Nowhere in Country Are There So Many Beautiful
Fishing Grounds Available to Anglers as in Reno,
Declares Jack Bell, Nevada's Noted Naturalist

By Jack Bell
(Copyright, 1923)

With the glories of the startling, wonderful, changing, molten golden lights, the beautiful radiations of the rising sun as they chase away the dull greys, and dull colored phantoms of the passing night - the world wakes up and the incomparable loveliness of all the earth surrounding Reno and the great Truckee meadows come into picturesque view.

The nesting birds are busy with their home building. In the hedges, among the rocks, in the willows bordering the magnificent, turbulent racing swells of the spring thaws of the Truckee river, in the budding cootonwoods, are heard the warblers, the beautiful thrills and mating, nesting songs of the bird legion.

Spring in the Air

Overhead in perfect triangles, far up in the sky, the water fowl wend their flights to northern breeding grounds. Along the Truckee river adjacent to George Wingfield park the perfume of spring is in the air, the pussy willows are in full bud, and the emerald green, new grasses are lawn-like and alluring to the outdoor lover.

The magpie devil is in his element - as he scours here and there and scouts for the first eggs that may be found in the nests of the earlier builders along the river. The raucous cry of the crows mingle with the whrill cry of the killdeer and the water wren chatters his impertinence in the tangled meshes along the stream.

On every hand, in every direction, the sweet voices of the singing birds fill the great spaces. The meadowlark with his appealing sweetness of flute-like melody, the unusual trebles and countless variations of the song sparrow and the desert lark vie with the continuous chorus of the blackbird family. Bird life everywhere, spring life on every hand, weather modified into summer clime - restful, interesting, perfect in surroundings, educational, healthful for all lovers of the great outdoors.

It is very doubtful if such perfect surroundings for contentment can be found anywhere else on earth as obtain in and within short walking distance of Reno.

Trout Go Upstream

At the dams at George Wingfield park the silvery-golden trout can be seen as they jump for passage to the upper reaches and the spawning beds far, far up in the uppermost feeders of the Truckee river. In the evenings the walls about George Wingfield park are crowded with men, women and children watching the run of the trout to their spawning grounds. Two-inch minnows, on up through the sizes of the lake and rainbow families where weights can be reckoned at 20 pounds, and all of this in the mid-heart of the city of Reno.

On April 16, at one hour before sunrise the season for trout opens on the Truckee river. Before the darkness disappears upon that morning the river will be fairly lined with fishermen, and, yes, fisherwomen, for the entire length of the waters within the heart of the city. The children will predominate.

Children, and the girls are as enthusiastic, and equally as good at bait fishing as are the boy youngsers - will be out in full force. The walls surrounding George Wingfield park will be literally covered with fisher folks of all ages and conditions and they will be sitting as close together as is possible - and all will have fish - they never fail to gather in a mess of the fine trout breeds and when some person of the hundreds of fishermen strikes one of the large lakes, then there is an excitement pervades the assembled anglers, that reminds one of the field runs on a football field. As to tackle - well, there is everything from the little chap with an apple switch to the old-timer with a Leonard bait rod. There is no playing, no horse-play along the stream. Every man, woman and child is intent upon the sport at hand - that of the striking trout. It is amazing the intense interest and the zest for this grand sport, by far the most popular outdoor sport that obtains in the United States today. The sport has been growing by leaps and bounds in the past 10 years. There are millions invested in fishing tackle, each and every year, and the army of lovers of this glorious outdoor entrancing, exciting, fascinating sport of fishing.

All sorts and conditions engage in it. The financier from the great money centers; the titled folks from overseas; the man of letters; the clerk, the business man; the middleman; the working man, and the aborigine, all have the love of the outdoors, the love of the fighting, gamy fish - the wonderfully peaceful surroundings, the exercise and knowledge gained under God's great canopy. It is the cleanest, most invigorating sport known and the old saying of "If he is a lover of th fishing game for the sport alone, he is a good man," holds absolutely.

Girls Take to Sport

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