_ 
704 FOREST AND STREAM 
it is the better fly two-thirds of the time. Still, 
glassy pools, even smooth waters, come few and 
far between, but, where they are, there the dry 
fly is a valuable addition to the anglers’ outfit. 
You might change my article (in the paragraph 
in question) to read thus: “The wide range of 
difference between some wet flies and the dry 
fly lies in the fact that a good number of wet 
flies are an imitation of no special thing active 
and living, while the majority of the dry flies 
purport to be an imitation of natural flies.” This 
would exclude the wet flies that make good dry 
flies, namely the suggested millers, gnats, etc. It 
would be interesting to know the number of cap¬ 
tures made with wet flies as they fall lightly to 
water and for a moment ride the brim. Cap¬ 
tures have been made wherein two-thirds of the 
time the wet fly has lain on the surface but a 
scant moment before they were seized. In my 
great number of articles printed in the universal 
outdoor press I have always suggested that the 
fly be cast easily to water, expecting, first, a rise 
SHOOTING NOTES FROM CALIFORNIA. 
By Edward T. Martin. 
The shooting season for quail and waterfowl 
opened in California on the 15th of October. On 
waterfowl the former state law was amended at 
the last session of the legislature and made to 
correspond with the Federal Law, the season clos¬ 
ing February 1 instead of March 1 as before. 
But shooting is permitted half an hour before 
sunrise and half an hour after sunset (section 
626 m.) in place of sunrise and sunset—the 
Federal law limit. 
Opening day there was an unusually large 
number of home bred ducks over the entire 
northern and central parts of the state and limit 
bags of mallard, sprig and teal was the rule 
on all preserves and baited ponds. 
On the Alvarade marsh territory that on 
three occasions was searched carefully by the 
State Game Farm men for eggs for home hatch¬ 
ing, several thousand young birds were in evi¬ 
dence mainly on the Smith preserves and Hess 
private ponds, this showing how carefully a duck 
will conceal her nest. The writer in company 
with Dr. Harold C. Bryant, Game expert of the 
Commission and Supt. Dirks of the game farm, 
twice combed the marsh in question so thoroughly 
it did not seem possible a nest could have been 
overlooked or even an egg missed—more than 
300 were gathered—yet when hatching time came 
ocular demonstration was given that many more 
eggs had escaped our notice than were secured. 
These home bred ducks all picked up and left 
so that recently shooting had been poor. North¬ 
ern birds are just commencing to work in and 
the shooters are hoping that both bay and ponds, 
open grounds and preserves, will soon be popu¬ 
lous with canvas and blue bill as well as the shoal 
water varieties. 
Quail also were plentiful at the start but in 
marching army rushed to the attack. Men, women, 
boys, by hundreds and the quail in these parts 
alive and unhurt on the morning of the 16th 
as it lies on that surface; second, failing at this, 
then the fly submerges and is drawn in the water, 
to assure the open and close of hackles, thus 
purporting to imitate the drowning, struggling 
insect. 
Dr. Edward Breck, author of “The Way of 
the Woods,” etc.: I suppose that I may subscribe 
to your paragraph in answer to Mr. Lincoln. We 
old chaps all know that laying down any hard 
and fast rules for trout is a futile undertaking; 
there are so many exceptions, and les extremes 
se touchent so very often. Many wet flies are 
certainly not imitations of natural flies nor are 
meant to be; as, for example, the Parmachenee 
Belle, which they say Wells fashioned to imitate 
the belly-fin of a trout, always known to be a 
killing lure. “Non-university” trout grab any¬ 
thing that looks like food, whether it has the 
appearance of an insect or something else. The 
more educated fish of the more southern waters 
may make finer distinctions. It is a vast subject, 
and as many authorities may be found for al¬ 
blessed their lucky stars, took to thick brush and 
are so educated now that it requires good 
dogs and hard tramping to get even enough for 
an invalid’s breakfast. 
There was one particular party of four that on 
the 15th and 16th killed nearly 100 birds. To do 
so they fired some 430 shots, every one easy and 
at close range. That is as easy as shooting on 
a bush covered California hill side ever is. Ten 
days later three of the same men tramped many 
hours over the same ground, fired only about 30 
shots and got but 6 quail, which shows how 
quickly game becomes educated and learns to 
adopt the “safety first” rule. 
The Game Commission estimates 12,000 deer 
to have been killed during the season just dosed. 
My own idea is that 18,000 would be more nearly 
correct as I am sure not one deer out of every 
two killed is reported. Besides on outlying 
ranches and in far mountain camps there is never 
any close season and on the beat of one or two 
deputy wardens that I have been told of, the 
policy is “so as you boys only kill what you 
wish to eat and keep the hides and horns where 
I don’t stumble on to them it is all right.” The 
fact the deputy knows no local jury will convict 
a native of the parts in question even should he 
FISHING LICENSES FOR NEW YORK. 
Albany, N. Y., Nov. 4, 1915. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Every fisherman, meaning line fishermen, of 
course, will be interested in the assertion of Con¬ 
servation Commissioner George D. Pratt that he 
intends to ask the legislature to amend the law 
so as to license them. The plan is to add fisher¬ 
men to hunters and trappers without increasing 
the $10 fee which hunters have for some time 
paid. Incidentally the plan involves the addition 
of about 200,000 anglers to the 200,000 hunters 
and trappers now paying the license. 
In return for the fee, Commissioner Pratt 
promises that he will undertake to improve fish¬ 
ing conditions in the inland waters of the state 
most any statement as for the several pronuncia¬ 
tions of the word “Bysantine!” You remember 
the scoffing English angler who dyed his dry 
flies blue and red and took a lot of fish with 
them, to the scandal of the purists! The charm 
of the whole thing is precisely that there are no 
rules. It is like style in writing English. Every 
man makes his own. Whether it is more pleasing 
in the sight of Saint Izaak to wait for a fish to 
begin feeding before casting over him, or for a 
man to sally forth, and, by dint of knowledge 
and patience and skill, actually make the trout 
rise to his lure, what arrogant mortal shall judge? 
Charles Hallock, author of “The Sportsman’s 
Gazatteer,” “The Salmon Fisher,” etc.: I have 
nothing more to say. I hung up my trout rod 
last summer at Chesterfield, Mass., in my eighty- 
second year. So, my fly book is closed. Let 
younger anglers do the talking and discuss ad 
infinitum. Flies are not on my line. Goodbye. 
“To frame the little animal 
Let Nature guide thee.” —Gay. 
and he already has selected the Oneida district 
for scientific and exhaustive study. It is pro¬ 
posed to find out what fish are fitted for the 
waters before stocking them, to find out the na¬ 
tural food supply and the amount of it, and gen¬ 
erally to record those things which long ago 
should have been known by those entrusted with 
the work of keeping up the supply of fish. It is 
admitted that the hunters never got much of 
anything for the hundreds of thousands of dol¬ 
lars they have paid to the state, but Commissioner 
Pratt promises that the fishermen will be treated 
differently. 
Should the combination license idea prevail, 
as there are many reasons why it should, every 
man who goes a fishing will have a real interest 
in the lakes and streams which he frequents. The 
fishermen also will be able legally to have a gun 
in camp as protection and for use against animal 
nuisances which sometimes favor campers with 
their presence. Also the rifle may be used for 
target practice when fishing is bad. There will 
be no license required for women, unless they 
fish to sell, nor for boys under 16 years. 
It remains to see how the people will regard 
the plan, but it may be said that many anglers 
already have spoken in favor of it. If it leads 
to a scientific fishing law, it is the judgment of 
many that it will surely have achieved one really 
useful purpose. 
John D. Whish. 
WILL A DOG RUN FROM A RABBIT? 
Will a dog run from a rabbit? “Office Ap¬ 
pliances,” in describing the trip of the Station¬ 
ers’ Convention through Glacier Park, says that 
several observers testified that they saw a rabbit 
chase a dog from its sojourning-ground in the 
park. Other members of the Convention de¬ 
rided the story, saying that the “rabbit” was 
one of those pretty black and white animals 
that know well how to make themselves 
shunned. The original observers return to the 
attack by making affidavits that the rabbit was 
a real one, and by submitting a photograph of 
themselves as men unlikely to prevaricate about 
a matter that did not concern business!—Outlook. 
