THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 



OCTOBER FISHING. 



By JOHN GILL. 



The time of the fly-fisherman for the present year grows short, and 

 after a few sharp frosts there will be no more of it. Then we must 

 resort to the winter lures — the spoon, the worm, the flesh of sculpin, 

 squawfish and carp; or the nasty salmon egg. Indeed, on the lower waters 

 of streams tributary to the sea, fly-fishing is already practically over. 



But there remains, so long as the present delightful weather shall 

 last, magnificent fishing on the Eogue, McKenzie, Santiam, Molalla and 

 Clackamas. 



The favorite food of the rainbow trout in these streams is now the 

 stonefly, which hatches in the late summer and early fall, coming out from 

 the water in the larval stage and hiding among the rocks of the shore, 

 where he shortly emerges from his shell as the mature insect in the form 

 of a gauze-winged, soft-bodied fly, which, gather in great numbers on the 

 branches of willows along the streams. Flies that light or fall upon the 

 water are eagerly seized by trout, which frequent the shores at this time 

 for the purpose of feeding on the stoneflies. 



An artificial fly resembling this stonefly is the most successful cast, 

 but inferior to the natural insect. A party of sportsmen, just returning 

 f : om the upper waters of the McKenzie, report remarkably fine fishing 

 at McKenzie Bidge and Frizzell's, where a large number of fishermen have 

 enjoyed great sport. Their catches were made mostly by using the stone- 

 fjy, carefully hooked, with wings spread, and very lightly cast. Kainbows 

 of two pounds and upwards fell to the lot of several of these gentlemen 

 daily, and many smaller fish, so that a four-automobile party had all the 

 fish they cared to use daily for a week. 



The Dolly Varden does not rise readily at this season to the fly in 

 the Cascade streams, but skillful fishermen catch occasional monsters with 

 salmon eggs. 



Doubtless fishing on the McKenzie at this season will be found to 

 correspond with that on the waters of other large rivers of the Cascade 

 mentioned above. Fly-fishing proper has been better in the earlier months 

 of summer on the McKenzie. The fish reject the artificial fly now be- 

 cause of the abundance of natural fly food. 



So also on coast streams, the trout now decline the fly because of the 

 abundant store of salmon eggs, which are spawned by the Chinook and 

 river salmon, now coming in abundantly. Salmon eggs bought in a Port- 

 land market and taken down to Seaside or Tillamook are too stale to 

 tempt the big cut-throats of the Trask or Wilson. One may drop his hook 

 with a bait of these stale eggs among a plainly visible school of big trout 

 and see them sail away in disgust. They are already overfed and over 



Fag-e four 



