May i6, 1908.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
77 9 
6 
THE ANGLERS’ LUNCHEON. 
Scene on the bank of a New Brunswick trout stream. 
Tackle for Catalina Waters. 
Los Angeles, Cal., May 1.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: I have just been reading the editorial 
on “Light Tackle” in your issue of April 11. 
Several articles and comments have appeared 
within the last year upon this subject, and I 
have been tempted many times to write you, set¬ 
ting forth my views. 
The light tackle movement was inaugurated 
at Avalon, Catalina Island, by my friend, Mr. 
Arthur J. Eddy, who, by the way, has written 
some very delightful and useful articles in your 
journal in re light tackle. Nothing but the nine- 
ounce rod goes there, as is evidenced by some 
500 members of the club at present. Upon such 
a showing of proficiency by so many the change 
made by the Tuna and Light Tackle clubs of 
disregarding the butt, and considering only the 
length and weight of tip, caused quite a com¬ 
motion, almost universal, and I must plead 
guilty to being among the first to propose such 
a course, and in these few lines I cannot hope 
to overcome the arguments that have been 
raised against the change as adopted by the two 
clubs, although the reason is very clear to my 
way of thinking, and I could explain at length, 
but space forbids. Suffice it to say that this is 
simply considering the future prospects of fish¬ 
ing at Catalina only. 
Paradoxical as it may seem, I have stoutly 
maintained—and do yet—to Mr. Eddy that a 
rod could not be built sufficiently strong, nine 
ounces over all, and here I am fishing with one 
of six ounces, and claiming I can kill anything 
within reason. It is up to me to side-step the 
gentleman, to be sure, but there is a “little joker” 
in this whole proposition that seems to be 
ignored by everybody in general who writes 
upon the subject, and that is the little nine- 
thread line. The whole discussion seems to be 
upon the rod, while the line is lost sight of, 
The reason I am advocating a six-thread line 
is to cause them to sit up and take notice, or 
else go into the tackle box and get a new one. 
This method of procedure will not last very 
long unless there is good money in the bank, 
but this could not strictly be called science or 
the art of angling. Therefore, if a man uses 
a piece of six-foot gas pipe for a rod and can 
land his 30-pound or 6o-pound fish with a nine- 
thread line, I give him all the credit for having 
fishing down to a science, although he would 
not be looked upon as a scientific angler—-and 
why? The reply would be that he used a big, 
strong rod. 
Now, I fail to see how the gas pipe would 
strengthen his line; quite the reverse. My claim 
has always been that the rod—that is, from the 
tip to the reel—is simply a prolongation of the 
line, with the thickening of the tip, or its back¬ 
bone, so-called, to assist gradually in relieving 
the hard strain on the line, or in other words, 
to diffuse the strain at a vital point, and how 
in the world anything below the reel can be 
made to render any assistance, other than at a 
sacrifice of the strength of the line, is beyond 
my comprehension. The discarded butt gives 
strength in the ferrule, and in conjunction with 
the backbone of tip gives lifting power to a 
half-dead fish that has already matched his 
fighting qualities with your skill in handling him, 
and has partially succumbed to your good judg¬ 
ment in manipulating your tackle. 
So I say that the line should cogie in for the 
larger share in speaking of fishing gear. The 
disgrace of losing lines should far outweigh the 
bringing in of tons of fish. Therefore, I say, 
take heed of your lines. This is where the great 
amount of science enters. The whole secret— 
and now I am speaking of Catalina only—is to 
be able to feel and know just what strain you 
have upon your line; This is the whole thing 
in a nut shell. Thomas McD. Potter. 
Fishing in the Sunflower. 
Rolling Fork, Miss., May 5. —Editor Forest 
and Stream: Owing to very high stage of water 
in the Sunflower River—one of the best bass 
and striped bass streams in the whole country— 
no fly-fishing will be done before June 15, if 
as early as that. The Government has put in 
quite a number of what are called wing dams; 
that is, dams running out into the stream, so as 
to pour the water into a narrow channel to scour 
out the sand, making a navigable stage even at 
low water. All or nearly all of this part of the 
river has a white sand bottom without pebbles, 
and the bass, locally called trout, congregate in 
large numbers at and near these dams and rapid 
shallows. A good half day’s sport often runs 
to as many as fifty or seventy-five fish from one- 
half pound up to three pounds, and once in a 
while a larger one as much as five to six and 
one-half pounds. These are rare. 
The striped bass, ’locally known as bar fish, 
run from one-quarter to three and one-half 
pounds and are game to the last. Either bite 
well, and I have often seen a school of the 
striped fellows keeping the river in a foam for 
one-half to one acre, striking at nearly every¬ 
thing in sight, trawls, spoon, a small piece of 
clam shell cut to resemble a minnow, and even 
a white cloth tied above a hook. 
I much prefeT dry fly-fishing to all other kinds, 
and have always been very successful using buck- 
tail flies, brown hackle, gray hackle, queen of 
the water, yellow May and silver doctor. I also 
find the Durham ranger and Jock Scott on No. 
4 hook first-class lures. 
I know that quite a number of my brother 
anglers have never even heard of this part of 
the great Yazoo Delta as a fishing country, but 
I have found few places to equal it, and 
none more convenient. In season we have bear, 
deer, wild turkey, duck, squirrel, quail and a 
few migrating birds, snipe, woodcock and plover. 
To the man fond of sport this has been a para¬ 
dise and is still good ground. As to equipment, 
I personally prefer the 3-barrel 12-gauge shot 
and .30-30 rifle in gun, and a good rod and reel 
with above flies in order named, and a good 
day’s recreation with sport enough to make the 
blood tingle is always in store. 
R. E. Stratton. 
STIMULATION WITHOUT REACTION. 
After a day of enjoyable sport it is wise to 
choose a drink which helps to restore the vital 
powers rather than one which tends to deplete 
them, as in the case with many drinks. Bor¬ 
den’s Malted Milk is delicious, concentrated, 
nourishing, invaluable to the camper, made ready 
for use by adding water, hot or cold.— Adv. 
