The San Francisco call., 1898-02-19
NET FISHERMEN
 MUST BE MORE CAREFUL.

IJnless heavy rains should fall between now and next Saturday, Russian River should be in good order again for steel head fishing.
 Latest intelligence from Duncans Mills Is to the effect that the river is clearing rapidly, and as the bar has been open since the first day of the freshet, the fishes are passing in from the ocean and disporting in the deep pools where they rest before making long run to the head waters.
 Deputy Fish Commissioner Cross has been doing excellent service recently by confiscating nets and making things somewhat torrid for the lawbreakers.
 A few days ago he learned that one of the fishermen who persist in catching steelheads contrary to law boasted that he would cast his net in a deep pool near Russian River Station and defy any, body to moleSt him.
 Cross muttered something to himself which was interpreted by a brother deputy to mean. "Tll be - if he'll do it," and arming himself with a shot gun, he journeyed in the direction of the place where he expected to meet with a hot time. ,,-
 Cross secreted himself in the under growth near the pool, and there awaited results. It was growing dark when the hsherman appeared in his boat and cast out his net, after placing which in position. the owner sculled his craft to the shore and with gun in hand stood guard over the fish catcher"
 Deputy Cross, man who Is as fear less as the warship Oregon, quickly stole down the bank of the stream to where ms boat was under cover, and stepping boldly into it rowed up to the pool and hauled in the net, almost under the nose or the fisherman who was guarding his treasure.
 Not word was exchanged nor a shot fired to disturb the solitude. The net was t6n c66niiseated and doubtless it's owner thought that the best policy was not to interfere with the officer of the law, who was but doing his duty.
 Fishermen should remember that 1t Is unlawful to catch steelheads by means of nets now. The law reads:
 Every person who, at any time takes or catches any trout, except with hook and line, is guilty of misdemeanor; pro- vided, however, that steelhead trout (sal- mom may be taken in tide water, between the 1st day of May and the 1st day of February of the following year. with law ful nets; and a lawful net shall be a net that, when placed in the water is unse- cured and free to float with the current or tide, and the meshes of which are, when drawn closely together and measured in- side the knot, not less than seven and one-half inches in length
 Nothing in this section shall prohibit the possession, at any time, of steelhead trout (salmonl when taken in tide water with hook and line" Extracts from sec tion 632, California Fish and Game Laws.
 It Is not to be supposed that the Fish Commissioners can with the small force Of officers at their command patrol this great State and do themselves justice; :; but they can accomplish much neverthe- less by giving strict attention to places that are within easy reach of this city, where transgressions of the law are re- ported to be common.
 The Coast Advocate of Halfmoon Bay on February Is stated: Do we need a Game Warden? Three hundred and for ty-StX Steelhead trout were illegally caught with seine and spear at Pescadero during the past week. It seems that the law may be broken with impunity on the coast side"
 Some nice fish were taken last Sunday in the tide waters of Sonoma Creek Jules Berges caught one and Harry Baum three Papa" Phillipson, who is generally for tunate, failed to land scale last Sunday George Walker lost one large fish, which he states was only slightly hooked. One large fish was taken at Point Reyes.
 Several small striped bass have been caught by the fishermen who reside near Hamlet, which is a village on the shore of Females Bay. This is contrary to law
 The Santa Cruz papers report that good salmon fishing can now be had in Mon terey Bay.