The San Francisco call., 1909-08-08
Anglers Wait
For Arrival
OF Big Fish
Delay of the Long Expected Sal
mon Schools Is Causing
Much Worry
BY FRANK O'DONNELL.

Deep sea fishermen are still wonder
ing why the run of Quinnat salmon has
not commenced off the entrance to the
bay, and the failure of the big fish to
put in an appearance in the stretches
of water where they were found in
large numbers at this season in past
years is the chief topic of discussion
among sea going hook and line anglers.
As far as is known only five fish
have been taken outside with hook
and line thus far for the season and
four of them were landed by w. H.
Campbell of Sausalito, who got his
fourth, an Is FOUNDER, off the whistling
buoy near Duxbury reef on Tuesday.
Campbell also got three strikes that
were barren of results on the same
day and he reported that there was
notning to. indicate that the run was
about to commence.
Many theories are advanced in ex-
planation of the nonappearance of the
fish and there is much talk of chang
ing currents and the lack of suitable
food, but none of these explanations
seems plausible.
George NJ. Barnes, the veteran and
expert salmon fisherman, has been out
three months, fishing between Point
Reeves light and Halfmoon bay, without
getting solitary fish. Barnes says
that the ocean water. which is usually
clear at this season, is discOlored for
miles out and up and down the coast,
owing to the large volume. of muddy
water coming down from the river. The
weather has been unusually cool with
strong winds blowing off shore. and
Barnes is of the opinion that the fish
are waiting for the water to become
clear and for the temperature to rise
before coming in to spawn.
While discussing the situation few
days ago Campbell and Barnes We're
approached by an enthusiast who asked
them when they thought the run would
commence. Barnes had just come in
from an unsuccessful trip and prompt
ly answered: "On September IL" the
day on which the open season ends.
and Campbell added: Yes, on that day
at o'clock in the afternoon
Trout fishermen are still finding the
streams and lakes in the distant noun
tains good for sport, but there is
nothing doing on coast streams, with
the possible exception of the Eel river,
while conditions on the Truckee are not
as satisfactory as anglers would like
to have them. Trout are plenti1ul
enough in the latter stream, but the
trouble lies in the scarcity of big fish,
according to anglers. Sportsmen who
whipped the river two weeks ago
stated this to be the case and their
statements were borne out by others
who were out at the close OF last
week. Floyd s. Judah, Senator j. e,
Sims and Ed Gait whipped the stream
between Truckee and Union Mills for
two days last week and on the second
day they did not take fish that
weighed over one pound. Judah took
10 fish in the two days with red
spinner. red ant and improved Gov
ernor flies, and he stated that he threw
back fully 20 that measured six inches
or less in length. "A report from Deer
Park springs between Truckee and
Lake Tahoe says that the fishing is at
its best at that point and also on
Suuaw and Bear creeks and at Five
lakes Eastern brook trout, averaging
about three-quarters of pound in
weight. are being taken in large num-
bers at Five lakes.
Harry A. Thompson writes from Ga
zelle, Siskiyou county, to Sam Wells
OIL the CdlllOTHld dH6 iSlS dSSOStdtiOAA
that fishing is splendid in that region.
The following excerpt from Thomp-
sons letter will give a good idea of
the sport he is enjoying: Recently
/ went with two friends to the head
waters of the Trinity river, a distance
of about 80 miles, on horseback, a
rough trip, but the sport was worth it.
Fishing here is simply great and it is
no trick at all to get a limit basket
fro r inO 10
and occasionally we land a rainbow
running from IL to IA inches, every one
of them a fighter. The largest / have
taken thus far weighed little less
than two pounds. The best killers
| on the Trinity are the gray hackle with
forked tail and the light winged caddis
flies. On the return trip from the
Trinity we stopped at Crater lake.
which is of great depth and covers
an area of about 500 acres. Fishing
on the lake was merely fair.
Thompson expects to spend a few
days at Gold bay on Rogue river before
starting for home.
A. NJ Cumming is another local
angler who has had some fine sport
recently. Cumming made Sierra City
in Sierra county, about 4S miles north
of Truckee. his base of operations, and
whipped the streams and lakes in the
vicinity with gratifying results. Rain
bow abound in the lakes and in all
of the tributaries or the north fork
of the Yuba river, Cumming says, and
he and Mrs Cumming creeled large
catches daily. There was large num-
ber of anglers in the region, indicating
that the country is well known to the
sporting fraternity.
The resorts on the upper Sacramento
continue to attract fishermen who can
not afford extended trips to more dis
tant places Sport at Castella, La
moine. Castle Crag and Sims continues
excellent. according to reports, and it
should continue so until the salmon
commence to ascend the river to spawn.
Striped bass fishing is slowly inn
proving. but thus far the Improvement
has been confined to a few spots on
the Marin shore. Last Sunday about
nine fish were taken with live sinner
bait from the lagoon behind Tiburon,
and several strikes were reported also.
Louis GottheIf and Joe Meyer were at
the same place Thursday, and Gotthelf
got fish. while Meyer had to be
content with a strike. One of Gott-
helfs fish weighed u pounds and the
other pounds. There has been none
taken at Greenbrae or at San Pablo