60 
FOREST AND STREAM 
CONSERVATION 
Some of the Magnificent Scenery in the New Ashokan Lake Region, Right Next Door to the Big City of New York 
OUR RAINBOWS 
THEODORE GORDON’S PET PLAN TO STOCK 
ASHOKAN MEETS HEARTY APPROVAL 
By Louis Rhead. 
T has been my desire 
for a long time to give 
some truthful personal 
experience with this 
truly noble antagonist, and 
the late Mr. Gordon’s ar¬ 
ticle in December Forest 
and Stream 
immediate 1 y 
inspired in 
me a new 
thought: 
viz., to get 
and utilize 
ample water 
(as yet, un- 
c o n t a m - 
inated with inferior fish) to supply New 
York State and nearby anglers with superb 
fishing, more than is now available in the 
temperate zone of the Eastern States. 
As for many other good things, we must 
alike go West for really great fishing after 
rainbows, unless we indulge ourselves in 
trying the well stocked and artificially fed 
private preserves now so common in the 
East. But the difference between rain¬ 
bows reared and fed in private waters to 
those which spawn, feed and grow in a 
wild state is astonishingly great. They are 
two distinct fish, so far as gaminess, beauty 
of form, and edible qualities are concerned. 
My experience with this fish is confined 
to the Eastern States; though planted years 
ago they are now natural to the rivers 
where found. I speak solely of wild fish— 
that is, fish matured from natural spawn, 
not planted, or even fingerlings or fry by 
stocking methods. To my mind a wild fish 
must have had grandparents born in the 
water it inhabits. I know their habit is to 
wander away if they can, I know it is their 
peculiar habit to go from the place where 
the young are planted. 
At the same time, they will stay in cer¬ 
tain places for years, if that water is suit¬ 
able and contains the right food, and an 
abundance of it. No rainbows should be 
planted in any water with a scarcity of 
minnows. If they be planted, all four va¬ 
rieties of minnows should be planted with 
the rainbows. Minnows are quick to mul¬ 
tiply in any water that is clear and cool. 
Because of their exceedingly voracious 
nature, rainbows are quicker to respond to 
the angler than either the speckled or brown 
trout, especially so on flies or live minnows, 
also gaudy spinner flies and small silvery 
artificial minnows, like my small feather 
minnows. Rainbows also are ten times 
more difficult to handle, to play, and to 
land than the other two species mentioned, 
which is due entirely to their extraordinar¬ 
ily rapid movements and determined efforts 
to escape. While at times they take the 
worm as a bait, flies or minnows are by far 
a better lure. A little seven inch rainbow 
(all such, and up to nine inches should.be 
returned to the water) is just as vigorous 
for its size in taking a line as are those 
of more mature age. When they do attain 
to sixteen inches and over they are superb, 
especially so in swift water running 
through rocks and boulders. 
Numerous and remarkable experiences 
have I had with these large fish, and 
though, having lost so many, it is not due 
to nervousness or lack of skill or knowl¬ 
edge of their peculiar habits, but rather to 
their superior strategy in combat. 
Therefore, for such a fish, it is neces¬ 
sary to make it a point to be always pre¬ 
pared with perfect tackle,—a good rod, 
good line (tapered if you please), new, and 
tested tapered gut of generous length. I 
like my gut leaders to reach from an inch 
of the rod tip to the middle of the butt 
