1020 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[June 27, 190& 
Little Talks About Fly-Fishing. 
On the Neversink, June 17. — Editor Forest 
mid Stream: Some of our large mountain 
streams show the effects of the flood and heavy 
ice last February. Jams of ice, which form, 
hold for a short time, and then give way with 
a rush, are very destructive. The course of the 
stream is often changed, pools are filled up and 
good- holding places for trout obliterated. The 
tendency is for the rivers to become more tor¬ 
rential in character. 
I he water lowered and there was good fish¬ 
ing for a time early in May. When the trout 
first move from the deeps and begin to scatter 
they are hungry, and if conditions arc right, 
easily taken, hut this stock of fish is smaller 
than last year and there are not so many good 
fish. Quite a number of native trout were 
brought down by the high water from the upper 
reaches. I he best basket I have seen contained 
many fontinalis, but not one large trout of either 
species. 
Beginning rather late and confining myself 
pretty closely to a short section of one stream 
I have had to work hard for the fish I have 
taken. In May there was much rain and the 
water remained fairly high with a sharp rise 
at intervals. At present we are having a drouth 
and the streams are quite low. Two days of 
intense heat made the trout rather sulky and the 
development of algae was wonderfully rapid. 
I he February flood not only affected the river 
and the fish, but carried away or covered up 
many of the larva which have their homes in 
fhe gravel of the stream bed or under stones. 
Consequently (he natural flies have been in very 
light supply and made a poor showing. I have 
not seen a really large batch of water-born in¬ 
sects this season and have heard of only a few. 
\\ hen these appeared they were on the flats or 
pools where no great changes in bottom or form 
had occurred. 
As usual of recent years, there has been too 
much minnow fishing. I would rather follow 
ten fly-fishers than one man with minnow. The 
smaller the stream and lower the water, the 
worse it is. The trout are scared and put down, 
fhe stream seems dead and lifeless, sometimes 
for hours afterward. I have seen the trout go 
off the rise completely in a few minutes when 
taking the natural and artificial freely. A few 
casts of the minnow were sufficient on streams 
that were hard fished. A man who is poorly 
supplied with flies and tackle and can only afford 
an occasional day from his labor, feels that he 
must have a mess of trout for his family. It 
is not surprising that he resorts to any legal 
means to take fish, but the alleged fly-fisher, 
with his prize outfit and long experience, has 
no good reason for spoiling sport for other 
anglers who are compelled to follow him. He 
is not permitted to use bait on club or private 
water, but on free streams which are hard fished 
a few casts with the fly are made; then, if not 
immediately successful, worms, minnows or a 
spinner are put up. The large pools are, per¬ 
haps, fished with fly and then raked with min¬ 
now and spinner. A pleasant outlook remains 
foi, possibly, eight or ten anglers who come 
after him. 
I have thrashed this out with companions and 
we find that with the water clear and on the 
low side, it is practically useless to fish after 
minnow; at least, for some hours. I have fished 
on the heels of nine fly-fishers and had fair 
sport. 1 hat is, I smoked a pipe and fished very 
slow, to allow things to quiet down a bit. We 
have not a great deal of good free water and 
it seems to me that anglers of skill and experi¬ 
ence should practice a little self denial. They 
have great influence on other men and on the 
younger generation now coming forward. 
I know a number of anglers who were re¬ 
markably skillful with bait, but who have not 
used it in any form for years. They are will¬ 
ing to sacrifice something for the general good 
and for their own self satisfaction. I fancy that 
it is not possible for a man to enjoy the greatest 
pleasure in trout fishing unless he sticks to the 
artificial fly. That is my own experience. If 
one uses any bait or lure to get trout he has 
less faith in the artificial insect and often puts 
it aside when a little study and patience would 
have brought a fair reward. 
About fifteen years ago I saw what mischief 
a single individual could work in a season— 
what a nuisance and spoil sport he might be 
come. Our trout are not as numerous as they 
were in the old time, and it is well that they 
should be able to feed upon something without: 
finding a hook in it. Minnows are excellent for 
promoting the rapid growth off trout, and a big 
fish will often rise to the fly when he is literally 
crammed with these little baits. One of these 
old corkers disgorged sixteen minnows that 
were bright and fresh. Probably there were 
more in his stomach. 
I he scarcity of insects has detracted a good 
deal from the pleasure of fishing this season. 
I have only secured a single specimen of the 
large brownish ephemera which was plentiful 
at one time on the Hsopus. I fancy that some 
species do not appear regularly every year, and 
that others require special conditions of weather 
or water to hatch out in great numbers. There 
is nothing more interesting than trying to hit 
it ai ight when the trout are really busy feeding 
upon a particular fly. There are days when they 
will accept almost any good flies, but again they 
have the color down fine and pay not the slight¬ 
est attention to your poor counterfeit. Then, 
indeed, you may regret it if you have neither 
bought nor tied an assortment of small flies you 
know should have been at hand. In an hour 
or two j'ou may have sport that will compen¬ 
sate you for much ill fortune and remain a 
Pleasant memory for years. Last season 1 had 
several experiences of this kind. This year not 
one opportunity. One afternoon this week I 
loafed agreeably by a large deep pool, waiting 
for developments, while the shadows gradually 
crept across the water from the high wooded 
bank upon my side. At last a few fish began 
rising very gently. I feared that they were 
small, but sometimes large trout give this idea 
when taking tiny insects. I must have wasted 
considerable time before I had my reward, and 
that was poor enough. They were small native 
trout, and after returning a couple I adjourned 
to another pool. It is discouraging to find baby 
trout at work where big chaps should be. In 
the next pool I saw but two rises in an hour, 
hut these were decent fish. I have seen that 
same water alive with feeding trout. 
There is one stout fellow at the pool’s foot, 
but he lies away down in the shallow and is 
mighty easily scared. As I reposed against a 
sandy bank a brother angler-came from below, 
casting his flies steadily, but in a prefunctory 
manner. It was easy to see that he was dis- I 
couraged. He told me that it was the only day 
he had had this season. He knew that there 
had been much fishing and that it was one of 
the warmest days ever known hereabout in June. 
Vet he had hoped. His fancy had painted a 
charming picture of bright waters and sportive 
trout. I trust that he was successful in the even¬ 
ing when that blazing sun was hidden behind 
tlie western hills and the air was cool and rest¬ 
ful. A few trout then would send him home 
in happy mood. He had no idea of quitting, 
but had little hope. To thoroughly enjoy a day 
by the brook or river one should have a little 
success; some-measure of sport early in the day. 
With half a dozen good fish in the creel the 
mind is at rest. The trout are there. We have 
proved it, and we can take more interest in the 
beauty of our surroundings, the clear rushing 
water of the rifts and deep pools, the tender 
verdure of young June and the wooded hills 
about us. We note all the birds and insects, the 
traces of animal life on the margin of the 
stream, where footprints may be seen. 
The muskrats are here, but where are they? 
There are few places for their retreats. I have 
seen more of them in September and captured 
one in a large landing net years ago. 
I will try the Beaverkill next week, but do 
not expect to have much sport. Day by day 
the streams are falling. We have not had a 
hard shower for two weeks. The Neversink is 
an ambitious river and wishes to occupy the 
whole valley. In the last few years it has 
carried away much meadow and other land 
when in flood. The consequence is that when 
the water returns to normal level vast expanses 
of stones and gravel are exposed with a com¬ 
paratively small stream flowing in the neighbor 
hood. Over these cobbles, and rocks the tired 
fisherman stumbles and staggers in heavy waders. 
I stubbed my toe and fell heavily yesterday. 
There were many fishermen this year. Some 
men sit in a barroom all day, after engaging a 
couple of local anglers to fish for them. Their 
ideas of what constitutes sport are peculiar, but 
they usually return to the city with a large num¬ 
ber of trout. Doubtless they enjoy a fine repu¬ 
tation at home. Greed and the spirit of com¬ 
petition. should have no place on the trout 
stream. It is amusing, however, to see a num¬ 
ber of men trying to get ahead of each other 
and to fish all the best water first. We are not 
here to run foot races or to get the best of the 
other fellow. Take it easy, fish slowly and very 
probably you will have as much success as any¬ 
one. A decent bait or minnow fisher will prob¬ 
ably ask you to precede him. He knows that 
your fly-fishing will not injure his chances, while 
his methods will spoil sport for you. 
I am sorry that quite a number of anglers 
were disappointed this season, but it is not sur¬ 
prising when one remembers how many visitors 
there were and the large number of trout killed 
in a short time. At last the skies are overcast 
and a gentle rain is falling. This will benefit 
all growing things and freshen up the streams 
if it continues. Theodore Gordon. 
All the fish laws of the United States and Can¬ 
ada, revised to date and now in force, are given 
in the Game Laws in Brief. See adv. 
