The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-10-03
front Fishing in Truckee River.

a correspondent of the Sacramento
Union has been visiting the trout fish
cries Of the Truckee. and from his let
ter we make Il lew extracts. lie says:
The trout go up the river III schools
of thousands towards their spawning
beds. Ii unimpeded in their c0urle
they would separate into numberieSS
crystalline trout brooks and deposit
their spawn far up the stream, out of
reach of saWduSt or fishermen. But
just at the foot of the Sierra NevadaS,
n the State of Nevada, close to the
California line, is the Verdi dam. This
dam has been constructed to supply
fine saw mill with water power, and
great precautIOn WIS taken to arrange
a suitable iiShway ut one end. The
water is made to flow over a sort of
apron, or plank floor. which has such
gradual incline that any fish can ascend.
This tishWay is further improved by
| means of the rocks and earth of the
river bank. There is u large pool or
eddy just at the foot and lower side of
tie apron, where the fish collect in
great numbers to rest preparatory to
making the final leap, or struggle,
which carries them over the dam. The
fishermen, however, fasten two or
three heavy plank, just along the upper
edge OF the apron, and so the trout finds
All impossible wall at the place where
they should enter the reservoir above
the dam. Thus the fish are imprisoned
Such restless, impatient, struggling
prisoners as are these mountain trout
cannot lie found elsewhere. They at
empt to leap over the main dam, only
10 be hurled back by the falling water.
They spring fully five feet in The air,
and strike the main apron Of the dam
with terrific and frequently fatal force.
They bruise their bodies and heads un-
ill oftentimes they die. They learn
nothing from experience, but continue
TO jump against the dam, until worn
out and nerveless they drift completely
exhausted into the eddieS formed by
the piers of the dam. One can watch
for hours these poor, desperate things
i'll their brave struggles to get over The
dam, without having a moment elapsa
in which some trout is not leaping
through the air and against the dam.
Generally from one to dozen fish are
visible at the same time. 1t is IL grand
but pitiful sight to watch the great
speckled beauties in their vain endea-
Il 10 -.
full mergeS into the horrible when one
sees the merciless grabhOoks let down
into the struggling, quivering, exhaust
ed masses of trout gathered in the ed
dies below the piers. BY means Of the
snorG. unyIeidnng Iod, II succession or
quick upward jerks is given to the four
hungry points of the grab-hook. The
water is full Of foam from the cascade,
and circles in binding Whirl around
the pool. The fish are crazed ahd
bliuded by their frui,less, frantic leaps,
and readily DRIFT against the sharp,
| needle like points of the barbed hooks.
Once impaled, The struggle begins.
The hook may have entered underneath
tnt neti, VI Ille boUy, Va IL may i"fN
pierced the side, or the fins, or the tail.
At the first moment Of its fright the
startled fish darts away with fury of
strength that is marvellous. y large
fish is almost ungOvernable during the
first frenzy of its death-struggle. The
| fsherman's only plan is to let the trout
weary itself with It's maddened plunges,
| and leaps, and struggles, and then by a
dexter us twitch land it on the pier.
! More than haf the time the fish makes
| some terrible bound and tears himself
from the hook, only to float with the
cnrremt. torn. and mangled. and dying.