The San Francisco call., 1896-04-23
The FISH COMMISSION.
Waters in Sonoma County That
Have Been Stocked
With Bass.
Anglers Who Deplete the Streams
by Catching Baby TrouL-A New
Law Necessary.

The sportsmen of Santa Rosa are con-
siderably interested in the protection of a
consignment of large-mouth black bass
which arrived there few days ago in
charge of Deputy Fish Commissioner Will
son and was afterward placed in deep
lagoon near Sebastopol which empties
into the Russian River.
The Fish Commissioners received the
following letter from Mr.. Saunders of
Santa Rosa, which gives evidence that the
anglers of the City of Roses are interested
in the propagation and protection Of the
fishes:
SEBAsToPoL, April l. 1896.
California Fish Commission GENTLEMEN: 1
met your agent at Santa Rosa this morning,
and I0l found him and received
pretty, yes, as beautiful, large-mouth black
bass as ever flashed fin. Within forty min
their new home Accept from me the thanks
OF our people, who are with me in the forma-
tion of a fish patrol to see that the beauties
received this morning have fair show. 1
believe that within four miles of Sebastopol is
chance TO start the biggest pickerel pond in
the United StateS. Very respectfully,
JOHN s. SAUNDERS
Deputy Wilson proceeded from Santa
Rosa to Clear Lake, where the remainder
OF the consignment OF bass, pickereI and
perch from San Diego were placed. If the
residents IN the vicinity of the waters in
which the fishes were placed will see that
they are protected for a few years, there
will be excellent food fishes and sport for
all who have a prediction for angling.
Yesterday Fish Commits sioner Babcock
received letter from Santa Rosa, stating
that Chinese was arrested for fishing In
the lagoon to which the bass were con-
signed
The immediate arrest of poacher proves
that the sportsmen of Santa Rosa are de-
termined to make an example of those
who will persist in illegal fishing.
Deputies Wilson and Cross have left for
San Diego. from which place they Will re-
turn in few days with another consign-
ment of fishes for the lagoons of the
Sacramento River within easy reach of
Sacramento City.
1t is quite probable that the anglers of
this City who are interested in propaga-
ton and protection of trout will use their
best endeavors at the next meeting of the
Legislature to have law passed making
1t misdemeanor for any person found
catching or in possession of trout less than
five inches in length.
There are numbers of alleged sportsmen
who, when angling on a stream, never
dream OF such thing as returning "baby"
trout to their element. Anything having
the semblance of trout goes into the
basket. Unfortunately ior the interest of
the sport some of the baby-fsh killers
masquerade as honorable sportsmen and
protectors of game and fish.
Last Sunday one of these "honora BILE"
sportsmen, who some years ago shot quail
for the san Francisco market, caught
number of trout fry in Bear Valley Creek,
which stream meanders through the Coun-
try Clubs preserve. Several OF the little
fishes did not measure three inches in
length, but they were dumped into the
pot" basket, nevertheless, and carted to
this City. 1t is in the robblng OF stream
OF its immature fishes at this season of the
year that the summer sport of angling is
destroyed.
If the small trout were permitted to
grow to respectable size there would be
good sport for all lovers of angling in the
months OF June, July and August. A law
is, however, very necessary to stop the
present slaughter of the innocents.
The following anglers returned last SUM-
day from Paper-mill Creek some of whom
met with tolerably good success near To-
caloma: MeSsrs. Moorehouse, Jones, Sta
pies, Finch. Ibbotson, Meal. Bransdorff,
Gosliner, Gauthier, Parisser, Muller, Til
ley, Myers, Charles Kerveli, Paul Bru-
notte, r. McGreggor, Louis Rondeau, A.
Ireland, James Watt, al Smith, Charles
Cate, William Cooney, Frank Dolliver,
George Twitchell, Charles Prechl. "Andy,''
William Kittle and John K. Orr.
Those who caught large fish that weighed
from three to eight pounds were: Cate,
Watt, Twitchell, Precht, ANDY and
Smith. The stream is yet too high for
successful angling, and will not be in fit-
ting order for fly fishing for two weeks at
least. There are large numbers of trout in
the creek, and with the return of warm
weather good sport will certainly be en-
loved.