Mat fl, 1886.] FOREST AND STREAM. 287
kind of a side winder on him, an' I'll astonish, him so he'll
forgit all about that patch o' musrat grass he's a steerin' fur,"
and as the boat was yanked in the desired direction the side
winder changed his course up the lake, and under a stubborn
pull be was gradually worked up to within reach of the gaff.
"Ef it aiut a durned snake" (one of several names for
pickerel), said Ben in disgust, "but it's good enough fur the
Joneses, speshally when they're about out o' meat," and as
he was led a little nearer a well directed stroke of the gaff
lifted him in the boat, and a scientific whack with the
"pickerel club," administered by Ben with a precision ac-
quired by much practice, put an end to his "proclivities fur
sunfish," as he put it. It was a handsomely marked fish of
near seven pounds, but a trifle lacking in game qualities, and
Ben did not feel much glorified over the capture.
Fifty yards further along the grass belt he astonished
another smaller one by "unjintin' his jaw," and as he smote
his head with the club he remarked gravely, "More brain
food for the Joneses," and as the hook was released with a
dextrous twitch, "We kin stan' a heap of it."
"Curious," he went on, as tie passed his hook carefully
through the jaws of a fresh live frog, threw it overboard,
and let fifty or sixty feet of line run off the reel, "that some
people hev an idee'that eatin' plenty o' fish makes brains fur
"cm. Now my notion is that sich people as them don't hev
much more brains to start with than a mud turkle, an' the
more fish they eat the less they know. I rasseled with a fish
diet myself a good many years ago till the scales begun to
sprout out on me an' then 1 let up on it fur fear I'd turn into
a suckermoojen, but I've bin eatin' more or less of 'em ever
sence, an' I don't see that I'm a durned bit smarter'n I was
before I cornered the fish market. I eat fish now 'cause I
like 'em, but I don't take any stock in 'em as brain food.
An' besides," here he turned the click on his reel, laid the
rod carefully down with the tip pointing over the stern, and
after some difficulty in lighting the brier root, repeated, "an'
besides, there's plenty o' grub that's more sustainin' than
fish, sich as beans an' corned beef, an' taters an' side meat,
et settery ; an' speakin' o' plain vittels—that was a daisy
batch o' corn bread Al baked fur us this mornin'."
After a long pause, during which he puffed meditatively
at his "source o' comfort." and gazed abstractedly at the belt
of bulrushes along which we were passing, he faced around
with, "Whenever I eat corn bread it reminds me of a 'coin-
cidence'—as blessed old Dick M. would say— that happened
to me once away down in Texas, an' ef ye don't mind hearin'
it, anil let me spell ye awhile at the oars, I'll tell ye about
it jest to kill time till we find a more fishy lookin' streak o'
water than it is along here." Kingfisher.
Cincinnati, Ohio
*^th£ trout of sunapee lake.
Editor Forest and Stream:
I have been much interested in reading the letters lately
published in your valuable paper regarding the large trout of
Sunapee Lake, N. H., and, while I do not pretend to explain
the large size or variety, would beg to say a few words in
the matter. The town of New London, lying on one side of
Sunapee Lake, was my birthplace, and my home for some
twenty-five years. I was for a time engaged in a country
store at George's Mills, and quite well acquainted with many-
people living at Wendel Harbor, both places being at the
upper end of the lake; was also acquainted with some of the
people living along the lake shore, and I can well remember of
hearing from parties at these places about the large trout then
being taken from the lake.
The time to which I refer was now some thirty years ago.
I think at that time and down the lake from George's Mills
trout were taken of weight from six to ten pounds. It is
quite clear to my mind that very large trout have always
lived in Sunapee and also in very many of the smaller lakes,
or ponds, as we used to call them in those days. A case in
point. In New London and within a quarter of a mile of
my home was a most beautiful sheet of water, called, and
rightly, Pleasant Pond. It is about two miles long and about
one mile wide. At the upper end three small brooks came
down through the hills and entered the pond. These streams
were at certain seasons quite well supplied with brook trout,
some of very good size. We used to see sometimes up the
largest of these brooks in the fall of the year some very
large trout, and were told by the older people that there were
in the pond and had always been, trout of immense size,
One July day while crossing the pond with a friend, the
water being smooth as glass, we had got about half the way
across and were resting, our attention was called to the
swallows after the flies on the water, and by seeing one of
the birds caught by something and taken below. I can re-
member that we then thought it must be a big trout that had
caught the bird, and we then decided that we would before
the ice broke up next spring try for trout in deep water with
live bait, I well remember the day in March following, it
being the day of the annual spring election. My chum and
myself, instead of going to "town meeting" with all the rest,
started to try for our trout. Having arrived at what we
thought about the right place, we cut a hole to determine the
depth of water; found it about twenty feet; put on a good
lively minnow and fixed line to bush "set in the ice, letting
down about fifteen feet of line. We then proceeded to cut
holes and set some four more lines, when on looking at the
first one 1 saw the bush was down, and it being a warm,
still day I concluded we had better see what was the matter.
I went to the hole, and looking down saw the line hanging
straight and no motion. Taking hold of it I found there
was a heavy weight on it, drew it up carefully, and into the
hole came the head of a big trout; reached down and got
hold with both hands and threw him out, then threw my
cap and shouted loud and long. My companion coming up
we held a grand war dance around our captive, and decided
to leave the lines set and go up town to show and brag about
our fish, and it was something to brag about, as he weighed
5f pounds, good honest weight, and was in every way a
most splendid fish. It had so completely played itself out
before I got to the line that there was not a motion made
until after I had him out on the ice, and then but very little.
We left our lines until the next day, and on cutting them
out took off one trout of about 2 pounds and a chub of Im-
pounds weight. I have it from those still living near the
same pond that almost every season they get some trout of
very large size. Now without having anything to say
about the particular species of the Sunapee Lake trout under
discussion, I do not doubt but that very large trout have
always existed, not only in Sunapee, but in very many of
the much smaller lakes and ponds in New Hampshire, and
that at the proper time, with all conditions favorable, these
same large 6 to 10 pound trout could have been taken iD
Sunapee for the last seventy years or more.
"Watertown. Wis. S. S. WOODARD.
THE OPENING OF THE TROUT SEASON.
NOT within thirty years has the ice left the Adirondack
lakes as early as it has this spring. Gen. R. U. Sher-
man reported the ice off the Bisby Chain nearly a month
ago. Mr. P. A. Walters, superintendent of the Adirondack
hatchery of the N. Y. Pish Commission, reports that the
oldest inhabitants do not remember an earlier season. Mr.
A. R. Fuller reports Meacham Lake clear of ice and fishing
begun on May 1. All this may mean a longer season for
good fishing, which usually begins in the Adirondacks from
May 15 to June 1.
Prom Maine we learn from Major Lovejoy, of the hotel at
Bethel, that the ice is out of Umbagog Lakes and Richard-
son Narrows, and will be out of the "South Arm before the
1 0th, and that fishermen are going to Middle Dam by
way of Bethel and Upton, while the steamer will move by
the 4th.
Now that New York State has two opening days, one for
Long Island and one for the rest of the State, there has been
no customary display in the markets. The dealers all had
some fish and Mr. Blackford had a few flowers and trim-
mings, but nothing like what he has treated the public to in
previous years, when he has given up his whole business to
show trout from all parts of the country and even from
Europe. He had a lot of sixty live trout from a private
pond on Long Island, twelve of which averaged two pounds
each. At Washington Market, Messrs. Knoll & Prichard
had an exhibit of trout and some paintings of fish by A. Wy-
derveld. At midnight before Saturday there were 10,000
pounds of trout coming into the city by express. They were
mainly from the preserves of Long Island and Rhode Island,
with a few frozen Canadian fish.
The dealers in fishing tackle are very busy fitting out ang-
lers for the woods and in filling orders for country custom-
ers, and all things point to a large catch of trout this season.
FISHING AT NIPISSING.
" H.," Birmingham, Conn., writes for information
\J • about fishing in vicinity of Pembroke,' Ont. We
were up that way last August on a fishing trip, and while we
did not try the fishing there, to judge from our experience
further up the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, we have
no doubt that the fishing a little back from Pembroke is
good. The Ottawa River is several miles wide there, and is
called Allumette Lake. Pembroke are quite a lumber depot,
and a place of considerable business. There are about 3,000
inhabitants, and this is about the last place that contains a
bank (and postal money order office) on the C. P. line till
you get to Winnipeg.
We went directly to North Bay, on Lake Nipissing, and
put in part of one day fishing there. Not very successful,
however, but we "sampled" the pike, bass and "pickerel,"
the latter being in reality pike-perch. There seem to be none
of our common pickerel there, and pike-perch take that name
in that locality. Nipissing is a large lake, forty to fifty
miles long and fifteen to twenty wide. There is good fishing
in this lake in the right season, but a guide to the best places
is necessary. North Bay has five or six hundred people and
is growing. The stores there are very good and campers can
get almost everything requisite, and at reasonable prices.
Prom North Bay we went back four and one-half miles to
Trout Lake, where we went into camp. Trout Lake is one
of the loveliest lakes I was ever on. It is twelve miles long,
with very irregular shores, making innumerable bays and
coves. The water is clear and deep, and there are many
islands of all shapes and sizes. We engaged Dick Jessup,
the only settler living on the lake, as guide, and went down
the lake seven miles and camped on what is called "Big
Camp Island." We came for good fishing and we found it.
And why shouldn't it be good? It is the natural home of
bass, trout, maskalonge, etc., and it has never been netted or
fished to any extent.
We were in just the right time for black bass, and in troll-
ing we could catch all we had a mind to. We were sure of
a strike every few moments, and as one or two fish were all
we could eat in a day, we called the rest "lucky dogs," and
after weighing them, threw them back for some one else to
catch. After a few days we did most of our trolling with a
small spoon, fine silk line and fly-rod, and though more
would get away, the sport was much better. With large
tackle the bass would run from two to five and six pounds,
and plenty of them.
Maskalonge are there, but in August you only get a stray
one now and then. We caught eight, the largest fifteen
pounds (forty-two inches long), the others between five and
fourteen pounds. I caught two or three small maskalonge,
five and six pounds, on a fly-rod (with small spoon), and it
was great sport with such light tackle. We also caught
pike, plenty* of pickerel (pike-perch), the latter were the
most plenty next to the bass.
Lake trout were plenty, but were in deep water while we
were there. The largest we caught weighed ten pounds.
Dick called them "salmon," and they are a beautiful fish and
good eating. Brook trout were plenty in the smaller streams,
but were small and darker colored than those here. We
caught a number of what they call "ling," a new fish to me.
They look to be a cross between a catfish and lamprey eel,
a very repulsive-looking creature. These we did not eat.
We enjoyed fishing for bass with a fly and live bait in a
rocky river. Bass took the fly there better than anywhere
elss. I hooked a large size green frog through one of his
hind legs and tossed him into a deep pool in this river; he
sat there serenely a moment, and as I glanced away there
was a rush and a swirl, the frog was gone ami I had a large
fish hooked. Notwithstanding I handled him with the
utmost care I did not save him, for he bit the wire gimp off
above the hook and was gone. I do not know what kind of
fish it was as I did not see it, but it was a large one.
As for hunting, it is good in the fall ; the law is off Oct.
15, I believe. Deer and moose are quite plenty. We saw
places where the tracks were as thick as in a barnyard ; also
saw tracks and signs of bears. A few weeks before we were
there some Indians were encamped on a little island near our
camp, and they got two moose and three deer, probably by
floating, as we saw the remains of their jack as well as the
hoofs and bones of the moose and deer. They smoked the
meat and "portaged" it out. We think any one going to
that locality would find it a very enjoyable trip. They will
find the Canadian Pacific people pleasant gentlemen, willing
to give any information and to do all they can to make their
journey pleasant. One of the most weighty reasons for our
going to Nipissing, which is directly north of the celebrated
Muskoka region, was the fact that you can reach there from
New York city or almost any point in New England by
losing but one business day; for instance, leave New York
city on Montreal train after business hours (4:30 P. M.) on a
Saturday and arrive at Montreal about 9 Sunday morning.
Leave Montreal Sunday morning about 9 and train reaches
North Bay late that night and you can go into camp Tues-
day. At North Bay stop at Snyder's hotel, which is the
best. Do not expect too much of a town but two years old,
but you will find the people jovial and pleasant. This re-
gion was all a wilderness about two years ago, and settlers
are not very thick yet. R. B. Jessup, of Trout Lake (his
post office is North Bay), has boats and canoes, tent blankets,
etc., and could probably be engaged as guide.
B. AND H.
TARPON FISHING WITH ROD AND REEL.
Editor Forest and Stream:
The tarpon, or silver king as it is commonly called, may
justly be described as a tropical fish, though found in a semi-
tropical climate and waters. In substantiation of this propos-
ition, I may state the fact, whieh came under my own
observation, that the cold snap of last January which did so
much damage throughout the South to the fruit, also killed
or was the immediate cause of the death of thousands of
these fish. I did not visit the scene of this devastation until
about March following; but at that time I counted hundreds
of the carcasses of this fish upon nearly every beach I visited,
stripped of their flesh by the buzzards, hawks, coons and
other animals and birds that seek the shores for their food.
The tarpon are found in nearly all the waters of Southern
and Southwestern Florida and the keys and wateTs of the
Gulf of Mexico, are found in the more southerly portions
thereof, where the waters are warmest, early in the spring
or throughout the winter, and migrate into the more interior
waters as the warm weather approaches, and in summer
swarming in all the rivers and bayous of the Gulf and Flor-
ida coast.
This fish is said to grow to a very large size, though my
own experience did not carry out the fables told of them as
to size and weight. I had the experience of capturing some
eight and of seeing nearly as many-more captured by others,
and of seeing and estimating for myself some ten or twelve
others which I hooked but did not capture; and as a result of
this observation I am led to the belief that from six to seven
feet is about their maximum length and that about 150
pounds would be their maximum weight; both of which
should, and probably would , be quite satisfactory to any of
our expert striped-bass anglers if they could but see, as I
have seen, and feel, as I have felt, them hooked on the ordi-
nary tackle of our striped-bass fishermen.
The tarpon, though cautious and wary, is not timid, and
with ordinary care can easily be induced to take the bait;
and any one at all familiar with what is necessary in cap-
turing the striped bass of our Eastern waters, can readily
hook as many as he can safely take care of, provided he
hooks them well, and by his skill prevents them from get-
ting away. The object of my trip to Florida was to demon-
strate if these fish could be captured with the ordinary tackle
used by our Eastern club fishermen in their pursuit of the
striped bass, and to see if patience, skill and perseverance
could be made successful as against weight, activity, power
and endurance. This I have successfully accomplished, for,
while I haye taken some eight of these monsters, I have used
nothing but my striped-bass tackle, which is of the lightest
kind used by any of the bass fishermen, consisting of Nos. 9
and 12 bass lines, the ordinary full-size bass reels, a light six-
foot split bamboo rod weighing fourteen ounces, and 10-0
knobbed hook, increased one size for convenience, simply
to accommodate an increased size bait.
The mullet used for bait are much larger than our men-
haden, and are used in exactly the same way, and 1 made a
success of chumming as in striped bass fishing, and the only
drawback that I found in the capture of tarpon was in a
proper and suitable snell to stand the action of their iron and
shear-like jaws. Close examination shows the head of this
fish to be a curiosity. The mouth, when closed, resembles
the eagle's beak reversed, and one would be led to suppose
that it was very small, as compared to the size of the fish;
but it possesses a sort of folding power, and when fully
opened it presents a monstrous cavity, quite sufficient to
take in a man's head. The gills are of immense size and
capable of great distention, and when the fish leaps from the
water, as it always does on being hooked, it presents a spec-
tacle at once grand and imposing, and the continuation of
those efforts during the time he has the power to make them,
render this fish and its capture at once an awe and delight.
He leaps from the water when hooked, and with mouth open
and gills distended shakes himself as I have never before
seen any living object do, to rid himself of the hook, and in
a majority of cases, sooner or later succeeds.
1 have had them, as I supposed, securely
-hooked, and,
after hnlf an hour's tussle, when I thought them nearly cap-
tured, have had them make a rush and take line enough
from me to get sufficient headway to leap from the water
and by one of those tremendous shakes throw line, bait and
hook ten feet in the air and then gracefully move away. In
some cases I have had them leap from the water, from one
to .six feet clear, thirteen times before they lost power to do
so, after which many attempts to leap would end in their
getting only part way out of the water.
The brilliancy of the spectacle of this fish, with a head
completely covered with a coat of the most brilliant pearl,
and the sides from the gill down covered with frosty silver,
leaping six feet out of the water, far enough to allow the
turning of a complete somersault, and repeating this momen-
tarily, must be seen to be appreciated, for it cannot be
accurately or effectively described—it is awe-inspiring and
sublime. The notion which is entertained by some English
sporting journals, that to capture fish of more than two and
a half pounds' weight to the pound of tensile strength of
line, has in this experience been entirely exploded ; for in my
captures a fish weighing 125 pounds has been captured by a
line having a tensile strength of less than twenty
-five pounds
;
this is five to one instead of two and one-half to one.
Punta Rassa, Fla,, and the adjacent waters of the coast of
West Florida, were the field of my operations, though other
waters of the Gulf abound with these fish. To reach the
waters of this beautiful giant of the deep is not difficult, and
the accommodations, though in most places plain, are com-
fortable, and where I had the good fortune to go I found the
attendance good. The fishing is done from boats, and in not
very deep water.
The flesh of the tarpon is good to eat, and I am informed
that in some cases the beautiful scales are manufactured into
very handsome and pleasing jewelry ornaments. A pre-
served specimens of the largest of my captoes can be seen at
Edward vom Hofe's, 97 Fulton street, New York.
Biixy Bowlegs,
Punta Rassa, Fla., April 1?.