The morning call., 1894-01-14
ILLEGAL FISHING.
Fines for Netting Fish in
Russian River.
Result of the Trial Held at Santa
Rosa-Silva's Explanatory Letter
to 1.-The Call"

For some years past the Russian River,
which is one of the finest streams Of water
adjacent to this city, has been totally bar
rem of salmon or trout. and as matter of
fact the Fish Commissioners investigated
the cause for this rather strange state of af-
fairs and were re W arded by the inform alton
that the parent fishes which populate the
stream were being caught in their run
from salt to fresh water by fishermen who
had nets stretched at the mouth of the
river during the running season. and In
such a way as to preclude the nshes from
reaching their breeding grounds.
The residents of Sonoma and Marin
counties were powerless TO check the an
nual slaughter of fish. as there was no
law, either State or local, that protected
either steelheads or salmon from being
netted in their ascent to the headwaters Of
the stream.
Tho Supervisors of Sonoma County
were waited upon by resident sportsmen
and anglers, who were very emphatic In
their language against the capture of steel
heads and other edible fishes by fisher
men who existed principally on the money
they derived during the winter season from
the capture of fish at the mouth of the
Russian River. The Supervisors. at the
T6uu6st VI WIG bpOttoihcbs Hdo q law
passed Immediately making 1t misde-
meanor TO catch fish by means OF nets in
the tidewaters of the Russian River.
Notices to this effect were posted in con-
spicuous places. but the fishermen laughed
at the idea of capture and continued to fish
Just the same as usual without evidencing
the least fear of arrest THE CALL gave
the particulars Of the capture of eight nets,
| and on Friday the trial of A. B. Silva,
who appears te be the leader of the trans
gressors, was held at Santa Rosa, the
county seat. before Justice Brown.
Assistant District Attorney Leppo rep
resented the people and j. W. Oates the
defendant. The defense was entirely
upon the constitutionality of the ordinance
| The Justice overruled the objections and
the case being submitted after the hearing
| of the evidence for the people Silva was
found guilty and fined S75 Silva gave
| notice that he intends to appeal the case.
but the representatives of the commission
and the people of Santa Rosa and sur
rounding country are pleased with the
result of the trial.
Apropos of the capture of nets and the
feeling OF the people of the country inter-
| ested in the matter, which has been fully
explained in THE CALL, the following
letter from Silva will be read with much
| interest by the commissioners and anglers
alike:
| Editor Call: was arrested a few days ago
for what the Fish Commissioners are pleased
TO term "iegal fishing" in Russian River, and
my net confiscated.
In your issue OF January 2 is fearfully and
wonderfully garbled account OF the affair and
| my mo tive In writing you is to correct some of
| the errors and place things in proper light
| lest the civilized w0rld-the newspapers have
! given the affair great publicity-should con-
| clude that he fishermen on Russian River are
| a set Of desperadoes.
| In the first place, the "exciting time," as THE
| CALL has it, did not occur at Cazadero. GAIA
| dero Is not ON Russian River. nor does any of
| The "miscellaneous crowd" live or camp at
| CaZadero. In the second place, Mr.. Wilson did
not take possession Of boat belonging to a
| resident OF CaZadero." for the reason that he
(Mr. WILSON, was seven and a half miles away
from Cazadero when he changed boats He,
for some cause or other, left his boat at Dun
cans Mill landing and took my boat, which was
| moored there, and continued on down the
| river.
While MIR. Wilson was gone some one, and