FOREST AND STREAM. 
enough, turn the cover half , Inch t by lt8 nan(lle on your 
perforated cover M the “ ront of your n.h.ng shirt. When you 
creel strap, or button! the two holes colnoldc, and one 
^ towards the light. Seize him; turn 
t°he Sver aim and keep the rest alive. But a fly flsherman does not 
° f r “ e ^n^h orchub afford good sport In August, when It Is too 
*£££ TbS are nS.re acflve and shy In ■■ Moodna - than In the 
Delaware. I don’t know why. As the hazy atmosphere of fam- 
ine filhe a mist) enlarges to our eyes the size of objects at a distance. 
SKSSSSn tue twilight of his years, looks back a long 
recalls ilsh of enormous size which ho once caught ; so I will 
ITr™ John O^r to bear witness to the size of wlud-flah I have 
brought tothe scales at his mill to have weighed I winteU.Umugho 
one large basketful, seventy odd, all of good size, which I 
cleaned on the bank of the stream and packed In mint, which happened 
m be handy; an 1 how my pride at the platters full at next mornings 
breaklast 4as sorely humbled at the unexpected bitter flavor of the 
otherwise 'delicate fish. When you seek to propitiate the cook by 
cleaning your flsh while you rest In the shade by the stream and smoke, 
before starting for the road to go home, do not pack them in “^t. 
There used to be trout In the Moodna, but when the Newbnrg Short 
was built me navvies spent their Sundays In turning the stream 
am Its tributaries, and the trout are gone. The average catch now la 
“e ongerung per annum, and the) few owners of the land along the 
atreau/are so blind to their own interest and pleasure that they wl 
® d restock and preserve the stream. Some day they wUj 
wake up. Bat all this while the trout might be growing. Tell “ Sports- 
man,” of Newburg, to use a Montreal fly. 
Very opportunely also, by a coincidence, comes a letter 
from Mr. Rowland E. Robinson, of Ferrisburgh, Vermont, 
making an inquiry as to the identity of a flsh which we have 
ascertained to be the same already reftrred to-the Argproso- 
mus arUdi of Gill- It is accompanied by an exquisite drawing 
with proper specifications, etc. He writes : 
* Ferrisburgh, March 19- ists 
MR EPITOR-From what I can learn of the fishermen, they first be- 
tnnwn Hhoui five years ago, and then, and for two or three years 
*>»« <* >*“• »“*» *“ "f ' 
winter they have been taken ^ tbe east side, but I cannot hear of a 
CfeCmuce of their being caught at any other time but bi .winter In 
any manner. So far as I can learn, they are always taken through the 
ice with a small hook and a very short line, say two or three feet, In 
light of the angler, and biting very gingerly. The ordinary 1 J al * JJ J 
morsel of fat salt pork. The color Is dark bluish on the back, becoming 
silvery on the sides, brightly so on the belly, with nacrous refiectlona 
covers The scales are very easily detached. I should say 
mafthe average length was from nine to thirteen inches; the weight 
rom i of a pound toltf-butthls is from memory and guesswork. 
Theova In the specimen I examined Feb. 25 were very small, and I 
, h i n k not likely to mature earlier than May. Are they a migra- 
tory fleh? H so, how is It the spawn Is so backward at the only time 
th7y are seen here ? If not, why are they never caught at aU lninm- 
mer when the lake swarms with anglers and every cove andbeachls 
swept by seines? Be Is known here as “ blueflsh, salmon herring, 
and I know not what other titles. . 
Prof GUI’s letter, under cover of your envelope, was duly recel ”^’ 
Since Betting It, Mr. Hall, of Vergennes, has shown me Prof. Baird s 
MKy. A specunen of the flsh was sent to Prof. B. He 
savs- “It is a species of whlteflsh, and Mr. Milner determines It to 
be^tbe Argyroaoruus clupci/orwiU, a species analagous to the so-caUed 
nerrlng of the Great Lakes.” Prof. GUI names It A. 
By a fortuitous chain of circumstances, we have in the fore- 
going letters much valuable information, which enables the 
scientist to determine very nearly the habits and habitat of 
the fish in our Northeastern inland waters. The A. arUdi 
spawn in November. They take the fly and grub freely in 
summer and may be caught through the ice in winter with 
bait, and being a fine flsh for the table, it seems that they 
may fill a conspicuous place among the catalogue of game fish. 
>-« • — 
PRACTICAL LESSONS ON BASS FISH- 
ING— No 2 
Chicago, March 18, 1878. 
Editor Fobkst and Stream: 
I left my imaginary bass-fisher fairly launched upon the 
lake, but before proceeding further with him I wish to go 
back for a few general observations. 
In the first place, don’t get up in the middle of the night 
with the inBane idea that you must be on the water at early 
dawn. If you do so you will lose your sleep for nothing. A 
bass is a very sensible fish, and prefers a late breakfast. His 
breakfast hour is from 8 to 11, and he rarely bites before then. 
Second observation : Consult the weather ; select a cloudy 
day if possible, but not a rainy one. However, a sunny day, 
with sufficient wind to make a good ripple on the water, is 
iust aS good. If the wind is high, or if there is no wind and 
the water is glassy, pack away your tackle and stay at home 
and play with the babies. , . . 
Third observation : Upon starting from home be very mod- 
est in your promises and also in your expectations. Tell your 
wife that it is a very bad day for fishing, that the wind is not 
in the right quarter. If it is cloudy tell her that bass seldom 
bite unless the sun shines, and vice versa; that if the weather 
changes you may get a few, but don’t much expect to ; that 
you only go for a day’s rest, or to try a new rod, line or hook ; 
or that you have got to go near the lake on business, and shall 
make a few casts. Your imagination will supply plenty of 
reasons for disarming the expectations which your previous 
fish stories may have excited in her mind. The beauty of 
this course is inestimable. If you don't bring home any fish 
you are aU right, as she had no expectation tliat you would. 
If you or your boatmen happen to capture a good string, then 
you are so much ahead, and your wife will think you are a 
deuce of a fellow to get so many in such bad weather, and 
you can quietly put on a few airs. By the way, it is always 
safest to select a boatman who has no speaking acquaintance 
with your wife or friend. It sometimes saves the necessity of 
answering awkward questions. One more short observation. 
Never be guilty of taking your gun along with the idea that 
you can fish and shoot ducks at the same time. There won’t 
a duck come within a mile of you, and your gun will only be 
an encumbrance. 
And now, finally, I have to make a personal observation 
I have got myself iuto a scrape. I have bcen foolish 
enough to read my other letter to my wife in one “7 con- 
fidential moods, thinking to impose uponher an^crease of 
respect for my attainments as a fisherman but I missed tue 
mark this time ; when in furnishing my hero 
I reached the “flask of whisky, there was an explosion. 
It was abominable that I had put that in. If a man couldn t 
go fishing without drinking whisky he had better stay at 
home and dig potatoes, and be of some use in the world. In 
vain I told her that the whisky was for the boatman, and 
showed her that I had said so in my letter Oh yes ; she 
knew all about that. The boatman 1 humph ! much of t the 
“boatman” would get if you were along. Didn t you tell 
me that one great beauty of the boatman you had last summer 
was that he didn't drink ? I suppose that was because you 
wanted it all yourself. “Now, my dear ” I venture to rnter- 
pose, “don’t get personal ; you know 1 never take anything 
along but bottled beer, and that I only take that because the 
water is warm and not fit to drink, and fishing on a hot day is 
rather warm work.” “ Ah, indeed ! That explains why you 
take so much ice and so many lemons. I suppose you make 
lemonade out of the beer, don’t you?” “Oh no ; ; can lL you 
understand? The ice is to keep the beer cool, and the lemons 
are for the boatman. He sucks them to prevent sunstroke 
when the hot sun is pouring down upon his head in the 
middle of the day.” “Ah, the poor fellow 1 I thought 
you always went ashore during the heat of the day and lay 
round in the shade until it was over.” “ Well, my dear, so 
we do, but— I think, upon the whole, we had better drop the 
discussion, as I see that you don’t exactly understand the cir- 
cumstances of the case, as you are not a fisherman and it 
would take me too long to fully enlighten you. 1 dont 
care,” said she, “ I think it is too bad any way that you said 
anything about whisky. What a lesson to teach the boys who 
will read it 1” I hastened to assure her that no boys ever read 
the Forest and Stream ; that they are not allowed to, as it 
has been found that, whenever one of them gets hold ot a 
copy, he is sure to run away from school and go fishing or 
gunning the first opportunity. I affirmed, without the solem- 
uity of an oath, that the paper was only read by great, big- 
bearded men, who would not be induced to drink any whisky, 
if they did not want it, by anything I might say, and I utter- 
ly disclaimed— ana I now disclaim— any intention to cham- 
pion the flask. You see I came triumphantly off, but stiU I 
confess that I am a little troubled about those “ boys, and 1 
must noise my preparation and eliminate the whisky. But 
how shall I get along with that boatman ? I had started him 
off beautifully with a taste for that same flask, and it is a pity 
to spoil the picture. But it must be done. I have pondered 
long and carefully over the matter, and the best way I can 
see- out of the difficulty is this: Don’t take any whisky, 
but* after you are clear away from home and on the lake, im- 
mediately after you have taken in your first fish, remark to 
the boatman, “Now we will have a dnnk. Feel in all your 
pockets • look into your lunch-basket, into your minnow 
bucket, under the boat thwarts, and everywhere. Express a 
good deal of consternation, and declare that you must have 
forgotten your flask-that you had it all ready and must have 
left it on the table in your hurry. Confound your luck a 
few times; declare that such a thing never happened to you 
before, and never shall again. Tell him you didn’t care much 
for it yourself, but you meant to have some for him, and he 
mav consent to be mollified. This course has its disadvan- 
tages, as it requires you to hunt up a new boatman every 
time you go out, and it won’t take you long to exhaust the 
supply of new ones. However, something must be sacrificed 
to principle. “ There, my^ear, are you satisfied ? I have 
done the fair thing by you, but you shan’t read any more of 
^ow, I expect, Mr. Fisherman, that you begin to be im- 
patient,’ and to fear that you are never to get fishing. Well, 
I have riven you your first lesson, and one that it is neces- 
nary to learn thoroughly if you ever expect to be anything 
but a tyro— to wit, patience. “ La patience est amere, nuns son 
fruits sant deux," and I have half a mind to make you wait 
another week before going fishing at all. But I won t try you 
further now, and will get at once down to business. Rig your 
tackle before getting into the boat. If you have no friend 
with you, place yourself in the bow, in order that you may 
cast ahead. If your friend is along, place him there. For 
this there are two excellent reasons— first, you display your 
generosity ; and second, if he catches the most fish, of course 
ft is understood that he ought to, as he has the best place 
while if you take it and fail to have the beet luck, you no, 
only lay yourself open to the charge of selfishness, but the 
inference follows that your friend is the best fisherman, and 
altogether you will feel uncomfortable, and even become 
liable to express a doubt that his biggest fish weighs the con- 
ventional five pounds. . t 
Now we are off. Don’t wait to reach the best hole in the 
lake, but commence at once and be obtaining experience. 
Place your minnow upon the hook by running it upwards 
through both jaws. In this way he will live and swim a good 
while. Don’t hook him in the back or belly. Reel in your 
line until the hook is about 18 inches from the tip of the rod. 
Take the rod in your right hand just behind the reel with 
your thumb resting lightly upon the spool to hold it. Extend 
the rod well back so as to give a good swing. Bring the rod 
to the front with an increasing velocity, and just before it 
comes to the direction in which you wish to cast, release your 
thumb from the reel and “ let her spin.” Hold the rod steady 
in that direction and let the line run until your bait strikes 
the water, then stop the reel quickly to prevent over running. 
The cast must not be made with a jerk, not too rapidly, but 
steadily and with just sufficient velocity to run off the line. At 
first it will trouble you to do this much more than you probably 
think. Your bait will go anywhere and everywhere except 
where you want it to go. Sometimes after a tremendously 
careful effort you will find it sticking to the blade of an oar, 
or the side of the boat, or it will be dangling from your com- 
panion’s rod or line with which it has in some unaccountable 
way gotTuixed, or your minnow will go spinning off beauti- 
fully by itself, leaving the hook behind and leaving behind 
also a mad fisherman, or the devil himself will get into the 
reel and it will suddenly stop without apparent rhyme or 
reason, or it will overrun and gather back and tangle up your 
line in’ a way that will test your ability a9 a linguist. Con- 
tinue to smile outwardly and lay the difficulty to the newness 
of the line, which “ has not got the kinks out of it.” Don’t 
try at first’ to “ land ’’ your bait in any particular place. Try 
for general results and be happy to get it anywhere at a re- 
spectable distance from the boat. After you have attained 
facility in placing it seventy-five feet away, then you may 
venture to tell your boatman to row bo that you may drop 
your bait “just by that lily pad over there,” but don’t try 
that the first day, nor the second. Cast with the wind : after 
a few seasons’ practice you may cast successfully against it. 
Of course famous trout fishermen of whom we read are able 
to laugh at the wind and hurl their flies into the teeth of a 
gale, but don't you try it. Well, I suppose that by this time 
you have pounded a half dozen min nows to death and worked 
yourself into a fever heat, and your mind into a fearful state 
of exasperation, and I am going to give you a taste of some- 
thing better. The boatman has got you to where there is a 
UIAIL15 Mvvve*. j - 
bar— (that word extracts a groan from me for the barred 
“ Wicker.” “ Boys” won’t know what that means, confound 
'em, as I had intended to use it in lightening some of your woes 
and soothing your melancholy; and now I shan’t dare to make 
you lose your biggest flsh as I had fully determined to do, 
for nothing passes over that bar but water)— a place where the 
boatman says you are “bound to strike something.” and you 
do. There is a tug at your line. You cry out, “ I've got a 
bite 1” The boatman Bay9 “ Let him have it a minute.' 1 ou 
wait quivering as long as you can, and then you give a yank 
which tries the timber of_your tip (I don’t mean that you 
ought to, but you will). The fish makes a rush to one side. 
Your friend shouts, “Look out for him 1” the boatman, 
“Hold him tight.” You fumble around with your right 
hand until you get hold of the reel handle, when you reel m 
as though you were racing for a wager, and the fash cornea 
right along. You think it the easiest thing in the world ; he 
don’t make much fuss until he nears the boat, when lie flur- 
ries about a little. You announce however that he pulls like 
thunder, and must be a big one. The boatman says sometlung 
which you don't understand about a “ cussed snake,” gets up 
with the landing net, tells you to “bring him up,” leans over 
the side and takes in a two-pound pickerel. Bah ! so much 
fuss for nothing. I need consolation myself now. Excuse 
me this time, my friend, and I vow that I will never volun- 
tarily catch another pickerel even on paper. (I am going to 
ask the editor some time tp give me space to express my love 
for pickerel, and if I get it I’ll search the pages of the classics 
for language of invective, and if I fail to do the subject justice 
I’ll throw away my pencil forever.) Kill him so that he may 
never bite anything again, and then throw him as far away as 
possible. If you are weak-headed enough to carry him home 
tell your wife that he is a fine specimen of muskalonge, and 
preserve your self-respect if you can. 
I am frightened at the length of this letter, and though 1 
know just where there lies one of the “ genuine waiting for 
us, we never can catch him in this letter, as it will be a mat- 
ter of some time with us, and I am going to ask Mr. Editor 
for just one more chance. If he don’t give it to me no one 
will ever know whether you caught that bass or not, and it 
will become one of the mysteries of the world. G. C. 
&nswe\s to Correspondents. 
No Notice Token ol Anonymous Communication!. 
ttr a number of anoaymous correspondents will understand why 
their queries are not answered, when they read the lines at the head of 
his column. 
J. M. H., Newark, and.G. H., New York.— Blanks for entries sen 
you. 
H. J., West Quincy, Mass.— Reliable maker, and yon ought to have t 
good, safe gun. 
W. R. N., Cleveland, o.— There Is no law against trap shooting In 
New York State. 
h. M., Concord, N. H.— For a fall description ot tho AUegash River 
region, Maine, see F. and S. Sept. 23, 1S75. 
B. P., PleasantvlUe, Pa.— Inform me what length Is considered best 
for shot-gun barrels, 12 gauge, for general use ? Ans. 80 Inch. 
P. D. M., Nashville, Tenn.— Distemper often destroys the sense of 
smell In the dog to a great extent. That Is possibly the trouble with 
your pup. 
J. (?), Red Oak, Iowa.— Is there any difference In the recoil of a choke 
and cylinder bored gun ? If so, Is It noticeable ? Ans . Not any appre- 
ciable difference. 
0. T., Paris.— The address of G. E. Lewis, the gun and rifle maker, 
Is 32 and 33 Lower Loveday st., Birmingham. Mr. G. E. Homing, of 
Paris, Is his agent. 
A. F., Homer, N. Y.— My puppy has an open navel, otherwise Is 
healthy. What shall I do? Is he worth raising ? Ans. Yes, worth 
raising. Apply a pad to the part at once. 
J. A. P. Peoria, 111.— Where can I obtain Cones’ Manual of Ornithol- 
ogy, and price of same? Ans. Price $2.50. Address Dr. Elliott Cones, 
U. S. Geographical Survey, Washington, D. C. 
Amateur. Hebron, Wls.— I send a description of a species of dock, 
etc. Ans. Description scarcely sufficient to bo of muoh use, but It Is 
probable that your bird was a Ruddy duck (Krlsmatura rubida ). 
G. D. R., Richmond.— In the experiments with the auxiliary barrel 
what was the penetration? Ans. As far as could be Judged, very great, 
cutting through the wood placed at back ot target to support It. 
J. H. B., Philadelphia.— The riflemen at the Longmeadow Range 
Springfield, Mass., shoot directly at the target. To a person looklDg 
from a passing railroad train It would aeem that they Bhootat an angle. 
Quiu-dbivbb, Milford.— As between the and rifles and the 
old style with hammers which would you advise one to obtain ? Ans. 
Respectfully deollne answering, can only say that have Just seen 
splendid work with the first. 
H. , Willow Brook,— My puppy has a lamp about the size of a hickory 
nut at his navel and feels very soft and seems full of water, or blood. 
Ans. Probably the lump Is a hernia. If so, an operation will bo neces- 
sary to effect a perfect cure. 
r. t. G.— The address that R. T. G., of Philadelphia, asks for in the 
March 28 No. of F. and 8. that owns the place called the Crystal Spring 
FlBh Farm in the Ramapo Valley, N. J., Is at present 310 Battery st„ 
San Francisco, Cal. Address B. B. Porter. 
R. L. N.— I fall to And advice relative to wild rice in your columns. 
I should like very much to obtain some. Please advise In Correspon- 
dent’s colnmn. Ans. See last Issue of Forest and Stream, April 18th 
page 1ST. Cannot procure wild rice nntll next fall. 
W. W., Washington, D, C.— Where are such springs as are used ou 
the glass ball traps manufactured? Or where can I get one, and the 
probable cost 7 Ans. Any car or carriage spring maker In Baltimore 
Price ought to be about $1.50. The trap makers sell for $2. 
R. F., Philadelphia.— In one of my hunting excursions In Luzerne. 
County I saw a hunter with two black woodcock. Are they a rare bird 
as I never saw any before ? Ans. Very rare, wo tblnk, for we never 
heard of one before. Black woodpeckers are In some sections oalie 
woodcock. 
