FOREST AND STREAM 
61 
handle, for the reason it is more conveni¬ 
ent to control the fly while carrying the rod. 
With rainbows it is better to fish a single 
fly, and it should always be tied on firm, 
without loop. It is my invariable custom 
to use a new fly after every fish is caught. 
Without such care, you are a discount, in 
fact you are simply at their mercy, for a 
rainbow will get the best of you with poor 
tackle, every time. I speak of large fish, 
not fingerlings. 
Two seasons ago in June at the junction 
of the Beaverkill and Willowmoc Rivers 
—locally known as the Fork—I captured at 
sundown in the space of twenty-seven min¬ 
utes’ fishing, three fish. A speckled trout 
of fourteen inches, a seventeen inch brown 
trout and the rainbow of eighteen and a 
half inches long, which I painted on birch 
bark the following day, and now shown 
with this article. 
The rippling, dividing line made by the 
meeting of the waters furnished a feast 
of living and dead insects. The water was 
deep and somewhat rough, yet I could see 
these and other fish rising in dead earnest 
almost every other second. The situation 
was rather difficult because of willows close 
behind and deep wading in front to drop 
a fly and float down naturally. 
I caught all three fish on a floating brown 
drake, though the rough water at times sub¬ 
merged the fly. This incident furnished me 
with a fairly good comparison as to the 
value of each species as to their gamy 
qualities. All leaped above the surface, all 
gave a stiff fight, and had it not been for 
the fading light others would have adorned 
my reel. The hotel proprietor where I 
stopped, upon viewing the fish upon a white 
platter, exclaimed, “I never saw so fair 
a sight.” The contrasting brilliancy of the 
three fish—all in perfect condition—made 
a beautiful and unusual picture. 
T HIS last season, further down the 
rivers, wide and deep, water flowing 
at a good pace, I stopped where two 
huge rocks rose above the surface, and 
only to be reached by a long cast when 
the river is low. This, my favorite of all 
fishing spots, never fails to furnish sport 
for the reason the fish make such long 
runs among boulders in deep waters. 
The lovely way a cocked fly sails back 
to me (fishing as I can up stream), the in¬ 
variable certainty of large size fish always, 
every time I am fortunate to get favorable 
conditions, fills one with a true joy and 
exquisite anticipation duly fulfilled, if not 
in capture, in splendid sport that more than 
satisfies. 
On this day, so rare indeed, everything 
was favorable. I reached the pool at 9 
A. M., warm, no wind, a hazy sun and low 
water and, I was sure, unfished before on 
that season because of heavy rains. My 
first cast must be my best—no bungling or 
mistakes and the fly must drop right, and 
must cock at a given place to sail round 
the boulder like the natural insects were 
doing at intervals, taken as I saw by a 
truly great fish. 
Letting out yard after yard of line, the 
fly sailing through the air above me, I 
kept it there till fifty feet was unreeled, 
then slowly lowered the tip, true to an inch. 
Scarcely a second after came a vigorous 
tug and out flashed a silvery, palpitating 
i 
The Kind That Brings the Smile to the 
Face of the Angler. 
thing above the surface. I thought surely 
it was an Atlantic salmon, with its small 
head, large white round belly and shiny 
silver sides, that had run up from the ocean 
past the upper reaches of the Delaware, 
possibly to spawn. It was no salmon, but 
every bit as good—yea, better, a four pound 
rainbow, the gamest trout that swims. 
Though I got two very nice fish that 
day, I lost the big one. He did let me have 
a strip of tough skin torn from his 
upper jaw. 
During the many years’ fishing I have 
enjoyed I can vividly recall many such en¬ 
counters and similar experiences where I 
have got rainbows and they got the best 
of me. Such experiences as these can, and 
should be more universal. The rainbow 
is easily propagated, responds to proper 
treatment, grows fast, and furnishes ex¬ 
quisite sport. 
The angling craft has multiplied to an 
extraordinary degree in later years. Old 
favorite fishing grounds are no longer avail¬ 
able to the masses, so that steps must be 
taken that .new ones must be forthcoming. 
HE Ashokan Dam is a splendid place 
and gives just the required chance 
for us to see that it gets stocked with 
at least five million rainbow fry. The val¬ 
ued contribution and suggestion in this 
month’s Forest and Stream, by the late 
Theodore Gordon, should be acted upon at 
once. To that end I invite readers to join 
and do something, either by suggestions, or 
by allied endeavor to induce our Conserva¬ 
tion Chief to make immediate preparation 
to stodk the city waters with fish, and also 
stock the water with ample supply of min¬ 
nows for their food. 
It is my intention to send Gordon’s ar¬ 
ticle with my own to the Conservation head, 
Mr. Pratt, along with any offered help 
from readers of this magazine. Our new 
city watershed is ideal for rainbows; 
the situation is perfect, only a short 
auto ride from the city amid lovely scenery. 
After the fish are there, proper rules and 
restrictions can be made by the Commis¬ 
sion, and ample facilities will soon appear 
in the shape of boarding hotels and farms 
located near the water with boats and 
other requirements to accommodate the 
large number of anglers anxious and will¬ 
ing to visit the place for fishing purposes. 
RESERVOIR FISHING PERMITTED BY 
A COLORADO CITY. 
Editor Forest and Stream : 
It was with great pleasure I read in your 
December issue, under the caption “Con¬ 
servatism,” the article entitled, “Good 
Fishing Near Large Cities,” by Theodore 
Gordon. 
Enclosed herewith you will please find 
the blank permit used by the City of Victor, 
Teller County, Colorado, for its reservoirs, 
the Bison Dam and Victor No. 2 reservoirs, 
situate within the Pike’s Peak Reservation 
at the western base of the Peak, at an alti¬ 
tude of 10,500 feet. 
These reservoirs for the past few years 
have been heavily stocked with native, rain¬ 
bow and eastern brook—native and rain¬ 
bow principally in the No. 2—received from 
the State and U. S. hatcheries in this State. 
During last season the reservoirs were 
thrown open to citizens of Victor, many 
in other towns of the Cripple Creek dis¬ 
trict, and to visitors, free of charge. 
The fishing was excellent. The Colo¬ 
rado trout season opens on May 25. On 
May 28 I landed at Bison forty-one trout, 
averaging three to the pound, using flies— 
coachman and grey hackle. Later in the 
season I caught twenty-one native and rain¬ 
bow at the No. 2, one weighing better than 
two pounds, a rainbow. Many eastern 
brook were caught later in the season at 
Bison, weighing two pounds or better. 
Next season fishing in these waters 
should be the best in the county. The 
reservoirs are located about six miles 
from both Victor and Cripple Creek, 
and are easily reached by auto or rig, while 
the Midland Terminal Railroad main line 
runs within two miles of the reservoir. 
During the fishing season the company 
makes a round trip rate of but 50 cents 
to Sylvanite or Gillett for the fisherman. 
As will be seen by the regulations print¬ 
ed on the back of the permit and drawn 
up by me for the city, no wading is per¬ 
mitted and as there are no boats, and rafts 
are also not permitted, all fishing must be 
done from the bank or shore. It will also 
be noticed that in addition to the city per¬ 
mit, a State fishing and hunting license is 
required, and the State regulations regard¬ 
ing the size and weight of fish permitted 
to be caught, must be observed. Caretaker 
Parker Tewkesberry is always on hand to 
see that no rules are broken, and there has 
been no disposition on the part of fisher¬ 
men to break them. 
On August 20, last, a “Good Roads Day” 
was arranged for, and no less than fifty- 
three volunteers, mine owners, superintend¬ 
ents, miners and business men turned out, 
while others unable to be present contrib¬ 
uted liberally—in excess of $200—while the 
city furnished teams and lunch. On this 
day the work by the volunteers placed the 
road to the reservoirs in excellent condi¬ 
tion. Lumber for bridges was bought with 
the money, and after its completion it was 
