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Book .P7 
 
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 COEXBIGHT DEPOSIR 
 
FISHCRAFT 
 
FISHCRAFT 
 
 A TREATISE ON 
 
 FRESH WATER FISH 
 AND FISHING 
 
 With Comments on the Haunts and Characteristics 
 
 of the Principal Game Fishes and Food 
 
 Fishes, Modes of AngHng for Them, 
 
 Suitable Tackle, Etc. 
 
 WILL WILDWOOD, .1 P€.l ^ ^ 
 Author of "Handbook for Sportsmen", Etc. 
 
 )K 
 
 Sfortsma> 's Digest 
 
 Cincinnati, Ohio 
 
 1922 
 
sv^ 
 
 A^' 
 
 :?^ 
 
 Copyright, 1922 
 Sportsman's Digest 
 All Rights Reserved 
 
 JUL 31 "22 
 
 ©cufiRiajis 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Foreword 1 
 
 Fresh Water Fishing 3 
 
 Early Angling Lessons 5 
 
 Home Fishing Waters 14 
 
 Nomenclature : Game and Food Fishes 19 
 
 The Salmon 25 
 
 Land-Locked' Salmon 33 
 
 The Brook Trout 36 
 
 Rainbow Trout 45 
 
 Other Salmon and Trout 48 
 
 The Black Basses 56 
 
 The Grayling 63 
 
 The Mascalonge, or Muskallonge 68 
 
 Pike and Pickerel 73 
 
 Other Game and Food Fishes 80 
 
 How to Make Artificial Flies 102 
 
 How to Cast a Fly 107 
 
 Still Fishing Ill 
 
 Pier Fishing 116 
 
 Fishing Through the Ice 120 
 
 Hints to Fresh Water Anglers 125 
 
 Selected Lines'. . .'\\ .-L l\ . . „> 136 
 
FOREWORD 
 
 TT may be well to explain, by way of 
 "■■ brief introduction, in presenting 
 this little brochure on fresh water fish 
 and fishing to the attention of Amer- 
 ican anglers, that it is not the pur- 
 pose of the author and publishers to 
 rival any of the excellent works here- 
 tofore published on this subject, nor 
 to attempt giving anything in the 
 nature of a thorough treatise covering 
 all the many angles and points of in- 
 terest concerning the art, and the 
 various species of the finny family 
 which are pursued for sport. Able 
 as well as entertaining authors, from 
 the time of good old Izaak Walton 
 down to the present day, have done 
 justice to the subject, not only as to 
 the art of angling and the denizens of 
 brook, river and lake, but also with 
 reference to each of the game fishes, 
 individually. 
 
 To attempt to give a more complete 
 or comprehensive work on fresh 
 water fishing than any that has ever 
 appeared would be presumptuous and 
 
2 Fisher aft 
 
 beyond bounds of reason. The in- 
 tention, therefore, is to give, in con- 
 densed form, a concise Httle book for 
 ready reference, convenient in size for 
 the pocket, and containing, it is 
 hoped, some interesting comments 
 worth the attention of the reader, 
 whether at his fireside or whiHng away 
 a few moments of leisure time in the 
 welcome shade of forest trees, near the 
 waters where game fish lurk. 
 
 For the brief poetical selections 
 prefacing the chapters descriptive of 
 the various game fishes, thanks are 
 due to those masters of the craft — 
 notably the poet-sportsman, Isaak 
 McLellan — who possessed the abil- 
 ity to cast their lines, whether of the 
 rod or the pen, in pleasant places and 
 in alluring manner. 
 
 Will Wildwood. 
 
FRESH WATER FISHING 
 
 "A taper rod, a slender line, 
 
 A bait to tempt the fishes, 
 And in the shade of oak or pine 
 One may the wicked world resign 
 
 And all its sinful wishes." 
 
 "A gamy fight, a landed prize, 
 
 Perhaps a bass to m.ention, 
 And tho' the world may advertise 
 'Twill never out of art devise 
 
 A parallel invention." 
 
 "Oh wearied souls that sigh for peace 
 And search the town, e'er failing, 
 Here is unwatered bliss to lease. 
 With interest begging to increase — 
 And sou'west winds prevailing." 
 
 "DEYOND doubt the fresh water 
 anglers greatly outnumber the 
 devotees of salt water fishing. This is 
 due in part to the fact that the vast 
 majority of those fond of sport with 
 rod and line find it easy to reach 
 near-by lakes and streams, and 
 brooks where the trout hide, while the 
 ocean shores of the Atlantic and Pa- 
 cific are" far distant from the homes 
 of the great host of rodsters residing 
 in the interior region of this country 
 of "magnificent distances." When 
 
4 Fishcraft 
 
 the trout brook or the bass lake Hes 
 within a short distance, and a day's 
 anghng may be had with Httle effort 
 and very Ught expense, it naturally 
 follows, even though the lure of the 
 sea and surf be irresistible to that 
 portion of the Waltonian fraternity 
 possessing the financial ability to 
 gratify the desire, the multitude must 
 be content in taking the fishes of the 
 inland waters. 
 
 Natural preference for fresh water 
 fishing is a deciding factor in many 
 cases where anglers have tried both 
 the sea fishing and the sport of casting 
 for game fishes of the interior. There 
 is a charm in the infinite variety of 
 scenery, the activity of the pastime, 
 whether it be along some cool, rippling 
 brook, or in a light-running fishing 
 boat on the deep blue waters of the 
 lake, that appeals to countless thou- 
 sands of enthusiastic fishemen and 
 the fair devotees of the sport as well, 
 for it is logical that the gentle sex 
 should find the gentle art of angling 
 a suitable recreation for leisure hours 
 and healthful outings. 
 
EARLY ANGLING LESSONS 
 
 T^HE country boy and the lad of the 
 small village, while lacking some 
 of the advantages of the youth living 
 in the city, should realize that the op- 
 portunities for out-door recreation in 
 field and -forest, and the lake and 
 stream, are priceless in bringing 
 health and vigor; delightful in giving 
 sport unattainable to the juvenile of 
 a large city — if he would go beyond 
 the local parks — except through 
 considerable expense of time and 
 money. The country lad of the pres- 
 ent time is not obliged, as a rule, to 
 resort to the primitive tackle, the oft- 
 mentioned bent pin, thread line, and 
 alder pole of other days. Fishing 
 tackle of simple yet serviceable form 
 may be purchased at such small ex- 
 pense that the boy who takes his first 
 lessons of the running brook, and the 
 school of fishes, need not lack an 
 outfit of modern make. 
 
 Probably, on the smaller farms, 
 there are many of the hardy little lads 
 
6 F is he raft 
 
 who "play hookey" as did those of 
 earher generations, but the average 
 parents of our time are more lenient 
 than those of long ago, when the rod 
 of birch was too often applied with- 
 out mercy to the youthful angler on 
 his return from using a rod — not 
 much heavier — of hickory or birch 
 at the brook, fishing for chubs and 
 shiners. Now, the "barefoot boy with 
 cheek of tan" is usually given per- 
 mission to go a-fishing occasionally, 
 and "his ,turned-up pantaloons, and 
 his merry whistled tunes" serve to 
 give the true local semblance of rural 
 recreation, celebrated in song and 
 story. Comparatively few fathers of 
 farmer boys adopt the old adage, 
 "spare the rod and spoil the child," 
 as interpreted by stern parents of the 
 olden time. More freedom is the rule 
 in these progressive days, and the 
 fond father is more likely to spare 
 money to buy the rod — with other 
 tackle — for use in fishing. 
 
 Nothing in later life can bring the 
 thrill of joy, of exultation, that comes 
 to the young disciple of Walton when 
 
Fisher aft 7 
 
 hooking and landing his first fish. It 
 may be merely a fingerling, suitable 
 in size for bait in catching a real game 
 fish, but the scientific cast and catch 
 of the salmon fisher can never awaken 
 in him such ecstacy, such keen excite- 
 ment, 'as that of the boy who has just 
 brought to land his first finny prize 
 from the brook with a jerk of the fish- 
 ing rod, strong enough to throw the 
 wriggling minnow into the grass far 
 behind him. With heart and hands 
 trembling under the thrill of victory 
 the fisher-boy pounces upon his prey, 
 grasps it with firm grip to prevent the 
 possibility of escape, and with diffi- 
 culty restrains the impulse to hasten 
 home, that he may exhibit to a proud 
 family circle the proof of his skill as 
 an angler. In after years the veteran 
 of the angling fraternity looks back 
 upon early lessons and their enjoy- 
 ment, and feels that "those were the 
 happy days." 
 
 Careful instruction in minnow- 
 fishing is not one of the things to be 
 considered, but words of warning to 
 avoid falling into one of the deeper 
 
8 Fisher aft 
 
 pools, in the great excitement of the 
 sport, may, if heeded, prevent an in- 
 voluntary plunge of perhaps serious 
 consequence. Experience is the real 
 teacher, and the errors caused by boy- 
 ish zeal are overcome by degrees ; yet 
 the calmer achievements of cool cal- 
 culation are not, after all, equal to the 
 first success, followed, perhaps, by the 
 very first home run in the boy's sport- 
 loving career. 
 
 If fortune favors the beginner so 
 greatly that he can take his primary 
 lessons along a trout stream, the de- 
 velopment is, of course, more rapid 
 and the joy of learning far beyond 
 that of a continuous early course in 
 catching other small fishes of the 
 brook — the little rill being the natu- 
 ral kindergarten for fishers — lake 
 and river fishing to follow later, on the 
 principle of safety first. The presence 
 of a parent as "guide, counselor and 
 friend," is desirable, in order to pre- 
 vent serious accident where deep 
 pools exist, and fortified first by the 
 advice, then rewarded when success- 
 ful by the approval of an elder angler, 
 
Fishcraft 9 
 
 the little novice has seemingly noth- 
 ing else to wish except the triumph 
 of often making a catch. As the les- 
 sons go on the fraternal spirit exceeds 
 the paternal, possibly, on the part of 
 the tutor on the fishing stream. 
 
 Even during these days of the pri- 
 mary course there are incidental hints 
 and helps to be given, and on the 
 other hand, the elder angler will, at 
 times, be surprised and delighted to 
 find that his pupil has discovered 
 some more or less important thing 
 concerning the fishes not known to the 
 preceptor — perhaps a peculiarity in 
 the habits, or a trait of an individual 
 fish, overlooked by the preceptor. The 
 pleasure of teaching the tutor is some- 
 thing not permitted in any other 
 school of learning, but in the fellow- 
 craft of fishing such familiarity does 
 not breed contempt — far from it, if 
 properly offered. 
 
 To treat or teach of trouting is not 
 always possible in the school of pis- 
 catory. Many, indeed most begin- 
 ners, must learn their lines and run 
 the scale in studying the common 
 
10 Fisher aft 
 
 fishes, and casting about, so to 
 speak, for the lowly dace, the humble 
 bullhead, or others not even remotely 
 allied with any of the royal families 
 of fishdom. To begin at the bottom 
 will, after all, bring wider range of 
 knowledge, and a simple shiner is like 
 a flash of silver in the stream, worth 
 more than a silver dollar to the boy 
 as a first finny trophy, and who shall 
 say that the bullhead battling against 
 capture is not a fish well worth taking. 
 True, the homely bullhead bores to- 
 ward the bottom instead of leaping 
 upward out of the water in his 
 struggle, but there is real excitement 
 for the juvenile fisher in landing him, 
 and something to be learned thereby. 
 On the larger streams and the lakes 
 the lessons become more varied and, 
 to the keen devotee of the art of an- 
 gling, far more attractive than those 
 followed in casting the lines for any 
 of the smaller denizens of the brook 
 
 — the trout excepted. Fishing for 
 perch is an excellent pastime, and the 
 smaller members of the bass family 
 
 — the crappie or strawberry bass^ the 
 
Fishcrajt 1 1 
 
 rock bass, yellow bass, etc. — all af- 
 ford good sport. Then there are the 
 various species of pike and pickerel, 
 sometimes of large size ; the pike- 
 perch or wall-eyed pike, the black bass 
 of popular favor, and many other iish 
 of lesser note, yet eagerly sought for 
 and making the spice of variety in 
 fresh water fishing, alluring alike to 
 novice and expert. 
 
 Pleasant memories of boyhood fish- 
 ing days are recalled in the practical 
 lines written by Isaac McLellan, the 
 poet-sportsman, under the title of 
 "The Little Sunfish of the Brook," 
 a poem so realistic that the veteran 
 angler will find therein a pen-picture 
 of his own youthful sport with rod 
 and line: 
 
 "I remember those gay dawnings when life was 
 fresh and new, 
 
 The rising mist above the vale, the skies of 
 heavenly blue, 
 
 The old embowering groves kiss'd by the new- 
 born day. 
 
 The dew-wet twinkling grass, the wayside wild- 
 flowers gay. 
 
 I remember well the footpaths that to the brook- 
 let led, ■ 
 
 The hazel-copse that o'er the lane a leafy arbor 
 spread ; 
 
12 Fisher aft 
 
 The meadows rolling far their billowy waves of 
 
 green, 
 The upland pasture-lands, the valleys so serene, 
 And dearest spot, the little brook that runs so wild 
 
 a race, 
 Its pebbles white, its yellow sand, its merry, 
 
 dimpled face. 
 
 And here my little hazel rod was swinging above 
 
 the brook. 
 The line was cast in rippling whirl or in the 
 
 shaded nook ; 
 For here the spangled sun-fish were tenants of 
 
 the pool. 
 Now darting singly in their play, now swarming 
 
 in a school. 
 
 It may be that the angler, equipped with tackle 
 
 fine. 
 With silver reel and bamboo rod, and woven- 
 
 silken line. 
 Who takes the springing brook trout and sea bass 
 
 by the score ; 
 Or brings to gaff the salmon, along the ocean 
 
 shore. 
 Hath joy ineffable, and vast success to boast. 
 At Adirondack lakes, or Labrador's pale coast. 
 
 But never may his victories, at brook or salty tide, 
 
 Yield joy like that of boyhood, such glory and 
 such pride, 
 
 Such transports as enchant him, beside the wood- 
 land stream. 
 
 His spoil the little sunfish, his pride the yellow 
 bream. 
 
 Ah, never was such glory, such ecstasy of bliss, 
 Or such delicious rapture, such triumphant spoil 
 as this ! 
 
Fisher ajt 13 
 
 When all the grass was spangled, with finny 
 
 leaping gems, 
 Gems strung like precious rubies, on supple willow 
 
 stems. 
 
 They say, my little friend, that the ripple of the 
 
 stream, 
 With thy Vermillion beauty, may no longer gleam. 
 That the golden yellow sides, that shine like 
 
 sunset glow. 
 Or the colors intermingled in the showery rainbow. 
 May never more be seen where the crystal waters 
 
 glide. 
 The clear pellucid waters that o'er the shallows 
 
 slide. 
 
 They say thou art a pirate, a brigand that doth 
 
 slay 
 The eggs and young of choicer fish that in the 
 
 waters play ; 
 I know not if such charges for outlawry be true, 
 But none the less my sympthies shall ever be 
 
 with you." 
 
HOME FISHING WATERS 
 
 pROBABLY the majority of an- 
 glers overlook the great advan- 
 tage to be gained by the construction 
 of a fish pond, or by converting a Httle 
 lakelet of pure water into a private 
 fish preserve. This is usually thought 
 to be something very expensive, to be 
 afforded only by wealthy anglers and 
 sportsmen, or the large clubs devoted 
 to out-door recreation. As a matter 
 of fact, where natural conditions are 
 favorable, the expense of making a 
 private fish preserve is comparatively 
 small, and it should be borne in mind 
 that when one considers the value of 
 the wholesome fish food thus pro- 
 vided, the outlay will prove a good 
 business investment, without regard 
 to the excellent sport the angler- 
 owner will enjoy, near at hand. This, 
 of course, applies to those fortunate 
 enough to own a farm, or even a few 
 acres of property containing a little 
 lakelet or pond, or a small brook run- 
 ning through the premises. There 
 
Fisher aft 15 
 
 are many such in various portions of 
 the country requiring merely the in- 
 troduction of game and food-iish 
 best adapted to local conditions — 
 the species to be selected ranging from 
 brook trout and black bass, to the 
 ordinary pike or pickerel. 
 
 Where neither brook nor pond ex- 
 ists on the lands, of course the expense 
 and difficulties increase, in some 
 cases to such an extent as to be pro- 
 hibitive, but the aid of irrigation, 
 when applied to this purpose, may 
 overcome seemingly great obstacles, 
 to the advantage of the owner in other 
 respects than the propagation of 
 fishes. A good artesian well, with 
 modern windmill, may be made to 
 supply the necessary water, and the 
 fish pond, when it is completed, can 
 perhaps be supplied with mature fish, 
 carefully caught by net in some 
 nearby waters, and brought to the 
 home preserve in a small tank or a 
 tub, filled with fresh water, replen- 
 ished once or twice enroute, if need 
 be. 
 
 It is, of course, well understood that 
 
16 Fis he craft 
 
 when an artificial fish pond is to be 
 made, it should be constructed so that 
 when complete, it will be as nearly 
 like a natural pond or lake as possi- 
 ble; the nearest imitation to nature 
 always being most successful. Pure 
 water is absolutely essential, espe- 
 cially in preparing a trout pond, or 
 a fish preserve to be stocked with 
 small-mouth black bass ; and careful 
 analysis of the water in which other 
 fishes are to be introduced, compar- 
 ing this with analysis of the waters in 
 which those species are known to 
 thrive, will be helpful in making the 
 experiment. 
 
 Often, during the period of over- 
 flow of rivers in spring-time, large 
 numbers of excellent game fishes and 
 food fishes are carried or swim into 
 the flooded districts adjoining the 
 streams thus inundated, a great per- 
 centage of these becoming land- 
 locked as the waters slowly recede, 
 and finally dying by thousands, to be- 
 come a public nuisance, possibly 
 causing a pestilence, if prompt meas- 
 ures are not taken to prevent. Such 
 
Fisher aft 17 
 
 cases offer the best possible oppor- 
 tunities for securing liberal supplies 
 of mature fish with which to stock 
 the private fish ponds, or restock de- 
 pleted waters in the immediate vi- 
 cinity, and at the same time benefit 
 the general public in two-fold meas- 
 ure. 
 
 The small streams and little lakes 
 fed by springs afford the best natural 
 advantages for fish breeding, and it is 
 surprising that many of these adapted 
 in every way to the successful propa- 
 gation of good game fishes are left 
 in the condition of waste waters, so 
 far as fish-life is concerned. The 
 active assistance of the state fish com- 
 mission may be relied on, almost in- 
 variably; in fact, where aid or ad- 
 vice is asked it is usually given in such 
 prompt and practical manner that 
 those inclined to be skeptical learn 
 to appreciate the value of this branch 
 of public service. 
 
 Before making any move toward 
 establishing a fish-pond or private 
 preserve, the co-operation of the state 
 fish commission should be sought, to 
 
18 Fiskcraft 
 
 the extent of asking for information 
 which will be cheerfully supplied on 
 request. Moreover, the Division of 
 Fisheries, Department of Agriculture, 
 at Washington, will furnish a useful 
 booklet on this subject, upon appli- 
 cation. Thus informed, the land 
 owner will be prepared to proceed in- 
 telligently, and with assurance of still 
 further assistance from the same 
 sources, when this becomes necessary. 
 Such opportunities should not be neg- 
 lected. 
 
NOMENCLATURE: GAME AND 
 FOOD FISHES 
 
 T^HE scientific names of common 
 •^ fresh water game and food fishes, 
 as well as minnows, may be found 
 useful for reference : 
 
 Amer. Saibling (Golden Trout). Sal- 
 veliniis aureolus. 
 
 Bass, Black, Large-Mouth. Micropterus 
 salmoides. 
 
 Bass, Black, Small-Mouth. Micropterus 
 dolimieii. 
 
 Bass, Calico, (Strawberry B.) Pomoxis 
 sparoides. 
 
 Bass, Rock (Red-eye). Amhloplites ru- 
 pestris. 
 
 Bass, Strawberry (Calico B.). Pomoxis 
 sparoides. 
 
 Bass, Warmouth (Google-eye). Chaen- 
 obryttiis gulosis. 
 
 Bass, White. Roccus chrysops. 
 
 Blob. See Miller's Thunib. 
 
 Blue-gill (Blue sun-fish). Lempomis 
 pallidiis. 
 
 Bream, Blue. See Bluegill. 
 
 Bream, Copper-nosed. See Blue-gill. 
 
 Buffalo fish. Ictiobus cyprinella. 
 
 Buffalo, Small-Mouth. Ictiobtts bubalus. 
 
 Bullhead. Ameiiiriis nebulosus. 
 
 Burbot. Lee Lake Lawyer. 
 
20 Fishcraft 
 
 Carp. Cyprinns carpio. 
 
 Carp, Leather, C. Carpio coreaceous. 
 
 Catfish, Channel. Ictalnrus punctatus. 
 
 Catfish, Miss. (Great cat). Ameirus 
 lacustris. 
 
 Catfish, Mud (Yellow cat). Leptops 
 olivaris. 
 
 Catfish, White. See Channel Catfish. 
 
 Cisco (Lake Herring). Leucichthys 
 artedi. 
 
 Cisco, Moon-eye (Lake Shiner). Leu- 
 cichthys hoyi. 
 
 Chub (Dace). Semotilus atromaculatus. 
 
 Crappie (New Light). Pomoxis annu- 
 laris. 
 
 Croaker. See Drum. 
 
 Dace (Chub). Semotilus atromaculatus. 
 
 Dace, Black-nosed. Rhinichthys atro- 
 nasus. 
 
 Dace, Horned. Semotilus atromaculatus. 
 
 Darter, Black-sided. Hadropterus aspro. 
 
 Darter, Blue (Rainbow D.). Etheosto- 
 ma cocriileum. 
 
 Darter, Blue-breasted. Etheostoma zo- 
 nale. 
 
 Darter, Fan-tailed. Etheostoma flabel- 
 lare. 
 
 Darter, Green-sided. Dilpesion blen- 
 nioides. 
 
 Dollardee. See Blue-gill. 
 
 Drum (Sheeps head. Croaker). Aplodi- 
 notus grunniens. 
 
 Eel. Anguilla chrysypa. 
 
Fisher aft 21 
 
 Fallfish. See Chub. 
 
 Frostfish (Round whitefish). Coregonus 
 qitadr Hater alls. 
 
 Golden Shiner (Roach). Abramis cr y so- 
 le uc as. 
 
 Golden Trout. Salvelinus aureolus. 
 
 Herring, Lake (Cisco). Argyrosomus 
 artedi. 
 
 Herring, Toothed (Mooneye). Hiodon 
 tergisus. 
 
 Horned-pout. See Bullhead. 
 
 Jack Salmon. See Pike-perch. 
 
 Lake Herring. See Cisco. 
 
 Lake Lawyer (Burbot; Ling). Lota 
 maculosa. 
 
 Mascalonge. Esox estor. 
 
 Mascalonge, Unspotted. Esox masqni- 
 nonqv. 
 
 Miller's Thumb (Blob; Muffle-jaw). 
 Cottiis rairdi. 
 
 Minnow, Blue-nosed. Pimephales nota- 
 tiis. 
 
 Minnow, Fat - head (Black - headed) . 
 Pimophales promelas. 
 
 Minnow, Mud. Umbra limi. 
 
 Minnow, Red-bellied. Chrysomiis eryth- 
 rogaster. 
 
 Minnow, Spring. Fundiilus diaphanus. 
 
 Muffle-Jaw. See Miller's Thumb. 
 
 Perch, Yellow. Perca flavescens. 
 
 Perch, White. Morone Americana. 
 
 Pickerel, Banded. Esox Americamis. 
 
 Pickerel, Chain. Esox reticitlatiis. 
 
22 Fishcraft 
 
 Pike. Esox estor. 
 
 Pike-Perch. Stizostedium vifreitm. 
 
 Pumpkin-seed. See Sunfish. 
 
 Roach (Golden Shiner). Ahramis cry- 
 seleucas. 
 
 Sand-pike (Sanger). Stizostedeon Cana- 
 dense. 
 
 Sand-roller (Trout-perch). Pcrcopsis 
 guttatus. 
 
 Salmon, Atlantic. Salmo salar. 
 
 Salmon, Land-locked. Salmo salar se- 
 hago. 
 
 Shad. Alosa sapidissima. 
 
 Shad, Hickory .(Mud shad). Dorosoma 
 cepedianum. 
 
 Sheepshead. See Drum. 
 
 Shiner, Big-eyed. Notropis • ariommus. 
 
 Shiner, Lake (Moon-eye cisco). Leu- 
 cichthys hoyi. 
 
 Shiner, Red-fin (Dace). Notropis cor- 
 nutus. 
 
 Skip-jack. Pomolobus chry so Moris. 
 
 vStoneroller. Catostomus nigricans. 
 
 Sturgeon. Acipcnscr hreviostris. 
 
 Sturgeon, Lake. Acipcnser rubicmidus. 
 
 Sturgeon, Shovel-nose. Schphir hynchus 
 platorynchiis. 
 
 Sucker. Catostomus commersoni. 
 
 Sucker, Carp. Carpiodes cyprinus. 
 
 Sucker, Northern (Long-nosed). Catos- 
 tomus catostomus. 
 
 Sucker, Red-horse. Moxostoma macrol- 
 cpidotum. 
 
Fisher aft 23 
 
 Sucker, Small - headed. Maxostoma 
 hreviceps. 
 
 Sucker. Winter (Spotted S.). Miny- 
 trenia melanops. 
 
 Sunfish, Blue. See Blue-gill. 
 
 Sunfish. Eiipomotis gihhosiis. 
 
 Sunfish, Green. Lepomis cyanellus. 
 
 Sunfish, Long-eared. Lepomis mega- 
 lotis. 
 
 Sunny. See Sunfish. 
 
 Trout, Black - spotted (Red-throat). 
 Salmo niykiss. 
 
 Trout. Brook (Speckled T.). Salvelinus 
 fontinalis. 
 
 Trout, brown. Salmo jario. 
 
 Trout, Lake (Salmon T.). Crist ovomar 
 namaycush. 
 
 Trout, Mountain. See Rainbow Trout. 
 
 Trout, Rainbow. Salmo iridcus. 
 
 Trout-Perch (Sand-roller). Per cop sis 
 giittctus. 
 
 Trout, Steelhead. Salmo gairdneri. 
 
 Tullibee (Whitefish). Lciicichthys till 
 libcc. 
 
 Whitefish. Coregonus clupeiformis. 
 
 Whitefish, Labrador. Coregonus labra- 
 d or ions. 
 
 Whitefish, Menomonee (Round W.). 
 Coregonus quadrilatcralis. 
 
 Whitefish, Round. See Frostfish. 
 
THE SALMON 
 
 'Cold, these rivers, as the fountains 
 
 From the wilderness that flow, 
 Cold as waters of the mountains, 
 
 Gelid with the ice and snow. 
 There amid the soft abysses. 
 
 Or the river's spring-fresh tide. 
 Gleaming, flashing, leaping, diving, 
 
 Shoals of lordly salmon glide." 
 
 Atlantic Salmon. 
 
 A RIGHT royal member of the 
 '^ family of game fishes is the 
 lordly salmon, king of the freshwater 
 species by right of size and quality 
 as a fighter for freedom when hooked, 
 and the prime favorite of a necessarily 
 limited class of anglers, as salmon 
 fishing is a branch of the sport not 
 to be indulged in by men of small in- 
 come, on account not merely of the 
 cost of the outfit, but more particu- 
 larly by reason of the expense of leas- 
 ing a suitable stretch of water, em- 
 ploying an expert boatman, and other 
 incidentals in keeping with the 
 
Fisher aft 25 
 
 princely pastime. Moreover, financial 
 ability is not the only requisite, for 
 it is not every lover of angling that 
 is able to handle the mighty salmon, 
 or wield the two-handed rod in a 
 manner to do justice to himself and 
 the nerve-testing sport. 
 
 Authorities differ as to the original 
 habitat of the salmon, whether it has 
 always divided its time by dwelling 
 in salt water during a portion of the 
 year, and ascending the rivers an- 
 nually, in spring-time; or whether 
 the entire family Salmonidea for- 
 merly inhabited fresh water exclu- 
 sively. A studious angler-naturalist 
 states that "the original habitat of the 
 Salmonidea was in fresh water, and it 
 is the sea salmon which has become 
 erratic — the disturbances of the 
 glacial period having driven them out 
 of their primitive inland possessions. 
 But in obedience to the law of evolu- 
 tion which requires posterity to pass 
 through the same biological changes 
 as their progenitors did, all salmon 
 must be born and live for a time, at 
 least, in free water; hence we find 
 
26 Fishcraft 
 
 our sea salmon coming into the rivers 
 and spending a large portion of their 
 time in fresh water, seeking there a 
 change of diet and hygienic treatment 
 against parasites and fungus." 
 
 The question is of special inter- 
 est to students of ichthyology, but of 
 greater practical interest to salmon 
 fishers is the fact that, for whatsoever 
 cause, the fish do visit the large 
 streams every year, and that for the 
 most part it is the Atlantic salmon, 
 reaching the Canadian rivers, on 
 which the angler must depend for his 
 sport, while the Pacific salmon, as- 
 cending the Columbia and other large 
 streams of the Western coast, pro- 
 vides the commercial supply with 
 which the public is familiar. 
 
 Scientists thus describe the Atlan- 
 tic salmon — regarded as the best 
 game fish of the several allied species : 
 "Body moderately elongate, symmet- 
 rical, not generally compressed; head, 
 rather low; mouth, moderate, the 
 maxillary reaching past the eye; 
 scales, rather large, largest posteri- 
 orly, and silvery in appearance; col- 
 
Fisher aft 27 
 
 oration in the adult, brownish above, 
 the sides more or less silvery, with 
 numerous black spots on sides of 
 head, on body, and on fins, and red 
 patches along the sides in the males ; 
 young specimens (parrs) with about 
 eleven dusky cross-bars, besides black 
 spots and red patches, the color as 
 well as form of the head and body 
 varying much with age, food and con- 
 dition; the black spots on the adult 
 often X shaped, or x x shaped ; weight, 
 fifteen to forty pounds. North At- 
 lantic, ascending all suitable rivers 
 and the region north of Cape Cod; 
 sometimes permanently land-locked 
 in lakes, where its habits and colora- 
 tions (but no specific characters) 
 somewhat when it becomes, in Amer- 
 ica, var. Sebago." 
 
 It is worthy of note that some two 
 hundred years ago the Hudson was 
 a fine salmon stream, but the current 
 and tide of the time combined, now 
 leads to fortune rather than fishing, 
 and the same is true of other large 
 rivers along the North Atlantic coast, 
 southward of the Canadian border, 
 
28 Fishcraft 
 
 so that anglers of the United States 
 must be content with land-locked 
 salmon fishing or go to the far-famed, 
 far-off Saguenay, Restigouche, Casca- 
 pedia, St. John, or other distant riv- 
 ers — literally "dear delights" — to 
 the north of the St. Lawrence, for 
 sport of King Solomon. During the 
 past year salmon fishing with rod and 
 reel has proved successful on the Pa- 
 cific coast. 
 
 It may be possible that the nation- 
 wide crusade against pollution of 
 river and the liberal attention given 
 to all that relates to conservation, fish 
 culture, and the restoration of public 
 resources now lost or waning, the 
 lowly Hudson might be so purified 
 as to become once more, in some de- 
 gree, a salmon stream, realizing the 
 fond anticipations of the late A. N. 
 Cheney, who gave this subject careful 
 study and devoted to it earnest work 
 worthy of better success than he at- 
 tained while a member of the State 
 Fish Commission. But that is an- 
 other story. 
 
 To attempt to give instructions on 
 
Fishcraft 29 
 
 salmon fishing would be beyond 
 reason, in a brief summary of the 
 merits of this fish and the pleasure of 
 catching. That accomplished writer 
 and keen angler, the late Charles Hal- 
 lock, in his admirable book entitled 
 "The Salmon Fisher," has given a 
 most entertaining as well as instruc- 
 tive treatise on the subject, and the 
 same may be truthfully said of Henry 
 P. Wells' practical work, the "Amer- 
 ican Salmon Fisherman," — two vol- 
 umes deserving high commendation 
 to all those wishing such instruction 
 as printed lines may afford, prelim- 
 inary to casting the line and lure for 
 the game fish referred to. 
 
 The charm of salmon fishing has 
 been so aptly described by George 
 Dawson that his story of the cast and 
 capture is well worth repeating: "I 
 had marked the spot where the fish 
 had risen, had gathered up my flies 
 for another cast, had dropped the fly, 
 like a snowflake, just where I desired 
 it to rest, when, like a flash, the same 
 enormous head appeared, the same 
 open jaws revealed themselves, a 
 
30 Fisher aft 
 
 swirl and a leap and a strike followed, 
 and my first salmon was hooked with 
 a thud ! which told me as plainly as if 
 the operation had transpired within 
 the range of my vision, that if I lost 
 him it would be my own fault. When 
 thus assured, there was excitement, 
 but no flurry. My nerves thrilled 
 and every muscle assumed the ten- 
 sion of well-tempered steel, but I 
 realized the full sublimity of the oc- 
 casion, and a sort of majestic calm- 
 ness took the place of the stupid unc- 
 tion which followed the first appari- 
 tion. My untested rod bent under 
 the pressure, in a graceful curve ; my 
 reel clicked out a livelier melody than 
 ever came from harp or hautboy, as 
 the astonished fish made his first 
 dash; the tensioned line emitted 
 x\eolian music as it stretched and 
 stiff"ened under the strain to which it 
 was subjected; and for fifty minutes 
 there was such a giving and taking, 
 such sulking and rushing, such leap- 
 ing and tearing, such hoping and fear- 
 ing, as would have 'injected life into 
 the ribs of death,' made an anchorite 
 
Fisher aft 31 
 
 dance in very ecstasy, and caused any 
 true angler to believe that his heart 
 was a kettle-drum, every sinew a 
 jew's-harp, and the whole framework 
 of his excited nerves a full band of 
 music. And during all this time my 
 canoeman rendered efficient service in 
 keeping even pace with the eccentric 
 movements of the struggling iish. 
 ^Hold his head up, if possible !' was the 
 counsel given me, and 'make him 
 work for every inch of line.' 
 Whether, therefor, he took fifty yards 
 or a foot, I tried to make him pull for 
 it, and then to regain whatever was 
 taken as soon as possible. The result 
 was an incessant clicking of the reel, 
 either in paying out or in taking in, 
 w^ith an occasional flurry and leap, 
 which could have been no more pre- 
 vented than the onrushing of a loco- 
 motive. Any attempt to have sud- 
 denly checked him by making ade- 
 quate resistance would have made 
 leader, line or rod a wreck in an in- 
 stant. All tjiat it was proper or safe 
 to do was to give each just the amount 
 of strain and pressure it could bear 
 
32 Fisher aft 
 
 with safety — not an ounce more nor 
 an ounce less — and I believe that I 
 measured the pressure so exactly that 
 the strain upon my rod did not vary 
 half an ounce from the first to the last 
 of the struggle. Toward the close of 
 the fight, when it was evident that the 
 'jig was up,' and I felt myself master 
 of the situation, I took my stand upon 
 a projecting point in the river, where 
 the most favorable opportunity possi- 
 ble was afforded the gaffer to give the 
 struggling fish the final death thrust, 
 and so end the battle. It was skill- 
 fully done. The first plunge of the 
 gaff brought him to the greensward, 
 and there lay before me, in all his 
 silver beauty and magnificent propor- 
 tions, my first salmon. He weighed 
 thirty pounds, measured nearly four 
 feet in length, and was killed in fifty 
 minutes. It is said that when good 
 old Dr. Bethune landed his first 
 salmon, 'he caressed it as fondly as he 
 ever caressed his first-born,' I could 
 only stand over mine in speechless ad- 
 miration and delight — panting with 
 fatigue, trembling in very ecstasy," 
 
LAND-LOCKED SALMON 
 
 'On, in our birch canoe we listless float, 
 Now in the sunshine, now in shadows lost, 
 Where great Spruce Mountain casts its inky 
 
 shade, 
 And the dim depths seem fathomless. 
 
 "A wild duck, startled from the cove, sweeps by ; 
 Zigzag a kingfisher flies, shrill-screaming, past ; 
 From up the lake come hoarse cries of a crane, 
 And melancholy wail of lonely loon. 
 All these the boatman notes with dreamy sense, 
 And then anon he takes his tapering rod 
 And casts his feather'd lures with skillful hand; 
 He takes the lordly salmon and the trout 
 That in the watery abysses float." 
 
 T^HE land-locked salmon, as the 
 •^ name implies, is to all intents and 
 purposes identical with the salmon of 
 the sea — the migratory game fish so 
 eagerly sought as it ascends the Cana- 
 dian streams of the St. Lawrence re- 
 gion — the species inhabiting the in- 
 land lakes differing mainly in the fact 
 that for some reason the early pro- 
 genitors remained in fresh water, and 
 this has finally become the natural 
 habitat. The local names applied as 
 a rule, in Maine, to conform to the 
 lakes in which they are found, seem 
 confusing to the novice. A few of 
 the titles used are the Penobscot 
 
34 Fisher aft 
 
 Salmon, Sebago Salmon, Schoodic 
 Salmon, Lake Salmon, Lost Salmon, 
 etc. ; while in the Lake St. John and 
 Upper Saguanay region ; province of 
 Quebec, it is voluntarily known as the 
 Winninish, Ouananiche, and Wa- 
 nanishe. In his entertaining as well 
 as instructive work, "The Leaping 
 Ouananiche," descriptive of this game 
 hsh, its haunts, habits, and the meth- 
 ods of taking it with rod and line, the 
 author, Eugene McCarthy, adopts 
 the name given in the title of the book, 
 wherein he proves the correctness of 
 this, and the fact that the iish is as 
 great an aquatic acrobat as the 
 salmon of Canadian rivers. 
 
 For some reason the natives of 
 Labrador, New Brunswick and Nova 
 Scotia, call the land-locked salmon 
 a "grayling," yet there is little if any 
 resemblance to the delicate hsh of that 
 name. There are other appellations, 
 less commonly used, but the foregoing 
 are those most frequently applied 
 when referring to this excellent game 
 fish. 
 
THE BROOK TROUT 
 
 'Here where the willowy thickets wave 
 Their drooping tassels beneath the wave, 
 Their lies a deep and darken'd pool 
 Whose waters are crystal-clear and cool ; 
 It is fed by many a gurgling fount 
 That trickles from upland pasture and mount, 
 And where the tree-shadows fall dense and dii 
 The glittering trout securely swim." 
 
 Brook Trout, 
 
 r\P all the strictly fresh water fishes 
 ^-^ the brook trout or speckled trout 
 of the streams throughout a great 
 portion of the northern states, is by 
 a majority of anglers regarded as the 
 prince of game fish. It is the com- 
 bination of rare beauty of form and 
 color, game quality of the first order 
 when hooked, and delicious flavor 
 when served at table, that gives this 
 fish — appropriately termed "the 
 salmon of the fountain" — its place at 
 
36 Fisher aft 
 
 the head of fresh water game fishes. 
 V^olumes have been written concern- 
 ing the brook trout, its haunts, habits 
 and scientific characteristics, so that 
 its history is an open book to those 
 who study the subject from the angle 
 of the printed page, but the hosts of 
 enthusiasts fond of trout fishing find 
 the lessons of the running brook, with 
 
 Yellowstone Trout. 
 
 the leaves overhead, more fascinating 
 than any instruction or description 
 given by even the most graphic writer. 
 The brook trout may be regarded, 
 on the score of gameness as well as in 
 relationship, as a small salmon, with 
 this difference in its favor, the beauti- 
 ful tints of red and gold and silver 
 make the speckled trout far superior 
 in appearance to the larger species in 
 the Canadian rivers, and fortunately 
 
Fisher aft 37 
 
 for the trout fisher the science of arti- 
 ficial iish culture has advanced to 
 such an extent that depleted streams 
 are replenished, and even the brooks 
 formerly barren of these game fish, 
 have been stocked so that where nat- 
 ural advantages exist, the local, state 
 and federal hatcheries have in many 
 instances supplied the deficiency, to 
 the benefit of the public in general, 
 and the angling fraternity in particu- 
 lar. 
 
 In size the genuine brook trout 
 reaches ten pounds or more, the 
 largest specimens being found in the 
 waters of the big rivers of Maine, the 
 far-famed Nipigon, over the border in 
 Canada, and the cold waters of sim- 
 ilar streams and some of the lakes 
 near the northern boundary of the 
 United States. The average, of 
 course, is much smaller, and in the 
 ordinary trout stream a gamy speci- 
 men of one pound is a prize, while a 
 two-pounder is of greater rarity, and a 
 three-pound fish something to awaken 
 the envy of all local rodsters. 
 
 Learning the art of angling for 
 
38 Fisher aft 
 
 brook trout is usually of the progres- 
 sive order, upward from the primitive 
 form of fishing with the ordinary 
 angle worm, or ''garden hackle," and 
 rod and line of simplest style. With 
 such tackle and lure the lad who loves 
 the sport soon becomes quite an ex- 
 pert, and from catching at first the 
 small, unwary members of the salve- 
 linus fontinalis family, he acquires a 
 degree of skill enabling him to hook 
 and land the elusive monarchs of the 
 brook. With increasing knowledge of 
 the fascinating art, the Waltonian 
 disciple naturally aspires to finer ap- 
 pliances, and when supplied with ar- 
 tificial flies, rod and line and reel of 
 approved make, the glory of getting a 
 rise with lure of the feather and tinsel 
 brings the enthusiast a foretaste of the 
 delight in store when he shall have 
 won the coveted degree of M. A., or 
 Master of Angling. The manner of 
 casting is briefly described in the 
 chapter, "How to Cast a Fly." 
 
 In trout fishing, more perhaps than 
 in any other form of angling, great 
 caution is the price of success, for 
 
Fisher aft 39 
 
 skill in casting counts for nothing if 
 the trout be frightened, lurking in the 
 depths of the pool, or hidden beneath 
 the bank of the stream, warned of 
 danger by vibration or some move- 
 ment of the awkward fisherman. 
 Good advice was given long ago by 
 some fishing philosopher who declared 
 one should show as much of his lure 
 and as little of himself as possible. 
 To make the fly fall lightly, to imi- 
 tate nearly as possible the motion of 
 the natural fly, to move noiselessly, 
 to avoid casting of shadows while 
 casting the lure, and to drop the 
 feather hook accurately on the spot 
 where the fish has risen or is expected 
 to rise ; these are a few of the secrets 
 of success well known to veterans of 
 the fraternity. 
 
 The knowledge of where to fish is 
 as important as knowing how to fish, 
 as it is self-evident one cannot catch 
 trout where there are none, and ex- 
 perience, or reliable instruction as to 
 the likely pools where the trout hide, 
 must be gained in order to make a 
 fair showing, especially in localities 
 
40 Fishcraft 
 
 overfished, the educated trout being 
 doubly difficult to approach, and still 
 harder to attract and bring to basket. 
 Wisdom as to the probable haunts 
 will prove useful, of course, but it has 
 often been demonstrated that the man 
 or boy knowing precisely the places 
 where the big fellows of bright colors 
 and suspicious nature have their 
 abiding pools, will win in a walk — so 
 to speak — along the banks of the 
 brook. 
 
 Another essential point is to know 
 when to fish — a matter worth care- 
 ful consideration. Experience in this, 
 as in other things, is the best teacher. 
 It is an old truism that the best time 
 to catch fish is when the fish will bite, 
 but in this respect the finny tribe, in- 
 dividually, if not collectively, seems 
 variable as the April weather during 
 the early days of the open season for 
 trouting. One soon learns that fish- 
 ing, when the water is high and dis- 
 colored from heavy rains, will prove 
 a delusion and disappointment; that 
 angling at mid-day, under a hot sun, 
 is likely to be unpleasant and unsuc- 
 
Fishcraft 41 
 
 cessful ; but there are many things in 
 regard to what may be termed the 
 "taking times" of the day, or of the 
 season, and as to the particular 
 stream you intend to whip in the 
 eager race for good fishing, that can 
 be learned only by patience and per- 
 sistent study at first hand. 
 
 Having mastered, as nearly as pos- 
 sible, the three great problems of how, 
 where and when, no keen devotee re- 
 quires a word as to the "why" of 
 trout fishing. Probably Sir Edgerton 
 Brydges gave convincing analysis as 
 any when he said of recreation with 
 rod and gun : 
 
 "It is a mingled rapture, and we find 
 The bodily spirit mounting to the mind." 
 
 The special advocates of this branch 
 of angling may perhaps feel inclined 
 to alter a well-known saying, by de- 
 claring that God doubtless might have 
 given to mankind a better pastime 
 than that of fishing for brook trout, 
 but it is certain that God never did. 
 The place of honor, in the annals of 
 angling, is usually given to this hand- 
 
42 Fishcraft 
 
 some game fish, over all fishes of fresh 
 water — the salmon excepted, and 
 some writers are inclined to give the 
 latter doubtful credit in this line, from 
 the fact that, although the sport of 
 salmon fishing is pursued on inland 
 waters, the sea is the habitat for the 
 greater part of the year, therefore this 
 royal member of the popular family of 
 fishes is, from the viewpoint named, 
 not strictly a rival of the bonnie brook 
 trout. 
 
 And so, without attempting to de- 
 cide the relative claims of the two 
 species of magnificent fresh water fish, 
 or prove the full right of the salmon 
 to recognition as a game fish of this 
 class, although, in truth it is seldom 
 pursued with rod and line in the sea 
 — the trout fisher may well go on his 
 way rejoicing in a pastime delightful 
 to men of fame in all walks of life 
 from an era long previous to that of 
 Isaak Walton, down to that of Daniel 
 Webster, and later, of many notable 
 Americans. 
 
 Of the famous trout lakes in Maine 
 and the Adirondack region in north- 
 
Fishcraft 43 
 
 ern New York, where brook trout of 
 great size were formerly taken, it 
 must be said that while fair fishing 
 may be had it would be unreasonable 
 to expect to duplicate such catches 
 at the present time, but the prestige 
 at least remains with Parmachenee 
 Lake and the Rangeley Lakes in the 
 first named state, while perhaps bet- 
 
 Saibling Trout (Long Fin Charr). 
 
 ter fishing may now be had in less 
 celebrated waters, and this applies 
 also to the trouting in the North 
 Woods of New York, for the celebrity 
 of the Ausauble, the Chateaugay and 
 Saranac region cannot bring back the 
 splendor of the golden days of trout 
 fishing. Fortunate indeed are those 
 of the angling fraternity who find fair 
 sport in home waters, and doubly 
 blest are they who strive to maintain 
 
44 Fishcrajt 
 
 the quality of the fishing by restock- 
 ing the streams and aiding in strin- 
 gent enforcement of the laws restrict- 
 ing the taking of game fishes. 
 
 Angling literature gives promi- 
 nence and precedence to the brook 
 trout. Notable among the entertain- 
 ing as well as instructive books on 
 this subject are Kit Clarke's "Where 
 the Trout Hide," Charles Bradford's 
 "Determined Angler and the Brook 
 Trout," Louis Rhead's admirable 
 treatise, O. W. Smith's "Trout Lore," 
 and last, but by no means least. 
 Southard's comprehensive work en- 
 titled "Trout Fly Fishing in Amer- 
 ica." Any and all of these are well 
 worthy of a niche in the trout fisher's 
 library. 
 
RAINBOW TROUT 
 
 TN former years the rainbow trout, 
 ■*■ often called Mountain trout, was 
 found only in the streams west of the 
 Rocky Mountains, where it has long 
 been regarded as a leader among fresh 
 water game fishes. Some twenty years 
 ago the rainbow trout was introduced 
 in Eastern streams, especially the 
 brooks and smaller rivers of New Jer- 
 sey and New York, where it has 
 
 Rainbow Trout. 
 
 thrived and is now eagerly sought. In 
 general formation and size it resem- 
 bles the brook trout, and in game 
 qualities is probably equal — some 
 anglers claim it superior — to the 
 speckled favorite, or "salmon of the 
 fountain," but in colors the western 
 lish, with its tints suggestive of the 
 rainbow, does not approach the 
 
46 Fishcraft 
 
 beauty of the red, gold and silver 
 spangled trout so dear to the angler's 
 heart. 
 
 In business life, rainbow chasing is 
 almost certain to prove both disap- 
 pointing and disastrous, while follow- 
 ing the rainbow along the trout 
 stream is delightful, and dear in the 
 best sense of the word. The cobble- 
 stones of the stream are, therefore, 
 preferable to the curb stones of Wall 
 Street, so far, at least, as chasing the 
 elusive rainbow is concerned. Even 
 at the worst, a broken rod signifies 
 less than a badly broken bank bal- 
 ance. 
 
 The tackle and methods employed 
 in fishing for the mountain trout are 
 practically identical with those used 
 in brook trout fishing. As both spe- 
 cies inhabit the same streams in many 
 if not most cases, in Eastern streams, 
 special instructions or suggestions 
 are not required, beyond those offered 
 with reference to the speckled trout. 
 
 Referring to the game qualities of 
 the rainbow trout. Prof. Evermann, 
 a close observer and keen angler. 
 
Fisher aft 47 
 
 says : "The rainbow takes the fly so 
 readily that there is no reason for 
 resorting to grasshoppers, salmon 
 eggs, or other bait. It is a flsh whose 
 gameness will satisfy the most exact- 
 ing of expert anglers, and whose readi- 
 ness to take any proper line will 
 please the most impatient of inex- 
 perienced aniateurs." 
 
OTHER SALMON AND TROUT 
 
 r\F the Pacific salmon several spe- 
 ^^ cies exist, but most of these are 
 known only as food fishes, ascending 
 the large rivers, such as the Columbia, 
 for the purpose of spawning, and usu- 
 ally refusing to take either live bait 
 or artificial lures, but instances have 
 been recorded — especially during the 
 past year — of catching the salmon of 
 the Pacific coast, with rod and line, 
 in a really scientific manner. The 
 generally recognized game fishes of 
 the trout family, aside from those 
 heretofore mentioned, are as follows : 
 
 Steelhead Trout 
 
 The steelhead, like the Pacific 
 salmon, is a sea fish, visiting the rivers 
 to spawn, but unlike the larger spe- 
 cies, it is a game fish, does not go 
 far out to sea, and in fresh water is 
 a high leaper, affording good sport to 
 anglers. Dr. Jordan, an accepted 
 authority, gives the steelhead an hon- 
 ored place in the salmon family, 
 stating that salmon trout is a suit- 
 able name for it. The fish is silvery 
 
Fishcraft 49 
 
 in color in salt water, but spots appear 
 on it after a short time in fresh water, 
 making it resemble imore nearly a 
 trout of the lakes. In weight, the 
 range is from two to twenty-five 
 pounds ; the run in fall, September 
 and October, averaging about three 
 pounds ; in winter, December and 
 January, run ten pounds or larger, 
 
 Steel-head Trout. 
 
 those of largest size being taken at 
 this time. The steelhead salmon do 
 not die after spawning. 
 
 Dolly Varden Trout 
 
 This beautiful species, bedecked 
 with large crimson dots, is found in 
 the upper Sacramento and its tribu- 
 taries, the upper Columbia, the 
 McCloud River and tributaries ; and 
 those of the region north of Puget 
 
50 Fisher aft 
 
 Sound are of migratory habits, run- 
 ning to the sea, thus losing the bright 
 colors, and resembling to some extent 
 the steelhead. It is a fine game fish, 
 known in California as the Dolly Var- 
 den, in Alaska as the salmon trout, 
 and in Washington, the "bull trout." 
 The weight varies, according to lo- 
 cality and conditions, the largest run- 
 ning up to ten pounds. 
 
 Golden Trout 
 
 Several species of the golden trout 
 are recorded, varying little in forma- 
 tion and general characteristics, all 
 showing game qualities of high order, 
 and the rich golden tints from which 
 the name was derived. Dr. David 
 Starr Jordan was iirst to classify and 
 describe, in scientific manner, the 
 golden trout of the Pacific coast, small 
 in size, but an eager biter, so much 
 so that on account of the rather di- 
 minutive size and remarkable beauty, 
 the catching of any was prohibited for 
 a time shortly after identification of 
 the several species. These are the 
 Salmo agua honita, so named by Jor- 
 
Fisher aft 51 
 
 dan, a species found in the south fork 
 of the Kern and its small tributaries ; 
 Salmo whitei, Evermann, from the 
 stream called Soda Creek; and 
 Sahno Roosevelti, taken in the Vol- 
 cano Creek. 
 
 Cut-throat Trout 
 
 This species, called the cut-throat 
 from the red dash of color below the 
 under jaw, has a range from Alaska 
 in the far north, to California, and 
 eastw^ard to Montana. It has been 
 claimed that this is in all probability 
 the oldest of American trout, and it 
 is not only a handsome fish, but a 
 vigorous fighter when hooked; usu- 
 ally found in swift portions of the 
 brooks, and lending life and color to 
 the streams as it darts through the 
 crystal-clear waters. In form it is 
 much like other species of trout, the 
 head, however, being longer in pro- 
 portion, and the body is fully spotted. 
 It spawns in spring. 
 
 Lake Trout 
 
 . The natural habitat of the lake 
 trout is the waters of the Great Lakes, 
 
52 Fisher aft 
 
 and other large lakes of the north. 
 Its favorite haunts are the deep por- 
 tions, from which it comes at times 
 in quest of such food as small fish, 
 etc., usually in early morning and at 
 the evening hour, when the artificial 
 fly can occasionally be used success- 
 fully. Ordinarily the best method of 
 catching the lake trout is with me- 
 dium tackle, trolling with a minnow, 
 in deep water. For this a stiff rod is 
 required, and heavy sinkers ; although 
 the use of these may be avoided by 
 using a braided wire line in deep 
 trolling, the weight of the line being 
 sufficient to take the bait down to the 
 necessary depth. Still-fishing with 
 live minnows will be found successful 
 at times. The lake trout, inhabiting 
 also some of the large lakes of Maine, 
 attains a weight of twenty pounds in 
 rare instances. 
 
 Mackinaw Trout 
 
 Another species of northern trout, 
 reaching still greater size than the 
 one above named, is the Mackinaw 
 trout, common in the Great Lakes, 
 
Fisher aft 53 
 
 Superior to Ontario, as well as in 
 other big lakes of that region, par- 
 ticularly Lake Champlain, New York, 
 and also in the Mackinaw River, from 
 whence it took the name. It is found 
 likewise in Alaska. In Lake Superior, 
 Lake Huron, and Lake Michigan, this 
 fish is called the Mackinaw trout ; in 
 the lakes of northern New York it is 
 
 Lake (Mackinaw) Trout. 
 
 known as the lake trout. Very large 
 specimens are sometimes taken, up to 
 nearly ninety pounds, and a length of 
 six feet, it is claimed. The favorite 
 haunts are in deep water, and the suc- 
 cessful method of fishing is trolling 
 with copper wire line and live bait, 
 minnows, etc. 
 
54 Fisher aft 
 
 The Brown Trout 
 
 The brown trout, a European spe- 
 cies, introduced in American streams 
 a number of years ago, is very hardy 
 and has multiphed greatly, in the 
 brooks and small rivers of a few east- 
 ern states, especially. Opinions differ 
 with reference to its desirability or 
 practical benefit as an addition to the 
 
 Brown Trout, 
 
 game fishes of the fresh waters of the 
 United States, in streams where na- 
 tive trout naturally thrive. The 
 brown trout is very combative, a vig- 
 orous fighter, whether in contest with 
 trout of other species, or when hooked, 
 therefore, although not so handsome 
 as either the speckled brook trout or 
 the rainbow trout, it is likely to be the 
 survivor in a finish fight with the two 
 native species, according to observa- 
 
Fisher aft 55 
 
 tions of anglers who have studied the 
 problem. In streams not adapted to 
 either speckled or rainbow trout, the 
 brown trout would certainly be a 
 really desirable game fish, as it rises 
 readily to the fly, and its gameness 
 is undeniable. It was first planted in 
 American waters in 1883. 
 
THE BLACK BASSES 
 
 The Small-mouth Bass 
 
 'The little-mouth has little scales, 
 There's red in his handsome eye, 
 
 The scales extend on his vertical fins. 
 And his forehead is round and high. 
 
 'His forehead is round and high, my boys. 
 And he sleeps the winter through ; 
 
 He likes the rocks in the summer time — 
 Micropterus dolomicii." 
 
 Little-Mouth (Black) Bass. 
 
 TJIGH in the list of favorite fresh 
 water game fishes is the black 
 bass, foremost, in fact, as viewed 
 by that eminent angler-author. Dr. 
 James A. Henshall, whose assertion 
 that it is "inch for inch and pound for 
 pound the gamest fish that swims," 
 has become the slogan of thousands of 
 anglers who prefer black bass fishing 
 to any other form of sport with rod 
 and line. Of the fighting character of 
 
Fisher aft 57 
 
 this fish — boldness in biting, fierce 
 resistance in fighting to the last gap — 
 there can be no doubt, and that it is 
 a good food fish is also true, and com- 
 bination of these qualities surely en- 
 titles the black bass to a most favora- 
 ble, though not necessarily a premier, 
 position among the game fishes of 
 America. 
 
 Classified as one of the favorite 
 fresh water fishes, the black bass 
 ranks on a par with the justly prized 
 striped bass or rock-fish as to game- 
 ness, but does not reach the size of 
 the latter — a game fish of the first 
 water, whether it be the sea or river, 
 for the latter is often taken in the 
 ocean as well as in tide-water streams. 
 
 Of the two species of black bass, 
 possibly the small-mouth may be con- 
 sidered preferable, being more active 
 than the large-mouth of extreme size 
 which it attains in southern waters, 
 but in the cold lakes and rivers where 
 both are found, probably little, if any 
 difference can be determined on the 
 score of game qualities. The dis- 
 tinguishing features of the small- 
 
58 Fishcraft 
 
 mouth species are clearly set forth in . 
 the foregoing clever rhyme of Fred 
 Mather — a fish culturist, expert 
 angler, and angling author. 
 
 P'ifty years ago the black bass was 
 held in slight esteem by most anglers, 
 in fact, generally considered one of 
 the coarse species, grudgingly admit- 
 ted to be fit for food, but hardly 
 measuring up to the standard of a 
 true game fish. The fault, evidently, 
 lay with the fishers instead of the fish, 
 as the method of taking then in vogue 
 was usually of the coarse, if not 
 clumsy kind, and skillful, scientific 
 black bass fishing an unknown branch 
 of the art to the multitude. A few 
 ardent anglers of advanced ideas, it is 
 true, studied the habits and charac- 
 teristics, thus discovering the fact that 
 the sport was remarkably attractive 
 when properly pursued, but it re- 
 mained for Dr. James A. Henshall, 
 the recognized "Apostle of the Black 
 Bass," to enlighten the fraternity con- 
 cerning the really high rank to be ac- 
 corded the closely allied species of 
 bass, and bass fishing. EarHer 
 
Fisher aft 59 
 
 authors — authorities in their day — 
 had Httle to say regarding the fish no^v^ 
 so warm a favorite, and that mere 
 mention was usually in disparage- 
 ment of the "bronze-back knight in 
 armor." 
 
 The color of the bass, varying little, 
 if any in the two species, is dark 
 bronze green, the shading differing 
 silghtly according to the waters — 
 lighter in the crystal-clear lakes and 
 streams than in those of very dark, 
 seemingly almost inky-black appear- 
 ance. A two-pound black bass gives 
 a good iight for life and liberty, while 
 the iive-pounder — near the maxi- 
 mum size for the small-mouth species 
 in most of the northern waters — 
 battles in proportion to additional 
 weight, demonstrating to a degree Dr. 
 Henshall's claim as to its being the 
 gamest fish that swims. 
 
 During the season when the genu- 
 ine flies are hovering over the waters, 
 the black bass rises readily to the well- 
 cast artificial fly, and this, of course, 
 affords the angler the very acme of 
 bass fishing. Live minnows are excel- 
 
60 Fisher aft 
 
 lent bait, while the frog, worm, craw- 
 fish, or helgramite are often equally 
 attractive, and imitations of these in 
 artificial lures are not by any means 
 refused when the bass happens to be 
 in a taking mood; the "plug" often 
 proving one of the best baits obtain- 
 able. 
 
 The range of the blask bass is about 
 half nation-wide, no fresh water game 
 fish having a much more extensive 
 distribution, probably none so general 
 a habitant of waters east of the Mis- 
 sissippi. Artificial propagation has 
 done much with this, as with other 
 desirable game and food fishes, to ex- 
 tend the distribution far beyond the 
 original or natural range, and in 
 nearly all waters adapted to their 
 adoption, and not pre-empted by 
 some species of the trout family, fish 
 hatching has enabled anglers to revel 
 in fish catching, with the black bass 
 providing the sport-giving incentive. 
 The bass are most abundant in Mich- 
 igan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New 
 York, New Jersey, and Canada. 
 
 Many local names have been given 
 
Fishcraft 61 
 
 to the small-mouth black bass, the 
 most commonly used of these appella- 
 tions being Jumping Bass, Leaping 
 Bass, Bronze-Backer, Marsh Bass, 
 River Bass, Slough Bass, Little- 
 Mouth Bass, Green Bass, and Spot- 
 ted Bass. 
 
 Large-mouth Bass 
 
 "The big-mouth has the biggest scales, 
 And a pit scooped in his head, 
 His mouth is cut behind his eye, 
 In which is nary a red. 
 
 "In his eye is nary a red, my boys, 
 But keen and well he sees, 
 He has a dark stripe on his side — 
 Micropterus salmoides." 
 
 Big-Mouth (Black) Bass. 
 
 The large-mouth black bass, differ- 
 ing as above indicated from the small- 
 mouth species, is found in the same 
 waters — although it is possible the 
 range extends farther southward — 
 
62 Fiskcraft 
 
 and in a general way the methods of 
 fishing are identical. In warmer 
 w^aters the black bass is not ordinarily 
 as active, and this applies likewise to 
 nearly all fishes of the inland lakes and 
 streams. Popular local names for the 
 large-mouth bass are Oswego Bass, 
 Moss Bass, Welshman, Green Perch, 
 and the nicknames before mentioned 
 in referring to the small-mouth 
 species. Specimens weighing up to 
 eight pounds are occasionally caught, 
 and it is recorded that a large-mouth 
 of twenty pounds was once taken in 
 Florida. 
 
THE GRAYLING 
 
 "I wind about, and in and out, 
 
 With here a blossom sailing. 
 And here and there a lusty trout, 
 And here and there a grayling." 
 
 npHERE is something ethereal al- 
 
 ■^ most, in the graceful form, 
 
 waving dorsal of tri-color, and dainty 
 
 tints of the grayling; and this deli- 
 
 Michigan Grayling. 
 
 cate appearance may seem to be in 
 keeping with the regretable fading 
 away of this choice "flower of fishes," 
 in streams where it was once found 
 in profusion — the rivers and brooks 
 of Northern Michigan. Angling 
 writers first brought the grayling of 
 American waters to public notice 
 about seventy years ago, and for a 
 time there was confusion as to its 
 
64 Fishcraft 
 
 place in the family of fishes, but 
 ichthyologists on investigation de- 
 clared it to be a true type of this spe- 
 cies, and the rush of eager anglers 
 followed; but the real reason for its 
 rapid disappearance is doubtless the 
 work of sawmills in filling the streams 
 with sawdust and other refuse fatal 
 to fish of such delicate organism. It 
 is stated, too, that the brook trout, in- 
 habiting the same streams, preyed on 
 the grayling as it became weakened 
 by conditions mentioned, and thus 
 hastened the destruction, so that 
 many believe grayling fishing in 
 Michigan is practically a thing of the 
 past, so far as finding any considera- 
 ble number is concerned. 
 
 In form the grayling is more slen- 
 der than the trout, and in weight it 
 rarely exceeds one and a half pounds, 
 the distinguishing feature, however, 
 being particularly its magnificent dor- 
 sal fin, extending nearly one-fourth 
 the length of the fish, and of tri-color, 
 dotted with purple spots, giving it the 
 appearance of a waving banner when 
 the grayling darts through the water 
 
Fishcraft 65 
 
 in arrow-like rushes. The body col- 
 ors are delicate shades of silver gray, 
 olive brown and pale blue. Describ- 
 ing this beautiful iish an authority on 
 the subject says: "The sun's rays, 
 lighting up the delicate olive-brown 
 tints of the back and sides, the bluish- 
 white of the abdomen, and the 
 mingling of tints of rose, pale blue 
 and purplish-pink on the fins, display 
 a combination of colors equaled by 
 no fish outside of the tropics." 
 
 The propagation of the grayling is 
 attended with much difficulty, on ac- 
 count of the delicate organism of this 
 iish, but fortunately for the anglers 
 of America, Dr. James A. Henshall 
 — best known as the highest author- 
 ity on the black bass ■ — demonstrated 
 the fact some twelve years ago that 
 this form of fish culture could be made 
 successful. To make the propagation 
 beneficial to the public, however, the 
 placing of the young fish in the 
 streams must be done with rare good 
 judgment, otherwise those who make 
 the experiment will have merely their 
 labor for their pains. 
 
66 Fishcraft 
 
 In Montana the grayling is still 
 found in limited numbers, and the 
 Alaska species is reported to be quite 
 abundant in certain streams. With 
 the knowledge to be gained by careful 
 study, and through the co-operation 
 of modern fish culturists who may 
 make a special feature of this interest- 
 ing branch of the science, it is hoped 
 this remarkably handsome game fish 
 may yet be restored to some degree 
 of the former abundance in the waters 
 of Michigan, in Montana, and if pos- 
 sible, in other portions of the north- 
 western states where cold, clear, 
 spring-fed streams provide natural 
 conditions of apparently the most 
 favorable kind. 
 
 The European grayling has long 
 been known and admired, but on this 
 side of the Atlantic, as before stated, 
 it was not supposed to exist, except 
 in the far north, where, as Dr. Rich- 
 ardson says, with reference to its 
 local name and appearance: "The 
 Esquimaux title (Hewlook Powak) 
 denoting 'wing-like fin,' alludes to its 
 magnificent dorsal; it was in refer- 
 
Fisher aft 67 
 
 ence to the same feature that I be- 
 stowed upon it the specific appellation 
 of Signifier, 'the Standard-bearer,' in- 
 tending also to advert to the rank of 
 my companion, Captain Bach, then 
 a midshipman, who took the first 
 specimen we saw with an artificial 
 fly." In honor of Captain Bach, the 
 game fish had been named Bach's 
 Grayling, as indicated in Dr. Rich- 
 ardson's comment. 
 
THE MASGALONGE OR 
 MUSKALLONGE 
 
 "For earliest sport try the waters in May, 
 The mascalonge then will be leaping in play, 
 But better, by far, is the fishing in June, 
 When weirdly re-echoes the cry of the loon ; 
 Or, if you prefer the sweet by and by. 
 Bring the rod and reel in sultry July." 
 
 T ARGEST and most eagerly sought 
 -^^ of the various members of the 
 pike family is the mascalonge of the 
 northern lakes and rivers. This giant 
 of the species is a game fish of high 
 
 Maskinonge. 
 
 order, not by any means ranking with 
 the trout or the black bass in genuine 
 game qualities, but as the tiger of the 
 fresh waters he is credited with great 
 lighting power and equal determina- 
 tion in resisting capture while 
 strength lasts, therefore he is the ac- 
 knewledged head of his clan. In the 
 far northern portion of the United 
 
Fisher aft 69 
 
 States and in Canada, the name mas- 
 kinonge is a common designation, 
 while in other sections the term mus- 
 kallunge, or mascalonge, is more fre- 
 quently used. The name is from the, 
 French masque allonge (long face), 
 and maskinonge, the Chippewa term, 
 has nearly the same meaning. 
 
 No other game or food fish found in 
 fresh waters of the United States ap- 
 proaches this king of the pikes in size. 
 Dr. E. Sterling mentions having 
 speared one, nearly eighty years ago, 
 weighing eighty pounds, and in recent 
 years specimens of forty to fifty 
 pounds in weight have been caught in 
 trolling, the usual method of fishing 
 for these fish. However, the fisher- 
 man fortunate enough to hook and 
 land one of twenty pounds is con- 
 sidered to be entitled to hearty con- 
 gratulations. 
 
 The mascalonge closely resembles 
 the larger pike in most respects, but 
 can be readily identified by examina- 
 tion of the gill covers, the lower half 
 of the cheek being destitute of scales 
 in the former, while the cheek of the 
 
70 F is he raft 
 
 pike is full of scales, and the pickerel 
 has both cheek and gill cover scales. 
 The markings, also, are different to 
 some extent, but the certain method 
 of identification is as stated. 
 
 This species is found principally in 
 the lakes and rivers north of the Ten- 
 nessee, and to the westward of the up- 
 per Mississippi, the region near the 
 great lakes, particularly the states ad- 
 joining Lake Superior and Lake 
 Michigan, and the St. Lawrence 
 River. In addition to furnishing ex- 
 citing sport for the angler, the mas- 
 calonge is esteemed as a food fish, and 
 the devotees who are especially fond 
 of catching the "tarpon of the North" 
 — a simile adopted doubtless by 
 reason of the "muskie's" leap — are 
 enthusiastic in praise of the edible 
 qualities when served at a club ban- 
 quet or wherever a good number of 
 fishermen may assemble to feast on 
 one big fish of good edible quality. 
 Although strong tackle is usually 
 deemed indispensible, skillful anglers 
 have demonstrated that a compara- 
 tively light rod and line will be sufR- 
 
Fishcrajt 71 
 
 cient to bring a large mascalonge to 
 boat or to land, as the case may be, 
 provided judgment is used in playing 
 the f.sh, and allowing no opportunity 
 for the struggling muskie to get slack 
 line and shake the bait from his 
 mouth. 
 
 In trolling, the live minnow, troll- 
 ing spoon, or artificial minnow, are 
 favorite baits, and the so-called 
 "plug" serves well as a rule. For- 
 merly the light row-boat was the 
 craft ordinarily used when trolling, 
 although the Indian birch-bark canoe 
 or the heavier dug-out could be used 
 to advantage; but in these days of 
 easy locomotion, a motor boat, run- 
 ning at carefully gauged speed, gives 
 fishing de luxe in using the troll with- 
 out effort. Where the water is deep 
 near shore, casting from the bank 
 sometimes gives good results, and 
 greater skill is required in landing 
 the fish, thereby adding to the zest, 
 as ease of capture is not always re- 
 garded with favor by those who are 
 able to conquer under difficult con- 
 ditions. 
 
72 Fisher aft 
 
 Good localities for this sport in the 
 northern states, are in the vicinity of 
 Detroit, Little Falls, and Prior Lake, 
 Minn. ; Mackinac Island, Sault Ste. 
 Marie and Seney, Mich. ; Butternut, 
 Eagle River, Phillips and Pelican, 
 Wis. In the eastern states: Clayton, 
 Ogdensburg, and Theresa, N. Y. ; 
 Barton and Newport, Vt., are excel- 
 lent places for "lunge" fishing. 
 
PIKE AND PICKEREL 
 
 'In shallow cove, near river bank, 
 
 The pickerel-weeds grow green and rank 
 
 In hazel-girdled, crescent bays 
 
 Speckled with isles, an endless maze, 
 
 The yellow-tinted pickerel 
 
 Lie hidden, motionless and still ; 
 
 The dorsal fin, the forked tail 
 
 Scarce stir the waters, clear as air. 
 But jaws are open to assail 
 
 And glassy eyes all murderous stare. 
 But when the small fry of the lake, 
 
 The minnow and the shiner bright. 
 Across the limpid surface break. 
 
 Shooting like pearly sparks of light. 
 Then, as an Indian tiger grim 
 Rends antler'd stag in jungles dim. 
 So doth the water-tyrant slay 
 The helpless, unresisting prey." 
 
 Pike. 
 
 HTHERE is a combination of prac- 
 ■^ tical truth and poetry in the fore- 
 going well cast lines, depicting the 
 nature of the pickerel, a member of 
 the pike -family, the two species differ- 
 ing very little in general characteris- 
 tics. The ordinary pickerel is perhaps 
 the best known and most widely dis- 
 
74 Fishcrajt 
 
 tributed of fresh water fishes of what 
 may be termed the intermediate 
 branch — taking rank below the vari- 
 ous members of the trout, the black 
 bass, and the mascalonge species, and 
 higher in the scale than the ordinary 
 perch, the crappie, the sun-iish, etc. 
 The two popular species inhabit the 
 waters of most of the rivers and lakes 
 in the Eastern and Western states, 
 
 Pickerel, 
 
 and to some extent in southern v/a- 
 ters. 
 
 Confusion exists in possibly a ma- 
 jority of localities where these fish 
 abound, as to identity or proper no- 
 menclature. Both belong to the pike 
 family, but many fishermen regard 
 the pike-perch — usually called the 
 "Wall-eyed pike" — as the true pike, 
 although it is in fact a species of the 
 perch; while the real pike is ordi- 
 
Fishcraft 7S 
 
 narily known as a pickerel. The dis- 
 tinction of comparatively slight dif- 
 ference between the pike, pickerel and 
 mascalonge is given in the chapter 
 on the last named species, and for 
 ready reference it may be well to re- 
 peat that the pickerel has cheek and 
 gill cover fully grown with scales, 
 while the pike has only the cheek cov- 
 ering of scales. In size the pickerel 
 does not grow to the proportions of 
 the great northern pike, and the larger 
 members of the mascalonge species 
 are generally of much greater weight 
 than the biggest pickerel. Generally 
 speaking, nearly all species of the pike 
 family — excepting the mascalonge 
 — are known as pickerel in New York 
 and the eastern as well as some of the 
 western states ; in the middle states 
 they are called pike, and in Virginia 
 and southward they are usually 
 termed "jack-iish." 
 
 Local names of profusion and lead- 
 ing to confusion, exist in various sec- 
 tions of the country. A number of the 
 best-known names are brook pickerel, 
 chain pickerel, channel pickerel, com- 
 
1(^ Fishcrajt 
 
 mon pickerel, humpback pickerel, 
 jack pickerel, Long Island pickerel, 
 marsh pickerel, short pickerel and 
 trout pickerel ; and of the pike — 
 the blue pike, black pike, grass pike, 
 gray pike, ground pike, green pike, 
 pond pike, streaked pike and trout 
 pike. These local names do not, of 
 course, indicate that there are any- 
 thing like the number of species men- 
 tioned, in fact, the difference is usu- 
 ally merely that of size, colors, and 
 markings — which vary according to 
 the environments, depth of water, etc. 
 Even where the varieties are of such 
 character as to justify classification 
 under names of different species, the 
 general character is much the same, 
 and the methods of fishing differ 
 merely as to size of the fish, and their 
 natural food in the localities where 
 they are caught. 
 
 In England weights and measure- 
 ments are given of monster pike so 
 large that — lacking verification — 
 the records of thousand-pounders are 
 regarded as fabulous fish tales, but it 
 is doubtless true that in some in- 
 
Fishcraft 77 
 
 stances remarkably big fish of the 
 larger species have been taken. In 
 the United States a few cases, seem- 
 ingly well authenticated, are recorded 
 of catching specimens of the great 
 northern pike weighing more than 
 seventy-five pounds, or about equal 
 to the size of the largest known mas- 
 calonge. The taking of these monster 
 pike, even if well established, oc- 
 curred so long ago, with nothing ap- 
 proaching such wonderful size re- 
 corded in recent years, that it would 
 probably be safe to say the chance of 
 catching one of similar size now is 
 about on a par with the probability 
 of finding a live dodo. The angler 
 who is fortunate enough to hook and 
 land either of the large species of pike 
 weighing ten pounds may consider 
 himself "high hook," as a rule, and 
 if he catches a bigger one, he is to be 
 envied, probably, by his associates. 
 
 Trolling is the usual method of fish- 
 ing for the various species of pike and 
 pickerel. Live minnows are attrac- 
 tive bait, and several kinds of artifi- 
 cial spinners, trolling spoons, min- 
 
78 Fishcraft 
 
 nows, etc., are used successfully in 
 this branch of fishing. Ordinarily a 
 boat is used to cover the best fishing 
 grounds, and with light motor boat 
 it is a very easy style of angling. Cast- 
 ing from the shore, and trolling along 
 the banks, are also favorite methods 
 with some who are fond of pike or 
 pickerel fishing. The gameness of 
 these fish is not of the highest order, 
 as they seldom leap from the water, 
 and do not give the royal battle of a 
 black bass of equal weight, but instead 
 of fighting with the tactics of genuine 
 game fish, resort to pulling steadily on 
 the line, until exhausted, and then 
 yield without further resistance. In 
 rare instances the pike and pickerel 
 have been known to rise to the fly, 
 but so seldom that no dependence can 
 be placed on their so doing, and there- 
 fore the angler does not attempt fly- 
 fishing for any of the various species, 
 but may, by chance, take one while 
 casting for black bass. 
 
 As a food fish the pike is fairly 
 good, although somewhat coarse, and 
 not nearly equal, in the opinion of 
 
Fisher aft 79 
 
 most rodsters, to the pike-perch, or 
 "wall-eyed pike." In the cold, spring- 
 fed lakes and streams the fish are far 
 better food than those of the warmer 
 waters, and, as in most other fishes, 
 the game qualities are of higher order 
 when found in places where cold 
 springs furnish the fountain head or 
 supply. 
 
 Resorts for pike and pickerel fish- 
 ing are so numerous that it is hardly 
 necessary to specify by name the 
 noted lakes, ponds and rivers where 
 these fishes abound. However, a few 
 of the famous fishing resorts in this 
 line are the St. Lawrence waters, in 
 the Thousand Island region; the 
 Eagle River and Eagle Waters, in 
 Wisconsin ; and the waters near 
 Mackinac Island, in Michigan. 
 
OTHER GAME AND FOOD 
 FISHES 
 
 "OTHILE a comparatively small por- 
 ^ ^ tion of the anglers of America 
 have the opportunities to fish for and 
 scientifically catch the famous game 
 fishes, casting the artificial fly, and 
 using the finest tackle, millions of 
 fishers equally keen in their enjoy- 
 ment of the sport of angling, find their 
 pastime restricted to taking the com- 
 mon, but more or less gamy species 
 in the nearby waters. Common fishes 
 and common fishing, therefore, de- 
 serve something more than passing 
 notice. The catching of what is 
 known as an ordinary pan-fish, with 
 a common "pole," cheap cotton line, 
 simple hook, a cork float, and lead 
 sinker for tackle, may bring to the 
 fisher genuine joy as thrilling — in 
 its way — as that of landing a salmon 
 does to the scientific angler. Who 
 shall decide the comparative degrees 
 of pleasure experienced by devotees 
 indulging in the time-honored sport, 
 or set the relative merits of the vari- 
 
Fisher aft 81 
 
 ous methods on a scale as strictly 
 graded as that of music? 
 
 That there is the exquisite melody 
 of an aeolian harp or of the Italian 
 opera in the music of the reel, to the 
 angler who thoroughly understands 
 playing his fish to this tune, is, of 
 course, admitted, but the lone fisher- 
 man of lesser skill — or none at all — 
 in the higher branch of the art, is per- 
 haps as delighted in playing a minor 
 air, making the small fishes dance to 
 the vibration of a taut line, and bring- 
 ing them in without any accompani- 
 ment except the beating of his own 
 heart. 
 
 The multitude of small finny mem- 
 bers of the various common species 
 may be said to comprise the great 
 common school of fishes. To attend 
 this school, to apply the rod when- 
 ever and wherever it will do the most 
 good as a means of bringing a reason- 
 able number "out of the wet," is really 
 worthy the attention of all those fond 
 of a fascinating, healthful form of 
 study; in short, willing and anxious 
 to follow the fixed resolve of a famous 
 
82 Fishcraft 
 
 General — "light it out on this Hne 
 if it takes all summer," using not all 
 the time, but vacation time, holiday 
 time, or any time that can be spared 
 for the purpose. 
 
 Rock Bass 
 
 Throughout the wide territory in- 
 cluded in the Great Lakes region and 
 the Mississippi Valley this species of 
 
 Rock Bass. 
 
 fish is especially abundant, affording 
 fairly good sport and desirable food 
 to hosts of rodsters. The rock bass 
 has many local names, the best known 
 of these being Goggle-Eye, Rock Sun- 
 fish, Red-Eye, and War-Mouth. The 
 usual habitat is the clear waters of the 
 rivers, lakes and ponds ; the best time 
 for taking them is during summer 
 
Fisher aft 83 
 
 and autumn. The weight ranges up 
 to about one and a half pounds. Com- 
 mon baits are worms and small min- 
 nows, and the tackle about the same 
 as that in fishing for small black bass. 
 
 Strawberry Bass 
 
 Few, if any, of the small lishes are 
 more widely distributed or more gen- 
 
 strawberry (Calico) Bass. 
 
 erally sought than the strawberry 
 bass, variously known as the Crappie, 
 Calico Bass, Strawberry Perch, Grass 
 Bass, Silver Bass, Big Fin Bass, 
 Bank Lick Bass, Bar Fish, Razor 
 Back, Goggle-Eyed Perch, etc. The 
 range is much the same as that of 
 the rock bass, and the method of 
 fishing similar. It is found further 
 
84 Fishcrajt 
 
 south, perhaps, than the rock bass, 
 being common in the streams of 
 the CaroHnas and Georgia, as well 
 as in other waters of that latitude. 
 The ordinary weight of the straw- 
 berry bass is a pound or less, but large 
 specimens are occasionally taken, 
 weighing up to three pounds. 
 
 Yellow Bass 
 
 The yellow bass, sometimes called 
 
 Yellow Bass. 
 
 Bar Fish, is not so common in north- 
 the striped bass. In weight it runs 
 ern as in southern waters ; in the 
 lower Mississippi and some of its trib- 
 utaries. It takes rank with the white 
 bass, and to some extent resembles 
 that popular salt-water game fish. 
 
Fishcrajt 85 
 
 from one to three pounds, and the best 
 rod for this kind of fishing is the Hght 
 trout rod, or a black bass bait rod of 
 the lighter weight, using minnows for 
 bait. 
 
 White Bass 
 
 This species, - often termed the 
 Striped Lake Bass, resembles the 
 striped bass of the sea more closely 
 
 White Bass. 
 
 than does the yellow bass, and is quite 
 abundant in the Great Lakes region, 
 also in moderate numbers is found in 
 the Ohio River, its principal tribu- 
 taries, and various streams in the 
 south. It ordinarily inhabits the 
 deeper parts of the rivers and lakes, 
 and its weight is from one to three 
 pounds. With four-ounce brook trout 
 
86 Fishcraft 
 
 rod and light tackle, using either 
 worm or minnow for bait, good suc- 
 cess may be had in white bass fishing 
 during summer or autumn, wherever 
 this species is fairly plentiful. The 
 weight ordinarily runs from one 
 pound to three pounds. 
 
 The Grappie 
 
 In southern waters, from the Ohio 
 River to the Gulf, this species is 
 abundant. The fish is similar in size 
 and appearance to the Strawberry 
 Bass, or "Northern Crappie," as it is 
 frequently called, of lakes and streams 
 in the northern states. Popular 
 names for this much-sought fish, are 
 New Light, Croppie, Bachelor, Camp- 
 bellite, Sac-a-lait, Bridge Perch, 
 Chinquapin Perch, Speckled Perch, 
 Goggle-Eye, Shad, Tin Mouth, etc. 
 Light rod and tackle, with worm or 
 minnow bait, are best for this sort 
 of fishing. 
 
 Yellow Perch 
 
 One of the best known of small 
 fishes in the waters of the northern 
 and eastern lakes, rivers and ponds. 
 
Fishcraft 87 
 
 Although smaller in size than the 
 other fresh water fishes of intermedi- 
 ate division, the yellow perch is in 
 some respects and in certain locali- 
 ties regarded as a game fish of higher 
 order than its larger kindred, for the 
 reason that it will rise to the fly, and 
 sometimes affords good sport to the 
 
 Yellow Perch. 
 
 artificial fly fisherman. In fly-fishing 
 for yellow perch, use the four-ounce 
 fly-rod; in bait-fishing a six-ounce 
 bait rod. Small flies — red, brown, 
 gray and white — are used. In size 
 the fish does not average more than 
 a half pound, but occasionally a speci- 
 men of two and even as high as four 
 pounds are taken. Quiet waters, cov- 
 ering sandy or pebbly bottom, are the 
 favorite haunts of the yellow perch. 
 
"88 Fisher aft 
 
 White Perch 
 
 This species, like the yellow perch, 
 will sometimes rise to the fly, and is, 
 therefore, popular with fly-fishers, the 
 tackle used being similar to that in 
 brook trout fishing. From the far 
 northern waters — the lakes and 
 streams of the St. John River and 
 New Brunswick region — to the riv- 
 ers of North Carolina and the Dela- 
 ware River, the white perch is more or 
 less abundant. It is often found in 
 tidal streams, and in such locations 
 a taking bait is the shrimp or small 
 fish, while in fresh water the worm, 
 minnow and artificial fly are attrac- 
 tive. In the brackish waters it is often 
 found on the flat clay or muddy bot- 
 toms of the rather shallow places. 
 Small flies, bright colored, similar to 
 trout flies, are favorites in fly-fishing 
 for white perch. 
 
 The Shad 
 
 By the majority of people the shad 
 is known mainly, if not exclusively, 
 as a delicate, fine-flavored food fish • — 
 a choice delicacy for the table, but 
 having the one objection of innumer- 
 
Fishcraft 89 
 
 able small bones, vexing to the gor- 
 mandizer. The shad, like the salmon, 
 comes from salt water into fresh 
 water, and the best sport in catching 
 this species is with the artificial fly, 
 in the tide-water streams along the 
 Atlantic coast. The weight of the 
 shad varies greatly, specimens having 
 been caught of as high as eight 
 pounds, but those of two to four 
 pounds are game fish affording ex- 
 cellent sport, care being taken to 
 avoid heavy strikes, as the mouth is 
 very tender. In spring-time, with 
 brook trout tackle, fly-fishing for shad 
 is now one of the favorite sports with 
 a few expert anglers along the At- 
 lantic coast. Early morning hours, 
 and from five to eight o'clock in the 
 evening, are best for shad fishing, and 
 a very taking fly is the Scarlet Ibis, 
 on a small hook. "Planked shad" 
 are doubly appreciated by the man 
 who has caught them with a fly, says 
 an ardent fly-fisher. 
 
 ' Mud Shad 
 This species, believed to be a land- 
 locked common shad — or descend- 
 
90 Fishcraft 
 
 ant of the latter species — is quite 
 plentiful in some of the inland lakes 
 and streams, particularly in the larger 
 streams of the Mississippi Valley, the 
 St. John's Rivers, the Potomac, and 
 in a few of the other large lakes and 
 rivers of the north. Entrance to the 
 great lakes was through the canals. 
 Common names are the Lake Shad, 
 Hickory Shad, Winter Shad, Gizzard 
 Shad, White-Eyed Shad, Thread Her- 
 ring, etc. It is a prized food fish, but 
 lacks the game qualities of the shad 
 in coastal v/aters. 
 
 The Whitefish 
 
 Quite a number of species of the 
 whitefish inhabit the waters of the 
 Great Lakes region, and westward to 
 the Pacific, northward to Labrador, 
 as well as some of the streams tribu- 
 tary to the Missouri. It is one of the 
 best of food fishes, and as a game fish 
 one or two species take high rank, 
 mainly on account of the mystery at- 
 tached to their movements and the 
 short period during which they can 
 be caught with the artificial fly. The 
 
F is he raft 91 
 
 celebrated Cisco, of Lake Geneva, 
 Wisconsin, is probably most famous, 
 rising readily to the fly during a pe- 
 riod of about two weeks in May or 
 June, while the natural "cisco fly" 
 hovers over the water, then suddenly 
 disappearing into deeper water — its 
 usual habitat — until the next season. 
 Although ichthyologists name no less 
 than thirteen species of whitefish, 
 none except the cisco is regarded as in 
 any sense a game fish, and this of a 
 rather doubtful nature, the cisco be- 
 ing a surface-feeder for so short a 
 period, and then eagerly taking any- 
 thing resembling the natural fly. 
 Local names of the various species of 
 w^hitefish include Lake Herring, 
 Michigan Herring, Cisco, Lake 
 Whitefish, Frostfish, Mountain Her- 
 ring, Rocky Mountain Whitefish, 
 Roundfish, Shad Waiter, Black-Fin, 
 etc. 
 
 The Herring 
 
 The branch herring, otherwise 
 known as Alewife, Big-Eyed Herring, 
 Gaspergou, Sprat and Whitebait, is 
 common in the large lakes of New 
 
92 Fishcraft 
 
 York, and in the tide-water rivers 
 along the Atlantic coast, where it is 
 esteemed a fine food fish, and a fair 
 game fish at times, as it is caughr. with 
 artificial fly under favorable condi- 
 tions in Lake Ontario and elsewhere. 
 The inland herring, variously called 
 Alewife, Skipjack, and Shad-Herring, 
 has a wide range from the larger 
 streams of the upper Mississippi Val- 
 ley, in Lake Michigan and Lake Erie, 
 southward to the Gulf of Mexico, as 
 it descends to the deep waters and 
 presumably the ocean, from the 
 streams tributary to the Mississippi. 
 Its food is mainly worms in the fresh 
 water and crustaceans in brackish 
 waters. It is ordinarily about one 
 foot in length. 
 
 Bullhead and Catfish 
 
 Whether the bullhead is a separate 
 species or merely a small catfish, sig- 
 nifies nothing to the fisher-boy whose 
 early triumphs in the way of catching 
 fish in the mill-pond, lake or river, 
 resulted perhaps in catching one or 
 the other of these fresh water food- 
 
Fisher aft 93 
 
 fish. While they lack every essen- 
 tial of the game-fish, yet the bullhead 
 aflFords enough excitement to satisfy 
 the ardor of a beginner, and a suffi- 
 cient size and quality to appease his 
 hunger, after returning home filled 
 with enthusiasm but clamorous for a 
 feast of freshly-caught fish. Skill is 
 
 Catfish (Bullhead). 
 
 not required, to any great degree, in 
 catching either bullheads or catfish — 
 probably the most willing biters and 
 bolters of bait to be found in fresh- 
 water fishdom — but a little skillful- 
 ness is needed to escape one of the 
 "horns of the dilemma" in removing 
 the fish from the hook, for the creature 
 seems armed to the teeth, with an ad- 
 ditional spear of defense on the back. 
 Still fishing is the usual method of 
 
94 Fisher aft 
 
 catching, the range of bait almost as 
 great as the appetite of the fish, and 
 the time may be from dawn to dewy 
 eve, or during the still hours of the 
 night, for none of the iinny tribe can 
 excel the bullhead or catfish as night 
 ramblers and bottom feeders. A set 
 pole will, in fact, do the. work if the 
 fisher lacks either energy or time to 
 attend to the primitive sport, but the 
 active fisher-boy seldom wishes to be 
 absent when the wriggling prey takes 
 the hook and begins the stout strug- 
 gle for freedom. In small ponds the 
 bullhead rarely exceeds three or four 
 pounds in weight, but the catfish of 
 the Great Lakes sometimes reaches 
 one hundred pounds, and the chan- 
 nel-cat of the Mississippi attains to 
 one hundred and fift}^ pounds ; no 
 child's play to land, whether hooked 
 from boat, wharf, or in mid-stream 
 by "jugging" — that is, fishing with 
 large jugs, to which strong line and 
 hook is attached, the bait to be near 
 bottom, and allowing the jug to float 
 slowly down stream, followed by the 
 fisherman. 
 
Fisher aft 95 
 
 The Branch Herring 
 
 Although this is, strictly speaking, 
 a salt water species, it is so frequently 
 caught in the tide water streams along 
 the Atlantic coast that it deserves 
 mention as a fish affording sport to 
 the fresh water angler. The branch 
 herring is perhaps best known as the 
 ''alewife," and in spring-time many 
 are taken with artificial flies in the 
 rivers of the Atlantic coast, from 
 the Albemarle and Potomac rivers, 
 northward to the Connecticut, and 
 along the tide-water streams of Mas- 
 sachusetts and Maine. The land- 
 locked division of the species, in the 
 large inland lakes, also furnish sport 
 to anglers, and good food to the 
 masses. 
 
 The Smelt 
 
 This excellent fish, better known as 
 a table delicacy than as a species of 
 interest to the angler, is one furnish- 
 ing fairly good sport, usually late in 
 the season, as winter approaches, and 
 can then be found quite abundant in 
 the channels and creeks near the 
 coast, from the Cjulf of St. Lawrence 
 
96 Fisher aft 
 
 to Virginia. One species of smelt is 
 also found along the Pacific coast, 
 ranging from California northward. 
 The average size is about six inches in 
 length, and the best lure is worm bait, 
 held within a foot or two of the bot- 
 tom. 
 
 Pike-Perch 
 
 In many inland waters, from the 
 extreme northern states to the Caro- 
 
 Pike-Perch (Wall-Eye). 
 
 Unas, the pike-perch, more familiarly 
 known as the wall-eyed pike, gives 
 rather exciting sport to the fisherman, 
 especially those fond of still fishing 
 and trolling. The pike-perch fre- 
 quents both lakes and streams, and 
 can sometimes be taken with the ar- 
 tificial fly, using for morning fishing 
 a dark-colored bass fly, and for eve- 
 ning fishing a light-colored fly. The 
 
Fisher aft 97 
 
 best live baits are frog, minnow, craw- 
 fish and worm. For trolling bait it 
 is advisable to use a spoon not larger 
 than No. 3, or if live bait, preferably 
 the minnow. In appearance the pike- 
 perch bears some resemblance to both 
 the perch and the pike, therefore the 
 hyphenated name was given by ich- 
 thyologists. It is usually found in the 
 deep waters of the lakes and in the 
 rivers it frequents rapids or swift-run- 
 ning portions. In weight it runs from 
 one pound to six pounds, rarely reach- 
 ing ten pounds. The pike-perch is 
 quite abundant in Michigan, Wiscon- 
 sin, New York, Ohio, Kentucky, Mis- 
 souri, Tennessee, West Virginia, and 
 Arkansas. 
 
 The Sunfish 
 
 In boyhood, the first line of invi- 
 tation cast to a finny friend is very 
 likely to be dropped to the sunfish, 
 commonly called "pumpkin-seed," 
 and happy the lad whose offer was ac- 
 cepted. In various sections the little 
 fish — seldom weighing more than 
 one and one-half pounds — is known 
 under the name of Sunny, Brim, Red- 
 
98 Fishcrajt 
 
 Bellied Bream, Sun Perch, Red-Bel- 
 lied Perch, Red-Breast, Blue Bream, 
 Copper-Nosed Bream, etc. It is quite 
 plentiful in the lakes and ponds of the 
 Great Lake region and in streams 
 from Maine to Georgia. Angleworms 
 are killing bait, but under favorable 
 conditions the sunfish will take the 
 
 Sun Fish. 
 
 artificial trout fly, brook trout tackle 
 being used. This fish is usually found 
 in waters that are still and clear. 
 
 The Chub 
 
 This is another finny favorite of 
 juvenile fishers, and by no means con- 
 fined to the attention of boys, for 
 many older anglers find chub-fishing 
 
Fishcraft 99 
 
 well worth while, especially when the 
 higher class fishes are not to be found, 
 or refuse to bite. The weight depends 
 mainly on the habitat, as the chub of 
 the brook is usually quite small, while 
 in larger streams specimens of good 
 size are frequently taken, sometimes 
 from eighteen to twenty inches in 
 length. For still fishing use a grass- 
 hopper or grubworm ; and for fly- 
 fishing, a lure with big red body. In 
 trout streams where the chub is also 
 an inhabitant he is more or less of a 
 nuisance, as he is likely to take the 
 fly eagerly just when the angler has 
 reason to expect a rise from a brook 
 trout, and in some cases the chub 
 seizes the second fly when the fisher is 
 almost ready to land the trout he is 
 playing on the other fly. Good old 
 Thad. Norris relates interesting inci- 
 dents of this kind in connection with 
 trouting on the Beaverkill and other 
 streams. 
 
 The Shiner 
 
 Ranking low on the list among 
 American fishes that take the hook, 
 the shiner is by no means least in the 
 
100 Fisher aft 
 
 estimation of the average fisher-boy 
 who finds his angHng activities con- 
 fined to small brooks or waters devoid 
 of brook trout. Given his choice be- 
 tween taking a shining silver dollar 
 or catching a large shiner, the en- 
 thusiastic youthful angler would be 
 very likely to take the latter. This 
 is based upon the invariable answer 
 to that ancient, yet ever ready ju- 
 venile question: "Which would you 
 rather do or go a-fishing.'"' — ambigu- 
 ous, but exciting to the boyish mind 
 and heart. There is but one answer; 
 except possibly when the circus comes 
 to town. The shiner is otherwise 
 known as the Red Fin, Red Dace, 
 Minnow, Minnie, etc., but under any 
 name he is a popular and usually 
 "far-flung" prize in the country boy's 
 annals of angling. In length the 
 shiner seldom, if ever, exceeds ten 
 inches, but that does not measure the 
 joy of catching — a fact forever im- 
 pressed on the memory of him who 
 recalls "the first little minnow he 
 caught with a pin." 
 
Fisher aft 101 
 
 The Bream 
 
 This little favorite, a member of 
 the Percoid or perch family, is most 
 frequently found in small streams and 
 lakelets of the eastern states, and 
 along the Mississippi valley. It is 
 prized as an excellent pan fish, and 
 affords fair sport to the angler, the 
 ordinary method being still fishing, 
 with short, light rod, a short line, No. 
 3 Kirby hook, baited with minnow, 
 red worm, shrimp or crawfish; the 
 bait to be from sixteen to twenty-four 
 inches below the float. Two species 
 are famiHar to anglers — the Blue 
 Bream, or Copper-Nosed Bream, 
 about eight inches in length, at most, 
 and the Red-BelHed Perch, or Red- 
 Tailed Bream; a third species, less 
 known, being the Goggle-Eye, or 
 War-Mouth Perch, a fish with dark 
 green mottled back and brilliant sides. 
 All these are often miscalled sunfish, 
 or Sun Perch, as they frequent the 
 same waters, and the resemblance is 
 evident. 
 
HOW TO MAKE ARTIFICIAL 
 FLIES 
 
 "Mark well the various seasons of the year, 
 How the succeeding insect race appear, 
 In their revolving moon one color reigns, 
 Which in the next the fickle trout disdains ; 
 Oft have I seen a skillful angler try ■ 
 The various colors of the treach'rous fly ; 
 When he with fruitless pain hath skim'd the brook, 
 And the coy fish rejects the skipping hook. 
 He shakes the boughs that on the margin grow, 
 Which o'er the stream a weaving forest throw ; 
 When if an insect fall (his certain guide). 
 He gently takes him from the whirling tide ; 
 Examines well his form with curious eyes, 
 His gaudy vest, his wings, his horns, his size. 
 Then round his hook the chosen fur he winds, 
 And on the back a speckled feather binds ; 
 So just the colors shine through every part. 
 That insect seems to live again in art." 
 
 'T^HE best way in which to catch 
 trout, and even bass, is with a 
 fly; although the ftsh takes the fly 
 because he thinks it is a real live one, 
 he is not particular about having it 
 look exactly like a live one. 
 
 A fly is made this way: hold the 
 hook by the bend and wind the tying 
 thread which has been thoroughly 
 waxed, and should be of silk, several 
 times around the straight shank; by 
 winding it on the shank it is brought 
 
F is he raft 103 
 
 down to the point at which the bend 
 begins. A fibre or two of feather, or a 
 few strong hairs from a squirrel or 
 buck-tail, are wound in under the ty- 
 ing thread at this point; these make 
 the tail of the fly, and should be about 
 as long as the whole hook. Then, 
 with a few turns of the thread the 
 bodv material is fastened in at the 
 
 Artificial Flies. 
 
 same point. This material may either 
 be silk or wool ; sometimes it is fur 
 which has been spun on the thread 
 between the fingers — the wax hold- 
 ing it there until it has been wound in, 
 Before commencing to wind the 
 body material on the hook, the tying 
 thread is brought up near the eye of 
 the hook (by winding), and left there 
 in readiness for making the end of the 
 
104 Fisher aft 
 
 body material fast. By fastening a 
 little weight to the thread it may be 
 allowed to hang free without having 
 it unwind. When the body has been 
 wound on, the end is made secure by 
 taking a few turns over it with the 
 silk thread. The wings are made 
 from sections of one side of a feather ; 
 cut two sections out of the proper 
 size (they should extend out over the 
 end of the hook a little when com- 
 pleted), and holding them down on 
 the top of the shank up near the eye, 
 make them fast by a few turns of the 
 thread ; then cut off the stumps which 
 extend forward. 
 
 The next step is to tie in the hackles 
 which represent the legs of the fly. 
 Hackle feathers are found on the 
 necks and saddles of game cocks ; for 
 certain kinds of flies hen's hackles 
 or even partridge hackles are used.' 
 Strip all the fuzzy part of the feather 
 off, and holding it by the tip end, pull 
 it through the fingers of the other 
 hand; this will make all the fibres 
 stand out from the quill. Then tie 
 in the tip end just in front of the 
 
Fisher aft 105 
 
 wings ; by winding the hackle around 
 the hook, both in front of and behind 
 the wings, the legs are put on the fly. 
 Fasten the tying thread off by tying 
 a few half-hitches just back of the eye 
 of the hook, and to make sure that 
 this will "stay put," touch the knot 
 with a little varnish on the end of a 
 match. When it has dried hard the 
 thread is protected, and the hitches 
 stuck tight. 
 
 With a pin pick out any fibres of the 
 hackle that may have been caught un- 
 der when winding it on ; if the wings 
 are too big they may be trimmed off 
 with scissors. However, it is much 
 better to make the wings the proper 
 size in the beginning, as it makes 
 them look stiff and unnatural to trim 
 them later. 
 
 A plain hackle fly may be made 
 without wings. The tail and body are 
 wound in as explained above; in- 
 stead of tying in a pair of wings, wind 
 either one or two hackles in, and fin- 
 ish off as 'directed. Hackle flies are 
 supposed to represent spiders or cater- 
 
106 Fisher aft 
 
 pillars, according to the shape in 
 which they are made. 
 
 There is another way in which to 
 put on the wings of a regular fly, 
 which will prove to be a more secure 
 method. Instead of holding them on 
 the shank of the hook so that they 
 point backwards, place them so that 
 they will extend out over the eye of 
 the hook; fasten down with a few 
 turns of silk, and then bend them 
 back into their proper position and 
 make secure there by several more 
 turns of thread. Wings made in this 
 wav are known as "reversed wings." 
 
HOW TO CAST A FLY 
 
 "And here, where the eddies, so pearly white, 
 Sink away into gloom or wheel into light, 
 Where the trunk of decaying pine-tree doth throw 
 Its leaning bridge over the current's flow, 
 The patient angler, with rod and line, 
 May cast his flies and his tackle so fine, 
 And soon his basket a treasure will hold 
 Of azure fishes o'rspangled with gold." 
 
 TN order to cast a fly one must have 
 a fairly limber rod, and a line of 
 the kind that is known as "enam- 
 elled" ; this means a silk line that has 
 been covered with a dressing of water- 
 proof material which gives it a very 
 smooth finish, and adds weight to it. 
 It is the weight of the line that makes 
 it possible to cast a fly, just as it is the 
 weight of a long whip lash that makes 
 it possible to throw the lash out full 
 length. 
 
 Pull out about twenty feet of line, 
 and lay it on the ground in front of 
 you ; then pick up the rod, holding it 
 in the right hand with the thumb ex- 
 tended along the top of the handle. 
 On a fly rod the reel should be placed 
 below the hand grasp, and when held 
 in position for casting the reel should 
 
108 Fisher aft 
 
 be underneath the rod with the handle 
 to the right. 
 
 Now, with a quick, snappy motion, 
 throw the Hne out in the air behind 
 you; this is best done by keeping 
 the right elbow close to the side, and 
 only using the forearm and wrist in 
 making the back cast. The rod must 
 not be allowed to go further back than 
 the shoulder; in other words, it must 
 be straight up in the air when the 
 back cast has been completed. Be- 
 fore the line has time to drop to the 
 ground behind you, you bring the rod 
 forward with a smart motion, and 
 thus throw the line out on the ground 
 in front of you. It is best to learn 
 how to cast on the ground instead of 
 over the water, as the line may be 
 placed in a straight line fully ex- 
 tended, before trying to make a back 
 cast. As soon as you have gained a 
 little experience and skill, this part 
 may be omitted, because you will be 
 able to throw the line out straight 
 when you make the forward cast. 
 
 Unless you allow plenty of time for 
 the line to straighten out in the air 
 
Fisher aft 109 
 
 behind you, the flies will be snapped 
 off with a loud crack ; thus, when the 
 back cast has been made, it is neces- 
 sary to stand perfectly still for an in- 
 stant, not making the forward cast 
 until the line has had time to 
 straighten out. Of course you must 
 not wait so long that it will have fallen 
 to the ground ; if you get a friend to 
 watch and tell you just the moment 
 the line is fully extended, it will help 
 you to time this pause correctly. 
 
 You have seen that a complete cast 
 is made as follows : the back cast, the 
 pause, and the forward cast. If the 
 rod is allowed to come down too close 
 to the ground in making the forward 
 cast the fly will alight on the water 
 like a "ton of bricks" ; therefore, you 
 must stop the motion of the rod when 
 it is about half way between the per- 
 pendicular and the ground — in other 
 words, when it makes an angle of 
 about forty-flve degrees with the 
 ground. Another important matter 
 is to aim the fly at a point several feet 
 above the surface of the water ; then 
 when the line has become fully ex- 
 
no Fisher aft 
 
 tended in front of you, it will drop 
 quietly instead of coming down with 
 a splash. 
 
 If you wish to extend the line 
 further, you make what are known 
 as several false casts in the air, not 
 allowing it to touch the water either 
 in front or behind you ; during the 
 progress of these false casts more line 
 is stripped off the reel by the left hand, 
 and allowed to work out through the 
 guides on the rod. In fact it is very 
 wise always to hold the line in the left 
 hand, grasping it between the reel and 
 lirst guide; this allows you to strip 
 in when a fish has been hooked with- 
 out having to shift the rod from one 
 hand to the other in order to turn the 
 crank on the reel. 
 
STILL FISHING 
 
 TT is reasonable to believe and prob- 
 -■■ ably safe to assert that the very 
 earliest form of angling was still fish- 
 ing. It is not, of course, one of the 
 scientific methods of fishing, but it 
 puts to the test that ever essential 
 quality, patience, and the other trait 
 so often mentioned in commenting on 
 what is known as the contemplative 
 art, for there is self-truth in good old 
 Izaak Walton's lines — referring, 
 doubtless, to the ancient and pre- 
 sumably everlasting branch of an- 
 gling, still fishing — 
 
 "One hand alone my work can do, 
 So I can fish and study too." 
 
 The first efforts of the youthful an- 
 gler are naturally in the line of still 
 fishing. The bob and sinker are re- 
 garded as important parts of the out- 
 fit, if fishing in deep water, but in the 
 swift-running brook the bob is not re- 
 quired, and the sinker, if used, should 
 be small. In either case there will 
 be good reason for patience and for 
 
112 Fisher aft 
 
 the meditative mood, when fish do 
 not bite freely. The study of fish and 
 fishing, in this primitive form, is not 
 tiresome but rather of the restful 
 kind, to the enthusiastic beginner, 
 and it often happens that still fishing 
 continues to be the favorite form of 
 angling through life. 
 
 The brook and the rapid river are 
 not so favorable for still fishing as the 
 deeper, quiet lake, or the old mill 
 pond, where, as a rule, the country 
 boy makes his first venture in angling. 
 The angle-worm or common grub- 
 worm is most frequently used for bait, 
 and the rod is ordinarily of the sim- 
 plest kind, a reel being attached if the 
 fisher is at all ambitious to have the 
 excitement of testing his skill in play- 
 ing his fish before landing it. In fact, 
 w^hen a specimen is hooked — perhaps 
 a large, open-mouthed catfish, or a 
 monster pickerel — the reel will be 
 found something more than orna- 
 mental ; it may be the means of saving 
 a finny prize that would have broken 
 either rod or line and escaping, to the 
 deep disappointment of the angler. 
 
Fisher aft 113 
 
 Selecting suitable places for still 
 fishing depends on local conditions. 
 It is generally safe to select the deeper 
 pools instead of shallow water, and in 
 summer weather, especially, comfort 
 and convenience will incline one to 
 such choice in seeking to attract the 
 fishes to his lure. After finding the 
 depth of the water, care should be 
 taken to fasten the float so that the 
 bait will be near but not upon the 
 bottom. In some cases the fish are 
 bottom feeders, and when this is 
 found to be the case, the bait may be 
 permitted to rest upon the bottom. 
 Then at other times or places, the fish 
 may be found feeding nearer the sur- 
 face, or perhaps in mid depth, and the 
 careful angler will, of course, regulate 
 his float and bait accordingly. Hooks 
 of medium size should be used for 
 ordinary fishing, but when either very 
 large, or unusually small fish are 
 known to be most numerous in the 
 waters fished, hooks of suitable size 
 are to be preferred. With a fair 
 variety to select from, there need be 
 little if any difficulty in this respect. 
 
114 Fisher aft 
 
 For real ease and restfulness still 
 fishing of course takes first rank, as it 
 requires no exertion beyond that of 
 landing a fish when hooked, and this 
 cannot be called strenuous, except 
 with the big ones. Comfortably 
 seated on a convenient log or rock, or 
 on the grass-grown bank, in the shade 
 of a fine old forest tree, the still-fisher 
 is certainly a picture of comfort and 
 content. He may even drift into 
 dreamland, but caution against drop- 
 ping into the water, from an over- 
 hanging bank, should impel the fisher 
 to adopt the motto of safety first. 
 There is none of the toil of fly-casting, 
 and if any flies seem inclined to 
 bother the still fisher, he can remedy, 
 if not remove this trouble, by use of 
 mosquito netting around his hat- 
 brim, and fastened around his neck 
 by light rubber cord. 
 
 Ordinarily the sport of still-fishing 
 is enjoyed most by very youthful and 
 by very old anglers ; the first on ac- 
 count of lack of skill to successfully 
 try more scientific methods, the latter 
 by reason of failing vigor and the un- 
 
Fiskcrajt 115 
 
 abated ardor which leads them to con- 
 tinue their favorite recreation in some 
 form, even the most primitive. Once 
 an angler, always an angler, is doubt- 
 less a true saying, so it will be seen 
 that the aged devotee is still fond of 
 the sport, still fishing, so to speak. 
 
PIER FISHING 
 
 n^HERE is a form of fresh water 
 ■^ fishing affording excellent sport 
 where conditions are favorable ; in 
 fact, the best near-by angling to be 
 had by residents of some of the larger 
 cities and towns along the great lakes 
 and the big rivers of the interior, viz., 
 fishing from the piers. On the sea 
 coast this has been brought to a per- 
 fected system, certain piers being used 
 mainly or in some cases exclusively, 
 for fishing, and although the expense 
 involved may prevent adopting this 
 plan in the smaller towns, the large 
 cities could certainly provide such fa- 
 cilities, either through official or other 
 means of raising the necessary money 
 for the purpose. In any case, pro- 
 vision should be made that one pier 
 — more, if possible — be open to the 
 public; private and club enterprise 
 being always able to look after the 
 interests of those favored by fortune. 
 Permits for erection of such piers 
 should not be difficult to secure in 
 any city, even where funds are not 
 
Fisher aft 117 
 
 available to build at municipal cost; 
 and acting under such restriction as 
 might be necessary with regard to 
 placing, it is probable that public- 
 spirited citizens — anglers of course 
 leading — would soon subscribe the 
 amount required for a modest, sub- 
 stantial pier designed for, and dedi- 
 cated to, the time-honored Waltonian 
 pastime. As a means of promoting 
 health and happiness, with whole- 
 some food more readily obtained at 
 slight expense, it would be difficult 
 to name anything outside of abso- 
 lutely essential needs, that could be 
 more beneficial for the comparatively 
 slight cost. 
 
 In connection with the establishing 
 of fishing piers, and of equal im- 
 portance to the angling fraternity, is 
 the annual restocking of the waters 
 with game and food fish adapted to 
 the local conditions. In this good 
 work, fortunately, state and national 
 co-operation can be assured, as the 
 Fish Comrnissioners are ever ready 
 to help restore depleted waters with 
 
118 Fisher ajt 
 
 the young fry, and the hatcheries have 
 proved sources of bountiful supply. 
 
 The methods of angling from piers 
 are varied, still fishing being most 
 common, but at certain places, and 
 favorable times, long distance casting 
 is possible and good results probable. 
 As to variety, the range is wide, tak- 
 ing in any and all of the species of 
 fishes inhabiting the local waters, and 
 the angler enjoying this form of recre- 
 ation, with all its "glorious possibili- 
 ties," may well feel that he is the peer 
 of any devotee of the gentle art. On 
 the score of economy, nothing less ex- 
 pensive could be devised, and with 
 experience as a teacher, the fish hatch- 
 ery as provider, skill and a moderate 
 amount of good luck should bring to 
 the landing-net such satisfactory net 
 results that the angler's cup of joy 
 and his creel will be fairly well filled. 
 
 Where public fishing piers exist, 
 crowded conditions will, of course, 
 come occasionally, when perfect fish- 
 ing days appeal to all those fond of 
 rod and line. These are the times that 
 try men's souls, as far as angling can 
 
Fisher aft 119 
 
 do so, for tangled lines may lead 
 vexed fishers to believe it is a game of 
 cross purposes, but good sense, com- 
 bined with good humor, will help 
 loosen the snarls without loss of tem- 
 per or any portion of the tackle. To 
 engage in a war of words will cast a 
 black cloud even on the brightest day, 
 and possibly prevent further unpleas- 
 ant casting during that angling ses- 
 sion. 
 
 Where peace prevails, and rigid 
 rules exclude rough characters from 
 the fishing pier, what better family 
 diversion can be found when the 
 weather favors ? From every angle — 
 and few, if any, outdoor pastimes 
 offer a greater number — fresh water 
 angling, measured in the scale of 
 merit, gives the fair-minded fisher full 
 value for his expenditure of time and 
 money; and fishing from the piers 
 may be made one of the methods most 
 highly approved, most readily en- 
 gaged in, and most economical of all 
 to dwellers in pent-up cities and 
 towns on the*banks of large lakes and 
 rivers throughout the United States. 
 
FISHING THROUGH THE ICE 
 
 'T^HE sport of angling may be made 
 an almost an all-the-year-round 
 recreation, even in the northern 
 states, by hardy fishers who are not to 
 be chilled in their enthusiasm by cold 
 weather, and for this reason will not 
 yield to a "winter of discontent," as 
 hshing through the ice affords excel- 
 lent sport when conditions are favora- 
 ble. It may be made a very com- 
 fortable pastime, and well worth the 
 attention of all fresh water anglers, 
 by taking care to provide everything 
 necessary to guard against the cold 
 winter weather. 
 
 The outfit for fishing through the 
 ice, aside from tackle similar to that 
 ordinarily required for lake or river 
 lishing, consists in a tent or a snugly- 
 built little cot, some four feet in 
 width by six feet in length, with roof, 
 in which a hole has been cut of size 
 large enough to permit a stove pipe 
 to be put through ; in the interior, a 
 small sheet-iron stove, with any ar- 
 rangement desired for convenience or 
 
Fisher aft 121 
 
 comfort of the occupant, or the two 
 who may occupy it, for the pleasure 
 is often greater when a congenial com- 
 panion participates in the pastime of 
 winter fishing. Low runners should 
 be attached, if the shelter is built in 
 box-house form; but with a tent, a 
 hand-sled will serve to take this from 
 place to place, as may be necessary. 
 
 Cut a hole in the ice — a little more 
 than a foot in diameter — and through 
 this fishing can be done with either 
 natural or artificial bait. Often, when 
 the weather has been quite severe, 
 and the ice very thick on this account, 
 with few, if any, air holes on the lake 
 or pond, the fish will come in numbers 
 to the newly-made fishing hole, and 
 may be readily caught with any suit- 
 able bait. A fiash light or other ar- 
 tificial light can be used to good ad- 
 vantage when desired, and the fishing 
 hut closed from the winter winds, 
 warmed by the fire within, will be 
 found remarkably cosy and com- 
 fortable. 
 
 In mild or moderate winter 
 weather, there will be no necessity for 
 
122 Fisher aft 
 
 either hut or tent, and the anglers, on 
 skates, can cover quite a distance in 
 seeking the best places, cutting holes 
 in the ice at intervals, and, if the fish- 
 ers are so inclined, a "tip-up" appli- 
 ance can be placed at each fishing 
 pole, the simple arrangement consist- 
 ing of a baited hook attached to a 
 strong line, and this fastened to a 
 stout stick, perhaps six feet in length, 
 in place of rod, and firmly fixing the 
 short pole on a cross-piece over the 
 hole in the ice, the outward end of 
 the impromptu "rod" to be decorated 
 with a red or bright-colored flyer, the 
 shorter end — about a foot or less — 
 to be on the side covering the opening 
 in the ice. A bite at the bait will bring 
 the signal flag, and if the fish is se- 
 curely hooked there will be a series 
 of wig-w^ags, the "S. O. S." calls of the 
 victim. This style of fishing, although 
 often productive of big results, is not 
 highly commended as a sportsman- 
 like method of angling, being in re- 
 ality more of a market fisher's system 
 than of the true Waltonian manner of 
 takine fish. 
 
Fisher aft 123 
 
 When indulged in for sport rather 
 than for the market, and in the hope 
 and anticipation of catching a large 
 fish instead of a very large number of 
 iish, the pastime is a commendable 
 one, conducive to health, and giving 
 that variety said to be the spice of 
 life. In crystal clear water the fish 
 may sometimes be seen by the winter 
 fisher, as they approach the lure on 
 the line of invitation. Pike, pickerel 
 and black bass are some of the larger 
 species caught in fishing through the 
 ice, and the smaller varieties fre- 
 quenting lakes and ponds are also 
 "among those present" on the occa- 
 sion of winter events of this kind. 
 
 Many veterans of the angling guild 
 doubtless recall, with pleasure, the 
 olden days of mid-winter sport with 
 hook and line, when ice and snow 
 never interfered with out-door pas- 
 times, but brought, instead, the thrill 
 that comes to natives of the north- 
 lands when chill winds seem to chal- 
 lenge us to come into the open air and 
 engage in some of the recreations of 
 the season. To eager rodsters of this 
 
124 Fisher aft 
 
 type, ice forms no barrier, but is 
 rather a means of changing the 
 method of fishing, so that the season 
 has a charm beyond that of other or- 
 dinary winter amusements. 
 
HINTS TO FRESH WATER 
 ANGLERS 
 
 Baits and Tackle 
 
 TDest Live Bait. — Angleworms are 
 the best general bait for fishing, 
 as this "garden hackle" proves at- 
 tractive to a larger number of fishes 
 than any other live bait. Rich soil 
 is the best place to find angleworms, 
 the heavy clay soil yielding good re- 
 sults, especially after rains. A strong 
 solution of salt water, freely poured 
 on the surface, will usually bring the 
 worms to the top of the ground. 
 
 Preserving Worms. — By placing 
 worms in wet moss, and pouring a 
 pint of milk over them daily, they can 
 be kept in good condition quite a 
 length of time. Useful bait cans can 
 be bought at small cost, or made to 
 order by any tinsmith. 
 
 Live Minnow^s. — By using a small- 
 mesh dip net in waters where min- 
 nows abound, a good supply can soon 
 be caught, and properly kept by keep- 
 ing in a perforated can, in pure water. 
 
126 Fisher aft 
 
 Hook through the lip and body of the 
 minnow, in such manner that it may 
 appear natural in trolling through the 
 water. 
 
 Live Frogs. — The frog is a suc- 
 cessful lure for several species of fish. 
 To catch frogs, attach a small piece of 
 red flannel to a hook, and lightly 
 drop this where it will be seen; the 
 lure is almost irresistible. 
 
 Small Mice. — Nearly all fresh 
 water fishes bite readily at live mice. 
 In using this lure the mouse should 
 be hooked through the tail, and al- 
 lowed to swim away. This may seem 
 a cruel practice, but is little more so 
 than using frogs. 
 
 Raw^ Beef. — Cut a piece of raw 
 beef in suitable form and size, and it 
 will prove to be a good bait, for the 
 coarse fishes especially. This is a bait 
 easily obtainable, and may be taken 
 along to use in emergency. 
 
 Live Grasshoppers. — For trout 
 and bass grasshoppers should never 
 be overlooked as one of the most at- 
 tractive live baits. With a net of mos- 
 quito bar a sufficient number can 
 
Fisher aft 127 
 
 usually be caught in short order. Use 
 as a surface lure, and never attach a 
 sinker. 
 
 DoBsoN, Helgramite. — The hel- 
 gramite, or dobson, known under 
 many different names, is one of the 
 best live baits for black bass. The 
 crawlers are found under logs and 
 stones in brooks and rapid-running 
 rivers, and should be kept in damp 
 grass, placed in a small box. Hook 
 just back of the head. 
 
 Artificial Flies. — These are of 
 such great variety that, for a complete 
 list, want of space prevents giving 
 names in detail. Of the standard flies 
 for trout fishing, some of the most 
 popular are the Grey Hackle, Brown 
 Hackle, Professor, Grizzly King, 
 Montreal, Coachman, White Miller, 
 May-fly, Alder and Queen of the 
 Water, with a few midge-flies, small 
 and dark in color. Of black bass flies 
 one of the favorites is the Henshall, 
 so named in honor of the well-known 
 author and angler. 
 
 Trolling Baits. — The artificial 
 baits used in trolling are multitudi- 
 
128 Fishcraft 
 
 nous, including the spoons, minnows, 
 and various devices invented to catch 
 the gamy fresh water fishes. To men- 
 tion any particular make would seem 
 like favoritism, and to name all is 
 impractical in the limited space of a 
 little brochure wherein brevity is nec- 
 essary to give wide range of informa- 
 tion in compact form. 
 
 Lines. — That American manufac- 
 turers make the best silk lines in the 
 world is generally known, in this 
 country at least, and the evenly 
 braided, careful enameled lines — 
 thoroughly waterproofed with a prep- 
 aration of linseed oil and paraffine — 
 are alike pliable and durable; free 
 from "kinks" if properly used, while 
 ordinary tangles are readily released. 
 In salt water linen lines are prefera- 
 ble, as silk is more quickly destroyed 
 therein. 
 
 Leaders. — For fly casting the lead- 
 ers should be perfectly round, dyed 
 a mist color, with a loop at each end 
 and one in the middle — one end to be 
 attached to the line, and a fly at each 
 of the other loops, a third fly being 
 
Fishcraft 129 
 
 sometimes used. The angler who 
 wishes to do so can purchase the gut 
 of which the leader is made and tie 
 it to his own taste as to length, etc^, 
 but the variety of tackle stores will 
 usually enable him to satisfy his 
 wants. The leaders to be used should 
 be straightened and placed between 
 two pieces of felt, thoroughly soaked, 
 the day before using, so that there 
 may be no danger of kinks, curves 
 or bends when fastened to the line. 
 The leaders should be kept in the 
 felt covering, and carried in a small 
 tin box about half an inch thick and 
 three inches in diameter. 
 
 Fishing Rods. — Expert anglers 
 take pride in using very light rods 
 and tackle, depending upon skill in 
 handling more than in mere strength 
 of rod and line to land the fish ; but 
 the beginner will do well to avoid the 
 extreme in either direction, selecting 
 a rod of what may be termed the 
 happy medium in length and weight. 
 A well balanced split bamboo is to be 
 preferred for the use of the skilled 
 angler, and the novice, if careful in 
 
130 Fisher aft 
 
 casting as well as in playing the fish, 
 will get more enjoyment in handling 
 a . handsome bamboo rod of finest 
 make than in one of either lancewood 
 or greenheart, the most desirable 
 woods in rod making. Of light rods 
 none can equal the split bamboo of 
 best make, either for strength, elas- 
 ticity or durability. The hexagonal 
 has greater strength than the round 
 rod. Another point is the "balance" 
 of the rod — the poise when held ready 
 for a cast — a matter readily settled 
 by an expert, but difficult to decide by 
 the inexperienced angler. A rod that 
 really fits, so to speak, is a treasure 
 to be kept from harm, an appliance 
 cherished as a lasting friend, for with 
 faithful care it should endure many 
 years, giving service of the most satis- 
 factory kind. 
 
 Care of Rods. — After using the 
 rod it should be carefully dried and 
 cleaned before putting it away. If the 
 joints of a rod become tightened, they 
 will easily loosen if held over the heat 
 of a lamp chimney. Before using a 
 rod rub a little brown soap on the fer- 
 
Fisher aft 131 
 
 rules, and trouble in unjointing will 
 be avoided. In the autumn before 
 putting the rod away for the winter, 
 varnish slightly, hang it up to dry, 
 then place on a level surface to pre- 
 vent warping. 
 
 Fly - Fishing Suggestions. — In 
 swift-running streams, when wading, 
 the angler will get best results by fish- 
 ing down stream, thus keeping a taut 
 line. In slow streams, fishing up- 
 stream may sometimes be done to ad- 
 vantage. In very clear, smooth wa- 
 ter, it is advisable to let the fly sink 
 a little, then move it with a quick mo^ 
 tion, imitating the action of a living 
 insect. Two things are of great im- 
 portance in fly-fishing; first accuracy, 
 then delicacy, each being essential to 
 success. In dry-fly fishing the fly 
 must be kept dry by sailing it in the 
 air between casts, and when on the 
 water be made to closely imitate the 
 action of the living fly. Dry-fly 
 streams, so-called, are few in number. 
 A variety of flies will help in luring 
 the fickle trout or bass, and frequent 
 change will enabk the angler to learn 
 
132 Fisher aft 
 
 what is most enticing, provided his 
 first casts are unsuccessful. Consider 
 the season, and use flies similar to 
 those hovering over the water, or, by 
 experimenting, discover the kind most 
 attractive. Many of the trout flies 
 used are too large, and frighten in- 
 stead of attracting the brook trout. 
 In fly-fishing for bass, it is well to let 
 the fly sink some six inches below the 
 surface, then draw it upward, with 
 wrist movement. Strike quickly 
 when a trout takes the fly, otherwise 
 the bait will be rejected before he can 
 be hooked. 
 
 Moderate Price Trouting Out- 
 fit. — An angler of long experience 
 says : "Here's a plain, practical, rea- 
 sonable-price outfit with no unneces- 
 sary items : A four-ounce lancewood 
 fly-rod, a common rubber click reel, 
 to hold twenty-five yards of fine 
 water-proof silk line, a seventy-five- 
 cent cane landing net, small and with 
 no metal on it, a seventy-five-cent 
 creel, a dozen of the best made and 
 highest-priced assorted trout-flies, a 
 pair of waders, and a dollar's worth 
 
Fisher ajt 133 
 
 of the finest and best made silk gut 
 leaders." 
 
 The Reel. — There are a number 
 of serviceable reels, the selection being 
 a matter of choice or taste, but in 
 placing the reel, the kind of fishing 
 to be done must be borne in mind. 
 With a bait rod the reel should be on 
 the top side, in front of the handle; 
 for the fly-rod, place the reel on the 
 under side, below the handle. 
 
 General Tackle. — The tendency 
 of the times, and of sportsmanship in 
 angling, is in the direction of light 
 tackle, but this may be carried to an 
 extreme with the beginner. Very 
 light rods and lines are likely to be 
 broken by a novice before he gains 
 knowledge of how to use them, there- 
 fore it is safer to adopt a happy me- 
 dium, and when in doubt any ex- 
 perienced angler will gladly give good 
 advice. The steadily growing "cotton 
 threaders" clan, composed of experts, 
 mainly, who use light cotton thread, 
 with rod and hook in proportion, 
 catch quite heavy fish with such an- 
 gling tackle, but it does not follow 
 
134 Fisher aft 
 
 that a iisher with no previous experi- 
 ence could do so. The same appUes 
 to the use of barbless hooks, advo- 
 cated to avoid injuring small fish of 
 size below the legal limit, to be re- 
 turned to the water. The best advice 
 to the beginner is to shun either ex- 
 treme, as to tackle, and take into con- 
 sideration the kind of fishing he in- 
 tends to do, then consult a thoroughly 
 skilled angler, whose suggestions will 
 be of the worth-while order. Inspect 
 the. points of hooks to see that they 
 are sharp ; if dulled, file to a perfect 
 point, carrying a fine file for this pur- 
 pose. It is far safer to buy your fish- 
 ing tackle at a regular tackle store, 
 where there is not only variety, but 
 better quality than at hardware or 
 notion stores, and in addition to this, 
 knowledge of the wants of anglers, 
 and how to supply in order to retain 
 trade. Have your own tackle; do 
 not borrow, and never lend unless you 
 are willing to lose. Test your line be- 
 fore fishing ; better break it if imper- 
 fect, than have the first big fish break 
 it for you. For fly-casting, leaders 
 
Fishcraft 135 
 
 with sliding loops are preferable. Ar- 
 tificial flies, dipped in kerosene oil, 
 and dried, are safe from moths. As 
 a moth-preventative for fly-books, 
 sprinkle napthaline crystals among 
 the leaves. Leaders may be given the 
 favorite mist color by immersing them 
 in French writing ink for one hour, 
 then drying. Never let your rods or 
 lines rest against nails, if you would 
 avoid rust and breakage. 
 
SELECTED LINES 
 
 TN making up his outfit for angling, 
 •^ the fisher always finds it neces- 
 sary to take special care in selection 
 of his lines. In like manner, it seems 
 desirable that some very appropriate 
 lines, cast with such delicacy and pre- 
 cision that they must prove pleasing 
 and instructive to the reader, be se- 
 lected from the array presented by 
 able angler-authors, and re-assembled 
 in form for ready reference, herein. 
 The novice will find that by carefully 
 reading and closely following the 
 lines, he can more readily put the 
 precepts into practice, thereby making 
 the pathway easier to success in 
 reaching the goal of success as a sci- 
 entific angler: 
 
 The Expert Fly-Fisher. — To be 
 a finished wet-fly angler one must 
 possess as muck skill as the dry-fly 
 fisherman. — Emlyn M. Gill. 
 
 The Complete Angler. — Wal- 
 ton's book is as fresh" and beautiful as 
 a handful of wild violets and sweet 
 
Fisher aft 137 
 
 lavender. It breathes the odors of 
 green fields and woods. 
 
 The Careful Angler. — His rule 
 in fishing was to fish in the difiicult 
 places which others were likely to 
 skip. — Daniel Webster. 
 
 The Home Angler. — The 
 "sporting" element among fishermen 
 haven't any fine sensibilities. The 
 true anglers fish for edible fish only 
 for their own use and the use of their 
 families. — "Piscator'' 
 
 The Lost Angler. — Remember 
 that water always is supposed to run 
 south, save in a few instances where 
 it runs direct north or west from the 
 mountains, as the Red River in Min- 
 nesota, flowing north, for instance. 
 This certainly would be a misleader. 
 But as a rule water runs south. Fol- 
 low it. Along streams man makes 
 his abode. — Robert Page Lincoln. 
 
 Fly vs. Worm. — That fly-fishing 
 is clean, and free from the muscular 
 efforts of mountain-climbing ; that it 
 is usually rewarded with larger fish 
 than those taken with a worm ; that it 
 has a freedom, a jollity, a certain 
 
138 Fisher ajt 
 
 broad, wide-spaced exhilaration, I 
 willingly admit. But the humbler, 
 old-fashioned method has a charm of 
 its own which I am not willing to 
 forego. — Willis Boyd Allen. 
 
 Brightening Spoons. — If your 
 spoons lose their brilliancy they can 
 be brightened by the use of a little 
 nitrate of mercury, rubbed on with 
 a piece of chamois. — Kit Clarke. 
 
 To Keep Fish Alive. — The best 
 method is to carry a net about three 
 feet long, with a swell center, and 
 open at one end. The fish are placed 
 in the bag, which is then immersed 
 in the water. These nets can be had 
 at any tackle store. — ''The Practical 
 Angler:' 
 
 To Fool a Trout. — A wary trout 
 can sometimes be fooled by this trick : 
 Take a broad maple leaf, and with a 
 knife slit half-way along the middle 
 vein; suspend the hook and worm, 
 press the leaf together, and send it 
 down-stream, and the trout is pretty 
 sure to seize it. — Kit Clarke. 
 
 The Brow^n Hackle. — Two hun- 
 dred anglers, representing all parts of 
 
Fishcraft 139 
 
 the United States, contributed fly- 
 fishing chapters to "Favorite Flies," 
 iVIary Orvis Marbury's wonderful 
 book on artificial flies and fly-fishing, 
 and 130 of them declared the Brown 
 Hackle their favorite pattern. — H. C. 
 Wilcox. 
 
 The Indolent Angler. — I know 
 of old anglers who have experienced 
 better things, who make long excur- 
 sions in pursuit of mascalonge, who 
 will sit on a cushioned seat with a 
 cushioned back in the stern of the 
 boat, and suffer themselves to be 
 pulled about all day, with a trolling 
 rod extended from each side. I never 
 could appreciate this inactive mode of 
 taking fish, which is little better than 
 cockney punt-fishing, and does not 
 require one-tenth the skill. — Thad. 
 N orris. 
 
 Locating the Trout. — Often the 
 whereabouts of a trout is betrayed by 
 a break or a leap from the surface, and 
 the wide-awake angler will make it 
 his business to toss his fly over the 
 spot sooner or later. Sometimes the 
 
140 Fisher aft 
 
 trout rush at the lure Hke a flash, leap- 
 ing clear over it in their eagerness. 
 They are difficult to hook then. — 
 Charles H alloc k. 
 
 Casting in the Rapids. — When I 
 come to rapids I cast far down the 
 foaming yeast of waters and draw my 
 dancing, leaping flies swiftly up 
 stream. The water throws the flies 
 hither and thither in the most natural 
 way, and often from a single cast in 
 such a place I have three trout on. — 
 Ned Bunt line. 
 
 A Wading Costume. — Long woolen 
 stockings, reaching midway between 
 the knee and hip, and supported by 
 elastic side garters with breeches but- 
 toning or buckling just below the 
 knee, is the perfection of wading cos- 
 tume. — Fitz James Fitch. 
 
 Skill That Does It. — Skill, and 
 trained skill at that, does the good 
 work, and the angler's score is in pro- 
 portion to his knowledge of "how to 
 do it!" — Wm. C. Harris. 
 
 Passion for Fly- Casting. — A 
 gray-haired bait fisher is very rare, 
 
F is he raft 141 
 
 while the passion for fly-casting, 
 whether for trout or salmon, grows 
 by what it feeds upon, and continues 
 a source of the highest pleasure even 
 after the grasshopper becomes a bur- 
 den. — George Dawson. 
 
 Fly-Fishing vs. Bait-Fishing. — 
 The true angler is not confined to fly- 
 fishing, as many imagine. When the 
 fly can be used it always should be 
 used, but where the fly is imprac- 
 ticable, or where the fish will not rise 
 to it, he is a very foolish angler who 
 declines to use bait. — W. C. Prime, 
 
 Care of Tackle. — When spring 
 comes round, look to your tackle with 
 careful inspection, and see that all are 
 in perfect order. Above all, look well 
 to your flies ; reject all specimens that 
 have been injured by use and all 
 frayed gut lengths. It is better to 
 throw away a handful now, than to 
 lose flies and fish together the first 
 time you fasten to a rise. — Charles 
 H alloc k. 
 
 Skill in Fly-Casting. — The nat- 
 ural and acquired skill actually neces- 
 
142 Fishcrajt 
 
 sary before any man can throw a 
 "neat fly," is known only to those 
 who have made this method of 
 anghng their study and amusement. 
 — Frank Forester. 
 
 Peculiarities of Fish. — There 
 are two pecuHarities of all sorts of fish 
 which are frequently unnoticed ; that 
 they are largely attracted to their 
 food by scent, and that they feed at 
 night. — Seth Green. 
 
 Not All of Fishing to Fish. — 
 The fisherman whose catching of 
 many fish causes him to forget his sur- 
 roundings, blinds his eyes to the 
 beauties of nature, and deadens his 
 ears to the music of the wild, is no 
 angler. — O. W . Smith. 
 
 The Bungler. — Bragging of un- 
 gentle catches, untruths about the 
 size of a specimen, and non-ichthyo- 
 logical nonsense about the mystery of 
 a species — unnatural history such as 
 cheap fiction writers indulge in — by 
 bungling would-be fishermen, annoy 
 the practical man and puzzle the 
 earnest tyro. The record of honest 
 
Fishcraft 143 
 
 sport is entertaining and instructive. 
 — Charles Bradford. 
 
 Use Suitable Tackle. — The qual- 
 ity of gameness in a fish is best deter- 
 mined by the character of the tackle 
 used. A brook trout on a striped 
 bass rod, or a black bass on a tarpon 
 rod, could not, in either case, exhibit 
 its characteristic gameness, or afford 
 any sport to the angler. Excellent 
 sport with small fishes, however, is 
 now rendered possible owing to the 
 advent of the very light trout rod. It 
 should not be considered beneath the 
 dignity of an angler to cast the fly for 
 a rock bass, a blue gill, or a croppie, 
 with a three-ounce rod. Certainly it 
 is just as sportsmanlike as to fish for 
 six-inch brook trout in a meadow 
 brook or a mountain rill. — James A. 
 He7nshalL 
 
 The Angling World. — Angling 
 takes us from the confusion . . . 
 of the big cities and places us in close 
 contact with one of the most im- 
 portant divisions of human labor — 
 the cultivation of the soil, which is 
 
144 Fisher aft 
 
 the real foundation of all national 
 wealth and true social happiness. 
 Everything connected with the land 
 is calculated to foster the best and 
 noblest feelings of the soul and to give 
 the mind the most lofty and sublime 
 ideas of universal nature. To men of 
 contemplative habits the roaming 
 along brooks, rivers, lakes, and fields 
 gives rise ^to the most refined intel- 
 lectual enjoyment. Such persons 
 move in a world of their own and 
 experience joys and sorrows with 
 which the world cannot meddle. — 
 J. L. H. 
 
Fishcraft 145 
 
 MISNOMERS OF WELL-KNOWN 
 FISHES 
 
 That some of the best known game 
 fishes and food fishes are mis- 
 named, is indicated in the brief sum- 
 mary of contradictory names thus 
 given by an ichthyologist: The black 
 bass is not a bass — it is a sunfish. 
 The white perch is not a perch — it is 
 a bass. The rock bass is not a bass — 
 it is a sunfish. The wall-eyed pike or 
 pike-perch is not a pike — it is a perch. 
 The true fresh water basses that are 
 angled for and which are strictly 
 members of the bass family ser- 
 ranidae — are only three in number — 
 the white bass, Roccus chrysops ; the 
 yellow bass, Morone interupta ; and 
 the white perch, Morone Americana. 
 
146 Fisher aft 
 
 A 
 
 B 
 
 G 
 
 D 
 
 E 
 
 F 
 
 G 
 
 H 
 
 I 
 
 J 
 
 K 
 
 L 
 
 M 
 
 N 
 
 O 
 
 P 
 
 Q 
 
 R 
 
 S 
 
 T 
 
 U 
 
 V 
 
 W 
 
 X 
 
 Y 
 
 Z 
 
 AN ANGLER'S ALPHABET 
 
 s the albacore, caught on the troll, 
 s the black bass, fighting for goal, 
 s the crappie, or strawberry bass, 
 s the drum-fish, in ocean en masse, 
 s the eel, of river and sea, 
 s the flounder, of flat form is he, 
 s the grayling, fast fading away, 
 s the herring, for food and for play, 
 s the inconnu — whitefish best known, 
 s jack-salmon, or pike-perch — no drone, 
 s the kingfish, preferred to the cod, 
 s the lake trout, fit for the rod, 
 s the muscallonge, tiger in fight, 
 s the namaycush, angler's delight, 
 s the ouananische, salmon land-locked, 
 s the pike-perch — lakes are well stocked, 
 s the qidnnat, Pacific coast salmon, 
 s the rock-fish, for masses and mammon, 
 s the salmon, of fishes the king, 
 s the trout, how its praises do ring, 
 s an unknown, find if you can, 
 s vermilion-fish, quite a small clan, 
 s the weakfish, caught 'neath sea-foam, 
 s the X-ray — the x left to roam, 
 s the yellow-tail, found ofif the coast, 
 s the "zip-fish," a Miinchhausen boast. 
 Will Wildwood. . 
 
What Sportsman's Digest Will Do 
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 It Offers Valuable Suggestions 
 
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 All phases of dog-keeping are care- 
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 A COMPLETE history of the long- 
 haired bird dog. Nothing has been 
 , left unsaid. Chapters on the Lle- 
 wellin and Laverack setters — ^chapters on 
 every family that assisted in making bird 
 dog history — interesting anecdotes on 
 field trials and field trial happenings — it 
 is a complete story of the various breeds 
 of setter, from their origin down to the 
 present day. Bench show and field trial 
 dogs compared; Irish and Gordon set- 
 ters fully dwelt upon. 
 
 No book on the bird dog has ever been 
 written or is likely to be written that is 
 as comprehensive as this new work. 
 
 Size of book — six by nine; bound in 
 silk cloth and gold lettering. Twenty-six 
 full page illustrations; 239 pages of in- 
 teresting reading matter. 
 
 Price per Copy $4.00, Postpaid 
 SPORTSMAN'S DIGEST 
 
 BOOK DEPARTMENT 
 
 Butler Building Cincinnati, Ohio 
 
The Working Dog 
 and His Education 
 
 By A. F. HOGHWALT 
 
 A RE you training a dog? Is he 
 -^^^^ responding to your methods? 
 Are you satisfied with the results? 
 Would you like to compare your meth- 
 ods with those of famous trainers? 
 Do you want to learn about their 
 methods? — If you do — 
 
 GET THIS BOOK 
 
 Interesting chapters on the training 
 of pointers, setters, foxhounds, beagles, 
 Airedales, spaniels, and police dogs. 
 Various systems are described, the best 
 method of breaking faults and correct- 
 ing bad habits are explained. 
 
 It is the work of an expert, written 
 so that the amateur may understand. 
 Every rule in it has been tried and 
 proven. You can rely on the direc- 
 tions given to always produce results. 
 
 Price, $1.00 
 SPORTSMAN'S DIGEST 
 
 BOOK DEPARTMENT 
 
 Butler Building Cincinnati, Ohio 
 
A Splendid Book Every Camper Will 
 Want in His Kit 
 
 Camp Cookery 
 
 By Horace Kephart 
 
 Author of "Camping and Woodcraft," 
 "The Hunting Rifle," etc. 
 
 Illustrated with Pen Drawings of 
 Useful Camp Utensils, Outfits, Etc. 
 
 IF you want to fully enjoy your next 
 camping trip, learn the fundamentals 
 of camp cooking from a man who 
 has spent many years in the woods. This 
 instructive, valuable book tells you what 
 provisions are essential; what utensils 
 you really need; how to build and get 
 the best results from camp fires; how to 
 dress and keep game, fish, etc. Three 
 interesting chapters tell you all about 
 the preparation of meat, game, fish and 
 shellfish. The author tells you just how to 
 prepare cured meats, eggs, breadstuffs, 
 cereals, vegetables, soups, beverages and 
 dessert. Nothing has been overlooked. 
 
 You'll enjoy your next trip to the 
 woods much more after reading 
 and profiting by the valuable sug- 
 gestions contained in this book 
 
 154 Pages Clothbound $1.50 
 
 SPORTSMAN'S DIGEST 
 
 BOOK DEPARTMENT 
 
 Butler Building Cincinnati, Ohio 
 
TWENTIETH CENTURY 
 BIRD DOG 
 
 Training and Kennel Management 
 
 By Er. M. Shelley 
 
 TT^VERY owner and every person 
 interested in bird dogs and hunt- 
 ing dogs should have a copy of this 
 valuable book. 
 
 Into this book Mr. Shelley has put 
 the best of his knowledge, gained 
 from years of experience as a suc- 
 cessful trainer and handler. It is 
 authoritative and interesting, and it 
 throws many new lights upon the old 
 sy.^tem of bird dog training. 
 
 Containing many fine illustrations, 
 and being handsomely bound in cloth, 
 this is an attractive as well as useful 
 volume that you cannot afford to be 
 without. 
 
 Price, Postpaid, $2.00 
 SPORTSMAN'S DIGEST 
 
 BOOK DEPARTMENT 
 
 Butler Building Cincinnati, Ohio 
 
The Modern Pointer 
 
 By A. F. HocHWALT 
 
 rilHE object of this book is to 
 briefly consider the development 
 of a dog which for many years has 
 been one of the favorites of the 
 sportsman, and which is hkely to con- 
 tinue so for all time to come. 
 
 This is an interesting story of the 
 short-haired dog and his rapid prog- 
 ress in this country. If you are a 
 lover of the bird dog, you'll want a 
 copy of this book. It is six by nine 
 inches in size, contains 162 pages and 
 2'A full page illustrations. Bound in 
 silk cloth with gold lettering. 
 
 Price, $2.00 per Copy, Postpaid 
 
 SPORTSMAN'S DIGEST 
 
 BOOK DEPARTMENT 
 
 Butler Building Cincinnati, Ohio 
 
DOGCRAFT 
 
 By A. F. HocHWALT 
 
 Third Edition — Revised and 
 Enlarged 
 
 HERE is a book every sportsman 
 will want to have in his library 
 for ready reference — and study. It 
 tells everything you want to know 
 about dogs — 290 pages of expert in- 
 formation. 
 
 DOGCRAFT is a complete study 
 of the various breeds of dogs ; their 
 care and management in health and 
 disease. You will find many interest- 
 ing chapters on gun dogs, sight hunt- 
 ers, house and watch dogs, pastoral 
 dogs — and you'll find out just how 
 the particular breed you are interested 
 in should be trained and cared for. 
 
 // you have one dog or a 
 dozen dogs, yon zmll zvant a 
 copy of this splendid book 
 
 Clothbound, $2.00 Paperbound, $1.50 
 SPORTSMAN'S DIGEST 
 
 BOOK DEPARTMENT 
 
 Butler Building Cincinnati, Ohio