RECREA TION. 



3i5 



A LUSTY SALMON. 



Hon. I. N. Hibbs. 



The report came to me that the trout were 

 biting, in the Clearwater, and I knew what that 

 meant. The trout in the Clearwater are very 

 large. They have been taken as large as 32 

 pounds. They are so large, in fact, that people 

 generally call them salmon. What they really 

 are I do not know. I send you a photograph 

 and request that you give me the correct name 

 •of the fish 



When the word came that the salmon were 

 taking the bait, I gathered up my neglected 

 tackle. I had only a six-ounce jointed rod, and 

 that was very light for such work. I had used 

 it before and had broken it twice, but hoped I 

 might be more fortunate this time. 



I broke it once tr)ing to land a 10 pound bull 

 trout. At the beginning of the battle he headed 



feet of line — 50 more at another spurt. Then the 

 line dropped limp in the water. I reeled in 

 rapidly. What a suspense ! I continued to take 

 it up, to be stopped with a tremendous pull that 

 staggered me. I caught the side of the boat. 



My little girl, who was watching from the 

 shore screamed, " Look out, papa. He'll drown 

 you !" and then clapped her hands when she 

 saw me safe in position to tug at my prize again. 

 Well, after a half an hour, I landed the fish 

 whose picture I send. Its weight (actual) was 27 

 pounds. What do you call it? Is it trout or 

 salmon? It is supposed to be with us all the 

 year, and I have taken the same species in Koo- 

 tenai lake, where no sea fish can go on account 

 of the great Kootenai falls. 



[The fish is the Steel-head Salmon, or Salmon 

 Trout — Salmo gairdneri. See Dr. Jordan's de- 

 scription in October Recreation, page 11. — 

 Editor] 



A TWENTY-SEVEN POUNDER. 



for an old pine tree, that had fallen into the water. 

 I checked him with the reel and tried to hold 

 him, but he went right on. He turned around 

 a limb, and broke my silk line after breaking my 

 rod. 



On another occasion I was fishing with a 

 fly, for small brook trout, when a big bull trout 

 took my dropper. I struck, not dreaming of 

 such weight and power, and broke both rod and 

 leader in the flurry. 



So, you see, I went out this time with some 

 misgivings as to the rod, but none as to the bal- 

 ance of my tackle. I had a Limerick triple 

 hook, with the best snell. and a line that would 

 make a good lariat. 



I jumped into my skiff, about ten rods from 

 my door, and rowed out into the current. Who 

 ever heard of sport so near home? Then, with 

 wife and children watching from the windows, I 

 took my seat in the stern of the boat and cast, 

 while I floated with the stream. For bait I used 

 salmon eggs. The line ran out 50 feet and sank 

 in 10 feet of water, moving near the bottom as 

 it moved with the current. Within one minute I 

 felt a surge. The reel sang like a rattlesnake. 

 The water foamed, and the boat turned and fol- 

 lowed the taut line. A silvery beauty, three feet 

 long, sprang far out of the water, braced him- 

 self and whipped the air with his tail. He 

 plunged down and beat the water into foam. He 

 made a dash up the river and took out a hundred 



FROM THE HILLS. 



Marysvale, Wyo. 

 Editor Recreation : 



This is the most favorable winter for game we 

 have had here for a long time. Deer and elk 

 are in sight on nearly every hill around the ranch. 



In the January number of Recreation, on 

 the same page with " Two Red Letter Days." 

 see your humble servant broiling venison, the 

 table set for two. 



The picture was taken by Dr. B. F. Jones, of 

 Ashland, Nebraska. The head of the big buck 

 has been mounted and now hangs on the wall of 

 my ranch house. 



I have just returned from a three days' trip 

 over to the Tetons. Saw a good deal of game 

 and made one exposure, with camera, at 46 elk 

 at a distance of 75 feet. 



I have a good frame house, with seven rooms, 

 and could accommodate a few sportsmen at the 

 ranch, at moderate prices. Fair hunting and 

 good fishing nearby. If you know of any who 

 would like to spend a few weeks, or months, in 

 a healthy country, with fine scenery and good 

 sport at hand, please give them my address. 



S. N. Leek. 



I have just received a letter from Arthur F. 

 Rice in which he says, " I am stuck on Recrea- 

 tion. Have met ' Coquina,' the editor, and find 

 him a thoroughbred." W. W. Brown. 



