Sept. 5, 1903.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
188 
marked its site with a neatly painted spar buoy let- 
tered on its sides, "Perry's flagship Niagara." 
Just across the channel from this bay, on the south, 
is another small bay that goes under the name of the 
"Mud Flats." It is occupied by German carp and 
mud turtles, nothing else could live in this water at 
some_ seasons of the year, as the sewerage of half the 
city is emptied into it; this seems to suit the carp, 
though. I have seen them throw themselves clear out 
of the water here, and have been within a few feet of 
some of them when they did it. It reminded me of a 
whale sounding; why they do this I could not find out. 
There is nothing in there to chase them, unless it is 
the mud turtle, and a carp should be a match for him; 
he is a match for everything else. Some of these carp 
are all of 18 inches in length. They will not take any 
bait that I have ever seen offered them. If I wanted 
them (but I don't, and can't imagine why any one else 
should want them) I would use flour dough for bait; 
that, I think, would suit them. 
It has occurred to me that the man who first brought 
these carp here must have been a near relative to the 
man who brought the first English sparrows here, and 
if both these men are still living they must recognize 
now that a hind sight at times is far better than a 
foresight. 
I know a man who, when the carp were first brought 
here, spent several hundred dollars in making a fish 
pond to raise them in, and when he found how worth- 
less they were it cost him as much more to get rid of 
theni and restock his pond with fish that were worth 
raising. 
I afterward tried to interest him in the raising of a 
goat that had been brought here to make the fortune 
of any farmer who took hold of him; but the carp had 
soured him on all foreign importations, he said, using 
some of his emphatic language to express himself, 
that sheep would do for him from this out. I dare 
not laugh at him. He had a large place of some 300 
acres, and had about as many tresspass signs painted 
all over it, but I could shoot on it where I pleased. 
In fishing, I suppose you will have the most suc- 
cess if you use the kind of bait that the fish happen to 
want just then; almost any kind of bait will be a kill- 
ing one at some time or other. There is one exception 
though; there is a kind of bait that is sold by barkeep- 
ers in pint flasks that, though it is often taken along, 
does not kill many fish. I have been told that it will 
kill the fisherman if enough of it is used, but have 
never tried enough of it at one time to find out. 
I did some fishing at one time in the Red, Colorado, 
River, Texas, near where the town of Paint Rock now 
is. The first fish that I caught here, a yellow catfish, 
I had to shoot before I could land him. The men in 
my wagon train estimated his weight at no pounds, he 
weighed at least 90 pounds; I used fresh beef as a 
bait, and leaving two lines out all night, I had a 
smaller fish on each of them next morning. 
I tried this river again some time after this, and 
below where I had fished before. I told the cook to 
keep me fresh beef for bait; he kept it, but kept it 
where my dogs could get at it, and they got the bait 
before I did, and I would have to look around for 
something else; I did not want to use the dog for 
bait, as the cook had suggested I might. These dogs 
would have been used as a target by that cook long 
before, only he did not want to be made a target out 
of himself, as he would likely have been if he had shot 
one of these dogs of mine. The only bait I could find 
was boiled bacon, and I concluded to try it. Baiting a 
5-0 hook on a cotton line, about No. 10, I got out on 
a pile of drift in a bend in the river, and began fish- 
ing; in less than an hour I had three catfish, the largest 
one would weigh 20 pounds, the others were smaller. 
Cabia Blanco. 
Erie, Pa. 
Fish and Fishing. 
Fall Rush of American Anglers, 
Senator Pi.att, of Connecticut, his son. Judge Piatt, 
and a party of friends from New Haven, are guests of 
the Mctabetchouan Fish and Game Club at Kiskisink, 
on the line of the Quebec and Lake St. John Railway, 
and from all reports are having excellent sport with 
the now fairly well educated trout of this famous pre- 
serve. Twelve to fifteen years ago, when I first fished 
Briggs' Pool, the lily pads below the railway bridge, 
and the rapids a little higher up stream, with the late 
Mr. Chase, of Waterbury, Mr. John Wallace, of An- 
sonia, and others who have since dropped out of sight, 
it required no art to catch the 2-pound trout that 
abounded in all these localities, and the larger ones 
which frequently diversified the sport. There are prob- 
ably just as many fish in the waters of the preserve 
now as ever there were, for the protccticui has been 
conscientious and constant, but better fishing is now 
required in order to make as good a basket, in an 
equal space of time, than was necessary a decade ago, 
and I know a good many anglers who prefer the fish- 
ing as it is to-day, both in the Kiskisink waters and in 
those of the Metabechouan River, on the other side 
of the club's limits. For those who do nut, and who 
find their chief delight in casting over waters where 
the uncidtured fish lack the refined discretion which 
comes alone with experience of the angler's lure, there 
are virgin waters enough still, though it is necessary 
to travel much farther north now for them than it was 
a few years ago. 
Senator Piatt and party are likely to go to Lake St. 
John for ouananiche fishing before returning home, for 
just noAV this sport is at its best in some of the Lake 
St. John waters, especially in those of the Mctabetch- 
ouan. In addition to the sport which has been af- 
forded of late by the Grand Discharge, I understand 
that fishing for ouananiclie has produced good results 
during the last few weeks, in both the Peribonca and 
Ashuapmouchouan rivers. I should strongly advise 
American anglers who intend to seek the ouananiche 
in September, to bring with them larger ilies than 
those employed in tiie Grand Discharge in the summer 
months. ' ' ' 
Large Salmon Flies. 
Speaking of larger flies for ouananiche, especially in 
the heavy water of the Mctabetchouan in the month 
of September, recalls some enormous salmon flies 
shown me on board the King Edward last month by 
Mr. Charles Stewart Davison, of New York, while on 
his way home from his salmon fishing on the Riviere 
a_ la Truite. Some of the flies which he had with 
him and which had proved so successful, were at least 
four times as large as the largest flies generally used 
on Canadian salmon rivers. Notwithstanding their suc- 
cessful use this season, Mr. Davison admits that they 
have always been regarded as abnormally large, at 
least on the Labrador coast. This makes their success 
all the more interesting. Of course the six weeks or 
more of almost constant easterly winds and the al- 
most continual rains during the period covered by Mr. 
Davison's fishing, produced conditions of light and 
water which were a little out of the common, and he 
says that it is well also to note that the large flies 
appeared of most use over deep, smooth, swiftly flow- 
ing water, under overcast conditions of the sky and 
during showers. The notes on the subject, with which 
Mr. Davison has been good enough to furnish me, 
show, incidentally, that contrary to ordinary experi- 
ence, on at least one occasion, the fish took these flies 
during a rain storm which was accompanied - ->c- 
casional thunder. It should be explained tha ''o- 
cality was the pool below the first falls on tli fite 
Riviere (also called the Riviere a la "Truite), v. n is 
about eight miles east of the Moisie, and tb Mr. 
Davison resorted to the abnormally large flies ^nta- 
tively and only after exhausting ' effort with mailer 
ones. 
The noted, so far as they refer to this matter, read 
as follows: 
July 10.— Air, 8 A. M., 60 degrees, 3 P. M., 54; 8 P. 
M., 54. Water, 8 A. M., 58 degrees; 3 P. M., 58; 8 P. 
M., 58. Eight A. M. to 11:30 A. M., at the pool below 
the first falls, the wind was southeast to east to north- 
east, half a gale; early, showers; later, heavy rains with 
some thunder and a little lightning. Hooked and killed 
four fish: (i) 13 pounds on No. 6 double Durham- 
ranger. (2) 10 pounds on No. 6 double Durham- 
ranger. (3) 22 pounds on No. 2-0 sun-fly. (Note: 
This is an English fly, which fills the gap between the 
dusty-miller or silver-doctor and the Jock-Scott, so 
far as brilliancy is concerned. It is practically un- 
known on this side of the x\tlantic.) (4) 11 pounds 
on No. 2-0 double sun-fly. N. B. A'^ery black and very 
showery while fishing. Tried without result No. 4 
and No. 6 double thunder-and-Iightning, ditto dusty- 
miller, ditto Jock-Scott. P. M., same pool very dark, 
heavy rain. Hooked and lost one fish 16 pounds on 
No. 4-0 double silver-doctor. Very active fish, fresh 
run with the sea-louse still on him. 
July II.— Air, 8 A. M., 58 degrees; 3 P. M., 56; 8 
P. M., 58. Water, 8 A. M., 59 degrees; 3 P. M., 58; 
8 P. M., 58. River, which had fallen about 18 inches, 
now up 8 inches. A. M. In the pool below first falls, 
hooked and lost one fish (fly broke) on No. 8 double 
dust3'-miller. P. M. Same pool, hooked and killed 
one fish 10 pounds, fresh run (very strong and active 
for his size), on No. 4-0 silver-doctor. River up from 
14 to 18 inches more, since morning. 
July 13. — Air, 8 A. M., 52 degrees; 3 P. M.. 56; 8 
P. M., 54. Water, 8 A. M., 58 degrees; 3 P. M., 58; 
8 P. M., 58. A. M. Did not fish. 4 P. M. to 8 P. M. 
hooked and lost (cast line broke) heavy fish on No. 
2- 0 double Jock-Scott; hooked and lost very heavy 
fish (line broke) ; he took a No. 5-0 single Jock-Scott. 
Hooked and killed three fish: (t) 14 pounds on No. 
3- 0 double Jock-Scott. (2) 13 pounds on No. 4-0 
double silver-doctor. (Later, weather much brighter.) 
(3) 12 pounds on No. 2 double Jock-Scott. 
July 14. — River run down to about normal height; 
overcast, easterly wind, showers. Air, 8 A. M., 54 de- 
grees; 3 P. M., 56; 8 P. M., 60. Water, 8 A. M., 61 
degrees; 3 P. M., 61; 8 P. M., 60. In the morning, in 
the pool below upper falls, hooked and killed one fish 
iiVz pounds on No. 8 double thundcr-and-lightning. 
In the P. M. hooked and killed three fi.sh: (i) iiyi 
pounds on No. i double sun-fly. (2) 13^ pounds on 
No. 4-0 double Jock-Scott. (3) 21 pounds on No. 4-0 
double Jock-Scott. (Last two were fresh run fish.) 
. Mr. Davison draws special attention to the sun-fly, 
which he thinks might be largely used to advantage in 
this country in sizes from No. 3 up. He believes it is 
hardly suitable for and not necessary in smaller sizes, 
as the dusty-miller or silver-doctor in the smaller sizes 
are not so obtrusive as to need toning down. 
E. T. D. Chambers. 
Craved Salmon and Ofe8:on "Water. 
]\Iany Oregonians were inclined to laugh at the Mis- 
souri woman mentioned a short time ago who insisted 
cn going back to her native State because there were 
no catfish in Oregon. It appears, however, that Oregon 
women are as whimsical as Missouri women, as a citi- 
zen who has two sons practicing law in Brooklyn, N. Y., 
and doing very well, went on there with his wife to visit 
them a short time ago, and at her desire left her there. 
She thought she could look after the Ijoys and enjoy 
life in the East, but she has quite unexpectedly returned 
home. When asked why she did not remain in Brooklyn, 
as arranged, she said such a craving came over her for a 
slice of Chinook salmon and a drink of Bull Run water 
that it seemed as if she could not live without them, and 
so she came back. — Portland Oregonian. 
A Catch of Lake Trout* 
Tim, Maine, August 27. — On August- 17, at Spring 
Lake, Maine, Dr. Joseph Pettit, of Philadelphia, and the 
undersigned, of New York, hooked and landed twelve 
lake trout in three hours and fifteen minutes, the smallest 
2 pounds, the largest 4^4 pounds. We used Archer spin- 
ners with smelt, and for line used copper wire, no sinkers. 
We trolled very slowly, and but about 100 feet run off 
our "quad" multipliers. The fish were weighed and 
counted in the presence of J. B. Carville, proprietor of the 
camps, and several \yitnesses. Robert Stodast. 
The Known History of the Salmon. 
Recent researches of scientific experts and the 
lengthy inquiry held by the Royal Salmon Commission- 
ers point unmistakably to the fact that our actual 
definite knowledge of the life history of the salmon is 
very limited; that many of the theories held by men 
who have been regarded as authorities are, in some 
cases, erroneous, and in others based upon insufficient 
evidence; and that the subject offers abundant oppor- 
tunities for extremely useful and far-reaching research. 
We propose to set forth briefly what is known definite- 
ly concerning the life history of the salmon, and to in- 
dicate a few of the points on which further research IS 
desirable. 
In the first place, as every one knows, the eggs of 
the salmon can only be developed and hatched in fresh 
water, and, with few exceptions, they are deposited be- 
tween October and January. Where unwise netting 
operations upset the balance of the sexes there are 
considerable losses on the breeding grounds, owing 
to the warfare between the males. The proportion of 
eggs fertilized is at present unknown, but they lie 
covered for a period varying with the temperature of 
the water. For example, if the water be at a tempera- 
ture of 45 degrees, eggs will hatch in about ninety 
days. The spawners which enter the river late in the 
year, lay their eggs in the lower reaches, which in some 
rivers are seriously polluted, with the result that the 
eggs do not hatch. Many pollutions, which do little 
harm to mature fish, destroy, not only the eggs, but the 
young fry. The newly hatched alevins, as they are 
termed, are about i inch in length. At four months 
they are about 2j4 inches, assuming that their growth 
is the same in the river as it is in the hatchery, which 
may be assuming too much. The year-old salmon is 
about 4l4 inches to 5 inches, and two-year-olds about 
7 inches. Most of the young salmon put off the ap- 
pearance of trout and become silvery fish when they 
are from eighteen months to two years old, and then 
descend to the sea, the majority making the descent be- 
tween April and Jul3^ This is a time of danger to the 
future 40-pounder. Pike, perch and possibly kelts, lay 
in wait for him in the lower reaches. There may be a 
seriously polluted estuary to pass through, and once 
in the sea there are shoals of coal fish, porpoises and 
other predatory fish all hungering for the little smolt, 
while gulls and other sea birds never lose an oppor- 
tunity of destroying them. How many smolts reach 
the sea in safety as the result of the deposit of a hun- 
dred salmon eggs under the gravel we do not know, 
and it is of great importance that this should be known 
to enable a comparison to be drawn between the arti- 
ficial cultui'e of the salmon and the natural increase of 
the fish. Nor of the travels of the smolt in the sea have 
we any definite knowledge. Occasional fish are caught 
two miles or more from land. Norwegian experiments 
tend to show that smolts, after their descent, are ab- 
sent from the estuaries or river, and there our knowl- 
edge ends. When do they return? To test this ques- 
tion the managers of the Stormontfield Hatchery on the 
Tay carried out experiments many years ago. They 
cut the adipose fin off a number of smolts, which they 
then released. It was said that a small proportion of 
these fish came back the same summer as good-sized 
grilse, while others, and these were the majority, re- 
turned the following year. This would seem to settle 
the question, but there are high authorities who de- 
cline to accept the evidence on the grounds that the 
experiment was not carried out with scientific pre- 
cision. 
Whatver their age, grilse usually enter fresh water 
in shoals, ascend the river again between May and 
September, and some of them, at any rate, develop ova 
and breed the same season. After they have spawned 
and entered the sea they lose their delicacy of scale, 
fineness of shape, and forked tail, and are known hence- 
forward as salmon. The periods at which salmon run 
up rivers, the sizes of the fish of different runs, and 
their ages, are all points of practical importance. It 
is not wise to draw general conclusions from observa- 
tions made on one river, but we may mention that it 
has been ascertained that on the Tweed the salmon of 
Maj'^ and June average 73.8cm. in length, in July and 
August 82.9cm., and in October and November 87.76cm. 
Speaking generally, salmon which run earliest are those 
which ascend to the highest tributaries to spawn, while 
those that run in autumn breed in the lower reaches, 
which, as we have already pointed out, are often pol- 
luted to such an extent as to destroy every egg. In the 
spring run there are, in many cases, far rKore females 
than males, but later on in the year the two sexes be- 
come more even in numbers. It would appear from 
these facts that our scheme of salmon preservation is 
altogether wrong; for, by heavily netting the spring 
fish, and taking the nets oft' early in the autumn, a 
quantity of females are destroyed, and an insufficient 
number of early salmon are left in the river to populate 
the upper reaches at spawning time. The system leads 
to most of the spawning being done in the lower 
reaches, and to an undue proportion of males on the 
spawning beds. A wise course would probably be to 
so arrange that a proportion of every run of fish was 
preserved for spawning purposes, but the wisest would 
unquestionably be to prohibit netting in rivers alto- 
gether. 
Where the salmon goes when in the sea we do not • 
know. That they travel up and down the coasts is evi- 
dent from the fact that thousands are caught in fixed 
nets, but that they make many deviations also appears 
certain. It is quite evident from the marking experi- 
ments of late years that the majority of salmon which 1 
escape the sea nets return to their own river, a certain 
number, however, ascending other rivers. Some fish 
go down as kelts in the spring and retura to breed in 
the autumn of the same year, but it seems probable that 
the majority breed in the following year; in other 
words, are biennial breeders.. 
With regard to the growth rate and food of the 
salmon while in the sea there seems no doubt from the 
examinations of fish which have been caught in salt 
water, that the chief food of salmon is the herring; 
but there is also no doubt he picks up any small fish 
