The boy anglers; their adventures in the Gulf of Mexico, California, the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and the lakes and streams of Canada

Preface

Few lovers of the legitimate and manly sports and pastimes stand so near to nature as the anglers — those happy boys, old and young, who go a-fishing and match their skill, delicate rods and lines against the clever game fishes which, if the angler is a true sportsman, have all the advantage. The results to such a boy are not numbers, nor pounds, but a fair bag, the memory of charming days in the forest, hours wading down some musical stream, where the leaves rustle in the soft wind and whisper secrets which he understands ; where the swirl of the waters tells its gentle story, and where the air is laden with the rich perfume of the woods. These are among the legitimate catches of the rod fisherman, and the creel full of memories is drawn upon and slowly emptied on many a winter night.

In the present volume I have told the angling stories of some real boys— not figures of the imaginationboys who have taken the tarpon, the silvery acrobat of vi PREFACE

the Mexican Gulf; who have played the leaping tuna from one to six hours, and brought it to gafF in right royal fashion with rod and thread-like line ; boys who have taken the salmon in fresh water and salt, the ouananiche, the grayling, trout, bass and ten-pounder.

Some of these boys I knew and fished with, and one I know better than all the rest, who here in grateful acknowledgment remembers the " Commodore," the old and well-loved martinet who shaped his early ideas of what constituted fair sport, and who stood for all that was honorable in the field of angling, on one of the greatest of the American fishing grounds. While this is a story of actual adventure, my young readers may read between the lines that it is also an appeal for a game that can not speak for itself, an appeal for every young angler to stand by the game laws and establish the fashion of fair play to the fishes. While the volume is in no sense a compendium on angling, I have indicated in the various chapters the methods and tackle employed by many of the most successful anglers, and have described many grounds in the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico and Canada where boys have found good fishing and happy days.

C. F. H.

Pasadena, Cal.

Part I Angling On The Pacific Coast

The Tackle-Den n. — The Island Camp . ni. — A High Jumper rV. — Fishing in an Ocean Forest V. — A Day with Yellowtail VI. — Towed Three Miles VII. — Something About Fishes .

PAGE

3 20 29

50 82

TOO 117

Part II Angling In The Gulf Of Mexico

VIII. — In the Tarpon Country IX. — A Texas Jewfish ....

X. — The Ten-Pounder ....

Part III Angling In Florida

XI. — In the Wake of the Amber Fish . XII. — On the Indian River XIIl. — Fishing in the Surf

vii

201 218

Vlll

CONTENTS

Part IV

ON THE ST. LAWRENCE AND ELSEWHERE

CHAPTER

XIV.

The Delight Makers XV. — Taking the Muskallunge XVI. — The Ouananiche XVII. — With the Pacific Coast Trout XVIII. — Salmon Fishing

PAGE

256 265

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Mexican Joe and his big shark.

PAGE

Frontispiece

A pet horned toad lO

The pet humming-bird .

II A gopher and his underground nest Nest of Cahfornia bushtit

12 13

Tackle-box ....

Drinking-cup

Rod-case ....

Boy Anglers of Avalon .

The camping place. Arch Rock Ca

The tuna boats of Santa Catalina fion

24 30

Tuna bait. California flying-fish

The leaping tuna .

Record boys' catch of leaping tuna

A jelly-fish ....

35 47 52

Sea-anemones ....

Crabs of the kelp beds .

Hermit-crab ....

54 55

The Portuguese man-of-war .

Thresher shark

58 67

Lamp-shells hooked up at Santa Catalina

The remora ....

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

An active jelly-fish

The record boys' catch of black sea-bass

California quail ....

A giant spider ....

Giant water-bug with eggs on its back

Shooting flying-fish at Santa Catahna

The record boys' catch of yellowtail

Sea-slugs of the kelp beds

Rock-boring shells .

Tame gulls of Santa Catalina

Salt-water sunfish and young

The leaping whale

A first lesson

Ocean scenery

A walking fish

External parts of a fish

Tails .

An ancient fish

Garpike

Dissection of a bony fish, the trout (Salmo)

Skeleton of a fish .

The four-eyed fish

Some flat fishes

The angler .

A luminous fishing-rod

Black swallower

Fish-eggs and young

Some poisonous fishes

Swordfishes .

A nest-building stickle-back

Pilot-fish and chimsera .

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

XI

The author and a tarpon. Aransas, Texas

Mullet, tarpon bait

. 160

Catfish

Sandpipers .....

Hawkbill turtle ....

Cocoanut palms on Florida Keys

A coral garden " .

Cougars treed by peccaries

Mangrove trees on Florida Keys

Captain Gagger's schooner

The mouse-fish ....

Batfish

. 206

Florida manatee ....

Florida alHgators . . , .

Hauling in a large seine

Ancient fish hooks

Silk enameled lines showing exact sizes

Fish hooks ......

A good fly .

Fish basket . . . . ' .

Felt-lined leader box

% Cod hook used as gafi^ .

Some fresh-water fishes .

The black bass

Some knots .....

The leap ......

The pickerel .....

The rock bass .....

The yellow perch

The landing net .....

The bass leaps .....

Xll

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Spinner and minnow

• 253

The whippoorwill ....

. 254

Spoon or spinner ready for use

• 257

Spoons of various sizes .

. 258

The muskallunge and pike compared

. 263

The Canadian camp

. 266

The bed

. 267

Supper .....

. 268

Ouananiche pool ....

It dashed into the air .

. 271

A string of ouananiche .

. 272

Head of rainbow trout {^Salmo irideus) with gil]

cover turned back to show the breathing organs

• 275

Fried trout ......

. 276

The string ......

. 276

The releaser for cutting branches

. 278

The Cahfornia camp . . . . .

. 279

Brown trout ......

. 281

Lake trout ......

. 281

Brook trout ......

. 282

A vista in the trout stream

. 283

The ducks were flying south .

. 286

Where the Monterey salmon gather .

. 288

Atlantic salmon .....

. 289

Pacific salmon .....

. 289

Labrador salmon leaping an eighteen-foot fall

. 291

Curved jaw of male salmon at spawning t ime

. 292

Part I Angling On The Pacific Coast Chapter I

There was something in the wind — there was no question about that. It was not the perfume from the mass of heliotrope which climbed the wall, fascinating scores of humming-birds and butterflies. It was not the burden which the soft " trade " brought from the violet-beds as it swept along ; indeed, no one could tell what it was, no one but an old man with a very comical red face, who stood amid a circle of roses, with head hfted like a hound scenting its game. One hand was held to his ear, as though listening ; while with the other he raised a big pink-lipped conch-shell to his mouth and blew a mighty blast. Out boomed the strange sound again ; and as it died away, to the relief of the countless birds of the garden, two boys, breathless and excited, rushed into the circle, almost knocking him over.

" Whist ye ! " said the old man in a quaint brogue, half Scotch, half Irish ; " whist ! " raising his hand to command attention.

The bovs stopped and listened. A mocking-bird on the roof scolded at them loudly. The house-finches caroled and sang on, and the great eucalyptus-plumes which towered aloft, sighed and rustled in the soft winddrowsy and gentle music — that was all.

" What is it, Robert ? " cried the oldest boy. " I don't hear anything, I don't see anything. Why did you call ? "

" D'ye know what day it is, lad ? " answered the old man, not relaxing his listening attitude or the tense expression of his face.

" Why, the first of May," was the reply.

" And what goes with the first of May ? " asked the old sea-dog, for he was one, dyed in the wool and retired after many honors and experiences. " Ye give it up, eh ? Well, well. Why, it's the fishin'. Can't ye smell it, lads ? The fever's in the air and comin' down the wind from the sea. List to that," and he held out the old conch ; " clap yer ear to that."

Jack took the shell and forthwith held it to his ear.

" Now, sir, what d'ye hear comin' down the wind ? "

" I hear," replied Jack, trying to look preternaturally grave and closing his eyes, " I hear the roaring of the deep sea."

" Aye," said the old man ; " what then ? "

" I hear the moaning of the wind."

" Aye, and what then .? "

cc I hear "

" Well, blither and shakes ! What d'ye hear, Mr. Jack ? Sure ye're deaf as a tailor's goose, for I smell it ; it's in the air," and taking the shell he again placed it against his ear, his face becoming at once illumined with expressions comical and grave. " I hear the yallertails a-bitin' along shore ; and bonito — yes, I'm sure that was bonito," he added, shifting the conch to the other ear. " And what's this ? " pretending to catch a difficult message. " Sartin. Yer father's to take us all a-fishin' if my rheumatism's willin'; yes, that's it, if my rheumatism's willin'," and the old sailor lowered the shell and glanced at his companions, who, as he said, had shipped with him in early days and learned all they knew about fishing and sailing under his tutelage.

" You don't mean it, Robert ! " and the boys rushed upon him and grasped his big horny hands.

" But I do," replied the old mariner, pulled into the circle as the boys joined hands and danced, dragging him around in a frantic ring-around-a-rosy in which he joined as far as he could, singing as he pranced," Heave O ! the gallant fishers that ye are ; heave O ! the gallant fishers that ye are ! " stopping suddenly as he caught sight of a lady and gentleman standing by, laughing heartily.

" The fishing-fever when it comes down the wind appears to be good for the gout, Robert," said the latter.

" It does luk that way, sir," replied the old man ; then aside, " them boys'Il be the death of me yet."

" It's true, then, that we're to have a fishing-trip to the islands ? " asked Jack.

" The Commodore is the town-crier of this ranch,"

his father repHed. " We go to-morrow ; that is, if you can get ready."

" Get ready ! " both boys exclaimed ; then turning and rushing after the old sailor, who had limped into the flower-covered ranch-house to conceal his confusion at being caught dancing a hornpipe over so simple a matter as the arrival of the spring fishing.

" What'll yer lady mother think, seein' an old salt duffer the like o' me dancin' an' caracolin', an' me with a game leg at that ? " he said as the boys appeared. But they were too convulsed with laughter to reply. Every year since they were very young the old man had been their companion. He had taught them all the arts of the sailor; how to sail and rig a boat; how to swim; how to use the grains ; how to peg turtles ; how to rig rods and lines. The secrets of the stream and lake were his as well, and few could cast a fly — wet or dry — or skitter a live bait, or wield a two-handed salmon-rod with more skill than the old boatman, whose real name was Robert Busby, and who, better known as the Commodore, taught certain boys their first lessons in the angler's and boatman's art. A marvelous tyrant at times ; always insisting on an absolute man-o'-war's man-like discipline ; concealing a heart as tender as a woman's beneath a rugged and often fierce exterior, he was a character who despised trickery, demanded the severest ethics in all matters of sport, as became gentlemen, and was the " Commodore " to all the boys within reach. Every spring, with great regularity, the Commodore was taken with the fishing-fever. As he said, it generally came down the wind or over the mountains, and was so infectious that in a short time the entire household was down with it. Just exactly when it came, or how, the Commodore did not know ; but he usually noticed it in Southern California when the roses were at their best ; when the Gold of Ophir covered the housetops with a golden mantle, when the Banksia fell in gold and silver showers, and the air was redolent with the perfume of a thousand flowers, and the big leaves of the Amazon lily in the ranch-pond were at their best ; then, as if infected by the incense of it all, the Commodore became restless, " took on a fever for the sea or mountains," as he said, the current of which was only stayed by a trip to the many fishing-grounds of the coast, an actual cure being effected only after he had landed sundry large game-fishes. The boys had noticed that the mood often came upon their companion suddenly, and had vainly endeavored to penetrate the mystery of how the fishing-fever " came down the wind."

The old sailor had a favorite seat beneath a group of two varieties of pines, and he was often observed sitting seemingly asleep but in reality listening intently. Sometimes the boys would join him. " Listen ! " the old sailor would say. From far away would come a low murmur of infinite sweetness, like the chime of bells a long way off, increasing in tone and quality until it was like the roar of the sea that passed on, dying away like the clash of waves far down the beach. Then it would come again, sweetly as the touch of some giant i^olian harp clanging like bells — bells in the forest, bells near by, bells over the divide, ringing, growing, coming on sweetly down the wind — always down the wind — to blend with the louder tones and melodies that swept unseen through the perfume-laden air of this Southern Californian garden. The boys firmly believed that the old man caught his fishing-fever from this source, as he claimed to understand what the sounds meant ; yet it was only the trade-wind sobbing through the group of pines, making music by the clashing of their needles — sounds which were interpreted by the old sailor, as he did the message of the conch-shell, as the cry of the distant ocean or the voice of some swirling brook as it found its way along the high Sierras to be lost in the distant sea.

The Commodore was a rough old seaman and pretended to be very matter-of-fact and practical, yet he was played many tricks bv a romantic, indeed poetic, strain in his nature that flowed, a big wide humanizing river, down his uneventful life.

The room into which the bovs followed their companion was one to delight the eye of any boy with a love for sport. It was their den, and had grown under the direction of their father, who was an enthusiastic angler, until it was literally an angler's den, pure and simple. On the walls hung rods of all kinds — many retired old butts, broken in hard contests, gaffs that had been in at the death of many a monster fish, belts, rifles, shotguns, while creels suggested trout, and the big non-mullo THE BOY ANGLERS

tiplying reel with brass trimmings told of salmon and its kind. In a case of drawers were fly-hooks of all descriptions, one drawer containing hooks for sea fishing, from a number seven O'Shaughnessy to small fly-hooks for bait. Then there were rolls of wires for making leaders, and a vise and pincers suggested that the boys made them. A canvas bag held lead sinkers. There were round ones ranging in size from shot up to marbles, all cut so that they could be slipped on to a line at a moment's notice. Others were pipe sinkers for trolling, and various shapes and sizes suggested bottom fishing. Another drawer contained fittings in German silver for rods, rings, agate tips and leaders, silver caps for rods and pieces for fitting extra tips, so easy to break. In

A pet horned toad.

fact, in this magic and fascinating case was kept nearly everything that an angler devoted to the sport would need in a season's fishing.

The boys had a number of interesting pets. There

THE TACKLE-DEN ii

were several horned toads, or lizards, lying in the windows basking in the sun ; strange little creatures covered with spines, yet perfectly harmless ; and as Jack and Tom moved about the room they were followed by two

The pet humming-bird.

tame humming-birds that alighted on their hands or heads, came when they were called, and displayed an amount of confidence in them more than remarkable. Outside one of the windows a tame sparrow-hawk perched on a branch arranged for his comfort, with which the boys proposed to experiment with falconry ; and down by the pond, with its pond-lilies and giant leaves of Victoria Regia, were various birds which had been domesticated, while in the water were sticklebacks which built nests, and a school of wonderful triple-tail Japanese goldfishes, so tame that they rose and fed from the hands of their owners. In a small enclosure Tom had a tame gopher — the pest of the California farmer and garden-maker — which he had trained after a

A gopher and his underground nest.

fashion. It had a glass house so that Tom could study the peculiar nest and tunnel it formed underground.

The old garden which the Commodore loved so well had been arranged to encourage the birds to nest there, and the boys had placed seats where with a fieldglass they could watch the nest-building and the birds feeding their young. They provided them with cotton, strings, and various building material, as weW as thread

Nest of California bushtit.

H for the oriole that tried to sew up the big leaves of an Abyssinian banana. There were several nests of orioles in the garden, others of the humming-birds, and the long, soft, pendulous nest of the bushtit was an especial prize and never disturbed.

The orders were given and without waste of time the boys began their preparations. Each possessed a leather tackle-box about eighteen inches in length, made for the purpose, compact and snug. In it was a tuna-reel, to be used also for black sea-bass and tarpon. This was of the size known as "tuna " and easily held six hundred feet of number twenty-one cuttyhunk line. The reels were of rubber and German silver, as carefully made as a watch. This tuna-reel rested in its special leather box with a chamois lining in a compartment in the center, and by it, each in a compartment, were two other reels ; one for yellowtail, holding three hundred feet of number twenty-one line— this for fishes up to fifty pounds in weight. Another held two hundred and fifty feet of number twelve, or a smaller line. This was intended for rock-bass, and was virtually a black-bass reel, though used for sea-fishes. In other compartments were various articles used in sea fishing. Among the hooks were a dozen Van Vlecks — silver-tinted tunahooks, with leaders of wire seven feet in length ; these

Tackle-box.

in three or more joints, each joint connected by a stout brass swivel. There were also a dozen number seven O'Shaughnessy hooks with ten-inch wire leaders and swivels for yellowtail and white sea-bass ; another dozen number eight O'Shaughnessy, with shorter and finer leaders, for rock-bass, and an assortment of small hooks of various kinds for small fishes down even to those for small mackerel and minnows ; a ball of fine copper wire to wind the mouth of the bait-fish to prevent it from twisting unnaturally ; a spool of silk, a pair of pincers, a good serviceable knife in a leather scabbard, two extra lines, one a number twelve and one an eighteen cuttyhunk. There were no large lines in this outfit, as the Commodore held that all there is in angling consisted in taking the largest fishes with a thread of a line ; in a word, it . is not sportsmanlike to use a line so large that the fish will have no chance to escape. There was a convenient set of miniature tools — all of which were packed in a handle for taking the reel apart, a flat file for sharpening hooks, a patent tight oiler for hooks, reels and leaders, drmking-cup, and thumbstalls of rubber, and cord for braking the line with the left hand, a compass and other articles, all cleverly stowed away in the fishing-box.

Then came the rods, not expensive, but very attractive and pliable. They were mostly of greenheart, with

Drinking-cup.

German silver mountings, and each boy had three. One for tuna was about seven feet long, made of noibwood — a South American greenheart ; the tip about five feet long; the butt of rubber, short, mounted with German silver, with a solid German-silver reel-seat ; the big trumpet-silver guides were in a double row, so that the line would run perfectly free, and the tip had a polished agate. There was nothing cheap or poorly made about this rod, and it represented the savings from allowances for many weeks. Before this the boys had used rods of their own manufacture. Rod number two was of greenheart, eight and a half feet in length, in three pieces, the

Rod-case.

rigging or equipment being the same. This was for fishes which range from ten to sixty pounds in weight, as yellowtail, white sea-bass, albacore, etc. The third rod was nine feet in length, slender and pliable, weighing twelve ounces — a little heavier than is used for black bass, and was intended for the rock-bass, white and other fishes from two to eight pounds. All these rods were finely polished, the openings plugged with cork, the joints well oiled, and the silver kept bright, as the Commodore had a regular inspection of rods once a month the year around. Each had its cloth case, and the three fitted into a leather case, or rod-trunk, upon which was painted the name and address of the owner, so that it could be carried or checked as the case might be. Ready to be strapped to the rods was a fine hinged gaff, the hook being strong rather than fancy, its sharp point protected by a cork. With these articles went a comfortable-looking Mexican basket, used for lunch.

All these articles the boys took out and spread upon a table. The reels were carefully taken apart, each portion oiled and cleaned ; the joints of the rods looked to and oiled, so that they would push together without " screwing." Hook-points were examined and touched up with the small file, and in such excellent condition were the various articles kept that the entire outfit was in readiness that evening, and when the boys' father came out to make the inspection he found everything in order. He had long before provided each of his sons with the major part of the outfit, believing it to be an admirable adjunct to his plan of physical training, with the understanding that it should be kept in the best condition and replenished out of their allowance ; and with care they found that the only necessary additions in two years were hooks which in some way the big game would take.

" You are all ready, then ? *' said the Angler, watching the eager movements of the boys.

" Aye, aye, sir," responded the Commodore ; " ready and fit, sir, ready for any game that can be taken with a rod ; that is, if we have luck, sir."

" Ah, but you have your luck right here."

" Where ? " asked the younger boy, looking around as though expecting to see " luck " flying in at the window.

" Good luck is merely another name for method," replied his father, " care of tackle, good selection, and the best of everything, and what is more, strict and undivided attention. If you will point out to me the angler who is careless, a sluggard, who is indolent, I will show you the man who has poor or at least indifferent luck. At the very moment of landing, his old rusty leader breaks and the fish escapes ; and it is always the biggest fellow that goes in this way. Again a fierce fish makes a terrific run. Your careless angler did not suppose so much line would be used, and that neglected knot appears ; it catches on the tip and the line parts after he has played his fish half an hour. If he had cut out the knot and had joined the line by splicing, he would have landed his fish. Another day his reel, that has not been oiled for two months, refuses to work ; it protests against such usage, and again the line gives way and three hundred feet goes. You will notice a chronic bend in the rod of such a man ; he is too lazy to reverse his line ; and so I might go on, showing that this bad luck which we hear so much about, is often due to careless methods, and good luck the result of the reverse."

" But how is it," queried Jack, " that when the Commodore and I have been fishing side by side with the very same tackle and bait he has often caught the most fish ? He claims it as luck."

" I cannot answer that positively," said his father laughing, " but if I were to guess, I should say that he had the best of the situation. You were trolling and the fish were coming up astern, following the chum probably. You had seventy-five feet of line out, and I venture to say Robert, who had all the luck, or most of it, had one hundred feet out, or his bait twenty-five feet astern of you ; and it was the first to be overhauled by the fish. Make your lines and bait even, and the luck will be divided. As a rule, the longest line has the most strikes in trolling. How is that, Robert ? " asked the Angler, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

" I'm sorra, sir, ye gave that secret awa," said the old sailor gravely ; " I sort o' resarved that holt o' the lads. It's a vera penetratin' angler ye are, sir, beggin' yer pardon."

Chapter II

Every one on Manzanita Ranch saw the sun rise on the following morning, and by seven o'clock, when every leaf and blossom still trembled beneath its load of moisture, when the air was heavy with perfume as yet not dissipated by the sluggish trade, the stepping-block in front of the ranch-house was heaped with luggage, suggestive of an outing — rods, guns, grips, bundles which looked like canvas hammocks, lashed man-of-war style, and behind all stood Busby, the Commodore, a trifle redder, a little jollier, a shade more comical than usual. He wore a large Panama sombrero and a complete suit of hunting canvas, the coat of which appeared to be a maze of pockets, each of which was so well filled that the Commodore's angular figure seemed lost ; indeed, he appeared to be blown up like a balloon. The boys wore their fishing-clothes, woolen suits, knickerbockers, and low canvas shoes which " held " on slippery decks and could be easily kicked off' if the wearer went overboard, as anglers have been known to do before now.

The boys were taking account of their luggage, Jack, at his father's request, acting as quartermaster of the trip and having a list of everything which he checked off at the various changes. The horses now came up, followed by a small baggage-wagon, and the party, the two boys, their father and mother and the Commodore, with several fox-terriers and a greyhound, were presently on their way to the station. Manzanita Ranch was on the slope of the San Gabriel Valley, about thirty miles from the ocean, and from its highest point, twenty-five or thirty miles out to sea, could be seen the peaks of two high mountains, a range on the island of Santa Catalina — a mountain range at sea — one of a group which reaches from San Clemente Island, opposite San Juan Capistrano, to Santa Barbara. Catalina is a famous fishing-ground, the feeding and spawning ground of all the great game-fishes of the region. Here is the only spot in the world where the leaping tuna has been taken with the rod ; the home of the yellowtail, the white sea-bass, and many more. The island is a maze of mountains, twenty-two miles long, and to the boys it was a wonderland, a sort of angling paradise. Everywhere the coast of the island is cut with deep canons which come down to the sea like rivers wmding down, forming little bays, often environed by lofty cliffs. Indeed, Santa Catalina appears like a mountain range that has suddenly been transported by the slave of the lamp from some mysterious land and dropped into the Pacific. It is an enigma to all who visit it, as the winter Is the time when the island is rich In greens, when the wild flowers run riot, and days of sunshine follow one another in regular order.