The Parker post., 1911-07-29
A PARADISE
FOR ANGLERS
Many Places in Arizona Suited for
Summer Vacation.
Sport to Be Had by the Nimrods-

dictions. The globe-trotter who sees
Arizona only from the window of a
Pullman car concludes that it's moth
ing more than desert waste, a bar
tween the verdant fields of Gods
country 'back east" and the garden
of the es-California-fo
the sole purpose of accentuating their
beauty, just as the gargoyle by it's
hideOusneSs accentuateS the beauty
of Gothic architecture Even the Wis
itOr who chances to spend a winter
here, and who confines himself to
but one town or locality, is liable to
return home in ignorance of the
many-sidedness of Arizona life and
geography. The visitor to the south
ern part of the state observes how
the arteries of irrigation have
touched the desert into bloom, but
perchance he does not know that the
mountains of northern Arizona con-
tain the largest body Of standing pine
timber in the United States, and
that forth from these tree-clad noun
tains gush sparkling streams of the
purest water-the natural home of
the rainbow and the speckled trout.
Oak Creek is perhaps the best
known of all the streams that find
! - ,;o -, 41,0 r11OJ 70 oi11s
because it is the easiest of access.
Old settlers tell of catching trout in
this stream weighing five and six
pounds while yet the redman was
upon the war-path. A few years ago
the government, as an experiment,
stocked the creek with rainbow trout.
They thrived and multiplied, and it
was soon found that the cool water
and healthful climate of Arizona gave
an added lustre to their rainbow hues
and gameness to their fight. Of late
years the stream has been systemat-
ically stocked with the rainbow va
riety, and last year there were lib
Grated in the creek 10000 speckled
trout of Colorado ancestry. By next
season these will be large enough to
catch, They give promise of a good
season for the experienced angler,
as they take the hook more readily
than the rainbow variety and are
not so choice in their diet.
Oak Creek has it's source in the
melting SHOWS of the San Francisco
mountains near the Skylight City
Flagstaff. 1t meanders in south
westerly direction until it reaches a
deep canyon. Through this it dashes,
foams and splashes for distance OF
some twenty-five miles. Emerging
from the canyon, it quiets down long
enough for the rancherS on lower
Oak Creek to catch few of it's crys-
tai drops and, applying them to the
soil, they are transformed into the
most luscious fruit man has tasted
since the day Adam was caught red
handed in the orchards of Eden. 1t
then joins the Verde river and to-
gether they flow south to add their
quota to the prosperity of the Salt
River valley.
From Oak Creek the angler and
his family (by all means take the
! family along) can make some very
interesting side trips. Just climb out
of the canyon and one is lost amid
the stately pines of the great Mogol-
lon forest. Here one may watch fat
cattle grazing in peace and plenty,
get a glympse of a band of wild
horses, surprise blacktail deer and
| watch him bound away through the
forest or perchance come suddenly
upon old bruin busily dining on
manzanita berries. If one has an
ambition to view the whole world
and the kingdoms thereof, then he
may ascend the San Francisco noun
tains. Montezuma's Castle and Well
are only a days drive from Sedona
and are we'll worth seeing. In the
same vicinity are Soda Springs,
where free soda water is dispensed
all the year around.
While the writer feels that all of
these trips are we'll worth the max
| ing-and he has made them all-Still
it's the trout for him. Hand over the
bamboo rod and put on a Royal
| Coachman and a Silver Doctor and
watch him HE to where the creek
goes tumbling, splashing and foam
ing over the boulders and forms an
eddy below There make a cast. The
flies settle down upon the troubled
waters like flakes of snow. Now
draw them slowly toward you. They
are now just skirting that big bOuld-
er that lies where the pool looks so
dark and deep. All! tug, a rush,