Sept. 2, 1893.1 



POFlEST AND STREAM. 



m difd ^iv^r fishing. 



Visitors to our Exhibit ih the Ahgrllhg Pavilion at 

 the World's Fair should not fail to examine the 

 stock of "Forest and Stream" books which vvill 

 be shown by the attendant. 



SALMON IN SALT WATER. 



Monterey, Cal., Aug. 20— Respice flnem. The salmon 

 have gone. The tens of thousands of salmon which have 

 frequented the coast for several weeks, from Santa Cruz 

 to Carmelo Bay, 27 miles in extent, have taken their 

 departure for the Sacramento River, where they appeared 

 almost simultaneously with their disapiDearance from the 

 coast, showing quite conclusively they are those of that 

 locality, and where they are now being seined in the 

 usual manner. Prior to their departure, notably at Santa 

 Cruz and about Monterey Bay, large schools of grilse 

 came in, making fine sport, being from 5 to lOlbs. in 

 weight and in numbers far exceeding the salmon. 



On July 30 the salmon almost entirely left Monterey 

 Bay, although still plentiful at Santa Cruz and Cai-melo. 

 On the 31st, I visited Santa Cruz, where I found the tak- 

 ing to be almost wholly grilse; this continued for several 

 days, until the 5th, when the fishing about ceased. After 

 tliat I visited Carmelo Bay, twenty-seven miles south, 

 where the fishing still remained good, the fish running 

 larger than at any time during the season, averaging fully 

 201b8, without any grilse. Numbers were taken running 

 from 25 to 301bs. , evidently representing the school of 

 autumnal fish. Tliis prime fishing continued until the 

 morning of Aug. 9, when a large school of killers came 

 in {Orca gladiator), which put an immediate stop to all 

 fishing, and there has. been none since. It was 6 o'clock 

 and I had taken four salmon, and was trolling with the 

 several boats containing Monterey market fishermen , who 

 had come down for fish, and who had all taken more or 

 less salmon, when in came a prodigious pack of killers, I 

 should say i'uUy 200 or more, wild and frantic as a pack 

 of wolves, leaping from the water as porpoises, and going 

 down for salmon and other fish and effectually putting 

 an end to further strikes, for although I fished industri- 

 ously and so did the other boats for several hours, not a 

 salmon was caught, nor has there been since up to date, 

 excepting an odd one or two caught at Carmelo Bay. 

 They may come in again, but probably will not. 



These killers, although given as frequenters of the 

 northern seas, are most plentiful on this coast, and are in- 

 deed the terrors of the sea. They come fearlessly about with 

 their enormous dorsal fins projecting from 4 to 5ft. above 

 the water, and slashing about with their most powerful 

 tails in a most thi-eatening manner, and I felt rather 

 nervous at times as they came within short distances of 

 my boat, although they have never been known to attack 

 boats or men, although they could easily flop a boat over 

 with their tails or rend it into pieces with then- frightful 

 jaws. Theae killers run from 15 to 30ft. in length, and 

 from 2,000 to 6,0001bs. in weight. They have a large and 

 most capacious mouth, set with sharp tusks closely set, 

 from 2 to 3in. long, and from lin. to 2^iQ. in diameter, 

 24 in lower jaw, and 26 in the upper. When one con- 

 siders the immense amount of food ^vhich a pack of 200 

 or 300 killers reqmres, each one capable of cutting a 

 porpoise apart at a single bite, and swallowing in two 

 mouthfuls, some idea may be formed of the devastation 

 which is continually going on in the sea. These killers will 

 take an ordinary seal at a mouthful, with scarcely an 

 effort at mastication, and one lately taken here was 

 secured when almost choked to death with an extra large 

 seal stuck in its throat and with five other seals in its 

 stomach. They will rend a sea lion into pieces in short 

 order, and have no hesitancy in attacking any Hving 

 creature in the sea, save the sperm whale, which boldly 

 attacks in tm-n. The ordinary whales of the coast, the 

 right, bowhead and gray, most timid animals, which are 

 often driven frantic by the playful chase of the porpoises, 

 are pursued by the killers until exhausted, when their 

 tongues are literally eaten out of the huge leviathans 

 while alive. I have the statements of sevei'iil old whalers, 

 now reduced to the position of market fishermen in the 

 bay, Capt. M. Gonzales and Capt. Freitas, who for years 

 pursued the business of whalemen in the harbor before 

 the decay of the business, that they have each in several 

 instances secured the whale bodies, for blubber, off' the 

 harbor, which had been destroyed by killers, and Mr. 

 Michael Noon, a most trustworthy old whaler, now in 

 charge of the only whai-f used in Monterey, assures me 

 that he has in iwo instances secured whales alive, but 

 dying with their tongues eaten out by killers. 



Mr, Noon also says that upon one occasion, when with 

 his comrades he had made a large raft of blubber cut 

 from a whale near the harbor, and was engaged in tow- 

 ing with two boats, the raft was suddenly attacked by a 

 pack of killers and the whole of the blubber stolen away 

 in quick order, alHiough with his men he prodded them 

 with lances to their utmost. 



The disappearance of the salmon in sections from the 

 coast would seem to show that they do not act as a 

 whole, but in separate schools, and I have noticed in the 

 fishing that the runs were not similar in size of fish, on 

 some days running large and on others smaller, which 

 would indicate that schools of varying size of fish came 

 and left, most likely working north toward the Sacra- 

 mento River, ninety miles distant. The canning pack of 

 the season^ from the various rivers on the coast, which 

 was expected to be less than the average, tm-ns out to 

 have been larger than any, amounting to about 1,700.000 

 cases of 48lbs. each, or over 80,000,u001bs., representing 

 over 6,000,000 salmon, in fact more, for a large portion of 

 the pack from the upper waters were of bluebacks (O. 

 ■nerka), which average but Slbs., perfect salmon, and of 

 the desu'ed deep pink color. 



I find it difficult to estimate satisfactorily the age of the 

 salmon which have been about this locaUty, for if but few 

 return from the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers after 

 spawning, where have the salmon which we have been 

 catching passed their fives and of what age are they? If 

 as parr they remain in their native streams a year, or pos- 

 sibly two, and after a year in salt water as grilse, grow 

 up to a weight of from 5 to lOlbs. , did they in a following 

 year grow to the average of lOlbs., and in extreme cases 

 up to the exceptionally large fish of 401bs. and even over? 

 Or were the large fish those which had survived the fresh- 



water spawning season? And if so, why have they not 

 shown the usual features so characteristic of river fish — 

 the deformities of jaw or head, body or fins? I have seen 

 none but fresh and perfectly formed. The yotmg salmon 

 show equally with the gi'own the fuU development of the 



f:eneratuig organs, and in this respect are fully matured, 

 t may be that the bulk of yoimg salmon do not ascend 

 far in the spawning season, and thev are found in San 

 Francisco Bay about the whole of the year. There are 

 those who claim that all the salmon do not ascend the 

 rivers at all, although there is nothing in experience or 

 reason to substantiate such a conclusion. 



That a grilse will grow, from one year in salt water, 

 from 9 to 201bs. is not at all improbable, but it is improb- 

 able that it will gain 20 or 301bs in a year. Again, if 

 young salmon run to milt and spawn, as they undoubt- 

 edly do, and ascend rivers, why will not a few excep- 

 tional salmon show the river life features which are so 

 evident? or do those features disappear after the return to 

 salt water? These questions are not yet settled. I find 

 among the canners a general belief that all salmon do not 

 spawn annually. They claim that they do not get an- 

 nually the same rims in quantity, but every third or 

 fourth year an exceptionally large run. That this feature is 

 regular and uniform. It may be that all salmon do not 

 annually conform to the reproduction stage, but have 

 periods of irregularity in this respect. We have yet to 

 gain information upon this point. W^e all know the black 

 salmon, the left-over fish, sometimes blind and always 

 worthless. These fish, exhausted by the prolonged fast- 

 ing incidental to river life and reproduction, are compara- 

 tively helpless in conch tion. If examined, the stomach 

 and auxiliary glands {Pyloric coeca) and all internal 

 organs wiU be foimd so diminished, compared with the 

 usual normal conditions when fresh from the sea, that it 

 may well be conjectm-al if the stomach, so reduced will 

 it be found and not of suflicient size to hold the smallest 

 minnow, may ever resume its normal condition? 



It is questionable if the blind black salmon ever re- 

 vives in the sea, although it may succeed in reaching it. 

 It is questionable if it has sufficient power, or acquires it, 

 to successfully hold its own again. It is also evident that 

 the average salmon returning to the sea from the spawn- 

 ing river, must to an ahnost complete extent discard the 

 features which it has acquired in the reproduction period. 

 Upon entering the fresh water the salmon steacUly de- 

 teriorates, not essentially from the fresh water contact, 

 but as the season of generation advances the distinction 

 becomes more marked as the season goes on. The pre- 

 maxillaries and lower jaws of the males become length- 

 ened and often extravagantly hooked, and often the 

 mouth cannot be closed; the teeth on the vomer and 

 tongue fall out, and the front teeth grow abnormally 

 long. The body faUs in and thickens at the shoulders, 

 and the scales fall off along the back, and a spongy skin 

 appears. Red and black blotches follow, and the curdy 

 flavor between the flakes is wanting, and the flesh be- 

 comes worthless for food. The fins and tail wear away, 

 and complete blindness often results. The stomach and 

 digestive organs shrink almost away, and the once royal 

 and gamy fish becomes a hfeless and pitiable object. 

 From the upper waters of the Pacific Coast, I am 

 sure it never becomes again the bold denizen of the sea. 

 The salmon of this summer's visitation about here, I 

 should estimate to be of three, and in some instances, 

 four years of age. I do not believe that any of them have 

 had any experience excepting possibly limited, of fresh 

 water life, beyond that of their ea,rlier fingerling exist- 

 ence. Nor do I beheve that any of the adult growth 

 which have been about this year, excepting in a few 

 Umited instances, will ever return, but will be succeeded 

 by the fresh growth from the grilse. It would seem 

 almost that there had been an omission in those provisions 

 of nature, which are so perfect, in the instance of the 

 salmon, and that the period of generation to the adult 

 salmon was one from which there was only an excep- 

 tional survival. From the large salmon which I have 

 seen, and the casts in museums and collections of large 

 fish, and particularly in the large collection of casts of 

 large salmon made by the late Frank Buckland, and in 

 the casts shown at the Fishei-ies Exhibition in London a 

 few years ago, I have observed that the large salmon 

 were invariably marked by the distortions incidental to 

 those shown in the fresh water spawning life. Among 

 the millions secured at the Columbia River for canning, 

 an occasional hundred-pounder has been found, and one 

 of 821bs. has lately been forwarded frozen in ice, to the 

 Columbian Exhibition, 



One thing is evident, that the salmon are yearly present 

 on this coast, extending over an extent of thirty miles, 

 from Santa Cruz down to Carmelo Bay, in full life and 

 high condition, and wfil afford to the sportsman and 

 fairly good angler an average of half a dozen salmon a 

 day dm-ing the season. The season may fairly be com- 

 puted at six weeks, so far as my observation has extended, 

 and should place it from June 10 to Sept. 1. Last year the 

 fishing continued fairly good from Jime 10 to the middle 

 of September. There are a few lost salmon still about 

 but not plentiful enough to inspire exertions. I have been 

 out several times, without a catch, although an occasional 

 salmon is secured in the fishermen's nets. I have re- 

 ceived quite a number of inquu-ing letters from fishermen 

 since my articles in your paper, but I cannot add much 

 more than was contained in the articles, excepting that 

 I would suggest Santa Ci-uz in preference to any other 

 place. It is an open sea resort, and supplied with fairly 

 good hotels, straight on the sea, where boats can be ob- 

 tained more readily and more cheaply than at Monterey, 

 and nearer to the fishing grounds, which are, in fact, 

 directly adjoining the front, and where the sea is quieter 

 than at Monterey or Carmelo. The tisliing has been as 

 good there this year as elsewhere, although the 

 fish have not run as large as further south. 

 The salmon have been there yearly, most un- 

 doubtedly, but it has not been a yearly fishing 

 station of any importance imtn this year, compared with 

 Monterey and other places, and in fact, excepting the 

 rod-fishing of fill". Tubbs, referred to in my previous letter, 

 there has not been any rod-fishing for salmon anywhere 

 on the coast, until my fishing in June, which receiving 

 considerable notice, occasioned a good deal of fishing at 

 Santa Cruz during July, more than had altogether before 

 been done on the coast. Not more than two or three rod- 

 fishermen have wet lines here this season, while perhaps 

 a dozen or more have at Santa Cruz, but it is likely that 

 next year will witness a great deal more salmon fishing, 

 as it is destined to receive an attention hardly estimated 



at the present time, for it unmistakably presents a field 

 for the highest class of fishing, all things considered, that 

 is presented anywhere in the world— that of taking 

 salmon in salt water, in the highest possible condition 

 in which the royal fish is ever found, with the open sea for 

 its vantage ground, on a tackle even lighter than can 

 safely be used over a river pool, and where the fighting 

 qualities of the salmon are more keenly evinced than can 

 be exhibited in any stream, and where the surroundings 

 are of the highest possible cast, those of the yielding 

 weaves, tinted with the reflecting hues of the varying 

 light, the open sky, and at home with the sea birds and 

 many strange fish, and with the consciousness that a 

 myriad of bold, unrestricted salmon are cleaving the 

 translucent waters below. 



Dm-ing the whole past fishing season there has not been 

 storm or gale on the coast about, which is the usual con- 

 dition; and the sea, although at times accompanied with 

 something of a swell, has not at any time been so rough 

 but a small boat could take the outside fishing, although 

 at such times one sensitive to seasickness would experi- 

 ence the iUs, which, however, I am not afiiicted with. 

 At Santa Cruz there has hardly been a day when the sea 

 has been troubled, and ladies have gone out to the fishing 

 with impimity. For experiment, in one of the late day's 

 fishing I brought my trout hexagonal of 7oz. in play with 

 a fight, almost thread, silk line of 600ft. , with a Hght hook, 

 and brought in after a protracted play a salmon of 201bs. ; 

 but the tackle is too light and the rod impracticable for 

 bringing to gaff. In fact, no bamboo is efficient com- 

 pared with the 10-ounce steel, two of which have an- 

 swered for over a ton of salmon, and which are in good 

 order for another year. 



One can have a variety of fishing at Monterey, and 

 north and south of it, for the Pacific waters teem with 

 hfe. Mackerel and sea bass have come in, but are not 

 yet striking freely, as the bay- is literally crowded with 

 bait in the form of squid, anchovies and saxdines. The 

 sardines are apparently identical with those used in tin- 

 ning, but large, weighing from i to ilb. and in schools of 

 acres in extent. With Mr. Noon and two assistants I 

 shot and harpooned a large grampus, of half a ton in 

 weight, a few days ago, and brought it to beach in a few 

 hours, but it seemed dull sport compared with salmon 

 fishing and I pitied the poor animal in its wearisome 

 efforts to escape, dragging the boat aimlessly about while 

 exhausting from the bullet and harpoon wounds, and 

 vowed I would have no more of it. 



J, Pabker Whitney. 



HEART LAKES. 



Boston, Mass., Aug. 24.— Fifteen miles by trail up Bear 

 Creek Cafion from Colorado Springs, Col., and five miles 

 from the summit of Pike's Peak, are a series of lakes at the 

 summit of Bald Mountain, known to the dwellers of that 

 section of the country as The Seven Lakes. Heart Lake, 

 or the largest of these lakes, covers, as I was told when 

 there eight years ago, about forty acres, and has been 

 plumbed 80ft. in the center and no bottom touched. There 

 are seven of these lakes, the smaller being a good-sized 

 pond. 



A most beautiful stream empties out of these lakes and 

 courses its way down Beaver Canon, I have traveled all 

 over this country from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast, 

 and to my fancy no place has ever proved so grand for 

 scenery and health. Now the point I am getting at isthis: 

 In these lakes and in the stream emptying out of them 

 there does not exist a single trout, at least during the time 

 I spent a summer there, or fish of any description, but 

 there is in the lakes a pecuharly -looking animal or possi- 

 bly a fish, which is black, has four legs, a head similar to 

 that of a catfish, and tail like a hzard and no fins. 



The name it goes by there is "devilfish" and there are 

 great numbers there, especially in the two larger lakes. 

 The water seems to be of the purest, is clear as crystal and 

 cold reaUy as ice; and the lake is said to be 11,800ft. above 

 the sea level. • What I would like to know is, why are 

 there no trout in such a grand smaU body of lakes? Is it 

 on account of the altitude or is it because they possibly 

 have never inhabited the waters? 



The Seven Lakes are also reached by wagon going by 

 toU road entering the mountain at Cheyenne Canon, The 

 distance by toll road is said to be twenty-five mfies and 

 difficult to travel; accidents such as buggies tipping over 

 often occur. Tourists often leave Colorado Springs in the 

 morning by carriage or light wagon for Seven Lakes, ar- 

 riving about five o'clock in the evening, where they stay 

 over night, take an early start on horseback, or burro- 

 back, for Pike's Peak, and see sun-rise, which is a sight 

 long to be remembered. 



What I have written may be of interest to some of 

 your readers who might have something to say regarding 

 the inhabitants of these lakes, L. D. 



Rainbow Trout in North Carolina. 



Highlands, N. C. — Editor Forest and Stream: The 

 communication of my friend to Mr. Brown in regard to 

 the capture of the rainbow trout impels me to defend the 

 u-ridescent beauties against all aspersion of cannibalism. 

 The fact is that these fish are so enterprising that they 

 wont stay where they are put, as the fontinalis will, but 

 go meandering over aU creation. I put 2,000 fry in Rich- 

 land Creek seven years ago, and they have gone down the 

 French Broad River and have been caught below Asher- 

 viUe, where the natives call them salmon. They have 

 gone down the Tennessee many miles from my waters, 

 and some put in the Tuckaseye have gone the same way. 

 This explains why a few only are found in the head- 

 waters of the Culaseye, where some thousand eggs have 

 been planted by me. For gameness they surpass every 

 kind of fish 1 have tackled, and a two-pounder gave me 

 an houi-'s work this summer with a 7oz, rod, and then I 

 got him only by his leaping into my skiff. The fontinalis 

 have been fished out by poachers, but this kind of piscatora 

 cannot get the rainbows, and thus the former are so 

 scarce. By protecting the fish, however, they are be- 

 coming more plentiful. Two years netting the streams 

 has done the mischief. I am glad to know that my state- 

 ment of the earlier spawning of the rainbows made itt 

 Forest and Stream three years ago has been corrobor- 

 ated, as I was the first to notice and mention the fact, as 

 well as their crossing with the fontinalis. This, however, 

 has not been seen of late because of the migration of the 

 former H. Stewart. 



