1 1 6 Fish Stories 



bring in three or four trout ranging from two to four 

 pounds as a result of several hours casting. 



In a word, Pelican is no place for the angler who fishes 

 for numbers alone, the species who is a menace to all the 

 game of America, be it finned, winged or clawed. The 

 trout here are the largest I have ever seen, all rainbows, 

 ranging up to twenty or more pounds. I saw no very small 

 ones, and scores ranging from seven to ten pounds. But 

 they are like trout everywhere — notional and peculiar. For 

 days when the water is smooth and clear, they will rarely 

 rise to any fly, but when ripples play over the crystal pools, 

 the living rainbow is eager for the lure. 



The season here is from May to October 31st, and dur- 

 ing these months some large fish have been taken. In 1898 

 a twenty-two and one-half pound rainbow was taken, with 

 a spoon. During 1906 the largest fish was taken by Mr. 

 Lippincott of Los Angeles. It weighed twenty-one pounds. 

 Mr. Adams took a fifteen-pounder in 1905. All were taken 

 with spoons. Famous fly catches are fourteen and one-half 

 pounds, by J. D. Kendall, of Salt Lake ; twelve and one-half 

 pounds, by W. E. Elliott, of Los Angeles, in 1906; twelve 

 and one-half pounds, by J. R. Wick, Ashland, Oregon; ten 

 and three-quarter pounds, by A. L. Beebe, of Portland, in 

 1905 ; nine and a half pound trout, four-ounce rod, by Gifford 

 Pinchot, and many more records which have not been kept. 

 These catches point to the conclusion that here on the eastern 

 summit of the Cascades is the true home of the big rainbow 

 trout, and if a high standard of sport is maintained, and the 

 lakes and streams intelligently stocked, the region will long 

 remain a Mecca for expert devotees of the rod, reel and fly. 



