76 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[July 23, 1904. 
shock which nearly pulled me overboard. I tugged and 
pulled and yanked, and the old pole nearly bent double, 
but the fish more than held his own. Two fellows ran 
up- to help me, but . "Pete" Smith— long may he wave!— 
said, "Let the boy alone, he can handle him," and up he 
came over my head and far back on the dock. As he 
struck, the hook pulled out straight and the fish was loose, 
making great leaps for the water. "Gee!" I thought, 
"supposin' he gets away?" Sunday clothes and all I 
made a wild jump -and landed on the fish. 
I saved him all right, and when the smoke cleared away 
I hf d a bluefish weighing 2^4 pounds plump. I did not 
dare take him home. I got separated from the scales 
which rubbed off in the scuffle, and went home, conscious 
that the afternoon had been well spent. When my father 
passed the dock entrance the next day, "Pete" Smith had 
the fish there for him all nicely cleaned and he "gave 
away" my fishing experience of the previous day. But 
"Daddy" didn't care much, and made me tell him all 
about it again. 
Two years ago quite a number of weakfish were caught 
here. When the run first started, probably a half dozen 
were caught on lines._ Within three days numbers were 
lying, or rather floating, on their aides on- the surface? 
gasping, and were easily ; scooped from boats. There 
were formerly miles of fine oyster beds opposite Ossining 
on the flats; now there is nothing but beds of shells. 
Shad and bass were caught by the ton twenty years ago, 
and many families made good living with their seines and 
gill nets. They have long: since abandoned their semes, 
and the seine "crabs" are rotted from disuse. 
We have the choice Of two things : to believe either the 
fish are being caught for the market in such numbers that 
trj£, demand and supply is greater than the natural pro- 
duction, or chemical waste and gas-house tar are polluting 
the waters of our noble river. to such an. extent that it is 
habitable only to such river fish as perch, catfish, and eels. 
Without fish the Hudson becomes a weary waste of water, 
" ■' Chas. G. Blandkord. 
. j . 
Santa Calplina Tuna Club. 
"Santa Catalina Island.— -In consequence of the un- 
qualified success of the rod-and-reel tournament of the 
Tuna Club in former years, in the interests of the higher 
standard of sport, and the protection of the game fishes of 
Southern California, -'the Club will give an open tourna- 
ment from May 1 to October 1, 1904, inclusive. The ob- 
ject is to encourage the use of rod-and-reel tackle in tak- 
ing the large game fishes of these waters, and in every 
way to elevate the sport to the highest standard. 
The only restrictions are the rules of the Tuna Club 
that rods and reels must be used and that rods must not 
be less than six feet nine inches in length, the tip of 
which must not weigh more than sixteen ounces. By "tip" 
is meant all that portion of the rod from reel seat to end 
of rod. The line must not exceed _ twenty- four threads 
or strands, and be capable of sustaining a dead weighty of 
not more than forty-eight pounds. All anglers must bring 
his or her fish to gaff unaided, and the fish must be reeled 
in — a. broken rod either before or after gaffing disqualifies 
the -angler. The tournament is open to amateurs only, 
professional boatmen, those engaged in allied industries 
on the island, and members of fheir families being barred, 
except as in special class I. 
THE PRESENT HOLDERS OF CUPS AND RECORDS ARE : 
Largest Tuna. 
Pounds. 
C F. Holder, Pasadena, Cal., season 1899.;......... ...183 
Col C. P. Morehouse, Pasadena, season 1900.: ......... ..251 
Mrs. E. N. Dickenson 216 
F. S. Schenck, Brooklyn, N. Y., season 1901........ 158 
F.-V. Kider, Avalon, season 1901.... 158 
John E. Sterns, Los Angeles, season 1902....- ..197 
H. E. Smith, season 1903 •• ••••• 94 
B. F. Alden, season 1903 94 
- - Black Sea Bass. 
F. V. Rider, Avalon, season 1898 327 
T. S. .Manning, Avalon, season 1899 Jlj 
F. S. Schenck, Brooklyn, N. Y., season 1900 384 
A. C. Thompson, Pomona, season 1901 384 
H. T. Kendall, Pasadena, season 1902..., 
Edw. Llewellyn. % . .425 
Largest Yellowtaik 
F. Y. Rider, Avalon, season 1898 41 
F. S. Gerrish, Jacksonville, Fie., season 1899 , 37 
R". F. Stocking, Los Angeles, season 1900 48 
T. S. Manning, season 1901............ • 33 
Dr. Trowbridge, Fresno, season 1902..... 4?y 2 
F. P. Newport, season 1903 ••• 46 
Prizes. 
CLASS A — LEAPING TUNA. 
Special silver cup, donated by Montgomery Bros., Los 
Angeles, for largest tuna, which becomes property of 
angler holding record for three successive years from 
present season. 
For exceeding the Club record, rod and reel, donated by 
Edward Vom Hofe. " 
For the largest tuna of the season other than the above, 
*Tuna Club gold medal; Banning. cup. A special gold 
button will be given to the angler taking the largest tuna 
of the season. Should two anglers succeed m breaking 
the present - record, a gold button will be given for each 
For the second largest tuna of the season, other than the 
above, a silver-mounted rod offered by James McDonald. 
'ForUhe. smallest tuna, booby prize.. ■? 
;'■;'■'„ CLASS B— BLACK SEA BASS. 
For exceeding, the cup record, *Tufts-Lyon Arms Co. 
silver cup; *Rider Macomber gold medal and extra 
silver-mounted rod. 
For the largest black sea bass, other than the above, 
silver-mounted rod. , , , 
For the smallest black sea bass of the season, booby 
prize. 
CLASS C — WHITE SEA BASS. 
For the largest of the season, angler's tackle box. 
For the second largest, gaff. 
• : CLASS D YELLOWTAIL. : . 
For the largest yellowtail of the season, *John F. 
Francis, gold medal and silver-mounted rod. 
For the second largest fish, gaff. 
CLASS E—ALBACORE. 
For the largest fish, of the season, 'silver-mounted rod. 
-. :-V , . " . CLASS F— ROCK. BASS. 
for the largest fish of the season, Vom Hole line 4vyer, 
CLASS G — SHEEPSHEAD. 
For the largest fish of the season, angler's pipe! 
CLASS H — WHITEFISH. " 
For the largest fish of the season, gaff. 
CLASS I — PROFESSIONAL BOATMEN. 
For the best equipped launch, four horse-power or over, 
rods, reels, lines, gaff, and general comfort to be con- 
sidered, silver-mounted rod. 
For the best equipped launch under four horse-power, 
with or without engine, rods, reels, lines, etc., to be con- 
sidered, silver-mounted rod. 
For the boatman of the angler taking the first tuna of 
the tournament season, silver-mounted rod. 
All the catches made with the view of competing for 
prizes must be reported at once to some member of the 
weighing committee, or a member of the board of direc- 
tors of the club, and weighed in his presence and posted. 
All fish must be brought to the Club scales and weighed 
thereon. No allowance will be made for shrinkage. 
In fishing for any fish during the tournament season, 
there shall be only one rod and reel used at a time for 
each angler occupying a boat. The using, casting, or 
handling of one in any way by the boatman shall dis- 
qualify the angler. This rule shall not apply to baiting 
the hook. 
The board of directors and weighing committee com- 
prise : T. S. Manning, E. L. Doran, F. V. Rider, John 
Cline, W. H. Bunham, A. W. Barrett, E. N. Dickerson. 
*These prizes are perpetual property of the club, the names of 
the anglers being engraved thereon. 
'he ffimntl. 
Big Trout in the Aditondacfes. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I inclose clipping from the Tribune of June 25, in which 
my old friend, H. H. Thompson, of Passaic, N. J., tells of 
some large lake trout taken from Piseco Lake by Mr. 
William N. Courtney, one of which weighed Z^A pounds, 
and another, taken by a Mr. Yost, weighing 36^4 pounds. 
Mr. Thompson writes : 
"You printed last week an item from Glens Falls, N, 
Y., relating the gapture by J. Ben Hart in one of the 
Saranac lakes of a lake trout weighing 31% pounds, and 
measuring 42 inches; claimed by the fishermen of that 
section to have been the largest specimen ever known to 
have been caught in Adirondack waters. Knowing that 
much bigger trout had beeji taken from Lakes Pleasant 
and Piseco, I wrote to the" postmaster at Piseco for 
definite information. The result is a letter from William 
N. Courtney, Camp Courtney, Spruce Lake, N. Y., who 
sends me a photograph of a trout caught by himself in 
Piseco Lake, weighing* 39^ potjnds, and measuring* 45^ 
inches. He says, 'There are many caught here of 34 and 
35 pounds' weight. A Mr. Yost caught one on May 20, 
1898, weighing 36^ pounds.' Waubeck is distanced, so 
far as the size of the lake trout is concerned. Mr. Hart 
will have to gird up his loins and try again." 
Of course I recognize the fact that the fisherman tell- 
ing the last story has the advantage. I do not pretend to 
be a fisherman, much less an angler, but I want to remind 
H. H. T. of a lake trout taken from Millsite Lake, some 
five or six miles from this place, which weighed 42^ 
pounds. This was fifty-three or fifty-four years ago. I 
was then clerking in a store here, and succeeded Mr. 
Thompson in that position in 1849. The fish was brought 
to the store in a wheelbarrow by Mr. Schnyder Soper, 
who had caught it, and I weighed it on the same scales 
that Mr. Thompson had weighed many a tub (I might 
say tons) of butter on; and he cannot deny that the scales 
were correct; I weighed the fish. . 
Mr. Thompson will also acknowledge that Millsite 
Lake, although small— less than three miles in length— is 
famous for other large fish, for within the past month I 
have received a letter from him saying that the largest 
large-mouth black bass he ever boated was taken from 
this lake and weighed 8 pounds. 
Mr. Thompson has probably taken more maskmonge 
and black bass from" the waters in this vicinity than any 
other man now living. J- L. Davison. 
Theresa, N, Y , July 16; 
The Aggravating: Ning Ning. 
To the notes given in our last issue on fishes which 
have voices— and some of them having voices use them 
to the pestering of mankind— add this bit from Mary 
Kingsley's "Fishing in West Africa," being a chapter 
from "West African Studies" reprinted m the Woodcraft 
Magazine for October, 1901 : 
"Then there is that deeply trying creature the Ning 
Ning fish, who, when you are in some rivers in fresh 
water and want to have a quiet night's rest, just as you 
have tucked in your mosquito bar carefully and success- 
fully, comes alongside and serenades you, until you have 
to get up and throw things at it with a prophetic feeling, 
amply supported by subsequent experience, that hordes o*f 
mosquitoes are busily esconcing themselves inside your 
mosquito bar. What makes the Ning Ning— it is called 
after its idiotic song— so maddening is that it never seems 
to be where you have thrown the things at it. You could 
swear it was close to the bow. of the canoe when you 
shied that empty soda-water bottle or that ball of jour 
prescious india-rubber at it, but instantly comes nmg, 
ning ning,' from the stern of the canoe. It is a ventrilo- 
quist, or goes about in shoals, I do not know which for 
the latter and easier explanation seems debarred by their 
not singing in chorus ; the performance is undoubtedly a 
solo- anyone experienced in this fish soon finds out that 
it is 'not driven away or. destroyed by an artillery of mis- 
siles but merely lies low until its victim has got under 
his mosquito curtain, and resettled his mosquito palaver— 
and then back it comes with its 'ning, nmg.' . 
"A similar affliction is the salt-water drumfish, with its 
'bum-bum.' Loanda Harbor abounds with these, and so 
does Chiloango. In the bright moonlight nights I have 
looked overside and seen these fish m a wreath around 
the canoe, with their silly noses against the side, bum- 
bumming' away ; whether they admire the^ canoe or 
whether they want it to come on and fight it out 1 do 
not know, because my knowledge of the different kinds 
of fishes, and of their internal affairs, is derived from 
Dr. Gunther's great work, and that coptams no section 
pn Tchthyojogical psychology." 
Sporting Dogs in England and 
America. 
The bare relation of the deeds of English dags .does 
not assist Americans one bit more that the) records of 
sport and field trials written in America for Ameri- 
cans instruct Englishmen of the merits or demerits of 
cousin Jonathan's dogs. Possibly the differences are 
greater than we have been led to think. Their varia- 
tions from original types are not nearly the whole, for, 
we, too, have been varying our sorts after the manner 
of our own fancies, and the directions we have taken 
have been dissimilar to those taken across the Atlantic. 
Generally there have been good reasons for both vari- 
ations; what those are will assist at a perfect under- 
standing of the status and character of American sport- 
ing dogs as compared with ours now and with ours 
formerly. 
There is no necessity for, even if there exists a pos- 
sibility of, going back to the beginning of things in 
the Southern States of the Union. It was, we know, 
greatly indebted to Spain for its planters in its early 
history, and it may be that the poor cousins of the 
Dons introduced the dogs of the country direct from 
Spain. Georgia is full of Spanish-looking pointers. It 
is, in fact, the weed of the country, for where you do 
not see nigger dogs you see pointers, some of them 
remarkably high, bred in appearance, and few of them 
exhibiting traces of cross breeding; but there is one 
Weed throughout the South that grows even more 
luxuriously than the pointers. These are nigger dogs, 
that are as plentiful as cur dogs of the sheepdog order 
in this country; but the nigger dogs are nearly all 
near relations of the hound. Mostly they are black 
and tan, and so also are the treasured American fox- 
hounds. These latter hounds, both pure and impure, 
have a wonderful resemblance to English bloodhounds 
of fifty years ago, before the loose skin craze set in 
and altered the character, if it left the type unchanged. 
As a traveler rode through the Southern States— tha,t 
is, the slave States of the anti-unpleasantness period — 
and found in each the same character of nigger cur, 
and saw how much family likeness there was between 
them and the black and tan foxhounds of the South, 
an irresistible impression was created that here were 
the true descendants of those bloodhounds that were 
used to catch runaway niggers. It is quite natural to 
suppose that the planters themselves would use the 
same hounds for both purposes of sport and business, 
or at least the same breeds, and it is not less so to 
assume that the freed nigger would hasten to possess 
himself of that which was once beyond his reach, and, 
besides, aroused his terror. The negroes are all 
hunters; they hunt "cotton tails" by day, and 'coons 
by night, and their nigger dogs assist in both occu- 
pations. Not only are these dogs in appearance like 
the hounds of the country, but their cry is so similar 
that is has been known of the master of a pack that he 
rode five miles after some of them, believing all the 
time that he was riding to his own hounds. 
It will be observed from the above statement that 
the cry of hounds in the rough woodlands^ of the 
south is very important, for without the music it would 
often, if not generally, be impossible to discover which 
way the hounds had gone. With the exception of 
bloodhounds, the writer has never heard such mellow, 
deep voices as the southern hounds of America possess. 
It is the fashion for Englishmen, and some Americans, 
to believe that English hounds are the best in the 
world, but the southern gentlemen will have none of 
them. They say, with a certain amount of truth, that 
these importations have got "no noses." This is, com- 
paratively speaking, likely enough, for generations of 
hurry by huntsman, field and hounds have taught the 
latter only to run scent that they can run fairly fast, 
whereas the American hounds can start work as late 
as noon, and trail a fox to its kennel. That is how 
they find every fox they hunt, and probably few of the 
greatest believers in the modern foxhound would hold 
the opinion that he could trail a fox to its kennel ten 
hours after it had passed. 
These long-eared hounds not only have, the color 
of bloodhounds, but also many of their characteristics. 
They seem to run for the sport of hunting, and not to 
be very particular about killing; they do not get their 
hackles up as English hounds do when they are run- 
ning for blood. In this they resemble bloodhounds, 
just as they do in their cold hunting qualities, in their 
color and markings, in their ears, and in their voices. 
Maybe they are collaterals from Spanish ancestry and 
have not descended from our bloodhounds at all, but 
if that be so the likeness is quite remarkable after so 
many years. In appearance how do they differ from 
bloodhounds? Only in this, that they are more on 
the leg, have much less weight to carry, have far 
better necks and shoulders, and better loins. These 
are qualities that can be bred in by selection in a very 
few generations, or lost, as in our bloodhound, in as 
few by making selections for other virtues. Blood- 
hound crosses upon harriers or foxhounds would not 
bring out anything like these native hounds. The 
ears, for instance, are a distinctive feature, quite as 
much so as they are in the bloodhounds themselves ; and 
their heads, although much lighter, are those of small 
bloodhounds, and not the shorter and squarer heads 
of harriers and foxhounds. ' ' 
The system of hunting there is very different from 
ours. The first thing to strike one is that the whipper- 
in is absent. Each man who has anything to do with 
hounds uses a horn, that is for the purpose of letting 
hounds know which way the huntsmen (for there are 
more than one) are drawing. Riot hardly exists, be- 
cause there is nothing to attract hounds' attention ex- 
cept foxes, red or gray, wolves, black and white, and 
caotes (a small kind of wolf); any of these they may 
hunt first come, first served. Probably a deer, would 
be treated in the same way, and in the winter there 
are no domestic -animals in the fields and. woods, 
