April 29, 1911.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
661 
Opening of Trout Season in Vermo nt 
Rutland, Vt., April 22.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: The trout season opened in Vermont 
April 15 with conditions so unfavorable that it 
was almost impossible to take a fish even in the 
most early streams. For years the first or middle 
of May has seen the opening of the season, but 
the last Legislature, on petition of anglers from 
the two southernmost counties of the State, Ben¬ 
nington and Windham, fixed the initial day four 
weeks earlier than under the old statute and cut 
out August fishing. 
W ith conditions such that it is necessary to 
reach under a shelf of ice to get one’s line into 
the water, to clamber over a snow bank to reach 
Whenever an occasional trout was caught it was 
found to be so thin that it was unfit for the 
table. 
Ihe snow has scarcely started in the moun¬ 
tains where lumbermen say it is three feet deep, 
and no fishing can be expected in this State for 
at least four weeks. E. White. 
Berlin, N. Y., April 23.— Editor Foi 'cst and 
Stream: Unusually cold weather and high water 
have made the trout season thus far uncomfort- 
ab'e and unprofitable. But few brook trout have 
been taken, and none of any size. The only 
large fish caught have been brown trout, of 
which more than usual have been captured, and 
their average weight must have been over one 
son shall take or disturb fish, birds or game on 
any private park or private lands, or trespass 
thereon for that purpose, [after notice as pre¬ 
scribed in this chapterj without permission of 
the owner of such private lands, or the owner 
or person or persons having exclusive right to 
hunt and fish in any private park. A person who 
violates any provision of this article is guilty of 
a misdemeanor and in addition thereto shall be 
subject to an action for exemplary damages [in 
the sum of] not exceeding $25 for each [offense 
or] trespass so committed [to be recovered by 
the owner of the lands, or hunting and fishing 
rights thereon, with costs of suit,] in addition 
to the actual damages sustained [, all of which 
may be recovered in the same action. The con- 
ON A VERMONT TROUT STREAM ON THE FIFTEENTH OF APRIL. 
the bank of a stream, and to put on a half-ounce 
of lead to sink a bait, the folly of attempting 
to fish in Vermont during April is well demon¬ 
strated. 
It was a common thing on opening day, which 
happened to be one of the warmest for some 
days, to see men along the streams wearing 
heavy overcoats and with hands gloved; those 
who had far to drive to reach the fishing 
grounds finding fur coats a necessity. So dis¬ 
couraging did the snowbanks in the woods and 
ice-clogged streams look that many anglers who 
had traveled long distances before daylight to 
be on the streams for the first fishing returned 
home without even putting their rods together. 
In meadow brooks where one might hope for 
early fishing the waters were so swollen that they 
overflowed their banks and nothing could be 
done. Even in the Battenkill and Otter Creek, 
Vermont’s favorite low country streams, noth¬ 
ing could be done because of the extreme cold. 
pound. At least one four-pounder was taken 
and several others were about two pounds in 
weight. Ice has formed almost every night dur¬ 
ing the past week, and there is still considerable 
snow on the mountains. The wind has been 
generally from the north, and as there is still 
much snow and ice beyond us, our days have 
been more than cool. Fishermen here believe 
that the trout will not move up toward the head¬ 
waters until it becomes mu.h warmer. 
Sandy. 
As to Trespass. 
1 he anglers of New York State are strenu¬ 
ously objecting to the passage by the Legisla¬ 
ture of Senator Fiero’s bill, relating to trespass. 
It amends Section 32 of Chapter 24 and reads 
as follows (matter in italics is new; matter in 
brackets is old law to be omitted) : 
“Sec. 32. Fish and game protected. No per- 
sent in writing of such owner to hunt or fish 
on said lands during the open season shall be 
a defense to a prosecution under this section.]” 
Sections 28, 29, 30, 31 and 33 are repealed, 
and Section 102 amended as follows: 
“Sect. 102. Taking game on certain lands [in 
Westchester county]. Game shall not be taken 
in a public highway, or on lands of a railway 
or lands purchased or condemned [for the Croton 
aqueduct within the county of Westchester] by 
any municipality within the State for the pur¬ 
pose of supplying such municipality with water 
and protecting the same from pollution or con¬ 
tamination. 
Sec. 4. This act shall take effect immedi¬ 
ately.” 
All the fish laws of the United States and 
Canada, revised to date and now in force, are 
given in the Game Laws in Brief. See adv. 
