306 The Amertcan Angler 
rainbow streak down its side being 
almost livid, while as a jumper and 
fighter it has no superior. 
The beautiful Dolly Varden, I regret 
to say, is beyond the angler’s reach, for 
he rises not toa fly, and is therefore left 
to those who go with poles and bait to 
filch him from his favorite deep still 
pools. Individuals of all these trout of 
the McCloud have been taken up to 
10 ib. in weight, but not with the fly. 
The nets in which the salmon for strip- 
ping purposes are caught, have usually 
procured them. 
Leaving Baird with its pleasant recol- 
lections, its beautiful riverand charming 
and happy little community, I made my 
way across the country to Redding on 
the railway. . This whole locality was 
worked at placer mining in the early 
days, and is now, tosome extent. Here 
also the poet of the Sierras, Joaquin 
Miller lived. 
I drove over the old stage 
route where many a}‘“*hold up” had-- 
taken place and heard the yarns which 
recalled the stories of Dick Turpin and 
Single String Jack. Uplifted mounds of 
earth and stone, with occasional ruined 
water ways, disclosed where men had 
toiled, as they will, to the end of time, 
for gold. 
Arriving in San Francisco,-I fitted 
myself ott with a variety of midget 
flies for use on Lake Webber, and pro- 
ceeded to this beautiful sheet of water 
via Truckee. It is situated on the 
eastern slope of the Sierras about 7,000 
feet above the level of the sea. - All the 
surrounding mountains were covered 
with snow, and there still remained on 
one side of the little hotel a great pile 
of it, which had fallen from the roof and 
had not yet melted. 
It was here that I was to make my 
first acquaintance with the cut-throat 
or black spotted trout, known scientif- 
ically as Salmo mykiss. This fish was 
first discovered by the Russian natural- 
ist Stellar, in far off Kamtschatka, and 
when its history is thoroughly probed 
may prove to be the parent of all the 
trout of the Pacific—a deep scarlet 
bloch on the half-concealed membrane 
between the two branches of the lower 
jaw. is the mark which has suggested 
the name of cut-throat trout, as de- 
scribed by Jordan, who adds “ the same 
red mark at the throat is the sign man- 
ual of the Sioux Indian. This identity 
is recognized .in the Dakotas, where 
Sioux and trout are found together.” 
A more delightful spot for an ang- 
ler’s retreat cannot be imagined than 
Lake Webber; a capital little inn, a 
sporting landlord, a pleasant gathering 
of congenial companions, who love the 
.gentle art, the surroundings of snow 
clad peaks in mid-summer, produces a 
combination seldom to be found. 
With a knowing lad and a capital 
boat I started out to make my bow 
of acquaintance to the beautiful cut- 
throat—sounds like the Lady or the 
Tiger, doesn’t it? At all events I cast 
forth a little assortment of feathers,asa 
peace-offering, and soon had one of 
the murderously named jumping in the 
sunlight, a gay, dancing, prancing and 
pulling 34 pounder he was; merry asa 
lark and game asa pebble. When the 
landing net brought him to hand, most 
tenderly I examined his beauties. His 
otherwise immaculate body was quite 
covered with black spots, but as one 
went from his silvery belly up to the 
throat, there was this deep scarlet 
bloch in full view, a beautiful and symet- 
rical fish, longer in proportion than our 
brook trout, and not so deep or stocky; 
but full of grace and life in the water; 
reminding me more of the smaller sizes 
of the Winninish of the St. John than 
