1C0G 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Come on 
Don’t say you’re too busy. 
Spend a week end and feel 
the good effects for a year. 
Best game fishing in America in 
MAINE’S 
Forest Lakes 
Salmon, trout and bass that for 
size and fight can’t be matched. 
Easy and inexpensive to go. 
10 Hours from New York 
5 Hours from Boston 
Hotels and camps full of real comfort. 
Send for free booklets, “Fish and Game in 
Maine” and “ Maine Guides.” They tell yon 
where and how to go. Address 
VACATION BUREAU 
171 Broadway, Roon 105 .New York 
MAKE YOURS A 
LEVEL 
WINDER 
'WITH 
BRAKE — 
POSITIVELY 
^PREVENTS 
BACK 
LASH 
WINDS 
LINE 
EVENLY— 
Makes 
Casting Easy— 
No Sore Fingers— 
Hands do not 
Touch Wet Line.. 
Especially Adapted 
tor Fly Casting;and 
All LIOHT BAITS- line 
free from guide when casting,, 
DCauns waiTC roa discounts 
E. A. PETTIBONE 
408 So. Filth Ave., CHICAGO 
TRULY THE VETERAN OF ALL RODS 
FOR NEARLY A THIRD OF A CENTURY IT HAS STOOD AGAINST 
HARDEST USAGE AND MEETS ALL DEMANDS MADE UPON IT 
By E. S. 
T HIRTY-ONE years ago while temporarily 
at Watertown, N. Y., I spent many an off 
day on the St. Lawrence and the lower 
bays of Lake Ontario in pursuit of the gamy 
black bass, and with such good result that I in¬ 
vited two friends, Harry Stanton, and Dr. W. H. 
Woodward of Cincinnati, to “come and have a 
good day’s fishing.” 
In earlier days we three had enjoyed ourselves 
upon the Lake Erie fishing localities, as well as 
Kentucky’s favorite streams, and they at once 
surmised that there was at least a show, and 
came at once. I introduced them to three friends, 
Watertown anglers, who were also to be my 
guests. The party boarded a train for Cape 
Vincent. Soon my Cincinnati friends cornered 
me, and after complimentary speeches presented 
me with a fine 7 oz. split bamboo. It was a 
beauty, and had “Wheeler” on the reel piece. At 
Cape Vincent we took a launch and went to 
Hitchcock’s Inn, near the head of Wolf Island, 
where three row boats with guides were in wait¬ 
ing, and started for Reed’s Bay, trolling bass 
flies, on our flyrods. By the time we reached 
Conley’s we had secured bass enough for our 
dinner, and each member of the party had caught 
one on “Whit’s new rod,” and were emphatic in 
praise of its action. After dining and a cigar 
on the porch, we started out, and slowly trolled 
about the bay with good success, and entered a 
smaller bay where we struck a school of bass. 
The repeated shouts of “one by me” from dif¬ 
ferent boats indicated that all were busy and it 
continued thus until four o’clock when the rising 
wind and rolling waves and dark, angry looking 
clouds decided us to quit, and pull over to Hitch¬ 
cock’s where we arrived after dark. Mr. H. was 
at the dock with a lantern, and as each boat drew 
in with bass covered floor, he remarked: “That 
is a fine catch.” We appointed him to count' 
and weigh from each boat and put them in a 
barrel on the launch while we ate supper. He 
reported the aggregate to be 277 bass weighing 
407 pounds, the boats averaging very nearly the 
same except the one from which Stanton and 
myself fished, as it had 85, being a few more 
than either of the others—just enough to give us 
the honors. 
It certainly was a big catch, and more than we 
would have taken under ordinary circumstances 
but none were wasted. We returned to Water- 
town that evening and told our fishing friends to 
distribute as they wished which left over half of 
the total to go to the Woodruff House, where 
they were served to guests next day. Of course, 
I was greatly pleased that my friends who had 
come such a distance to do so had enjoyed “a 
good day’s fishing.” 
I afterward took them on a da^'s trip on the 
St. Lawrence River, through the Thousand Is¬ 
lands, and to other interesting points, and as the 
return was made after dark with the cottages 
fully illuminated it was like passing fairy land. 
They were greatly pleased. 
Year after year I have used the rod that had 
been so auspiciously christened, oh all my angling 
Whitaker. 
outings from Adirondack trout and togue, Flor¬ 
ida east coast fishes of various kinds, and bass, 
perch, and pike of Michigan, and admired its 
perfect action, knowing only the name of the 
maker, and finally became anxious to know more. 
A friend, Mr. Hickman, of Chicago, who had 
used it also became interested, and having some 
repair work done, mentioned the rod at the shop 
and learned that the man doing his work knew 
the maker, and had formerly, years ago, worked 
in his shop. When I next saw him he told me 
of it and his recollection was that he was at 
Farmington, Vermont. 
I at once wrote to the postmaster there, ancf 
learned that he was unknown there. A letter 
to Mr. Hickman caused him to again make in¬ 
quiry, and he wrote me that the man who had 
informed him, had gone to California, and had 
The Author in His Favorite Boat— A Canvas 
Canoe. 
died there. I then wrote to several places and 
finally Mr. Orvis answered that if I wrote to 
Dame Stoddard Co. of Boston I could probably 
learn what I wished. I did so and they wrote 
that Mr. Charles E. Wheeler, rod maker was at 
Farmington, Maine, and I at once wrote him. 
He replied thanking me for good words said, 
and also that he “considered it remarkable that 
a rod purchased 30 years ago, and used as you 
say constantly, should be in such condition.” He 
also sent a paper printed years ago giving a 
sketch of his work. 
It seems that he began the work in 1868. A 
Mr. Isaac Cutler of Boston who had examined a 
$50 split bamboo at the store of Bradford and 
Anthony, obtained same bamboo and on his way 
to the Rangeley Lakes stopped at the shop of 
