584 
FOREST AND STREAM 
fish, channel drum—dey stay oudt. Udder vuns 
make for the 'bars undt inlets while de flood tide 
runs. Balum, bait the hooks. Now de time. Fish, 
fish!” He waved a brown hand all around. 
Truly, it did not look much like fishing time, 
but rather like hunting for cover, with so small 
a craft. Yet we made haste to follow the advice 
of one who had already proved that he knew 
what he was about. 
Scarcely had we cast to windward when the 
bite and jerk, betokening the bonita’s favorite 
method of gulping its prey, put us to hauling in 
once and again, and yet again. There was no 
more skip-jack, red-fish, pompano, or cirvallie, 
for an hour or so. But the way we hauled in 
two, three, and on up to five and even six pound 
mackerel amply substantiated the genuineness of 
the North Sea sailor’s knowledge of things. 
Balum had no time to make another catch. Tom 
and I kept him busy, except when the skipper 
called on him to haul in or pay off the sheet,, or 
occasionally lower the peak, as the flaws grew 
heavier. 
Tired of the lines, we tried reel and rod, but 
the wind and sea were too heavy. Tom managed 
to play one fierce mackerel for a few minutes. 
But, as the Blonde swung violently about on an¬ 
other tack, somehow the line fouled. The fish, 
rushing under the boat, snapped the line, prob¬ 
ably against the steel center-board. 
‘^Oh, shucks !” Tom sank back disgusted. “Let’s 
quit. I say enough is as good as a feast.” 
“Goot thing, mine friendt,” was Schmell’s re¬ 
joinder. “Mackerel time is over.” He looked 
at his watch. “Schlack water now—vat?” 
As usual, the skipper was right. Further trial 
with lines choicely baited brought no results. The 
fish were not there. Where they had gone, or 
why, was puzzling. But Schmell explained. 
‘“Bonita are scary ven sunshine. Ven wind 
undt squall come de bite all de time. Byrne by sea 
get too rough; down dey go—vere? I know not. 
Into deep vater, I guess. Undt now we try to 
get back inside.” 
Getting back looked easy, for the wind was 
fair. But the full swell of that southeasterly 
gale made necessary the most careful manipula¬ 
tion to avoid swamping. But Schmell was equal 
to it, though going over the inner bar one fierce 
surge, curling ten feet high over the stern, 
threatened us. When in the trough we could 
almost see bottom, and the neglected center board 
bumped, but Balum jerked it up quickly and the 
wave crumbled behind as we glided on, with not 
more than a barrel of water toppling down 
among the several dozen bonita and other fish 
that were the moderate trophies of our half¬ 
day off Santa Rosa Island. We were no hogs; 
but our respect for the game-like qualities of 
Senor Bonita was thereafter fixed and immutable. 
Bonita usually weigh under five pounds. More 
often two and three pounds mark the average 
limit. In life the sheeny, glittering beauty of 
the fish is marvelous, but as the dead fish dry 
this charm of color largely disappears. During 
fall and winter the ends of countless piers that 
invade the shallow waters of the Gulf from Texas 
to Florida are often lined by would-be mackerel 
fishermen, either unable or dreading to encounter 
the rougher experiences of boat fishing in the 
passes or outside along the coast. This wariest 
and fiercest of small sea fighters, however, is 
always ready. Whether from wharf or boat, the 
angler who encounters him with sportsmanlike 
weapons will have battles royal. Like the old 
time Conquistadores, who recognized in his bold 
The open season for trout fishing in the coast 
counties of California, where steelheads are to 
be found almost exclusively, commenced on the 
first of April, and excellent sport is now being 
enjoyed on practically all of the streams in this 
territory. Anglers who journeyed forth on the 
opening day to visit their favorite streams found 
much more water than usual, as the result of 
an abnormally wet winter, but this did not prevent 
the taking of many baskets. The recent showers 
have kept most streams in a roily condition, and 
the best success has been met with bait, although 
some good catches have been made with flies. The 
best fishing will probably be enjoyed about the 
first of May, as water conditions will then be 
more favorable. Fishing in the coast streams 
this season will be much better distributed than 
has been the case during the past two seasons, 
when many creeks were practically dry by the 
opening date. From the present outlook excel¬ 
lent sport will be enjoyed throughout the entire 
summer. 
Dr. L. T. Cranz, president of the California 
Anglers’ Association, spent the opening day on 
the lower Purissima, in San Mateo County, se¬ 
curing a full creel. This stream is reported to 
be in excellent condition. The San Gregorio was 
visited by a large delegation, but results there 
were scarcely satisfactory, the water being muddy 
and too high. Olema Creek proved to be one of 
the best streams, a number of limit baskets hav¬ 
ing been obtained there, the prize fish being a 
five pounder taken by James Black. Sam Wells 
fished at Point Reyes on the opening day, get¬ 
ting a limit basket before noon. Those who 
visited streams in Santa Cruz county found trout 
very plentiful and rising to the fly in splendid 
shape, insect life being out as a result of the 
warm weather. The San Lorenzo river is re¬ 
ported to be better stocked with fish than ever 
before. 
While a few large fish have been taken, most 
ef the catches have been of steelhead ranging 
from six to ten inches in length. Big fellows have 
been seen, but for some reason or other have 
not been rising to lures. However, it is expected 
that when the flood waters recede, enabling the 
big pools to be more clearly defined, more large 
fish will be taken. Fishing has not commenced 
in good shape on the large streams, and it is 
from these that most of the big fish are taken. 
On the Eel and Klamath rivers steelheads rang¬ 
ing from ten to twenty pounds are often landed 
when conditions are right. 
With the opening of the season new regula¬ 
tions have gone into effect, anglers being re¬ 
quired for the first time to obtain a license, the 
fee being $i for residents and $3 for non-residents 
of the state. This license must be carried by 
the angler and exhibited upon demand of an 
authorized officer. In shipping trout by express 
or mail the name and address of the shipper 
must be given, together with the exact contents 
savagery a kindred spirit to their own, “Fierce 
Beautiful Bonita” is ever ready, regardless of 
odds; surrendering liberty only with life itself. 
of the package. The daily limit of steelhead trout 
is fifty fish, these not to exceed thirty pounds 
in weight. Fishing is prohibited within two and 
a half miles below or four and a half miles 
above an egg-taking station maintained by the 
state. No trout may be sold measuring less than 
twelve inches in length. 
The early sale of fishing licenses has been very 
heavy in San Francisco and cities around San 
Francisco Bay, but will show a great increase 
after the first of May, when the open season will 
be general throughout the state. Many anglers, 
even in the coast district, do not fish for steel¬ 
head trout, preferring to wait for the opening of 
the season when rainbows may be taken. 
Reports from the Sierra fishing grounds indi¬ 
cate that streams are now very high and that 
large quantities of snow are in the mountains, 
insuring a steady flow of water. The indications 
are that the first of May will find but few streams 
in condition for angling, and that fly fishing will 
be much later than usual. This is true especially 
in the Feather River country, where the snowfall 
has been very heavy. 
THE DEER. 
So loosely drawn is the bill which the House 
has passed to engrossment, allowing farmers or 
their hired men to kill deer when they have de¬ 
stroyed or are about to destroy the farmers’ 
crops, that if this bill becomes law the chance of 
a deer’s living in the agricultural districts of this 
state will not be large, a Boston newspaper said 
recently. Any enterprising farmer with a taste 
for venison or a desire for a deer skin can find 
plenty of deer “about to destroy” his crops. Let 
a deer be heard in the general direction of the 
farmer’s field or barn, and that deer is open to 
suspicion and the legal consequences. An ener¬ 
getic farmer would even go half way to meet the 
deer. After the deer are thinned out by this con¬ 
venient law the farmer will go even more than 
half way. The open week for deer hunting has 
not been successful, or humane, but this substi¬ 
tute scheme, while it offers relief for the farmer 
really harassed by the voracious animals, goes too 
far with its “about to destroy” provision. 
ENCOURAGES HIGHER SPORTSMANSHIP. 
Mr. Harry Abele, of Portland, was the first 
man who qualified for the Salmon Club of Oregon 
which was recently organized. The object of this 
club is to encourage a higher class of sportsman¬ 
ship in angling for salmon. Mr. Abele caught a 
chinook at Oregon City weighing twenty pounds 
and four ounces, landing the fish in thirty min¬ 
utes with a five and a half ounce rod and a No. 
9 thread. Hereafter he is entitled to wear the 
bronze button of the club. To win a silver but¬ 
ton one must land a thirty-pound salmon, and for 
a gold button, a forty-pound salmon, with light 
tackle of specified weight. 
Steelhead Trout Season Opens in California 
By “Golden Gate.” 
