Fishing Season Brings Out Greatest Aggregation Yet of Fishermen

By Jack Bell

Not within the memory of the oldest resident of Reno were there so many people of all ages and sexes ever turned out for a days sport on the opening day of the trout season yesterday.

Easter vacation at the university, and public schools, of course, helped to swell the masses along the river. As early as one o'clock yesterday morning automobiles were on their way to the upper reaches of the Truckee and to the California line.

At 4:19 a. m. the territory adjacent to and including George Wingfield park, was actually an almost elbow to elbow affair, the fisherman of all ages fairly crowding each other to get their casts into the favorite pieces of water.

By far the greatest number of persons drove to MOgul. At 5 a. m. there were fifty one cars parked in and about the bridge below the power plant. Calavade section was a living soldier-like scene as the early fishermen huddled about small fires to get warmed up. It was just as cold this year as last. Matter of fact, there were camp fires from George Wingfield park on up to the line. Fishing did not start until the sun hove to in the brilliant eastern sky. Gloves were in order, and nine out of ten wore overcoats.

The champion fisherman, so far as heard from is Ben Peck, a youngster that brought home 24 fine fish, that just weighed the limit. He made this catch at Chalk Bluff, with fresh spawn and red worms.

The various estimates of the number of men, women and children along the Truckee yesterday would make the record at about 2200 persons engaged in various ways with the day's opening of the trout season.

Few violations were reported by the game wardens - in some cases the licenses were left at home - but an explanation always let the folks get by. The warden at Verdi was one of the busiest men on the river. He is an agressive good officer. He was after, so he said, a certain law breaker that has been fishing illegaly in and about Verdi for the past couple of months. He said that the evidence against this night and closed season fisherman, who is virtually a vagrant, was beginning to take such shape that the poacher would soon feel the weight of the California and Nevada law.

From Calavade down to Fleisch, the Marble works, the Country club, the sportsmen took very few fish in the morning. In the afternoon they caught from 2 to 8, of fair fish. On down through the Verdi sections, the waters were actually crowded with anglers. There was no full limits taken in the section either. At Mogul where the three or four hundred were scattered down as far as Lawtons, the baskets ran about the same. At Lawtons, 8 trout were the big basket. This ground seems to have been fished out pre-season. From Lawtons down and including Mayberry bridge section and Italian riffle, into Chalf Bluff, the same reports of few fish being taken. From here to Reno, was the same report. The old experts, like Herb Hill, Shields, WIlliams, and many others, succeeed in getting a half limit.

The water was clear and very low. It is doubtful if the fishing will improve until there is a freshet. The barren stretches are more barren than ever, and the water is falling. The fish can find plenty of feed, and today one June bug was captured at Verdi. The water shows plenty of surface feed already, after the sun strikes the water.

Bait fishing in clear water is a hard game, a drowned fly may take a few, but the best bet from all reports is the old reliable "garden hackle" and fresh spawn, Ketchem, and Tyee.