April 9, 1910.] 
581 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
ing cup. Presented by Will H. Dilg, Chicago, Ill. 
Jones-Cotter Cup.—For largest jackfish of sea¬ 
son, silver loving cup. Presented by W. E. Jones, 
Houston, Texas, and J. E. Cotter, Tarpon, Texas. 
Gay Cup.—For longest silver button tarpon of 
season, silver loving cup. Presented by F. C. 
Gay, Brooklyn, N. Y. Open only to anglers who 
have not previously won a silver button. 
Cotter Cup.—For the largest sea bass taken 
during the season, silver loving cup. Presented 
by J- E. Cotter, Tarpon, Texas. 
\\. E. Jones Cup.—For the shortest tarpon of 
season, under thirty-two inches, silver loving cup. 
Presented by W. E. Jones, Houston, Texas. 
Murphy Prize.—For the last gold button tar¬ 
pon taken In season of 1910, Murphy split bam¬ 
boo light tackle tarpon rod. Presented by L. G. 
Murphy, Converse, Ind. Open only to anglers 
who have not previously won a gold button. 
Edward Vom Hofe & Co. Prize.—For the 
second longest tarpon of the season over six 
feet six inches, light tackle split bamboo rod. 
Presented by Edward Vom Hofe & Co., New 
York city. 
Thomas J. Conroy Prize. — For the shortest 
tarpon of the season, copper tackle box and 
tools. Presented by Thomas- J. Conroy, New 
York city. 
ASHAWAY LINE & TWINE MFG. CO. PRIZES. 
For longest gold button tarpon of the season, 
Jefferson tarpon line. For longest silver button 
tarpon of the season, original Cuttyhunk line. 
For tenth gold button tarpon of the season, 
original Cuttyhunk line. For fifth silver but¬ 
ton tarpon of the season, Reliance tarpon line. 
For longest tarpon of season taken by begin¬ 
ner, Reliance tarpon line. For second longest 
taipon of season taken by beginner, Reliance tar¬ 
pon line. For longest tarpon of the season, Jef¬ 
ferson tarpon line. For second longest tarpon 
of the season, original Cuttyhunk line. Nine 
hundred feet nine-thread line as above. Pre¬ 
sented by the Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co., 
Ashaway, R. I. Angler can take one only of 
these prizes. 
Boatmen’s Prizes.—A cash prize of $15 will 
be given to the boatman of angler landing the 
longest tarpon of season. A cash prize of $10 
will be given to the boatman bringing in the 
most new members during season. 
Shailer Prize. To boatman of angler landing 
longest tarpon of season, Vom Hofe long- 
handled gaff. Presented by Robert A. Shailer, 
Brookline, Mass. 
^Subscription Prize. — To be equally divided 
between the three boatmen of anglers landing 
the largest number of tarpon during season. 
All medals, cups and prizes awarded under 
club rules. A boatman can win but one cash 
prize. The winner of a cash prize is, however, 
eligible to share in the subscription prize. 
Mr. Pflueger adds: “We have added to the 
hotel accommodations at our club headquarters, 
namely the Tarpon Inn, at Tarpon, Texas, and 
already many anglers are booked ahead at this 
most popular resort. The fishing was better last 
year than ever before and indications are at this 
time that it will be fully as good this year. I 
would advise all such who contemplate going to 
Tarpon, Texas, to first make arrangements and 
secure quarters with our secretary, J. E. Cotter, 
Tarpon, Texas.” 
*Fjsh brought to gaff and released will be credited to 
angler. 
An Appeal for Black Bass. 
New York City, April 2 .— Editor Forest and 
Sti earn: Black bass spawn when they are five 
years old. They should be about ten and a half 
to eleven and a half inches long. This is the 
general rule where the food is plentiful. If the 
food is scarce, they may be much shorter when 
they spawm. 
The law of New York State says the bass can 
be taken when ten inches long. One can easily 
see how hard it is to stock public water when 
the fish can be taken out before they have had 
a spawning. If the State would make it twelve 
inches before they could be taken, there would 
be a chance for the black bass to increase in 
this State. Every known fish except the black 
bass has been well taken care of by the laws of 
New York and als6 by propagation. 
The black bass has been discriminated against 
and very badly treated. Let me ask the black 
bass fisherman if he has thought of the treat¬ 
ment this great fish has received at the hands 
of the forest, fish and game commissioner. He 
should know that the State has not done any¬ 
thing to propagate or furnish these fish to those 
that wish to stock a public water, and correct the 
great mistake that was made some years ago by 
sending from the State hatcheries "the Oswego, 
or big-mouth, bass to everyone who asked for 
black bass. The result is that nearly every good 
bass water in the State is overstocked with these 
big-mouth fish. They are crowding out or mak¬ 
ing a hybrid fish that is not as good as either 
parent fish. 
V^e have been trying to stock a public water 
with black bass that we have been buying from 
the only commercial black bass hatchery in the 
country, but cannot get any encouragement or 
assistance from the commissioner. I am quite 
sure no true sportsman wishes to catch a black 
bass ten inches long. It is those that do that 
should be prevented from depleting the black bass. 
Let every true fisherman that agrees with this 
article send me or the editor his name and ad¬ 
dress and at some future date we will all get 
together in the interest of the gamest of game 
THE TOP RAIL. 
Now and then correspondents of the Fishing 
Gazette ask for advice in relation to dulling the 
finish of their fishing rods. The replies are in¬ 
genious to say the least. One angler says: 
“Slightly oil the rods with a piece of old silk 
and hang up in a bacon chamber when smoking 
is in progress. Finish off with slightly oiled 
silk.” 
Another recipe follows: 
Use a damp linen towel. If the varnish (when 
nearly dry) is pressed with the linen, it takes 
the impression of the weaving and leaves a matt 
sin face, which will not shine so much as a clear, 
plain surface. The towel should be slightly 
damped to prevent sticking. I would suggest 
trying the experiment on a piece of wood first, 
as I am afraid it will have the effect of making 
a new rod look like an old one.” 
Ihe last suggestion is a wise one. A better 
way to spoil a good rod. and to remove glitter, 
would be to varnish it, then put it in a coal bin 
and stir up the dust. 
Occasionally an angler fancies that he can de¬ 
lude more trout with a dull-finished rod than 
with a varnished one, and he orders such a rod 
from his maker. One of these is seen now and 
then in the tackle stores, but there is little sale 
foi them. No doubt they are regarded with sus¬ 
picion, for paint is sometimes used to cover up 
defects, and if there are defects in a rod of this 
sort, they will not be developed until the inevi¬ 
table smash comes. 
It is a simple matter to give a rod a dull finish. 
A little diy color mixed with coach or copal var¬ 
nish will answer, dull green giving a very satis¬ 
factory shade. The colormakers supply the 
manufacturers of canes with a spirit varnish 
which dries rapidly and will adhere to metal as 
well as wood, and is used on the steel rods, ribs 
and ferrules of umbrellas. A coat of this will 
make the finest split bamboo rod look like a steel 
rod, hence ought to satisfy any finical brother 
who wants an excuse to blame the rod and not 
himself for empty creels of the past. 
German silver ferrules do not glitter after the 
first few days’ use, and the rest of the rod may 
be finished as follows if it is desired to merely 
remove the high gloss left by a fresh coat of 
varnish. While the varnish is still a trifle soft, 
but not tacky, rub the rod, bootblack fashion! 
wffh a strip of old silk that has been immersed 
in pure linseed oil, then squeezed hard to re¬ 
move surplus oil. The silk should be folded so 
that the edges will not come into contact with 
the varnish. Rub lightly and pass the silk back 
and forth rapidly while the rod is turned. 
Otherwise the friction will soften the varnish 
and make a mess of the work. I follow this 
practice every winter with all of my rods, but 
fasten each joint in my lathe, which has a hol¬ 
low headstock and steadying rest between the 
chuck and the tailstock, so that the smallest tips 
can be turned in polishing. The lathe is turned 
about 200 revolutions a minutes, and a few 
minutes’ polishing of each joint gives the var¬ 
nish a smooth, nearly matt finish that is very 
durable. 
The same method is employed in cleaning up 
the lods after a fishing trip in the mud and 
rain. For this work, however, the silk strip is 
coated very slightly with turpentine and passed 
rapidly from end to end of the joint, so that the 
varnish is not softened. Pressure is applied on 
the ferrules, which are cleaned and left a dull 
white, like unburnished silver. 
Reelseats always tarnish and stain when used 
on waters where there is much vegetation, and 
particularly in fishing for bass in mid-summer in 
lakes that are purging. These are easily cleaned 
with powdered chalk and turpentine. 
* * * 
An Englishman has secured a patent on what 
he calls a tailer. )\hen set it slightly resembles 
a landing net frame or gaff, but to the short rod 
a flexible wire is attached and bent to form a 
loop or snare. When the loop is placed round 
a salmon and pulled tight, the fish is held by the 
tail, a very secure method, it is claimed. 
, Grizzly King. 
