662 
FOREST AND STREAM 
May 25, 1912 
we not consider the public who want to catch 
fish as well as the fish when considering protec¬ 
tion?” “Is there anything about Lake George 
that is different from other waters in the State 
that makes a special season necessary?” 
These questions were readily answered by 
the expert fishermen. They showed that the 
ice does not go out of the lake before the latter 
part of April—this year it went out on the 22d— 
and that none of the fish spawn early. They 
pointed out that under the new “uniform” law 
commercial fishermen have already invaded the 
lake and its tributaries, and are taking out large 
numbers of pike, pickerel and bullheads. This 
they stated was not possible under the old law, 
and they asserted that the result would certainly 
be detrimental to the greatest attraction of the 
lake as a summer resort. 
But two persons opposed the restoration of 
the later season. One was the general passenger 
agent of the Delaware & Hudson Railroad, which 
has the monopoly of travel to Lake George. He 
favored an early season because the passenger 
traffic would begin earlier. The other objector 
was Dr. Tarleton H. Bean, the State fishculturist, 
who said that Massachusetts has no close season 
on bass because “they go on the theory that it 
is impossible to take black bass by fair angling 
in the breeding season.” He believed that fish¬ 
ing seasons should be uniform as far as possible 
and remarked that “if the spawning season is 
freaky, then the law must be freaky.” He as¬ 
serted that “as a fishculturist I would be inclined 
to increase the quantity of fish by artificial stock¬ 
ing rather than by law, as they do in Massachu¬ 
setts,” and he added his belief that “there are 
other interests to be considered besides the fish; 
we must consider the fishermen, but there is no 
doubt that fish should be protected on their 
spawning beds always.” Two questions asked by 
President Hayden and answered by Dr. Bean 
were significant. They were; 
Mr. Hayden—As to the question of protecting 
the bass in Lake George, do you believe they 
should be protected while on their nests? 
Dr. Bean—Yes, theoretically. But other con¬ 
ditions might affect the lawmakers. If you aim 
at protecting the fish through the entire spawn¬ 
ing season, then Aug. i is all right for the bass. 
But planting more bass would be my solution of 
the difficulty. 
In rendering its decision the Conservation 
Commission considered only the protection of 
the bass. They state that “so far as additional 
protection in Lake George for lake trout and 
pickerel is concerned, the petition is denied for 
the reason that at the present time the relief 
could not be granted so as to become effective 
during the present season.” 
The Lake George Association will discuss the 
matter during its meetings this summer, and it is 
stated that a determined effort will be made to 
have the protection afforded by the old law fully 
restored before the fishing season begins another 
year. John D. Whish. 
Anglers’ Club of New York. 
New Yoek City, May Editor Forest and 
Stream: The Anglers’ Club of New York will 
hold its regular spring tournament on the Big 
Lake in Central Park, beginning Monda}', May 
20. and continuing during the week. 
The tournament this year will be held under 
new rules recently adopted by the club. These 
rules have been adopted for the purpose of com¬ 
pelling the tournament fly-casters to approxi¬ 
mate more nearly to the conditions that prevail 
upon the streams in actual fishing. The only 
material change, so far as affects the tourna¬ 
ment fly-caster, is that he must carry his reel 
on the rod and must strip his line from his 
reel in extending it. Heretofore the fly-caster 
has been permitted to remove his reel from the 
rod and, for that matter, his line from the reel. 
The custom has been to arrange the line in 
coils upon the platform, and the practice has 
enabled the caster to obtain very long shoots. 
These long shoots will probably be impossible 
under the modified rules. The material changes, 
so far as affect the tournament bait-caster, have 
been as follows: 
The weight of the line permissible has been 
increased, so that an actual fishing line becomes 
necessary—one that will stand the strain of 
eight pounds dead weight; the weight of the 
lure permissible has been increased to J^-ounce, 
and any standard form of fishing lure may be 
used; overhead casting has heretofore been re¬ 
quired, but under the new rules any form of lure 
casting is permitted. 
New penalties have been added, such as strik¬ 
ing the vrater behind with the fly-line, etc., and 
averages will be considered, and cups offered 
for the best average obtained during the tournaT 
ment. 
In conclusion, the changes in the rules have 
been made, not to disqualify the expert, but 
rather to encourage the novice. The expert 
under the old style of casting will be somewhat 
handicapped, it is true. 
Jason G. Lamison, Secretary. 
Illinois Fishing. 
Bloomington, Ill., May 2. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: Hook and line fishing is reported as 
excellent in the lakes and .rivers of Illinois this 
month. Many fine strings have been caught at 
Spring Lake. E. W. Graflund, of Galesburg, 
landed a black bass in Highland Lake which 
weighed six pounds two ounces, a record for 
that body of water. 
Among the Central Illinois counties along the 
Illinois River petitions are being circulated among 
commercial fishermen and sportsmen generally, 
asking for changes in the existing fish law. One 
of the proposed amendments relates to the large 
seines now in use among the men employed by 
the principal fish dealers. It is asserted that the 
use of these large seines, capable of handling 
40,000 to 50,000 pounds of fish at a haul, kill 
thousands of game fish and the smaller varieties. 
This is not only a serious waste, but unsanitary, 
the decaying fish lining the banks of the river 
for miles. The offensive odor is a source of 
annoyance to all persons on the river and near 
the banks.. Another change relates to the ship¬ 
ping and selling of game fish. At present the 
law protects the black bass and other species of 
the game fish. It is argued by those circulating 
the petitions that the law is unduly severe and 
unreasonable. A fisherman is prohibited from 
shipping fish that he has caught with a hook and 
line to a friend or his family, and is also pro¬ 
hibited from purchasing a string if his own luck 
fails. Fishermen claim that the present agita¬ 
tion and circulation of petitions is only the be¬ 
ginning of a general organization of the seine 
and hook and line fishermen of the State with 
the object of influencing legislation in order that 
the statute will be drawn to suit them. Those 
who are allied expect to carry on a campaign 
and support candidates for the Legislature who 
are friendly to their position. It is believed that 
much effective work can be accomplished before 
the election next November. E. E. P. 
Fish Protection in Alabama. 
Montgomery, Ala,, May 10. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: State Game and Fish Commissioner 
John H. Wallace, Jr., cognizant of the fact that 
the fishing season is at hand, has communicated 
with all the game wardens of Alabama, direct¬ 
ing their attention to the various provisions of 
the fish laws and urging the greatest vigilance 
on their part and on the part of their deputies 
to the end that all efforts be employed to pre¬ 
vent the use of illicit devices for the purpose of 
taking fish. The instructions of Mr. Wallace are 
as follows: 
“The season is at hand when those who enjoy 
recreation and pleasure in fishing are thronging 
the banks of the various beautiful streams which 
traverse Alabama, in pursuit of sport found in 
one of the gentlest, yet one of the most splendid 
of arts—angling. The fish of Alabama constitute 
a vast asset to the people of our State, therefore 
every effort to take fish by the means of illicit 
devices should be suppressed. 
“It is unlawful to use seines in any of the 
streams of this State for the purpose of taking 
fish, or to employ this means of taking fish e.x- 
cept when used by the owner of a pond, lake 
or reservoir wholly on his private property. 
“Hoop nets in which bait is used to attract 
fish can be employed in taking non-game fish, 
but should any trout, bass or bream be caught 
in such nets, the law requires that they be re¬ 
stored immediately to the waters from whence 
taken. 
“The greatest fish destructionist in Alabama is 
the murderous dynamiter. By employing this 
death-dealing explosive not only are the large 
fish killed, but likewise the smallest succumb to 
the shock. The dynamiter secures only a small 
per cent, of the fish that he kills, the rest float 
off—a dead loss to the people of the State. 
“The reason for permitting the use of hoop 
nets for taking fish in the streams of the State 
is simple. There are many species of fish, not¬ 
able those which belong to the sucker famiI3^ 
such as the sucker, red-horse, black-horse and 
buffalo, that are valued by many as food fish, 
which are taken only in rare instances by the 
employment of hook and line. The members of 
the sucker family feast upon the spawn of other 
fishes, and in the event the ranks of the suckers 
become greatly depleted, game fish will rapidly 
increase in the waters of Alabama. 
“Be on the alert to apprehend every one who 
violates any provision of the fish law, and place 
yourself in communication with all your depu¬ 
ties to the end that those who employ illicit de¬ 
vices for the purpose of taking fish are promptly 
and vigorously prosecuted and speedily con- 
V’cted.” 
/ 
All tiie.dsh lazus of the United States and 
Canada, revised to date and iwzo in force, are 
given in the Game Lazvs in Brief. 
