The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1920-04-15
SPRING BRINGS ON
FISHERMAN TALK
ELKO WRITER TELLS SECRET OF
CATCHING TROUT IN EARLY
SEASON WITH NATURAL BAIT;
FLIES ARE BETTER LATER ON

ILIIN I'M O@'
As the sun begins to get higher and
Red Letter day in the fisherman's cal
endar grows near, a certain irresisti-
BILE tingling to go to the old tackle
box and just finger over the old pets
steals over the confirmed angles, says
George f. Case, an authority on fish
and fishing.
Its time when he feels just like
sitting around and dreaming of some
thing that has nothing to do with
business, the crowded marts of men,
and all that. The old germ just gets
a hold on you and vaccine serums, an
ti-toxins or drugs cannot rid your sys-
tenn of it. The patient is doomed to
impatiently suffer until the speckled
beauties begin to strike. Then and
then only, comes relief.
Now is the time for all knights of
the rod to glance over their fy-books
| and other equipment. There are only
a few more days of trouting time.
| May LIST is the day for the grand entry
| of Lord Salvelinue Fontinallis. All
| We knights salaam to the little lord of
| the stream, who has attracted many a
man from the demoralizlng environ
| ments of city life and has filled many
a book with the beautiful thoughts
worked out beside some laughing
| stream while the angler has watched
| some of these creatures quietly wait
ing for insects to drop from overbal-
ancing alders, or to float by on the
surface of the water.
How to Catch Trout
In early April the principal factor
in the appeal hat trout fishing makes
to the angler is hat the trout, whose
very mention means gameness, is the
wariest fish that swims. In early
| season natural bait will be found more
| successful than artificial. The trout
are then lying quietly along the shore,
avoiding swift water. One of the best
ways to take them is with well cleaned
angle worms or night crawlers.
Some anglers are loath to use any
| thing but artificial flies or lures. Yet
the fact remains that if one wants to
take fish he must offer them that
which they are feeding upon.
The fishing pretenses and affecta-
| ticns of some anglers are we'll known.
These affectations-we all have them
in mind-threaten to bring damage to
the noble pursuit. They grow out of
the prominence of fly casting for trout
and it's claimed superiority.
Now, I must say in behalf of all
well conditioned fisherman, that we
are nc. inclined to belittle in the least
the splendid exhilaration of sudden
rise and strike, nor the gratifying ex-
ercise of skill and clever playing of
the quarry afforded by this method of
fishing; at the same time we are not
obliged to forget that often the trout
will refuse to rise or strike at a fly
and will wait on the bottom for food
like a common, vulgar fish. This
too. although tn "speckled beauty" is
the aristocrat among fish.
In early spring when trout begin to
feed, they make it their only business.
They live only to eat at this time.
Trout are forced to fast in winter, be-
cause natural food lies hidden under
rocks or imbedded in mud or sand
while nature is dormant during the
cold months. Insect life is also minus.
Trout at this time are mad with hun
ger. They will dart at a bait or fly
without fear. While trout lie dormant
most of the time, they will stir up
without visible cause just as if a gen.
eral had suddenly commanded them to
begin feeding. But this, not until the
weather has warmed up considerably
and the waters are much lower. Then
flies are more successful.