200 
im d $iver <$islring. 
FISH in SEASON IN APRIL. 
Speckled Tront Saimo /on ed Salraon-.<?n/ n , 0 rfoverL 
FLIES FOB APRIL. 
£?'• “ 13.-B04, ud feet black, „ib 6 . 
wSfS^SS. 0 ""- 8 *' 1S -^ «“>■ C.r.1, f«* black, 
bright claret, niaca with 
’ feet ginger, wings ofoueeex hyaline, tho other ochor- 
Al with dark claret, 
ela?fi?f«e?S7 N0 ‘- 13 T 00 ' 1 ? dirk °>>ve, mixed with bright 
claret, reet ginger, wings hyaline. 
lrkwfAAf rkTri 8 ' an,i V 1 — Bu<1 y fo * cub faco, mixod with vel- 
mo 1 1 letf f ea th ei^wood d u2k! ^ ’ WiugB 1,a,e « r ^ or «ubl.yaUoo, 'tail 
m° 8 ‘ a " d n --Body and feet brightest part of 
low f ° X ’ “ Xed WUh ye,low ' wings brightest hyaline, tail pale yel- 
P, l ;' CE *}-\ CR Y] D F , x v 1 — Nos - 3 n "d 8.— Body orange, ribbed with 
gold tinsel, hackle black wings, tail of tho American partridge, 
_ „ OKNEBAL FLIES. 
Inis —No. S — A hacklo lly, ribbed with silver tinsel, body hacklo, 
wings and tail scarlet. ' J ' 
Peacock Palmer.— No. 8.— Body peacock Leris, hacklo black 
aud red mixod 
Gbav Palmer.— No. 8.— Body peacook lierl, dark gray backle. 
Professor.— Nos. 8 and 9.— Body bright yellow, feet golden 
leTiWs' ' 88 WOoddack aQ d mallard, dyed yollow, mixed, trfscar- 
Qceen of toe Water, Nos. 8 and 9. -A hackled fly , body 
orauge ribbed with gold tinsel, hacklo chicken red, wings bright 
mottle of the mallard. b b 
Grizzly King. -Nos. 8 and 9. -A hackly fly ; body green, hackle 
dark gray, tad scarlet ibis, wings mottled feather of tho pin-tail 
Fisn in Market— Retail Prices.— Our quotations are 
as follows : Striped bass, 20 cents ; large do., 15 ; smelts, 15; 
blue fish, 15; frozen salmon, 30; green do., 75; mackerel, 
large, 2o ; do. small. 15; Southern shad, 25; native, 35; 
Connecticut River, 75; white perch, 15; Spanish mackerel, 
25 ; green turtle, 15 ; terrapin, $15 ; frost fish, 6 ; halibut,’ 
11; haddock, 0; codfish, heads off, 6; do., heads on, 5; 
black-fish, large, 15 ; herring, Newfoundland, 6 ; flounders’ 
large, 10; do., small, 6 ; eels, large, dressed, 18; lobsters,’ 
live, 8; do., boiled, 10; shcepsheads, 25; turbot, 20; seal- 
lops, $1.75 per gallon; soft clams, per 100, 30; do., large, 
60; whitefish, 20 ; pickerel, 15; perch, yellow, 8; salmon 
trout, 15; Canada brook trout, 25 ; Long Island do., $1 • 
hard crabs, per 100, $3 ; soft crabs, per dozen, $3 ; prauns’ 
per gallon, $1. 
The yield of shad from the North River here has been 
so far very slight, and the fish from the Connecticut have not 
been plenty. On Monday two schooners arrived with the 
first fresh mackerel, and on Sunday four more. Fish quite 
small. The consequence was that the price of shad fell im- 
mediately. 
Wiutebait in New York.— As early as 1873 it was an- 
nounced in the Forest and Stream that whitebait was not 
foreign to our waters. This statement was made on the au- 
thority of J. Carson Brevoort, Esq., who, as early as 1854, 
had declared that fish precisely like those in which Prime 
Ministers delight at Greenwich, had been brought to him by 
an English fisherman, who liad caught them in New York 
Bay. Yesterday some of these same fish were given to us by 
E. G. Blackford, which were caught in New York Bay, and 
we now revel in the idea that it is not only on the banks of 
the Thames that the superlative whitebait can be eaten, but 
that before long, beside the Hudson, epicures may enjoy 
their good little fish. Of course we may expect a long discus- 
sion on this subject, “What are whitebait?” It was some- 
time in 1828 that Yarrell first threw the bone of contention 
into the icthyological arena. Before an article of Mr. Yar- 
rell s, published in the Zoological Journal, whitebait were 
thought to be either the young of the shad (Olupea alausa) or 
of the carp or bleak. Yarrell insisted that whitebait were 
the young of the herring. After a careful examination of 
the fin rays of the specimens given us by Mr. Blackford, we 
find these rays to correspond exactly with those given by 
Yarrell, as belonging to the whitebait, D., 17 ; p. f jg. v . 7- 
A., 15; tuil, 20. Id all other descriptions the fish follow 
closely the English whitebait, save that the tongue had 
grayish lints on tho edges. Prof. Spencer F. Baird is also an 
authority for the statement that whitebait are found on our 
coast, and are the young of the herring. We believe too, that 
whitebait are merely nothing more than young herring, per- 
haps of the ale-wife, and not a special fish with characteristics 
of their own. We notice that quite lately a discussion has 
been held in England on the subject of whitebait, as to 
whether they were herring or not. Some of the whitebait 
having been placed in an aquarium, the little fish grew to be 
good sized herring. We suppose that this crucial experiment 
can be made with us, and the Broadway Aquarium might get 
some whitebait and let them grow. All scientific speculation 
being, however, put aside for the moment, we are only too 
glad to believe that some of these fine duys at Delmonico’s 
Sutherland’s or Cable’s a dish of crisp whitebait, with the 
necessary concomitants, will be furnished to epicures. 
FOREST AND. STREAM. 
Georges arrivals reported has been nineteen, but the average 
catch for the season is very small, and the receipts have not 
exceeded 87o, 000 lbs. Whole number of fishing arrivals for 
the week, 24 . — Cape Ann Advertiser, April 12. 
Connecticut — New London, April 15. — Trout season 
opened with a perfect day, and the brooks have yielded well 
and repaid one’s efforts. The fish bit well, and large catches 
and heavy fish promise much sport. F. L. A. 
New York — M cacha m Lake, April 15.— The trout are bit- 
ing freely. Seem just as anxious to get from the water to 
the frying-pan as ever. a. R. Fuller. 
—The Snranncs were clear of ice on the 12th of April. 
Pennsylvania — Mitford, Pike Co., April 6.— Trout fishing 
good this season. Amos J. Cummings and party, who sLop- 
ped otF. E Garrison’s farm on the S'awkill, took 80 pounds; 
of fish on the 1st, 2d, 3d aud 4th iustaut, the average was 
seven to the pound, and the fish were game, in good condition 
and of exquisite flavor; ninety percent, of them are taken with 
a lly on Hamilton’s, Peroz’s, Comte’s, Garrison’s and Pin- 
ney’s preserves, which average three-quarters of a mile, the 
fee being from 25 cents to $1 per rod per day. Anglers 
should slop at Le Glare's hotel or Fanny Dimlnick's hotel 
Milford, or at Garrison's Farmhouse. At the latter place ex- 
cellent board and first-class accommodations at $1 a day. 
The Sawkill is now strictly preserved, and the vagabond 
poaching element is routed. Boarders at Bhanoe’s farm at 
Loveaux's on the Rayuioudskill, ore eutitled to first-class 
fishing, the catches averaging five to the pound. Here board 
>8 from $9 to $12 per week, but the table is equal to Del- 
monico’s. At Nyce’s homestead at Tom’s Creek, thirteen 
miles from Milford, is some rare fishing as strictly preserved 
as in Gnat. Britain. The large trout in the Shohola will be 
anxious for the fly by May 1st. First-class accommodations 
at Moses Westbrook's hotel, Blooming Grove, from whence 
the preserves of the Blooming Grove Park Association are 
easily accessible. Flies for Pike county : Grizzly King, coach- 
man Pritchard s Van Patten, silver gnat, March brown and 
cow dung The best cast is a coachman stretcher and grizzly 
king and V an Patten droppers. ° y 3 
Tennessee Columbia. April 0.— Fishing excitement at its 
tdd L -u e , e \ cr ®? ls taken - and ev cry one happy. Mr 
L. 1 . 1 still heads the score with a four and a half pound 
rout. Was shown some speckled trout taken from Buffalo 
Creek the first caught in our streams, aud their ebniing is 
heralded with gladness, as it gl ves a chance to compete with 
our Northern brothers of the rod in casting the fly, an accom- 
plishment we have been anxious to attain. Val 
Kentucky— Stamford April 10.— A bushwacker speared 
eight pounds G * U ^ dayS since ’ which weighed twenty- 
Movements of the Fishing Fleet.— T he market for 
gffisssi ss.igfjurjs^ ~ 
t-als being reported, bringing 240, 000 lbs. The number of 
B. 
,, A I IUP J° Bvff \ l ° Creek.— O n the morning of March 25, 
| .Ir. T. and myself left Columbia, with horse and buggy, for 
a week s fishing in Buffalo Creek, Lawrence County, thirty 
miles west of Columbia. The road, a smooth pike, lay 
, gar . den f.P® 1 °f Tennessee, as that portion of 
Maury County is called. Fine old mansions, situated in 
of twenty and forty acres of oaks, beeches 
maples, etc., built during the “flush times” of the South, 
l|!vn ge wblle .P‘} la «. br oa d stone steps and spacious 
hall which bring to miml the hospitable planters and good 
old times of the days gone by, when the young people would 
gather for a gallop after the hounds or a canter through the 
rv.,,®; A . . thos ® flre by -gones which one cannot think of 
without a sigh. Two miles west of Columbia we passed 
Gen. Gideon Pillow s large plantation, with a large brick 
mansion, budt in “ye olden time,” in the centre of a large 
pa , : f a of the ne £ ro cabins are still standing. Four 
miles further we came to Ashwood, the homestead of the 
tolks the nobility of Tennessee. Here is also found the 
property of Countess De Chavete, nee Miss Antoinette Polk 
pix miles further we come to Mount Pleasant, a neat little 
town mi Little Bigbee, which abounds in trout and bass fish- 
mg. Twelve miles further brings u9 to Sumtnertown. A 
muring colony of Northern men have settled here for the 
«V f w St r k ra TS aad fruitgrowing. Here we met 
JT’p * “• w “tkins, a subscriber and occasional correspondent 
S - , “r- W. has bought a large tract of land, and 
intends to make a fish pond and hatchery on it, a9 a crystal 
stream of freestone water flows within fifty yards of his 
house. Mr. W. is a thorough sportsman, and in the evening 
gave us a treat in the shape of a run with the hounds after 
nSl i? U ?i? y i Wa9 l °o cunning aud holed. We then re- 
paired to the house and partook of an excellent supper, con- 
®- 8 b° g .°f bsh (trout and pike), venison, etc. We spent the 
» W * daylight found us on our way to Buffalo, 
six miles distant. We reached the stream by sunrise, and all 
° f were verified. Buffalo Creek is a 
C °) d , freestone water > about fifty yards wide, 
?? ( 8tron g’ with rocky bed and banks, with 
w? which arc caught trout, bass, pike, jacks, perch, 
! 1 ®' ^ e , dld not have time to take many notes, as our lines 
demanded our attention, for our minnows had scarcely disap- 
b Jp f , 0re fhoy were struck and carried down stream with 
headlong car 1 eer was soon checked, and our 
the ii?h»r d j t Wa f 9 pike weighing about three pounds, 
eontln^nH i tn ? Ut of , a J0ut two P oun<lH weight. This sport 
* nued a b° l ' t an h°ur, when we had landed some ten or 
twelve fine fellows; it then began to rain and thunder and 
lightning, and continued the balance of the week, our “ off 
t0 return t0 our business without making 
wm.cfo T L W< i w , ere much pleased with the trip, not- 
withstanding our luck. \V e return thanks to Mr. Garner and 
others for courtesies extended. In conclusion, I would say 
J 1 an ^. °.“ e w,8 h'UK to have a week’s sport and roughing it 
dnd ‘J on Buffalo Creek ; snipe, quail, hares, and occa- 
sionally a deer, are found in the vicinity Vat 
Columbia, Tenn., March 30. 
California— PlacervilU, April O.-Havo been on a fishing 
excursion up in the biereas, along the American River. The 
fnonnH 1 caug h t ' f ort y-thrce beautiful trout, some weighing 
^r nda, , ld fi a i halfaU i d two Pounds. Strawberry Valley is a 
very good fishing place. The woods all along the route 
abound in game, of w inch we got a very good supply There 
GmvlnWnl, ° f P 81 in thC d,tcU of ,be E1 dorado 1 Vater and 
- jSffi £ 
lbe ' C “ blUl1 “ rc8erv oirfor the 
b. Li. 
The Norius Fly Rons. — Those who wish to purchase 
some memento of the lamented Thaddeus Norris, Esq., can 
obtain one of bis beautiful rod9 by addressing his son, Richard 
Norris, 2,550 Gray’s Ferry Road, Philadelphia. See adver- 
tisement in our columns. 
IT??. ^Ks-Chicago, April 9 .—Dear Editor : 
SmRAM S on he *«T ett f r ° r - C - in la8[ week's Forest and 
Stream on Instructions in Buss Fishing," is it not the 
whitp’linf wPl'l 0 0n l n at baa9 Hre sonie w hai shy, and that a 
r SIS Jl Km 6 - i b r m ? , How «»en can G. O. recommend 
™ ; a,d « n f n llue ? 1 have always found linen 
^ ™ n 1“ fl8hlDg ; Lvt us have more of such 
WSSSr fl h ’ form toe multitude of counselors 
mere is w suom. Norman. 
[Linen lines can be readily dyed of a permanent color.— 
Ed.] 
An Improved REEL-SEAT.-Dr. J. T. Bohon, of Stanford, 
Ky., lias called our attention to an improved reel-seat, in- 
vented in Central Kentucky, and in use by many of the 
anglers there. It is a simple bed-plate of sheet brass or silver 
to screw down upon the but of the fishing rod, with a pair of 
clamps into which the reel-plate slides. It is much more con- 
venient and secure than the rings used to hold the reel on. 
CAuanr on a Fly. -Our old friend, Will Clarke, of Har- 
nsburg, a short tune since, handsomely perpetrated a little 
feat, winch is as novel as it was amusing to his companion. 
AngliDg for bachelor perch with long rod and line without a 
reel he threw an unfortunate high above the water, fully 
t wenty feet distant, and discovered that the hook had been 
torn from its mouth, but not before a momentum had been 
given to the fish which would hurl it ashore, so he hastily set 
Ins rod against a convenient tree, and gracefully caught the 
g 8 ™® ’Ph' 8 hands, observing to bis friend, “That’s one on the 
ly. Will is the life of every fishing party that can boast of 
his connection, and is as handy to have about camp as were 
Mrs. foodies varied purchases about the house. He wields 
his reel rod as elegantly as an accomplished swell twirls hi3 
rattan, and handles a whale with an ease, a nonchalance and 
success which are exasperating to all of us would-be’s, and we 
know that he is not a slatherer (our localism for a greeny ), 
but just how he chanced to impart such an impetus to the 
flight of that fingerling is more than even his boon friend and 
eye-witness to above achievement,^' Tige,” cau explain. 
Stanford, Ky., March 20. Kentuckian. 
“THE GROUND HOG CASE ANGLER.” 
The Salmon Rivers of Canada. Anglers will please re- 
fer to the list of salmon rivers for lease by the Canadian 
Government, as advertised in our columns by Fish Commis- 
sioner Whitcher, of Ottawa. 
Middletown, Conn., April 6, 1878. 
sir. Editor— 1 notice in your issue of 4tu Inst., an Inquiry as to the 
deUnltlon of the phrase, " A ground hog case angler." 
One day, about twenty-flve years ago, so runs the tradition, In tho 
palmy time when ‘•circuit-preaching’’ flourished lathe zenith of lia 
glory, a Methodist divine of one of the backwoods circuits announced, 
by avaut courcur, that upon the next day— Sunday-he would expound 
the Scripture to the faithful at a tittle settlemei t in one of the Western 
States. (Having heard the Identical story In seven different States, and 
each claiming the exact amt original locality of the scene to have been 
within Its limits, I refrain fiom specifying auy particular one, for fear 
of giving offense to the others.) At the same time, a certain member 
of the congregation at this “ clearing » was notified that he was ex- 
pected by “ his reverence ” to furnish bed and board for the minister 
and hts horse, as was customary on such occasions, during his brief 
sojourn in the settlement. 
It happened, unfortunately, that the backwoodsman’s larder, like 
"Mother Hubbard's" cupboard, was absolutely bare of any kind of 
meut ; and the man was at his wits' end to devise some means of sup- 
plying this deficiency, especially as the minister was momentarily ex- 
pected to “ heave In sight." There was no time to hunt up a deer. At 
length, a happy thought flashed across his perplexed brain, aud calling 
up ills son and heir, ayonth of twelve, he hurriedly explained his des- 
perate state of affairs, and dispatched young hopeful with the Injunc- 
tion to catch a ground hog, the parting warning ringlDg In the boy's 
ears : “ You better not come home without one." 
Meanwhile, the worthy man of God was nearing his dest nation, 
doubtless regaling his mlod with visions of “chicken flxln's," etc. 
which awaited his comlDg ; when, chancing to look up from the bridle- 
path in which he was riding, he espied a small boy, spado In hand, 
frantically digging lu the earth, as if for life or death. 
"What are you digging for, sonny?” ho patronizingly Inquired, 
accompanying the Interrogrtory with that benign sinlle, of which only 
the circuit preacher Is capable. 
Without suspending ills labors In the least to scrutinize his questioner 
the boy laconically replied, a ground bog.” 
“ Wel1 - but what is the necessity of such a hurry ? Can you not let 
the ground hog alone long enough to show me the way to Mr. 'a? 
(the boy’s father’s.) 
Judge of the holy man's consternation when the nrchln rejoined 
“ No - 1 can't, ’cause there's a durned preacher cornin' to our house this' 
evenin’, and dad says It's a ground hog or no meat I " 
As to the denoument of this story, history remains silent; but certain 
It Is, that from this origin the expression “A grouud hog case" has 
passed Into circulation as a synonym of un dernier retort. Ergo, \ pre- 
sume that by a “ ground hog case angler,” "Val” meant to designate 
a “ hard up pot-flsherman,” If such a term exists. j T 
[Two other, correspondents have kindly helped us out on 
this cose. — E d. F. and S.] 
Jfnsweqs to <£otr exp undents. 
tv A number of anonymous correspondents will understand why 
their queries are not answered, when they read the lines at the head of 
his column. 
Pull, Peoria.— Don't. 
C. A. B., S. Norwalk, Conn.— Form, etc. sent you. 
D. B. F., Frankfort, Ky.-Do not think it would suit you. 
n. P., Somewhere (?), Wls — Tho fire-arms company yon wish the 
address of Is In Norwich, Conn. 
J. 8. IS, Pittston.— What would you use to kill lice on dogs? Ana. 
Rub In kerosene, or any stiff grease, thoroughly. 
C. 8. B., Lock Haven, Pa.— We do not know where to And the dog 
you want. We will, however, advertise some soon, we think. 
G, W. C., Montreal.— Pope's “Upland Game Birds of the United 
States " Is published by Bcrlbner, Armstrong A Co„ of this city. The 
4th part (eight plates) la now out, 
