Sept. 20, 1913. 
FOREST AND STREAM 
355 
poured lavishly of the wine of anecdote, in which 
sixteen and eighteen-pound striped bass and 
Uncle Joe and the lake were features. 
Live minnows were used in the lake for an 
hour and a half without success, and I was 
beginning to feel the somnolent effects of that 
delightful dinner, and the reaction of Uncle 
Joe’s stories, with the barometer showing a 
rapidly falling opinion of Uncle Joe, when that 
boastful gentleman put the seal of veracity on 
his reminiscences by hooking what might have 
been a busy Whitehead torpedo. It proved to be 
the smaller of the two striped bass you see in 
the picture, and I was of material assistance to 
Uncle Joe in his efforts to so arrange with the 
fish. It weighed twenty-six pounds. Uncle Joe 
was redeemed. A halo appeared about the bat¬ 
tered old hat he was wearing. 
But this admiration was soon to be trans¬ 
ferred to myself. My own line started to sound 
the lake, and I was powerless to prevent it. 
Uncle almost immediately advised that it was 
a big stripe and for me to hold to it. I was 
willing, but the line was weak, and when the 
reel was nearly empty I walked into the water 
determined to follow that fish anywhere I could 
not prevent it going. And I did just that. Where 
it was not advisable to go, I disregarded advice. 
I was as one blind and being led about. All 
around, over, under and elsewhere in the lake I 
followed obediently, hoping and despairing of a 
chance to begin a little reeling. But all the time 
the reeling was being done from the other end. 
Had I attempted to stop the fish’s rush with 
force, the tackle would have been as straw. I 
suppose twenty minutes were consumed before 
I was allowed to take up any line, and it began 
with only a few inches at a time. When finally 
I had it within twenty or thirty feet of the rod, 
or when I came within its range of vision, it 
gathered new terrors and stamina and plunged 
away with irresistible force on a long run. After 
this I did some of the leading, and urged it on 
when it showed a disposition to stop for rest. 
Always with a tight line and a wildly beating 
heart, I managed it into shallow water near 
shore, but I could not approach and get a hand 
hold nor in any other way accomplish the actual 
landing. Delay meant recuperation for the fish 
and I called for help. Uncle Joe responded 
nobly, and to him I handed my rod while I ap¬ 
proached the game with many misgivings. Uncle 
Joe managed skillfully, while I waited for an 
opportunity to jump on the bass, which I pres¬ 
ently did as it was darting between my legs. I 
sat on him, but as a fin was interposed, I got up 
without the advice of anyone. Then I got my 
hand in its mouth and through to the gills, and 
feeling certain victory in my grasp, I called for 
the camera man to record the incident for all 
time and generations. 
We estimated the weight at the time to be 
forty pounds, and when viewed and actually 
weighed the next morning by members of the 
staff of the Stockton Mail, it proved to be thirty- 
eight pounds. Figuring shrinkage from the 
afternoon previous, they estimated the weight 
at forty-two and one-half pounds when taken 
from the water. 
I hope to see you here some day enjoying 
this great sport, but hope that you don’t break 
my record; just equal it, please. 
With very best wishes, your friend, 
Frank P. Warner. 
For Early Closing of Lake Trout Season. 
Saranac Lake anglers and sportsmen have 
petitioned the New York Conservation Commis¬ 
sion to close the lake trout season on Sept. 30. 
The petition was circulated by John R. Hogan, 
of the Saranac Lake and Game Club. 
As the lake trout law now stands, these fish 
may be taken up to Dec. 31. This means that 
catching lake trout through the spawning season 
is permissible, and the provision which allows 
the possession of lake trout while they are on 
the spawning beds is considered especially iniqui¬ 
tous. It gives the pot fisherman the chance to 
take fish from the spawning beds, and to have 
them in his possession. 
Lake trout go to the spawning beds early 
in October. If there is ever a time in the life 
of the lake trout when they fall easy prey to 
anglers it is while they are on the spawning beds. 
The willingness of a great many fishermen to 
take lake trout while they are spawning is likely 
to mean a tremendous inroad upon the stock of 
fish in Adirondack waters. Members of the 
local fish and game club say that a single season, 
which permits the taking of trout at spawning 
time, is likely to undo all their efforts to keep 
lake trout in the waters here. 
The petition to the Conservation Commis¬ 
sion states that as the law is at present, lake 
trout are likely to be exterminated in Adiron¬ 
dack waters. In many lakes adjacent to Saranac 
Lake the lakers were once to all intents and 
purposes exterminated, but years of conscien¬ 
tious work in planting lake trout fingerlings has 
resulted in some excellent lake trout fishing. 
Local fishermen realize the importance of main¬ 
taining all the protection possible in order to 
keep lake trout in Adirondack waters. 
The present law is the first in many years 
that has permitted lake trout fishing through 
the spawning season. It will require quick work 
to get the lake trout season closed by Sept. 30. 
Dynamite Offsets Scarcity of Labor. 
Mr. Marble, a Pennsylvania fruit grower, 
reports that he planted 2,644 trees in blasted 
holes in November, 1912, at a cost of $308.49. 
Average cost per tree, including labor, about 
eleven and a half cents. Mr. Marble explains 
that the somewhat high cost was due to find¬ 
ing heavy ledges of rock in some portions of 
the land. It was also necessary to blast 
stumps in some places. 
Mr. Marble says: “One great benefit 
which accrued from the use of dynamite was 
the ease of tree setting. It takes away a lot 
of hard work. Moreover, starting the plant¬ 
ing of the orchard in November, as we were 
compelled to do, and having in view the occas¬ 
ional early freezing weather in this locality, it 
was no small advantage to be able to set the 
trees as rapidly as we were able to do with 
the limited number of men available. The 
entire setting took eleven working days for 
a force varying from ten to fourteen men. 
I.abor was so scarce this fall that it would 
have been impossible to have secured enough 
men to plant the trees in the same length of 
time had the holes been dug without dyna¬ 
mite.” 
This is a good item to show farmers and 
fruit growers who make objections to blast¬ 
ing as a means of tree planting because of 
high cost. — Du Pont Magazine. 
“Seven-Year” Fish Here. 
Lafayettes are being caught in New York 
waters. They appear every seven years. 
This year the toothsome lafavett^ is larver 
than usual, averaging from six to eight inches. 
GOOD 
HUNTING 
Moose and deer more numer¬ 
ous than for many years. Plenty 
of bear. 
Finest of partridge and duck 
shooting. 
Take a hunting trip THIS 
SEASON in the 
Maine Woods 
Nothing approaches it east of the 
Rockies. Nearly 15,000 square miles 
of wild, beautiful hunting country. 
Permanent camps as comfortable 
as your own home. 
Glorious air, glorious appetites, 
glorious sport. Three days of it will 
make you over. 
Open season on deer, Oct. 1 to Dec. 15 
Open season on moose, Nov. 1 to Nov. 30 
You can leave New York at night 
and be in camp next day. 
Send for full information—where and 
how to go, and list of guides. 
Address VACATION BUREAU 
THE NEW ENGLAND LINES 
Room 1301, South Station, Boston, Mass. 
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