560 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



fishing promises to be good because the water is high or because it is. low. Again, if 

 it happens to be poor fishing when the water is low, it is predicted that it will improve 

 upon the rise, and vice versa. 



As a matter of fact, the character of the fishing depends not upon one condition 

 alone but upon a combination, sometimes of several conditions. Such opinions regard- 

 ing these points as have been mentioned in some sportsmen's journals have been noted 

 by the writer. The period in which notes referring to height of water and fishing were 

 found extended, nonconsecutively, from 1873 to 1902, representing 15 years. 



From these notes it was observed that there were seven stages of high water and poor 

 fishing, nine stages of high water and good fishing, seven stages of low water and 

 poor fishing, and five stages of low water and good fishing. From this it would seem that 

 high water was the most favorable, although both high and low water exhibited the 

 same number of stages of poor fishing and low water somewhat more than one-half as 

 many stages of good fishing, which leads to the repetition of the suggestion that the fish- 

 ing is influenced by many other conditions besides the stage of the water. 



Weather. — From time immemorial the weather has been believed to be the most 

 powerful controlling influence affecting fishing. As it affords an ever-ready topic of 

 conversation when there is nothing else to talk about, so it serves as an excuse for poor 

 luck in fishing or good catches, as the case may be. Probably this is based to a great 

 extent on solid ground, but oftentimes the adverse effect is on the angler rather than the 

 fish. However, there are, without doubt, early, late, and unfavorable seasons that may 

 be correctly ascribed to meteorological conditions. Also, sudden changes affect the 

 fishing one way or the other. 



As shown by the ice records, the opening of spring is variable. Some seasons the 

 cold weather may continue well into the summer, with only now and then a warm day. 

 Again, it may be hot early, and dry and hot weather last all summer and fall. Again, 

 there is often a wide range of conditions mthin a very short space of time, as, for instance, 

 a weather record in 1903 was to the effect that on April 29 the thermometer at Bemis 

 registered 70° F.; April 30, 69° F. ; May i, 31° F. at noon, and spray from the waves 

 would freeze in icicles on the bushes near the lake shore; while May 2, at 4.30 p. m., 

 the mercury stood at 20° F. 



Of 34 reports to various sportsmen's papers regarding the quality of the fishing 

 which was referred to the weather conditions, there were 14 of cold weather and good 

 fishing, 4 of cold weather and poor fishing, 2 of hot weather and good fishing, 4 of hot 

 weather and poor fishing, 2 of hot weather and poor fishing changing to good fishing 

 with cold weather, i of cold weather and poor fly fishing, but good bait fishing, i of the 

 first warm day of the season affording the first good fishing, i of cold but warmer with 

 the best fishing for years, i of fair and warmer and good fishing, i of fine weather 

 and fine fishing, i of good weather and good fishing, i of best of weather and best of 

 fishing, and there was one report of a backward, cold season with poor fishing followed 

 by a continued hot spell and poor fishing, with a complaint that the fishing was play- 

 ing out. 



The foregoing reports signify very little, for some of them come from those who 

 fish by trolling, others from fly fishermen, and perhaps others from bait fishermen, and 

 some of them state the conditions, perhaps, affecting all kinds of fishing. As a rule, 

 during cold or very cool weather fly fishing is rarely good, while trolling is at its best. 



