The Anglers’ Club Tournament. 
The third annual tournament of the Anglers’ 
Club of New York was held on the Harlem 
Mere, in Central Park, May 14, 15 and 16. The 
weather conditions on the first two days were 
very unfavorable and on the last day they were 
fair, but the attendance of course was not what 
it would have been, had fair skies instead of a 
steady shower been vouchsafed. 
Despite these facts the scores made were re¬ 
markable, and a number of club and national 
JOHN L, KIRK. 
President of the Anglers’ Club of New York. 
records were broken. Old England, the New 
England, the Atlantic and the Middle States were 
represented, and all of the visitors went home 
with trophies as proof of their skill. The South¬ 
ern New Jersey towns, where surf casting for 
striped bass is a very popular mode of fishing, 
sent a large delegation of anglers, and the best 
casters made scores of which they may well be 
proud. Wilfred M. Plevins, of Northern Eng¬ 
land, whose principal recreation is salmon fish¬ 
ing, came over a few days before the tourna¬ 
ment for the sole purpose of taking part in it 
and learning American methods in view of the 
part he intends to take in the London tourna¬ 
ment in July, and he went home on Saturday, 
carrying with him his first prize in the novice 
single-hand fly-casting, and first prize in the 
salmon event. Call J. McCarthy came from Bos¬ 
ton and B. F. Flegel from Warren, Ohio, and 
both won important events. 
The members showed the benefits of wider 
experience in their averages, although none of 
them had had any practice until a fortnight prior 
to the tournament. Few who assisted with the 
hard work necessary to make an affair of this 
sort a success were able to cast with credit to 
themselves, and in the rain of the first two days 
it was difficult to carry the programme through 
to a successful'conclusion. In a place so public 
as the Mere, which is alongside densely popu¬ 
lated upper Fifth avenue, it is difficult to man¬ 
age a casting competition, but the Park Depart¬ 
ment gave valuable assistance, and its watch¬ 
men and the police kept order in the crowd of 
youngsters and idlers who, as well as anglers, 
were attracted to the lakeside, particularly on 
Saturday afternoon. At that time the crowd 
was very large, and the patrolmen had to use 
their sticks at times to prevent the small on¬ 
lookers from being crowded into the lake. 
The most noteworthy casting was that of Dr. 
R. J. Held, who established a new record of 161 
feet with quarter-ounce weight, a new club rec¬ 
ord of 205 feet with half-ounce weight, and a 
national record of 196 1-3 feet, the average of 
five consecutive casts. Then W. J. Ehrich cast 
a half-ounce weight 200 feet 2 inches in the 
novice event. Next came Wilfred M. Plevins’ 
cast of 129 feet with a fifteen-foot salmon rod. 
a national record for amateurs, and E. J. Mills’ 
professional record of 140 feet with fifteen- 
foot salmon rod. King Smith’s 9314 feet with 
a five-ounce fly-rod was also excellent, and the 
work of E. H. Merritt, who cast 227 feet with 
a surf-rod and 2j4 ounce weight and averaged 
215 1-5 feet, was the best that has been done in 
this style of casting in recent years, at least in 
a public competition. 
MAY 14, FIRST EVENT. 
William J. Ehrich established a new club 
record in the opening event, which was bait-cast¬ 
ing for novices who had never cast more than 
150 feet. Half-ounce weights were used, the 
best single cast out of five to count. The judges 
were E. H. Mvcr and Harry Friedman; referee, 
'Dr. R. J. Held. There were two cups and four 
merchandise prizes. Scores, in feet: 
Host cast. 
w T. Ehrich. iflfl 135 178 200 2 125 200 2 
A. Tav Marsh. 170 173 154 110 70 173 
lohn L. Kirk. 127 120 . 105 105 
W. M. Plevins. 137 SR 14S 150 50 150 
Edward F. Todd. 170 *25 127 140 ... 140 
Dr. C. A. Helier. 85 87 15 20 20 87 
EVENT 2. TROUT FLY, NOVICES. 
W. M. Plevins. of England, won the novice fly 
event with 90 feet. F. E. Wood took second 
cup. There were four prize winners. Open to 
those who had never cast more than 75 feet. 
Rods and leaders unlimited. The scores, in feet: 
W. M. Plevins. 90 Walter McGuckin...'... 79 
F. E. Wood. 84 Harry Friedman . 75 
QUARTER-OUNCE, DISTANCE I5AIT. 
Event 3 was bait-casting with quarter-ounce 
weights. Dr. R. J. Held established a new na¬ 
tional record, scoring 161 feet, a remarkable 
cast under the difficult conditions, as a very 
erratic wind was blowing at the time. He won 
a cup and a high grade reel. Edward B. Rice, 
who cast 142 feet, took second cup and a pair 
of wading stockings. Three other prizes were 
awarded. The judges were Walter McGuckin 
and L. S. Darling; referee, Dr. John Howe. 
Scores, in feet: 
Iicst cast. 
It. J. Held. 141 153 111 122 161 161 
E. II. Rice. 120 142 98 50 127 142 
A. J. Marsh. 130 118 ... 126 126 130 
Harry Friedman _ ... 85 128 40 ... 93 128 
E. F. Todd. 89 50 98 ... 93 98 
C. J. McCarthy. 4 20 30 50 50 
SALMON FLY-CASTING. 
The fourth event was the most exciting one 
that has been held on the Harlem Merc in a 
R. JOHNSON HELD. 
Vice-President of the Anglers’ Club of New York. 
long time. It was salmon fly-casting with 15- 
foot rods, open to all, ten minutes’ time being 
allowed, with no allowances for personal acci¬ 
dents. The sky was dark and threatening, rain 
fell at intervals, and the wind, eddying round 
the houses and trees on the eastern side of the 
lake, was favorable one moment, and decidedly 
unfavorable the next. W. M. Plevins, using a 
spliced greenheart rod, won the first amateur 
prize with 129 feet. Call J. McCarthy, of Bos¬ 
ton, with a greenheart rod, cast 124 feet. E. J 
Mills won the professional prize cup with 140 
feet. George LaBranche and Perry Frazer tied 
for third amateur prize with 116 feet, the former 
using Mr. Plevins’ rod and the latter a split 
bamboo rod. They cast off the tie in the rain 
just before dark. Frazer scored 11214 feet, but 
his cast was not allowed, as the fly was whipped 
off, and he retired with 109V2 feet. LaBranche, 
using a cane rod this time, scored 112J/2 feet 
also, but this cast was also lost for the same 
