HUNTING AND FISHING GROUNDS AND PLEASURE RESORTS. 
TT 
the fragments of somebody’s braudy flask, 
but here is a country still almost in the con- 
dition it was when the red man followed the 
deer through its spruce forests. Long may 
it be before it is invaded by the devotees of 
fashion 
Large game is abundant, as evidenced by 
numerous deer tracks, bear signs, and panther 
trails on the North Fork. The rattlesnake, 
troubler of the peace around camps on many 
a northern stream, is unknown here, and his 
absence is borne withont overpowering re- 
grets. Black flies and mosquitoes are scarce, 
but gnats abound and bite with a full deter- 
mimation to carry out their mission on earth. 
They are very troublesome while fishing, 
but easly disposed of in camp by building a 
sufficient fire, not a smudge, but one compos- 
ed of half a cord of wood or so. Start this 
and the camp is pleasanter for it, while the 
gnats will leave in orbits which for that night 
at least are not returning curves. 
A considerable swindle is practiced at 
Oakland, on visitors to the Blackwater, the 
price charged them depending entirely on the 
_ estimate formed by the guides as to the depth 
of their pockets or their anxiety to get for- 
ward; as high as $10 per head being exacted 
from some parties for transportation, while 
others are conveyed for $5. <A fair price for 
the service is from $4 to $5 per horse, pay- 
ing also for an extra horse for the guide. 
Contracts should be made for transportation 
to Dobbins’, as some of the guides have a 
trick of agreeing to take, passengers to the 
Blackwater and fulfilling the bargain by leav- 
ing them in the wilderness at the nearest 
point on the shore of that river, without the 
slightest information as to the country or any 
base of supplies. At the house local guides 
can be obtained, and those who wish to camp 
can get information as to the region and the 
best fishing grounds, It is a useless expense 
to take guides, as some parties do, from Oak- 
land, to remain with them during their en- 
tire stay, except for such as propose to camp 
and have not yet learned how to take care of 
themselves in the wilderness. Such babes- 
in-the-woods will do well to take a guide and 
stick by him. To be lost in the Blackwater 
forest would be no joke. Thomas Basley, at 
Oakland, is a good man to apply to for infor- 
mation or conveyance to the stream. ‘Trans- 
portation back to Oakland can be obtained of 
W. Kitzmiller at Dobbins’ at any time at a 
reasonable price. 
IN THE GOLDEN STATE. 
In addition to the sections here men- 
tioned, reference to other hunting and 
fishing localities in California will most 
likely be given on other pages: 
ON THE TEXAS PACIFIC. 
It is doubted if any State in the Union pre- 
sents a more attractive field for the hunter or 
sportsmaa than California. Since its comple- 
tion, the Texas Pacific Railroad proceeds the 
entire length of the State to the Colorado River, 
making its way through the valleys at the foot 
of the Sierra Nevadas and Sierra Madras, and 
thus presenting to the hunter five hundred 
miles of magnificent ground, unsurpassed for 
accessibility, extent, and variety of game. In 
the mountains may be found the grizzly, cin- 
namon, and black bear, deer, and the California 
lion—which, by the way, is a notorious cow- 
ard. The deer and antelope migrate to the 
lower levels during the Winter months. Here 
are also seen the mountain quail, a lordly bird, 
which is as white-meated as a chicken, and at- 
tains a large size. On the plains are number- 
less quail and hares, and on the lagoons and 
rivers in the Winter, may be found immense 
quantities of wild geese, canvas-back and mal- 
lard ducks, with the more common varieties. 
Approaching in great flocks during the months 
of October and November for their Winter’s 
sojourn, they remain until Spring, infesting the 
rivers and grain fields of the upper and lower 
Santa Anna valleys, offering rare sport. 
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. 
The Sacramento, Pitt and McCloud rivers, 
near Mount Shasta, afford some of the best 
salmon and trout fishing to be found on the 
globe. Sir Rose Price, a gentleman who has 
fished in some of the best countries for this 
sport in the world, states that the trout fish- 
ing in these rivers and their tributaries is the 
best he ever experienced, when the numbers, 
gameness, size and quality of the fish in these 
cold, clear and rushing rivers are considered. 
To be sure, about June and July, when the 
salmon are spawning, the fly is of very little 
if any use, but very early or quite late in the 
