FISH AND FISHING. 



CALIFORNIA TROUT. 



San Francisco, Cal. 

 Editor Recreation: 



Fishing in the mountain streams of Cal- 

 ifornia is well under way by April ist. 

 Then the water is clear and cold, and the 

 trout are wide awake to all tricks of the 

 angler. The beds of our streams, near the 

 headwaters, are rocky, and thus many 

 waterfalls are. formed, under which trout 

 may usually be found. Sometimes, how- 

 ever, they refuse to be coaxed out, even 

 by what we think the most tempting fly. 

 But if one does come, he comes with a 

 rush, and perhaps we will hear a little 

 flap in the water as he throws his tail out, 

 almost turning a somersault in his haste to 

 get the fly. At times he is sulky, and, ly- 

 ing in the shadow of some rock in the 

 pool, will not deign to notice the fly we 

 dangle under his nose. 



Many of the smaller streams are near 

 San Francisco, and as they are visited by 

 many fishermen, fish in them are becom- 

 ing scarce. In some places poachers fish 

 before the season opens, and when the 

 honest angler, who has waited patiently for 

 the ist day of April, visits his favorite 

 stream he is surprised and disappointed to 

 find some one has been there before him. 

 The only thing for him to do is to seek 

 some out-of-the-way place farther from 

 civilization. 



Our brook trout are usually about 6 

 inches long, although once in a while we 

 hear vague tales of a monster some one 

 had seen or even hooked, only to lose 

 again. Some of our lakes are stocked with 

 rainbow trout, which may be taken from 

 a boat, by trolling. Lake Tahoe is prob- 

 ably the best in the State for this kind of 

 fishing, and is easy of approach. Tallac, a 

 hotel on the farther side of the lake, is a 

 good stopping place, for it is near the 

 other smaller lakes — Fallen Leaf and Cas- 

 cade. The tackle used consists of a large 

 wooden reel, on which is wound about ioo 

 feet of line, the upper part of heavy cord 

 and the lower of copper wire. Several 

 large hooks are attached, and above them 

 a large spoon. Minnows or grub worms 

 are used for bait. A heavy jerk is felt 

 when the fish strikes, and he really hooks 

 himself; so little demand is made on the 

 angler's skill. The fish is given no chance 

 to fight, for he is hauled in, hand over 

 hand, as a cod would be. 



On Tahoe we do not catch as many 

 trout as on the other lalces, but they are 

 larger; a fish weighing less than 2 pounds 

 is seldom caught, and often a 12-pounder 



is brought back in triumph. Almost every 

 day some one brings in a fish weighing 

 6 or 8 pounds. The largest trout ever 

 caught there, I believe, weighed 2g l / 2 

 pounds. These lake trout have salmon- 

 colored flesh, and, in fact, taste much like 

 salmon. For a large catch Fallen Leaf is 

 about the best lake, and one may some- 

 times take 40 or 50 fish a day, although 

 they will average only about x / 2 pound. 



But this country is not all lakes, and 

 the angler will find use. for his small rod 

 and flies. Truckee river has in it some 

 large trout, which can be taken with rod 

 and fly, and good catches are made in the 

 creeks emptying into the lakes. Besides 

 Tahoe, there are numerous lakes in North- 

 ern California, Klamath and others, which 

 are seldom heard of, hard to reach and 

 which afford fine fishing. Many of the 

 creeks emptying into the ocean South of 

 San Francisco form lagoons, which abound 

 in small trout. This is an enjoyable 

 kind of fishing, for there are no trees in 

 which the inexperienced angler may tangle 

 his line. But he cannot hop along on 

 rocks in an endeavor to keep dry, as he 

 might do farther up the creek, for the bot- 

 tom is level and sandy. He must wade 

 through the water, in some places waist 

 deep. The flies used are all small and are 

 about the same as those used in other 

 streams. For dark flies the gray and 

 brown hackle and the black ant are good; 

 and for the bright ones, the professor, 

 royal coachman and red ant attract the 

 trout. Of course the flesh of these fish is 

 softer than of those in the mountains, and 

 they will not keep as long, but they taste 

 just as good, if eaten immediately after 

 being caught. 



Arthur Willard. 



PARASITES IN FISHES. 

 What causes grubs in fish? Why are 

 fish from some waters infested and those 

 from other waters in the same territory 

 not? Our river bass are nearly always 

 grubby, and we have one lake in which 

 the bass are so the year round. Why are 

 pickerel not affected as well as bass? 



J. C. Newbrough, Greenville, Mich. 



ANSWER. 



The causes of grubs and other parasites 

 in fishes are varied, diverse and as difficult 

 of explanation as are the causes of the 

 many diseases which afflict mankind. 



Among the environmental conditions 

 which are factors in determining the 

 healthfulness of a fish may be mentioned 



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