The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-14
How Deputy Fish Commissioners
Captured Nets and
Salmon.
THE LOOKOUT WAS SLEEPING.
Sport Enjoyed by Anglers Who Caught
Salmon and SteelheadS on
Sunday.

"Well, | have haQ many e4CltlnS expert
ences in what you are pleased TO term
midwinter angling, but 1 can assure you
that this is by far the most propitlous Win
ter for fishing l have ever enjoyed" said
John Butler last evening on his return
from the Russian River.
This is my second trip to this beautiful
fishing stream" continued Mr.. Butler,
land l must say that l have had excellent
sport and enjoyed the the trip Immensely.
My companions we're: Judge Evans.
John Gallagher, the Oakland capitalists;
Mr.. Mcfarland, F. H. Wheelan and NJ. L.
Cross. We had good sport and returned
after one and half days fishing with fif-
teen steeiheads, the average weight OF
which was twelve pounds.
II have caught salmon weighing as
high as forty pounds in the bay OF Santa
Cruz, but for real good sport give me
Russian River steelhead at all times and
at all seasons.
when you hook a salmon in the bay of
Monterey you can count upon one good
run and then the Jig is up, as the fish will
instantly sulk and remain stationary until
ii is almost drowned. The excitement at
tending the sport of deep-sea fishing for
salmon is in the landing of your prize
only, as many of the fish break away when
they are within gatfing distance of the
boat
The steelhead is altogether different
fish and any person who has had a trial OF
the two kinds of fishing will tell you that
for good sport the steelhead OF the Rus
sian River will easily discount any salmon
that has ever been captured by an angler
in the deep blue sea.
Now, as an illustration l will give you
ed
salmon of % pounds weight in the bay of
Santa Cruz in twenty minutes, and my
angling outfit consisted OF a rod which
was nine ounces in weight and a reel
which contained 125 yards OF line. On
Sunday last | landed q steelhead from the
Russian River which scaled fifteen
pounds. The rod l used weighed nine
ounces and my reel contained ninety-ive
yards of line. 1t took me exactly thirty
minutes TO conquer this game fish, and
during the struggle 1t ran out every inch
OF my line four different times and was
constantly leaping out of the water in its
frantic effort TO free itself from the hook.
Il never had such a game fish on a line,
and l can say without the least offense
to any of my Santa Cruz friends that as a
game fish the steelhead OF the Russian
River is far superior to any salmon that
ever swan in Monterey Bay; and if there
should be among my piscatorial acquaint-
ances any doubtful Waltonians l recon-
mend them to Russian River, where they
Will be given an opportunity TO Judge the
truth of my statement"
In last Saturdays sporting department
OF The CALL a letter appeared from man
named Penny, hailing from Duncans
Mills, relative TO the negligence of certain
deputies of the Fish Commission, whom
he had accused of angling for steelheads
instead OF looking out for the interest of
the commission.
named as being particularly negligent in
their duty were Al Wilson and NJ. L. Cross
1t now appears that this man Penny is
at the head of band of net-fshermen
who are employed to seine the Russian
River under cover of night, as the catch
ing OF steelheads with nets is illegal.
Wilson and Cross stole a march on
Penny's army about six weeks ago and
captured two nets, since which time Penny
has had man stationed near the netting
grounds with instructions TO watch out
Tor the deputies and to give warning pv
either gunshOt report or the blowing OF
horn when any suspicious characters put
IN an appearance. Several times the dep
uties were thwarted in their attempts to
reach the place where the transgressors of
the law were engaged in illegal fishing by
the warning signals, but they persisted in
their efforts, nevertheless, and on last
Thursday night the deputies managed to
pass the sentry unnoticed and sculled
down upon the meters, who made good
their escape under cover of darkness.
Two new nets, valued at $3.50, were cap
tured and forwarded to Santa Rosa, which
Is the county seat, last Friday, but up to
the present time Mr.Penny mas not made
any demand for his property.
The nets were taken within gunshot
range OF Penny's dwelling, and it is pre-
sumed that as the law does not permit the
capture of steelheads by means of SEEMING,
Mr.. Penny will now turn his attention to
some other means of procuring liveli-
hood until such time as he can lawfully
pursue calling which he has followed for
years to the detriment of the people who
reside near the river.
Fish Commissioners Murdoch and En-
eric visited Santa Cruz last Sunday and
caught several salmon by means of troll
ing Those expert fiV-castprs arc nrofnsa