The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-21
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK, April 6-There is no game
fish or animal that has a wider distribu-
lion in this country than the trout, and
Consequently no sport is more universally
known than trout fishing. While it can
make no difference TO the angler, so far as
the enjoyment of the sport goes, that the
Naturalist has decided after long and care
ful investigation that there is no variety of
NATIVE trout east of the Mississippi river
belonging to the salmon family, but that
they are all properly of the classification
known as the CHAIR, still it is an interest
ing and important fact to know. The
great trout of the Rangely lakes in Maine
The gamey little speckled trout of the
Pennsylvania and New York mountain
streams, and even the lordly salmon trout
and lake trout of eastern lakes are simply
charrs.
Many of the far western trouts are prop
erly CHAIRS, but the rainbow trout and the
various varieties in Waha lake, the Kan
6as river and its branches and Lake Tahoe
ARE true salmon. NosportSman will falter,
however, in any effort he may be making
Ito land his trout, whether it may be in
Maine or among the Rocky mountains, be-
cause he is not sure of the exact scientific
classification of the struggling beauty,
and it viii be welcome intelligence to the
angler to know that the season now nearly
lat hand promises to be an unusually favor
able one for trout fishing. whether the fish
lay claim to being chairs or salmon.
Trout fishing by law has an earlier open
ling than any other season of outdoor sport,
because the trout. being fall spawning
fish, is all over its family cares by the time
spring returns; but as soft south winds and
warm showers are not evoked by formal
Legislative preambles and prosy statutory
provisions, the sport is apt TO tempt only
the boldeSt and most enthusiastic of anglers
during the early days of its existence The
average man who seeks pleasure with his
rod, and follows with stealthy steps the
tortuous courses of trout stream, casting
his flies among its ripples and on its foam
fecked pools, does not fancy the prospect
of tramp through snow banks, brook
fringed with ice, nor a wind that carries
still the sting of winter.
Yet the very nature of all regions where
trout streams abound is extremely apt to
combine those conditions about the time
the trout season opens. But opening day
on the trout streams has come to be, among
many anglers, one that must be observed
faithfully, in spite of snow and ice and bit
ter winds. You may return home with
the rheumatism or case of pneumonia
but you have done your duty as sports
man and observed the ereat opening day of
the spring sporting season.
1t is rare that the snow water has ceased
running In trout streams before the mid
die of April, and have whipped stream
on the 25th day of that month in a hard
snow storm and with the snow in places
knee deep along the banks. The trout bit,
of course, but the fishing was certainly not
enjoyable, and ! dare not say that it was
entirely successful. While snow water is
running in a brook the fishing can be nei-
Their the one nor the other. The 1st of MAY
is early enough in eastern, northern and
western waters for trouting. In southern
West Virginia | have had pleasurable fish
ing in March. The angling tourist has an
extremely wide range for trout fishing, for
he may start in Maine and find his favor
lite fish in every state between the Atlantic
and Pacific coasts, excepting Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois. The waters of those states
have never yet done we'll by trout.
Colonel Parke, a veteran and enthusi-
astic sportsman of Columbus, O., is max
ing every effort to propagate trout in that
state, the success of which is extremely
doubtful The crowRing time for pleasure
in trouting is between the middle of Nav
and the last Of June, speaking of the east
ern region. In the streams of the west the
sport is enjoyable and good far into the
fall. There is no trout, either salmon or
CHAIR, that equal the speckled trout of the
east in, gamineSs or flavor. The wariest
and most difficult trout any angler ever
tried to Kill with hook and line is a variety
that has its home il a valley at the foot of
Mount Shasta, in southern Oregon. This
valley is coursed by four large streams
that spring from the earth in immense
volume, have great velocity of flow, and
in some places are of unfathomable depth. |
The water is of crystal ciearness. The |
trout are unlike any in that country, and |
are true brook trout, growing toa weight |
of three pounds.
The angler who can lure a dozen of these |
rare fish Co his fly and land them in a davis |
fishing is regarded as great expert in |
the art, and he must be. Another necul- /
lar trouting place, and one where opening |
day is most sacredly observed. is Big |
Spring, in southern PENNSYLVANIA. This |
is pure spring mile long and in places |
fifty feet wide. On the opening day of the |
season, which is April 10 there trout fish /
ermen flock TO Big Spring from miles |
around. l have counted $50 anglers at |
one time fishing in this spring. as many as |
twenty-five being grouped together so |
closely that they touched elbows. Six
thousand trout, weighing from one-quarter
OF pound to three pounds each, have been
taken from during one opening day.
For the lusty angler, who defies the
weather in seeking early spring sport.
nothing is better calculated to fill all his
requirements than the land locked salmon
OF Maine-the fork tailed fighter of the hill
bound lakes of that favored state. The
salmon trout is another glorious denizep of
the lakes that Is out early in the spriar
looking for bout with some daring angler.
he Is ready as early as March. aud even in
February sometimes, TO give sport. but
the law prevents him until April. The
salmon trout is a Particular fayorite in
Lake Reuka, in Central New York. Al
though the winters of Maine are extremely
severe, 1t Is seldom that ice remains in the |
lakes later than the last week in April. As
soon as that Is melted the fish are ready
for the angler. Sebec lake is the greatest |
water in the state for land locked salmon.
There Is an attraction in the wild regions
OF the trout in West Virginia that neither
the wooos OF Maine, nor the Adirondacks,
nor Canada, nor few of the great western
regions possess. Minnesota may have the
like, and possibly northern Michigan
Central Pennsylvania has it, but only 10 s
limited degree, and that guarded by the
law. This West Virginia attraction is the
wild turkey. IN the almost inaccessible
mountain districts OF West Virginia,
reached only after tedious horseback ride
of between forty and fiftv ,,ila. - =, ,,..,