THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 221 
the 11th of this month, while making a trip to Starkey, this county, 
I saw a fine big buck. He crossed the road about fifty yards ahead 
of my car and stopped on the side of the mountain about fifty yards 
above me and looked at me. He seemed to know that I was his pro- 
tector. 
ANGLING UN UMATILLA. COUNTY 
By Deputy WarRDEN GEORGE TONKIN. 
The small number of good catches compared with those of former 
years in this county has brought out much discussion among the 
sportsmen. For years past our streams have not been better stocked 
with small fish from four to six inches long, but the good catches of 
large or even fair-sized fish have been few. 
As might be expected, there is much argument regarding cause 
of these conditions and the best means of protection and propagation 
of our fish. Nearly all of our streams can be reached by automo- 
bile from Pendleton in a day’s journey. On June 18 the automobiles 
and rigs were counted as they were strung out along McKay Creek 
for a distance of ten miles, and it was estimated that there were at 
least eight fishermen on every mile of the stream. Other streams 
are fished in a like manner except in the extreme southern end of the 
county, where the roads are not so good and the season is later. Is 
it any wonder that protection and propagation have become such 
important problems? 
The discussion of the size limit has produced some lively argu- 
ment, aS some anglers contend that there should be no size limit, 
Saying that a much larger proportion than half of the small fish 
that are thrown back into the stream die from their injuries received 
in catching and liberating. However, it is hoped by many of the 
best sportsmen that a little education along this line will remove many 
difficulties. If the hand is wet before taking hold of the fish, in 
most cases he can be removed from the hook with very little injury. 
Very often he will free himself if the angler holds the shank of the 
hook nearly vertical at the surface of the water. Of course, the 
angler who impatiently flips the small fish from his hook will very 
often kill it, but such a man is not a true sportsman; he is destroying 
the fish for which he has paid a license fee to protect and propagate. 
Among this class we also find those who would catch their limit from 
four to seven days in the week and keep the small fish if necessary 
to be able to out-score some other fellow who has an enviable reputa- 
tion as an angler. Such men must be educated either by kindly argu- 
ment or enforcement of law if our fish are to be protected. Let them 
take a lesson from the rancher who feeds the birds in the winter and 
often denies himself as well as others the privilege of hunting or 
fishing on his ranch until conditions have become normal again. 
The hunter or angler who simply keeps within the law is no sports- 
man, as there are many local conditions and unthought of circum- 
stances which the law cannot control. 
Our most experienced sportsmen tell us that most of the small 
fish will live if proper care is exercised in freeing them from the hook. 
The most prominent sporting goods dealer in this county has Kept 
an aquarium in his store for several years and he tells us that the 
