THE AMERICAN ANGLER. 



Vol. 26. 



DECEMBER AND JANUARY— 1895-6 



No. I. 



AMONG THE TROUTS OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 



BY J. R. MOORE. 



(Concluded from November issue). 



The large catch- 

 es I had heard of 

 from Williamson 

 river were made 

 almost exclusive- 

 ly with the spoon, 

 and generally be- 

 low the junction 

 of the Williamson 

 with the Sprague. Here there are 

 many long rapids flowing over rocky 

 ledges. Wading out tipon the ledge, 

 the line is easily carried down stream 

 for almost any distance, and from the 

 thus easily acquired remoteness from 

 the fisherman, the big fellows will grab 

 the shining bait. The skill required in 

 angling for them on the Williamson 

 proper is thus discounted. 



I was amazed and delighted at the 

 wonderful show of jumping salmon on 

 the McCioud, but never realized that 

 the same spectacle could be witnessed, 

 with huge trout for jumpers, until I 

 saw them in the Williamson — three, 

 four or five of them out of the water at 

 once, coming down with a great splash 

 in the pools. 



It is difficult to say how many Indians 

 we fed while on the river. They would 

 congregate at every meal, most of 

 them going away disappointed. They 

 invited us to present them with every 



article their eyes rested upon, and when 

 their hand went forth to receive any- 

 thing given, their eyes still peered 

 after something else which they hoped 

 to get. I regret to say I saw no evi- 

 dence of inclination among them to do 

 anything in return for favors received, 

 and we had some minor annoyances 

 from, a few of them. 



Like most of their race, however, 

 they are accomplished hunters and fish- 

 ermen. It would surprise many to see 

 the length of their casts with their two- 

 handed willow rods. While they get 

 out a lot of line, the fly, as a rule, is 

 too roughly placed upon the water to 

 ensure the greatest success ; still they 

 take a number of fish. It is, however, 

 with the spoon by which they secure 

 the large ones, and for this reason they 

 usually fish in the Sprague, which is 

 better suited to their method. 



During my visit to the slope I have 

 endeavored to get straightened up a bit 

 on the nomenclature of the trout and 

 salmon of the region. With the con- 

 stant changes taking place, as investi- 

 gation discloses new light, we anglers, 

 not being entirely in the scientific 

 swim, often find ourselves behind the 

 times, and generally in a state of un- 

 certainty or confusion. It is evident 

 that the process of elimination and 



