March 23, 1907-] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
461 
we twisted and turned among the mountains, 
we came into the little opening which our guide 
informed us was Graves Meadow, and as it fitted 
F. L. B.’s description as to length and breadth 
aivl alders, we felt sure we were there all right, 
and hastily rigged up for a try in a promising 
looking hole right before us, and when my 
friend, who was ready first, landed a nice eight- 
inch trout without the formality of an introduc¬ 
tion, I was interested right away. 
We fished the stream through the meadow 
carefully, creeping in among the alders until we 
could push our rods forward and drop the 
hook into the water, and we were rewarded for 
our patience and persistence with eighteen or 
twenty fairly good fish and left a million or two 
of the smaller trout for another year. 
We left the meadow behind, following the 
stream down, finding quick water nearly all the 
way, and with the trout apparently gathered in 
sections of the stream, as on some reaches we 
could not find a fish while on another part we 
had fair fishing. We got together about noon 
and ate our lunch on the bank of the brook 
and then continued down stream toward what 
our guide told ns was the Stillwater at the head 
of the Kimball meadows, and he did not know 
how far it might be, so we did not fish the 
stream as carefully as is consistent with success. 
It must have been nearly four o’clock in the 
afternoon when we reached the head of the Still¬ 
water and there found two other fishermen who 
had just come up stream and were fishing back. 
They had some good trout and told us that they 
fished the same stretch the previous day. The 
stream at the Stillwater has broadened and 
deepened so that it is one continuous deep pool 
for some rods, succeeded by other deep pools 
until emerging from the woods into, the Kim¬ 
ball Meadow below. This meadow is possibly 
an eighth of a mile in length, mountains rising 
on either side, with the stream twisting through 
it. There was but little fall to the stream 
through this meadow, a bit of quick water here 
and there with stretches of deep water, with 
a good current. It was open fishing with but 
few alders and no underbrush. At the lower 
end there is more still water with dark pools 
which certainly looked a fit abiding place for 
the big ones, and as we were having good luck 
we naturally expected better results at every 
cast. • . 
My companion, whom I will call Bill, had on 
several previous occasions proved himself a 
very industrious and enthusiastic disciple of old 
Izaak, and if the trout were in the stream he 
would find them somehow or other, and if they 
were not there he kept diligently at it just the 
same; in fact was disposed to work overtime. 
As time was up and we were to strike for the 
open after fishing through the meadow, Bill was 
anxious to find the old daddy trout and take 
him home for a last one. He had reached the 
deep pools at the lower end and was doing his 
level best to induce the big one to make his 
acquaintance; he felt a nibble and his line moved 
through the water. Bill pulled quick and 
hard, but did not get him, so he fresh¬ 
ened his bait and tried again, and after 
a little wait felt a gentle pull on his line, 
but this time Bill thought he would give time 
enough, then his line began moving away and 
Bill grabbed his rod with both hands and pulled 
with might and main, nearly breaking his rod in 
two, but out came his prize and landed about 
a rod back in the grass. Bill gave a regular 
war dance right then and there, with all the ap¬ 
propriate whoops and yells thrown in, and be¬ 
gan searching his pockets and basket, endeavor¬ 
ing to find something or other with which to 
celebrate his success, but discovered nothing 
just then, so he bethought him of his big fish 
in the grass and proceeded to gather him in. 
The guide and I had been watching Bill’s per¬ 
formance from our position up.stream with the 
greatest interest, and were waiting for Bill to 
show the trout; and as Bill came to it we no¬ 
ticed that he hesitated for a full minute and was 
looking at the fish intently, then he suddenly 
grabbed his line and held up the fish for us to 
see, but seemed to have lost all of the enthu¬ 
siasm he had displayed only a few moments 
before, so we continued our fishing, intending 
SECOND CATARACT OF THE BATCHAWANA RIVER. 
to follow down to the point where William had 
made his capture, but Bill evidently had got 
enough, and was deliberately unlimbering his 
rig. We came up to Bill and were congratulat¬ 
ing him on his luck and requesting the privilege 
of just a look in his basket, but something 01- 
other had come over William and for reply he 
pointed at the biggest sucker I ever saw lying 
on the grass and gasped, “Oh, boys, let’s go 
home,” and we went. 
We had a hard tramp over the mountains and 
when we emerged from the wood into a rocky 
pasture and caught the gleam of light from the 
farmhouse where our team was to meet us, we 
were glad our day’s pleasure was nearing its 
end, for I believe we were about as tired a lot 
of old boys as ever came over the hill. 
This mountainside farm was a long rough mile 
in from the main road, but the hospitality 
which, I am pleased to say, I always find among 
the good people of Vermont, was not lacking 
here, and although we were almost strangers 
to our host, yet he was awaiting our return 
with refreshments which were most acceptable 
to tired men. 
We rested and chatted awhile, then with an 
“all aboard” we were off for our quarters be¬ 
yond the Middle Town, where we arrived safe¬ 
ly, tired out, of course, but we could not help 
voting it a day of pleasure with no regrets and 
a thousand thanks to F. L. B. for his interest¬ 
ing contribution on Graves Meadow. 
Warlocic. 
Fish in the Niagara' River. 
On Board S.W. Ltd., March 5 .—Editor Forest 
and Stream: In crossing Niagara River this morn¬ 
ing, just after daylight in the train, I happened to 
be awake, and looking up the great chasm toward 
the Falls I dimly perceived a vast whirling flight 
of birds. Further inspection assured me that 
the birds were crows. They flew for the most 
part high above the chasm but circled round 
and round above it and their numbers were very 
great. Looking down the chasm on the north 
side of the bridge and toward the whirlpool I 
could not see a bird. The conductor of the train 
said they had a great roosting place somewhere 
near where we saw them. 
Their numbers seemed sufficient to warrant 
mention among the bird phenomena of the coun¬ 
try and I hope some reader of Forest and 
Stream familiar with the facts in the case will 
tell us about them. 
I am curious to know if the roost is in the 
growth of trees and shrubs on the steep banks 
of the Niagara gorge, which would doubtless be 
a pretty well protected position, and whether 
the river in any way contributes to the food 
supply for the birds. 
This suggests a further question of interest, 
viz.: as to the existence of fishes in the Niagara 
River between the falls and the whirlpool, and 
also in the river above the falls and near to 
their brink. One can imagine that instinct may 
keep the fishes of Lake Erie and the upper parts 
of the river from venturing too near the falls, 
and it is hard to see how any could be found 
between the falls and the whirlpool, for one 
would suppose none could force their way up 
that terrific and tumultuous current from Lake 
Ontario, and that none carried over the falls 
could possibly survive that awful plunge. 
It is a simple question of fact, however, and 
very likely one that could be answered by any 
schoolboy living near the river, but I hope the 
answer will be forthcoming. C. H. Ames. 
This was referred to Dr. Tarleton H. Bean, 
ffate Fish Culturist of New York, and his reply 
bllows: . 
New York, March 16. —Editor Forest and 
Stream: Since the receipt of your letter of 
Vlarch 6, inclosing communication from C. FI. 
\mes about fish in Niagara River, I have not 
dsited Albany, where our records are stored, 
md I am unable to make a satisfactory reply 
iased upon office information. The Niagara 
River contains fish both above and below the 
‘alls, but whether any inhabit the stretch from 
:he falls to the whirpool I do not know from 
observation. The river contains black bass, p.ike- 
oerch, yellow perch, sunfish, etc., several kinds 
of minnows, suckers and other common species, 
rhe bass and the eel do not fear rapids and they 
nay enter the rough water in question. The 
upper Niagara River, in the vicinity of Buffalo, 
formerly contained black bass, rock bass, pike- 
perch and many other game fishes besides in¬ 
numerable minnows for their food, but at pres¬ 
ent it is so badly polluted by sewage that anglers 
complain of a destruction of the fishing which 
is almost total. Tarleton H. Bean . 
Two Fish Culturists Killed. 
A. W. Wilkins and Arthur L. Flersey were 
found dead at the State fish hatchery at Moose- 
head Lake, Maine, March n. Both had been 
shot through the head by persons unknown. Mi- 
Hersey was superintendent of the hatchery, a 
position Mr. Wdlkins had formerly occupied. 
Massachusetts Trout Fishing. 
Attention is called to the change in the sea¬ 
son for trout fishing in Massachusetts. The 
season at present opens April 1 5 » an d closes Aug- 
1. Anglers will do well to note the change. 
