

FOREST AND STREAM. 


[DEc. 14, 1907. 







Two Wily 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Two large black bass lived under a launch, 
which was anchored in a large lake in front of 
a summer hotel in Putnam county, New York. 
Every one with Sir Izaak Walton’s instincts 
was furnished with amusement all summer, try- 
ing to induce these fish to bite. They tried 
early and late and used all kinds of bait, as well 
but none was successful. But 
there was a fisherman living in the immediate 
vicinity that had not tried his luck on these fish. 
The proprietor of the hotel met him one day 
and suggested that he come down and try for 
them, telling him of all the efforts that had been 
made to induce the fish to bite. 
The fisherman arrived the next day, about 
mid-day, when every one was at lunch. He had 
his guide row him within long casting distance 
of the launch. He made a cast some distance 
out from the launch. The second cast, in the 
same spot, resulted in a strike and the fish 
leaped out of the water; some one at the hotel 
shouted that he had one of the big fish. Then 
there was a grand rush of summer boarders to 
the dock, many of them enjoying the fight, and 
others jumping into their fishing boats and 
making for the launch. 
After the gentleman landed his fish, he rowed 
to the shore to gratify some friends who wished 
to see the fish. He looked back and saw ten 
or twelve boats fishing around the launch, every 
angler desirous of getting the other fish. He 
was requested to go and have another try at 
the other big fish, but he was anxious himself 
to see some one else hook the other fish, and 
remained in his boat and took his lunch; but 
in about an hour, when some of the other fisher- 
men had tired of trying, he had his guide row 
him out, taking the same position as before, and 
on the second cast he hooked the fish. There 
was a general exclamation of astonishment 
from the gallery, that he had the other fish. 
After having a fine fight, he landed it and went 
ashore. ; 
Both the fish were weighed in the presence of 
the other fishermen. The first weighed five 
pounds, the second weighed five and one-half 
pounds. It took just four casts and two 
medium-sized tiger frogs to induce those fish 
to bite. ‘ f 
The above story is told for the benefit of the 
fishermen who fish to no purpose. There were 
many men fishing for those fish and using the 
same kind of bait as that with which they were 
caught. The gentleman who caught those two 
fish knew the ground well, where the fish were, 
and by the proper manipulation of his bait suc- 
ceeded where the others failed. 
Just ten feet outside of the launch was a patch 
of high grass coming nearly to the top of the 
water, and the frogs were cast right over this 
grass. They naturally made an effort to hide 
themselves in this grass. The fish, seeing them 
trying to hide themselves, made a rush for 
them. Every fisherman knows that a bass will 
take a bait that is trying to get away from him, 
many times when de does not want it, and there- 
by is caught. 
It is the practice of this fisherman to do all 
his fishing with the tiger frog, casting around 
shores and endeavoring to make the frog act 
perfectly natural in the water. He never uses 
a tired or injured frog, but takes him off the 
as artificial, 

hook and puts him in a box that he has for such 
frogs. After a day’s fishing he turns these frogs 
loose in a swamp, giving them a chance to 
breed. He has used as many as thirty-three 
hundred frogs in a month. This great number 
of frogs is accounted for by the treatment they 
receive, only using a frog.once. He returns 
each day with from six to ten fine bass, never 
taking any fish under a pound and a half. 
A SPORTSMAN. 
[The number of frogs referred to being so 
large, we asked the writer if it was correct, and 
he replied that the angler referred to “uses 150 
frogs each day when alone, and when some 
friend goes with him it is 200 to 250 frogs per 
day. He stands in the boat casting from 8 o’clock 
until 1, then a half hour for lunch, then he re- 
sumes and continues until 5 and in some in- 
stances until 6 o’clock; six days in the week, rain 
or shine; in fact, the rainy days have proved his 
best days for casting. 
“It has been very hard to make any fisher- 
man believe the number of frogs used by this 


MR. MANN AND HIS PRIZE, 
gentleman, unless he takes a trip with him. In 
some instances he only makes one or two casts 
with a frog and if it does not act in his judg- 
ment right he takes it off the hook and puts it 
in the ‘hospital’ to be turned loose at night. 
“The care of so many frogs, especially in very 
hot weather, is very important. They should 
be in a large box with some long grass in the 
box to prevent them from mashing each other. 
The grass should be changed once a day and 
they should be watered three or four times a 
day, depending upon the weather, and should 
never be exposed to severe wind, as it dries their 
skin and makes them dopy. 
“The reserve supply of frogs is kept in a large 
place with enough water, so that they can hop 
in and out to keep their skin moist.’””—Ep1rTor. ] 

BREAKFAST IN CAMP 
is nothing without coffee, and coffee is nothing 
without Cream. Ordinarily cream is out of the 
question nine times out of ten, but Borden’s 
Peerless Brand Evaporated Milk takes its place 
perfectly and keeps indefinitely until opened. It 
is unsweetened and has the natural cream flavor 
and color.—Adv. 
Two Anglers’ Afternoon. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
“Well, Charlie,” said I one day last summer a 
we strolled out on the porch, “that was a prett 
fair dinner.” 
“All right, De, all right; give me a match 
We'll finish this cigar, loaf around a little, an 
then, as the wind is southwest, go down to th 
south bay.” 
“Let’s walk down to the beach anyway 
Charlie, and finish the smoke there.” 
“It’s a go,” said he, “only there are chair: 
here on the porch; down there—where will wi 
sit, De?” 
“What’s the matter with the boat? That wil 
rock more softly than a beach. I'll row yo 
down around that little island. It’s on the way 
anyhow, and you can try that red fly and strij 
on Jeremiah—funny how no one can hook tha’ 
old bass!” 
“He’s either away or on to the game. See how 
finely the light greens of that swamp gras: 
stand out in contrast with these thick rushes 
Isn’t that hillside view over on the east shoré| 
splendid where it rises in its varied greens 0: 
cedar, oak, maple and ash, springing up sharply| 
from the pebble-fringed shore? It must be 4oc 
feet rise in a quarter of a mile.” 
“Fine, De, fine. There’s always been a subtle| 
charm about the shore line of this Silver Lake—| 
woodsy slopes, and the natural terraces of that 
east hill side, the open vista of that north bay 
that full bank of color, those rich greens where) 
the rushes bank thickly several hundred yards 
out, with the glint of delicate neutral lilac tint 
of the water showing here and there among them. 
Just note those three or four dragon flies perched 
on that reed to the right of you. How daintily 
they sit there. See the matchless bright purple 
of their bodies and wings. How charming the 
color seems against the green. I'll just try a 
cast that way; it’s about ninety feet I should say.’ 
“Ah! ha! De,” he continued, “you might get 
that net ready. Steady, my fine fellow, steady. 
That’s right; play .circus. Come up again; the 
spring of the rod will hold you. Couldn’t shake 
your head, could you? Come up again, do: it’s) 
fine to see the scarlet curve of your gills out-| 
lined against the sheen of your body. Well, take 
a run out, if you like; there’s line enough for 
you. Oh! tired a little, are you? All right. 
Come my way a little; come along, come along.” 
“This net’s on the water here toward the bow,| 
Charlie,” I said; “lead him in. Pretty, isn’t} 
he? Oh, I judge a pound. He’s legal anyway,| 
far beyond the twelve inch law. 
“Notice that brown fly over to the left, Charlie! 
Pretty good match for some of your brown! 
hackles. Ah, what a dainty butterfly that was;| 
did you see? Hello! doing business, eh. Keep) 
right at it. Well, somersault, if you care to; the 
water will catch you. Charlie, this rod that! 
Harry built for me is a dream. See it sway and) 
quiver. The curves are as graceful as one can| 
imagine. See him go. See him go. No, my 
beauty; not in those reeds. You might tie your-| 
self up and shake off. Come over this way in 
the open. Now, up you come. Jump high and| 
shake the water drops off until you make a rain-| 
bow—going to sound and sulk, eh? Now don’t; 
it’s nicer to play circus. Coming up again? The| 
rod will hold you. Rush away. Come in a little| 
closer; there’s a grayish filmy net here you can 
dart into. Ah! in you go; pound and a half you 
say, Charlie?” 
“Well, De, there’s several on this string and 
the sun is getting over that large elm on the 
northwest shore. There goes the bell for supper. 
It sounds mellow, that cheery call coming over 
the water.” 
“Were you fishing this afternoon, Mr. Pfau- 
schmidt?” asked a lady at the landing. 


