780 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Nov. 17, igo6. 
tended excursion up the beach by the gentleman 
affected was in order, until matters were evened 
up. As a result each man has twelve bass to 
his credit, and neither is happier, so far as boots 
are concerned, than if they had caught none. 
The suggestion by some one, that in case of 
an interminable draw they should be given to 
either the laziest man or the biggest liar in the 
club, was frowned down, as neither man felt 
like giving Jim Edge the boots without a con¬ 
test of some sort, and so the matter rests. 
“Uncle Bill” Brummaker, the veteran of 
many, many years, is disconsolate. Not a bass 
to his credit. Year after year has he carried 
off the prizes, while this season nothing bigger 
or much better than skates or sand sharks have 
dallied with his choicest baits. The continued 
easterly weather during the greater part of Sep¬ 
tember and October kept the surf in such a 
turbulent condition that it was impossible to 
do much of the offshore fishing for the large 
weakfish and bonito, which has grown so popu¬ 
lar of late years. 
This class of fishing, however, does not admit 
of competition for any of the club prizes, as all 
fish under the rules must be taken either from 
the beach direct or from some structure such 
as a pier connected with the beach, and must be 
landed by tbe man hooking the fish, although 
he may have assistance in beaching, provided he 
at all times retains the rod. 
The Forest and Stream will have an item 
in the near future of the club’s outing to Barne- 
gat in quest of the channel bass and some of 
their doings while there. 
Leonard Hulit. 
New York Anglers’ Club. 
New York City, Nov. 5.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: On behalf of the Anglers’ Club I wish 
to refute the inference, which the casual reader 
might draw from reading the article by P. J. N. 
in your issue of Nov. 3. that the sole aim and 
object of the Anglers’ Club is to hold public 
tournaments. The constitution of the Anglers’ 
Club, Article II., states: 
“The particular objects for which this corpo¬ 
ration is formed are the following: To acquire 
by lease or purchase a club house or house, with 
grounds and waters thereon, adjacent thereto or 
convenient for use in connection therewith, as a 
resort for fishing or shooting: to promote 
social intercourse among its members; to culti¬ 
vate and practice the art of scientific angling; 
to encourage contests of skill in fly- and bait¬ 
casting; and the protection and propagation of 
fish and game.” 
The holding of the tournaments is only one, 
and certainly not the most important, of the five 
objects for which we organized. When in the 
month of September, 1906, it was decided to 
hold our first public tournament, on the 12th' 
and 13th of October, we realized that our time 
for preparation was very short, and it was only 
by dint of earnest, untiring work that the 
arrangements were hurried through in time. 
That the said tournament was a success there is 
no question, and we have no apologies to make 
for having provided open classes in which the 
acknowledged experts of the sport could and 
did compete. The event of the tournament was 
unquestionably the making of a new world's 
record of 148 feet 6 inches by John Enright, the 
holder of the former record.for fly-casting with 
a salmon rod; and no one who saw the ease 
with which the heavy salmon rod was handled 
and the perfect control of the long line, will 
soon forget it. It was a revelation to even the 
experts. 
In all “open tournaments” for fly- and bait¬ 
casting the rule has always been to so arrange 
the contests that the amateur should be able to 
choose one or more contests, in which he would 
not be compelled to compete with the experts, 
and for that reason in two of the six events of 
our tournament the experts were excluded from 
participating by the conditions imposed. In 
these two contests, though they were open to 
the public, in one case only five and in the other 
case only four members of the Angler’s Club 
took part. Not a single outsider came forward 
as a contestant. Here was certainly a chance 
for “gentlemen who practice and make a study 
of the art at their leisure.” Why did they not 
avail themselves of it? In the similar contests 
“open to all” in which the experts took part the 
entries numbered respectively 10 and 9. This 
certainly did not show any marked disinclination 
to meet the experts in competition, and while 
Reuben C. Leonard carried off the first prize in 
each case, in the bait-casting amateurs took the 
second and third prizes, and the third prize in 
the trout fly contest. 
The salmon fly contest was intended for ex¬ 
perts, and three of the four contestants were so- 
called “professionals.” But no contest in the 
tournament excited more interest or was watched 
with closer attention. 
The wishes of the public must always be con¬ 
sidered when an exhibition of any sport open 
to all is arranged, and what the public desires 
above all else is to see what can be done by 
the acknowledged masters of the sport. A hun¬ 
dred persons will go to see an expert cast the 
GEN. SHATTUC AND HIS TARPON. 
fly in competition, though he were a maker of 
rods or a dealer in fishing tackle, where not 
a dozen would go to see the less expert efforts 
of amateurs. 
Mr. Leonard has been winning the first prizes 
in fly-casting in tournaments for certainly the 
last twenty years, and we hope will continue to 
do so, unless we can discover some one who 
can wrest the honors from him, and the terrible 
possibility that certain “concerns” "will enter 
these competitions, or hire others to do so, in 
order to receive the free advertising, etc.,” 
strikes one as a desirable, but most improbable 
result. Are casting champions to be hired for 
tournaments? The idea is certainly original, and 
1 am afraid the “free advertising” would prove 
somewhat expensive to any conservative “con¬ 
cern.” 
The Anglers’ Club believes in having the ex¬ 
perts take part in its public tournaments. The 
average amateur will not compete in such a 
tournament, for other reasons than a disinclina¬ 
tion to meet the experts—the cold fact that a 
measured line will show exactly the limit to 
which he can cast, is, I think, as a rule, the de¬ 
ciding cause. 
Our club contests are not open to any but 
amateurs, and the friendly competitions which 
they foster are an important feature of our 
club life. 
If “P. J. N.” is fond of competition in either 
fly- or bait-casting and is eligible as an amateur 
to join as an active member, we would be glad 
to have him among us and by his vote and in¬ 
fluence be able to aid us in making our club 
contests the success they should be. 
Robt. B. Lawrence. 
New York City, Nov. 6 .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: P. J. N.’s remarks would lead the un¬ 
informed to believe that several clubs similar to 
the Anglers’ Club of New York had “long ago 
failed and been forgotten.” As a’matter of 
fact, the only club of this sort which approached 
organization since the late ’80s, in this city, was 
one partially formed about two years ago, but 
not pushed. In 1889 the National Rod and Reel 
Association held its last tournament; so, at 
least, its secretary informs me. 
Take P. J. N.’s “free advertising” plaint: If 
this club could exclude all professionals, and 
decide to even bar them from watching con¬ 
tests, still there would be free advertising for 
the manufacturers of the rods and reels and lines 
used. Who could prevent Smith, the rodmaker, 
from saying to prospective purchasers, “Jones, 
who won such-and-such a contest, used one of 
my rods?” And Brown, the reelmaker, would 
be equally free to boast that his reel was used 
by the winner. This is a free country—and 
people who manufacture our rods, reels, baits, 
etc., stamp them with steel dies that cut so 
deeply the hrands cannot be removed. We have 
got to advertise the manufacturers or dealers, 
whether we like to or not, for we could not re¬ 
move the brands if we tried. 
The Anglers’ Club is not worried lest tackle 
dealers “discourage new people joining the 
club,” for its membership rolls contain the 
names of over fifty anglers of high standing 
in this community, and applications are coming 
in steadily until it would seem that a limit must 
be placed on its membership. Contrary to P. 
J. N.’s belief, the friendly tackle men have 
helped the club grow, while their own sales have 
increased. We have got to have manufacturers 
and dealers, and it must be admitted that among 
them are some of our truest and best sports¬ 
men; incidentally, some of them worked long 
and hard without any hope of remuneration to 
make the club’s tournament a success. 
If P. J. N. had taken advantage of the stand¬ 
ing invitation to anglers to attend any of the 
club contests, and practice with its members, he 
might now have a better opinion of it and them. 
Some casting tournaments have been open 
to all throughout. Ours was not, and the salmon 
event was intended solely to bring three experts 
together. Had it been open to amateurs only, 
it could not now be said that the salmon fly¬ 
casting record was made on Harlem Mere in 
1906. Perry D. Frazer. 
The half-ounce bait-casting contest for four 
trophies, held by this club on the Pool, Central 
Park, and on the lake in Prospect Park, Brook¬ 
lyn. semi-weekly since Oct. 25, was finished Nov. 
8 Charles Stepath won the silver trophy and 
R. J. Held the second prize for the best single 
cast made on each of three days, and these mem¬ 
bers won first and second places in the average 
for all casting. 
Because they were prevented by business en¬ 
gagements from attending, several competitors 
withdrew from the contest, leaving Mr. Stepath 
alone on the last day. Messrs, Todd and Frazer 
judged, and C. G. Levison refereed this final 
cast, and Mr. Stepath scored as follows, his last 
two casts being shortened by backlashes: 
Average. 
Charles Stepath.. .160 157 162M> 52 70 121 5-10 
The scores counting for the silver trophy and 
second prize, and those of the other contestants 
follow, the longest cast of each competitor on 
each club day to count: 
Oct. 
Oct. 
Oct. Nov. Nov. 
is 
25 
27 
1 8 
t harles Stepath. 
176 
171 162% 
R. 1. Held. 
...161 
175 
162% ... 
Milton. H. Smith. 
...165 
163 
164 
G. M. L. LaBranche.. 
...162 
154 
147 
Perry D. Frazer. 
...139 
155 
151 
Messrs. Lawrence 
and 
Kirk did not 
finish. 
The average for 
the 
fifteen 
casts 
made by 
each competitor, five each day of the three al¬ 
lowed him. follow, the first two winning cups: 
Charles Stepath .146 9-30 
R. T. Held .:.138 1-15 
G. M. L. LaBranche.128 14-15 
