486 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[[June ii, 1904. 
Is Fly-Fishing Social or Solitary? 
I WRITE of dry fly-fishing on rivers and streams only. 
That "two men in a boat," chucking and chancing for sea 
trout or brownies on a lake, are happier than they would 
be if each were alone with a gillie, goes without saying. 
Nor do I deny the pleasure of companionship when walk- 
ing or driving to and from the water, be it lake, river, or 
stream; the charm of a chat at lunch, the comparison of 
fly patterns, and last, but not least, the after-dinner gossip 
on the day's doings, and the hopes and fears for the 
morrow. 
_ All these delights I admit. But they are consistent with 
either mode of fishing. To solve the question suggested 
by the title to these notes some other incidents of the 
day's outing must be considered. For instance, if, instead 
of dividing the water into separate beats, and each fish- 
ing alone, you and your friend walk together up the 
water, and take it in turn to fish over rising trout. 
Say you have risen one short, and, without actually put- 
tmg it down, have awakened suspicion. Do you feel 
comfortable in waiting quite so long before you cast again 
as you would do if you were alone? Again, several trout 
have looked at your fly and refused. Do you think it 
fair to your companion to lose half an hour in trying to 
catch a fly out of a hatch-hole or carrier in order to 
compare it with the pattern you have been fishing with? 
In both cases the extra time might have been well 
spent. At any rate, you think so. In like manner, did 
you ever lose a fish while trying to extricate it from a 
weed bed, according to an infallible method then and 
there authoritatively prescribed by your friend, without 
an inward conviction that if you had been alone you 
would have saved the fish? Or did you find comments 
such as "Half a yard more to the left," or, "That would 
have been just over his nose if the line had only gone 
straight," assist you materially when struggling to cast 
lightly and correctly over a distant fish against a tricky 
head wind? Did you ever find consolation in the remark, 
"What a splendid cast ! What a pity that wasn't the 
first chuck!" when at last, after ineffectual trials, you 
have cheated the wind and successfully covered your fish 
— or, rather, the fish that is not to be yours? 
No; let me be alone when the fish are on the feed, 
though I dearly like company when on the feed myself. 
I do not mean to say I have not received hints from the 
late G. S. Marryat, my good friend F. M. Halford, and 
other past masters of the craft, for which I shall be ever 
grateful; but, then, they sacrificed their own sport in 
order to teach me, arid acted at once as gillies and 
mentors. 
In the same way, to compare great with small, I am 
never better pleased than when able to help those who 
have less experience than I have; but, "save and except 
as hereinbefore reserved and excepted," I love to fish 
alone. I use the word "fish" deliberatively, for though 
one may fish alone, one cannot be alone. Creep dov/n to 
the water meadows unseen by all. Wade in, and hide 
among tall reeds and rushes. In solitude you may be, 
but not in silence nor alone. 
For the friendly twitter of the swallow, the plash of 
water rat, the moor hen's "cluck," the "murmur of in- 
numerable bees," or later in the day the shrill and less 
soothing pipe of a myriad gnats, now playfully dancing 
in a harmless cloud, but soon — at "shut of evening 
flowers"— to settle on neck, wrist, and forehead, on 
serious mischief bent ; these and a thousand other sounds, 
faint though they be, and rather felt than heard, witness 
that Nature, even in her most lonely by-ways, is teeming 
with life, and that in so-called solitude you are yet not 
alone. — Basil Field in London Field. 
An Ofigfinal "Way to Fish. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
There is a low bottom, a part of the Soldiers' Home 
grounds here, that borders on the bay and is only a foot 
or two_ above the surface of the water; when a windstorm 
is on, it is generally under water. This place a few years 
ago was full of green frogs, but the boys have them all 
killed off now. 
I was passing the place to-day, when I saw two 
Polanders busy wading through the puddles that have 
been left after the last few days' rain. 
"You need not waste your time hunting frogs there," 
I told them, "there are none there now. At least fifty 
boys have hunted that place all over lately. If they could 
not find them you cannot." 
They were fishing, one of them told me, and going to 
a bunch of grass on the bank he dragged out a German 
carp 17 inches long which he had caught. The fish was 
still alive, very much so. They kept on "fishing," and 
soon brought out another carp as large as the first one 
was. The fish had been carried in there a week before 
when the bottom was last flooded. They continued to 
fish for the next hour or more, and must have got several 
more carp. Cabia Blanco. 
Appetite of Cats. 
Topeka, Kansas.— The reports of the fondness for 
some forms of vegetable food of house cats, leads me to 
add a few lines to the subject. At my home here we have 
a black cat of uncertain age, which made her appearance 
about the barn about one year ago, and at that time very 
wild, finlly making friends first with the writer, then 
one of his sons, and, with the exception of one son, with 
all the other members of the family. One Sunday morn- 
mg in the latter part of last July I had been to the garden 
for a basket of green corn, which I was then husking at 
the barn, when I noticed Tabby was acting very 
strangely, and begging as I had never seen her beg be- 
fore. While not thinking she would make any use of 
the green corn, to stop her funny actions I broke off the 
end of an ear and dropped it down. To my surprise she 
at once began eating the corn, and during the entire green 
corn season no one of the family, except the son she 
would not make friends with, could go to the barn with 
unhusked green corn but the cat would come and beg 
for her share, which she always got, but if any corn was 
left from the table and thrown out to the chickens, she 
would not touch it, saying by her actions that she wanted 
her corn straight with no water in it. 
W. F. RiGHTMIRE. 
The Salmon on Time. 
New York, May 25. — Editor Forest and Stream: The 
predictions have been almost uniform that this would 
be a late "salmon season," and conditions have been 
such as to tend to confirm that view. 
Yet, with clock-like regularity (to-day being the 
uniform day for their appearance), I am notified by 
telegram from the North" Shore of the Gulf of St. 
Lawrence that yesterday, May 24, "II y a trois 
saumons de pris aujourd'hui" (pray pardon the Habi- 
tant French) in the nets at the mouth of the Moisie. 
Chas. Stewart Davison. 
By reason of postal delays, Mr. W. B. Cabot's letter 
on the Hubbard party in Labrador comes as a far echo 
of the discussion in these columns; but we cheerfully 
give it place as presenting the views of one who knew Mr. 
Hubbard and who feels that these things should be said 
on the other side. 
Amerkan Power Boat Association. ' 
Manhasset Bay, Long Island Sound, Monday, May 30. 
The first event of the American Power Boat Association was 
scheduled for Decoration Day. A large list of starters was 
looked for, but even though the day was most satisfactory for 
motor boat racing, only twelve of the boats entered started in 
the contest. No event has been more thoroughly advertised than 
this one, and just why more boats did not come to time no 
one seems able to explain. 
It seems likely that the guaranteed speeds of the many boats 
built during the winter were greatly exaggerated, for the twenty- 
five mile boats were conspicuoxis by their absence. 
_ The "dark horse" of the day was Japansky, a 40ft. Seabury 
boat. The boat was built at Morris Heights, and little or 
nothing had been given out about her. She was the cleanest 
looking boat in the race, and she was put together in a splendid 
inanner. Had she not run out of lubricating oil near the end 
. of the race, making it necessary for her to slow down, she 
■would have made still better time over the course. 
While^ the day was ideal for power boat racing, as the water 
was quite smooth, it was muggy and uncomfortable. Man- 
hasset Bay never presented a more lively and spirited picture; 
boats of all sizes and types were on hand. 
A bad accident v/as narrowly averted just before the start, and 
it gave every one an idea of what may be expected in other 
events where many boats are present and some are handled by 
incompetent or careless men. 
Mr. W. K. Vanderbilt's launch was built by Jacob, at City 
Island, and she is called Hard Boiled Egg (because, as Mr, 
Vanderbilt says, "she can't be beat"). The boat is equipped 
with a 60 horse-power motor, which was previovisly used in a 
racing car. This motor figures out only about 40. horse-power 
under the association rule. Mr. Vanderbilt's boat was moving 
along at a fast clip when the Panhard boat crossed her bows. 
Mr. Vanderbilt put his boat's helm hard down and just missed 
what v/ould have been a nasty collision. In doging Panhard. 
Mr. Vanderbilt's boat narrowly missed hitting another launch 
filled with women and children. The quick handling of Hard 
Boiled Egg had bent the bronze rudder so badly that the boat 
was unable to start in the race. 
The Panhard boat was in charge of a Frenchman, who was 
absolutely at sea, as he did not understand English or any of 
the racing requirements or rules of the I'oad. He was so help- 
less that Mr. Paul Johnson, a member of the Manhasset Bay 
Y. C, was put aboard the boat to assist him. As Mr. Johnson 
did not speak French, in order to be of assistance, tied pieces 
of light line to each of the Frenchman's arms, and by exerting 
a pressure on one arm or the other, the helmsman would steer 
the boat accordingly. It was primitive and ridiculous, and the race 
committees in charge of such events should not permit any 
boat to start that is not in charge of a competent man, familiar 
with, the English language. 
Boats in Classes R, S, A, H, I and C covered the following 
course: From the starting line to Gangway Buoy, thence to 
red spar bouy off Scotch Caps, thence to black spar buoy off 
Matinicock Point, thence to black spar buoy off Old Hen, 
thence to Gangway Bouy (black spar), to the finish line in Man- 
hasset Bay. All Government buoys were left on the channel side, 
except turning buo-ys off Scotch Caps and Matinicock Point. 
Distance, nineteen and one-half miles. 
The course for Class K was: From the starting line to Gang- 
way Buoy (black spar), thence to red spar buoy lying northeast 
of Stvecution Light, thence to red and black spar buoy lyipg north 
of RKWUtion, Lights thejice grovmd this abrt.b , and ^Af'^st siae -of 
Execution Light to Gangway Buoy (black spar), to the finish 
line in Manhasset Bay. All Government buoys were left on the 
channel side. Distance, nine and one-half miles. 
Japansky was alone in Class R, and she was sent away at 
2:40. She made the American record for the distance, covered 
the 191/^ knot course in 1 hour 6 minutes and 29 seconds, or at 
the rate of 17.60 knots, or 20.22 statute miles per hour. 
In Class S there were three starters, F. I. A. T., Panhard and 
Shooting Star. Panhard is the smallest boat of the trio, but as 
she had no competitor in her own class was pitted against 
F. I. A. T. and Shooting Star. 
The starters in Class R seemed to have no idea when they were 
to start, and in consequence got away in ragged shape, losing 
minutes by their apparent unfamiliarity with the starting signals. 
Panhard nearly ran down Shooting Star by careless handling. 
F. I. A. T. was first away, but was soon overhauled by Shooting 
Star. This boat was showing a nice burst of speed when some- 
thing went wrong with her motor and she withdrew. 
Allure, Miss Swift and Queen Bess had no competitors so 
went over the course taking walkovers. 
In Class I, Ardis beat Flash and Javelin handily, and in Class 
K, Nada left 999 fast astern. 
The owner of F. I. A. T. protested Japansky's measurement. 
The summary: 
Class R— Start 2:40— Course 19% Miles. 
Length. Finish. Elapsed. Corrected. 
Japansky, F. H. Waldorf, 40.99.. 70.65 3 46 29 1 OG 29 1 06 29 
Class S— Start 2:40— Course 19% Miles. 
F. I. A. T., C. Tangerman, 35.17 65.05 3 53 23 1 13 23 1 13 23 
Shooting Star, H. Lozier, 24.30. 62.06 Did not finish. 
Panhard, A. Massanet, 18.71 54.52 4 02 49 1 22 49 1 16 43 
Class A— Start 2:50— Course. 19% Miles. 
Allure, A. Stein, 58.90 50.97 4 32 06 1 42 06 1 43 06 
Class H— Start 2:50— Course 19% Miles. 
Miss Swift, R. Jacobs, 26.09.... 56. W' 4 19 57 1 29 57 1 29 57 
Class I— Start 2:50— Course 19% Miles. 
Ardis, R. Haddock, 10.81 45.54 4 41 16 1 51 16 
Flash, A. Stein, 16.22 ...44.74 4 55 10 2 05 10 
Javelin, C. W. Lee, 16.36 41.50 4 56 35 2 06 35 
Class C— Start 2:55— Course 19% Miles. 
Queen Bess, R. H. Stern, 27.14. 34.65 5 11 29 2 16 29 2 16 29 
Class K— Start 2:55— Course 9% Miles. 
Nada, C. Godshalk, 3.03 30.15 3 57 35 1 02 35 
£"99. J. Schoonmaker, 4.26 31.05 4 16 02 1 21 02 
The winners were: Japansky, F. I. A. T., Allure, Miss Swift, 
Ardis, Queen Bess and Nada. 
Duxbury, Mass., Saturday, June 4. 
A race between 18-footers of the Duxbury Y. C was held 
Saturda;^, June 4, in a light E. breeze. Osprey got the' start, 
but Again took the lead on the second leg of the course, and he'd 
it to the finish. The summary: 
. , Elapsed. 
Again, Goodspeed , . . j 12 00 
Domino, Clapp 113 50 
Kjttawake, V. Jones 114 30 
Osprey, TrM« ..m-^m-;---, :.. 118 13 
Atlantic Y. C. 
Sea Gate, New York Bay, Monday, May 30. 
The first race given by the Atlantic Y. C, on Monday, May 30, 
was marked by a small list of starters. Only three classes filled, 
and bu^t eleven boats came to the line. 
The 30-footers sailed over a triangular course. The start was 
°g Sea Gate, thence to Craven Shoal buoy, thence to a mark 
off Fort Hamilton, and back to the starting line. The first two 
legs were reaches and the third was a beat. Boats in Classes P. 
and N. covered one of the association courses twice. The breeze 
was very moderate and not true, as it veered from S.W. to S.E. 
during the race. 
The craft that did _ not get caught in a calm belt off Fort 
Hamilton, got a big jump on their competitors and won easily. 
The favored ones were Bobtail, Ogeemah and Trouble. This 
streak of luck gave Bobtail a big lead in her class, and Redwing 
and Bagheera were left minutes behind. It was Redwing's first 
race in these waters, and some were disappointed at the showing 
she made. It will be recalled that Bobtail is a smart boat in 
light airs, and in moderate weather not an easy boat to beat. 
The yawl Kate that started in Class P. did not finish, and 
Ogeemah beat Smoke, her only competitor, about 2 minutes. 
Mary had a long lead in Class I. until she got into the flat 
spot where she was hung up until Trouble got too far ahead 
to be overhauled. Cicada was second.. 
The boats sailed under their old classification, as few had been 
measured under the new rating rule. The summary: 
Sloops— Class N.— Start 2:30— Course 9 Miles. 
Finish. Elapsed, 
Bobtail, E. F. Luckenbach 4 10 30 1 40 30 
Redwing, J. P. O'Donohue 4 17 00 1 47 00 
Bagheera, Heiidon Chubb.. 4 18 30 1 48 30 
Sloops— Class P.— Start 2:35— Course, 7 Miles. 
Ogeemah, A. McKay 4 33 07 1 58 07 
Smoke, L. H. Dyer 4 35 20 2 00 20 
Kate, John S. Negus Did not finish. 
Sloops— Class Q.~Start 2:35— Course 7 Miles. 
Mary, Max Grunder 4 38 56 2 03 56 
Wraith, Calvin Tomkins Did not finish. 
Careless, F. J. Havens 4 39 52 2 04 53 
Trouble, W. A. Barstow 4 36 07 2 01 07 
Cicada 4 37 17 2 02 17 
The winners, subject to measurement, are Bobtail. Ogeemah 
and Trouble. 
Bfidgepoft Y. C. 
Black Rock, Long Island Sound, Monday, May 30. 
Five 18-footers started in the annual spring regatta of the Bridge- 
port Y. C, held on Decoration Day. The breeze was light and 
Huky from the S.W. Question broke her peak halliards and with- • 
drew. Answer won and Fiji was second. 
A dozen dories, belonging to members of the Yale Corinthian 
y. C, also started but did not finish, withdrawing from the race 
before covering the course and sailed back to Morris Cove. Thej 
summary : 
Start. Finish. 
Answer, D. Warner... 2 30 00 4 09 34 
Fiji, Lucien T. Warner,..'........,. - 2 30 00 4 10 11 
Miss Modesty. C. Barijtam Seely.,, . 2 30 00 4 10 36 
Mirage, J. Percy B^#r*a 2 30 00. 4i 12 20- 
Question, F,- Bishop .7^--. 3 SO Q^T Withd/^v 
