silk line and an eight-foot single leader, 
with a number four split shot at the 
head of the fly, I was prepared to in- 
terview the “gamest fish that swims” 
in his own ancestral halls. Memory 
tempts me to violate your indulgence 
with an illuminative reminiscence. 
On the third day of a cold November, 
years ago, after casting my vote in a 
presidential election, I yielded to a 
haunting appeal from the outdoors. 
With wading boots and sweater and 
rod and flies I challenged the chill au- 
tumnal breath by sounding the depths 
of the picturesque and historic Rays- 
town. I found Micropterus dolmieu at 
home, in the sub-cellar of his rocky 
domain, and he received me with the 
affability of a gentleman. He was not 
averse to indulging in the pre-Thanks- 
giving dinner which I had to offer him, 
even though my feathered frauds in- 
cluded no gastronomic delicacy. In a 
reasonably short period of time five 
fine specimens of his dusky brethren, 
aggregating sixty-two inches, aroused 
from their seasonal lethargy, responded 
obligingly to my call. They were ap- 
parently apostles of the Ferguson cult, 
as their capricious taste indicated a 
preference for this fly. 
With my wanderlust appeased, my 
appetite for flaky bass savagely awak- 
ened, and my almost unaided support 
of the efficacy of the sunken bass fly 
absolutely confirmed, then—homeward 
in contentment. 
Wo. M. GRAFFIUS, 
Huntingdon, Pa. 
Criticizes Thompson’s Story of 
R.N. W. M. P. 
DEAR ForREST & STREAM: 
NOTICE in reading Mr. Raymond 
Thompson’s article in your November 
issue, he refers to an incident, where 
“his pard and self” once saw two Cana- 
dian Mounted Policeman shoot a box 
of cartridges, trying to pot a Moose 
and “out of season at that’—and fur- 
ther two trappers were highly amused, 
to say nothing of the moose. 
Surely Mr. Thompson must have been 
mistaken, or had a very vivid dream— 
the reasons are many: 
In the first place, R. N. W. M. P., 
or R. C. M. P., as they are now called, 
never were.at any time, armed with 
“38 specials.” They have used .45 Colts 
since the inception of that force, to the 
present day. 
Another reason: No mounted police- 
man would dream of potting a moose 
out of season, especially before an audi- 
ence. If on the other hand they wanted 
meat, they would shoot to kill, and kill 
quick. 
Yet another reason: Mounted Police- 
men do not carry “boxes of revolver 
cartridges” in the woods. 
For yours, and Mr. Thompson’s in- 
formation, I would like to state that the 
Mounted Police teams, which cémprise 
practically the whole division, are al- 
ways leaders in all team shoots (re- 
volver) in Canada, shooting against all 
comers. This year the Dominion Re- 
volver Team Championship and Cup 
was won by E Division (Vancouver, 
B. C.), with Calgary, Ottawa and Re- 
gina, coming’ in the order of their 
names. This cup is for team work, and 
the aggregate score, and consistent 
shooting before properly qualified range 
officers. These four teams were all 
coached and trained by Inspector T. V. . 
Sandys Wunsch, who holds the world’s 
record for revolver shooting and many 
other champions besides. 
Another little detail which should in- 
terest you is that the Royal Canadian 
Mounted Police, have produced more 
champion revolver shots than any other 
outfit in the North. 
Apart from these details, Mr. Thomp- 
son’s story is all right and if the moose 
read it, he would, no doubt be amused, 
as it appears to be a most accommodat- 
ing moose to stand still while two men 
fired 50 rounds of ammunition at it. Mr. 
Thompson does not say what sex the 
animal was so it is better to say it was 
- some “Bull” moose. 
I do hope you will be good enough 
sportsmen to publish this letter, in 
order to rectify any wrong impression 
Mr. Thompson’s “Story?” may have 
caused amongst your many readers. 
You may let Mr. Thompson know 
that his sights were a long way off the 
mark and I hope that he can shoot 
straight another time. 
AUSTIN SPENCER, 
North Vancouver, B. C. 

Inspecting a trap 
An Additional Hint on “Packing 
Out Your Buck” 
DEAR FOREST AND STREAM: 
T was with pleasure that I read Ham- 
ilton Laing’s article “Packing Out 
Your Buck” in the November issue of 
FOREST AND STREAM, especially so as it 
is the method mostly in use in South 
Eastern Alaska. There is one little ad- 
ditional kink we use which may prove 
of interest to readers, i. e., place the 
hollow of the foot close to the junction 
and in the rear of the fore leg with the 
shoulder, and bend backward, forcing 
the socket out of joint. This allows 
more freedom of movement of the leg 
and lessens the cutting of the leg bone 
into the carrier’s shoulder. 
GEORGE T. MAsury, 
Chilkoot Barracks, 
Haines, Alaska. 
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& 

A Collection of Angling Books 
N “Walton and the Earlier Fishing 
Writers,” Mr. R. B. Marston, the 
author, says: 
“Beware of taking to collect books on 
angling. You will find yourself become 
so attached to the fascinating hobby, 
that you would, if necessary, pawn the 
shirt off your back to obtain some cov- 
eted edition. Not that one might not 
select a thousand worse ways of in- 
vesting time and money than in form- 
ing an angling library.” 
The fascination of making collections 
of most anything is appreciated by 
those who have engaged in the occupa- 
tion, but when one collects material 
which has to do with his chosen sport, 
he may be excused for becoming unduly 
enthusiastic. 
We know that among our readers 
there are anglers who garner eagerly 
volumes, both modern and archaic, on 
their sport. Our attention has just 
been called to a catalog listing a large 
and extensive collection of books on 
angling, formed by Mr. A. E. Wilson- 
Browne of Sutton Coldfield, England. 
As an example of completeness, we 
might mention that the section given 
over to Izaak Walton contains one hun- 
dred thirty-one editions, dating from 
1661 to 1921. Here, it would seem, is 
a place where angler and book collector 
might meet on common ground, forget- 
ting cares and troubles, even home and 
family. 
103 
