April 12, 1913 
FOREST AND STREAM 
467 
Golng^ Out of the Ice in Maine. 
As the opening of the trout season in Maine 
depends on “going out of the ice,” there is each 
season considerable speculation and ferment 
among anglers over the time they can “get to 
it.” The following table, which goes as far back 
as our fishing editor has records, will allow the 
anxious Waltonian opportunity to strike an aver¬ 
age that will fit the present season : 
GOING OUT OF ICE. 
The record of ice leaving the Rangeleys 
each year since 1882 may interest anglers who 
go to that part of Maine. 1883, j\Iay 14; 1884, 
May 13; 1885, May 15; 1886, i\Iay 3; 1887, May 
16; 1888, May 21; 1889, April 30; 1890, iNIay 9; 
1891, May 10; 1892, May 4; 1893, May 20; 1894, 
j\lay 2; 1895, May 7; 1896, May 9; 1897, May 12; 
1898, May I and 2, 1899, May 8 and 9; igoo. 
May 15; 1901, April 30; 1902, April 30; 1903, 
April 29; 1904, iMay 8; 1905, May 7; igo6. May 
14; 1907, May 15; 1908, May 10; 1909, May 12; 
1910, April 17 and 18; igii. May 9; 1912, May 4. 
The following are the dates when the ice 
has left the big fishing grounds of Maine in 
previous years: 
Sebago Lake has opened on the following 
dates: 1872, May 9; 1873, May i; 1874. May 7; 
1875, May 6; 1876, i\Iay i; 1877, April 23; 1878, 
April 12; 1879, May 5; 1880 April 13; 1881, 
April 24; 1882, April 19; 1883, April 29; 1884, 
April 26; 1885, April 26; 1886, April 25; 1887, 
May I; 1888, May 8; 1889, April 12; 1880, April 
24; 1891, April 23: 1892, April 23; 1893, ]\fay 4; 
1894, April 19; 1895, April 21; 1896, April 21; 
1897, April 22; 1898, April 13; 1899, April 27; 
1900, April 26; 1901, April 15; 1902, March 29; 
1903, March 27; 1904, April 23; 1905, April 24; 
1906, April 21; 1907, April 25; 1908, April 25; 
1909, April 8; 1910, April i; 1911, May 12; 1912, 
i\Iay 12. 
Cobbosseecontee Lake has opened on the fol¬ 
lowing dates: 1872, May 3; 1874, May 4; 1875, 
May 2; 1876, May i; 1877, April 18: 1878, April 
14; 1879, May 5; 1880, April 22; 1881, April 21; 
1882, April 28; 1883, May i; 1884, April 26; 
1885, April 29; 1886, April 20; 1887, ]\Iay 7; 
1888, May 9; 1889, April 15: 1890, April 26; 
1891, April 28; 1892, April 18; 1893, May 4; 
1894, April 24; 1895, April 21 ; 1896, April 22; 
1897, April 24: 1898, April 16; 1899, April 29; 
1900, April 24; 1901, April 20; 1902, April 2; 
1903, April 5; 1904, April 28: 1905, April 21; 
1906, April 24; 1907, April 21; 1908, April 21; 
1909. April II ; 1910, April 3; 1911, April 6; 1912, 
May 10. 
Moosehead has become free of ice on the 
following dates: 1881, May 9; 1882, May 19; 
1883, May 13; 1884, May 16; 1885, May 16; 1886, 
May 2; 1887, May 12; 1888, May 21; 1889, April 
29; 1890, May 8; 1891, May 14; 1892, May 4; 
1893, May 19: 1894, April 29; 1895, May 9; 1897, 
May 10; 1898, May 3; 1899, May 6; 1900, May 
14; 1901, May i; 1902, April 29; 1903, April 28; 
1904, May 10: 1905, May 3; 1906, May 13; 1907, 
May 14; 1908, May ii; 1909, May 13; 1910, 
April 20; 1911, May 10; 1912, May 12. 
The ice has left the Belgrade Lakes on the 
following dates: 1880, l\Iay 8: 1881, May 15; 
1882, May 21; 1883. May 14; 1884, l\Iay ii; 1885, 
IMay 16; 1886, May 5: 1887, May 20; 1888. May 
2y,: 1889, April 29; 1890, IMay 9: 1891, May 14; 
1892. May 9; 1893, May 21; 1894, May 2; 1895, 
l\Iay 7; 1896, May 9; 1897, May 12; 1898, May 6; 
1899, May 7; 1900, May 15; 1901, May 4; 1902, 
April 28; 1903, April 29; 1904, i\lay 13; 1905, 
i\lay 2; 1906, May 13; 1907, May ig; 1908, May 
10; 1909, May 14; 1910, April 19; 1911, May 5; 
1912, May 8. 
Salmon in Maine. 
The salmon season on the Penobscot River 
opened mitlnight, April i, when it was lawful to 
take the Penobscot River, or more properly the 
Atlantic salmon, until July 15. 
There is a standing offer at $1.25 a pound 
for the first three or four salmon taken, and, as 
the salmon run from 12 to 18 pounds, one fish 
makes a good day's pay. 
For years John ]\IcGregor, “the spoolwood 
king,” of Lincoln, bought the first fish taken to 
send to a thread manufacturer in Newark. Since 
his death his son has continued the practice, and 
the first salmon taken in the Penoliscot every 
year is eaten in Newark. Several other stand¬ 
ing offers for early fish are from New York 
clubs and hotels. 
The price holds at $i a pound until the catch 
improves, then slides down the scale until it 
sometimes reaches fifteen cents a pound at the 
end of the season, although good cuts are rarely 
sold for less than twenty-five cents. Bangor 
does not'get a taste of the fish until the price 
drops to about sixty cents. 
There is only one place in the Penobscot 
River where the fish are taken with rod and reel, 
and that is at the Bangor Pool. This is rather 
a misnomer, for the salmon water is far from 
a pool, but a half mile stretch of rapids just 
below the dam which holds back the water of 
the river to furnish power for the I\Iunicipal 
Waterworks Pumping Station and Electric Light 
Plant. 
Fishing is free to everyone. 
The usual way of fishing the pool is from a 
flat-bottomed boat in which there is a chair fac¬ 
ing the stern, where the fisherman sits and lets 
his leader with the gaudy fly float down stream 
at the end of 100 yards of line, while his boat¬ 
man rows against the stream just hard enough 
to keep the boat nearly stationary. Many ang¬ 
lers work alone, using a small boat and letting 
the rod rest on the bow while they work the 
oars. 
When a fish takes hold they are obliged to 
let the boat drift, which adds to the excitement. 
It is an unwritten law of the pool, however, that 
all other boats shall keep clear of a fisherman 
playing a fish and go to his assistance if he needs 
it. standing by with the gaff. The salmon fight 
fiercely, and the veteran takes no chances until 
his fish is in the boat. 
Probably nowhere else in the country can 
such fishing be had almost in the heart of a 
city, for the poo! is within the city limits, only 
ten minutes by trolley from the Bangor hotels. 
''Catches" First Maine Salmon. 
B.vngor, IMe.—Charles C. Bissell caught the 
first salmon of the season at Bangor Pool on 
.\pril 4. It weighed 16 pounds and was sold 
for $32. 
Kennebago River. 
Ice went out of Kennebago River March 27. 
Fishing in Lake Sunapee. 
Springfield, Mass., (On Train), April 6.— 
hditor l^orcst and Stream: The ice is about all out 
of Lake Sunapee, N. H, Only a little is left at the 
upper end of the lake and in Sunapee Harbor. 
Several fishermen were out trolling to-day and 
all had good luck. 1 wenty-one chinook salmon 
and one Sebago salmon were taken besides 
several square-tail and Sunapee trout. 
The salmon were nice fish and would weigh 
from three to seven pounds each. 
Last tear about 2,000 chinook salmon were 
taken in Lake Sunapee, and from the way the 
fishing staits off, it looks as though many more 
than that would be taken this year. The lake 
IS full and the water is at high water mark. 
Smelt are beginning to run and are used for 
bait. Fishermen can secure accommodations 
early at Blodgett’s Landing and Sunapee Harbor. 
Geo. H. GR.tH.tM. 
Illinois Casting Club. 
Chic.vgo, Ill., April 4. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: I he dinner preceding the opening of 
our season will be given at the restaurant of 
the Kuntz-Rennnier Co., on April ig, at 7:15, but 
it is desired that all be present at 6:30. A 
motion will be made to change the wording in 
the amendment to Section 3 of Article 5 of the 
constitution. A change will be made in the 
method of awarding the special trophy from that 
given in the last letter, necessitated by the avail- 
alileness of two more trophies. The opening 
tournament of the Chicago Fly-Casting Club will 
1 e held at Anglers’ Pool, Garfield Park, May 25. 
I be casting will commence at 10 .v. m. The 
events will be the four accuracies—dry-fly accu¬ 
racy, accuracy fly, quarter-ounce and half-ounce 
accuracy bait. Ihere will be a cup awarded to 
the winner of each event, the cups to be given 
to the visiting members, while ribbons will be 
awarded for second and third places. 
J. D. Anw.‘\y, Secretary. 
Massichusetts Laws. 
Frid.vy, Feb. 28, was the last day of pickerel 
fishing till the first of May, under the new law 
now in effect. The law imposes a fine of not 
more than $10 for a person to take or have in 
his possession a pickerel between IMarch i and 
May I.—Yarmouth, IMass., Register, March 8, 
1913- 
Ice Goes Out of Sebago. 
No one was tempted to do illegal salmon 
fishing in Sebago Lake this year. The ice went 
out the same day the season opened, April i. 
Half Lion, Half Leopard. 
There was presented to the Zoological So¬ 
ciety of London recently the skin of a lion- 
leopard hybrid. The animal was born in India 
and lived nearly two years. 
The skin, says Harper's W’eckly, has 
spots like those of the leopard, but those on 
the sides of the body are smaller and darker. 
The bellv is unmarked and the tail terminates 
in a tuft like that of the lion. 
