The sun., 1907-11-12
THE HONEST ANGLERS LINE UP
AND RESOLVE 10 PROTECT FISH
AND IMPROVE THE SPORT.


Wc HabhWg-NaVloUni bOUy Fthnueus
A convention Of Honest Anglers repre-
ssnting fishermen from various parts Of
the country, WAS held last night at the
American Museum of Natural History.
About 100 PERSONS were present u was
resolved to appoint committee TO formu-
late plans for a national association 20
protect game fishes and improve the sport
Of angling. The Rev. Dr. Henry van Dyke
If Princeton presided and was the moving
spirit Of the evening.
The exercises consisted Of an address
on The True Sporting Spirit by DR..
van Dyke. talks 10y other fishermen and
the reading Of letters from Theodore
Roosevelt and Grover Cleveland Presi-
dent Roosevelt wrote:
NY DEAR I'm. VAN DyKE: ! wish that I
could bc present at the Honest Anglers con
VcntiOn but a. cannot ! write 10 wish you
godspecd IN your admirable work. The men
assembled in the convention stand for true
sport of high standard and like most gen.
uine sportsmen they are lovers Of outdoor
life and of natural history and are believers
in manlinrsS. aud they particularly object TO
any form of wastefnl destruction.
You stand for the prevention and tho sup
preston Of vast cful destruction You stand
Tor TNe lTnnOll0N ana support Ol lHNN 10
protect the food and game fishes 30 that
thCv shall not he PNterminatcd. but may
continue in increased abundance to supply
food TO the multitud"s and good sport TO
those who keep the law. You encourage
the spirit of fair play.
You insist on doing Your fishing in straight D.
forward. sport ~uN1ikc fashion and you in
every way discourage the nONiOus craze for
record breaking a. regards he amount Of
IL 1T.
importH ant There are few things which a
naturalist and sport sman should more
heartily condemn than reckless and vast efu
slaughter. To make n very large bag.
whether Of deer or prairie chicken or duck
or quail OT NoodCOck or trout. is something
Of which Ia be ashamed and not 70 boast
Sincerely yours. THEoDoHE ROOSEVELT.
Mr.. RooseveIt's letter was received with
great applause. When one was announced
from ex-Preeident Cleveland the applause
was tremendous. MIR. Cleveland wrote:
My DEAR DIR. VAN DYKE: You know so
we'll the currents Of my piscatOral thought
thatlIneed not assure You of the pleasure it
would AFFORD me to attend the anglers con-
vcntion to bc held next Monday evening
Since this IL denied me and since YOU
are 10 speak on the True Sporting Spirit
may ask YOU 10 keep in mind the fact that
in the presentation of your topic YOU hold
a brief for me rs we'll as thousands OF other
honest anglers.
II anglers are to retain an honorable place
in the fraternity Of true sport smanship
their constant effort must be TO save them
selves and the present generation from th,
decentralization of fishing hOggery aud to
transmit TO those who come after them the
delightful and wholesome limitations which
belong to their craft,
They can adopt no motto better descTip-
tive Of what tn cir design and purpose should
ne than IL found in the following language
taken from the invitation have received 10
attend the coming convention:
To encourage the adoption of angling
methOdS which will make the Wholesale
slaughter of fish impossible and increase the
sport OF taking a fair number In q fair way.
Yours faithfully, troVER CLEVELAND
DR. van Dyke also presented a letter.
which he did not read from eV-SeCretary
of State John ". Foster. telling how q
treaty was being negotiated at present to
preserve the fishes of the border waters
of Canada and the United States. DR..
van Dyke said he had been chosen TO pre-
side because his profession imposes a
strict limitation upon me in telling fish
stories" He defined a true Sportsman
"A true sportsman Ia a man who finds his
recreation in "A fair and exciting effort 10
get something that is made for human
use in a way that involves some hardship
a little risk, good deal Of skill and patience
and plenty of outdoor life"
tie SAlu LTAI bne true sportsman should
not be a coward or shirS. bungler, gutter
or luxurious idler. He denounced killing
for the mere sake of killing and declared
that angling should be followed ~ "A game
with rules that equalize the chances and
make success dependent upon skill and
good judgment and perseverance"
Dr. TarletOn II. Bean read paper on
the work Of the New York Fish Comnissio
A paper was read for Prof. &. r, Holder Of
California, who is Ill. by DIR. II. q. Bumpus.
director Of the Museum Of Natural History.
and Charles Hallock read isoEne reminis-
oences Of Thad Norris and Bob Roosevelt
in their work and writings on angling.
DIR. Barton W. Everman OF the United
States Bureau of Fisheries told OF his ex-
pedition in search of the golden trout in
the volcanic regions OF the Sierras which
was fast being exteTminated until President
Roosevelt came to the rescue officially. He
showed many stereopticon views and had
this TO say about fishing:
1T is better TO lie about our catch than TO
make il sometimes, and in many cases il
is easier