FOREST AND STREAM. 
[JUNE 16, 1906. 

Sullivan County Notes. 
It is surprising how small a quantity of pure 
running water will support good trout. There is 
a tiny nameless brooklet between this farm and 
the village of Neversink, the entire course of which 
does not exceed one half mile, yet this afternoon, 
when going to the post office after a heavy 
shower, I saw two trout taken from it, one of 
which was quite twelve inches long. I find that 
after rain this little meadow stream almost in- 
variably gives several nice fish to a man. who 
lives near its source, and who makes a practice of 
a few casts with worm bait when the conditions 
are favorable. 
This is probably the last season for fly-fishing 
in the lower Esopus, as work will soon begin on 
the great dam, which will be built across the 
valley some distance below Shokan, I am _ in- 
formed. The millions of inhabitants in New 
York City must be supplied with pure water, but 
the summer playground of many thousands of 
‘city people will be turned into a great lake. Smil- 
ing farms and thriving villages will be covered 
with water and the aspect of the country will be 
entirely changed. If the correct view of the 
matter be taken by the authorities controlling the 
new lake, there is no reason why fine sport 
should not be enjoyed upon it in a year or two 
after the vast work to be done is completed. 
We have only to look across the ocean to see 
what has been done in England and Wales with 
the great lakes and reservoirs which have been 
created to supply Liverpool, Birmingham and 
other cities with water. Lake Vyrmoy, in Wales, 
has afforded fine fishing for many years past, and 
contains both the brown and rainbow trout. 
Blagdon Lake is of more recent construction, but 
the sport enjoyed during the past two years has 
been really extraordinary. For some time after 
the water was opened to anglers, the average 
weight of the trout taken was five pounds, and 
many larger fish were killed. These were brown 
trout, but the lake now holds large numbers of 
fine rainbow trout. The charge for angling is, I 
think, about five dollars. I forget how long one 
is entitled to fish for this sum. These great 
artificial bodies of water become a source of 
revenue, and all the expenses for keepers, watch- 
ers, repairs, etc., are paid willingly by fishermen. 
In a short time they usually become much like 
lakes of nature’s creating, and the angler may 
enjoy his sport amid the beauties which so 
greatly enhance it. 
The Esopus now holds three varieties of trout, 
the brown (Salmo fario), the native (Salvelinus 
fontinalis), and the rainbow (Salmo irideus), 
but there are very few of the native fish in the 
lower portion of the river. At one time it was 
almost entirely given up to the rainbow trout, 
which for many years throve amazingly. Then 
came the stocking with brown trout, which in- 
creased in size and numbers with great rapidity. 
There are still many rainbows, but they are all 
small fish. I have not seen one of the old fash- 
ioned one and a half to two and a half pound fish 
of this variety for some years, but some very 
large brown trout have been taken. 
The new lake will stock itself, but much can 
be done to improve the fishing. All anglers 
should bear this matter in mind, and see to it 
that this great lake is not closed to them through 
some mistaken notions in regard to keeping the 
water pure. Fishing under proper rules and reg- 
ulations can not injure the water supply, but 
the lake can and should afford grand sport to 
the public for many generations to come. To 
keep down the big cannibals, it may be necessary 
to allow trolling in the deeps of the lake, but 
the shallower portions should be reserved for 
fly-fishing, and no spinning or worm fishing 
allowed. 
The river was high last week and wading was 
hard work. I went down below Neversink one 
afternoon, more with a view to the enjoyment 
of the lovely open valley, than with the expecta- 
tion of catching trout. I only killed seven trout, 
but I did catch a ducking. There were not many 
places where the stream could be crossed; and, 
in attempting this at one point, I was almost car- 
ried away. I think that I would have been, but 
my wading stockings filled with water, and gave 
my slim legs a weighty support just where they 
needed it. It would be no joke to lose one’s 
footing in the Neversink when it is high. One 
would be carried into the next deep pool and 
maybe drowned. I can. remember two fatalities 
of this description in this neighborhood during 
the last fifteen years. In one case the victim was 
an athletic young man, who was a good swimmer. 
When found in a deep pool three miles above 
here, the line was wound around his body and a 
half pound trout was still on the hook. It is 
well, therefore, not to take too many chances, al- 
though nowadays, during the summer, the river is 
aaa ~~ =. eee 
but the shadow of its old time vigorous self. A 
man may wade across the rifts without getting 
wet above the knees. With every freshet the big 
pools lose something of their depth. Here and 
there a scour may occur, and a deeper place be 
made, but nearly all the changes in the river 
for many years have been for the worse and not 
for the better. THEODORE GORDON. 
Black Fly, Punkie and Mosquito Dope. 
Tus is Nessmuk’s recipe as given in “Wood- 
craft”: ‘Take’ three ounces of pine tar, two 
ounces of castor oil, and one ounce of penny- 
royal oil. Simmer all together over a slow fire, 
and bottle for use. Put it on liberally at first, 
and after it has glazed over, a little rubbed on 
here and there from day to day will be sufficient. 
Do not wash until you are out of the woods. It 
is the only safe plan. A two-ounce vialful, used 
economically, ought to last one man a season.’ 

“AS THE LORDLY 
Where the Humber Flows. 
’Tis where the Marble Mountain in majestic grandeur 
reigns 
With his shimmering crown of sunlit vernal snows, 
Where the bosky woodland verdure carpets all 
sylvan plains, 
*Tis there serene the lordly Humber flows. 
the 
*Tis there the kingly salmon through the drowsy sum- 
mer day, 
Disport in glee amid the steadies deep, 
In the limpid, living waters, how they breach and leap 
and play, 
While the eddies onward, seaward, grandly sweep. 
There the angler realizes the serenest earthly joy, 
As from the reel his line swift singing goes, 
Like Sane of glinting silver, crazy fish flash 
his 
While ali. serene the lordly Humber flows. 
round 
And the ouananiche and sea trout, and the brook trout 
gambol there, 
And song birds fill with melody the glades; 
HUMBER FLOWS.” 
And dark dells aglow with fragrant bloom, -perfume the 
vibrant air; 
While the westering sun limns in the light and shades. 
There’s the snow-crown on the mountain all asparkle in 
the light, 
And the woods their gorgeous vesture there disclose, 
With their green and golden bannerets they make a 
brilliant sight, 
While all serene the lordly Humber flows. 
Were it given me my fate to shape ere nearing life’s 
release, 
On we pleasant slopes, fair Humber, my abiding place 
*d set; 
And in nature’s sweet communion I would seek con- 
tent and peace, 
By all the world forgotten I would all the world forget. 
That ray life would glide as calmly as thy placid waters 
ow, 
y prayer would rise from dawn till evening’s close, 
*twould mingle with the ocean, in the sunset’s 
afterglow, 
As serenely as the lordly Humber flows. 
Wa. Jo GARROLE. 
St. Jouns, N. F. 
M 
Till 
