March 25, 191 i.J 
461 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
permitting fish to be shipped to Louisiana from 
diately upon stepping into the stream I dis¬ 
covered that the water was exceptionally low, 
the marks upon the rocks indicating that the 
mean level was a foot above where it then was. 
1 was thus prepared for indifferent fishing, but 
not for the a most absolute failure that was my 
portion. Though I handled my flies to the best 
of my ability, only a few small trout came to 
my creel, though good fish were there, for I 
caught fleeting glimpses of them as they darted 
through the clear water. That night we had 
trout and chubs for supper. Chubs from the 
cold water of a trout stream are not bad eating, 
provided you cannot secure a more worthy fish, 
and know how to prepare them. They should 
be soaked in salt water two or three hours— 
even longer will do no harm—then rinsed and 
wiped dry, rolled in bread or cracker crumbs 
and dropped into hot bacon fat. When so treated 
they are positively delicious. 
1 he first night in the tent when on a camp¬ 
ing trip is an event; many pleasant nights fol¬ 
low, but none are quite like the first one. The 
play of the moon shadows upon the roof of the 
tent, the mysterious wood sounds, the authors 
of which no man knoweth, the low, ethereal 
whisper of the imperceptible breeze through the 
thick pine branches sounding not unlike the lap¬ 
ping of distant waves, the sudden rollicking song 
of some wakeful night bird, the dog-like voice 
of a foraging owl and the constant, monotonous 
chorus of the frogs—such are some of the 
sounds which conspire to keep us awake the 
first night in camp. Never again are we quite 
so impressionable, though we remain in the 
woods a full month. It is the first night that 
ministers to the soul of the weary worldling as 
no other nights during the trip do or can. No 
matter if we are seasoned campers we know 
that something miraculous will happen the first 
night. It is one of the unalienable rights of the 
outdoor dweller. O. W. Smith. 
[to be continued.] 
Fishermen’s Club of Chicago. 
Chicago, Ill., March iS .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: The fourth annual dinner and camp¬ 
fire of the Fisherman's Cub of Chicago will be 
held at the Auditorium Hotel, March 31, at 6:30 
p. M. sharp. Judge E. B. Belden, of Racine, 
\\ is., will be toastmaster. The following men 
will take up various themes apropos to angiing 
and nature’s undefiled charms: Chas. E. Elliott, 
Elgin, Ill., philosopher and accomplished fisher¬ 
man; Dr. Ernest L. Hayford, Chicago, pisca¬ 
torial bibliophile; Cy. Warman, Montreal, Can., 
litterateur; D. C. F. Browne, Racine, Wis., tackle 
expert; Col. Dan B. Starkey, Milwaukee, Wis., 
Editor Outer’s Book; Harry D. Noyes, Chicago’ 
raconteur, fisherman; Edward B. Barr, Osh¬ 
kosh, Wis., Hudson’s Bay canoeist, journalist, 
lecturer; Benj. F. Fiegel, Warren, Ohio, cham¬ 
pion long distance caster; H. Wheeler Perce, 
Chicago, President of National Association of 
Scientific Angling Clubs; Grant D. Harrington, 
Elkhorn, Wis., naturalist; J. V. Quarles, Jr’, 
Milwaukee, Wis., canoeist, fisherman, writer; 
Real Brown, Wausau, Wis., lawyer, sage, phil¬ 
osopher, fisherman. 
There will also be songs, instrumental music, 
toasts, moving pictures, sentiment, repartee, etc. 
Covers, $2; informal. 
Geo. Henry Cleveland, Sec’y. 
Fishermen’s Plaints. 
New Orleans, La., March 18.—Editor Forest 
and Stream: The civil district court has ren¬ 
dered a decision in the case of the State against 
the Bayou Johnson Oyster Company to the ef¬ 
fect that the State is the owner of 1,623 acres 
of oyster lands in Bayou Johnson, Tucker Bay 
and various other small bodies of water. Judge 
King held that the title to these lands is in the 
State, even though they have been apparently 
alienated. The court further holds that the State 
cannot sell oyster lands, as they are held in 
trust for the people. The Johnson Company 
claimed title to the oyster lands by purchase 
from the levee board, said board having acquired 
them fiom the State as a gift many years ago. 
The court says the lands may be leased to pri¬ 
vate parties or corporations, but not sold and a 
title made to them, and that all such sales are void. 
Fishing has been somewhat poor during the 
last week on account of sudden changes in the 
weather. A number of fishermen spent Satur¬ 
day and Sunday at various resorts and report 
only fair luck. Green trout, perch, speckled 
trout and redfish were landed, but the waters 
appear to be a little too cold for successful fish¬ 
ing, although the weather for the most part was 
very warm until the cold snap of the past few 
days. Shrimp are becoming more abundant, and 
there will be no trouble in securing bait. Sev¬ 
eral of the clubs at the Rigolets, Chef Menteur, 
Lake Catherine, Lookout and other fishing points 
have been repaired and put in good condition 
for the season and the visitors. A number of 
business men will move their families over to 
Waveland, Pass Christian, Bay St. Louis, Gulf¬ 
port and other places on the Gulf coast shortly 
f° r the summei and will spend one or two days 
each week fishing. 
The professional fishermen are protesting 
loudly against the law in this State which pro¬ 
hibits fishing in salt waters from May 15 to Aug. 
I. They are also protesting against the ruling 
of the game commission prohibiting the ship¬ 
ment of salt water fish to Louisiana from Mis¬ 
sissippi and Alabama waters during the closed 
season. The commission has passed an order 
permitting salt water fish to be shipped into 
Louisiana from Texas and Florida points from 
May is to Aug. 1. It is contended by the fisher¬ 
men and dealers that this will be a great hard¬ 
ship on local people engaged in the fishing busi¬ 
ness. It will cost a good deal more to get fish 
from Texas and Florida waters than from Louis¬ 
iana, Mississippi and Alabama, and the consumer 
will have to pay the increased cost. 
Dealers and fishermen will appeal to the Pro¬ 
gressive Union to help them in their fight against 
this “iniquitous law.” They claim that there are 
4,000 fishermen engaged in the business in Louis¬ 
iana, and practically all of them are poor and 
dependent upon their labors for a livelihood for 
themselves and families. If the law is rigidly 
enforced, it will cause much poverty and scores 
of families will suffer. It seems probable that 
the right of the game commission to make a 
distinction between various public waters, and 
to say fish from any body of water shall not be 
shipped into Louisiana, will be contested in the 
United States District Court. One of the morn¬ 
ing papers editorially comments on this phase of 
the question and expresses a doubt in regard to 
the legality of the game commission’s ruling 
certain waters and prohibiting fish from other 
waters. This paper advises that the subject be 
taken to the courts for a judicial determination 
of the question. It also contends that all public 
bodies of water off the coast of any of the States 
belongs to the United States so far as jurisdic¬ 
tion is concerned. F G r 
Fishing Fever. 
Minneapolis, Minn., March 18 .—Editor Forest 
and Stream: Welcome are these hours when 
one can take down the rod and go over the 
tackle laid away carefully the year before. The 
call of the stream grows into one’s heart, and 
the longing is perhaps even more pronounced 
than is the hunting fever. The advent of spring 
is sure to light the spark that has been smoth¬ 
ered during the winter months. One longs for 
the day when he can draw on the hip boots, don 
the light coat with the many pockets and with 
rod in hand, make for the place where the 
waters gurgle and the rapids flash. The day 
will soon be here when we may realize all this. 
We shall soon be whipping the clear brooks and 
the lakes for trout and bass; the still-fisherman 
will row across the silent waters and fill his 
basket with the sunfish and crappies at that place 
where on the year previous he spent many a 
day of sport close to nature. Under whatsoever 
circumstances, we will all have our share of it, 
and we feel supremely glad in reviewing the 
prospects of the future. We can forgive the 
relentless winter that deprives us of the joys 
of the stream in this moment of returning life 
and warmth. The mind grows keen and the 
finger moves at the thought of the line buzzing 
t rough the guides; we again see the lordly king 
of the brook rise from the depths and with his 
gills distended, vainly try to shake out the cold 
and relentless hook. 
Prospects for the season in Minnesota are as 
}et uncertain, but I have every hope that it will 
ie better than the past summer when conditions 
were certainly not of the best. But last year 
was an exception and I think no such hard luck 
will visit on us this year. The lakes and streams 
are very low, but that will not interfere with 
fishing to any extent. Minnesota offers a great 
deal M the way of fishing. It is a State with a 
reputation behind it and each year thousands of 
fishermen from all over the country come here 
to try their luck in the waters. Black bass are 
numerous and other species common. 
Robert Page Lincoln. 
San Francisco Fly-Casting Club. 
San Francisco, Cal, March 10 .—Editor Forest 
and Stream: At a meeting of the directors of 
the San Francisco Fly-Casting Club, held this 
week, it was unanimously decided that applica¬ 
tion be made on behalf of this club for the 
holding of a World’s Fair Angling Tournament, 
under the auspices of the National Association 
of Scientific Angling Clubs, in San Francisco, 
during the exposition in 1915. 
This application has been regularly made, and 
I bespeak for this club that the proposed tour¬ 
nament will, when held, prove to be the greatest 
assemblage of noted fly-casters and anglers ever 
brought together. A special effort will be made 
to interest , our angling friends in all parts of 
the world in this coming great event. 
D. J. Cooper, Sec’y. 
