The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-11-08
THE CHAMPION FISH STORY
(Spokane Spokesman-Review.)


west or any other subdivision of this
country where two men can catch LOCO
trout in two hours. Yet that has been
done at Granite lake. in the western
part of Flathead county, Montana.
This lake is located about fifteen miles
frem the town of Libby, on the main
line of the Great Northern railroad,
and is reached from that place by
wagon road and trail.
1t is situated in the heart of the Cab
met mountains. conceded by all travel
ers to be the most magnificent of all
the subsidiary mountain ranges en-
braced within the chain of ranges
known as the Rocky mountains. This
lake is approximately 5000 feet above
sea level and is about 5000 feet above
the town of Libby.
And at this time Granite lake offers
to those who go in for that sort of
thing an opportunity which has seldom,
in later years, been offered, and that is
that up to this time it has been fire.
Quented by but few people 1t is To-
Gated at the head of Granite creek and
in section of the range which was al
most impenetrable and heretofore but
few people had the ambition to make
the necessary effort to get in there
However. that has all been changed.
Now from the town of Libby one rides
over half way over a good wagon. road
while from the end of the wagon road
up the canyon, which ends at the lake
there is a splendid trail, over which
pack horses can carry good loads and
over which the tourist may ride If de-
sired.
For this trail the people are indebted
to the forestry bureau. A crew of men
under the direction of the supervisor of
the Cabinet forest put i'm a large part
of last summer surveying and cutting
and grading this trail. The result of
this is that now one of the most beau
tiful spots in all Montana is within
easy access for all who care to so.
And in connection with this feature
of Granite lake it might be we'll to add
that the forestry folks have inaugu-
rated at this place the policy of leas-
ing small parcels of land around the
lake to individuals. These leases en-
able the individual who cares to OBJ
tain an outing headquarters in the
mountains the chance to do so at rea-
sonable expense.
At the same time the one who gets
the lease is assured of the protection of
the government in his holdings and is
also protected by the same agency from
loss by fire. The forestry people intend
Keeping the necessary guards to give
ample protection to all who take these
leases and build cabins there
Already quite number of folks have
made application for lands around the
shore of the lake, and before long.
probably as soon as the great beauties
of the lake become better known as the
summer opens, practically all the de-
sirable places will be taken I'D. How
ever. enough land will be always open
to the general public to the end that
these leases may not operate to debar
the public from camping around the
lake regardless of the leasing system.
Lying in the midst of mountains of
rock. which have been nodded into all
sorts of gigantic scenic effects by the
great Master Builder. Granite lake af-
fords most splendid opportunity for
base for a summers outing. In the
lake an abundance of mountain trout.
and up and down Granite creek are
fishing grounds not exceIled in any 9TH
er place.
Bands of mountain sheep and goats
are found throughout the district sur
rounding the lake and on the inhospita
BILE and apparently impossible cliffs
which surround the water and extend
into the main range large numbers may
be seen at any time. The Montana
laws allow but one each of these ami
mails to be taken by any one person in
one year, and this only during the open
season There is to be found nowhere
else such splendid opportunity to get
ones quota of sheep or goat as at
Granite lake.
Further down the creek from the lake
where the country is not so wild and
broken as Immediately surrounding the
lake, is found a wonderful hunting
ground for deer, both white tail and
black tail. There are not only a lot of
these animals in that section, but the
country in which they make their homo
is an easy one in which to hunt There
are also some elk in that section. and
quite number of bands of carbon
have been reported from time to time.
1t is entirely probable that Granite
laks holds the palm for the best fish
story. Bill Hills. known ali over the
northwest as one of the crack shotgun
artists and aIl-round sports, went nm
there some years ago when he lived at
Libby. He was accompanied by A
friend. For the purpose of seeing how
long it would take them to catch .00o
trout they made the effort, and In ex
actly two hours the two of them had
taken from their hooks the j 600 trout.
OF course, they were immediatelv
thrown again into the water as there
was no means of getting them cut of
that country, if they wanted tn