The morning call., 1893-12-03
THE ROD.
The Roe and Shrimp Club Is Getting
Ready for Winter Angling.

There should soon be good salmon fish
ing in the coast streams. The rainstorm
has swollen the creeks and all that will
now be necessary to insure the successful
capture of the so.called sfeel-head trout
is good bait and patience.
The man who fishes during the winter
season and has his hands and clothes
smeared with salmon roe is some what of
curiosity.
The patience exercised by some of the
men who take pleasure in cutting off huge
chunks of roe and watching cranellke the
tips of their rods TOR hours at time. on
days that brass monkeys would prefer in
door life, is really astonishing.
The charm of hooking a fish and the
thrill of excitement that follows when the
deniZen Of the deep takes a dash either
down or up stream. aud then perhaps
shows his gamy qualities by leaping de-
family into the air. is sufficient to crafty
the pleasure OF any man fond of winter
river fishing, though he may have to wait
hours until the king of the stream con-
descends 10 sample his lure.
There should be quite a number of fish
running into the Paper-mill Greek now,
and when the water becomes somewhat
settled mem bers of the Roe and Shrimp
Club will have the chance they have been
pa tiently waiting for to hook on.
A report from the Truckee River is to
the effect that the Truckee and Boca mill
companies have made some settlement
with the authorities, as the dumping of
sawdust and shavings into the river is
worse now than ever, and the mill COM
panies laugh at members of the Truckee
SDortsmen Club when the Fish Commits
soners are mentioned.
There certainly should be among the
anglers of this city and State some people
who could give valuable information con-
cerning the salmon during its sojourn in
fresh water. There are men who firmly
believe that the fish will not eat any food
while on its journey to the breeding
grounds, and then again there are others
whose opinions are Of the opposite.
This is what correspondent of a New
York exchange says on the subject 81
believe that 1t is always in season to dis
cuss what salmon may or may not do
about eating in fresh water. There are
those who contend most earnestly that
salmon do eat in fresh water, but / think
that most Of the evidence is the other way
X. b. Marston is out with what he has
CLEANED upon this subject. and it should
have a place in the testimony: I have for
many years past made inquiries in all
parts of the world where salmon come ND
out OF the sea into the river to spawn,
viz, in our own country, in Germany,
Scandinavia. Newfoundland. Canada. Brit.
ish Columbia and along the Pacific
coast of the United States. especially on
the Columbia River. NV in
Qulries were directed to ascertain if food
was ever found in their stomachs after
they had been for few hours in fresh
not brackish-water. The reply was al
ways the same: Food was found in salmon
caught IN estuaries in salt water, but
nothing whatever after they had been any
time in fresh waters. OF course know
salmon Will rush at bait. for have
caught them with artificial flies. with
angels, with phantoms and with prawns.
ano know they will take bunch of lob
worms In roily water. My argument is
teat salmon when in our rivers re.
quired good square meals daily, as
pike. perch, trout and other fresh water
fish do,. they. would destroy every
living thing. because they are the
most active OF all fish, and come in such
vast armies that the native fresh water
inhabitants could find no escape from
tbem | think that Frank Buck
lands theory is correct, viz, that thew
come into our rivers provided with rich
store of fat on which they can exist for
longe time. Lie thought the old kelts which
are bic to get away to the sea may de-
stroy other FISH nows and then. This is
about the position taken by John Mowat.
who has had fifty-fve years experience or
The salmon rivers of Canada. and may
serve az a compromise between those who
mold extreme views on this subject of SAL
mon eating or not eating in fresh water"
The Missouri Fish Commissioners must
be thoroughly" conversant with the hab-
its and characteristics of fresh-water
fishes. Judging from the following, which
recently appeared in a Chicago paper:
The Missouri Fish Commissio will dis
tribute young black bass. cropples and
carp in the public waters of the State this
month. The fisbcar of the commission
will pass over the different railways to
carry the fishes. Fish Commissioner Gar