Location of Fishing Holes. 
Sa 
Rochester, N. Y., Oct. 28.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: As I was born and brought up on the 
shores of the Honeoye Creek, one of the prin¬ 
cipal branches of the Genesee River, my thoughts 
often revert to the old fishing holes on that 
stream. 
There were certain deep holes always situated 
on the far shore of a bend or curve of the 
creek, always located in a depression in the 
stream just before the creek passed over riffles. 
The first fishing hole above the dam at the vil¬ 
lage of Rush, known to me, was a mile above 
the village at a point where a brook enters the 
creek. The brook doubtless brought down food 
for the fish. The clear water of the brook may 
also have attracted the fish to this spot. The 
next fishing hole was one-fourth mile further 
up stream, on the far shore of a curve, on the 
border of a maple grove. The next fishing hole 
was about one hundred 
yards up stream on the 
opposite side of the 
stream on the far shore 
of a curve just above 
the riffles. Following up 
stream, another fishing 
hole was at the en¬ 
trance of a small spring 
brook, also on the 
outer curve of the 
creek. Still another one 
was 300 rods higher up, 
also on the outer curve 
above riffles. 
So well known were 
these fishing holes that 
we never expected to 
see any person fishing 
in any other places than 
in these holes unless 
they were whipping the 
stream for pickerel. In 
the fishing holes men¬ 
tioned we caught mullet, suckers, rock bass, 
bullheads, and occasionally a pickerel and a 
large-mouthed bass. 
When I recall my early fishing days upon this 
stream I marvel at the fact that nearly all of 
the fish caught were found in these few holes 
along a distance of nearly three miles up stream 
above the village dam, and I ask the question, 
“Why should the fish congregate in these par¬ 
ticular spots?” I am aware that this is a diffi¬ 
cult question to answer. I have never fished a 
lake or stream without learning that there are 
certain places where fish can be caught, where¬ 
as in other numerous expanses along the lakes 
or streams no fish are caught. This was my 
experience thirty years ago in the Adirondacks, 
in the wildest lakes seldom visited by man at 
that time. In one of those wild lakes, known 
as Charlie’s Pond, encircled by mountains, we 
caught practically all of our trout in a small 
place at the east end. I have met with similar 
experience along the islands and bays of the 
St. Lawrence River and in the lakes of Canada 
where I have caught my entire string of fish in 
one favored locality. If I had not been fortu¬ 
nate enough to have a guide who understood 
these waters I would not have caught many fish. 
My opinion in regard to this matter is first 
that most fish gather in deep pools, that these 
pools are found in streams above riffles, and that 
on the curves of the stream and on the far 
shore of the curve more plant food is drifted 
down by the current than elsewhere, thus the 
fish found in these places have that which they 
are looking for, both seclusion and food, but 
there may be other reasons for their congregat¬ 
ing in particular places. We know that brook 
trout congregate in hot weather in pools where 
the water is cooled by springs. Such a pool in 
Rainbow Lake, Adirondacks, is known as the 
refrigerator. Carloads of trout have been taken 
out of this pool in past years. 
Charles A. Green. 
Pickerel Fishing Through the Ice, 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
The Androscoggin flows swiftly down over 
Pontook Falls on the Errol road in Northern 
New Plampshire. Here a dam stretches across 
THE LAST CONTEST. 
Closing event for the season of the Illinois Bait-Casting Club, 
the mighty current from the lake region and 
the back waters from a marsh or bog many acres 
in extent. Into this Stillwater pickerel run and 
breed in large numbers. The large size of this 
pond makes it desirable fishing ground. The fish 
are bigger, too, than those got from our more 
inland streams. 
With three companions I started one cold 
morning for this lake among the woods to try 
catching the spear-like beauties through the ice. 
Our luggage, which included a tent, a stove, a 
can of shiners for bait, blankets, provisions, fish¬ 
ing tackle, etc., made a good load in our long 
tramp. We had to change the water that con¬ 
tained the shiners several times on the way and 
on arrival they were placed in a pail with screen 
cloth tied over the top and sunk in the pond 
near shore. 
We pitched the tent in the thickest of the 
forest, banked the sides with snow, built a bunk 
of the butts of small trees on which were laid 
spruce boughs, set up our stove within, and then 
all was ready to set the lines. The ice was 
fourteen inches thick, so it was not a little work 
to cut the holes. 
Our rig was of the usual kind, the line being 
so adjusted that when a fish bites a red flag 
goes up. There is a lot of excitement in ice 
fishing, and when a flag went up. we lost no 
time in getting to the line. There were no false 
alarms, either, for the pickerel bites in deep 
water the same as with the troll and seldom lets 
go. We set forty lines, the law allowing ten 
to a man. They were placed in a circle at dif¬ 
ferent parts of the pond. Our catch was a good 
one, as we brought home over 150 pounds of 
fish besides having all we wanted to eat while 
there. We were kept very busy tending the 
lines, keeping the hooks baited and the lines 
from freezing in. What a chill it would give 
one to take a pickerel off and then with the 
bare hand pick a shiner out of an icy pail and 
put him on the hook. At times the fish bit fast. 
I got ten from one hole in about as many 
minutes. Several of our catch weighed two and 
one-half pounds. 
Our camp life was an interesting feature of 
the trip. A lamp and lantern abundantly lighted 
our little tent, a toboggan raised on two stand¬ 
ards served as a sideboard, while our stove 
amply sufficed for heat¬ 
ing and cooking. We 
kept warm and com¬ 
fortable, save now and 
then when we slept too 
long and the fire went 
out. A canvas tent will 1 
not hold the heat long. 
Our living was of the 
best and our appetites 
such as only the woods 
and cold weather can 
produce. While we were 
having some of our 
fine dinners of fish, po¬ 
tatoes, beans, bread, 
pickles and coffee, I 
thought, to use an ex¬ 
pression of Thoreau. 
that “many would live 
as we did if they had the 
means*” 
Birds were very social 
about our camp and we , 
enjoyed their company. The chickadee, so small 
that it would seem as if its little body would 
freeze, kept singing his merry “Dee-dee-dee.” 
The nuthatch was busy hunting larvae and had 
no time to visit. Jays came near to inspect our 
quarters, but did not stay long. They probably 
had a good feast of our leavings after we broke 
camp. 
The owls were on the lookout and kept vigil 
in the night. I heard a woodpecker calling to 
his mate that “Knock, knock, knock,” which 
comes at regular intervals and can be heard a 
long distance. A flock of snow buntings flew 
quickly over the pond one day, and I thought 
they seemed joyous at the prospect of a snow 
and blow. 
Rabbits were plenty and made great tracks 
in the snow. A colony of mink had taken pos¬ 
session of an island and they came out one night 
en masse, being lured no doubt by the smell of 
fish. Their tracks were about every hole we 
had made and they had eaten the dead shiners 
which we left. One large fine-furred member 
of the family, remembering the fine supper he 
had, came out to reconnoiter in the morning. 
He jumped along through the snow and occas¬ 
ionally stood erect, surveying our operations, 
but he did not just like our appearance and soon 
disappeared. John H. Emerson. 
