
i i 

JuLy 6, 1907.] 
PORES AND? S'LREAM. 

of heavy handline, one leader six feet in length, 
the other twelve or more. No swivels below 
the ring would be necessary. To each leader 
attach a tuna hook with the usual bait. To the 
end. of the longer leader, say a foot above the 
hook, attach three or four feet. of ordinary 
cotton twine with a stone or piece of iron for 
a sinker. 
As the bait is lowered carefully to the bot- 
tom, the sinker will hold the long leader against 
the current, while the tide, which is nearly al- 
ways quite strong on the jewfish grounds, will 
carry the other bait eighteen or twenty feet 
away. This separates the two hooks so far that 
the one fish is not apt to pick up both, though 
he might; and with two baits so separated a 
fisherman has a better chance of getting one 
strike, even if he does not get two. 
When a strike comes the cotton twine will 
part, freeing line from sinker, and as the first fish 
moves off slowly a second may strike, and, if 
hooked, both would be landed, for the jewfish 
is too clumsy to part the leaders or straighten 
the hooks as the tuna do. In all probability 
two big jewfish would exhaust each other very 
speedily, thereby saving the angler a lot of work 
and his tackle wear and tear. 
ARTHUR JEROME Eppy. 
Mr. Samuels’ Trout. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I noticed in Forest AND STREAM for June 22 
a communication from a correspondent at Mil- 
ford, N. S., in which he questions the identity 
of a brace of trout which I wrote of as having 
been captured by me in the Liverpool River. 
As he says he never heard of any brown trout 
being planted in those waters, the inference is 
that my veracity is questioned. 
Unfortunately, I cannot prove the identity of 
the fish at this late date, but I can perhaps 
throw a little light on the matter and enable 
Dr. Breck to do some investigating and per- 
haps obtain facts in relation to the fisheries, of 
Nova Scotia, of which he is now ignorant. My 
residence in that Province was quite prolonged. 
li my old friend, L. S. Ford, who was for a 
number of years fisheries inspector for the 
counties of Shelburne, Yarmouth, Digby, An- 
napolis, Queens, Lunenburg and Kings, were 
living, he could, I have no doubt, give all the 
information needed to establish the truth of 
my statement, for his father, who was fishery 
officer, planted a large number of various fry 
in the Liverpool River and Lake system, hav- 
ing, I believe, a hatchery at Milton, Queens 
county. Probably no one man has done more 
to stock the Liverpool River system than did 
the elder Ford. Among these were a great 
number of Atlantic salmon fry, from which, | 
have no doubt, many of the fish which now 
ascend the Liverpool River originated. He also 
put out.in the same water great numbers 
whitefish and trout fry,.some of which, I have 
no doubt, were of the brown trout, but which 
I cannot at the present time prove until an 
examination is made of his books and papers, 
which I believe are now in the possession of my 
brother-in-law, Mr. John M. Ford, who re- 
sides in Queens county, with whom the old 
gentleman lived. 
Now, I dare say Dr. Breck may doubt that 
great numbers of whitefish were ever planted 
in the Liverpool River system, because none of 
the adult fish have ever been taken in those 
waters, just as he doubts the planting of. the 
brown trout fry, but that does not prove that 
the planting was not done. 
As for the -gaminess of the brown trout, I 
confess I am somewhat surprised at the. state- 
ment he makes that the fish “is a logy fellow 
compared with fontinalis, and is far more apt to 
suck the fly in while hardly showing an inch 
of his anatomy,’ for I find among English 
writers from Izaak Walton and Sir Humphrey 
Davy to those of the present day, that the fish 
is spoken of as being gamy, vigorous and a 
strong and plucky fighter. 
EpWARD 
ot 
A. SAMUELS. 
Tue Forest AND STREAM may be obtained from 
any newsdealer on order. Ask your dea'er to 
supply vou regularly. 
In Pennsylvania Waters. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Two days in the year in 
eagerly looked forward to by anglers—April 
15, opening day. for trout, and June 15, the 
day on wiuch all other game fish in the State 
may be legally caught. Although June 15 was 
hot and clear and the water high, thére was a 
rush for the streams and lakes and varying de- 
grees of success were reported.. However, 
those returning with empty baskets, according 
to all accounts, seem to feel that the fish are 
more abundant than for many years; that high 
water was alone responsible for failure. 
Bass on the nests everywhere were assertions 
made from nearly every part of the State, and 
it is -safe to say that. if the Legislature were 
now in session, there would be a demand to 
make the opening day July 1 instead of June 15. 
The tardiness of the fish in spawning this year 
is confirmed by the superintendents of the State 
hatcheries. In none of the ponds of the De- 
partment of Fisheries was there a single nest 
on the 5th of June. In Wayne county the 
first nest was noticed on the 12th, and at 
Torresdale none had begun to spawn on the 
15th. In the Wayne county lakes the men on 
field work had found no nests on the opening 
day. ; 
While in most sections the catch of bass was 
light, there were a few places where very good 
luck was reported. One man caught fourteen 
large bass from Neshaminy Creek, according 
to Fish Warden Nesley, and goéd fishing was 
reported on the Perkimen. The Schuylkill also 
yielded many good fish. Fair sport was had 
on the North Branch of the Susquehanna, and 
many fine bass were captured from the Cono- 
doguinet, a tributary of the lower Susquehanna. 
There is every reason to believe .that when 
the water gets in good condition, there will be 
good bass fishing if the giggers do not get in 
their deadly work first. 
In Pennsylvania, the sunfish is legally 
as a game fish, and the season is the 
for black bass. This fish is high in favor 
Pennsylvania are 
classed 
same 
among 
as 

the anglers in Lebanon, Berks, Montgomery, 
Chester and contiguous counties. Here it is 
regarded almost as highly as brook trout. 
There are fishermen who boast. that they only 
fish regularly for trout and sunfish. Some very 
large catches of sunfish were reported, among 
them quite a number of bluegills or Lake Erie 
sunfish, showing that this largest and_ finest 
species is being successfylly established by the 
Yepartment of Fisheries. 
While the bass fishermen are rejoicing in the 
lawful pursuit of their favorite game, the trout 
fishermen are hunting their favorite with great 
success in the mountain and meadow streams. 
There is no cessation of the good reports. -In- 
deed, they increase in emphasis as the season 
advances. A Tioga county man who two years 
ago doubted the stories of increase, at least in 
his county, recently exclaimed to the writer 
that the streams of his county are literally alive 
with trout, and he said the prospects for the 
future were. even brighter than now. Columbia 
county streams are showing up well this sea- 
son, and one of the lucky fishermen in that 
region was James O'Donnell, of Centralia, a 
mine inspector, who recently caught his limit 
of fifty, all of which were more than the legal 
limit in size. 
Anglers are bemoaning the apparent increase 
of brown trout, or as it is called in many ot 
the counties, California trout. to the great con 
fision of the authorities. The Lackawaxen. in 
Wayne county, is one of. the streams in which 
this fish seems to-be gaining nearly firm a 
foothold as in Paradise Valley Creek in Monroe 
county. The commissioner of fisheries recently 
while fishing that. stream had five large brown 
trout in a basket of twenty-two fish. Piney 
Creek, in Blair county to-day, it is said, contains 
more brown than brook trout, and fishermen say 
that the brooks are being driven out. A five- 
pounder was caught in Crawford county a few 
days ago by a schoolboy. Of course in all this 
honey of good fishing there must be a drop of 
bitter, and that bitter appears to be in Fayette 
county. Reports from there have been uniformly 

as 































































































1g 





poor, at least fish of legal size. Fish under six 
inches seem extremely plentiful. Morgan Run, 
which was formerly a fine trout stream, is said 
to-day to be nearly depleted, and it is believed 
by illegal fishermen. 
The Department of Fisheries a few days ago 
made an announcement which caused much chee 
ful excitement throughout the State. by announc 
ing that it would be able to fill all the applica 
{iol made for bass to June 1; that in all the 
hatchery ponds, with the exception of Torres 
dale, the bass were spawning or on the bed 
lf present plans are carried out in another year 
Pennsylvania should have more bass hatching 
ponds than any State in the Union t has to 
day one pond an acre in extent at Wayne, on 
of. three-fourths of an acre at Union City, one 
of the same size at Conneaut Lake, and one of 
about half an. acre at Spruce Crec and one of 
the same size at Torresdale. Under the plan 
just announced there is to be one of four acres 
yuilt at Wayne, another of the same size at Con 
neaut Lake, one of five acres at Spruce Creek, 
and another of five acres at Union City. 
The department also evidently intends not t 
ye satisfied with the enormous output of 652, 
000,000 fish which it recorded this year, because, 
according to a statement given out on the roth, 
here is to be one large hatching house built at 
Conneaut Lake, one hatching house equipped 
with jars at Spruce Creek, another at the sam¢ 
station for brook trout, a large house for ja 
hatching at ‘Wayne, and the trout house at the 
Same station doubled in size. When the battery 
hatching houses are completed the jar capacity 
of the department will be increased by nearly 
1,500 jars, each capable of holding four quarts 
and a pint of eggs. The Legislature, which re- 
cently adjourned, provided for the department 

very liberally, allotting it $146,000, of which $90,- 

ooo is for hatchery work, $4,000 for gathering 
wild eggs, and $6,000 for a sea-going tug for 
Lake Erie. 
Governor Stuart on June 17 anneunced the re 
appointment of Mr. Meehan as fish commissioner 
for another term of four years 
BoNIFACIt 
Bes 
A San Francisco Souvenir. 
James N. Mackin, of Seattle, Wash., sailed 
from San Francisco for Honolulu on June 11 
on a business trip which will eventually take 
him to Japan, China, the East Indies, South 
Africa and England, thence to New York. Whil 
in New York city, preparing for his journey, re- 
cently, he stated that he was that 
his steamer trunk was enough to accom 
modate his fly-rods, for he means to try the fish 
ing in various countries if business 
ments will permit, 
‘areful to se¢ 
large 
his engage- 




Mr Mackin had a pe culiar experi nee in the 
San Francisco fire. He arrived in the bay on a 
steamboat, on his return from a brief trout fish 
ing trip, about two hours after the earthquake 
Ie had with him his trout rod and a suit case 
containing some fishing clothes The case he 
eft on the boat, but the rod he would not trust 
in other hands than his own He hurried up 
town to find his home burned and his wife, as 
he believed, among the dead For three days 
1e searched incessantly for her. All this time 
1e tramped from group to group of refugees, 
searching and hoping that he might find her. 
And the rod he clung t@ as persistently. Now 
and then the soldiers put him to work in the 
ruins. Te lined up with others at the food 
stations and slept in the parks. All manner of 

fun.was poked at the ragged, dust-begrimed man 
carrying the fly-rod; but to all’he said that this 
rod represented all he possessed in this world, 
and he would not part with it. Mrs. Mackin 
he found by accident in Qakland three days after 
the earthquake, and they began life anew, with 
an old suit of clothes and the fly-rod that Mr 
Mackin is taking with him on his trip around 
the globe. She saved nothing from the fire. 
The new edition of the Game Laws in Brief, 
dated June 15, contains amendments of the laws 
of thicty-nine States, Territories and Provinces. 

