•242 With Rod and Gun in New England 



None of the Pacific coast salmon take the fly ; this is unusual and 

 unfortunate. There may be isolated cases of their taking the fly, but they 

 are few and far between. Grilse are taken readily in San Francisco bay 

 with shrimp and other bait, and a few salmon are taken with roe bait in the 

 rivers, and the fly-fishermen's labor is lost with the salmon of the Pacific; 

 but the sea is open to their taking when the salmon is in a higher condi- 

 tion than he is ever found in the fresh-water streams, and when his game 

 qualities are at the best. 



The best fishing I had was at the Bay of Carmelo, eleven miles south 

 of Monterey. The early fishing is far better than that of any other part 

 of the day, unless it be that of the late evening, and upon all the excursions 

 I made, over a score in number, I did not in any instance commence fish- 

 ing later than five o 'clock, and almost always quit at half-past ten, although 

 in two instances I fished straight through the day, having been encouraged 

 by the holding on of the fish. Upon these two occasions I made notable 

 catches. How distinctly the salmon in the sea is a nocturnal feeder I can- 

 not say, but from what I saw of its food-seeking before night, and some- 

 times far into the twilight, I am led to believe that, like the trout, the 

 salmon is a nocturnal prowler and feeder. An hour before sunrise is better 

 than any two after, and the salmon commenced feeding earlier than I was 

 able to get after them, although at times I commenced fishing when the 

 daylight had hardly begun. 



On one trip to Carmelo bay, I witnessed a remarkable condition. It 

 was scarcely dawn, after my drive of ten miles in the dark from the Del 

 Monte Hotel to my boat, where my men were waiting. The morning was 

 warm and breezeless, and the glassy sea was without a ripple. The long 

 green waves in their weary passage from the Asiatic coast were about to 

 feel their first check on the California shore, and in those moderate swells 

 were thousands upon thousands of silvery, glistening salmon, full of lusty 

 strength, eagerly pursuing an immense mass of anchovies which, scattered 

 and demoralized, were vainly seeking escape. A few pulls at the oar 

 brought the boat from its rough, sheltering, rocky wharf into the midst of 

 active life. The water was clear and attractive in its bluish-green hue. 

 Down many feet could be seen the silvery anchovies scattered here and 

 there, and easily followed by their slight but flashing brightness. Among 

 the anchovies were the salmon, seeming at play, but with a play as wanton 

 as that of the tiger with its victim well in the thorny clasp. Within an 

 area of a few acres were half a dozen breaks and swirls at the instant, and 

 this continued for the space of half an hour or more, until the anchovies 

 had passed away from the immediate vicinity of the boat, chased on toward 

 the combing waves of the beach to the right. Pjlue flashing streaks occa- 

 sionally passed near the boat a few feet below the surface, which were 



