether the presence of black bass in a lake renders it un- 
fit for drinking purposes, I unhesitatingly answer no. I 
am not aware of any scientific evidence bearing on the 
question, but common sense should convince an observant 
person that no deleterious effects to the water could pos- 
sibly ensue from the presence of our native fishes. A 
possible exception may be the German carp, a bottom 
feeder, which muddies the water by stirring up the bot- 
tom, and by disturbing the sediment may release dele- 
terious or unwholesome gases. 
I know of numerous reservoirs which supply drinking 
water that contain black bass and other fishes. Their 
presence is rather beneficial than otherwise by devouring 
the free-swimming organisms that, while they may not be 
injurious, do not add to the potability of the water. 
J. A. Henshall. 
CHICAGO AND THE WESX 
Bass Season. 
Chicago, 111., Aug. 8. — Nothing special is doing in 
the way of black bass fishing just at present, and most 
of the anglers seem to be less eager than they were 
sixty days ago. The largest bass reported for the week 
was a 5^-pound big-mouth taken by Mr. J. White, of 
Chicago, at Eagle Lake, Waukesha county. Wis. Mr. 
White intended to have it mounted. He did not yield 
to the advice of his friends to turn it into the live 
ponds near the hotel, but packed it away carefully in 
the ice house. That night the rats got busy and ate 
several sections out of the choicest parts of the speci- 
men, quite ruining it for the purpose intended. 
The once famous water of Gogebic Lake, Mich., 
turns up once in a while with a good catch, and this 
week the passenger department of the Chicago & 
Northwestern road states that there has been excel- 
lent fishing at Gogebic this season. On last Wednes- 
day the take of visiting sportsmen included one small- 
mouth, which weighed 6% pounds, one 6 pounds, one 
4J^ pounds and one 3^4 pounds, with a good sprinkling 
of pickerel. These are extremely heavy weights for 
black bass. The weather is reported delightful at 
Gogebic. It need not be said that the Northwestern 
trains make this resort very accessible. 
A Bass Vacation. 
Mr. A. W. Hale, of Chicago, is an Englishman by 
descent, who takes very kindly to the American meth- 
ods of fishing. He has done considerable bait-casting 
in the Chicago district, and is now ambitious to essay 
new fields. He asks where he can get a good place for 
himself and wife for a quiet vacation, having in mind 
sotne of the small-mouth bass fishing on the Mississippi 
River, near Alma. I was obliged to tell Mr. Hale that 
the river there is a very strong and heavy water, re- 
quiring the services of a boatman in order to have 
pleasant fishing. Three in a boat are too many, and 
Mr. Hale would not want to leave his wife ashore. 
Hence, although sure he would have good sport on the 
Mississippi, I rather counseled his going to the White 
River, above Princeton, in Waushara county. Wis., 
where he could have fly-fishing or bait-fishing for .small- 
mouth black bass in a very comfortable and sociable 
fashion. Mr. Hale also had in mind the St. Jo River 
of Michigan, and also Gun Lake, Michigan. It is prob- 
able that he will settle upon the last-named point for 
his vacation, which I hope will be a pleasant one. 
Speaking of the St. Jo River, reminds one that a 
little party of Chicago anglers, Messrs. F. N. Peet, 
Fred Smith, E. R. Letterman and another friend, took 
so odd bass in that stream last week in a couple of days' 
fishing. They did most of their fishing with a small 
spoon and pork rind bait, and had a very pleasant little 
excursion. 
Pfesetved Baife. 
An inquirer asks regarding the efficacy of preserved 
and salted baits. Frogs and minnows are put up in 
preserving liquids nowadays, such liquids being, I pre- 
sume, largely composed of formalin. Personally, I 
have never used these baits, but they look perfectly 
lifelike and are said to be good. As to the salted min- 
now, I have seen it do very deadly work on Michigan 
streams in the early spring in the hands of bait-fisher- 
men, and we have no less an authority than Izaak Wal| 
ton to tell us that the trout will take the salted minnova 
eagerly. I see no reason why. a preserved frog shoulJ 
not catch bass all right in bait-casting, where the bail 
is kept in motion. Even did the bass reject it once iti 
a while, at least a good per cent, of the fish, would ba 
taken on the strike. 1 
State Fish Wardens. I 
The following fish wardens were appointed by Go-vJ 
ernor Yates yesterday: W. Glynn, of Chicago; E. El 
Caldwell, of Havana; John Scott, Jr., of Berlin; J. Bird 
and A. Williams, of Quincy. The appointees will al 
once* assume the duties of their office. This action il 
under the new fish and game law, which went intj 
effect July i. It has been feared by a great many thai 
the change resulting in the lessening of the force of 
deputies throughout the State may work to the detrij 
ment of the shooting and fishing interests, but an4 
criticism of the new law is premature at this date, sincd 
it has not yet had time to reach test. ] 
E. Hough. 
Ashland Block, Chicago, 111. 
Forest Fifes and Fish Destfwtion. 
Pasadena, Cal., July 31. — Editor Forest and Streamk 
Your issue of July 4 contains an article on the AdironI 
dack fish mortality written by Mr. AV. E. Wolcott, whoseJ 
ideas are correct as to the recent forest fires causing tha 
death of so many trout. The heating of the creeks td 
above the temperature that trout can survive in is nonl 
sense. I 
We fishermen of southern California have had jusfl 
such experience with forest fires. For instance, th| 
Arroyo Secco, a beautiful stream that heads behind Pasal 
dena some twenty miles north, used to be a rendezvopJ 
for angiers. Splendid creels of trout were caught fpa 
fifteen years within the writer's experience, while nova 
there is not a living trout in that stream. The same eleJ 
gant pools, hides and riffles are there, but no trout, nofi 
one. The cause of the complete devastation was one fori 
est fire that swept the canyons and faces of the Sierras 
Madre Mountains, reducing timber and brush to ashed 
Then came a great rain that made Ij^e of those ashes; ah| 
this mixture washed down into our creeks, and poisoneq 
every living fish from source to mouth. 1 
This same thing happened in Saw Pit Canyon, behind 
Monrovia. The San Gabriel River, where the fires diq 
not reach, has still its full complement of trout. ] 
. . Joe Welsh. J 
All communications intended for Forest and Stream shouia 
always be addressed to the Forest and Stream Publishing Co.! 
New York, and not to any individual connected with the paper. 1 
I 
