

860 FOREST AND STREAM. [Nov. 30, 1907. 








of salted trout, and of a valuable fertilizer in may still be maintained in inland waters, even Striped bass fishing is steadily improving. } 
the shape of trout and grayling fry. in the older States. . Large catches have been made in San Antonio 
I have made three’ efforts to have the use I consider that it should be the duty of slough. No records have, however, been 


of the device made compulsory by incorporat- every angler in this assembly, individually and 
ing such a provision as a section of the game collectively, to employ every means to educate who had been stretching nets across the mouth 
and fish laws of Montana. But twice the com- the people to a proper sense and appreciation of the slough at nightfall for the last few 
mittee on fish and game cut it out, for the of protective measures, not only for fish, but months have been driven away. Fine specimens 
reason that it might jeopardize the rest of the for the waters as well, and to use their in- of striped bass have also been caught in San 
pending bill. The third time the committee fluence in shaping such wise, adequate and Pablo Bay and large bass are taken almost | 
unanimously recommended its Passage, and it effectual legislation as may be necessary to daily from a slough near Wingo, a small station 
seemed to be in a fair way of adoption; but at that end. on the California Northwestern Railroad. Keen 
the last moment, through the influence of the As the United States Department of Agri- sport is reported in the neighborhood of Joice 
i Island, where some years ago an eastern angler 
commercial and irrigation canal corporations culture has begun the good work of protect- 
it was defeated. ing and conserving our game birds and mam- took a bass that weighed over fiity pounds. 
In view of the extensive schemes of irriga- mals, the question naturally arises: Why j The drainage of several tracts of land and 
tion contemplated in the arid regions of the should not Federal protection be extended to islands in the San Joaquin River of late in the 
Western States by the National and State Our fishes in public waters? I can imagine no neighborhood of Stockton, Cal., has resulted } 
governments, the proper protection of fishes 00d reason why the United States Bureau of In many tons of black bass and other kinds of 
should. be provided for in advance; after a Fisheries should not take an active interest in fish being left in the small pools of water or 
while it will be too late. Last year oa big Preventing the pollution of public waters, and ditches used to carry the surplus water to the 
irrigation canal, constructed by the Govern. 10 protecting the fishes that inhabit them. In pumping stations, and for a time it was believed 
ment, was opened, having its source in the anticipation of the extensive Irrigation pro- that the bass, which is an especially fine kind, 
1 - would be greatly depleted, as most of the fish 
were under size. 
Truckee River, in Nevada. Government and jects contemplated by the General Govern- | 
A San Joaquin county game warden took up | 
p 


broken, in spite of the fact that net fishermen 










































































































































State officials were present to celebrate the Ment in the Western States, the influence and 
Borate Aces account of the-affair in a4 news- timely action of the Bureau would prevent the 
paper at the time said: almost total depletion .of the streams of fish the matter and asked some of the land owners 
“The gates of the dam were lowered, and life that would otherwise surely follow. to stop work until he could arrange means for 
those of the canal were raised, the great flood lhe streams of the Rocky Mountain States 
zy saving the fish, but this was refused. Then he 
pouring into the huge ditch. The reclama- are as yet pure and undefiled to a great extent, conferred with the Game and Fish Commission, 
tion project in Nevada was then formally ded- and should .be as productive of fish life as with the result that deputies have been detailed 
icated. When the gates on the river dam were When first viewed by Lewis and Clark. Many to attend to the transfer of bass under three 
lowered, the bed of the stream below was dry. of them have been stocked with the Eastern pounds to the streams. The work will be ac- 
In an instant the party found diverting sport brook POE tn tene ey shave found sete, complished with nets. The large-sized fish will | 
in catching the large trout that were flounder. nial home, and where it is not altogether pe caught and sold. 
ing on the rocks.” unlikely they will alone exist in the future, There has been little fishing in Southern Cali- 
I leave this account for the consideration QWing to their disappearance in the Eastern fornia during the past week, except in San 
of every honest angler. It has been said that States through disease and changed condi- Pedro Bay, even there catches have been below 
the immense storage reservoirs to be con- fons. But unless the awful Slaughter of the the average. 
structed in connection with the reclamation INNOC ELS by irrigatron ditches is stopped, and Nipper corbina have been running during the 
ee, 1) ees ee é stopped now, the beautiful mountain streams “A Be 
projects will each furnish a home and a haven F ERE es Gicae ‘Il bert warm, pleasant days, and pompano and big smelt | 
for millions of fish—but not on your life. Most — te estern poeaees a eke Des Darren have been more or less plentiful. The winter } 
of these reservoirs will be built in narrow Wastes, void of fish life, for which not the halibut “run” has begun in San Pedro Bay, | 
mountain gorges, where the water will be too dee? but the ae a Fitige ay Verte people several ten-pounders having been taken. ’ 
deep for any fish life to exist, and the rocky Rein ‘ ba taiee byt the state Legislatures— It has been pretty well established that the | 
bottom and sides will forever preclude the W!!! be to blame. dredging out of San Pedro Bay has not de- } 
existence of fish food, stroyed the fishing. On the contrary, it has in- } 
It is popularly supposed that fish should Fishing in California creased the number of available fishing places. } 
abound, thrive and multiply wherever there is ‘i On the other hand, there have not been so many t 
a reasonable volume of water, even if pol- SAN Francisco, Cal., Nov. 16—Editor Forest “runs” of the various kinds of fish that frequent 
luted or contaminated by deleterious matter and Stream: Though November is a rather late the bay as in some former years, but this is no P 
that is destructive to fish food if not to the month for whipping a cast of flies over an in- certain indication that the changes have dr.ven f 
fishes themselves. Sometimes, in planting viting trout stream, the summer weather pre- the fish away. Nowhere has the fishing been H 
young fish, the serious mistake is made of vailing here the last two weeks makes this as good as in former seasons. 
dumping fry or fingerlings in the main body possible even yet. The rain which struck the The excitement at Redondo has died out, and | 
of streams or the open water of ponds and State a few weeks ago was particularly heavy the yellowtail have departed for waters un- | 
lakes, where but a small amount of suitable in the Santa Cruz mountains, and the streams of 
. if} 
| known. A few scattering ones are caught each 
food exists, and where they are soon swal- that region were raised a number of inches. morning, but the slaughter of two weeks ago 
lowed by larger fish. 7 






The increase of water resulted in a splendid has not been repeated. t 
It has been said that the proper way to run of small] steelhead trout which readily rose A six-foot shark was caught this week in the | 
train a child is to begin with its grandmother; to flies. The San Lorenzo River is full of fish 
ocean near the entrance to San Francisco Bay. | 
length and anglers Codfishers in the boat Monk were anchored in 
t sport imaginable. the neighborhood of Lime Point when a bic @| 
been reported from shark swallowed a window weight used as a / 
So the proper way to protect the fish of inland from ten to fifteen inches in 
waters is to begin with the water itself. Prac- are enjoying some of the bes 
ticable fishways should be placed at every dam  Spletidid catches have 
or other obstruction. Manufacturine plants Soquel Creek, but ie 

second storm should sinker on a fishing line. The weight became en- |, 
and mines should be compelled by law to con- sweep the district, fly-fishing will end for the tangled in the man-eater’s interior and refused 
struct settling ponds for waste liquid products, season. : to budge. For half a day the shark strove to t 
and septic tanks for poisonous offal, so that | The intelligent planting of healthy 2- and 3- break the line or get rid of tl ie 
le oppressing 
; 5 wang BP ae ; 
the overflow would consist of comparatively inch fry in Santa Cruz is in eakened and was dragged ; 
a large measure re- weight, but gradually w 
innocuous water. sponsible for the present run. The Brookdale to the side of the boat and killed. 
In all States where irrigation js practiced, hatchery, established some years ago, has ma- Captain William Nicholls, of the Booth can- 
laws should be enacted providing for some _ terially aided the sport. Millions of trout fry nery fleet, in Monterey Bay, Cal., fought for his 
effecutal device for keeping fish and fry out have been planted in various water courses of life a few days ago in the confines of a net with 
of the ditches. Close seasons for all game Santa Cruz county, and these fish are now re- a great shaggy-maned sea lion, which toresallng | 
and food fishes during the breeding periods turning to their original haunts after a visit to the clothes from his body and barked over him. _ |t 
should be established, and severe penalties the ocean, knocking him about and nearly killing him.  { 
should be imposed for the violation of such The Anglers’ Association has recently taken J. Hoyden, manager of the Booth canneries, 
laws. Every peace officer and officers of the steps to stock Paper Mill and Sonoma creeks who was with Captain Nicholls at the time. [| 
courts should be made fish and game wardens with good fry. Heretofore these streams, which finally landed a blow on the lion’s head which _ | 
by virtue of their office, with full powers, in are the most popular creeks near San Fran- stopped the fight. Nicholls and Hoyden had i 
addition to the regularly appointed wardens. cisco, have been neglected. The result of care- run a launch near Moss Landing, where nets 
The sewage of towns and cities is another ful stocking done this year will be evident a were lowered. No sooner had the nets been ¥ 
problem that will have to be dealt with even- few years hence when the fish will have grown set than it was discovered that a big sea lion \ 
tually, though at present it receives but little to respectable size. had been captured. At first the party thought # 
attention. If these things can be accomplished Prominent members of the Anglers’ Associa- of trying to take it alive, but unfortunately there it 
better in the future than they have been in the tion have also determined to remove the was no rope or hooks on board, so they decided 
past and more care taken in stocking waters suckers which have taken possession of the to kill it, 
In order to accomplish this it was‘ 
with fry or yearlings by depositing them in deep pools of Paper Mill Creek. It is important necessary to draw the net alongside the launch. i 
the smallest tributaries in shallow, protected that such action be taken as the suckers in- When the sea lion was a few feet away splash- | 
places, where there is a reasonable amount of crease rapidly and live chiefly by following jing and squirming in the net, Hoyden struck it 
food suitable for them, we will be on the road salmon and steelhead and devouring every egg with an oar, but without effect, so Captain p 
toward a better state of things, so that by the that comes within their reach. It is very Nicholls picked up a heavy hammer, and leaning 
continual stocking of waters with fish arti- probable that this step will be taken before the over the side of the launch, attempted to hit the hi 
ficially propagated, a fair amount of fish life rains raise the streams. 
animal over the head. The force of the blow p 


