THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 



"This is the feeling in this county, according to Editor Finley. This is 

 the spirit that Editor Finley would like to have in Clackamas but which, as 

 nearly as can be learned, does not exist here. Also this is the opinion that 

 Editor Finley would like to have the rest of the state think prevails in 

 Clackamas County. 



"Sitting back in the office chair (purchased by the state) in his Port- 

 land office (rented by the state), Editor Finley has dreamed a dream. He 

 has dreamed that the sportsmen of Clackamas County are satisfied with the 

 fish law enacted by the last legislature and to make that dream all the 

 worse he had published it. In a wild effort to bring the state game and 

 fish commission into public favor, Editor Finley has twisted fact and 

 dreamed fancy all to increase the waning popularity of the commission. 



"The sportsmen of Clackamas do not favor the recent law passed by 

 the legislature, that is at least the majority of them do not. The same law- 

 makers who drew up that measure should also have painted a sign in the 

 language of the fish, which when translated would read like this: 



Important Notice for Fish! 



Fish under 10 inches beware. Over 10 inches help 



yourself to the bait. 



"When a trout is hooked, jerked out of water, unhooked, and thrown 

 back in again, in about nine times out of ten he dies in the water. There 

 is no way for the fisherman to keep undersized trout off the hook. Accord- 

 ing to law he must throw the little fish back in the water where in almost 

 every case they die. 



' ' The clause in the law was nothing but a compromise between the game 

 hog and the conserver of game. The former would have open season all 

 year so that he could rob the streams in December as well as in August while 

 the latter would protect the fish by drastic legislation. The result was a 

 bill which provides that no fish under ten inches can be caught between 

 October 1st and April 1st and provides that fishing can be done all the year 

 round. It is supposed that each side went away satisfied. It is also sup- 

 posed that the several legislators winked, in that sly way that legislators 

 have, and they thought that for once at least they had sent both sides 

 home happy." 



ERROR IN MARCH ISSUE. 



An error was made in the last issue in not printing the name of the 

 author, Mr. C. F. Hodge, at the head of the article entitled "The Ruffed 

 Grouse. ' ' The photographs used were also supplied by Mr. Hodge. 



Pag"© twelve 



