

egaled me with his experiences. 
DEc. 21, 1907.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 

the most likely spots and the little pockets 
among the weeds, the edge of the weed lines, 
the mouths of several little brooks, spring holes 
and bars were all carefully fished. Tom watched 
my work closely, and upon striking a small 
fish—my recollection is that it was a rock bass— 
with so much force that it was yanked out of 
the water, he explained that most of that force 
was good energy wasted; but it took a long 
time before that strike was toned down to the 
requirements and I find even to this day when 
the season first opens and there is a little 
nervousness over the first few rises, that my 
arm forgets and acts when my wrist only should. 
It was hard for me to return to the water nice 
little small-mouth bass ten or eleven inches 
long, but Tom was rather decided as a pis- 
catorial educator, and he convinced me that it 
was unsportsmanlike to kill those little fellows, 
as they did not know any better than to get 
hooked, anyhow, and why take advantage of 
their innocence. 
At a little point running out into the stream 
that tapered off in a bar Tom struck a lively 
little fish and led him carefully down stream 
into quiet water where after a good fight he 
was easily dropped into a short handled landing 
net, which had been carefully placed in the water 
so as not to scare the bass. My attention was 
called to the fact that the fish was brought to 
net and not the net shoved at the fish and no 
false moves at this stage. 
Tom carried with him a little club in appear- 
ance like a policeman’s billy, but only about 
eight inches long, and after going to shore and 
unhooking his fish, he gave him a smart blow 
on the back of the head which humanely put this 
gamy fellow out of his misery. I learned that 
this sort of club was used largely by English 
and Scotch salmon anglers and known to them 
as a “priest.” Another thing Tom did that I 
had never seen before was to bleed his fish, 
which he did by raising the gill covers and 
running his knife through the little spots on 
either side which are bluish in color. I have 
followed Tom’s method for many years, and I 
believe any angler whose custom has been to 
drag his fish on the top end of a string will find 
after trying this plan and packing them away 
nicely in his creel among damp grass or ferns 
with a little spearmint added, if one is lucky 
enough to find it, will agree with me that his 
fish are harder and in better condition for the 
pan than if their lives had been dragged out at 
the end of a string. 
It is many years since Tom and I first fished 
together, and the march of civilization has had 
a bad effect on our river, which was once an 
ideal bass stream. What with the sewage from 
the prosperous and growing towns, the ta‘lings 
from the numerous gravel washers, the ever- 
lasting rooting propensities of the carp—wisely 
or unwisely introduced by our good govern- 
ment—the spirited small-mouthed denizens have 
a hard time in their breeding and parental 
operations, and their numbers have been greatly 
reduced. It is to be hoped, however, that our 
civilization will some time reach that stage 
where we will see that it is unwise to make 
sewers of our beautiful streams, and then per- 
haps they may again be restored to their former 
attractiveness as angling waters. 
I early stated in this screed about Tom that 
he had fished in many climes, and evenings, 
homeward bound from our fishing trips, he re- 
Salmon fishing 
in Scotland, trout fishing in New England and 
in the Rocky Mountains were all new and in- 
teresting themes to me; but Tom’s experience 
had been a varied one. He had been a soldier 
in one of the regiménts of Scottish Highlanders 
and went through that memorable Sepvoy re- 
bellion in India and had a crippled arm as a 
result. Tiger hunting and shooting peafowl 
were unheard of subjects to me, to say nothing 
of tales of the ruined cities of India, and so I 
listened until we were at home, dividing the 
spoils. And when the winter evenings came 
there were rods to repair and flies to make. 
Tom was an adept in these things and con- 
tinued to impart his knowledge to me, and now, 
twenty years later, I find a large place in my 
heart for this interesting man and good friend. 

TOM AT 
HIS FLY 
For the boys who are interested in angling 
my best wish is that they may have other Toms 
for their preceptors and friends. 
CHARLES C, ELLiorv. 

Fishing in California. 
San Francisco, Dec. 7.—Editor Forest and 
Stream: The California Fish Commission has 
had much trouble the past few months with 
salt-water fishermen, more particularly those 
supplying the market. These people are using 
small mesh nets, and it is claimed that if the 
present practices are continued sea fishing along 
the coast will be ruined within five years. In 
order to stop the wholesale slaughter a move- 
ment is on foot among the American and natur- 
alized fishermen of Southern California to pe- 
tition the next Legislature to amend the fish 
and game laws to prohibit if possible aliens— 
Japanese and Italians being aimed at particu- 
iarly—from fishing inside of the three-mile limit 
on the California coast. 
Another measure to be petitioned for will 
prohibit the use of purse nets, pocket seines, and 
small mesh nets of every description. This re- 
form is demanded by the market fishermen as 
well as by sportsmen, for the reason that 
Italian fishermen have within the past year im- 
ported from Italy small mesh nets which are pro- 
hibited in Mediterranean waters. It is said that 
these Italian small mesh pocket nets kill three 
times as many fish as are salable and the un- 
restrained use of these fish killers has already 
made itself felt among barracuda and _ halibut, 
which seem to have been the particular préy of 
the net fishermen in the past, and the catch 
this year has been the smallest on record. 
Generally speaking, the midwinter dullness in 
the fishing circles of Southern California con- 
tinues. Occasional runs of mackerel, a few 
croakers and some smelt are the only fish at 
present, giving the angler any sport. Fishing 
was poor at Redondo until Thanksgiving Day, 
when yellowtail, bonito and skipjacks came in 
after the little fish and some good sport was 
had. Immense schools of sardines and herring 
attracted an unusual run of yellowtail at Venice 
last week and as a result sport was had from 
the piers, at least 200 of the bigger fish being 
landed on the wharf in a few hours. 
The mouth of the Russian river, in Sonoma 
county, is at present closed and unless some 
measures are taken by the railroad company to 
cut a channel through the pile of sand, so that 
the steelhead can have access to the river 
MAKING TABLE, 
proper, the sport in this region will not amount to 
much this season. In past seasons the general 
manager of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad 
has dispatched to the river’s mouth a force of 
men to cut an opening through the sand bar. 
The passageway once completed gave the fish 
an opportunity to enter the fresh water pools, 
and this resulted in a rush of anglers to this 
part of the country, where the grandest sport 
imaginable awaited them. The steelhead have 
not yet arrived at the mouth of the river, but 
are expected daily, when it is thought some 
steps will be undertaken to remove the barrier 
which at present prevents game fish from enter- 
ing or leaving. 
Sportsmen have taken some nice trout from 
the tide flow at Point Reyes within the past 
few weeks. The fish were very fair in size and 
were taken on worm and roe baits. It is ex- 
pected that the run of fish to Paper Mill Creek 
will be early this year. 
Striped bass anglers are not having as good 
sport as they wish for in the sloughs of the 
Sonoma marsh, but along the northeastern parts 
of San Francisco Bay considerable catches have 
been made. Success in that district, however, 
depends in a great measure upon the day. Ii 
windy the wash of the water creates mud and 
the bass migrate to other parts, but if the day 
is fine and the water comparatively smooth, the 
sport is excellent. 
It is said that by order of the United States 
Commissioner of Sea and Shore Fisheries, a 
carload of lobster fry from the government 
hatcheries at Booth Bay, Me., will be shipped to 
the Pacific Coast this week for the first ex- 
periment in breeding the Maine lobster in the 
Pacific Ocean. These lobsters are to be carried 
in a special car attached to a fast transconti- 
nental passenger train and, though some doubt 
concerning the venture is entertained, the result 
is awaited with interest. AC eB: 

Newark and the National Association. 
THe Newark Bait- and Fly-Casting Club, of 
Newark, N. J., has applied for membership in 
the National Association of Scientific Angling. 
This club, which was organized last summer, is 
growing rapidly and will be heard from next 
season, both at the fishing resorts and in contests 
of skill. 
Chicago Fly-Casters Dine. 
THE midwinter meeting and dinner of the Chi- 
cago Fly-Casting Club was held in Chicago the 
night of Dec. 7. 

