St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-11-21
- = 2
WILD FISHERS OF TROUT.
birds, Beastssand REPTILES That Rival
the Huma1 Angler In Point
AOf Skill.

inc dUM0l An8Ack An OAAe
sof Skill.
ANY one who can suppress for a
| while his eagerness with the rod on
trout stream, and summon patience to
lie in wait and watch the ways of
beasts and BIRDS" said one who had
evidently been able to do so, relates
the New York Sun, will discover that
he Is not the only fisher in those
waters. Chief among the other fishers
are5the heron, the kinghsher, the mink,
the water snake and the swapping tur-
tie.
IAN angler passing down a brook,
intent on his rod, will rarely see any
| of these fishers at their work, for they
are all wary and shy, perhaps with
the exception of the water snake. No
| angler has ever fished between the
elder-skirted banks OF any trout
stream without discovering one or
more of these reptiles-harmless ex-
cept as to their woful appetite for
trout-twisted around some overhang-
ing branch, watching for prey.
zone day, while fishing on Sullivan
county brook, lay down in the shade
of maple to eat my lunch and smoke
a. pipe While thus in quietude saw
a blue heron drop down son the edge
of the brook, only a rod or two away.
After q few minutes of statuesque
watching, the long-legged Bird darted
its head down into the water, with
drew it with a large trout in its bill,
and few away.
Not more than five minutes after
the heron had disappeared, mink
came swimming ZIP the brook. In d
pool, nearly within my reach. the
mink Owed A moment later it ap-
peared with good half-pound trout
in its mouth. q ~ 7* ~ [@EE$8s*
This expert fisher had scarcely gone
It's way, when harsh-voiced king
fisher alighted on dead limb over
hanging the brook twenty yards from
where I lay The bird was not long
on the limb before down 1t went in the
water, and came up with trout. !
was trying to figure out what the prob
able drain on the trout population OF
the country might be from the in
roads of these wild maraudcrs. when
q water snake came gliding up the
stream, carrying trout in its mouth
that was Dig enough to talk about.
Then thought it was time for me to
get to fishing again, before these ex-
pert and persistent fishers had robbed
me Of any chance for sport
"Herons, like swapping turtles, select
the largest trout for their prey. They
usually fish at the foot of some deep
pool. Poised on one long, slender leg,
the heron, as immovable as if it. were
carved from stone, waits patiently the
passing OF some lusty trout from the
rapid water below into the pool.
"The wait is seldom a long one.
Suddenly the long neck shoots out like
an arrow. and the great bill is buried
for an instant in the water. The aim
is rarely at fault, and when the birds
head appears in sight again a large
trout usually comes up with it. The
heron rises 1azi1y from the creek, trail
ing is spindling legs, and flies home
with its savory burden.
Late in the season when trout begin
to congregate where small spring runs
empty into the stream, the heron will
be found fishing there, as it seems to
know we'll, as Goes the kingfsher, all
the habits of the fish it loves SO we'll
to feed upon. One heron, with free
scope on a trout stream, will likely
take from 1t thousand trout. many
of them heavy with spawn, during the
time this big bird fishes, which is from
the time the ice leaves the creeks in
the spring until it forms on them
again the following winter.
"The mink fishes all winter long, as
well as in the summer In fact, it is
during the ice-bound period that it is
most destructive to trout
THE kingfsher Is not so certain in
its aim as the heron, but one failure
never discourages this winged ma
rauder. It will resume its perch on the
dead limb-an outlook it seems to pre-
fer-settle down with its watchman's.
prize is won. .
1.-THE kingdsher is no stickler for size
in trout, but tries for the first that
comes along. It is a greedy fisher
or rather, perhaps, the family that 1t
feeds has an Unsuitable appetite, for
the bird has been known to return ten
times to the same place within an
hour, and carry away trout every
time A catch which it makes in that
length Of time the best OF anglers,
nowadays, would consider something
to boast of.
t.Kingfshers are common along ali
streams, and 1t is hard to estimate
1.-THE number of trout they fitch from
the creeks during the time they fish
there.
Water snakes, basking by the hun
dreds along every trout stream, fish
with SO much tact and cunning that
they number their prey by thousands
from the time they come out of their
alternating places, which is as soon as
the weather begins to get warm, until
the approach OF winter drives them
back into their holes.
There sFno knowing to how great
degree the trout retalfate on the
snakes for their warfare, but that they
10 make reprisals Is known to every
angler, for many big trout when
dressed is found to have from one to
three young water snakes in his stom-
ach.
4 at is fortunate, not only for the