Imperial Valley press., 1920-04-03
I R0UT
PAINTINGS IN
SOU. CALIFORNIA
Fishing in Various Counties
Opened Thursday; Heavy
Paintings to Stock Streams
for the Followers of Isaac
Walton.

SW GHtC VsGVSSCsO VI AouHC |
Walton.
Despite the combination of general
forest fires, and low water all sum-
Hmer, with railroad strikes tipping upt
transportation, and the unprecedented |
ly heavy rains last September, the |
fish and game commission during the |
fall of 1919 succeeded in making the |
heaviest trout planting in Southern !
California sporting history, and to
generally better advantage IN up-coast |
streams than ever before was pos
sible.
This announcement becomes of par
ticular interest because fishing opened
in Ventura, Santa Barbara, Kern and
the other up coastal and San Joaquin
valley counties Thursday, the first of
April. In the event that the "open-
ers" find it indeed an "April FOOLS |
Day" because of continued high, roily
water from successive storms, the IL !
censed angling fraternity at least
may continue full of hope, for the
fish are there.
Owing to the rearrangement en-
forced by constantly changing condi-
tions which made changes in plans Of
trout distribution necessary to keep
pace last summer, it was not possible
to get to the actual work Of planting
until October. This resulted in the
direct advantage of the angled in that
the fish had more time to grow in the
Mount Whitney hatchery troughs,
while some streams that were virtual
ly dry at the usual time for planting
had recovered sufficiently to carry
their quota. In order to safeguard the
planting all possible, and to permit
the troutlings to be packed M to
the upper parts of the streams where
they would do the most good, the three
carloads of fish that went in up the
coast were each routed all the way
through. delivering their consignments
only IN part at any one time. Thus
the willing sportsmen who co-operat-
ed in planting the fish We're not
"swamped'' by having them all to
handle in one day, and as result,
more fish were scattered along the up
per creeks than heretofore. The re-
suit will show probably in very ma
terial increase in both numbers and
sizes of fish taken, whenever streams
settle down to favorable fishing con-
ditions.
SOME EXPERIMENTS
Many small streams in Santa Bar
bara county were given an expert
mental dosage of trout, and both the
red spotted "Boyhood Favorites' of
the eastern brooks and the celebrated
Lock Leven varieties were planted.
The Sisquoc, and Wildhorse Range
canyon were given rather heavy plant
ings of these. Although the water
got very low in the Sisquoc and Man.
zana late last summer, the September
showers came in time to prevent any
great loss Of fish by drouth. Deputy
Fish and Game Commissioner Abels
packed in fish to several springs which
had shrunk to mere riMs, but gave
promise OF rearing enough to stock
them. The Santa Ynez and Salsi-
puedes creeks were given very heavy
paintings of steelhead trout and
qulnnat salmon again last year. With
the present splendid sea-run of steel
heads, making for a big natural breed
ing, and the prospect of water being
well sustained all through until late
summer. good fishing can be looked for
along this deservedly popular tour
ing grounds Of the motor angler, who
rejoices in it's mile after mile of ideal
campink spots right between road and
river.
Ventura County planting were con-
centrated upon the three principal
watersheds of the Ventura, Santa Pau
la and Sespe, and each was planted in
tensively. Every tributary Of the Ven
tura received personal attention of
Deputy Jack Barnett, who was aided
by Webb Wilcox and other public spir-
tied sportsmen, while the Santa Clara
valley game and fish protective asso-
cations members took charge of the |!
Sespe. and Santa Paula paintings. The |
fish from the new Mount Whitney
hatchery were conceded by all who |
handled them to be the largest, liveli- |
est and lustiest lot that had ever come,
out OF the trout can in this end of the /
state. While due partly to the length |
Of time the fry had been held the re-
markabl rate Of growth established in
this most modern of 'hatcheries in the,
icy but richly food laden waters of !;
Oak Creek was the principal cause. /
Scientific fish culturists aim at grow
ing fry an inch per month, but this
hatchery is the only one that has
been able to main any such average.
The young trout arrive the next morn
ing sfter going into the travelling cans
at Whitney the afternoon before,
which assures their maintaining vigor