May 2, 1908.] 
Trout Fishing in the Rockies. 
Lamar, Colo.. April 25.— Editor Forest and 
stream: No State in the Union can boast of 
nore scpiare miles of territory for trout fishing 
han Colorado. This area is of course limited 
10 the mountain sections. Since our National 
Democratic convention is to be held this year 
n Denver, 1 deem it no more than fair to ad- 
ise my Eastern brothers of the rod where they 
nay go most comfortably from Denver and what 
■an be expected of their quest after trout. 
Our trout west of the snowy range are all 
.almon-tinted and, as a rule, are more numerous 
m d larger than in the waters of the eastern 
vatershed. The fish known as the native in 
waters flowing east of the watershed are ycl- 
owish to dark-brown in color, depending on the 
degree of sunlight to which they are subjected, 
['hey have black spots and their flesh is white 
11 color. These are yery hardy fish and will 
ive in the snow water up to an altitude of about 
10,000 feet. 
In one stream that I explored carefully, there 
were found no fish whatever from this altitude 
to the stream’s source, a distance of eleven 
niles, although there existed as beautiful pools 
and riffles for them as there were below that 
altitude. I asked an old fisherman who had lived ' 
near the stream for twenty years as to the rea- 
ison for this, and his opinion is that the food 
iipon which the fish live does not exist at this 
distance from the stream’s source, owing to the 
low temperature of the water and of the at¬ 
mosphere during the time when the sun is not 
shining. 
The native trout are as eccentric in their 
ways of taking the fly as one could imagine. 
They will swim slowly toward the lure and when 
within a few inches, will suddenly dart and 
seize it. They seldom leap clear of the water 
as do the other species. They are really a 
better bait fish than the other species. Days 
when they absolutely refuse the fly, they can 
be relied upon to take bait. As to flavor—I ex¬ 
cept none—they are the best eating and of the 
most delicate flavor of any trout that swims, and 
I have tried them from the Alleghenies to 
Long's Peak. 
As to bait—I might add a word. Earth 
worms are not native to the soil in the Rockies, 
but exist only where planted near some spring 
or in moist ground. Grasshoppers are the 
standard bait and arc best used upon leaders 
weighted with a split shot about one foot above 
the hook, the reason for this being that the 
waters are so very swift that the bait is soon 
whipped off if allowed to float. 
Our standard species here is the rainbow, the 
stock originally coming from west of the range. 
Our State hatcheries stock the streams abun¬ 
dantly each year and are each year increasing 
the number of eggs deposited, the reason being 
that we are making trout fishing an attraction 
for Eastern tourists, and find that it pays to give 
them good fishing. The rainbow will not live 
the year round in as cold water as the native 
trout, but ascend to these cold waters during 
July and August, and are certainly the king of 
all trout when it comes to the fly. They strike 
from the bottom of the stream, take the fly like 
a savage bulldog and are as furious fighters as 
any fish ever hooked, leaping repeatedly from 
the water and shaking their bodies until your 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
699 
tackle is strained to the utmost. They will 
seldom strike more than once, and if a rain¬ 
bow really means business, you had as well move 
on after you have tried him once. 
They get their name from a beautiful stripe 
running lengthwise of the body on each side, 
ahd when held up to the sunlight the colors 
change to the various tints of the rainbow. 
They do this also when swimming, and it is a 
sight to gladden the heart of any angler. They 
grow to an enormous size, several being caught 
each year weighing as high as g/2 pounds. 
As to flies, the killers are coachman, royal- 
coachman, gray-hackle with red or yellow tail. 
Others are taken at times, such as split-willow, 
brown-palmer, king-of-the-waters, etc. Anglers 
as a rule use too large hooks here. I find No. 
12 to be the most effective and have followed 
men using larger hooks and have had success 
when they were landing but few. For the dark 
flies, I prefer the midget tied upon a No. 14. 
It is true you will break more hooks and lose 
more fish if you are careless, but then there is 
always more sport when you must use care in 
landing. It is best to use short leaders, as at 
IN THE COLORADO TROUT COUNTRY. 
Cabins like this one, Dr. Kellogg says, can be rented for 
one dollar per day. 
times the brush obscures the best pools and the 
line must be reeled up short. 
It is best to use waders, as the water is very 
cold and soon chills one not used to it. 1 have 
always avoided them until the past few years, 
preferring heavy woolen socks and underwear 
and high-topped leather boots, as one can then 
climb over the rocks and rough ground when 
waders would snag. It is best to have the bot¬ 
tom of the footwear well filled with hobnails, 
as the rocks are very slippery and will bring 
you to grief in wading the deeper pools. 
If any one imagines he must carry a full 
camp equipment when coming here, he is mis¬ 
taken, for there exist enough pleasant cottages 
throughout the mountains for all and rates are 
very reasonable. Such a cottage as shown in 
photograph can be secured for $1 per day, in¬ 
cluding bed clothing and board, and should you 
prefer to camp, there are always teams to be 
secured at the railway stations. 
There is now a brand new territory opened 
up by the Moffat railroad within easy reach of 
Denver, and of unexcelled fishing and hunting. 
The streams are the Frazer, Grand River, 
Williams- Fork of the Grand, Michigan Creek, 
etc. These can all be reached from Hot Sul¬ 
phur Springs, about 100 miles from Denver, 
over a road with as grand mountain scenery as 
there is in the State. 
Then should you not wish to go so far, there 
is Allen’s Park, Estes Park and Raymond’s 
Place. All of these latter places have not as 
good fishing, but far better than you have in 
the East. They can be reached by stage from 
Lyons, Colo., about 28 miles from Denver. 
Our season opens June 1, and lasts until 
Nov. 15. The fly-fishing begins about July 1 
and is best from the latter part of July up to 
Sept. 15, but trout can always be taken with the 
fly until the end of the season. 
If you camp it is best to 1 be well supplied with 
blankets, as the nights are cold, and at 9,000 
feet altitude you will find frost upon the grass 
nearly every morning. 
Should I meet any of you upon the stream 
this summer, you may be assured of my wel¬ 
come as a brother angler. 
J. H. Kellogg. 
Sunt Quos Juvat. 
Some it delights to travel o’er 
The world, and foreign lands explore 
With keen, observant eye; 
To note the customs and the ways 
Which to their view each land displays 
In wide diversity. 
Some it delights to hunt big game. 
And thereby bid for Nimrod’s fame 
With trophies many a one. 
The kingly lion whose loud roar 
Re-echoes on Zambesi’s shore, 
Falls victim to their gun. 
It pleases more to hunt the moose. 
To traverse bogs, with stunted spruce, 
In forest wilds to camp. 
To miss the monarch of the wastes, 
And note with sorrow he escapes, 
And that their shot is blank. 
Whilst others take a keen delight 
To pink the mallard in his flight, 
And wing him on the fly; 
Or in their spring or autumn flight 
To ambush wary geese at night. 
Made raucous with their cry. 
The courser, yachtj and kindred sports 
May do for those who have their "fortes” 
In racing and aquatics; 
In air-ships others take delight. 
And make a grand aerial flight. 
Keen on aerostatics. 
A gr.eater pleasure ’tis to ply 
The angler’s rod and mimic fly, 
And beat his troutship wary, 
By some meandering shady stream. 
Where crystal pools, sequestered seem 
The haunt of water-fairy. 
The speckled denizens that lie 
Concealed from an observant eye, 
Delight in depths secluded; 
To wonderful proportions grown 
And shrouded ’neath a bank or stone. 
Some trout lies undeluded; 
And wise in an experience firm 
Resists all lures, the choicest worm 
For him has no enticement. 
He fans the water with his fins, 
The coolest depths he lazily wins. 
To vanish in a moment. 
O, it delights when nature beams 
Occasionally with mystic gleams 
To view her pristine glory; 
And contemplate her scenes sublime, 
And note the marvelous design 
In nature’s wondrous story. 
C. T. Easton. 
All the fish lazvs of the United States and Can- 
ada, revised to date and now in force, are given 
in the Game Lazvs in Brief. See adv. 
