May 5, 1906.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
Ay 

Salmon Flies and Trout Flies. 
For several years I had a framed card of 
Forrest & Son’s salmon flies hanging upon the 
walls of my room. There were five or six dozen 
of the best flies known, all dressed upon No. 2 
hooks, and the card was framed and _ glazed. 
These flies were a source of pleasure to me, and 
sitting at a distance of eight or ten feet I im- 
agined that I saw them just as the fish see flies, 
at the same distance in the water, and I may not 
have been so far wrong. Seriously, I believe that 
fish see objects through their liquid medium just 
as we see through air, except that no round-eyed 
creature is supposed to distinguish form as per- 
fectly as an almond-eyed human being. 
How very clear their vision is has been proved 
to all of us again and again. I will mention one 
instance. I was fishing a large mountain stream 
with a friend who was an expert angler. Trout 
were numerous but for a long time we could do 
no good at all. I noticed some very small dark 
flies in the water, but could not secure a speci- 
men, so I tried one small dun after another until 
at last the right color was found. Trout after 
trout was taken, and I tried to find a similar fly 
for my friend. We picked out several that were, 
as we thought, almost the same, but the trout did 
not agree with us, and the only way he could 
enjoy any sport was to share my rod. 
I am afraid that many of the experiments made 
with a view to ascertaining how artificial flies 
appear to trout, are of very little practical value..- 
The surroundings are entirely different, and we 
look up through glass and water under various 
conditions of light and shade. If one could have 
a suit of diving armor, descend to the bottom 
and lie on his back at different depths, he might 
gain some practical information that would be 
of service. ; 
There is so much that is puzzling in the beha- 
vior of trout. Sometime, unless the artificial 
fly drops upon the water like the proverbial 
feather, its fall scares them into fits; they dart 
away like the lightning express. Again, quite a 
sharp spat on the surface will bring one from 
some distance to seize it instantly. 
They are dressing a new style of fly for use 
over shy fish in the south of England. Two 
hackles are used. One in front, usually a hen’s 
hackle, represents the wing, while a cock’s hackle 
takes the place of legs. In practice it is found 
that these flies can be cast far more lightly and 
make less disturbance than any winged fly. These 
flies are used for highly educated trout, which 
can discriminate in colors in the merest shades to 
a nicety. But how this confirms my ideas as to 
the vision of round-eyed creatures. If the size, 
color of body and legs are right, they do not de- 
tect the absence of the upright wings, which are 
sO conspicuous to us in all the ephemera. 
THEODORE GORDON. 
Sullivan County Notes. 
Last week began with a snow storm on Mon- 
day followed by a great gale which was three 
days in blowing itself out. On Thursday it mod- 
erated, the sun was bright and warm and I was 
tempted to take my rod and sally forth in the 
afternoon. Not a fly on the water, but the sight 
of a few swallows hawking about was encourag- 
ing. For a considerable time nothing moved at 
my fly, although the water was clear, except for 
some remnants of color in the deeper pools. At 
last I put up the steel-blue larva, with which I 
pricked one fish and landed another, a lovely 
native trout. Then the water rushed into my 
right wader, icy cold water it was, that made me 
shiver and return to dry land to warm up. 
I covered a lot of promising water after this 
without stirring a fin, but at last, in a wide 
streamy pool, with a hole under the far bank, 
there was a big swirl and the next instant the 
reel screeched wildly. Eight or ten yards of line 
were torn off in a moment, then came a little 
heavy boring play with jiggering, followed by an- 
other long run down stream. This took the wind 
out of my friend and he was soon on terra firma, 
a splendid golden bellied brown trout of 2% 
pounds. I killed another fish of 1 pound and a 
few smaller ones, but by that time I was very 
wet and cold, and was perfectly satisfied to re- 
turn to my quarters at 6 o’clock with a total of 
seven trout to my credit. One such fish as -the 
big fellow would have repaid me, as they are by 
no means numerous nowadays. We may say that 
the season has nearly opened at last, and as soon 
as the natural flies are more abundant the trout 
will rise well. 
Blow, blow, blow, it seems as if that northwest 
wind will never slop blowing. It is a nuisance. 
THEODORE GORDON. 
Black Bass Hibernation. 
THE article in Forest AND Stream of April 
I5, in regard to the hibernation of black bass, 
has tempted me to butt in and contribute my 
mite. 
From April, 1889, to November, 1804, I con- 
ducted an aquarium in which I kept a number 
of black bass. This aquarium was in a window 
of my store at Danville, Ill, where I kept it 
during the spring, summer and autumn months; 
but during cold weather the fog arising from 
the cold water in a warm room was too much 
of a nuisance, and I had to cut it out until the 
following spring. 
The first spring I stocked my aquarium with 
a goodly number of black bass. Three months 
later my fish all died through an accident, the 
water supply pipe becoming stopped. I re- 
stocked with a fresh lot, and in November I 
killed the fish, shut off the water and quit for 
the winter. 
The following spring I again turned on the 
water and put in a stock of black bass. As the 
summer advanced I found the fish were be- 


THE ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS 
Are now about the most central of all the great resorts. 
through Pullman sleeping cars from New York, Philadelphia, Boston, 
Buffalo and Niagara Falls via the 

A night's ride takes you from any of these places to the center of the 
mountains in time for breakfast next morning. 
For a copy of “The Adirondack Mountains and How to Reach Them,” which is No. 20 of 
the New York Central Line’s ‘Four-lrack Series,’’ containing a fine map of the Adirondack 
Mountains and adjacent territory, with usefvwl information in regard to hotels, camps, lakes, 
rivers, etc., send a two-cent stamp to George H. Daniels, Manager General Advertising Depart- 
ment, Grand Central Station, New York. 
Cc. F. DALY 
Passenger Traffic Manager 
New York 








They have 
W. J. LYNCH 
Passenger Traffic Manager 
Chicago 


RAL ATES TES a a PEL TIE TCR SE 
Ghe ATLANTIC MONTHLY 
FOR MAY. 
Published May Ist, 
Contains a striking article by Joun Burroucus, entitled 
Camping with President Roosevelt. 
This remarkable contribution by the veteran naturalist throws 
a strong light on the President’s personality as seen in the close 
comradeship of the woods. 
Twelve other articles of varied and 
compelling interest, including essays, 
poems, four complete stories and the usual departments. 
SPECIAL OFFER. This and two succeeding issues (three numbers) sent as a 
trial subscription to new subscribers upon receipt of 50c. 
$4.00 per year. 
35c. per copy. 
HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & COMPANY, 
4 Park Street, - . 
Boston, Mass. 
Cues oo EEE EA BoE IREGORINNAS aTEN nso SAM 
