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FOREST: AND STREAM. 


[JuLty 6, 1907. 

New England Angling and Anglers. 
BosToN, ] -Editor Forest and Stream: 
Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Smith, of Wayland, Mass., 
are about to leave for a trip devoted to camp- 
ing and fishing thré6ugh northern Vermont and 
into Canada. Mr. Smith has shipped his 20-foot 
power boat to the head of Lake Champlain. 
They will proceed leisurely down the lake and 
out into the St. Lawrence, ending their month’s 
vacation at Quebec. They are outfitted in a 
most thorough manner for bass, pickerel and 
maskinongeé. 
A marked revival of interest seems to have 
come to some of the Oxford club members, in- 
asmuch as a few who have not visited the club 
preserve at Bee Pond in Maine for a long time 
are leaving this week to avail themselves of the 
June 29- 
good trout fishing which is always to be had 
there. Mr. J. M. Sears and John L. Hall will 
spend a couple of weeks at the fishing: Sey- 
eral members of the club are already on the 
ground and, I understand, are having excellent 

sport. Bee Pond fishing is rated very high, 
about the best in western Maine and the privi- 
lege of fishing there is a valuable one. 
> ¢ 
Mr. Louis Cabot, of Boston, and Dr. Bartol. 
of Milton, Mass., will leave this week for the 
salmon fishing on the Grand River in Canada. 
his river flows into the Bay of Chaleur, and 
being so far north. the best run of salmon 
usually. occurs in July. The entire fishing of 
this stream has been controlled by Mr. Cabot 
lor many years, and there is no water on the 
\tlantic coast that averages more certain in re- 
sults. Salmon fishing this year, however, has 
been freakish in the extreme, and everywhere 
very late. The month’s time which they will 
spend on the river ought to be ample to find 
the fish and bring to gaff some of the best of 
them. 
Mr. F. H. Stacey, of Andover, has gone to 
Digby, Nova Scotia, where he will pick up his 
guide and go in back of Bear River to camp. It 
is all trout fly-fishing down there, and Mr. 
Stacey will extend his trip through nine con- 
necting lakes. It will be a-duplicate of one 
made last year. It is not at all irregular to 
hook two at a cast, often running to one and 
one-half pounds each. 
Mr. Fred. Burlen, of Boston, is back home 
from Newfoundland, and his advice to any one 
who contemplates visiting the island for the 
salmon fishing is to go late. Most unusual con- 
ditions this year, and the men who have 
exis 



gone early have met with disappointment. One 
gentleman who landed forty fish last year, 
scored five this season. This is an illustration 
of what to expect by going as in past years. 
It is generally conceded that the best run of 
salmon will be at least from three to four weeks 
late, and it is well to bear this in mind when 
timing a trip. 
To many Boston people who summer at 
Buzzard’s Bay the annual arrival of the blue- 
fish and squeteague is a matter of creat import- 
ance. In addition to their value from a “food 
standpoint they furnish the principal means of 
recreation for the large number of men who 
incline to rod and reel or trolling line. The 
squeteague are already coming in, but it will 
be ten days or more before they arrive in num- 
bers sufficient to. furnish good sport. The 
arrival of the bluefish is timed with the advent 
of hot weather, and it is often the last’ of July 
before he deigns to visit waters that are to him 
yretty nearly “farthest north’ of his range. 
Probably the most persistent angler at the bay 
is Dr. Maurice H. Richardson. Although an 
extremely busy man, he manages to close and 
begin each week at fishing, one time with the 
bass and again on salt: water. He always has a 
lew friends along. He is a firm believer in 
light tackle and uses fresh-water trolling and 
ait rods for much of his heavier salt-water 
fishing. 
Another who follows the sport with great 
zest is Andrew Gray Weeks, who, beginning 
vith the trout at the opening of the season, 
follows the sport through each successive st ige 
until even the bass are too chilled to take a 
hook in the fall. 
Last season the squeteague, or weakfish—as 



he is best known further south—came into 
Buzzard’s Bay spasmodically, being present in 
large numbers at times and again seemingly 
entirely absent. The record catch, so far as I 
have heard, for 1906 was eighty-six in One day. 
Mr. and Mrs, F. H. Talcott, of Lexington, 
and their party of friends have returned from 
Pierce Pond. Mr. Talcott reports cool weather 
and high water through that part of Maine, 
which of course had an injurious effect on the 
fishing. His score at Pierce was made up of 
four 8-pound salmon, one 5 pounds and one 234- 
pound square tail. With the 5-pound square 
tail and at the same time he hooked another 
much larger—estimated close to 7 pounds— 
and played both to a finish after a long and 
exciting struggle. The smaller fish was netted 
first, and just as the big one was about to be 
taken in, a slightly slack line caused the hook 
to drop out of his mouth. With just enough 
life to wriggle his tail, he managed to slowly 
widen the distance from the boat despite all 
efforts to reach him. 
On another day Mr. Talcott found the sal- 
mon feeding close to the shore in shallow 
water. They were disposed to take the fly quite 
readily, and he hooked and lost six fish. Every 
fish as soon as hooked rushed out in deep water 
right toward the boat.. Of course it was im- 
ossible to keep a tight line in a position of this 
sort, and with plenty of slack, fish after fish 
would shake out the fly. It was an exasperat- 
ing experience. 
M. H. Stone, of Cambridge, just free from 
his duties at Harvard University, left last week 

for a short trip after trout to Wilson Pond, 
near Moosehead Lake. From there he will go 
o Upper Kezar Lake, near Lovel, Maine, 
spending several weeks with the bass. ; 
Mr. W. Mullen, of Cleveland, Ohio, passed 
through Boston on June 28,°en route for Maine 
and the Provinces. He goes first to the Bel- 
grade Lakes, and then to St. John, N. B., where 
he will take a guide and go up country after 
salmon and trout. HACKLE. 

Anglers’ Club Fly-Casting. 
THE second contest in the season’s series, held 
by the Anglers’ Club of New York, was cast 
off at the Pool, in Central Park, June 26. Mr. 
Walter McGuckin won the cup presented by Dr. 
R. J. Held after defeating Messrs. LaBranche 
and Frazer in the tie, which they cast off after 
the event was finished. 
The conditions called for 5-ounce rods, leaders 
restricted to a length exceeding that of the rod 
by not more than two feet; distance only; time, 
five minutes without deductions for lost fies. ; 
The members arrived just as a heavy electri- 
cal storm was in progress. There was a let-up 
to the heavy downpour, so that the event was 
started, but the showers that followed kept lines, 
rods and casters too wet for good scoring, 
As this was a handicap event, each contestant 
being given an allowance according to his best 
previous casting, Mr. Cave had no chance to 
win. Although an angler all his life, this was 
his first tournament casting. All the committee 
could do was to place him in the 75-foot class, 
and after he had cast, give him an allowance 
according to his score. In the next event he 
will be on equal terms with all contestants. The 
scores, with handicaps: 
Best Allow- Total, 
Cast. ance. Feet. 
GoM. IS slayBranchessce seeeeeee 84 1 85 
Perry JDAMirazer. eee 80 5 85 
Walter MecGuckin Sa8.tasse teens 68 17 85 
R.- J. Heldatcnen, pa eens 80 4 84 
sh as, Racin Oe vee ne eae ai 77 0 77 
Edward [Gave sy scene eee 64 0 64 
Cast-off for first place: 
Walter McGuckin Giaesccesuesenet 6814 17 8514 
GoM. Te RawBranchenk asc. pae . 84 1 85 
Berry) Di eBraveri: caeeee nce ee 78 5 83 
The next contest will be held July ro, at 3:30 
Pos 
Members are making plans for the summer 
with a view to obtaining the best fishing. Those 
who have been trout fishing lately follow : 
G. M. L. LaBranche, Edward B. Rice and. Dr. 
Held fished the upper waters of Lackawaxen 
Creek in Pennsylvania ‘the week of June 17. 
Walter McGuckin devoted several days in the 
previous week to Sullivan county fly-fishing, and 
a week earlier Perry Frazer and his wife fished 
the Broadhead in Pennsylvania. 
Edward F. Todd is at Swartswood Lake, New 
Jersey, fishing for bass. Harold G. Henderson 
is at his Catskill bungalow for the summer. 
Jason G. Lamison has just returned from a fish- 
ing trip in upper New York State. H. B. Leck- 
ler has been in Vermont, trout fishing. 
James D. Smith is fishing in Maine. Charles 
Stepath is stationed in Ulster county for the 
present in his line of duty, and obtains some fly- 
fishing. Gonzalo Poey is in Puerto Rico on busi- 
ness, but will probably have a fishing story to 
bring home. 
I. H. Myers is away on a salmon fishing trip. 
John L. Kirk will leave for the St. Maurice 
River region in Canada during the present week. 
William A. Babson starts on the 6th in- 
stant for Newfoundland, to be gone two months. 
After fishing for salmon and grilse in the west 
coast streams, he will embark on a small schooner 
and cruise along the coast of Labrador, stopping 
at many of the best points for salmon fishing. 

Hearing in Fishes. 
NEw York, June 17.—Editor Forest and 
Stream: I,was amused in-reading the remarks 
of a correspondent in one of the daily papers 
yesterday. He says on one occasion he visited 
a farmer who owned a carp pond formed by 
building a dam across a ravine. He watched 
the farmer throw bread into the pond, then ring 
a cowbell, and after a time carp came from all 
directions and ate the bread. From this he con- 
cludes that the carp heard the ringing of the 
bell and knew it meant feeding time. 
Inconclusive experiments of this sort are 
often taken as»proof that fish can hear. The im- 
pression on careless readers of this statement 
may be that the sound of the bell was heard by 
the carp, when as a matter of fact the carp may 
have been attracted by the appearance of the 
farmer on the dam, and noticed the Waving of 
his arms in tossing bread on the water and in 
ringing the bell. . 
A, great many years ago Livingston Stone, the 
eminent fish culturist, conducted a long series 
of experiments for the purpose of ascertaining 
whether or not trout can hear. He tells (in 
“Domesticated Trout”) of ringing a bell close 
to ponds in which were trout, and says that if 
the trout saw the motions of arm and bell, they 
were frightened away. If they did not they paid 
no attention to the bell, nor did firing a revolver 
immediately over them have any effect. He also 
experimented with a bell as a signal to the trout 
of the feeding hour, but asserts that the trout 
answered the signal with equal alacrity after he 
had removed the clapper from the bell. 
In a small way I have satisfied myself that 
fish do not actually hear sounds coming from 
above water. I have also satisfied myself that, 
even if they can hear, that sense is of no- value 
to them in relation to sounds coming from above 
the surface of the water. If one dives into the 
water he cannot hear the voice of a companion 
who calls to him from above the surface; at 
least I have never done so. But let that com- 
panion strike two stones together under the 
water and one feels the irritating clicking, even 
if he does not ‘hear it, and his nerves, or ear 
drums, cannot stand it very long. Perhaps the 
fishes are .even more sensitive than we are to 
under-water sounds or jars. 
As another illustration of the means by which 
it is possible the fishes are warned, take the 
case of a person who is stone deaf. If you tap 
the floor near him he will at once ask, “What 
was that?” in a startled tone, as if the thing 
were important; when, as a fact, you may not 
have noticed the sound yourself: showing that 
his sense of feeling has been highly developed 
and in a measure makes up for the loss of his 
sense of hearing. It may be that’ the fishes are 
still more sensitive to shock transmitted from 
earth to water. 
At any rate the subject is ever an interesting 
one. Vee: 



