CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 



aucl j'ou should know that it has been the 

 desire of the Fish and Game Commission 

 to suggest to legislators at Sacramento 

 seasons to suit both the fly and bait 

 fishermen. 



Last winter, before the legislature met 

 at Sacramento, several meetings were 

 held, called by the commission, where 

 suggestions were made by many sports- 

 men acquainted with conditions through- 

 out the state, after which the commission 

 prepared a bill and same was passed. 



Mr. Henry Ream, your very able rep- 

 resentative in Sacramento, went over the 

 bill with me personally, and was more 

 than satisfied, claiming that the people 

 in his district wanted the season opened 

 April 1 instead ■ of May 1 as formerly, 

 and that they did not care for November 

 fishing, as it was very seldom the weather 

 conditions would allow fishing during that 

 month. 



You personally know that it is very 

 seldom that the Shasta River is in condi- 

 tion to fish with a rod during the month 

 of November. You, in our conversation 

 a few days ago, stated that you personally 

 had always put up your rod in October. 

 I know it to be a fact, as well as you, 

 that fishing done in November or Decem- 

 ber in the Shasta River, or any other river 

 in the northern part of the state, is not 

 with a rod, but what fish are caught are 

 caught with a spear or gaff. 



Second : To show how unfamiliar you 

 are with the laws governing fishing now, 

 or in the past, you put yourself on record 

 by stating that prior to the last session 

 of the legislature, the season opened 

 May 1 and closed December 31, and that 

 this was satisfactory to all fair-minded 

 fishermen. You are mistaken when you 

 state the season ran to December 31. 

 The trout season in California has never 

 run later than November 30. 



You also stated that the fishennen have 

 been deprived of two months' fishing. 

 During the year of 1916 and this year 

 we had seven months' fishing, viz, from 

 May 1 to November 30. This year the 

 law has been changed and the 1918 season 

 will open Api'il 1 and close November 1. 

 Where you can claim that the season has 

 been cut two months I would like to 

 know. You claim this was all done with- 

 out the consent or wishes of the people. 



Third : You state that the Shasta River 

 has always been a wonderful stream for 

 steelhead during November and December. 

 I am well aware of this ; but you cer- 

 tainly know, having fished the stream for 

 years, that the stream is not fit for the 

 rod during these months. This year on 

 account of the lack of rain a few fish may 

 be caught. 



In the past you have always, when I 

 met you, suggested that I should not fail 

 to come up and visit you at Yreka and 

 have some of your fine September steel- 

 head fishing. 



The real basis of your complaint is our 

 enforcement of the law, rather than the 

 law itself. Trout (steelhead), both under 

 the present law and the former one, may 

 only be taken with hook and line. Sal- 

 mon, however, may be taken with spear, 

 and you must know that the native along 

 the Shasta River takes his fish in fall 

 with the spear. In past years all fish 

 that came to the spear were salmon, 

 according to him. Now, that there is a 

 deputy who enforces the law, the law is 

 wrong. 



It is all very well to bring up the ex- 

 cuse of the high cost of living now ; but 

 we know, and I am certain that you do. 

 that for years these people have been in 

 the habit of catching steelhead in the 

 closed season and salting them down. 



I will quote you the law on this sub- 

 ject : 



"Every person who takes, catches, 



kills or has in his possession during one 



calendar day more than fifty trout, or 



ten pounds of trout and one trout, or 



one trout weighing ten pounds and over, 



is guilty of a misdemeanor." 



You will find in all districts a certain 

 class who wish the laws made to suit 

 their own convenience, and when they can 

 not have their own way immediately start 

 in to criticise the Fish and Game Com- 

 mission. 



I believe that you will find that it is 

 our duty to see that the fish and game 

 laws are obeyed. We do not make the 

 laws, but at times are requested to make 

 suggestions i-egarding changes, etc., and 

 whenever we do so, believe me, it is 

 always for the conservation of the fish 

 and game. 



