FOREST AND STREAM 
May 3, 1913 
SGri 
In the Haunt of the Muskellunge 
By E. E. PIERSON 
“Labrador for the Sportsman.” 
Al ATTEA w AN, X. \ April 29.— EdltOI I'01 cst 
ami Stream: Supplementary to my article 
"Labrador for the Sportsman," which appeared 
in a recent issue of I'Okest and Stream (Apiil 
5t, it might be interesting to the tourist or 
sport,,man to learn that during the present sca- 
.son of 1913 the Reid-Newfoundland Companv 
will install a double steamer service between 
St. John's and Hopedalc, Labrador, with stops 
at the intermediate ports on Newfoundland and 
Eastern Labrador between Battle Harbor and 
Hopedale. These steamers will sail on Thursday 
of each week from St. John s. A daily expiess 
train service has also been established between 
North Sydney and St. Johns. The stcameis 
Bruce and Lintrose, leaving North Sydney every 
day except Sunday upon the arrival of the inter¬ 
colonial railway e.xpress, will connect with these 
trains. 
This increased service with Labradoi will 
make it possible for sportsmen to visit the coast 
with a much less e.xpenditurc of time than foi- 
merly, and it offers a possibility of a fairly good 
trip within a period of four or five weeks that 
should give ample opportunity for both rod and 
gun in this new field for sportsmen. 
Dii.i.on Wau.ace. 
North Dakota. 
Galesburg, N. D., April t8. —Dear Gric:^Iy 
Kiii(i: We have had a good winter, few storms 
and not much snow. Prairie chickens have 
wintered well and are numerous around the big 
corn fields. If the hatching season is favorable, 
shooting should be great next fall. 
A voung man, a friend of mine, who was 
farming last season up near Regina, Sask., told 
me he saw some chickens light near his house 
and took the gun and went to get some. He 
walked around until the birds flew, and shot and 
missed with both barrels. Just then he heaid 
a fluttering by his right foot, and looking down 
saw he had his foot on a chicken’s leg. He 
stooped down, got the bird, wrung its neck and 
pocketed it, then he heard fluttering by his left 
foot, looked down, and saw that his foot was 
on another chicken’s head, stooped down, got 
that one and killed and pocketed it also. That 
was all the birds he got and he went back to 
the house. I have known the young man many 
years and believe him to be truthful. 
J. P. WtllTTEMORE. 
Congratulatory. 
New York City, April 2 —Editor Forest and 
Stream: I attended the Travel Show, and found 
it to be most interesting. Your exhibit was in¬ 
deed very attractive and seemed to draw the 
people. The Travel Show number of Forest and 
Stream is mighty interesting and the cover de¬ 
sign the best I have seen you put out. I wish 
you continued success. Louis K. Hyde. 
Philadelphia, Pa., April 6. —Editor Forest 
and Stream: Inclosed find three dollars sub¬ 
scription for the very welcome weekly visitor. 
As a rather odd nature note I can report 
seeing during a recent spring ramble near Lans- 
downe, Pa., a blackbird with a pure white tail. 
Quite a neat comlfinatinn for a new style, but 
not likely to be extensively copied. 
W. H. Eddy. 
I T was almost to the jumping-off place and 
nearly beyond tbe pale of civilization, but 
with muskellunge and black bass as the 
lure, distance lends enchantment, and no one 
objected to the long ride that carried us the 
entire length of Wisconsin. It was at Mercer 
in Iron county, the extreme northern point, 
that tb.e sleeper left us, and, arrayed in our fish¬ 
ing togs and loaded down with our baggage, we 
boarded the carryall of our guide, Fred Vauglm. 
for a drive through the wildwood to Long Lake. 
Vaughn is the owner of an island in Owl Lake, 
some distance beyond, and is an authority on 
hunting and fishing. We were fortunate in se¬ 
curing his consideration and chaperonage, as 
his knowledge of wood lore and the finny tribe 
proved of immense value to us during our so¬ 
journ in the far north. The road was rough 
and speed was out of the question. It carried 
us through a forest denuded by fire, and fallen 
pines, tamarack and other trees, all but blocked 
the passageway. 
\VT covered the eighteen miles in five hours, 
regardless of the debris in our way, but there 
was relief when we halted on the shore of 
Long Lake, in the heart of the wilderness. Our 
teamster drove back to Mercer with instructions 
to return for us one week later, and our party 
then boarded skiffs and canoes for Vaughn 
Island, the headquarters of our guide, and which 
was to be our abiding place for seven days. It 
required about one hour to paddle across the 
lake and install our belongings in the com¬ 
fortable log cabin situated in the center of the 
small island, tb.e territory not exceeding three- 
(piarters of an acre. No one mentioned dinner, 
as all were anxious to test out the choice as¬ 
sortments of rods, lines and hooks, and no 
time was lost in getting into the boats. 
Tile afternoon was spent in casting, but 
without result until on the return trip, when 
George Kennedy dropped his hook into a weed- 
bed. He was rewarded with a vicious strike, 
and after fifteen minutes’ play, landed his first 
muskellunge. a five-pounder. Another member 
of the party secured a wall-eyed pike, and these, 
.vith a wild partridge, furnished supper. Hav¬ 
ing missed dinner, the first meal in the primi¬ 
tive was most appealing. Desiring an early 
start for Owl Lake, the party retired early, 
and found, upon awakening, an appetizing 
breakfast of fried muskellunge. bacon, potatoes, 
graham crackers and loganberries. 
It was decided to spend two days on Owl 
Lake and provisions for that length of time 
were packed in bags, and loaded into the skiffs. 
-■\fter traversing the length of the lake, five 
miles, we hit the trail for Owl Lake. To any 
one but the guide, the trail was a blank, but 
\^aughn led the way and we followed in single 
file. In most places the timber was so dense 
the sun’s rays could not get through sufficiently 
to operate a camera. We crossed bogs where 
single tamaracks had been cut and rudely ex¬ 
tended by some guide in years preceding. 
Probably not twenty persons followed this trail 
during the year. The shade and dampness pro¬ 
duced moss upon the bark which resulted in 
treacherous footing, giving our party the im¬ 
pression of walking over a greased pole. The 
scene would have enthused an artist. The frost 
had tinted the leaves, while the arom;i of the 
pines saluted the nostrils' refreshingly. Oc¬ 
casionally a startled partridge would be flushed 
and scuttle away ahead of us. After an hour’s 
tramp, we emerged upon a small clearing, and, 
in the center found a hunter’s cabin. Our guide 
informed us that it was the property of a Mil¬ 
waukee sportsman who inhabited it once a year, 
during the deer season only. Leaving this spot 
after a brief rest, our party walked for forty- 
five minutes longer until we reached the south 
bank of Virgin Lake. 'I'wo boats were in stor¬ 
age and were boarded for a trip across the 
water to the opposite shore, requiring a pull 
lasting fifty minutes. A large flock of mallards 
flew off in stately style as we crossed the lake, 
but the shotguns had been left behind and the 
birds flew on unmolested. Landing on the op¬ 
posite shore of Virgin Lake, another portage 
of three-quarters of a mile was announced by 
the guide, crossing the ridge which separates 
Virgin and Owl Lakes. Finally, we emerged 
from the timber to see Owl Lake, one of the 
prettiest, wildest and gamiest bodies of water 
in all Wisconsin. Pine timber, untouched by 
the lumberman’s ax, and water, were all that 
greeted the eye. Boarding the third set of 
boats. We rowed thirty-five minutes and then 
pulled up at Owl City Island, a half acre in 
extent, with a cabin in the center. The island 
is located in the exact center of Owl Lake. 
We were now at the end of our journey, 
forty miles from the nearest habitation of 
human beings. There was no lack of owls, 
however, and the "Owl City’’ cognomen was 
probably given because of the numerous birds 
of that species in the vicinity. After a hasty 
meal, we proceeded to fish. A few pike and 
small-mouth bass were secured—caught with 
hand lines and grasshopper bait. The real sport 
was secured on the following day. Kennedy 
hooked a bass estimated at six pounds, casting 
with a No. 5 spoon; but after a'pretty fight, he 
got away. He had more bad luck after hoo’x- 
ing another bass, using an eight-inch sucker 
minnow for bait. While lazily trolling the dead 
sucker, he felt four sluggish jerks. Then the 
line tightened, the rod was bent almost double, 
and a fish broke water about seventy feet be¬ 
hind the boat. The guide exclaimed: “There 
he is; a big small-mouth!’’ The guide paddled 
to the middle of the lake and then ensued a 
fight that will be memorable to the party. That 
