April 24, 1909.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
659 
coming into contact with the rocks and chafing 
through. Mr. Parnell, who landed the g}i- 
pound trout last season, is also having splen¬ 
did sport, and has caught a number of three- 
pound and four-pound fish. Mr. Gorrick’s 
eight-pounder was two inches longer than Mr. 
Parnell’s, but had not the same depth or girth. 
Mr. Gorrick also caught some beautiful trout in 
the Thredbo. The heaviest scaled five pounds, 
the others ranging between two and four 
pounds. It is of interest to know that so far 
this is the record catch of large trout on the 
Snowy, no one else having previously caught 
so many large fish at one outing. Dr. Russell 
Nolan has caught twenty-four trout, the heaviest 
a four-pounder. The river at present is in per¬ 
fect condition for fly-fishing, and the trout are 
heavier and in better condition than ever be¬ 
fore, besides being far more plentiful. Fine 
casts, owing to the clear water, are absolutely 
necessary, but they must be of best quality and 
strong to hold the big fish.” ■" 
Illinois Baii-Casiing Club. 
Chicago, Ill., April Editor Forest and 
Stream: The club held its first meeting and 
banquet of 1909 at the Warner Hotel, April 12. 
Quite a progressive programme was outlined. 
The events for the season's contests are to 
be quarter-ounce and half-ounce accuracy and 
quarter-ounce and half-ounce distance bait, accu¬ 
racy fly, delicacy fly, dry fly, distance and sal¬ 
mon fly. The committee was also instructed to 
provide for a tournament in the autumn. 
The resignation of W. O. Van Tresse as sec¬ 
retary was accepted, he having permanently left 
the city. H. F, Bennett was elected to fill the 
same office. 
The system of degree buttons for the sea¬ 
son’s averages of scores was continued, also 
changing the name of amateur button to pro¬ 
ficiency button for scores averaging 95 per cent., 
the other degrees being that of e.xpert for 
scores 97 per cent, or better, master for scores 
g8 per cent, or better, and artist for scores gg 
per cent, or better in bait events. 
The degrees in the fly events are proficiency 
degree for scores 95 per cent, or better; expert 
for scores averaging 97 per cent, or better; mas¬ 
ter for scores gSj/2 per cent, or better; artist 
for scores averaging ggyi per cent, or better. 
A suitable trophy was also determined on for 
any member making a perfect score in either 
bait or fly events. 
The following preamble was introduced and 
passed without a dissenting vote: 
Whereas, there has been some discussion in 
some other clubs relative to modifying Article 
2, Sections 4 and 5 of the National Associa¬ 
tion of Scientific Angling Clubs’ constitution, 
and 
Whereas, the members of the Illinois Bait- 
Casting Club who were delegated to assist in 
drafting this constitution labored with their col¬ 
leagues from the other clubs, to formulate this 
constitution along high ideals, for the best in¬ 
terests of the larger number of sportsmen, as 
sportsmen, and 
Whereas, in drafting the article relative to 
professionalism, their purpose was in no sense 
nor manner to bar expertness, nor even to con¬ 
sider expertness, but such purpose was to keep 
the sport free from commercialism. With this 
in view they considered the matter from that 
of motive and followed the line of intent, which 
under any and all circumstances would be domi¬ 
nant and there drew the line, appreciating that 
in this sport more than any other, perhaps, con¬ 
testants were makers of a part of their own 
tools or equipment and that such ability used 
for their own use or their friends was not com¬ 
mercialism, nor would be, until it became a fac¬ 
tor in their livelihood. Therefore, be it 
Resolved, that it is the sense of this meet¬ 
ing that the article be maintained, and be not 
changed, but remain as it is, and that the 
national executive committee member and na¬ 
tional delegate to the National Association of 
Scientific Angling Clubs be instructed to so vote 
and use their best efforts to this end. 
E. P. Sperry, of the Chicago Fly-Casting 
Club, who was chosen to represent the interests 
of 3.000 organized anglers and a multitude of 
unorganized anglers in Illinois and to present 
their interests before the Legislature in behalf 
of a revision of the fishing laws, reviewed the 
work being done and reported progress. The 
abstract of the bill to be acted on indicates a 
great advance toward better protection of fish, 
more humane methods, and discloses a spirit 
of progress that will equal that recorded in the 
laws of any other State. 
The guests of the evening from the Anglers’ 
Club of Chicago, the North Shore Casting Club 
and the Chicago Fly-Casting Club spoke in¬ 
terestingly on topics relating to angling and 
tournament casting. The report of the presi¬ 
dent of the National Association of Scientific 
.Angling Clubs relative to the national tourna¬ 
ment to be given in New York was received 
with much interest and greeted with applayse 
when notice was given that the tournament was 
to be purely an amateur one, 
H. F. Bennett, Sec’y. 
Southern California Rod and Reel Club 
Los Angeles, Cal., .April 10.— Editor Forest 
and Stream: The Southern California Rod and 
Reel Club, at its March meeting, made arrange¬ 
ments for the triplicate angling tournament to 
be conducted by the club this summer. Rules 
for the three-six competition, which is ex¬ 
pected to prove the feature of the year, were 
adopted. A scheme for the fixing of weighing 
stations at which the exact size of fish entered 
could be vouched for under circumstances 
leaving no ground for doubt, was approved, 
and a committee chosen to secure men at each 
resort who would attend to the matter. There 
being some local conditions affecting bait-cast¬ 
ing which are not covered in the National As¬ 
sociation rules, a new section to be added to 
the list of events was adopted, covering the re¬ 
quirements of the game as conducted by the 
club. 
A proposition regarding the securing of a 
permanent home at reasonable rental, with ul¬ 
timate purchase in view, was presented, the lo¬ 
cation being on the new inner harbor at West 
Long Beach now being dredged by the gov¬ 
ernment. 1 
Announcement of the passage of the club's 
fish bill, providing a limitation of the taking of 
corbina or surf fish, spotfin croakers and yel- 
lowfins, our principal alongshore game fishes, 
was greeted with satisfaction. This bill only 
lacks the governor's signature, which already 
has been promised to all game and fish meas¬ 
ures which ha\e the approval of the State Game 
and Fish Protective Association as the bill 
under discussion had. By its terms it is a 
misdemeanor to take any of these fish except¬ 
ing with hook and line. In the past, the meth¬ 
ods followed by the small-mesh shore seiners 
have been shockingly destructive of the sport¬ 
ing material along this coast. Tons of small 
fish, veritable fry, have been killed at a haul, to 
be left to feed gulls and rot. The effect is 
wofully apparent in the marked diminution in 
supply. 
The club decided to make a casting tourna¬ 
ment a monthly feature, contestants and spec¬ 
tators to provide their own lunches. 
The rules adopted are almost the same as the 
National Association’s half-ounce distance 
event, excepting that a 2j4ounce weight is pro¬ 
vided, and a lawn is not insisted upon for the 
courses. Singlehanded casting, overhead, 
underhand or sling, is permitted. 
The button tournament weights, open to 9- 
thread line and loL^-ounce, and three-six, are 
as follows, the first figures after the name of 
the fish being the weight for the inshore, or blue 
button, the second for the white star: 
Yellovvtail . 30 40 
Tuna . 40 60 
Black sea bass... 150 400 
White sea bass . 40 60 
Albacore . 35 50 
Striped bass . 10 25 
Corbina . 6 8% 
Croaker . 9 12 
Yellowfin . 4 7 
Rock bass . 1 12 
The three-six rules adopted are similar to the 
Catalina conditions. A 6-ounce, 6-foot rod, 
butt not over i2 inches, all-metal reelseat, de¬ 
tachable tip of bamboo or other wood, and a 
linen line of six strands, testing not more than 
14 pounds in 15-foot lengths, covers the speci¬ 
fications. 
The club will issue cards upon qualification 
and buttons upon earning them by taking fish 
of certain weights upon the prescribed tackle. 
The scale of weights fixed for the three-six 
competition follows' 
Card. Button. 
Yellowtail • . 
. IS 
. 18 
30 
36 
Black sea bass . 
. 18 
36 
White sea bass. 
. 18 
36 
. 18 
36 
10 
Corbina . 
. 5 
8 
Edwin L. Hedderly. 
Rhymes of Stream and Forest. 
Mr. Buckland’s charming volume, “Rhymes 
of the Stream and Forest,” appears, in very 
happy time. No reading in the world suits so 
well 'the delightful days which are now close 
upon us—days when the air is warm and soft, 
and when myriads of tiny insects dance in the air, 
when the red-winged blackbird gurgles from his 
perch over the brook and the blossoms of the 
soft maple are beginning to redden the ground. 
A thorough angler, Mr. Buckland is happy also 
in being able to express in delightful form the 
thoughts which many of us may possess, but 
few can give utterance to. His poems are full 
of real feeling, and will touch a responsive chord 
in the real angler’s heart. 
The volume will be published by the Forest 
and Stream Publishing Co. about May i and the 
price will be $1.25. 
