113
THE SUNDAY OREGONIAK, PORTLAND, AUGUST 5, 1906.
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RAINBOW TROUT
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DID YOU ever accompany a friend
on some fishing trip where, the
trout were said to be leaping out of
the water In their anxiety to be caught?
And after staying up all night to catch'
an early train and driving miles through
the dust ana heat at the end of your rail
road Journey, did you find that the stream
had been fished out?
Burned by ' the sun. bitten by . mos
quitog and covered with dust, did you
not return, to town filled with the de
termination never to take a tip front
anyone again as to where to flsh?
Almost all trout streams tributary to
Portland have reached that condition
best described by the jtwo words, "fished
out." This season the scarcity of fish
in the streams is more marked than ever
and it is plain, that something shoulf
be done to re-stock the streams with
their finny tribe. -
Few devoted to the gentle art of
angling are now able to make a fair
catch within a day's journey of Portland.
A few wise ones know where to go al
most any time throughout the season
and soon fill their creel with the speckled
beauties, but this Is only where some
farmer keeps a preserve for a few fa
vored ones or in Isolated cases where
for other reasons the crowd of fisher
men does not penetrate.
. The trout streams of the territory trib
utary to Portland have been so persist
ently fished by ardent anglers that there
are but few of the elusive, finny tribe
left. The usual week-end attack on the
fish throughout the Summer months
brings out hordes of amateur Isaak Wal
tons who do more 'or less damage to the
tribe of the wily trout. With the nat
ural foes of the stream to face, as well
as the human destroyers, trout in this
state have not a fair chance to main
tain their numbers.
Few states can boast of better nat
ural facilities for . the propagation of
trout and other game fish than the State
of Oregon. With its numerous mountain
streams, rushing torrents from snow
covered mountain ranges, with water as
clear as crystal, their banks lined with
luxuriant vegetation furnishing an
abundance of insect food, with - their
pebbly- and sandy shallows keeping their
waters always clear and sweet, Oregon
may well rejoice in thankful recognition
of Nature's splendid gifts.
But Nature herself will fail to furnish
a plentiful trout supply unless she is
aided in the work. Her great storehouse
of energy will become exhausted ffnless
It Is supplied with new material. In no
natural phenomena is this more apparent
than In the propagation of fish.
Ask the pioneer angler and sportsman
to give you a few reminiscences of his
early life and he will tell you that years
, ago, before the lumberman dumped saw
dust into the streams, before the mills
and factories poured their poisonous re
fuse into their clear waters and before
mining and irrigation engineers con
structed their murderous canals and
i ditches without screens or other proteo
tion. these streams were full of fish and
angling was truly a royal sport..
Today's Conditions.
How is. it today? OnlyIn the most re
mote and inaccessible places can you find
a true day's port. There is the Clacka
mas River'right at Portland's door. The
sun never sifted its golden beams upon
a finer trout stream anywhere in the
world. And yet today you must go 60 or
100 miles to its headwaters if you want
anything like the oldtime sport. It is the
same way with hundreds of other streams
in Oreson.
The multiplicity of fishermen, the un
sportsmanlike slaughter of flsh whenever
fishermen do get far enough away from
civilization to find them plentiful and
keen in biting, and the disregard of the
law limiting the size of a trout that may
be caught to five inches, have done the
deadly work. Flngerlings should be
thrown back into the stream whenever
caught. Those who take small fry can
not expect to catch mature trout If they
perrfst in robbing the streams of Imma
ture fish.
Few realize there is a limit to the size
of a day's catch. Did you ever hear of
a fisherman stopping because he had
reached a limit? Such a thing is almost
unheard of An4 yet the law of Oregon
states plainly that not more than 125
trout shall be -caught by any one person
in a day. The ordinary angler takes pains
at some times to reach the headwaters
of some Btream where he may be free
from other fishermen and pursue the
gentle art of angling with the best pros
pects of success. If the fish bite well, as
they usually do In the remote streams,
the lust of slaughter seems to take pos
session of the fortunate fisherman and he
keeps fishing as long as the fish bite, no
matter If he has his basket filled and run
ning over. This depopulates the streams
and makes the chances of the next fish
erman less likely.
A Proposed Remedy.
The statement is often made with entire
truthfulness that, there are too few fish
for the fisherman. Ask the next, ten
fishermen you see coming into Portland
on any Sunday, night after a day spent
In whipping some trout stream and they
will tell you that their catch Is small be
cause the stream is "fished out."
In view of this condition, some remedy
should be found to relieve the situation.
If there is any way to increase the finny
population of the mountain streams. It
should be done, and quickly. There are
many remedies suggested, but there Is by
no means a unanimity of opinion on the
best means to arrive at the end desired.
Flans suggested by the city sportsmen
usually meet with the disapproval of the
farmers, for the latter class regards any
move on the part of the city chap as in
tended for his own interest alone and the
farmer opposes it on general principles.
This lack- of co-operation between the
city and country fishermen makes It still
more difficult to hit upon some plan that
will belo.
But with all the obstacles in the way of
restocking the trout streams and keeping
them stocked, there are remedies pro
posed that seem to be feasible and If
once tried would doubtless be successful.
Albert E. Gebhardt, secretary of the Ore.
gon Fish & Game Association, an at
torney In the officer of Williams, Wood &
Linthicum. manifests a spirit of optimism
and says that the evil can be corrected..
"Why should we sit idly by and lament
when Nature itself has given us the
means whereby these ravages may be
checked and the old paradise bo created
anew?" said he. "All that we need is a
strict enforcement of existing laws and
the constant replenishing of these streams
by artificial means. It is astonishing
what may be accomplished by the Judi
cious use of small capital and constant
and energetic watchfulness and care."
Federal Aid Not Enough.
Hasn't the Federal Government been
doing something along this line?
"Yes. indeed, it has. The United States
Commission of Fish and Fisheries has
been doing a splendid work In the pro
pagation of salmon and other food fish,
and it has also done- much towards the
propagation of trout and other game fish:
but the -demands upon the commission
are now so great that it can do but a
small fractional part of the work re
quired in each state. Its efforts must
necessarily be chiefly along commercial
lines, and the propagation of game flsh
strictly as such can only be carried on as
a sort of supplemental work. Years ago,
when we first began the work of stock
ing Oregon trout . streams the United
States Commission was able to furnish
us annually several hundred thousand
trout, but, as the demands upon the Com
mission have become greater and as Ore
gon is not the only state in need of such
work the number of-trout furnished us
for distribution has of recent years been
comparatively small.
The Remedy,
"You ask what is the remedy? Well,
I will tell you. I believe the time will
come when every Ftate in the Union that
has a trout stream worthy of the name
will have a game fish hatchery of its
own, and I should like to' see Oregon one
of the pioneers In this work.
"With several well-located game fish
hatcheries in this state properly man
aged and conducted, there Is no reason
why a million trout and other game fish
could not be distributed in the various
streams and waters of the state every
year. We have several most excellent
locations for such Institutions with every
natural facility, and it only remains for
us to take advantage of our opportuni
ties. It will not take a great fortune to
build these hatcheries and to maintain
them. Fifteen or twenty thousand dol
lars would make a very good start, and
once begun I believe the citizens of our
state will never drop the work.
"The benefits to be derived by making
Oregon again in fact the fisherman's
paradise as it once' was will be too appar
ent to need further argument.
Will Ask No Appropriation. '
"Are we going to ask the Legislature
for an appropriation to build these
hatcheries? No, indeed, we are not; that
would be quite useless. Appropriations
for anything in the line of game or fish
propagation, or even protection, are not
in great favor with our Legislators. The
men from the rural districts are, as a
rule, opposed to them, and until the
true value and significance of this great
work of fish and game protection and
propagation 13 fully understood and ap
preciated by all our citizens. It will be
quite useless to ask for appropriations
commensurate with the Importance and
extent of the work. But we will ask the
Legislature to pass a bill which -we think
will accomplish the purpose desired. This
bill, upon which we hope to secure fa
vorable action, provides for the licensing
of all fishermen over the age of 16 years
In the State of Oregon.. These licenses
are to cost only $1 a year, and will give
the bearer the privilege of fishing In any
of the streams or waters of the state
during the open season for the period of
one year. The licenses are to be Issued
by the Secretary of State thmugh the
County Clerks of each county. They are
to be numbered and dated and contain
a description of the licensee and in many
respects are to be similar to the hunter's
license now so popular in this state.
"The revenue derived from these li
censes is to be used exclusively by the
state officers appointed for that pur
pose in the establishment and mainte
nance of trout and game fish hatcheries
at different points in the state, the lo
cations of which are also to be selected
by the state officers. It is provided in
the bill that all funds derived from
these licenses shall be kept separate
and apart-from all other funds of the
state and shall at all times be subject
to the orders of the commission, so that
this work may not in any way inter
fere or come in conflict with the sal
mon industry and so that the commis
sion may in no way be hampered in Its
work.
Commission AVill Govern.
"It bas not been definitely decided
Just how the commission shall be ap
pointed or whether It shall be elected
by the Legislature. But that Is a detail
which can be arranged later. It is,
however, settled that the commissioners
shall be three residents of the State of
Oregon and that they shall serve in
terms of two, four and six years re
spectively; thus insuring experienced
men on the commission at all times.
"In connection with the powers and
duties of the commission as defined by
this proposed bill we shall also endeav
or to have the power vested in them to
close absolutely for at least two years
any stream in which trout or other
game flsh have been planted. This is an
absolute necessity in order to obtain
the best results from such plants.
"It is true our present laws prohibit
the taking of any trout less than five
Inches in length, but few people, ex
cept true sportsmen, observe this pro
vision of the law and it Is one that is
most difficult to enforce. It has been
our experience that when once It is
known that fish have teer planted in
any considerable numbers In a stream
every fisherman within a radius of 50
miles will at once camp on that stream
and the merry work of extermination
goes on quite as rapidly as that of re
plenishing. But close such a stream
against all fiahing for at least two
years after a plant has been made and,
natural conditions being favorable, you
will have the very best results.
"Nor will It do to stock a stream well
and then leave it to its fate. If we
I would keep our trout streams In the
best possible condition, tnis worK ot
stocking and closing the stream every
few years must be kept up indefinitely.
In this, as in other work, eternal vigil
ance is the price of success."
Another Sportsman's Views.
G; C. Sutherland, & Portland sports
man, who has fished Oregon trout
streams for 20 years, was asked what
he thought of the plan proposed by Mr.
Gebhardt, and said:
"The matter of better protection for
our game fish is one which is being
given considerable thought by fisher
men generally. That something needs
to be done is evident, and the sooner
it Is done the better it will be. During
the 23 years or more I have fished the
streams tributary to Portland, I have
never realized more than this year, the
necessity for concerted action. As the
state grows, the number of fishermen
likewise increases, so that now during
the season, our trains and boats out of
town on Saturday night and Sunday
morning are loaded with fishermen.
The number of fishing places does not,
of course, 'grow correspondingly.
"The discovery of bass in our waters
in large numbers several years ago was
a. great help to the trout, and while
bass fishing was st its height, trout
fisning was at a discount, resulting ia
the trout being- left alone to a certain
extent, which had its effect in an in
crease of numbers. Someone, whose
name I do not recall, started an agita
tion to remove the bar on bass, -which
was done by the last Legislature, re
sulting in the latter fish being prac
tically exterminated by market fisher
men, and the fishermen who used to fro
out after bass again turned their at
tention to the trout, and this year's
scarcity of the latter fish Is no doubt
mainly the result of this short-sighted
policy.
"I am heartily in favor of game fish
propagation, and that the cost thereof,
outside of Federal aid. should be borne
by fishermen A discussion has started
to create a fund by having the state
license rocV, the same as It has guns.
I doubt whether such a move would re
ceive the Etipport of sportsmen generally;
on the contrary it Is likely It would re
sult In the defeat of both the gun and
rod license. As a compromise, and one
which would no Vubt receive universal
support, I would favor a license of SI on
persons using either a gun or a fish lino.
This would catch both classes and would
add several thousand dollars to the fund.
License the Rods.
"The beneficial effect of the license on
guns Is apparent to all. There was some
talk that more money was secured than
necessary, and that the balance should
be turned Into the general fund. With a
license on fish lines and guns the in
creased revenue would create a fund suffi
cient for both game and flsh protection,
and, If necessary, some arrangement
could be devised to make a fair appor
tionment and protection.
"If necessary, revise the law defining
the duties of the game warden, o that
there would be a chief deputy for each
county.
"Cut down the limit on the number
of trout to be caught In one day. It is
now 125. and no one but a game hog
would catch that many. There Is no
necessity for such a limit from the mar
ket fisherman's standpoint, as sale of
trout Is prohibited. Make the limit 75 or
less.
"Raise the size of trout that may be
caught from five to six Inches. No sports
man would retain a five-inch trout. r Six
Inches is a fair average size for ' our
mountain trout.
Breed Only Oregon Trout.
"Breed our own species of trout. Of
all foreign trout planted in our waters
I have-seen only one caught, and that
was an Eastern brook trout, taken by
Arch Parrott in the Clackamas last year.
Plant the trout . In the waters they In
habit, and. If possible,' in the same stream
as the trout lived from which the eggs
were taken. There is a difference be
tween the fish frequenting larger rivers
and those in smaller streams.
"Renew the protection on bass, mak
ing It not quite so stringent as formerly,
and make the season the same as- trout,
thus dividing the interest of fishermen
between the two."
Mr. Gebhardt has prepared a bill em
bodying his ideas on the protection of
trout and their propagation, which will
be presented at the next session of the
Legislature. He emphasizes the need for
keeping at the work persistently and
systematically for spasmodic efforts will
do no good. The organization of tha
Oregon Fish and Game Association years
ago was a step In the right direction, for
much good work was done in planting
trout In Oregon streams. Where the
work failed was In the lack of state co
operation and the protection of streams
for a number of years after the trout
fry was planted.
Mr. Gebhardt states that protection for
a short time after the plant will do g"od,
for it does not require long for the flsh
to reach an age when they will com
mence to propagate.
i