The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1897-07-03
A TRIP TO BADGER LAKE.
Experience of an Angler In the Casca
Mountains,

n Experience of an angler in the Cascad
Mountains.
On Thursday of last week the writer
: accompanied by J. A. Fawsett, started
on fishing excursion on rather "seek
, Ing adventure" under that guise.
Mr.. Fawsett haying an intimate ac
quaintance with the mountains, by
reason Of a former servitude to flock
of sheep, determined that to reach
Badger in time to have fish for supper,
it would be necessary to go by way of
Cedar swamp, and the head of Jordan
creek; so after lively drive of 16 miles,
we were told we had arrived at Cedar
swamp, though to the eye no swamp
was visible, no cedar in sight. Instead
we were on a rocky ridge or backbone
of the universe, with here and there
fir or pine, neither of which suggested
swamp. Now and then lonely mos
quito, wandering from his native
groves and birth place, with his per-
suasive hum presented his bill, that
in more than one instance was honored.
Here on this lonely ridge We trans
formed one of our good steeds into q
sumpter-horse and soon were on our
way to q pass In the mountain, marked
by snowy ridge. Logs, brush, rocks
and up hill, were the obstacles to over
come.
But thanks to Mr.. Fawsett, whose
knowledge of the route was as good as
| need be, we were in due time at the |
summit between Jorden and Badger. |
Here we had view of singular beauty. |
Though Jordan had been hard road |
to travel. going up, we found Badger
fully worse going down, more logs,
more brush and distance of no in
considerable length.
Reaching Badger at q distance of
anywhere from 6 to miles from the
lake, we determined to feast on fish.
OF course the fish were in the water,
but we had prepared to take them out.
So with hook and line and pole we set
forth full of confidence, more perhaps
than the tariff bill is inspiring, to have
said confidence only in part sustained.
The fish bit little, so little that 1t
must have consumed nearly three
hours to catch %. Here Mr.. Fawsett's
hurry was oyer as he had made his
promise good, that we should have fish
for supper.
The trail up Badger comes as near
being the devils as anything you may
ever try to follow. In some places the
whole earth appears to be honey
rombed with badger holes, into which
your horse breaks; mix these up with
logs and brush and plenty of water and
gore, ifyou get into them you are in
nuss.
Badger, sometimes called Fish lake, '
s near the vest line of Wasco county,
nearly ten miles southeast of Mt. Hood.
A sharp divide separates it from Hood
liver to the northwest, and another
eparates it from the waters of Gumgu-
vack to the northeast
This lake has long been noted as the =
lome of that celebrated fish known as
mountain trout. We have fished in
he lakes and streams of several of the p
entral northern states of our union, !.
ut nowhere have we found fish so
bundant or so readily taken.
At the lake we were joined by the
raft brothers, Ed and Joe. These
oung men are engaged for the season
8 packers in the mountains, and APP
ear to be petfectly at home in all the
uties of the business.
At the lake fishermen adopt two
lans of getting in position to fish; one
to get on raft and float about in
le lake, the other is to fish from the
lore or walk out on such logs as are
lchored to the land. We followed
le last method as we had no desire to
et wet or to have our feet continually
'aked.
To illustrate the ease with which the
III may be taken, one little incident
i'll suffice. My primitive outfit would
1t admit of fish basket so after =
itching fish and landing it would :
turn to my stand to fish, which of
'urse everyone would say must be as
r out in the waters of the lake as I
uld reach, landing a fish by accident
y hook dropped into the water close D
the shore, not more than three or
ur feet from where was standing,
covering the hook as speedily as pos =
ole was in possession of another
le trout,
| am told that in short time these
h get wild or the conditions of feed
ange, so that the fisherman may see
ousands of them scudding away but =
anot by any lure induce them to i
te.
However, we struck it rich, and shall
yer forget natures abundant pro-
sion of excellent fish had for the tax
g when we were at Badger lake, i
Ours was a genial crowd as we wended
r way out By the way of the ridge be-
cen Badger. Hood riyer and Fifteen :
lie creek. AARON FRAZIER. bo