Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-10

some who actually reversed the real
state of affairs by calling the one hsh
the other. Consequently, with good IN
| tentions, these men may violate the
law, and either never know it or some
day stumble on to a warden in all
innocence and pay for their ignorance.
Certainly no one who does not know
the fish, and know that he knows them,
has any business to go trout fishing
before the general. trout season opens
with the coming of next month, and II
in doubt as to such knowledge ths
safest course is to wait l much doubt
if any description of common external
characteristics would be of practical
service. The rainbow trout-and for
that matter the others, too-are so
much Influenced in coloring by their
surroundings, and in condition by the
state of food supply in their particular
stream, that the average fisherman,
with his eye sharpened for generalitieS
only, would be very apt to tlnd nlmselI
worse confused thereby. Number OF
teeth on the Vomer, pre-opercle, gill
rakers, caudal spines scale row count,
are Greek to most of the garden
hackle" fraternity. There is, however,
one mark of the steelhead that seems
to be fairly constant, and that is the
FIVE vertical bars along its sides, to-
gether with the general silYery aspect
of the fish that will be noticed when
ever fresh-run from salt water, and
even in the smaller specimens, which
are the progeny Of the preceding run
into the stream. AS a rule, but not
without exception, the rainbow is
darker, fatter, deeper trout, and shows
more iridesCenCe upon the gill-coVers,
and his mouth is bigger in proportion.
The steelhead shows marked salmon
characteristics even in its adolescence.
Dat 1pGcrintinn he
of much use.
one feature of the trout situation
that has complicated matters is a letter
by the eminent fish culturist and iCthy-
ulogist, Dr. David Starr Jordan, presi-
dent of Stanford university, in which
he reVerses himself by declaring that
the steell9ead and rainbow are the same
fish. l have not yet found trout fish
erman who agreed with this view. The
characteristics of the fish externally,
are different in the eyes of the expert.
Their habits are sufficiently well de-
fined so that an angler of experience
generally can name with considerable
accuracy their average range, except
ing the common ground in which they
to a greater or less degree commingie.
To say that the steelhead (Salmo
Gairdneri) and the rainbow (Salmo lri-
deus) are the same fish is to declare
that icthyologists and fish culturists OF
the past, not excepting himself, are in
error. as well as most of those of to-
dav. The law differentiates between
them: and even DIR. Jordan's verdict
hardly would be apt to exonerate the
angler who catches what passes for a
rainbow trout in these waters before
May l.
Local fishermen who have visited the
Ventura river and other large streams
20 the north have returned well pleased
with their trips. The steelheads have
nlonopolized the lower reaches of these
rivers. In the Ventura river they show
different characteristics than those TAX
en- in the san Gabriel about Ell Monte
and upward, being more silVery, but
this probably is due to the closer prox-
unity Of the ocean, many Of the Nen-
ura river catches being made virtually
in tidewater, while the san Gabriel es-
tuary is little fished. Catches of steel
heads have been made there, however,
aud any of an inquiring turn of mind
might do we'll to take the Newport car
to Las Atlas, and work up the bay to
the mouth of the stream when the wa |
ter clears little, il having been muddy |
since the last rains in the lower part |
of the river. For this work an assort-
ment of spoons, bait, and If possible |
small minnoWs, would be recommend |
ed. There should be a very fair pros |
rect Of success to "A skilled trout fish |
erman. Virtually no prospect of catch |
ing a rainbow exists, the catch being |
stcelheads If any, and of good size, If !
net as plentiful as higher up