The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-26
WILD FISHERS or TROUT.
Hrds. Beasts and Repsises That Rival the
Human Anglers Skill.

Any one who can suppress for while
his eagernees with the rod on a 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 30.
will discover that he 10 not the only fisher
in those waters. Chief among the other
fishers are the heron. the kingfsher, the
mink, the water snake and the swapping
turtle.
AN angler passing down a brook, intent
on his rod. will rarely see any OF these wild
fishers at their work. for they are all wary
and shy, perhaps with the exception Of the
water snake. No angler has ever fished be-
tween the elder -skirted banks Of any trout
stream without discovering one or more
Of these reptiles-harmless except "a to
their wofu appetite for trout-twisted
around some overhsnging branch. watch
ing for prey.
Ono day, while fishing on sullivan
county brook. lay down in the shade Of
maple 10 eat my lunch and smoke n pipe.
While thus in quietude l saw blue heron
drop down on the edge Of the brook, only
a rod or two away. After few minutes OF
statuesQue watching. the iong-legged bird
dnr,ed It's head down into the water. with
drew 1t with large trout In it's bill, and
few away.
Not morn than five minutes after the
heron had disappeared, a mink came swim
ming up the brook. In pool nearly within
nv reach. the mink dived. A moment later
il appeared with q good half pound trout in
it's mouth.
This expert fisher had scarcely gone
it's way. when a harsh-voiced kinghsher
alishted on n dead limb overhanging the
brook. twenty yards from where lay. The
bird was not long on the limb before down
il went Ia the water, and came up with
trout. was trying to figure out what the
probable drain on the trout population Of the
country might be from the inroads Of these
wild mara uders, when water snake came
gliding up the stream. carrying a trout In
Then thought Il was time Tor me 10 get to
nshin0 again, before these expert and per-
sistent wild fishers had robbed me Of any
chance for sport,
the larges, trout for their prey. They
usually Ash at the foot Of some deep pool.
Poised on one long. slender leg, the heron.
az immovable as u 1t were carved from
stone, waits patiently the passing Of some
lusty trout from the rapid water below into
sThe wait IL seldom a long one. Sud-
denly the long neck shoots out like All ar
row. and the great bill Is buried for an in
slant in the water. The aim IL rarely az
fault, and when the birds head appears In
sight again large trout usually comes up
with Il. The heron rises lazily from the
creek, trailing its spindling legs. and flies
home with it's savory burden.
Late in the season when trout begin TO
congregate whore small spring runs empty
into the stream. the heron will he found
fishing there. as IL seems TO know well, a.
does the kinghsher, all tpe habits Of the
Ash II loves 20 well TO iced upon. One
heron, With free scope on q trout stream,
will likely take from Il a thousand trout.
many OF them heavy with spawn, during
the time this big bird hshee. which y from
the time the ice leaves the creeks IN the
spring until II forms on them again the fol-
lowing winter.
The mink fishes all winter long, a. we'll
~ IN the summer. In fact, 1t 10 during the
ice-bound period that IL is most destructive
TO trout.
The kingfsher is not 90 certain In its
aim Us the heron, but one failure never dis
couraees this winged marsuder. II will
resume its perch on the dead hmb-an out
look II seems to prcfer-settle down with
its Waterman 's-rattle cry and watch and
dive until the prize II won.
The knghsher Ia no stickler for size ia
trout, but tries for the first that comes along.
IL In o greedy fisher--or rather, perhaps.
the family that II feeds has an insatiable
appetite. for the bird has been known
70 return Tan tnncs 20 the same place within