732 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Nov. io, 1906. 
hunting. We corrected an idea that we had 
gathered in reading about the excitement of 
the sport. It is frequently represented as a 
$ort of wild pasture slaughter, where the un¬ 
suspecting game marches by the hunter, con¬ 
cealed by a clump of low trees, from which point 
he selects a big head and into it sends his bullet. 
If that were the real manner of doing, of course, 
it goes without saying, that that might as well 
be practiced in a New England pasture on 
cows, or in the western stock yards on cattle. 
The real sport for genuine hunters consists in 
going into the heart of these wild barrens, dis¬ 
covering from afar by the aid of field glasses, 
or the unaided eyes, the location of caribou that 
are possessed of satisfactory heads, and then 
stalking them with exceeding skill and patience. 
This is no blundering work, although luck, as in 
all hunting, plays its usual part. It is accom¬ 
panied with sufficient surprises, disappoint¬ 
ments, hardships, and glad endings to be worth 
much fond expectation and considerable sac¬ 
rifice. 
At “Log Cabin” we found our party only a 
year behind Secretary of State Root, who 
stayed there a month in 1905, and naturally we 
abandoned the thought of catching any big fish 
as thev had had only a year to grow. Sur¬ 
rendering to the ladies the high plane of com¬ 
fort and rest at the cabin, we found a locomotive 
ready the next morning to take us down to 
“Green Camp” on Harry’s brook, some ten 
miles away. Mr. Dodd, the proprietor of the 
place, was with us in our determination to gei 
to the fishing at once, ergo a locomotive ride in 
the rain. The machine gave out only once on 
the way. a remarkable feat for the rolling stock 
of the Reid railroad. 
“Green Camp” is perched high above the track 
and close to the salmon pools. It was reported 
to he surrounded with woods, mosquitoes and 
sand-flies, but we could discount it all, and live 
in great comfort night or day. What is the use 
of fussing at flies and mosquitoes? Think of the 
infinite virtue of a northern mosquito, as he 
steals a mere trifle of surplus blood, compared 
to a yellow fever breeder. Great peace and 
comfort can be painted with rosy colors by 
drawing contrasts, and sometimes the imagina¬ 
tion creates a close approach to real life, at 
least we know it does on the suffering side. 
Somebody had been at the camp the night be¬ 
fore and satisfied a swarm of troubles, leaving 
us plenty of uncaught salmon and undisturbed 
sleep. Harry’s brook is really misnamed—it is 
a substantial river, wide, full of ledges and small 
boulders, swift running and not deep. It did 
not call for a delicately blown feather on the 
water, lest the serene surface be disturbed just 
a shade beyond the flutter of a fly, for the water 
swirled around rocks and tossed about in foam. 
The fish were frequently in evidence, jumping 
for nothing distinguishable, in mere sport it 
looked, and it availed nothing to cast just where 
they broke. We usually found them the first 
few casts, if at all, and a waiting method between 
casts proved the story of the books to be well 
justified. By bending low and looking long for 
a swirling surface to smooth itself out, you 
could sometimes see several lying behind some 
rock, fanning away with complete indifference. 
You might as well quit such a place for an hour, 
for it was not in a mere change of flies to break 
that scornful repose. We saw a good 20- 
pounder start for our fly, fall short, and then 
lie at the surface with his back fin and a part 
of his tail out, heedless of the fly cast before 
him across the quick water. His caution or 
experience rose triumphant over his curiosity. 
We caught six in two days and lost only three 
that we hooked. The heaviest one, we proudly 
thought him a 12-pounder, sank down between 
the rocks, and, after giving us five minutes of 
intense anxiety and hopefulness, cast loose for 
the next visitor at some upper pool. It ap¬ 
peared as though curiosity rose above caution 
every time they changed for an upper pool. 
Well, we landed enough, 1 presume, and quit 
with some experience for another and may be 
a better day. There were enough in number 
and a fair proportion of them were “heavy 
weights.” They will be hunting for their fresh¬ 
water home another season, for no exhaustive 
slaughter can be accomplished with flies, so long 
as salmon wariness remains the same there as 
the world of waters over. 
The train to the home cabin passed once a 
day and stopped to take us back. We were deep 
in the woods, free from disturbance, slept by 
the side of murmuring waters, ate freely of the 
fresh fortunes of the rod, watched the guides 
cooking by the open camp-fire, heard the owls 
at the curfew hour, sprang out of bunks with 
the first streak of light, dashed our faces with 
cool spring water running near the corner of 
the camp, whipped the stream while the eggs 
and salmon sputtered at the breakfast bacon, 
shouted excitedly for the guide to hurry with 
his net, answered the welcome breakfast call, 
and sweetened it all with orange marmalade. 
We wanted just a half hour more to try a few 
more casts for that big one behind the rock, 
still we picked up for the train, and. with con¬ 
tented hearts, carried back enough to verify our 
very earnest yarns. 
Small flies on a No. 4 hook are just about 
right, only be sure not to have the feathers too 
long or thickly set. They don’t “tumble” to a 
lot of bush on the hook, but like tinsel and a 
slow- moving, quiet fisherman. 
They are not school boys to be taught 
obedience by much thrashing. They abound in 
the unexpected, and can take a quick turn at 
the rope if you give it to them behind a rock. 
After they are hooked, you are fairly sure when 
they are on the gaff or in the net, and silenced 
with a blow across the neck. You don’t want 
to shout too quick, or put up your money as 
long as your fingers are watching the reel. 
No matter how many cards you have played 
you will be surprised at having a full hand all 
the time, and, if you don’t watch your opponent, 
he will slip down a forgotten card from his sleeve 
and take the trick that ends your game. 
We started for home the day we quit fishing, 
with plenty of time to clean and pack up. The 
ladies had had a constant feast of good things, 
the flies had been respectful, the sun had come 
out, the evenings had been long, the nights 
restful, the girls had romped with the dog. 
bathed in the lake, watched the hens, and sym¬ 
pathized with the Earl of Grey as he waited 
hours at the cabin for a derailed train to open 
the track to St. Johns. We were 118 miles from 
Port Aux Basques where the steamer Bruce 
would be waiting for us. The whole distance 
from Spruce brook to that nort is broken up 
with many good streams and fine salmon fishing. 
You can stay at St. George’s bay, where there 
is another fine log cabin, with every appoint¬ 
ment for comfort and pleasure; you can stop at 
Doyle’s on the Big Codroy, twenty-five miles 
from your steamer, or at Tompkins on the Little 
Codroy. five miles nearer your port. We met 
with a lawyer from New York at Truro. N. S., 
who has been fishing on the Little Codroy for 
six years, and we could have no doubt, after 
talking with him. about the excellent chances 
on that river all through July and August. 
One must have a proper amount of time so 
as to mix the bitter and the sweet. Not all 
days or seasons are alike and therefore a very 
short trip might not yield the happy result. 
With a proper allowance for nature’s whims and 
streaks, we have no doubt that any real fisher¬ 
man who fishes for amusement and not brag, 
attends to it patiently and considerately, can get 
royal and certain sport on any of the good 
streams of the west coast, not every day, but in 
the run of a fair measure of days. 
W. P. Saukee. 
To Find the Speed of Trains. 
When traveling on a through train a pas¬ 
senger with timetable in hand can easily tell the 
rate at which his train is traveling. 
Let him take the time from one station to an¬ 
other and multiply the number of miles by sixty 
and divide this by the minutes used. 
This may be very easily and quickly done and 
will give the miles per hour. For instance, 
from A to B is six miles and the time seven 
minutes; 6X60=3600-1-7=51.42 miles per hour.— 
Graphite. 
Mr. and Mrs. Tasker’s Labrador 
Journey. 
St. Johns, N. F., Oct. 26. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: A despatch originating in the fertile 
brain of some Philadelphia scribe, to the effect 
that Mr. and Mrs. Tasker, of that city, had just 
safely crossed the Labrador, but had endured 
untold hardships, culminating in the slaughter 
of three dogs for food, was spread broadcast 
over the continent about the middle of October. 
It appeared on page 577 of Forest and Stream, 
issue Oct. 13. It also appeared in the St. Johns, 
N. F., Evening Herald on Oct. 16. Mr. and 
Mrs. Tasker happened to be in St. Johns on 
that date, and on seeing the item called on the 
editor. The following clipping from the Herald 
of Oct. 18 contains the truth about the Tasker 
expedition: 
“The statements that Mr. and Mrs. Tasker, 
who have just traveled Labrador, were on a 
honeymoon trip and had to eat their dogs, 
which we made on Tuesday, were on the author¬ 
ity of a press despatch sent out from Philadel¬ 
phia, his native city, as we satisfied him by 
means of the clipping, and he laughed heartily 
over the item. The party were not, though, 
obliged to resort to such an expedient, and he 
and his wife have been making such trips since 
their marriage five years ago. Mr. T. declares 
the region they traversed devoid of caribou, but 
as there was plenty of arctic moss, believes it 
would just suit for reindeer, and will call on the 
Governor this afternoon to lay his views before 
him, having been given a letter of introduction 
to Sir Wm. MacGregor by Dr. Grenfell.” 
W. J. Carroll. 
Montreal. Cana'da, Oct. 17. —Editor Forest 
and Stream: George Elson, Hubbard’s guide in 
1903. and Mrs. Hubbard’s guide across Labra¬ 
dor in 1905, gives a very interesting resume of 
his Ontario-Labrador trip of 1906, which 
covered a different territory from the other two. 
He was chief guide for Mr. and Mrs. Stephen 
Tasker, of Philadelphia, in the last trip. 
Both Mr. and Mrs. Tasker are keen lovers 
of sport, and both have a record as big-game 
hunters. This year they secured the services of 
Elson and started from Missanabie Station on 
July 11 and spent seventeen days going down 
the Missanabie and Moose rivers to Moose 
Factory on James bay. They are good canoeists, 
and have learned how to enjoy a canoe trip: 
they camped at desirable spots, rested, fished 
and cultivated happiness successfully. George 
Elson had an Indian guide with him, so that 
the party consisted of four. Mr. and Mrs. 
Tasker paddled all through the trip, and good 
time was made. They had only one canoe- 
cedar, canvas-covered-—19 feet long by 36 inches 
beam. 
Ten days were spent at Moose Factory, where 
they exchanged visits and hospitalities with the 
Hudson Bay Company’s officials. The Hudson 
Bay people have a little steamer about 50 feet 
in length, drawing perhaps 6 feet of water and 
about 12 feet wide. It trades between Charlton 
Island and Moose Factory, which is about fifty 
miles’away on the main line. The canoe was 
put on the top deck of this launch and they 
traveled to Charlton Island. This island is 
probably over ten miles long, timbered and well 
supplied with small game. The steamer that 
comes out from England unloads there and the 
guardians have an opportunity to spend a nice, 
quiet and reposeful winter on Charlton Island. 
Mr. and Mrs. Tasker went from the island to 
Rupert’s House in the southeast corner of James 
bay, where there is a fine harbor and deep 
water. From Rupert’s House the Taskers went 
back to Charlton Island, and thence by steamer 
up the east coast of James bay to the Hudson 
Bay Company’s Great Whale River Post. From 
there they canoed northward. Between the 
Great Whale and the Little Whale rivers are 
many islands, but there is a want of shelter 
from there to Richmond gulf. It is all open 
water. A little delay was experienced before 
reaching the gulf, caused by heavy seas. The party 
did not take the Clear Water river at once, but 
went up the Washatune river and some little 
