68 Fish and Game Warden. [Bull. No. 1. 



Another way of taking sunfish at Lake View, in the good 

 old days before the great flood of 1903, was to put on rubber 

 hip-boots and wade in the shallow waters near the shore and 

 cast ahead and to each side. When fishing after this manner 

 the angler needs a hunting coat with pockets enough to carry 

 his several conveniences in; also a small live-net that closes 

 with a drawstring, fastened to his belt. This kind of fishing 

 proved on many occasions a most satisfactory way to spend 

 a few hours casting, not only for sunfish but for other fish 

 such as crappie and bass. When the line gets "fouled" in the 

 moss and lily pads, as it does many times under such cir- 

 cumstances, it can be loosened easier and with less disturbance 

 than if the fisherman was in a boat which has to be moved 

 from place to place. Again, there is a real fascination that 

 comes from wading in the water and fishing. It seems to be 

 the real thing and is a sport much sought after by many well- 

 mannered, enthusiastic fishermen. 



Why so much talk about the little sunfish? It comes mostly 

 from the fact that fishing has had a good deal to do with the 

 life of the writer of this Bulletin, and fishing for the little 

 sunfishes has given him a great deal of pleasure, many satis- 

 factory outings, and many good messes of fish, not only when 

 he was a boy but also since he has become a "grown-up." 



Furthermore, it is his desire that the boys of to-day in the 

 state of Kansas may have a taste of the same kind of life, an 

 opportunity to enjoy something of outdoor life, and to learn 

 something of the thousands of simple and wholesome truths that 

 nature has in store for youthful fishermen. Going fishing 

 will help make better men out of boys, and if they have an 

 opportunity to go fishing occasionally, even after they are 

 men, the outing will do more for them in the way of healthful 

 recreation in a few hours than almost any other kind of sport 

 that can be named. Therefore, let us take care of and im- 

 prove our streams, lakes and ponds, and make more and 

 better opportunities for both boys and men to go fishing. 

 Come! Come! This writing about fishing makes me fidgety 

 and reminds me too forcibly of the many happy hours spent 

 with rod and line and the dozens of fine fish that have been 

 taken ! So much thinking and writing makes me weary. 

 Come ! Come ! I've got the fever and can stand it no longer. 

 Let's go out among the lily pads and fish for "sunnies." 

 " 'Nuff said." 



SUNFISH FOR PONDS. 



There are a number of varieties of sunfishes in Kansas, 

 as stated before, and most of them do well in ponds. In fact, 

 there is scarcely a pond or stream in the state where sunfish 

 and bullheads are not found. Though the ponds may be 

 shallow and the water warm, yet these fish manage to sur- 

 vive, and when the cold of winter comes and the ice freezes, 

 if any fish at all survive there will be sunfish among them. 



