The sun., 1919-03-16
TROUT TIME OPENS
IN NEW YORK APR. 8
Conditions This Season Ex-
pected to Be Entirely DIFF
ferent From Other Years.
EFFECT OF MILD WINTER
by SEARCH ME.

The trout season opens on April ] in
New Jersey, Connecticut and New
Hampshire: April in Rhode Island
April In New York and April IL In
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and YER
mont. In Maine brooks, streams. rivers
lakes and ponds the open time begins
when the ice goes out.
The trout bug is out of his hole and
lie will stay out whether the sun shines
or not. Rods are all flxed, reels oiled.
flies selected. leaders coiled. All Is ready.
Now where are the trout?
Our first cast will most likely be In
Jersey And the fishing was 30 poor last
year that It is n serious problem as to
when to CO. Tips for the opening week
usually prove wrong. Only those who
know Just when the Fish Commission
dumped em in can rely to any degree OF
certainty on finding trout. And from
my point OF view these favored ones are
not to he envied
It is the speckled fellow, spawned
four years or more ago way UP at the
head Of the brook. mid the hemlocks and
rhododendrons, that true lovers of the
sport want to find. Where art thou, Q
twelve inch Salvelinus?
The tried and trusted brook proved
false last year. Instead Of the darling
form flying to shelter as we incautiously
approached some open, golden ana
brown sanded pool only thhe glitter of
three or four TIN cans met our eager
gaze. White ash poles with n piece OF
string attached encountered the ripples.
Conditions Different This Season.
Perched jauntily on the big rock where
the waterfall foamed down into the deep
hole was a tomato can half full OF
putrid garden haclSle. some beer bottles
empty OF course, and the remains OF
generous lunch. But the big fellow who
always waited on us on our first visit
and who always took about ten feet Of
our line under that rock at the first
dash, was not there last year. VIII he
be there this year? Who can tell?
Trout fishing conditions this spring
will be entirely different from any we
have met in years. There has been no
snow. and very little ice in Jersey
Trout have been in all probability very
active all winter. and the conditions on
April 1 will more likely approach those
of May / of previous years.
1t will be Of interest to trout fisher
men IL notes are taken OF these condi-
tons and published in Rod and Gun
Come on, boys am sure the editor will
welcome your contribution, and II goes
without saying that fishermen will.
Word With Fly Fisherman.
Now, Mr. First Season Fly Fisherman
a word with you. You have all the dope
from experts at your finger ends. You
have new car all tuned up for the mad
dash to the most solitary haunts of
Nature. You have n fine Ave ounce rod.
! new featherweight reel, tapered line,
ak foot leaders with dropper loops.
| Your equipment i, first class, have
seen you practising in the back yard
until you have driven every cat out OF
the neighhorhood
have heard your wife call YOU four
| times TO dinner. and then call you some
other things You gave Willie a dollar
10 buy YOU penknife to cut flies loose
| from your pants, The cook helped YOU
out when you got 'em stuck in the back
! OF YOUR shirt. You have left quite an
| assortment of flies on your neighbours side
OF tho fence, because you had no ladder
to climb up on and unlock 'em.
That First Trip.
followed you into the tackle store
when you bought 'em. l saw you look
| at your list and heard YOU ask the
! salesman for a dozen Royal Coachmen.
! "the brown ones and when he looked
at YOU obviously. and asked you II you
| didn't mean Cowdung you told him
haughtily YOU were there TO buy flies,
not to crack Jokes.
I heard you tell him the Paymasheene
Belle flies you used were blue ones. But
You got the right ones after all. and YOU
are going TO have some time using them.
| Some time.
Good luck 10 YOU and fun creel.
| Stick to the fy and virtue will have its
| reward. But I wonder, OH wonder, If.
when You start on your first trip. full OF
| eager anticipation and youthful joy,
there will not be. tucked out OF sight I'M
der the seat. new tin can fun of dirt
and angle worms. Do l wonder right
| or wrong?