Fly Fisher - American Museum Of Fly Fishing

The
American
Fly Fisher
F'ol. 3. 30. 1
Winter 1976
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Participating members are providing a secure home for over 3,000 items o f fly fisher's
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Caring for tradition is our business
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active participation is cordially invited.
The American Fly Fisher
Published b y The Museum of American Fly Fishing
for the pleasure of the membership.
Vol. 3., No. 1
WINTER 1976
ADVISORY. BOARD
TABLE O F CONTENTS
Arnold Gingrich
New York, N. Y.
Dr. Alvin Grove
State College, Pa.
Baird Hall
Hyde Park, Vt.
Dr. David B. Ledlie
Middlebury, Vt.
J o h n T. Orrelle
Sherwood, Oregon
Leigh H. Perkins
Manchester, Vt.
Steve Raymond
Seattle, Washington
Mrs. Anne Secor
Arlington, Vt.
Donald Zahner
Dorset, Vt.
Austin S. Hogan
Cambridge, Mass.
Research & Liaison
ARTICLE
The Landlocked Salmon of Maine
b y Augustus C. Hamlin, M. D.
P- 2
RESEARCH
Dean Sage - Part I - Family Portrait
by David B. Ledlie
P- 6
BOOK REVIEW
A New Review of a n Old Book
b y Richard H. Woods
p. 10
ARTICLE
Well 1'11 Be Damned
b y Dana S. Lamb
p. 1 3
ARTICLE
Angling in Canada
p. 1 4
ANNUAL MEETING
p. 17
RESEARCH
The Origins of Angling
by Austin S. Hogan
p. 18
THE ART O F THE FLY FISHER
Henry Sandham
p. 2 2
MUSEUM INFORMATION
p. 2 4
THE AMERICAN FLY FISHER, the magazine of THE MUSEUM O F AMERICAN FLY FISHING, is published quarterly by the MUSEUM a t Manchester, Vermont 05254. Subscription is free with payment of
membership dues. All correspondence, letters, manuscripts, photographs and materials should be forwarded
care of the Curator. The MUSEUM and MAGAZINE are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, drawings, photographs, materials o r memorabilia. The Museum cannot accept responsibility for statements and
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provided. Contributions t o THE AMERICAN FLY FISHER are t o be considered gratuitous and become the
property of the Museum unless otherwise requested by t h e contributor. Publication dates are January,
April, July and October. Entered as Second Class matter a t the U. S. Post Office, hlanchester, Vermont.
@ Copyright 1976, THE AMERICAN FLY FISHER, Manchester, Vermont 05254. Original material appearing may not be reprinted without prior permission.
CREDITS:
Museum photos by David B. Ledlie. Drawings b y Austin S. Hogan, Curator.
Printing b y Thompson, Inc., Manchester Center, Vermont
The Landlocked Salmon of Maine
by
Augustus C. Hamlin, M. D.
The famed Dr. William Converse Kendall and a 16 Ib. landlocked salmon caught
August 1, 1907 in Sebago Lake, Maine. The record is a fish of 22% Ibs. caught
the same day by Robert Blakely.
-- Photo, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game
In the early part of the last century,
the fish that we now speak of as landlocked salmon was n o t known as such,
but was termed the "Sebago trout," being most generally known in connection
with Sebago lake, which has always
been t h e home of this fish in Maine, in
connection with one o r t w o other bodies of Maine waters.
Among those who loved frequently
to fish in Sebago f o r these "trout" were
Fessenden and Deblois, two attorneys
of Portland, who jealously guarded t h e
secret of the splendid fishing possible a t
Sebago, and but few outside a select circle of friends knew of t h e sport there,
o r of the fish that was so markedly different from t h e brook o r red spotted
trout of other waters in this state. As a
boy a t Yarmouth Academy I had for a
classmate a brother of the Fessenden
\tho was so fond of t h e fishing, and
through him 1 learned of the Sebago
trout. Deblois was the principal fishcrman of the firm, and caught some handsome fish thcre during his residence in
Portland.
Taking advantagc of t h e opportunity,
I once visited Sebago to see for myself
these wonderful fish, and caught one
that weighed about two pounds. We had
h a r d of these fish weighing 1 2 and 1 4
pounds, but never had seen one, and as
the fish were rarely caught at any time,
only a few being taken in the course of
\pring, 1 considered myself extremely
fortunate to have landed so large a fish.
Since then the lake has yielded fish t o
the weight of 1 7 pounds and even largAmong the ardent fishermen of Bangor was the late Joseph Carr, who with
one or, perhaps, two congenial spirits,
was wont to slip o u t to Green lake and
catch splendid specimens of what were
locally regarded as the true salmon, one
as heavy as 12 o r 1 4 pounds being reported on one occasion in the spring,
hy trolling.
General A. B. Farnham of this city
and I, determined when boys one spring
o r late winter, to try the fun for ourselves, and went together to Green lake
and cut several holes through the ice,
through which we fished. Not a fish
came to reward our efforts until we
were about leaving for home, when I
called Farnham's attention t o a niovernent of the stick a t one of thc holes.
"Go pull him in," was his rather
skeptical observation when I called his
attention.
I did so, and landed, t o m y delight
and astonishment, a five pound salmon.
About that time Farnham saw another signal calling f o r attention, and
this timc he hurried off t o see what luck
he would have, catching in this turn a
five pound pickerel, an cxact riiatch in
weight to 111y fish. These were t h e only
fish we caught, and the fish 1 caught was
generally spoken of and known, locally,
as a salmon, t h e term "landlocked" not
having then been applied t o these fish.
A t this early date, t h e only two places
known where this fish could b e caught
were Sebago lake and Green lake, then
called Reed's pond.
A few years later, while a student a t
Bowdoin college in t h e late 40's, I went
down t o Calais t o fish in the famous
Pennamaquan meadow, which a t that
time was one of t h e most famous trout
fishing waters in Maine. I had just landed a t w o pound trout when a fellow
fisherman called out:
"If you want sport, you ought t o go
u p to Grand Lake stream and catch
shiners. Why! the skill you have wasted
o n that fish would have caught a hundred shiners o n the Grand Lake stream."
"Pray, where is that, sir?" I asked,
scarcely believing for an instant that the
man was in his right mind.
And h e then went o n t o tell me, that
"Grand Lake stream is about 4 0 miles
north from here; and if you will go u p
to the Indian Town and find Peol Toma,
he will take you t o the stream, where
you will soon get enough of fishing. I
have caught many shiners there with an
old alder pole, and a piece of pork and
red flannel tied to my hook. And I think
that your golden bugs, bright butterflies
and other queer fixings, would set them
all crazy."
The man was so enthusiastic in his
description of the grand fishing that I
was half-convinced of t h e truth of his
stories, and started off a t once for Calais
to see if I could get t h e stories verified.
T o m y surprise, I found several fishermen who told t h c same marveUous tale
concerning the stream and its silvery
fish that leaped into t h e air when hooked by the sportsman.
My enthusiasni was now aroused t o
the highest pitch. F o r many years I had
thought myself a successful disciple of
Walton; but, in comparison with these
new piscators, I was nobody. I had done
nothing t o boast of. I turned t o m y rod,
which had safely landed for me, during
the past ten years more than a thousand
trout: "My trusty friend, before you are
forty-eight hours older you shall make
some of those shiners leap into t h e air."
It was late i n the afternoon; it was
raining and every horse in t h e stables
was engaged; but my enthusiasm would
brook no delay. My plan of campaign
was soon made up, and the sunset hour
saw me, with m y fishing rod and basket
strapped t o m y back and with gun in
hand, trudging along toward t h e North,
unmindful of the mire and rain.
Twenty miles distant was Rolfe's tavern, a t t h e foot of the lower lakes; and
here I could obtain information of the
Indian hunter Toma and the fishing
grounds. Throughout t h e long, dark
night I breasted t h e storm, unconscious
of fatigue and fearless of t h e strange
sounds and shadows of t h e great forests
through which I passed. Never shall I
forget this lonely midnight tramp, nor
t h e determination which warmed m y
blood, urged m e o n and sustained m y
strength.
Shortly after daylight I espied a t a
distance t h e friendly tavern, and half an
hour afterwards was cordially greeted
by the generous landlord, who evidently
wondered in his mind where 1 could
have come from a t this early hour. But 1
carefully evaded all questions and asked
for a hearty breakfast. While a t the table
I could not refrain from asking Mr.
Rolfe if there was a n y good trout fishing in the vicinity.
"Yes," he replied, "there is good
fishing for shiners and trout at the
bridge, a few rods distant; but a t Grand
Lake stream t h e fishing is magnificent."
"Do you know Peol Toma," I further
inquired, "and is h e a safe man t o trust
myself with, if I conclude to go t o the
Grand Lake?"
"Yes." said Mr. Rolfe. "Toma is a
fine man, always truthful and honest;
and you will b e as safe with him as with
me."
"Here he comes now down t h e lake
with his brother," said o n e of t h e family
o n looking o u t of t h e window.
T h e landlord went out, and in a few
moments returned with the Indian.
Toma answered m y salutation in excelle n t English and, o n m y invitation, sat
down with me t o take breakfast. A
single glance a t his noble features banished all feelings of distrust; and I a t
once told him that I had come t o go afishing with him a t the Grand Lake
stream.
Toma said h e would be very happy
t o go with me, and that h e was very
fond of fishing himself, but that he
would leave his pcle and flies behind
and assist me. He also assured me, after
looking my fishing tackle over, that 1
should catch several salmon, and be satisfied with m y fishing tour. And let me,
right here, say that this suggestion from
Toma that these fish were salmon, was
t h e first that anyone had made, as m y
original informant, m y friends a t Calais
and Landlord Rolfe, had all referred t o
them as "shiners."
"Very well," I said, "let us b e off."
"Why, i t rains hard," replied the Indian, "and you had better wait until tomorrow."
"No," said I, "if we go in t h e storm,
we shall b e more sure of fair weather
when we arrive there."
"All right," replied Toma, "we will
go now; m y canoe is a t t h e shore."
We obtained some provision from
Mr. Rolfe and started u p t h e lake for
the fishing ground, which was about fifteen miles distant. We soon arrived a t
Pedenis Point, where there is a large In-
dian town, and where Toma resided. We
rested here for several hours, arranging
our camping outfit and repairing the
canoe. In the meantime, I furnished
coprers for the lndian boys t o get up a
shootir~gmatch, and strolled among the
wigwams, making the acquaintance of
the bright eyed squaws and the stout
hardy h;nters of t h e tribe.
At length the canoe was ready and
we started again u p the lake. It rained in
torrents, the wind was ahead, and we
made so little progress that we decided
to stop with some friends of Toma's a t
White's island for t h e night. After a
hearty supper of dried moose meat, the
first, by the way, that 1 ever ate and it
was delicious, we rolled ourselves in our
blankets, lay down before the fire and
were soon asleep.
A t daybreak Toma woke me with t h e
joyful news that the sky was clear and
the lake calm. We quickly launched our
canoe and made all haste t o the mouth
of the stream, which we reached soon
after sunrise. Landing a t an old camping
ground, we concealed t h e canoe, shouldered our packs and started afoot over a
trail to the foot of the lower falls, half a
mile distant. Rod, reel and line were
soon together and ready for business,
and Toma selected from m y stock of
flies a bright colored salmon fly, which
he said would make the fish open their
eyes and their mouths too.
The falls were quite precipitous, and
the lowness of the water a t this time
prevented t h e fish from passing from
the lower lakes t o t h e upper and larger
lakes, which, however, they could d o in
the freshets of spring. It was now late in
the summer, and we expected to find in
the deep pools below these impassable
rapids some of t h e salmon that had been
prevented from passing u p into the
Grand lake.
As soon as I had arranged my fishing
tackle to my satisfaction, I crept o u t t o
the extremity of one of t h e ledges of
slate that projected from t h e shore,
while Toma lay down o n the bank to
enjoy t h e scene. Half-way across the
stream, between two huge boulders of
granite whose tops just peered above the
surface of the water, there seemed to be
a deep pool; and there I resolved t o
make my first cast.
With feet firmly braced, I lifted the
end of my rod and swung the gaudy fly
o u t into the air. It was falling gracefully
but had not touched t h e water, when
four or five large fish leaped into the air
to seize it. Instinctively, I snatched it away, and the bright silvery fish darted
back to their retreats disappointed.
Toma yelled with delight at m y nervousness and vexation:
"Try it again," he shouted; "let your
fly float down the current; let the fish
have it."
I flung my fly boldly o u t into the
stream, and before it fairly touched the
water, a dozen silvery forms sprang a t it
and concealed it in foam. A strong pull
o n my line and the hum of the reel, o u t
of which the line sped like lightning, filled my heart with joy. Dashing across
the stream, the fish leaped into the air
and then started off down t h e current
like mad.
"Hold him in!" shouted Toma., "oull
a
him in a t once; your tackle is strong."
Thereupon 1 shortened my rod,
grasped t h e line, and pulled in steadily
t h e unwilling fish. A few seconds more
and it was close a t hand, and Toma
dashed in t h e landing net and pulled the
salmon ashore. After striking it a light
blow with a stone which killed it instantly, the lndian stretched t h e fish o u t
o n the rock and triumphantly displayed
it t o m y view.
"There," said he, "that is a salmon,
and would weigh four pounds if he was
fat; but his is long and lank, and is what
w e call a racer. Throw again; perhaps
you will get a better o n e next time."
I made another cast, and a dozen fish
sprang for t h e fly; one was hooked,
landed, and proved t o be still another
racer, and further attempts resulted the
same, so that Toma commanded me t o
stop, as all the fish in that pool were
poor and unfit t o eat. "We will," he said
"go up two miles t o the Grand lake dam
where the salmon are fat and plenty."
Reluctantly I would up my line; b u t
t h e prospect bf better spirt cheered me,
and we soon arrived at the dam which
was a rude structure of logs built by the
lumbermen t o raise the waters of Grand
lake. Below the dam, which was a half
dozen rods long, the stream was broad
and deew., t h e current swift and the waters pure and as clear as the air itself.
"Throw your line into the eddies
there below, and let us see what will apwear." said Toma.
I climbed upon one of the piers,
which gave m e command of the waters
below. Tossing my fly into t h e air, t h e
breeze bore it along down t h e stream,
and gently and gracefully lowered it toward the surface of the water. I t had
settled to within a foot o r two of the
stream, when a half a dozen salmon,
whose bright sides glistened in t h e sunlight like silver, sprang into t h e air after
it. The hum of the reel as t h e line sped
o u t made me tremble with joy. Across
t h e stream the noble fish dashed and
sprang into the air, shaking himself to
get rid of t h e fatal hook. Another dash
and convulsive leap, and he plunged sullenly t o the bottom of the river.
"Pull him out,"whispered t h e Indian.
The game little salmon was soon a t
my feet, and a more beautiful fish I neve r saw. Twentv-four more casts I made.
and each time safely landed my fish.
"Stop," said Toma; "you must not
catch any more; you have as many now
'3
.
L
.
as we can carry."
Toma's explanation was, as we considered the beautiful fish that I had
caught:
"He sea salmon; b u t he in fresh water
he forgot t o go t o sea. Big lake his sea,
h e live in lake."
A year later, with a party of Calais
friends, some five o r six of us, drawn together with t h e common love of the
sport, I made another trip to Grand
Lake stream, and had such sport as seldom falls to sportsmen. We did not
count our catch, but estimated that we
had about 300 fish, enough in fact to
supply the tables of every friend we had
in Calais. The largest fish caught was
taken b y o n e of our guides, Attean
Lewy, and weighed four pounds. Lewy
said that of thousands of salmon which
he had seen caught in that river, he had
never seen oni over four pounds in
weight.
This Attean Lewy, o r Etien Louis, as
some spelled his name, was a most powerful Indian, and a man of splendid physique. A t one time I saw him and ~ e ; ) l
Toma fishing, and Toma had hooked
and was playing, very carefully, a large
trout of four o r five pounds. "Let me
get him for you," said Lewy, and lifting
his fish spear he threw the weapon with
such accuracy that he caught the fish
fairly, although he must have thrown it
40 o r 5 0 feet. I rather think it was a
piece of good luck, and so did Lewy,
but it was a great throw.
Afterward I called the attention of
Professor Louis Agassiz t o the salmon of
Sebago, Green, and Grand lakes, and I
think that his attention was first called
to the species b y Dr. Hethune of New
York and me. Dr. Bethune was a famous
angler and student of fish, and had visited t h e Sebago lake. Agassiz recognized
t h e fish as the true salmon, salmo salar.
How it came t o b e called "landlocked"
o r who first so called it I d o not know
unless from Peol Toma's expression;
"He forgot t o go t o sea."
Dr. Jerome V. C. Smith of Boston, a t
one time mayor of that city, was a widely quoted authority o n fishes in the
early part of t h e last century. In 1833,
he published a treatise o n fresh water
game fish and speaks therein of the Sebago salmon which he recognizes as a
trout, and declares emphatically that it
is not a salmon. He says:
"Not less erroneous than that which
respects their weight, is the opinion entertained b y some that these fish were
originally salmon; b u t being pent up and
confined t o the pond, b y the various obstructions in the river which forms its
outlet to t h e sea, they have changed
their form, assumed spots and become
trout."
In another place he says: "Since they
possess neither the form, the fat, the
flavor nor t h e projecting excrescence of
the under jaw peculiar t o t h e male salmon." Had Dr. Smith ever taken an old
male salmon, as I have many times, h e
would have seen that t h e landlocked
variety does have the same hooked jaw
as the sea salmon. They d o have the
form, but they don't have t h e fat o r the
flavor. They fail t o find in fresh water
the peculiar foods that give t h e celebrated sea salmon its valuable characteristics.
As t o the question of the landlocked
salmon seeking the sea as soon as it is a
mature fish, which many consider when
it is about four pounds weight, I am inclined to doubt the fact that they stay
in the lakes until then and afterward go
t o sea at the first opportunity. In the
first place, they spawn long before
reaching that size, and when smaller
certainly have as much opportunity to
seek salt water as when they attain the
larger size. The young of sea salmon, o r
parr, have been carefully observed under
excellent conditions in England, where
they go t o sea during the first year o r
very early in the second. Salmon in
Grand lake, which might go t o sea if
they so desired, were never caught coming back, as for many years t h e salmon
fishing o n t h e St. Croix was absolutely
fruitless, except a t t h e lakes as 1 have
described, and which is now so widely
known to anglers all over t h e world. But
that both are salmon is unquestionable,
a further proof being in t h e fact that the
young fish of both have, until six
months o r a year old, bright vermillion
spots o n their sides.
At t h e time of my visit Grand Lake
stream was in a wilderness of t h e primeval forest, with no habitations in the
forest west of Princeton, except Indian
huts. I was there a number of times.
summer and winter both, and found
that in the summer I could catch fish a t
almost a n y time, while in t h e winter t h e
catch was almost invariably very light,
salmon being in fact rarely caught
through t h e ice. Toma's explanation of
t h e poor winter fishing was that t h e fish
hid in the mud, and I am inclined t o believe this t o b e the case, as salmon
caught in the very earliest of t h e spring
fishing have at times a decidedly earthy
taste.
Up t o 1866 these three waters, Sebago, Green lake (Reed's pond) and
Grand lake, were the only places known
where the fresh water salmon was originally found. In t h e fall of that year I
learned from the late Capt. Farrar, wideknown as a pioneer sportsman and the
author of books o n Northern Maine,
and H. L. Leonard, t h e hunter and fishin2 rod manufacturer. that there were
sarmon in t h e tributary waters of Sebec
lake. So, with them and Frank Hinckley
of this city I made a late fall trip t o Ship
pond (Lake Onawa) to investigate the
matter. We caught a number of t h e fish
a t Shiu
vond
outlet. It must have been
1
1
in November that we were there, and as
t h e fish were o u t of season, I tried to
dissuade Farrar and Leonard from eating them; but they were sure they were
all right, so all hands ate a hearty supper
of salmon that night, and before nine
o'clock each man wished h e hadn't - it
all came up.
The following spring I got u p a party
t o go t o Sebec for the salmon fishing,
including m y uncle, Hannibal Hamlin
and his guest, Maj. Gen. Carleton, who
was here from Texas. We caught 98 salmon, and I remember distinctly that I
took 2 4 of t h e number. Before starting I
had urged that t h e smelt was t h e proper
food of t h e salmon, and would be the
best bait but they all disagreed with me.
In spite of that I took a minnow net
with me, caught some smelts, and the
result justified my course. None of the
salmon caught a t Sebec would weigh
over 4 pounds, and none had ever been
heard of in that lake that weighed more
than that.
Thus, u p t o that time, there were b u t
four known waters in Maine where the
landlocked salmon could be found in its
natural waters. Since that time the fish
has been introduced into a great many
lakes in the state. They were put into
t h e Fish River chain of lakes about nine
years ago, and have grown remarkably,
some having been caught there that
weighed more than 18 pounds, surpassing every record of these fish in the
state.
And this fish is destined to b e a vast
source of income t o the State if properly cared f o r and protected.
from the Maine Sportsman,
June 1903
America's Finest Lyric Writer
D A N A S . LAMB'S
WHERE THE POOLS
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Manchester, Vermont 05254
Dean Sage
Part 1 - Family Portrait
Led
Dean and Sarah Sage, photos taken at the time of their wedding.
Clothed in only a night shut and
sporting both a loaded revolver and an
enormous shot gun, a smallish, wiry figure squinted one of his steel blue eyes
and peered through a peep hole cut into
the bedroom door. The back stairs and
hall were faintly visible. It was after
midnight, quiet, and the family was asleep. The figure remained in position
for several minutes, and satisfied that no
scalawags were about and that nothing
was amiss, slowly closed the hinged
door of the peep hole and bolted it
shut. The shot gun was placed within
easy reach and the revolver returned to
its hiding place beneath his pillow. The
covers were adjusted and in a few moments, Dean Sage was again asleep. According to a short biography written by
Sage's youngest daughter, Elizabeth
(My Father Dean Sage, nd, hereafter referred to as M F D S ) , this was not an unusual occurrence at Hillside, the family's
country residence in Menands, New
York. For Dean Sage, America's most
literate salmon fisherman of the day,
amateur pugilist, breeder of trotting
horses, sporting dogs, and fighting cocks
and a man who placed a premium on all
things courageous, was himself in great
and constant fear of the common house
breaker.
Fierce Dean, as he was affectionately
known by many of his friends and relations, was born of Henry Williams and
Susan Linn Sage on June 6, 1841 in Ithaca, New York. At the time of Dean's
birth, Henry Williams was engaged with
several partners in a merchandising business located on Cayuga inlet in Ithaca.
The business was purchased in 1837
from Henry's uncles, the Williams brothers. In addition to the sale of general
merchandise, Sage and his partners operated canal boats from New York City,
Albany, and Buffalo. This was the beginning of a successful business career
that was to bring great wealth to the
Sage family and ultimately allow Dean
the ample time necessary to pursue his
varied sporting interests. Sage, in fact,
dedicated T h e Ristigouche and its Salnv
o n Fishing:
"To my father to whom I owe the
leisure that enabled me to write it
. . . . . .,*
The Sage family made its first appearance in Ithaca in 1827 in the person
of Charles Sage (Dean's grandfather who
had emigrated with his family from Bristol, Connecticut). Charles was remarkable in that he was woefully inept as a
businessman and was a failure in all of
his commercial endeavors. His son,
Henry, loathed his father's ineptitude
and vowed at an early age that he would
concentrate his energies and acumen on
achieving both economic and social
status through a successful business career. The funds provided by his merchandising business allowed Henry in
1847 to invest in timberlands and a saw
mill in Tioga County, Pennsylvania. In
1853, he erected a small steam powered
saw mill in Ithaca. The following year,
another mill was built at Bell Ewart on
the shores of Lake Simcoe, Ontario,
Canada (Dean Sage was sold a one
quarter interest in this mill in 1861).
Business was brisk; and in order to be
closer to the main sales office in New
York City, Henry moved his family t o
Brooklyn in 1857.
Henry's niost profitable lumber manufacturing venturc began in 1864 with
the construction of o n e of t h e largest
steam powered saw mills in t h e country
a t Wenona (West Bay City), Michigan.
The mill was eighty b y one hundred and
forty feet and had a peak production
year in 1870 of 34,450,972 board feet.
It was nourished o n white pine logs
whose slaughter contributed t o t h e demise of the famed Michigan Grayling.
Henry's success as a lumberman is illustrated by comments in t h e Ashland
Press of Wisconsin in 1872:
"(He) is a clear-headed, accomplished businessman, and knows as well as
any man in America what a pine tree
is worth. He has made several million
dollars, manufacturing and selling
lumber. and is said t o have handled
more lumber than a n y man in this
country . . . . "
However, by 1892, profit margins in
the milling and manufacture of lumber
had sharply decreased d u e t o t h e depletion of prime stumpage. The mill at wenona was thus sold in 1893 and t h e H. W.
Sage Co. was superceded b y the Sage
Land and Improvement Co. which speculated in timberlands. T h e partners were
Henry Williams, William Henry (Dean's
brother), Dean, and Henry Manning
Sage (Dean's oldest son). T h e firm had
extensive holdings in Alabama, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Michigan, California,
and Washington Territory. Profits were
invested in timberlands, securities and
mortgages. Between the years of 1881
and 1897 nearly six million dollars in
securities were purchased b y t h e Sage
family.
The Sage's were early benefactors of
Cornell University. Henry Williams contributed more than one million dollars
during his lifetime. He was elected t o
the Board of Trustees of t h e University
in 1870, and was made its chairman in
1875. He held this position until his
death in 1897.
The schools in Ithaca, New York
were judged t o be of inferior quality b y
Henry Williams; thus, both Dean and his
younger brother William Henry were afforded t h e services of a private tutor.
The Reverend Doctor William Walker,
an Oxford graduate and rector of St.
John's Church in Ithaca functioned in
this capacity and gave t h e boys a thorough grounding in the classics as well as
grammatical French. An amusing incident concerning.
Dean's e x ~ e r t i s ein this
C
latter area of study has been recorded
(Elizabeth Sage, M1;DS):
"In Paris where he had first gone
with my Mother, h e had looked forward to using his grammatical French
acquired long ago in Ithaca. He was
grammar perfect b u t perhaps t h e tutor had never heard the language spo-
ken, for when Father tried it o n a
clerk in one of the shops he and
mother visited, the result was unexpected. The clerk, with all t h e will in
the world, could not keep from
laughing. In fact, he was in scarcely
concealed hysterics a t m y Father's
strange and extraordinary accent. In
a fury, Father leaped over t h e counter and after the exchange of a few
blows, Mother, always t h e pacifier,
got him o u t of t h e shop before t h e
astonished young man could collect
himself. For years Father had been
waiting t o use his French. He wanted
Mother t o be impressed and his pride
was hurt."
One of o u r only glimpses of Dean as
a child comes from his daughter's biography 0MI;DS).
"That Father's temperament was difficult from t h e start is suggested b y
his entry in an early note book o r
child's diary, 'I bit little Willie today'
Willie being his younger brother b y
two years, and again in the legend
that Aunt Kate, m y Grandmother's
maiden sister, defensively maintained
when his temper was under criticism,
that his disposition during his early
years had been ruined b y unwise dosages of calomel . . . . ."
Apparently, Walker's tutoring was
t h e only preparation Dean received
prior to entering Albany Law School in
1859. Several sources have stated that
Dean attended Adclphi Academy in
Brooklyn, New York. This, however,
seems unlikely, as Adelphi Academy
was n o t founded until 1863. (Sage was a
trustee of Adelphi Academy between
-
Henry Williams Sage
- 7
-
1882 and 1888. Perhaps this is the
source of the confusion.) According t o
the records of t h e Albany Law School,
Dean was listed as a student for the
1859-60 academic year graduating in
1860.
Dean married Sarah Augustus Manning, the daughter of Richard Henry
Manning, a Brooklyn merchant o n J u n e
13, 1865. She was a thoughtful, intelligent, young woman who had been educated a t a private school operated by
Louis Agassiz's wife in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They had five children: Susan
Linn, Henry Manning, Sarah Porter,
Dean, and Elizabeth Manning.
In 1867, the H. W. Sage and Co. established a lumber yard in Albany, New
York with Dean as t h e manager. Whether Dean and his young bride resided in
Albany a t this time w e are not sure. We
d o know that h e built a home a t 779 St.
Marks Ave., Brooklyn, which he occupied between October 1874 and March
1880. (The home is presently t h e residence of t h e St. Louis Convent.) During
this period i t was his custom to spend
t h e winter months in Brooklyn and t h e
summers in Menands a t Hillside (near
Albany). We assume that prior t o 1874
t h e same pattern was followed - t h e
Dean Sage's living with his father in
Brooklyn during t h e winter.
Life a t 779 St. Marks Place was quite
a trial f o r t h e Sage children. T h e regime
included calisthenics, riding, violin lessons f o r t h e girls, and frequent tests of
courage.
"Courage of all kinds was a t a high
premium with him. We were injudiciously trained not t o b e afraid of
things that were really unimportant,
and o n e test was not t o b e frightened
if Father held a lighted cigar close t o
t h e back of our hand. Of course, he
never touched us and it was t h e suspense which made it a test; the child
who could let it come nearest witho u t withdrawing his hand, always got
a word of praise. We were encouraged t o hold firecrackers in our hands
while they went off, to jump from
high places, and t o take chances
which were terrifying t o timid children; and yet t h e fear of other things
was suggested t o u s b y Father's own
behavior, particularly in relation to
burglers." (Elizabeth Sage, MFDS)
and
"He (Father) was particularly impatient of a n y pretense o r affection in
us o r in o u r friends; harmless foibles
were never let pass and he was irated
b y stupidity. He disliked untidyness
(sic) and a certain standard of cleanliness was demanded of us, clean nails
especially. Cutting things were said
and we were n o t infrequently sent
from t h e table t o rectify some omission of o u r toilets and there were occasional tears . . . He was always real-
The Dean Sage Residence at 779 St. Marks Avenue, Brooklyn, New York.
A corner of the famous Dean Sage Library at Menands, New York.
The Library was sold at auction shortly after the passing of Sage's
son Dean, Jr.
- 8-
ly sorry when he had been severe,
and I sensed this even when I was
quite young."
(Elizabeth Sage,
MFDS).
We can document Dean Sage's piscatorial interests to a date sometime prior
to his wedding in 1865 ; for his daughter
Elizabeth, comments that his wedding
trip was also a fishing trip on which he
was accompanied by a Dr. Watkins -- a
long time friend and fishing crony. It is
not unreasonable to assume that Dean's
interest in the gentle art was developed
at an early age on the streams in and
around Ithaca, New York. Opportunities to fish the waters of the Sage timberlands were, no doubt, also available
to him.
The burgeonings of his famous collection of angling titles began when the
family lived in Brooklyn.
"Father in (no date given) bought a
small library of about three hundred
volumes o f sport and travel in order
to secure certain piscatorial items among them . . . This was the beginning of the fishing collection. Originally, the fishing library was kept in
a little corner book case, in the cent-
er of which was a small door to a
cupboard on which was carved the
fish, rod, and reel that also was Father's bookplate. The case stood first in
the parlor in Brooklyn, later in the
downstairs guest room at Hillside."
Dean Sage was also a proficient fly
tier.
"The finest salmon flies I ever saw
were made by our recent townsman,
Dean Sage -- an expert in all the intricacies of the art, and the possessor
of all the high qualities and gentle
virtues of the noble guild of anglers."
(G. Dawson, The Pleasures of Angling, (1876), p. 193.)
and
"The tin box in the sitting room
closet, filled with all sizes of hooks
and bright tiny feathers and spools of
colored silk for fly tying, was a fascinating object to us children." (Elizabeth Sage, MFDS)
Sage's first encounter with the
mighty salmo salar occurred in 1875
when he cast his flies on the waters of
the Restigouche and Upsalquitch Rivers.
He vividly recounted these angling experiences in an article entitled Ten
Days' Sport on Salmon Rivers which appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, August
1875, and for which he received a fee of
fifty dollars. This was his first published
literary endeavor. His friend Samuel
Clemens, wrote Sage prior to acceptance
of the piece:
"Howells (then editor of The Atlantic) has not yet read your manuscript
but was enjoying a lively hope that it
would fill an aching void in The A t lantic which he has long been praying
might be supplied by someone who
could write about wood and water
sports without being dreary."
The piece was far from dreary; and
to Howells' delight was well received by
all. But more importantly, it was for the
smallish, wiry figure with the steel blue
eyes (whose revolver peaked from beneath his pillow) the beginning of a
warm and enduring affair between a man
and a river -- the Restigouche, and its
salmon fishing.
Part 11 of our story will deal primarily with the "first trip" and the early
days at Camp Harmony.
Vacation time sparked the migration of thousands of Americans t o the north woods
for rest and recreation. Northville, New York was a jumping off place where the visitor left the comfort of the railroad car for the horse drawn vehicle which carried
them to camps and hotels.
u im x rwrruarioncr
ana ynarntlttans
A
New
Review
Book
bv
Richard H . Woods
(Copyright by the Author)
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1
The Fly-Fisher's Entomology by Alfred
Ronalds . . . Longman, Rees, Orme,
Brown, Green and Longman . . . London 1836 . . . 115 pp. and 19 full copper plates. . . 14 shillings.
C
From Staffordshire and t h e Kivers
Klythe and Dove, so beloved t o lzaak
Walton and Charles Cotton, came a
treatise o n fly-fishing which upset many
traditional modes of practicing the sport
and introduced a new, definitive concept. Alfred Konalds entreats his readers
in his preface to accept his work as t h e
amusement of an amateur. Considering
his sophistication, his clean and concise
use of the language, his use of scientific
terms and approaches, his meticulous
and graceful copper plate sketches, h e is
anything but a n amateur. Indeed, it is
fortunate for the fraternity of anglers
that such an ingenious man, reared in a
scientific family, should turn his pen
and brush to the sport.
In past years others have written
books about the study of insects which
are food for the trout and techniques by
which the quarry is taken, but all in the
vein of t h e countryman in t h e language
of t h e locality. Perhaps Mr. Ronalds was
inspired b y the inadequacy of these well
meaning works to apply a scientific approach t o what was as much an art as a
sport.
Alfred Ronalds' treatise departs from
the angling literature of the times in
many and significant ways. He approached his subject with a scientific, as
well as practical, manner. The scientific
names of the insects which comprise the
trout's food are set o u t as well as their
local, country names.
He was an innovater in the field of
fishing technique. He preferred rods of
12% feet t o t h e popular 18 and 20 foot
weapons of t h e day and metal reels
(even multiplying) to the popular wooden winch. For his tip section he required
bamboo and t h e reel attached where it
counterbalanced the rod. His leaders
were of silkworm gut rather than the
customary horse hair.
Ronalds concerned himself with the
trout's habits and condition. His tests
with shotgun discharges proved that the
noises of the countryside d o not affect
the fish, and his experiments with sense
of taste proved that the appearance of
t h e fly is more important. The development of t h e "fish's window," the ability
of fish t o see objects above the surface
of t h e water, was authoritatively developed here with diagrams bolstered by
logarithmic theorem.
Half of the book and most of the
plates are devoted to t h e forty-seven insects and their imitations. Each insect is
illustrated as well as the fly designed t o
imitate it. Instructions are given for the
tying of each fly as well as the selection
of flies t o be used each month from
March through September. The insects
Top: Marlow Buzz o r coch-a-bonddu (coleoptera), right
and left both Dark Mackeral (ephemera) and below, imitations.
and flies, sketched and colored b y t h e
author, are accurate and exquisite, each
one a tiny work of art.
All in all, the "Entomology" is a
treasure-trove f o r t h e serious angler. It is
concise enough t o b e convenient and
handy (though one could wish t o hear
of some of the personal angling experiences enjoyed b y the author). His scientific approach has universal appeal and
application, and his ingenious innovations have become part of modern technique and lore.
Alfred Ronalds was born in 1802,
the sixth son of the eleven children of
Francis Ronalds, a London merchant of
Scottish descent who lived in Brentford
near London. His brother Edmund, like
his father, became a London merchant.
His son, also named Edmund, received a
Ph.D. degree after study in German universities and returned to England t o become one of its leading chemists. Another brother, Sir Francis, FRS, was
born in 1788 and became interested in
electricity and meteorology. He was the
inventor of the electrical telegraph and
director of the Government's meteorological installations. He died without
Clockwise from t o p : Red Fly (perlidae), Red Spinner
(ephemeridae imago), Blue Dun (ephemeridae Pseudimago), and corresponding imitations.
marrying in 1873. A sister married Samuel Carter, a solicitor, of Birmingham.
Thus it appears that Alfred came of a
well-to-do family, well educated and oriented towards science.
He appeared t o have independent
means and in 1 8 3 1 married Margaret
Bond of Draycott, Staffordshire. Seven
children were born of this union.
When t h e Entomology was first published Ronalds lived a t Lea Fields, Rugeley, Staffordshire, just a few miles from
the Blythe and Dove Rivers, t h e haunts
of Charles Cotton and his guest Izaak
Walton. In 1843, he moved t o live in
North Wales a t Dolfanog, near Dolgelly.
In his preface t o the third edition
(1844) h e wrote that the demands for
flies created b y his book had caused him
t o take u p the occupation of "supplying
flies for anglers." These plus a wallet
container could b e obtained with this
and a later edition (sixth, 1862).
He wrote t o his publisher in 1843 assigning his royalties t o J o h n Rogers of
Stafford (near Rugeley, and coincidentally t h e birthplace of Izaak Walton), t o
satisfy a loan of 5 0 pounds. In 1845
Rogers himself wrote to t h e publisher
about this account expressing some annoyance as he said he was induced by
his brother-in-law, "who is fond of angling and a great admirer of Mr. Ronalds,"
to lend t h e money. However, the obligation was paid off, and acquitted by
Rogers, in 1847.
Sometime before 1 8 4 8 Ronalds' wife
died.
In 1 8 4 8 a Mr. Hamilton of Liverpool
takes Rogers' place as the assignee of
royalties and was paid 32 odd pounds.
A t this time, Ronalds was a t Builth,
Breconshire, Wales. The same year he
wrote from Plymouth instructing the
publisher to pay t h e royalties t o Samuel
Carter, his brother-in-law, who held his
power of attorney, o r t o his sister Emily
o n his behalf, and he sailed for Australia.
Besides his residence when he wrote
t h e Entomology Ronalds' travels seem
always t o take him t o t h e good angling
waters, Draycott o n t h e Derwent, Dolgelly o n the Welsh Dee, and Builth o n
t h e Wye.
1 8 4 8 finds him in Ballarat, Victoria,
where he started a nurseryman's business. He married Mary Anne Hurlow
and had four children b y her. He died of
apoplexy o n April 2 3, 1860.
In 1836 a copy of t h e book cost 14
shillings o r $1.75 at today's rate of exchange. Considering t h e monetary inflation occurring in t h e intervening 137
years, the book must have been very expensive according t o our lights. Yet we
must appreciate that population and the
literate reading public were smaller
then. In 1836 only 155 copies were
printed of which 96 were sold and 59
carried over in stock. I t appears from t h e
publisher's accounts that less than 400
copies of the first edition were printed
by 1839 when the second edition came
out. Fortunate indeed is the collector
who possesses a first edition. Britain's
foremost dealers of old sporting books,
John and Judith Head, of Salisbury, list
it at 58 pounds ($145.00), and Colonel
Henry A. Siegel, of Angler's and Shooter's Bookshelf. Goshen. Connecticut,
values it a t from $150.00 t o $200.00.
In 1855 Longmans, t h e publisher,
purchased t h e copper plates, t h e copyright, and his interest in stock o n hand
from Ronalds for 68 pounds. Thereafter
the publisher owned the whole transaction. Four editions were published prior
t o this event and eight editions thereafter, the most recent being in 1921.
Perhaps the most valuable is that published in Liverpool in 191 3, limited t o
250 copies each with sample artificial
flies in sunken mounts. The Heads list
this edition a t 225 pounds ($562.50). It
is most curious that someone has not
brought o u t a new edition considering
t h e present popularity of reprints of
angling classics.
Arnold Gingrich, writing in T h e Well
Tempered Angler (1965), says Ronalds'
book "started not only a whole school
of writers b u t a whole school of thought
and gave fishing a new dimension as a
science." He includes it in his list of 30
great books that cover 500 years of angling.
In 1928 Gerald G. P. Heywood wrote
of t h e life of Walton's pupil in Charles
Cotton and His River analyzing all aspects of his works and activities. In the
introduction, t h e author gives credit t o
the early writers, Konalds among them,
in his attempts t o trace t h e connection
between Cotton's flies and those of the
present day. He then states: "On all
questions of angling entomology, Ronalds and Halford have been m y authorities."
John Waller Hills in A History o f Fly
Fishing for Trout (1821) writes that
Ronalds' book is "the textbook and in a
sense t h e creator of the race of angler
naturalists." He notes Ronalds' scientific approach and his accurate and exquisite illustrations. He traces the flies
of Cotton, with considerable help from
Ronalds, t o modern flies. He appreciated t h e indelible stamp left o n t h e angling world b y Ronalds' solitary book.
While one must agree with these encomiums, as such they are somewhat
bloodless and cold where Ronalds is
concerned. He did more than create
lovely pictures o r apply t h e world of science to t h e trout stream. He was an adventurous spirit. He conceived and analyzed t h e "trout's window." He studied
and illustrated t h e trout's lie in t h e current. He used tackle which was nearly
modern b y present day standards at a
time when t h e accouterments of angling
had remained unchanged for a century.
He was an inquiring mind who conducted his own experiments o n the senses of
his quarry. His entomological researches
and fly-tying were labors of personal
hard work, not plagiarism from some
earlier amateur writer, and his results
were correct and accurate. Though his
prose is n o t deathlessly lyrical it is nonetheless readable, clear, and concise. He
was a whole man, like t h e rest of us,
pursuing an idyll.
I gratefully acknowledge the kindness of Mr. R. M. Cooper of Longman
Group Ltd., London, for making available to me such books of account and
correspondence of the publisher as were
not destroyed by the bombings in 1940;
and the booksellers John and Judith
Head, Salisbury, England, and Colonel
Henry A. Siegel, Angler's and Shooter's
Bookshelf, Goshen, Connecticut, for
sharing their knowledge.
R. H. W.
Diagrams illustrating the "fish's window," or, what the trout sees.
-
12
-
Well 1'11 Be Damned
by
Dana S. Lamb
I t seemed to me that, in looking o u t
of the window, St. Peter was seeking an
excuse t o avoid meeting m y glance of
sincere good fellowship, We had been
waiting rather a long time for t h e report
to come through o n m y assignment. Obviously there had been a slip-up somewhere since I was confident that, upon
reaching the pearly gates, there would
be not the slightest question as to my
definite and well-earned reward. But,
obviously, in Heaven as o n earth, t h e
computer and t h e business machine
(and having been born in t h e Good Old
Days of kerosene lamps and buggy
whips, I was rather delighted about this)
were sometimes guilty of errors.
In what was now rather quaintly called "My Lifetime" I had rather prided
myself o n m y efficiency and I saw no
reason t o shed a n y of m y earthly virtues now that I had, so t o speak, "graduated." I asked whether we couldn't save
a t least a little time b y having m e outline my preferences while we waited for
that report (I was about t o say "infernal" report b u t obviously the adjective
would have been misplaced in m y present situation). "On the assumption that
there is n o opposition t o m y election,"
I said, and I was rather surprised that he
gave me no comprehending smile, "I
think I'd like a moderate size cabin o n
the banks of some stream closely resembling the Ausable. Since obviously
pestiferous insects would create no
problem here," I chuckled a t this, "I
think the most suitable permanent season would be, let us say, the first two
weeks in June.
"As for company, I wouldn't want
t o o much of it, b u t o n the other hand,
in a place where I was pretty certain of
taking any number of two and threepounders on, say, a Number 16 Variant,
in order t o completely enjoy my
triumphs there ought to be an audience
consisting of a dozen o r two of knowledgeable-anglers. In other words, when
o u t o n t h e stream, I'd want t o figure o n
running across a good listener every
hour o r two. It would b e all right if perhaps two or three quaint and amusing
characters frequented the stream even if
they fished bait, and I wouldn't mind a
couple of really deft wet fly fishermen,
provided that the rest stuck rather rigidly to t h e classical presentation of the
d r y fly. Quite understandably, I would
not want any of these people t o b e t o o
successful o r t o catch any of the 'Old
Busters'. For variation and novelty," I
continued, "I think it would b e a nice
thing- if once in a while I could come
across a really big taking rainbow and
ogcasionally I'd enjoy creeling a good,
solid highly colored brook trout along
with t h e brownies, which ought t o average somewhere between 14 and 16
inches."
As I talked o n , I saw that St. Peter
was becoming really interested; there
was a shine t o his eyes and every now
and then he nodded his head in understanding and apparent acquiescence.
Quite carried away, I galloped in imagination through a devine day o n m y heavenly stream. Out loud, I outlined that
ideal day's catch; I described the gorgeous sunset and the appearance of t h e
stars in t h e moist, glad air of evening
over t h e snowcapped mountains. I felt
t h e warmth of a crackling fire o n the
cabin's generous hearth and I became again, as o n earth, the gracious and
punctilious host. "I'd have m y 'gentleman's gentleman'," I said, "ease me into
a well-fitted dinner jacket; I'd see that
t h e martini glasses were well iced and
that the vermouth was deftly and delicately added to t h e English gin."
So vivid was the picture that I was
somewhat put o u t when St. Peter was
seized with a violent fit of coughing.
But at its termination I went o n t o describe the outfits I'd like to have t h e
ladies wear.
Just this moment, an Angel entered
with a written note f o r St. Peter's scrutiny. He read it, frowned, and in some
seeming embarrassment, left the room.
His secretary told m e he might b e gone
for some length of time and so I settled
back and dozed. I dozed and slept, and
dreamed that I was untangling a leader
hip-deep among a shoal of carp in t h e
warm and roily waters of the Wallkill. I
dreamed I held a spinning rod (I'd always said I wouldn't be found dead
with one); m y wader leaked, and one
brogue sank in oozy mud while the
other was enmeshed in t h e wires of a
discarded bedspring. I dreamed m y creel
was full of fallfish and now, dreaming
n o longer, I felt t h e sting and agony of
bites b y black flies, deer flies and mosquitoes. And then I heard t h e fellow
laugh; florid he was as though from a
long holiday a t Jekyl o r Hobe Sound:
in fact, as m y eyes opened wider and
m y vision cleared, I saw that h e was red
. . . red as t h e very Devil.
SPLIT ROCK
The Indian birch bark canoe took the American fly fisher into a romantic past. This scene was typical of the Canadian experience enjoyed by
the sportsmen of the 1870's and still possible in some areas of Quebec.
Angling in Canada
The story that I have t o tell treats of
the grounds of t h e Tourilli Fish and
Game Club of Canada. This club is the
immediate result of the association of
Commodore J . U. Gregory and Mr.
George Van Felson, of Quebec, and of
Mr. E. A. Panet, M. P. for St. Raymond,
of the Province of Quebec. These gentlemen secured certain grounds, including
lakes and rivers, teeming with brook
trout and wininish, and abounding with
moose, caribou, ruffed grouse and ducks.
The charter members included the following gentlemen: President, J. U. Gregory, Quebec; Vice-President, E. A. Panet
St. Raymond; Secretary, Geo. Van. Felson, Quebec ; Treasurer, Alex Lauin,
Quebec. Committee of Management:
Dr. E. A. Lewis, Brooklyn; Hon. Smith
P. Glover, Sandy Hook, Conn.; Richard
S. Harvey, New York, N. Y. The remaining members being: J . H. Botterill, Quebec; A. G . Demers, Quebec; C. H. Carrier, Levis; James H. Work, New York;
W. S. Downs, Birmingham, Conn.; J o h n
W. Masson, New York; Dr. W. H. Thomson, New Haven, Conn.; W. L. Bennett,
New Haven, Conn. Last season I made a
trip t o these grounds in company with
my friend the Commodore, and our
journey began in the parlor car of the
Quebec & Lake St. J o h n express train.
We were soon on our way to St. Raymond, our destination, thirty-six miles
from Quebec. We passed the foaming
waters of the famed Jacques Cartier River and beautiful Lake St. Joseph,
twenty-one miles in circumference, and
bordered b y the Laurentian Range. It is
a favorite summer resort. "Very fine
black bass are found there," said the
Commodore, as we passed a pretty sheet
of water called Lake Sergeant. It was a
vision only, and soon o u t of sight. The
Commodore having collected his traps
now seemed to await some important
event, and it came, as a most picturesque spot suddenly attracted our attention; two beautiful streams meander
through a pretty mountain village with
its neat and cosy cottages and handsome
Norman church, all uniting t o form a
picture never to be forgotten; it was St.
kaymond.
We no sooner reach the platform
than the sun-bronzed features of our
friend Edward greet us, and after vigorous shaking of hands and much talk, we
find ourselves perched o n t h e seat of a
Canadian buckboard. A pleasant drive
over 1 5 miles of good carriage road is
greatly enjoyed and then t h e last house,
that of Ferdinand Godin, is reached. He
is the Tourilli F. and G. Club guardian,
and having presented our permits, he
welcomes us to t h e limits. At our feet
rush the waters of the St. Anne, and a
beautiful pool is a t a distance of 5 0 ft.
from the house. It is well stocked with
speckled beauties, they rise frequently,
making desperate leaps a t some insect
which tempts their ravenous appetites.
The club is t o build its club house a t
this spot. The next morning our provisions, tents, etc. having been stowed
away in the Gaspe canoes, we set out
for the Upper St. Anne. Paddles are
soon discarded and poling is the order
of the day, as the river is a succession of
rapids and short pools. A whoop from
the Commodore announces the fact that
these pools contain numbers of fine
trout. His flies have barely touched the
water when a splash tells us that a contest with a plucky fish has begun. The
gamy victim fights desperately, b u t in
such hands is sure to be landed a prize,
t h e excitement runs high, as a t each
pool we have a repetition of the scene.
The best pools we fished to the
mouth of the Tourilli River were "Godins," the "Leaning Birch," the "Island,"
the "Big Rock," t h e "Spring," t h e
"Grande" and "Carriers." The latter is
certainly one of the most remarkable in
Canada and has a record of a 6% Ib. Salm o fontinalis. Our catch here was most
satisfactory, as may b e imagined when I
say that our catch consisted of 2 fish of
5 Ibs., 5 of 4 % Ibs., 2 of 3% Ibs., and a
number from 3 Ibs. down, all with a
clean fly, no bait being needed o n any
of these waters of t h e St. Anne.
Our next move was t o the forks of
juncture of the St. Anne and Tourilli.
From the latter t h e club takes its name,
it being an Indian name meaning rushing
waters.
Our guides dashed t h e canoes boldly
through the turbulent waters, and our
rods were laid aside, for we were kept
busy helping t h e canoemen in their efforts t o mount t h e rapids. One mile of
t h e exciting work and we reach the
Tourilli Falls, o n e of the prettiest sights
imaginable. The falls consist of a succession of cascades, a t t h e bottom of which
lies a most tempting pool. Our success
here was most satisfactory, and though
we did not break its record of a 7 Ib.
Salnzo fontinalis, we touched t h e scale
a t 4% Ibs., and friend Edward lost his
enameled silk line. Above the falls we
did n o t go, b u t 1 know the sport t o be
good, for some 2 0 lakes are tributary to
this river, and when w e make a trail
they will b e quite accessible. A continuous shooting of rapids brought us once
more t o t h e St. Anne. The most tempting boulders and each of the 5 o r 6
pools have increased our stock of fish
considerably, and like true sportsmen,
we resign our rods and contemplate t h e
scenery as we travel u p stream and soon
enter the discharge of Lake Cimon. A
good trail here brought us t o lakes Evangeline and Cimon. We found them t o be
swarming with trout averaging % of a Ib.
weight, and m y advice t o members is to
visit these lakes b y all means, as every
good cast tempts a victim. A chain of
lakes known t o b e excellent are further
o n , b u t not yet open.
Returning t o t h e main river we take
t h e trail t o t h e head of the big rapid, the
canoe making good headway b y the
river with baggage only. As the rise is al-
most imperceptible t h e talk is a pleasant
one, a n d one h o u r brings us to the Mauvaise Riviere. Being well fitted with suitable wading shoes, we tried a little wading, refresh ourselves and while away
time, awaiting the arrival o f our canoe;
the stream is 25 ft. broad and affords
good fishing. We soon came t o a halt,
however, as we reached t h e foot of t h e
mountain, 1,100 feet high, down t h e
side of which dashes t h e stream in a
number of falls and cascades. The headwaters of this stream is a chain of five
lakes, better reached b y Lake Cimon.
Walking back we were greeted b y our
guides, who took us across to t h e Lake
Jambon trail. A stiff walk of threequarters of a mile brings us 1,000 feet above the St. Anne; 100 feet below us
lies a lovely sheet of water, Lake Jambon, six miles in circumference; the water is of a greenish hue and so remarkably clear as t o enable us t o see t h e bottom a t a depth of 30 to 40 ft.; t h e lake
is very deep and cold.
We found good boats awaiting us,
and soon were skimming over its waters.
One can well imagine the quality of fish
we got, and certainly they are not t o b e
s u r ~ a s s e d o n this continent. as in all
these waters nothing b u t brook trout
are found. What sport w e enjoyed when
alluring these beauties, b u t o n account
of the remarkable clearness of the water
most careful and artistic castine= is required; when a flash of silver was t o be
seen darting toward the tempting fly, it
was visible a t 30 ft. distant. The cast is
not in vain, and quicker than lightning
your line is spinning off your reel, the
sport has begun, and you imagine a
monster has hold of your line, so vigorous is a 2 pound fish in this water. The
average for Lake Jambon o n this trip
was 1% Ibs. Thev are known to run as
large as 4 Ibs., b u t none larger have been
captured here.
Our next move was toward Little
Jambon, a lake as large b u t not so deep
as the big lake. It is swarming with fish
averaging % Ib. in weight. It was here
that the crowning event of our journey
took place when Edward and I, having
imprudently stood u p in our birch bark
canoe, upset, were immersed rather
suddenly and had t o swim for our lives.
We lost $50 worth of tackle, b u t did not
leave our carcasses for the fish t o feed
upon. The good old Commodore gave us
a jovial lecture that evening about fishing o n Sundays. A t t h e head of this lake
is a trail leading t o seven other lakes
running toward t h e head of the Tourilli.
Going back to the St. Anne, with rods
mounted, we head u p stream. A lovely
pool is before us, and I captured a 5 lb.
trout b y casting under the low overhanging boughs which line its banks.
Several pools are crossed, when a mountain of great height looms u p in the distance. It is the Fale Tourte - Pigeon's
Breast - 2,500 ft. above t h e river, and
much resembling Cape Trinity of the
Saguenay, its perpendicular side of rock
overlooking Markham's Pool, which is
soon reached, and t h e most celebrated
trout pool in Canada is before us. An inscription on a tree informed us that it
had been visited for the first time o n
July 3, 1859, b y Captain Markham,
Royal Artillery. His wonderful catch
was described, and many other records
were there. Though we got nothing that
day, our average for twenty-four fish
next d a y was over 3 Ibs. and might have
continued b u t we were satisfied.
Three miles further u p t h e river we
come t o the St. Anne, o r Seven Falls. A
sudden bend of t h e river and they are
before you, the stream tumbling down
2,500 feet of almost perpendicular
mountain in a succession of falls, varying from 70 t o 120 feet in height and
about 30 feet wide. A wall of rock, void
of all vegetation, rises o n either side and
a pool 5 feet in diameter ends these falls
. . . it is almost round and is t h e work of
centuries; two enormous pillars of rock
200 feet high and barely 6 feet apart
form t h e entrance, and are called the
"Gates." Between them is an enormous
boulder, against which the water dashes
with tremendous force.
Under the ledges of rock in t h e small
pool we caught five fish, one, weighing
7 Ibs., was the prize of friend Edward,
and o n account of the tremendous current, it required careful handling and
took o u t 75 yards of line before it was
landed in a small pool outside t h e Gates.
Col. J o h n Panet, m y friend's father, has
a record of a 9 pound Salmo fontinalis
taken here.
A short distance below we found the
trail t o t h e head of the falls, here a
chain of 15 lakes were crossed in birch
bark canoes. All these lakes were full of
trout, giving us much sport. The largest
of these lakes, St. Anne, is 3% miles
long, the carries between them being
short.
This being t h e height of land, it is
level for several miles. It is a good hunting ground and abounds in large game.
It is the watershed from which flow t h e
Chicoutimi, Metabetchouan, Batiscan,
Jacques Cartier, Little Saguenay, Tourilli and St. Anne rivers, each running in
a different direction. It is the feeding
ground of moose, caribou and other
game, t h e bush being low and marshy.
Game was seen all over the limits that
we crossed and we ascertained that
manv a fine buck has ended his davs
quite close t o the guardian's house.
Our return trip now commenced in
earnest. Our destination was Lake St.
John, the home of t h e winninish, t h e
king of t h e game fish, a fresh water sal-
mon that yields not t o his saltwater
brother in his fierceness of play. The
train speeds o n towards t h e Peribonca.
A t Lake Edward a long stop is called. A
pleasant time may be had here b y a fisherman who does not care f o r hardships,
as the lake is not 20 feet from the hotel,
and good sport is generally t o be had
with t h e fly, and always with bait o r
troll. A t Lake St. John, we make preparations t o cross the lake t o t h e mouth
of the Grand Peribonca. It, as well as
t h e Little Peribonca, have become Tourilli Club's limits, and so we have made
u p our minds t o go over them and find
what we have and what we have not. As
w e expect t o have some grand sport
with the landlocked salmon, the Commodore good-naturedly entertains us
with his experience a t the Grande Decharge, of which h e was formerly a part
owner.
The mouth of the Grand Peribonca
being entered, a short sail of one mile
distance brings us t o the mouth of the
Little Peribonca, a stream a half mile
wide a t this point. T o give an idea of the
extent of this Peribonca 1 will merely
state that it is nearly two miles broad a t
its mouth, 50 miles u p it is fully one
mile wide, and continues so for over
150 miles, t h e entire length being about
300 miles. We found these rivers to b e
very grand as far as sight-seeing is concerned, and as for fly-fishing, why we
got enough of it t o satisfy the most ardent angler. Our guides informed us that
fly-fishing is good o n t h e river's whole
length, as well as all its tributaries and
lakes. This fact leads m e t o believe t h e
Peribonca t o b e t h e feeder of Lake St.
John's enormous supply of winninish.
A hatching station is t o be placed at the
mouth of the river.
Fontinalis
Quebec April 20
FOREST AND STREAM
May 15, 1890
Annual Meeting
The fifth Annual Meeting of the Museum of American Fly
Fishing was held a t Kandahar Lodge, Manchester, Vermont, o n
November 1, 1975. Approximately 100 Officers, Trustees,
members and guests attended t h e business meeting and banquet,
an excellent showing, with some members travelling from as far
away as Wisconsin and West Virginia.
Reelected t o office were Arnold Gingrich, President; Austin
S. Hogan, Vice President; Leigh H Perkins, Treasurer and David
B. Ledlie, Registrar. Mrs. Laura Towslee continues as Assistant
Treasurer and Secretary. Charles Olin, first Conservator of t h e
Museum resigned his official office and will continue as a consultant.
Trustees nominated and elected: A. I. Alexander, Roy Chapin, Carroll Curtice, Julia Fairchild, William Glassford, George
Harvey, David B. Ledlie, Dudley Mills, Carl Navarre, Rick Robbins, Willard Rockwell, Ben Upson, Col. Henry Siegel and
Shirley Woods.
During 1975, the third room added t o t h e exhibit space b y
the Orvis Co. was put t o good use featuring exhibits of paintings
by the late Trustee and internationally known sporting artist,
Milton Weiler, and photographs b y Trustee Ralph Wahl famed
for his action pictures of northwest fly fishing. An estimated
20,000 viewers enjoyed the showings during t h e course of the
year. Registrar Ledlie reported that for t h e first time all major
holdings of the Museum were now recorded and o n file. The
collections include 382 fly rods, 277 reels, and 111 fly collections. The library has catalogued 923 publications. In addition,
holdings of miscellaneous articles such as incomplete fly rods,
reels with parts missing o r in bad condition, publications and
other miscellany have been placed in storage after having been
evaluated for future use. During 1975 additional space was acquired for the library, and those rare books needing repair and
rebinding have been listed. For additional security the Museum's
most valuable tackle and literary publications are o n exhibit in
locked showcases.
During 1975 the ten panel brochure was replaced with a four
panel brochure. 3,000 were distributed b y Col. Henry Siegel of
t h e Angler's and Shooter's Bookshelf and this contribution will
b e repeated in 1976.
President Gingrich, Leigh Perkins and t h e Executive Committee reported that although the Museum was operating o n a
minimal budget a number of large contributions had been received which enabled t h e Museum magazine to continue and
maintain its standards in spite of inflationary printing costs. The
American Fly Fisher is now entering its third year. Photographs
r
the
of the Museum exhibits were c o m ~ l e t e din S e ~ t e m b e and
Museum slide show is now expected t o be ready for distribution
shortly. In addition t o color shots b y Boyd Pfeiffer and Lefty
Kreh, black and white photos were taken for publicity and for
magazine purposes.
The Museum has n o outstanding debts and through t h e guidance of President Gingrich and Treasurer Perkins has achieved a
modest growth and is continuing to fulfill its basic objectives.
The evening's entertainment began with one of those very
pleasant cocktail parties which brought t h e old friends together
and welcomed new faces. Dinner was excellent.
Master of Ceremonies, Arnold Gingrich, began t h e festivities
with o n e of his well researched talks about classic angling literature taking as his theme t h e recently discovered A r t e of Angling and its author. He next introduced Dana S. Lamb, long time
friend of the Museum who entertained with a reading especially
written for t h e dinner, t h e text of which is printed in this issue
of t h e magazine f o r the enjoyment of all the membership. Derm o t Wilson capped t h e entertainment with a slide show and
lecture relating t o his private waters in England. Prior t o the entertainment, Dermot had presented the Museum with a rarity of
rarities in the form of an antique horsehair line.
Mrs. Leigh Perkins, Library, reported a fine sale of authographed books. Profits and royalties have been contributed to
t h e Museum b y the authors, Arnold Gingrich and Dana S. Lamb
and a number are still available t o t h e membership.
The Officers and Trustees express their thanks to those who
made t h e Annual Meeting such a n enjoyable affair and t o those
who throughout the year have contributed so generously.
7
Arnold Gingrich Receives Federation Award
Due t o a delay in delivery, t h e "Order of t h e Lapis
Lazuli" ring was not presented t o Arnold Gingrich a t the
time he received that great honor a t t h e Federation of
Fly Fisherman's conclave a t West Yellowstone in August
of 1975. The ring was presented a t t h e Museum's Annual
Dinner.
The "Order of t h e Lapis Lazuli" is given infrequently to an individual and only to those whose dedication has been exceptional. Ed Strickland, Gene Anderegg
and Lee Wulff are t h e only other previous recipients.
The highest award of t h e Federation was given t o Arnold
f o r his many years as a dedicated conservationist, and his
contributions as a Director of R.A.S.A., Theodore Gordon Fly Fishers and t h e Federation.
The Lapis ring with the F. F. F. logo is the symbol
of this award. I t was handcrafted b y Dr. Charles F. Nelson, Jr., F F F Secretary, with great respect and affection
for his old friend and coworker.
RESEARCH
F!y rod fishing is based on the theory a game fish will respond to an imitation of
its natural food such as an insect or a minnow. The concept had to have a beginning sometime, somewhere, (during the ascent of man1 the subject of the accompanying article.
The American Indians used the dark hut, decoy {artificial minnow} and
spear in their battle to survive, a szarting point for the author's research.
The Origins of Angling
Austin S. Hogan
The discovery that stone age man had a complete understanding o f the efficiency of
the imitative lure has its historic value. The knowledge that aboriginals had evolved a
theory o f imitation, and also used it as a guide for the designing o f fishing implements,
widens our perspective sufficiently to encourage further research in a field which previously has only been o f interest to the archaeologist. Eventually, we ma y learn much
more about ourselves and the origins o f angling, including the emergence o f fly fishing
and the making of the artificial fly through a closer scrutiny o f aboriginal fishing practices
and prehistoric tackle making.
My researches into the development
of fishing tackle by the American Indian and Eskimo would have been much
easier if some archaeologist, who obviously would have t o be an angler, had
neatly arranged the refinement of the
various fish spears, leisters, bone and
stone hooks, fish traps, poisons and
other devices used t o catch game fish,
into nicely ordered classifications and
categories. Neither Indian or Eskimo
had one unified culture pattern extending from the Northern Arctic t o the tip
of South America. The hundreds of
tribes that depended o n fish f o r a livelihood were scattered geographically and
their cultural characteristics so diversified that it was impossible t o establish
chronological advancements. Yet t h e
study was fascinating and the fact the
massive library of Harvard University's
department of Ethnology was available
for my use, made my research far easier
than expected. Evaluating the progress
of the American aboriginal as a fisherman had its exciting moments b u t it
soon became apparent that even though
their survival proved the efficiency of
their tackle, and that the Eskimo was a
superb craftsman, neither Indian nor Eskimo were innovators. All the basic
forms of hooks, lines, spears and harpoons came from a diffusion of knowledges originating in Asia. I could find
traces of t h e beginning of t h e fishing
rod, which is a lever, in t h e long salmon
harpoon with its detachable head used
by the Indians of the northwest coast,
and I could appreciate the engineering
behind t h e leister, the fish spear that
used the principle of the grasp of a
man's hand for insuring t h e catch, b u t
in general, I was learning that it would
take many more years than 1 had available to completely cover aboriginal tackle making in America sufficient t o
prove any contributing influences to
modern sport.
The American aboriginal was not a
fly fisherman. Re-examining o n e of the
techniques used to c a t c h trout and
northern pike through t h e ice, I suddenly realized that if the main body of
Indian thought was turned to catching
fish wholesale, with spears and fish traps
still, within that body of knowledge
there was an unusual understanding of
the theory of imitation. This was evidenced b y the use of what archaeologists term the "dark hut, decoy and
spear." Essentially t h e method was the
only one that I could link t o modern
sporting techniques and it revolved around the fact a fish could b e lured to
spear point b y t h e movement of a carved wooden fish figure drawn through
t h e water in a life-like manner. This way
of ice fishing is still practiced in the
Great Lakes region and quite popular.
Here I felt was a new direction for my
research which might prove profitable.
The new direction suggested that (if
m y original objectives were impractical),
1 might, b y a concentration o n o n e technique bring one aspect of aboriginal
tackle making into a sharper historical
focus. Also, one of the phases of m y reorientation suggested that by dating a n
early birth of one concept (the imitative
minnow) there might b e t h e possibility
of a parallel relative t o another development and concept; (the imitative fly).
The movement backward in time
seemed t o demand a beginning where
t h e historic touched the edge of t h e prehistoric. A scanning of frontier narratives ultimately produced Alexander
Henry, fur trader, whose book Travels
and Adventures in Canada and t h e Indian Territories, between the Years
1760 and 1766, N. Y . 1809, described
in detail the use of the artificial minnow
(decoy) for the trout of Lake Superior.
"lh order t o spear trout under the ice
holes being first cut, of two yards in
circumference, cabins of about two
feet in height are built over them of
small branches of trees, and these are
fully covered with skins t o exclude
t h e light. The result of this contrivance is to render it practicable t o discern objects in t h e water a t a very
considerable d e ~ t h .A soear head of
iron is fastened o n a pole about ten
feet in length. This instrument is lowered into the water; and the fisherman, lying o n his belly, with his head
under the cabin, lets down the figure
of a fish, in wood and filled with lead.
Round the middle of the fish is a
small pack thread, and when at the
depth of ten fathoms, it is made, b y
drawing t h e string, t o move forward
after the manner of a real fish. Trout
and other large fish, deceived b y the
resemblance spring toward it t o seize
it; b u t b y t h e dextrous jerk of the
string, it is instantly taken o u t of
their reach. The decoy is drawn near
t o the surface and the fish renews its
attack. The spear is made ready for
striking and o n t h e return of the fish,
t h e spear is plunged into its back,
and t h e spear being barbed, it is easily drawn o u t of t h e water."
The pathway then led t o the historic
Eskimos of t h e Bering Strait who used a
sinker made of old ivory carved in the
shape of a fish. ~ t t a c h e d were blue
beads, a yellow Auk's bill, and more
pieces of ivory and blue beads which
served to delineate the eyes, fins and
tail. The hook was lashed to t h e assembly. Very definitely this was a jigging device, designed t o attract fish b y its erratic motion and color rather than t o lure
b y the imitative deception. Jigging devices during t h e research presented a
continuing problem as I soon discovered
because they existed side b y side with
t h e fish figure used as a lure.
After referring t o several hundred
books, reports and studies relative to
t h e Aleuts, Greenland, Dorset and Polar
peoples, I found the little carved decoy,
as opposed to t h e jigging device, was described in nearly all of the archaeological literature available. One interesting
side light concerned the Polar Eskimos
who b y consent of the tribe gave fishing
rights to individual families, a custom
unknown among neighboring tribes o r
for that matter in either prehistoric
North America o r Asia.
Eventually I learned the fish decoy
common to the Eskimo extended in its
use far back in time and had been excavated from sites along the Pacific coast
line, in the Aleutians, near Point Barrow
and apparently was of great value because of its efficiency. There is the
thought that because t h e Eskimo came
across the Bering Straits less than 2,000
years ago, the Indian decoy may be even
older in relation t o its time in North
America.
Eventually the farthest step back in
time, and into Asia, revealed a common
knowledge of t h e fish figure as an imitation in Kamchatka and the islands connected with Japan. Many of these Asian
aborigines appear t o have been very sophisticated fishers. One fishing rod particular to the northern Japanese was intricately carved and decorated and
sometimes inlaid with bone o r ivory.
Although m y research had taken only several months, t h e time span covered
thousands of years. The search finally
ended with the discovery of Henry H.
Michael's T h e Neolithic Age in Rustern
Siberia in the Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, 1958.
The Michael study concentrates o n
the artifacts discovered along t h e shores
of Siberia's Lake Baikal. A listing of all
the artifacts pictured o r discussed would
serve little purpose if included in this
article b u t it should be mentioned that
the prehistoric peoples who lived in the
region apparently were dependent o n
the resources of the lake f o r their survival. The collection of fishing implements is astonishing and the studies over
the years b y various Soviet archaeologists, and others, have been in sufficient
depth to offer a reasonably accurate
dating of t h e many devices. The periods
have been established as "Early Serovo"
3rd millenium B. C. with an unusual
bone, barbed, straight shank, rounded
to point hook dated in this period
which seemed almost contemporary;
and "Early Glazkovo" 1700 - 1300 B.C.
The simple lead filled pine minnow
with i t s pack thread suspension used by Alexander Henry. Pioneer
white settlers quickly adopted this
method of taking trout and pike
through the ice along the northern
frontiers.
which notes a bone fish hook with a
knobbed shank and a bronze hook also
with a knobbed shank. Most important,
during the Serovo period polished stone
effigies in the shapes of bait fishes were
found in all their sophisticated artistry.
Quoting from Michael's study:
"Without exception all of the stone fish
were provided with bilaterally drilled
holes for suspension. Most often the
hole was drilled through the upper spinal part of t h e fish and so located that
when suspended o n a string, t h e fish remained balanced. Less often holes were
found o n the sides, a t t h e tail and rarely o n the abdominal aspect. The spinal
hole was most carefully drilled."
The stone effigies, (Michael is convinced they are lures) were carved and
highly polished in t h e form of a small
Lake Salmon, the eel pout (bullhead)
a very favorite food of the pike, and
the sturgeon.
It might be mentioned that Michael
notes a continuing development beyond t h e Neolithic and into modern
times b y Essei Yakuts, (Asia), t h e Kereks (Asia) and t h e Aleuts (North America), who used "realistically prepared
fish representations t o the point of
stretching real fish skin over t h e original
artifact and providing it with artificial
eyes."
The coastal Evenki of northeast Asia
Silhouette in outline of the Lake Baikal
polished stone imitative minnow. These
sophisticated lures were made an estimated 4,000 years ago.
made fish figures with the hole drilled
for the suspension cord and also added
two holes a t t h e gill and vent through
which feathers were pulled and fastened. This type of tackle may have been
primarily a jigging device and forecasts
t h e modern streamer.
My researches ended with the Lake
Baikal aboriginals and their polished
stone fish figures. Being somewhat of a
slow thinker it took a number of years
t o evaluate m y findings and check the
various dates and developments with
both aboriginal and civilized fishing
practices in other parts of the world.
Apparently the stone Baikal lures were
unique - t h e only other primitive lures
being t h e various types of trolling devices used b y the early peoples of the
south seas. These essentiallv were composite hooks t o which feathers or hair
was attached. The range of use extended
from Micronesia t o Easter Island. There
is no evidence the American Indian or
Eskimo ever trolled.
I t is reasonable t o assume then, that
t h e principals of construction and the
invention of imitative lures are not the
development of a highly civilized socie t y but the product of the thinking of
stone age man. He is also responsible for
the discovery of the levering action of
the fishing rod, the functional design of
the barbed fish hook and that fish will
react t o light reflections and the wiggle
of a feather.
With the knowledge that imitative
principals are a t t h e minimum over
4,000 years old, t h e search for the beginnings of fly fishing and the artificial
insect can be bracketed within a time
span measured b y the emergence of a relatively small metal fish hook, during
the age of iron o r bronze; and the rise of
a Greek civilization that has provided us
with our f i s t written records pertaining
t o fly fishing. Geographical areas seemingly offering t h e most promise for continued in-depth searching are those
bounded b y the countries of Scandinavia and th; Balkans.
The projection in the preceding paragraph is based o n the thought the diffusion of knowledges relating t o fishing
techniques followed the waterways during aboriginal developments. Most probably t h e use of t h e imitative lure originated in t h e colder environments where
fishing through the ice was necessary for
survival, moving o n a nexus easterly and
Feathered trolling device common to the
South Sea fishing cultures. Feathers were
bound to a bone shanked composite hook.
The prehistory is undated.
westerly across the Arctic borders of Asia and Europe. In general, the rivers
flow northerly or southerly and so the
diffusion over 3,000 years would make
the imitative concept common to most
fishing cultures and place the concept in
proximity to the early Greeks who in
---
turn eventually give us our first witness
to the artificial fly and fly fishing.
It should not be forgotten that during prehistory and at any time during
the development of fishing tackle among primitive peoples, the small fish
could be and was an important article of
diet. It is not unreasonable to suggest
the surface feeding of trouts and other
fishes would eventually sponsor the imitative insect, however crude, dependent
on the emergence of a suitable hook.
A check list of references used by the
author can be provided individuals seriously interested.
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Members may purchase autographed copies of THE
FISHING IN PRINT at the regular price of $12.95, from
the Museum only. Profit and royalties are for the Museum's
benefit.
THE TREASURER
THE MUSEUM O F AMERICAN FLY FISHING
MANCHESTER, VERMONT 05254
All contributions to the Museum of American Fly
Fishing are tax deductible within the regulations established
by the U. S. Internal Revenue Service.
THE ART OF THE FLYFISHER
Henry Sandham
Henry Sandham was born in Canada in 1842. Little more was
given in the dictionary of American artists that was consulted except
that he had worked in England and Boston, belonged to the Boston Art
Club and specialized in portraits. It might have been added he was a
superlative etcher, draughtsman, engraver and certainly a fly fisher as
the reproductions on these pages attest. These drawings were selected
from illustrations in Maurice Thomspon's, Boys Book o f Outdoor
Sports and Outdoor Life, 1886. His work may-also be sein in Dean
Sage's Ristigouche.
Conspicuous by its absence from the hunting and
fishing magazines of his day, an unfortunate loss as Sandham had a
great talent, he apparently was a frequent visitor to Canada's Maritime
provinces and their salmon rivers.
Sandham had a good eye for detail. The canoes he depicted are in
proper proportion and those illustrated are Algonquin. His leaping
salmon is poised beautifully at the top of its trajectory and people, are
people set in a fisherman's landscape. His comtemporaries were Winslow Homer, Dan Beard, Frost, Watson, and Walter Brackett, also a
member of the Boston Art Club.
In so far as the fly fisher is concerned, the angling art of the nineteenth century is in many respects the most interesting in history. Much
like the American sportsman of the time, the artist was also an explorer
and a discoverer. It was during this period that many of the themes so
characteristic of today's fishing attitudes and behaviorisms began to
emerge. Artists with Homer's and Sandham's creative abilities have become historians with brush and pencil.
So little is known of Sandham and many of his contemporaries,
the Museum would sincerely appreciate further information.
Special Mention
Museum members Natalie and David Slohm of Battenkill Productions, Shushan, New York, are introducing something new t o the arts of
the fly fisher. Tapes and records are not new t o these last few generations, but tapes and LP records that concern sport fishing have been t o o
long in coming. Cased in a sturdy plastic binding, six tapes bring the
voices of Arnold Gingrich, Ernie Schweibert, Dana Lamb, Art Flick, Ed
Zern and Nick Lyons into your living room. Entitled Come Fish with
Me, t h e selection reflects the love of sport common t o all fly fishers.
Natalie and David are professionals and the recordings are as perfect as
can be imagined. Four of the recordings are of members and officers of
MAFF.
For further information write Battenkill Productions, Dept. F F l O
Hickory Hill Road, Shushan, New York 12873.
First editions have been presented t o the Museum Library.
ANGLING AND OLD AGE
(continued from back cover)
Rainl>ow trout.
THE MUSEUM EXHIBITS O F RARITIES
Since the Museum's inception, an exceptional number of
rarities have been given the Museum. The very finest have
been placed o n exhibit in showcases guarded b y heavy plate
glass and modern locking systems.
We consider our exhibits t o be a precious heritage a n d d o
everything possible to let our many visitors examine them,
yet, make a s certain as possible there is n o chance for theft
or damage. In this way, visitors may see rods built long before there was a n y recognition that our waters could be
polluted or the abundance of game fish seriously depleted.
Here in our Museum are yesterdays remembered, a history
of fly fishing in America that is real, informative and entertaining. You will see t h e finest in craftsmanship, and t h e
many steps in a developing technology that has made American tackle t h e finest in t h e world whatever its age.
You as a member o n your first o r o n one of many visits
will be proud of what has been accomplished and most certainly be proud that y o u are a member. Your continued
contributions will be appreciated. Please give your friends
the opportunity t o experience t h e same glow of satisfaction by soliciting their help through a financial contribution
that in turn will provide better exhibitsand a better Museum.
MAGAZINE
The pages of THE AMERICAN FLY FISHER are open
t o all those who have a healthy interest in the promotion of
the Museum. Constructive criticisnl is welcome as are suggestions which you feel will make for better reading. If you
know of individuals performing research relating t o the history of fly fishing we would like t o make their acquaintance
and if you have a question about the Museum, o r historic
fly patterns, o r literature, o r tackle development, it's almost
a sure bet the staff will be able to provide just t h e right answer. Extra copies of the magazine are available with t h e exception of Vol. 1, No's 1 and 2 which are o u t of print.
PERIODICALS
A limited number of t h e Museum's "A Check List of
American Sporting Periodicals" b y Austin S. Hogan, who
researched the subject for over a decade, are available. Two
hundred and more miscellanies were published before 1900.
The most useful, to those interested in the history of angling
in America have been selected. In addition the work book
contains an historical introduction, the public libraries where
the periodicalsare o n the shelves and excerpts which example
the period literature. Soft cover, complete references and
easily readable, the listing is the only guide of its kind in t h e
field of anglingreferences. $5.00 postpaid, from t h e Museum
only.
Sir Henry Wotton was beyond seventy years of age when, as
he sat quietly o n a summer's evening, o n a bank a-fishing, he
wrote that delightful poem of which t h e following are t h e first
lines:
This day dame nature seem'ed in love;
The lusty sap began t o move;
Fresh juice did stir th' embracing vines
And birds had drawn their valentines.
The jealous trout that low did lie
Rose a t a well-dissembled flie
There stood m y friend with patient skill,
Attending of his trembling quill.
The instances 1 have given of old men anglers, from Izaak
Walton and men of his day, may be easily multiplied b y men of
today, who attribute their good health and long life to their love
of t h e river side.
Among living anglers, I know of no o n e whose name could be
mentioned with more distinction than t h e inventor of t h e celebrated salmon and trout fly called Greenwell's Glory, nor, as an
example of the healthful longevity which angling promotes,
than that of Canon Greenwell himself, who, now in his eightyseventh year, goes o u t fishing regularly, and regularly performs
his d u t y in Durham Cathedral. He is regarded with great veneration and affection b y all t h e people of the city. One of those
characters whose life a t some future date should be written b y
another lzaak Walton, t o rank with those other "lives" of
Donne, Hooker, Wotton, and others written b y the "Iz. Wa." of
the seventeenth century.
I have just been told of an old gentleman still living in Wales.
He married when h e was thirty-seven, and he has a daughter
who is sixty-seven. She therefore claims that he must be a t least
o n e hundred and four, b u t he himself says h e is a hundred. His
only occupations in life are fishing and chewing tobacco. He
makes his own flies, and is as enthusiastic and as successful now
as ever he was. Where would h e have been b y now if he hadn't
fished and chewed tobacco? These are his only comforts.
I have been an angler myself for many years, and even yet I
a m never so happy as when t h e opportunity arises of a ramble
"in green pastures," and "beside t h e still waters" -- always, of
course, with a fly rod in m y hand and a creel o n m y back. This
is why I mention angling in connection with old age. 1 d o not
wish it t o b e inferred that I am such a crank upon angling as t o
imagine that because all anglers are strong, robust, vigorous,
cheerful, generous-minded men (and these are t h e elements o u t
of which long life springs), that, therefore, all men who wish t o
become long-lived should become anglers! nothing of t h e kind.
Anglers, like poets, are born, not made! I d o not want t o make
converts, I only state facts.
Since writing the foregoing, I have been reminded of another
ancient angler, compared with whom I myself a m b u t a boy.
H E N R Y JENKINS t o whose portrait I give t h e place of honour,
was born at Bolton-on-Swale in t h e year 1500; followed the employment of fishing o n e hundred and forty years. When about
twelve years old was sent t o Northallerton with a load of arrows
for t h e army of the Earl of Surrey. Was buried in BoIton-onSwale churchyard, 6th December, 1670, aged one hundred and
sixty-nine. He made artificial flies, without spectacles, t h e year
before he died -- and he himself said that h e could "dub a hook"
with any man in Yorkshire.
L. OF C.
From, Edward Marston. How Does It Feel t o B e Old?
the Monthly Review, London, 1907.
Prcsidcnt
Arnold Girigrich
Vicc Prcsidcnts
Austin S. t l o ~ i n(Curator)
Steve K a y ~ n o n d
'Treasurer
Leigh 11. Perkins
Secrcti~ry
Mrs. 1,;tura 'l'owslce
Rtj,i strar
David K. 1,edlic
%
Conservator (Consulting)
Charles Olin
MEMORIAL CI'TA'I'ION
Joseph W. Brooks, Jr.
1901 - 1972
HONORARY TRUSTEES
D. C. Corkran
Harry Darbee
Herman Kessler
TRUSTEES
A. I . (Pal) Alexander
Kohert Karrett
loscph Sl~carIkck
St;rrllcy Kogdan
iMs. Kay Krotlncy
Koy Chapin
Philip K. Cro\cc
(Iarroll C. (:urtice
1)onald DuKois
Julia 1;airchild
Arnold Gingrich
William A. Glassford
Willard Godfrey
Gardner 1,. <;rant
Ilr. Alvin Grove, J r .
George W. Ilarvcy
Austin S. Hogan
Ch;lrles E. Jones
Poul Jorgensen
Martin Kcanc
Kay~nondA. Kotrla
Kcrn;lrtl ( 13cfty) Krch
America11 Fly
Fishing
~Manchester,Vermont 0 5 2 5 4
Dana S. Lamb
David B. Ledlie
Leon Martuch
Dudley Mills
Carl Navarre
Charles Olin
J o h n Orrelle
Leigh H. Perkins
Mrs. Leigh Perkins
G. Boyd Pfeiffer
Steve Raymond
Rick Kobbins
Willard F. Kockwell, Jr.
'Theodore Rogowski
Ben Schley
Berni Schoenfield
Ernest G. Schwiebert
Col. Henry Siege1
Prescott A. Tolman
Bennett Upson
Ralph Wahl
Shirley Woods
S'TAI;F AND CONSULTANTS
1,ibrary
Mrs. Leigh Perkins, Librarian
Llavid K. Ledlie, Assistant Librarian
Joseph Spear Beck
Stanley Kitchell
Ms. Kay F. Brodney
Henry Bruns
Mark Kcrridge
Public Relations
Donald Owens
Dan Reid
Tony Skilton
Ken Upson
'I'he Rluseu~nof
'Technology
G. Dick Finlay
George t'. Grant
Poul J orgensen
Martin Kcane
J o h n Orrelle
The Museum is a non-profit institution, chartered under the
laws of t h e State of V e r ~ n o n t As
. an educational organization it
is directed t o t h e preservation and keeping of the traditions that
bond t h e past with t h e present. The Museum offers a pernlanent
public repository where the historic fly rod, reel, book, art work
and fly pattern may b e expertly guarded against the destructiveness of time. Contributions are tax deductible as established by
t h e U. S. Revenue Service.
A descriptive brochure is available.
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
THE AMERICAN FLY FISHER is b u t one of the many
benefits received b y participating in the Museum affairs. Also included with your membership are t h e irlforniation publications,
free research services, a direct line of communication t o experts
in history, literature and technology, free appraisals for donors
of materials and a n opportunity t o individually promote a new
movement in t h e field of fly fishing that is con~pletelyunique.
Your dollar support becornes far more than finiancial help. It is
t h e keeping of an unspoken promise t o future generations. A
brochure will be forwarded o n requests.
A tie tac is presented with each membership of $ 2 5 . 0 0 or
more.
Associate
$ 10.00
Sustaining
$ 25.00
Patron
$1 00.00 and over
Life
$ 2 50.00
All membership dues, contributions and donations are tax
deductible.
Please forward checks t o THE TREASURER, The Museum
of American Fly Fishing, Manchester, Vermont 0 5 2 5 4 with
your NAME, ADIIIIESS and ZIP COIIE; type of membership
desired and a statement of t h e amount enclosed. Upon receipt, a
~nagazineand membership card will be mailed i ~ n ~ n e d i a t e l y .
7'11(, /~eriiririi~iit
cxhihits at tbc h?uscriilr ~ii.s,t,lrx,)/the worl~i's/illcst i.ollcctio~~.s
o f f l y f?.shiiii: t'rcklc.
Angling and Old Age
God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling.
The Complete Angler
That angling is a pursuit conducive to old age is proved by the
length o f life of many who have devoted themselves to it. Of these,
lzaak Walton himself rnay be taken as an excellent example. He was
born 9th August, 1593, and he died 15th December, 1683.
Whose well-spent life did last
Full ninety years and past.
He was called "the common father of all anglers," and he tells of
other celebrities who were lovers of the angle, and who lived to great
age. "lz. Wa.," as he signed himself o n the title-page of his first edition
of 7'hc (:on~pleteAngler, was a happy man. "Let mc tell you, sir,"
says he,
"thcrc be many men that are by others taken t o be serious and
grave men, whom we condemn and pity. Men that are taken to be
grave, because nature hath made them of a sour complexion;
money-getting men, men that spend all their time, first in getting,
and next in anxious care t o keep it; men that arc condemned t o
be rich, and then always busy o r discontented: for these poor rich
men, we anglers pity them perfectly, and stand in no need to borrow their thoughts to think ourselves so happy."
Among others, he mentions that most learned physician, Dr.
Wharton, who had t h e courage t o practice in London during the great
plague, when most of his contemporaries fled. "A dear friend," says he,
"that lovcs both me and my art of angling."
"But," he goes on, "I will content myself with two memorable
men, whom I take also to have been ornaments t o t h e art of angling.
The first is Dr. Nowel, sometime Dean of St. Paul's. This good man was
a dear lover and constant practicer of angling as any age can produce.
His custom was to spend . . . a tenth o f his time in angling: and also t o
bestowing a tenth part of his revenue, and usually all his fish amongst
the poor that inhabited near to those rivers in which it was caught, saying often 'that charity gave life to religion' . . . He died at the age of
nincty-five, 13th February, 1601, forty-four years of which he had
been Dean of St. Paul's. His age neither impaired his hearing, nor dimmed his eyes, nor weakened his memory, nor made any of t h e faculties
of his mind weak o r uselcss. It is said that angling and temperance were
great causes of these blessings."
The other example given b y lzaak Walton is that of "that undervaluer of money" the late provost o f Eton College, Sir. Henry Wotton:
"A man with whom I have often fished and conversed . . . this
man was a most dear love and a frequent practicer of the art of
angling: of which he would say: 'It was an employment for his
idle time, which was not then idly spent: for angling was,' after
tedious study, 'a rest to his mind, a cheerer of his spirits, a diverter of sadness, a calmer of unquiet thoughts, a moderatore of
passions, a procurer of contentedness' and that it 'begat habits of
peace and patience in those that professed and practiced it'."
(continued on page 24)