686 
FOREST AND STREAM 
June i, 1912 
away their young were in the nest. On our re¬ 
turn, as we were approaching the lodges, an 
owl perched in a tree viewed us seemingly as 
trespassers. 
The next day two of the men of our party 
went fishing and returned with a well filled creel. 
One of the men and two of the ladies had an 
enjoyable walk to a garnet mine, where they 
were welcome to such garnets as were found 
near the surface. 
On Monday morning we took a new trail, atid 
accompanying us were two sisters, one a smil¬ 
ing baby and the other forty months old, who 
were comfortably quartered in boxes securely 
strapped on each side of a wise burro who 
stepped cautiously, seemingly aware that he was 
in charge of a precious burden. Moss hung in 
small festoons from the trees. We saw alpine 
junipers, balsam firs, pinons, spruce and many 
kinds of wild flowers, including Mariposa lilies, 
buttercups, floral firecrackers, bluebells and col¬ 
umbines. Wild strawberries were ripe and 
sweet. We lunched in one of nature’s parks 
beside a cold spring, and our burros then car¬ 
ried us to the summit of Elk Mountain, about 
12.000 feet above sea level, where with wonder 
and delight we looked first in one direction 
and then another, noon the stupendous and 
sublime panorama which completely surrounded 
us. 
It is remarkable how far the vision reaches 
T he Big Laramie River, although not as large 
as its name implies, is a fair-sized stream, 
rising at an elevation of about loooo feet, 
not far from the summit of the Medicine Bow 
Range, in Northern Colorado, and flowing north¬ 
ward. At first it is a merry little stream, romp¬ 
ing through the willows, then out into the sun¬ 
shine, full of miniature cataracts and whirlpools. 
Later it is augmented by mountain streams from 
either side, spreading with more dignity and com¬ 
posure, and after leaving the mountains winds 
across the Laramie plains quite placidly. It is 
a pretty valley through which it first wends its 
w'ay, the pine-clad slopes of Medicine Bow on 
one side and rugged mountains of lesser magni¬ 
tude on the other; in summer a sunny fairyland 
set out in white-barked aspen trees, carpeted with 
a great variety of brilliant colored wild flowers, 
and here and there clumps of blue Colorado 
columbine. The river falls from twenty to forty 
feet to the mile, but gradually creating condi¬ 
tions which afford all kinds of sport to the fly- 
fisherman. 
The fishing is better in the mountains, or be¬ 
fore the river reaches the Laramie plains, where 
the water is colder and entirely free from alkali. 
The upper part of the river is rather off the 
beaten track, and to one fastidious in his tastes, 
the food is far from dainty, though ample and 
wholesome, and would make him yearn for a 
cuisine of more variety and luxury. But to the 
true and enthusiastic disciple of Izaak Walton, 
when one is high up on a mountain. Several 
mountain ranges were visible. Miles away near 
two peaks great quantities of snow accentuated 
the dark, intervening mountain shadows. At all 
points of the compass we had an unobstructed 
view. Clouds were above and below us. Far 
away in different directions, widely separated by 
ethereal space, we saw at one and the same time, 
five distinct showers of rain. To us this was 
one of the seven wonders of the world, or to 
be more explicit, one of the seven times seven 
wonders of the world, for wonders are plentiful 
and apparent to those who make use of mind 
and eye conjointly. 
After a night’s rest our minds were surcharged 
with thoughts, which for days had peacefully 
slumbered. Duty had beckoned us; on poesy we 
had feasted and gaiety had been denied by fate. 
Hasty preparations were made for a return to 
what is known as advanced civilization, where 
man ignobly tramples on his brother in the mad 
race for supremacy. Bettered physically and 
spiritually, regretfully we departed from that 
sky land of romance, enchantment and day 
dreams—the place ideal for driads, naiads, elves, 
Pan and h’s nymphs. Nature’s symphony ex¬ 
pressed in high elevation forest, stream, wood 
life, water life and sapph're sky. Soon we were 
again of that ebullient and incongruous sea of 
humanity, with its jetsam, flotsam, maelstrom, 
compelling ebb and flow, storm and calm. • 
paradise holds no greater charm than this river 
affords. 
Anybody can catch some fish here, but the 
scientific wielder of the rod may hook as many 
as he desires, seeking the big ones in their still 
pools, tempting the more restless and active in 
the ripples, or whip the stream in any kind of 
water that suits his fancy. The average catch 
will be lively ones weighing a trifle over a pound, 
and the good fisherman will have several from 
two pounds up to six. I have seen a nine-pound 
German brown trout taken from the river and 
some rainbow even larger. The law allows a 
daily catch of twenty pounds, but I have never 
noticed anyone weighing his basket, and have 
known of individuals catching more than one 
hundred in a day. 
The Wyoming fish commissioners and not God 
Almighty, planted these rainbow, German brown. 
Eastern brook and salmon trout in this stream. 
The Indians and early settlers found no fish in 
the Laramie, save the red horse sucker and a 
specie of mullet. 
The Colorado fish season opens the first of 
June and closes the last day of September. Wyo¬ 
ming has no closed season, but as the river is 
too high and often too mudd}' from washouts 
for fly-fishing in the spring, the wriggling worm 
invariably finds its way to the mouth of a sucker. 
Colorado might quite as well follow Wyoming’s 
e.xample in regards to its portion of the Laram'e 
River. 
In June the royal coachman is by far the best 
fly, although I use a hackle as a second. Later, 
on I have better success with a silver doctor and 
in September, when the water is lower and clear 
as crystal, a black gnat seems most efficient. At 
times almost any fly is eagerly taken, provided 
its color is not too brilliant. I have tried by 
way of experiment the parmachene-belle and 
Montreal, but have never got a rise with them. 
Great quantities of beaver inhabit the stream, 
continually working and damming, transforming 
the slues and inlets into miniature lakes from 
which I have landed many big fish. Some years, 
when there is a heavy snow fall in the moun¬ 
tains, the river overflows its banks considerably, 
and on receding leaves quantities of fish in these 
ponds and there they sta}' for several years in 
luxury. These ponds are too deep to wade and 
are difficult places for casting on account of the 
pussy-willows that surround them, but one is 
well repaid when he hooks a big fellow, fat and 
full of argument and alertness. 
For a variety of excellent trout fishing in a 
most delightful and invigorating climate, I doubt 
if the upper part of the Big Laramie River has 
an equal. 
THE TOP RAIL. 
A Chicago amateur fisherman had fished all 
day, but could not seem to drop the fly where 
the fish were. As he trudged home, he tried to 
forget the jibing his club friends would cast his 
way. Wading up the stream ahead of him he 
saw a man, creelless, and with a fine string of 
trout strung over his shoulder. Being in Illinois 
he knew he could not catch a mess of speckled 
beauties with a silver hook, but he did want to 
take home at least a sufficient number to prevent 
his reputation being imputed. He overtook 
the fisherman, a young Irishman, whose flies 
were dug from the garden back of the barn. 
By way of introduction the luckless fisherman 
opened the conversation in the usual way: ■ “Fine 
string of fish you have.’’ “Yes,” said the Irish¬ 
man. “Are you fond of fishing?” asked the luck¬ 
less. “Fond av it, did you say! Shure, it’s me 
besettin’ hin. You might say,” said the Irishman 
with a twinkle in his eye, “it’s the hin as lays the 
golden eggs. I see ye have no fish. No! Put 
it right over on that stump; thank ye,” and in 
the State where a silver hook is legally outlawed, 
the man luckless with a fly profited by “the be¬ 
settin’ hin.” 
^ ^ ^ 
C. C. Bateman, of Carlock,, Ill., transferred 
five eggs which he found in an owl’s nest in the 
timber near his home to a dove cote at h's home. 
The owls were hatched by a pigeon and all are 
thriving. The pigeon has registered no objec¬ 
tion to the changelings, but is feeding them and 
giving them as much attention as if they were 
of the same species. The unusual mixture is at¬ 
tracting much attention. Grizzly King. 
Trout Fishing on the Big Laramie 
By R. W. RATHBORNE, JR. 
