The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-16
FISHING ON PUGET SOUND.
Everywhere in Washington Highlands
Natures Voice Calls TO Her Lovers.

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Many rivers flow through forest-clad Western
Washington, flow from the eternal snowoanks
of the Cascade range to Puget sound or 10 the
heaving water of the Pacific ocean. Hundreds,
yes, thousands, of smaller rivers, brooks, and
creeks flow; some slowly SIS become streams OF
size, up which enormous salmon ascend to
spawn; others with roars as OF laughter rush in
foam through boulder-strewn gorges to tumble
down sloping falls. This great and almost I'M
explored river system constitutes the fishes
highway, and highway that is always thronged
with salmon and trout.
From the cold salt water to the fr-ciad west
ern foothills of the mighty Cascade range the
rivers flow sluggishly in sweeping curves
through heavily-timbered alluvial land. Ar
rived at the foothills. the water flows faster and
faster as the river is assembled till at about sixty
miles from the coast, say, on the Skagit river,
the head OF steamboat navigation is determined
by white, foamy water, beyond which there is
canoe navigation for q few miles. Then all
streams are torrents that roar through
sea of lofty, snow-capped and forestelad
mountains, in the recesses of which many
and throughout the highland the air re-
sounds rhythmically with the sweet voices of
many falling waters. Here q creek tumbles
over lofty cliff. Yonder brook that has its
source in hidden snowbanks that lie 1850 feet
above the sea in deep burrows that were plowed
ID
the resonant air to tremble in joyous vibrations
as ii loudly sings while travelling its boulder
strewn course Rills fall in white waving rib
bons OF foam over cliffs and murmur sweetly
the while. The tall fir trees whisper one to the
other as cool air plays among their swaying
tops. Everywhere in Washington's highlands
the voice of nature calls sweety TO her lovers to
leave desk and dingy Office and come TO her.
And her call is hard to resist.
In all the rivers and brooks and creeks salmon,
that search for highland water and remote
spawning beds, the location of which has been
handed down as traditional lore through thou
sands of generations of salmon, swim, and at
short intervals leap high above the water as
though to see whether they had arrived near to
the longed-for spawning ground. Falling heav-
lily back into the ice-cold water, the fish pluck
lily resume their journey, TO arrive at the end of
which is death to most of them. 1t is held by
the larger portion of Washington fishermen that
no salmon that enters fresh water from the Pa
cifc ocean ever returns to the sea. Personally,
know that tens of thousands of salmon annu-
ally die while migrating to the spawning beds.
/ have seen the banks of the Skagit river and of
many of its tributaries lined with dead salmon.
No salmon that was Matched in the rivers of
Washington will take the hook or rise TO the
ny when in fresh water. In salt water they bite
freely and afford exciting sport swarming
after the salmon. steadily pursuing them from
the cold depths of Puget sound up all the rivers
and creeks and brooks, are schools of salmon
trout, game fish that win rise to the fly if in
playful mood, but that is wholly unable to re-
sst bait If it be salmon eggs, to obtain which
they have followed the salmon from the sea.
To take salmon trout is excellent sport,
provided your tackle is not too heavy
In every river and creek, it mat
tiers not its size, trout-mountain, sill
yer, speckled, crimson-spotted, black and
just trout-abound, and live in hungry eager
ness to rise to flies or TO snap at baited hooks.
Under boulders, behind water-covered roots, in
deep pools at the base of waterfalls, among large
boulders where rapidly-aowing water swirls
and boiis and is full of bubbles-heavy, deep,
powerful fish, these-trout live and impatiently
await the arrival OF fisherman.
The creeks are overhung by brush; they are
generally rapid. The water is exceedingly cold
The forests so dense that it is very laborious
TO walk through them. To fish for trout in the
smaller streams of Eastern Washington Is Sc
we're work, but great catches can be made To
fish the rivers is easy work But who would fish
from boat, and in rapid water, when roaring
brooks and foamy waters are near by? / an
swer, no one who loves sport.