FISH AND FISHING. 



127 



When using live minnows either troll 

 or still fish; each has its advantages. 

 These 2 species have a tender mouth and 

 care must be taken in handling your fish 

 or it will break away. It is hard to give 

 directions which will enable one to be- 

 come a good fly caster. Practice is the 

 only thing which will do it. Observe how 

 your fly casting friends throw and you 

 will soon catch on. B. W. Iv 



A HOG UNCOVERED. 

 I wish to call your attention to an arti- 

 cle in May Recreation, on page 376, en- 

 titled, 'Trout in Muddy Water." In your 

 comment on same you state the number 

 of trout taken would not have been ex- 

 cessive 10 years ago. Now, Brother 

 Shields, this is just my point. This did 

 not occur 10 years ago, for Rail states that 

 10 years ago he first saw the stream. He 

 resolved to whip it the following spring, 

 but when spring came he was across the 

 Continent, where he remained 10 years. 

 If he discovered the stream 10 years ago, 

 went away for 10 years and fished in it 

 when he returned, it appears this fishing 

 occurred within the last few months. 

 Would you not better remind Mr. Rail 

 of his excessive catch in the shape of a 

 revised roast? 



Grob. Roberts, L. A. S. No. 3,300 

 Philadelphia, Pa. 



You are' right and I was wrong. I got 

 the impression Rail was away only a 

 few months. You have uncovered his 

 bristles so that all good men may know 

 and shun him. — Editor. 



PIRATES IN BLUE. 

 Officers Hosier, Esser, Sheriff Neis and Adolph 

 Schwartz went to Otisco lake yesterday and 

 caught over 700 pickerel and perch. — Syracuse, 

 N. Y. Post-Standard. 



I asked Schwartz if they did and here 

 is his reply: 



Yours with reference to our catching 

 700 perch and pickerel has been received. 

 Yes, police officers Hossler, Sheriff Nies, 

 Esser and I caught 721 fish at Otisco lake, 

 18 miles from here. This is one of the 

 best fishing grounds anywhere, owing to 

 the fact that there are no pirates on the 

 lake at any time and only fishing with 

 lines is allowed. The lake is too far away 

 from here for most people, and the only 

 way you can get there is by wagon. 



Adolph Schwartz, Syracuse, N. Y. 



No pirates, eh? Well, there were 5 pir- 

 ates there when you and your gang landed, 

 and as measly a lot as ever skinned a lake 

 or a stream. It is a pity the farmers out 

 there didn't set the dogs on you and 

 empty their shot guns into your legs, and 

 I hope they will next time you go. — 

 Editor. 



CALIFORNIA TROUT STREAMS. 



Mr. W. R. Welch, game warden, in the follow- 

 ing communication tells what sportsmen may and 

 may not expect while whipping the trout brooks 

 of this county: 



I have faithfully and continuously patrolled the 

 streams of this county during the past close sea- 

 son, and little, if any, poaching his been done. 

 But one report has been made to me of any illegal 

 fishing. That was from the vicinity of Boulder 

 creek, and as the report was signed by an anony- 

 mous name, I was not able to thoroughly investi- 

 gate it. I have found but one person attempting 

 to take fish illegally with gaff. 



All the streams are in excellent condition, the 

 water is clear and fairly low. From all indica- 

 tions the streams will be in good shape and will 

 yield a fair supply of trout. My opinion is that 

 the best fishing will be had in the smaller streams. 

 I do not predict exceptionally large catches this 

 year, as the constant poaching practiced in former 

 years has begtm to tell on the streams. 



Fall creek, Newell creek, Love creek, Clear 

 creek, Corralitos creek and both branches of So- 

 quel creek, at the head waters, were stocked last 

 year with a total of 85,000 trout fry. It is to be 

 hoped anglers will respect the moral law and not 

 take fingerlings. 



The streams up the coast are all in good condi- 

 tion and should yield abundance of fish. — Santa 

 Cruz (Cal.) Surf. 



SOAKED FOR SPEARING FISH. 



B. F. Babb was before the district court yes- 

 terday and pleaded guilty to spearing 15 fish Tues- 

 day evening. The penalty is $2 to $20 for each 

 fish taken in such a manner, and there were 15 

 counts in the complaint. Judge Stevens imposed 

 a fine of $2 on each count, making $30 in all, 

 which Babb paid. Special Deputy Game Wardens 

 Nichols, of North Adams, and Luman, of Palmer, 

 and Deputy Game Warden Wheeler, of this city, 

 visited Southwick Tuesday night and found Babb 

 having great luck with the spear. When he re- 

 turned to the shore the wardens seized the fish and 

 told Babb to appear in the court the next morning. 

 The fish weighed about 75 pounds, and included 20 

 black bass, a number of pickerel, perch, etc. Two 

 of the bass weighed over 4 pounds. Babb has 

 often shot bass as they came into shallow water 

 to spawn. 



Babb, you could have bought a lot of 

 beefsteak, eggs, potatoes, oysters and 

 other good things for $30. Why didn't 

 you wait till the legal fishing season 

 opened, then do your fishing decently and 

 save your money? Suppose you try to be 

 a gentleman and let me know, later, how 

 you make out. — Editor. 



NIBBLES. 

 I enclose clipipng from the Swanton 

 Courier: 



Fish Commissioner Stone advocates a bounty 

 on perch in Lake Champlain. A bounty of a 

 cent apiece would bankrupt the State in a single 

 year and every small boy within a dozen miles 

 of the lake would be rolling in wealth. 



Why should our Commissioner advise 

 such a law as a bounty on perch? Are they 

 so destructive to the fish of more value as 

 food that a bounty would benefit fisher- 

 men? It certainly is evident that one could 

 make good pay if the bounty should be 

 even one cent on each, because at any time 

 of the year perch can be caught in large 



