The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1903-08-21
THE WILD ANGLERS.
ANIMAL FISHERS THAT ARE QUICK
SURE, WARY AND SHY.

q trout stream ana summon pauence 10
lie in wait and watch the ways OF
beasts and BIRDS" said one who had
evidently been able to do SO, will dis
cover that he is 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 in 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 between the
elder slSirted banks of any trout stream
without discovering one or more of
these reptiles-harmless except As TO
their woef1 appetite for trout-twisted
around some oyerhanging branch.
watching for prey.
zone day while fishing in Sullivan
county brook l lay down in the shade
Of maple to eat my lunch and smoke
n pipe. While thus in quietude | saw n
blue heron drop down on the edge of
the brook only n rod or two away. Aft.
er few minutes of statuesque watch
ing the long legged bird darted its
head down into the water. Withdrew II
with large trout In Its bill and flew
away.
mot more than 1--we minutes after
the heron had disappeared mink
came swimming up the brook. In n
pool nearly within my reach the mina
Owed. A moment later 1t appeared
with a good half pound trout In Its
mouth.
This expert fisher had scarcely gon.
its way when a harsh voiced kingfsher
alighted on a dead limb oyerhangins
the brook twenty yards from where
lay. The bird was not long on the limb
before down 1t went In the water and
came up with a 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 marauders when a water snake
came gliding up the stream carrying n
trout in its 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.
"Herons. ike swapping turtles. select
the largest trout for their prey. They
usually ash at the foot of some deep
pool Poised on one long. slender leg.
the heron. as immovable as II IT were
carved from stone. waits patiently the
passing of some lusty trout from the
rapid water below Into the pool.
1.-THE wait is seldom a long one. Sud
denly 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 bird s
head appears In sight again a large
trout usually comes up with IL. The
heron rises lazily from the creek. trail
ing its spindling legs, and flies home
with its savory burden.
Late in the season, when trout begin
to congregate where small sprine runs
empty into the stream, the heron will
be found fishing there. as 1t seems TO
know well, as does the kingasher, all
the habits Of the lfsh 1t loves SO well to
feed upon, OnA heron with free scope
on a trout stream win likely take from
1t thousand trout. many OF them
heavy with spawn, during the time thi
big bird fishes. which is from the time
the Ice leaves the creeks In the spring
until 1t forms on them again the fol
lowing winter.
The mink fishes all winter long as
well as in the summer In fact, 1t IL
during the icebound period that II IL
most destructive to trout.
1.-The kingfisher is not so certain in it,
aim as the herdn. but one failure never
discourages this winged marauder. L
will resume its perch on the dead liml
An outlook 1t seems to prefer-settl'
down with its watchman's rattle err
and watch and dive until the prize Il
won
'"rhe kingisher is no stickler for sizs
comes along. 1t Is greedy fisher. or
rather, perhaps the family that 1t feedi
has an Unsuitable appetite. for the bird
has been known to return ten times t.
the same place within an hour and
carry away a trout every time. A
catch which 1t makes in that length oil
time the best of anglers nowaday,
would consider something TO boast OF.
water snakes. basking by the hun
dreds along every trout stream. fisl
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, unit
the approach of winter drives then
back into their holes.
There is no knowing to how great g
degree the trout retaliate on the snakes
for their warfare, but that they dC
make reprisals is known to every an
gler. for many n big trout wher
dressed is found to have from one Il
three young water snakes in his stom
ach.