534 
FOREST AND STREAM 
October, 1919 
THE NORTHERN PIKE OF LEWEY LAKE 
ONCE FAMOUS [FOR [ITS BROOK AND LAKE TROUT THIS ADIRONDACK SHEET 
OF WATER BECOMES THE HOME OF RAVENOUS PIKE OF HUGE PROPORTIONS 
I N these days of widespread employ- 
ment of the short bait and plug-casting 
rod, with the northern pike a popular 
object for this form of angling activity, 
it is strange that in journals devoted to 
fishing, reference to Lewey Lake seldom 
occurs. 
Lewey lake — in Hamilton county, the 
Adirondacks — is a body of water some 
one and one-half miles in length and 
about one-third that distance in its 
greatest width. Contrary to general be- 
lief this lake did not take its name from 
the late “French Louie” Seymour, the fa- 
mous trapper. Its present appellation 
was borne long before “Louie” passed 
through the locality, between thirty and 
forty years ago, on his way to the old 
Newton’s Corners (now Speculator) be- 
fore he settled in the West Canadas. 
There, as his neighbors spring and fall, 
a companion and myself were wont to 
steal hours from fishing and hunting to 
play youthful pranks on the forest re- 
cluse. 
When Louis Seymour first viewed this 
lake its shores were free from the stand- 
ing and fallen dead timber which encir- 
cle it to-day. With the high spruce- 
capped peaks of the Blue Ridge rising 
from its western border, and its general 
wdlderness aspect, it was considered one 
of the notable lesser Adirondack lakes of 
that day. Nor was this reputation de- 
pendent upon natural beauty alone. 
Lewey Lake teemed with brook and lake 
trout. And, fed as it was by the won- 
derful Miami, it was thought by many 
competent to judge to be the greatest 
natural hatchery for these varieties of 
trout in the whole North Woods. 
McCormack’s little log hotel on the 
east shore near the head of the lake, 
typical of outlying Adirondack hostelries 
of the period, entertained such anglers 
as did not choose to camp out. The 
widely known character of the fishing as- 
sured it patronage throughout the long 
open season that then obtained in the 
forest preserve. Men prominent in the 
affairs of the nation fished Lewey lake 
in those days. 
Then the dam at the foot of Indian 
lake, distant ten or twelve miles north- 
east, was increased in height, and Indian 
and Lewey lakes became virtually one. 
The flow of Indian lake in establishing 
the new level in Lewey lake killed the 
timber surrounding the shore line of the 
latter and imparted to its borders the 
desolate appearance characteristic of 
flooded country. 
The incoming tide of Indian lake car- 
ried into the trout waters of Lewey lake 
countless numbers of huge northern pike. 
What happens to the menhaden school 
when overtaken by the bluefish pack took 
place here, and if the destruction was 
longer drawn out it was none the less 
complc'.c. Soon there were no brook 
By TAMARACK 
trout in Lewey lake. The lake trout, 
however, were able to abide with the in- 
vaders, and continued in reduced degree 
to propagate. 
As Lewey lake formerly had long been 
famous for its brook and lake trout, so 
in its new character as the home of big 
northern pike it became prominent, and 
with good reason. It is doubtful if in 
the whole state its equal in this respect 
existed. Prodigious tales of the voracity 
of these “pickerel,” as they locally were 
designated, spread about the woods. For 
instance, the raising of ducks ceased 
A denizen of Lewey Lake 
longer to be a profitable venture with the 
little hotel. Hence when big John Stur- 
ges backed his boat up into the mouth 
of the Miami of an early morning to en- 
able his green “sport” to witness the 
spectacle of “pickerel” pursuing rabbits 
on the dew-laden wild meadows — “the 
durn sport believed it, 'b’gosh!” as John 
afterward related the circumstance. 
T en or twelve years ago some friends 
of mine desired to camp for a couple 
of weeks during September where 
they could fish and do a little ruffed 
grouse and deer hunting, the season for 
grouse and deer in New York at that 
time opening in that month. I sent them 
to Lewey lake, and they got what they 
went for. I spent the last week with 
them. The next season, during the last 
week of September and the first week 
of October they again camped in the 
Adirondacks. Disliking the dismal -effect 
of the standing dead timber about Lewey 
lake, they selected a site three or four 
miles down on Indian lake and boated 
back and forth as their fancy dictated. 
This time I was of the party during the 
entire stay. 
As many members of the bait and 
plug-casting fraternity appear to have a 
hankering after northern pike, I feel that 
a description of fishing conditions as we 
found them at Lewey and Indian lakes at 
that time may prove of interest and value 
to these pike pursuers. 
To reiterate, it is probable that no- 
where in New York were larger and more 
abundant northern pike to be had than 
in Lewey Lake, and certain bays and set- 
backs in Indian Lake were not much in- 
ferior in this regard. The taking of ten 
and twelve-pound pike was so common an 
event as to pass unnoticed. Beyond these 
figures the fish attained a maximum size 
as great as northern pike reach any- 
where in this region — say approximately 
twenty pounds, though if I remember 
aright it considerably exceeded this fig- 
ure. And they should have been larger 
here than the pike of other waters, for 
they had had wonderful incentive to 
growth in their foraging on the nutri- 
tious brook trout and the young of the 
lake trout, when first the barriers of the 
falls in the outlet of Lewey lake were 
broken down by the inrush of Indian lake. 
I recall that once a side-partner trium- 
phantly held aloft for the inspection of 
the hired boy at the log hotel, who was 
rowing by, a pike of fifteen pounds I had 
just gaffed for him. The youngster dis- 
dainfully called back: “Huh, we calls that 
a minnie here!” and lost never a stroke 
of the oars in delivering himself of this 
dictum. 
The methods at that time employed by 
fishermen who resorted to the lake were 
chiefly skittering and trolling with two 
big bamboo poles, outrigger fashion. 
Fishing with live bait was also somewhat 
in vogue. We tried the Nottingham cast, 
bait and plug-casting, and gave the fly a 
trial. One method was quite as effective 
as another, but the fly, tied on a ringed 
hook with gimp snell, was abandoned 
after the first attempt, as the fish could 
not be controlled with a light fly rod and 
the accompanying rigging. When hooked 
they at once made for the weeds and, be- 
coming enmeshed in the rank lake vege- 
tation, were practically imprisoned. The 
short bait-casting rod, with plug or pork 
rind, gave the most satisfactory results 
on the whole, and the greatest degree of 
sport. 
It remained for my partner to dis- 
cover a new way of catching the pike 
which, while it may have been lacking in 
scientific qualities, was productive of re- 
sults in the number and size of fish taken. 
This happened while we were camping at 
Indian Lake on our second pike quest 
that year. 
He and I had started out from camp 
early one morning; he headed for Lewey 
