Evening star., 1909-04-18
FISH BITING EARLY
UP IN MAINE
Indications That the Ice Will
Leave the Northern Waters
Ahead of the Usual Date.
special Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star.
BOSTON. April Is. iae9.
As IL in celebration OF the return OF
business prosperity tand increased inter
est In fishing expeditionsp the ice in the
myriad lakes Of Maine and other paris
OF New England gives signs OF going
out" unusually early this season. In con-
sequence OF this the thousands OF Ash
ing enthusiasts all over the country who
have been overhaulins rods and hy-books
and fixing up kits during the winter
months will be able TO make an unusual
ly early start for their favorite trout,
salmon and bass grounds. IL they 80 de-
sire.
peculiar combination OF meteorological
conditions during the past winter has
resulted In making the lake and river Ice
of such a quality that the advent of the
season of higher temperature and mildsr
winds is making IL disintergrate more
rapidly than usual. This. so the experts
say. is why the fishing this year Is like
to commence around April %, instead Of
week or SO later
In this connection, there In a good deal
OF confusion I'm the mind Of the general
public. and to some extent that OF the
amateur fisherman himself as to what In
really meant by the ice going out" To
transportation man and fishing expert OF
Portland. Me-. we are indebted for a
lucid description of what is really meant
when the lid is lifted from the Ice
locked haunts OF trout and togue.
How the Ice Disappears.
THE ice,' explains Col. Boothby. does
not break up and float down the rivers in
detached cakes and foes. nor does Il
break up and sink to the bottom. as
many suppose.
BY the heat OF the sun. the melting
snow and warm spring rains, 1t becomes
dinfntegrated and honey-combed. Many
holes appear in various places until.
ing more than millions OF icicles. which
are barely held together by the frost
The ice Is great black mass, COW
cred In places by water. As the lake
down the mountain side and swelling the
brooks and rivers. the Ice Is raised. II
breaks away from the shores and Is shift
ed about by the winds.
THE uneasy fisherman, who is already
on hand to be sure that he WILL be the
first on the spot when the long-looked-for
event happens. may go to bed some night
when warm rain has set In. During the
night the wind will shift and begin to
blow hard, and. as he drowses and listens
hear. or seem to hear the grinding of the
ice. During the night rift in the field
OF ice will be made by the wind. and In
the morning the lake Is practically clear.
THE wind has ground the millions OF
icicles to atoms. and the broken-on
foes have crushed against each other
and have been driven on the shores,
working their own destruction.
Fishing Fever.
Such is the technical explanation OF
an annual phenomenon which is bulle-
tined at the city ticket ofYices all over
the country. within a few hours of the
time it takes place. The description
ought to be included in our school text
books, for II looks as II the future gene
ration, with little regard to age or eea.
would be completely and unanimously
under the spell OF the fishing fever"
1t Is the subtle ravages of that fever
that the New York Sun poet refers 10
when he writes:
When the ice is out Of Ranseley'
There's meaning then TO life
And q call TO drop dull business
And desert both home and wife.
And the time IL then at hand
For the fishing clan to gather
In the chosen Promised Land
The Sun man means all right. but in
these days the frantic fisherman does not
always desert both home and wife. Fre
occasionally she lands bigger one
than himself
The phenomenal growth in interest in
fishing that has taken place during the
ness end" Of the pastime to a remarkable
extent and this is by no means confined
to fishing tackle. trarspor. alton facilities
and the building and equ.pmsn. of the
modern luxurious camps.
Rubber Outfit.
For instance in large whosesale and
retail rubber store in this city yesterday
1 noticed an entire window filled with
rubber garments and utensils covering
almost every necessity in those lines OF
a fishing party. There was large bath
tub set in a light frame OF wood and
costing $40; waders. costing $14 pair:
fishing shirt. price So: a creel, costing
$50; pocket coat, costing 50. that
could be drawn through tWo-inch nap.
kin ring $50 saleswoman claimed). ana
a number Of other things ranging in
price from $1.J0 upward and including
folding pail, pOncho. hand basin. minnow
pail small foot bath. stockings. reversi-
BILE suits OF khaki and rubber, headgear,
blankets and fishing blankets.
All these were waterproof articles of the
lightest weight and texture. and the
zephyr" coat could be folded up ana
put in ones pocket. The combined weight
exceed twenty-five pounds. and all would
go into half the space Of an ordinary
haversack. The entire outfit would cost
about $50.
The salesman who explained the merits
Of these waterproof collapsible. tabloid,
articles to me said that there
is great demand for them on account OF
their lightness Of weight.
This gentleman is himself fisherman,
and he said that his own advices from the
fishing country are TO the effect that the
ice is likely to go out unusually early
this spring He added that. as far as no
is concerned he would rather go down to
Maine two or three weeks after the Ice
has disappeared. when the f1sh are less
hungry and there is consequently better
sport in trying for them.
Location Of Fish.
shire. stocked and restocked as they are
with the best varieties Of game fish, will
continue to furnish rare sport for all
who care to come for an indefinite period.
Indeed. they would accommodate more
fishermen and give elbow room enough
for each than the railroads of New Eng
land could comfortably transport in one
season.
The earliest fishing for trout and land
locked salmon will be in the more south
ern portions OF Maine. notably Sebago
lake. The Rangely lake system. little
farther north, affords some of the finest
trout fishing in the country, and MOOSE
game fish-trout and togue in particular
while its tributary streams are alive with
brook trout.
All the waters OF the Dead river re-