made by us and others elsewhere show that the in- 

 dividuals of all species of the Oncorhynchus die after 

 one spawning, whether the spawning-beds are remote 

 from the sea or only a short distance from salt-water." 



The angler's concern, however, is not so much with 

 the procreative habits of the salmon as it is with their 

 behavior while feeding and after being hooked. 



Salmon are rarely caught by still fishing, but they 

 will take the spoon or a sardine or other small fish 

 impaled upon the hook. They take the bait generally 

 with some hesitation, though at times they strike it 

 with all the impetuosity of the trout. Then the singing 

 reel calls for careful and immediate action on the part 

 of the angler, for the ten to forty pound fish on his 

 light tackle is going to put up a fight worthy of his 

 skill. In his mad rush for liberty the gamy fish grad- 

 ually rises to the surface, and when at last checked by 

 the skill of the angler, he will often leap out of the 

 water to a height of from four to eight feet, his beau- 

 tiful sides scintilating in the rays of the sun, forming 

 a picture to gladden the heart of the angler, for if he 

 be a true sportsman he will fish with such tackle only 

 as will give his adversary a fair chance in the fight 

 and require the fullest exercise of his own knowledge 

 and skill to bring his fish to gaff. The salmon is a 

 strong fighter but his rushes do not last long for a fish 

 of its size. For this reason much of the sport of salmon 

 fishing is lost through the use of too heavy tackle. The 

 writer landed one without difficulty weighing 33 % 

 pounds on a nine thread, Cutty hunk line and a 5% foot 

 steel rod weighing less than six ounces, and I believe 

 that a fifty pound fish can be landed with the same 

 tackle. Trolling with hand lines for salmon is prac- 

 ticed by some, but such is not angling. Hauling in an 

 impaled fish hand over hand with a small cable is 

 neither sport nor sportsmanlike. 



THE CHINOOK, OR KING SALMON 



(Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) 

 This species has a multiplicity of names, being known 

 in different localities as chinook, quinnat, king, Sacra- 

 mento river and Columbia river salmon, besides half 

 a dozen or more Indian names. Its distribution is the 

 widest of any of the Pacific salmon, ranging on both 

 sides of the ocean from the latitude of Monterey Bay 

 to Behring Straits. The run begins on the Columbia 

 river as early as the latter part of February, many of 

 the fish going up its tributaries 1000 miles or more to 

 spawn. Farther south the run becomes gradually later. 

 132 



