The Trout of Los Laurelles 85 



Possibly this is mere sentiment, as I cannot explain it in a 

 logical fashion; yet perhaps I connect the two from the 

 fact that, wherever you find a mission in California, not far 

 away will be discovered a trout stream. It may not be very 

 large, as the San Luis, near San Luis Rey; the San Juan, 

 at Capistrano ; the San Gabriel and La Honda near that mis- 

 sion, or the Santa Ynez, hard by La Purissima Concepcion, 

 but it will be a very good trout stream. Hence, what more 

 natural when passing the fine old mission of San Carlos 

 Borromeo in Carmelo, which overlooks Monterey on the 

 King's Highway, for a party of anglers to stop and hail a 

 Californian after this fashion : 



" Good morning, sefior. Pardon for stopping you, but 

 did you ever hear of any trout fishing in this vicinity?" 



The gentleman of Spanish lineage took off his sombrero 

 gallantly to the lady, and replied, " Trout, sefior ? The finest 

 stream in the world is over there, beyond the mission, the 

 Rio Carmelo ; you can see it through the trees glistening in 

 the sun, and you can trace it up the Carmelo Valley for ten, 

 yes, twenty miles into the Gabilan, and a thousand pools. 

 Trout? Why, sefior, Padre Junipero Serra ate trout from 

 that stream nearly one hundred and fifty years ago. Padre 

 Crespi fished in it in 1770. Captain Rivera y Moncada, the 

 governor, and Felipe de Nerve knew its pools. Trout ? The 

 finest in California, sefior, at Los Laurelles and beyond," 

 and the Californian took off his sombrero again, touched his 

 horse with the big spur, and pushed on, doubtless wondering 

 who the Americano could be, who did not know that there 

 was trout, the best in the world, around the mission of San 

 Carlos Borromeo in Carmelo. 



So, in California, first, in gentle and reverent fashion, 

 find your mission, and the trout will be forthcoming, will not 

 be far away, as the old padres had a gift for discovering the 

 most beautiful places on the coast for their missions, of 

 which a trout stream is generally, and justly, a part. 



Thus it came about that we left the coast line at Del 



