342 
[Feb. 29, 1908. 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
Bad News For Trout Fishers. 
Sullivan County, N. Y., Feb. 18 —Editor 
Forest and Stream: I am sorry to say that my 
worst fears in regard to the trout have been 
realized. Several days of mild weather followed 
by rain on Saturday of last week resulted in a 
sudden breaking up of the heavy ice and there 
is no doubt that large numbers of fish were de¬ 
stroyed. The ice was twenty inches to two feet 
thick and there was much snow upon the ground. 
A large portion of the latter ran off in a few 
hours, and this, with rain and high temperature, 
forced the ice to go out. Jams are said to have 
formed in many places, only to go out with a 
rush, and many large trout were killed. A brown 
trout was picked up with its head crushed that 
weighed about six pounds. 
From the upper Delaware it is reported that 
the bass suffered severely. On some of the 
smaller streams the bulk of the flood water 
seemed to be passing over the ice and I had 
r 
sport in the future. We will hope that the trout 
have pulled through a very rough experience 
much better than they are said to have done, but 
I greatly fear that many a noble patriarch has 
gone to his last account, never more to rise at 
fly or dash at minnow. 
Theodore Gordon. 
A Pennsylvania Trout Stream. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
In your issue of Feb. 1 Theodore Gordon in 
an article on fly-fishing makes inquiry as to a 
stream called Young Woman s Creek, a tribu¬ 
tary of the West Branch of the Susquehanna, and 
wonders what it is like now, he having fished 
there, as he stated in another article, about 
twenty years ago. 
I have fished this stream off and on for twenty- 
four years; also hunting along its course and 
its watershed at various times during that 
period. I have fished on all its branches as far 
miles long, all the large timber has been re¬ 
moved, but the banks and hillsides are rapidly 
growing up, so that if fires are kept out for a 
few years this creek will once again become a 
good trout stream. 
As it is, Young Woman’s Creek is probably 
as good for trout as any other open stream of 
its size in the State. For a distance of twelve 
miles from the forks at the oil pump station to 
Dyer’s on the pike, there is not the sign of a 
human industry or habitation, barring Jim 
Dougherty’s summer camp and Ernest Davis 
cabin. In those twelve miles there are some 
nice trout holes and long runways of stream 
that hold some good ones. 
Last year the fishing for some unaccountable 
reason was very poor. There were trout there, 
but wind, weather, water and the fly never 
formed that harmonious combination necessary 
to sell Mr. Spots an old brick from the fifteenth 
of April until the rattlesnakes got so thick it was 
not safe to tramp the stream. We all agreed 
that 1907 was blacklisted as a trout year, as it 
was for his worthy colleague, the ruffed grouse. 
The season of 1906 was, however, a good one 
on this stream, many nice catches being made. 
I fished it one day from daylight until dark, 
catching lots of small ones and enough large 
ones of from nine to fourteen inches to fill the 
basket. Worman. 
Against Pollution. 
At a recent meeting of the Anglers Club of 
New York a committee was appointed to work 
with a similar committee from the Merchants 
Association, or any other body interested, against 
the pollution of the game fish waters of the 
State. President John L. Kirk, Robert B. Law¬ 
rence and Harold G. Henderson were appointed 
as this committee, and Arnold H. Ellis sub¬ 
scribed $100 toward the work. While this is a 
local organization, its members are men of 
prominence in the business and professional life_ 
of New York City. They fish New York State 
waters extensively in season and are active woik- 
ers in fish and game protection. In the work 
this committee has agreed to perform funds will 
be needed, and we would suggest that persons 
who can afford to contribute toward the cause 
communicate at once with the secretary, Edward 
Farnham Todd, 62 Liberty street, New York 
City. If desired, contributions will be acknowl¬ 
edged in these columns, be they one dollar or 
one thousand dollars. Every little helps, and in 
view of the fact that the trout of nearby New 
York streams have suffered severely in last 
year’s drouth and this winter’s freshets, the re¬ 
maining supply must be carefully looked after. 
Thank You. 
Perry D. Frazer is Still continuing his rod- 
making series of articles in the Forest and 
Stream, and it may be said that they are the 
simplest and best ever published, says the New¬ 
ark (N. J.) Call. It is to be hoped that he will 
publish the series in book form. The eighth arti¬ 
cle appeared yesterday. It told how to work out 
the strips for a split bamboo rod and what tools 
and appliances to use, and it was explained so 
that any amateur could understand and feel that 
he could follow the instructions. All of the 
series have been interesting and valuable. Sev¬ 
eral more installments are coming before the 
rod is finished. 
STRIKING A THIRTY POUND BASS. 
Joseph Cawthorn on the beach at Asbury Park, N. J. 
hoped that the cold change on Saturday night toward the heads as I could throw a fly. When 
had come in time, although I had been anxious Mr. Gordon was on it twenty years ago the 
for several days. white pine lumber was being cut and driven 
We had very cold weather in January with down the stream. Large splash dams were on 
temperatures down in part of the county as low it and had even at that time injured it seriously 
as 28 below zero and the ice was very heavy, as a trout stream; at least it was not nearly 
The Neversink, Willowemoc and Beaverkill have equal to its condition of primitive wildness 
been affected and doubtless all the streams with- when it was one of the greatest trout producers 
in a large area. Trout in the small brooks and known in Pennsylvania. The log driving, saw- 
upper portions of the large streams suffered less mills and tannery at its mouth made it only an 
than those in the lower waters, but many of the ordinary stream at that time. After the pine 
largest have been killed. I hope that the reports was cut there was a short period of rest for 
are somewhat exaggerated, but the freshet could. the stream when it quickly recuperated and gave 
not have occurred at a more unfortunate time, promise of being once again a great trout stream, 
at least from a trout lover’s point of view. but alas, the hemlock lumbermen took posses- 
Last year the ruffed grouse (partridges) suf- sion of it, built more dams to run the logs downs 
fered and now I am afraid that the trout have and when they got through, about six years ago, 
had their turn. There had not been so many it had hardly any trout left in it. Since that 
grouse for many years as there were in 1906 and time on one of the main branches the pulp wood 
a large stock remained at the close of the shoot- lumbermen have been cutting what the hdmlock 
ing season, but a cold, wet spring and probably people left, so that on the Green Lick bianch 
an epidemic disease, resulted in poor sport in there is at present not much but b^re hillsides 
the autumn of 1907. with the stream bed filled with gravel and mud. 
It seems to be a fact that whenever we have The eastern or main branch is better, as the 
an unusually good stock of birds in the covers State has acquired most of its drainage area and 
or fish in the streams, something unfortunate is protecting it in a perfunctory way. Even 
comes along to blast our expectations of good on this part of the stream, which is about fifteen 
