The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1916-09-06
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been invented. but owing to the fact
that the hole extended below several
water bearing strata, It was immedi-
ntely used for the storage OF water.
and is now known as Four Mile Lake.
These geographical references are
more likely faulty. ! do not pretend
To vouch for such. any more than
endorse any statements made OF their
experiences on the trip. OF which !
write. by W. Paul Johnson. J. l..
Slater and Jesse Siemens. but all are
sufficiently accurate for the purpose
OF this story.
Three years ago there was n COM
plcic dear,h Of fish life In this lake:
n trout had never created one little
ripple In Its crystal waters. II was
not even known to contain fish food
aud the temperature had not been
taken with n view to placing trout fry
therein: but waving all such prelim-
inaries. some time In the latter part
Of July. 1913. the fish and game COM
mission shipped TO the lake and plant
ed 5000 lingering Rainbow trout.
Thche were brought from the hatch
cry at Spencer Creek. Reports came
from time to time that many OF the
fish had been seen. and that the same
were doing phenomenally well. But
not til within the last two weeks did
the sportsmen realize the sensational
result OF the effort to stock the lake.
About this time Henry Stout, district
deputy game warden. W. =. Johnson.
Carey Ramsby and Bob Robertson OF
Klamath Falls made trip to the lake.
They reported seeing rs many trout
MS had been placed In the lake three
years ago: that the fish were collected
about the outlet OF the lake and In
the stream that flows from II: that for
n quarter OF a mile or more from
the lake the small stream was liter
ally crowded with the finest trout
they had ever seen. More convincing
than anything stated was fifty pounds
oi male rainbow trout caught by eacn
fisherman and brought back to town.
The female fish had been returned to
the stream. II was not difficult to
understand that the extravagant Ian
guage ordinarily used by these fisher
men was really inadequate to describe
what they had seen. They were stun
ned, nonpluscd, hOpelessly stranded.
II was something new In their expert
ence In Il section OF the state where
sensat ional fish and hauls were com.
mon. They were discouraged: they
had met with a fishing experience thai
was new. 1t could not be exagger-
ated. There was but one thing left
to be done: that was to get first hand
information. This | did. In company
with W. =. Johnson. J. l.. Slater.
Jesse Siemens and Henry Stout. on
June Is, 1916. Time and method OF
making trip AS follows: by auto to
Pelican Bay Lodge, 80 miles: one
hour and thirty minutes; then by
light spring wagon and two horses.
twelve miles to the lake In question,
two hours.
Two or three hundred yards below
the outlet of the lake large irri-
eating ditch has been constructed for
II distance OF n quarter OF a mile or
more: this diverts about half the flow
OF the creek. which is returned to
the creek. unused. quarter of a
mile below the point of diversion.
was instructed to get over to the
bank of the ditch and take look into
Il. did so, and while was prepared
for an extraordinary sight, ! was GER
tainly not braced for the thrill ! re-
ceived. My first view of the ditch COW
cred a section OF about twenty-five
feet in length, with width at tho
surface OF the water of about eight
feet. Within this area were twenty
tiy. of the finest trout ! ever saw; tho
water was ice cold. clear as crystal,
and not very swift. Many OF the fish
were near the surface. and appeared
10 be ON the lookout for possible flies
or any food that might chance within
range. Just q few feet away flowed