The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-07-10
THE WILD ANGLERS.
ANIMAL FISHERS THAT ARE QUICK,
SURE, WARY AND shy.
Chief Among Them Are the Heron,
the KinEasber. the Mink, the Wa
ter snake and the snnpping Tur-
tIe-HOw They Land Their Pris.s.

lIonl slIfuIl anu Hhihiiloh l'di"H'' w
lie In wait and watch the ways Of
beasts and birds" said one who had
evidently been able 10 do 80, "wlll dis
cover that he liz not the only fisher in
those waters. Chief among the other
fishers are the heron, the kinglisher,
the mink, the water snake and the
swapping turtle.
"An angler passing down In brook
intent on his rod will rarely see any Of
they are all wary and shy, perhaps
with the exception Of the water snake.
No angler has ever iished between the
elder skirted banks of any trout stream
these reptiles harmless except as to
their wocful appetite for trout--twisted
around some oycrhanging branch,
watching for prey.
zone day while fishing In n sullivan
,ounty brook | lay down In the shade
If n maple 10 eat my lunch and smoke
pipe. While thus in quictudc ! saw n
blue heron drop down OH the edge or
he brook only rod or two away. Aft
n a few minutes of staiucsque watch
ing the long legged bird darted Its
read down into the water, Withdrew 1t
With large trout in its bill and flew
lway.
"Not more than five minutes after
the heron had disappeared mink
.ame swimming mp the brook. In n
pool nearly within my reach the mink
lived. A moment later 1t appeared
with good half pound trout In Its
Mouth
"Thls expert fisher had scarcely gone
Il way when harsh voiced kingfishcr
lIlghtcd on dead limb ovcrhanging
he brook twenty yards from where |
ay. The bird was not long on the limb
pcforc down II went In the water and
anne MP with trout ! was trying to
igure out what the probable drain on
he trout population Of the country
night bc from the inroads OF these
Wild maraudcrs when water snake
came gliding NJ the stream carrying n
trout In It's mouth that was big enough
To talk about. Then | thought II was
time for me to get TO fishing again be
fore these expert and persistent wild
fishers had robbed me of my chance
for sport.
"Ucrons, like swapping turtles, select
the largest trout for their prey. They
usually fish nt the foot OF some deep
pool. Poised on one long, slender leg,
the heron, as immovablc as If II were
carved from stone, waits patiently the
passing of some lusty trout from the
rapid water below into the pool.
"The wait Is seldom long one. Sud
denly the long neck shoots out Ike an
arrow, and the great bill Is buried for
an instant in the water. The aim IL
rarely at fault. and when the birds
head appears In sight again n large
trout usually comes up with II. The
heron rises lnzily from the creek, trail
ing It's spIndling legs, and flies home
with It's savory burden.
Late I'm the season, when trout begin
TO congrcgatc where small spring runs
empty into the stream, the heron VIII
be found fishing there. as II seems ia
know well. ms does the kinghshcr, all
the habits OF the hsh II loves SO well "a
feed upon. one heron with II free scope
on trout stream will likely take from
II thousand trout many of them
heavy with spawn, during the time this
big bird fishes which IL from the time
the lee leaves the creeks In the spring
until IL forms on them again the fol
lowing winter
"rhe mink fishes all winter long ~
well as I'm the summer. In fact, II Is
during the iccbound period that IL Is
most destructive 10 trout.
"Thc klngfishcr Is not so certain In It's
aim as the heron. hut one failure never
discouragcs this winged marauder. II
will resume its perch OH the dead llml
AN outlook il seems to prefer settle
down with its wntchmaus rattle cry
and watch and dive until the prize Is
won.
"Thc kingfshcr Is no stickler for size
I'm trout, but tries for the first tha
comes along. II IL n greedy fisher. or
rather, perhaps the family that IL feeds
has an Unsuitable appetite, for the bird
has been known TO return ten times t'
the same place within mn hour an,
carry away trout every time. \
catch which II makes I'm that length q
time the best of anglers nowaday'
would consider something To boast of.
Water snakes. basking by the hun
drcds along every trout stream, fisl
with SO much tact and cunning tina
they number their prey by thousand
| from the time they come out Of thei
| alternating places, which is ns soon n
l the weather begins To- get warm, unit
| the approach OF winter drives then
l back into their holes.
| "Thcrc is no knowing To how great
l degree the trout rctaliatc on the snake
| for their warfare, but that they d
| make rcprisals is known to every an
| glcr, for many n big trout whe
l dressed Is found To have from one (
three young water snakes In his stou
| ach
1T Is fortunate not only Tor III
trout. but for all kinds of brook, pom
and river fishes. that the swapping tu'
tie Is of extremely slow growth an
that its eggs are themselves the pre-
of birds. snakes. muskrats and variou
predatory things. FOR il Is one of th
dcadlicst foes To the iiuny tribe. Bulk
and apparently clumsy as these fo
| midablc creatures are. they are $
| quick. willy aud active when hunting
| stream that no trout that snappin