Fisherman's Calendar

SO—season opened (or opens); SC—season closed (or closes); C—clear water; D—water dirty or roily; M—water muddy.
N—water at normal height; SH—slightly high; H—high; VH—very high; L—low; R—rising; F—falling.
WT50—water temperature 50�.
FG—fishing good; FF—fishing fair; FP—fishing poor.
OG—outlook good; OF—outlook fair; OP—outlook poor.

TARPON: FLORIDA: Tampan G. L. Ingram baited a handline with a 2-pound catfish to catch a shark snooping around his snook rig under the 22nd Street Causeway when 140-pound tarpon took bait and took off. He fought it 30 minutes with line cutting bare hands, beached it at end of bridge after seven jumps. Boca Grande Hotel tallied 97 fish to last Saturday, with 14 over 100 pounds, biggest 134. Good schools reported in vicinity of new Pass Bridge and Siesta Key bridge at Sarasota.

LOUISIANA: Big tarpon in coastal waters are putting kinks in light tackle of anglers after mackerel and blues.

TROUT: NEW YORK: Esopus anglers found "portal" partly open last week for first time since SO; FF with scattered hatches of Hendricksons, Quill Gordons, small caddises and stoneflies, but most fish taken on bait or spin lures; OF/G. Beaverkill was slow last week, with WT in mid-60s, sporadic hatches of caddises, Cahills, Hendricksons and few March Browns, level falling and whole watershed in need of heavy rains to keep fishing worthwhile through June; OG if rain, OP/F if not.

OREGON: Deschutes and Metolius rivers L, C, FF, OF but should improve when showers and snow flurries abate.

CALIFORNIA: As SO May 14 in eight central Sierra counties, lower creeks were roily, higher waters blocked by late snows, but bait and spin-fishers took many limits; best bets for next week are North Fork of Yuba, Plumas, North Fork of Feather, with OF/G for Butte Creek, South Fork of the American, Fallen Leaf Lake. Truckee River clearing. OG. Best bets in S.F. area are Stevens Creek Reservoir, Pescaredo and Purissima creeks in San Mateo County. Best waters within 100 miles of L.A. are Cachuma, Big Bear and Irvine lakes, east and west forks of San Gabriel. East slope of Sierra picking up. Best bets are Lakes Crowley, Convict, June, Grant, Rush Creek below Silver Lake, upper Bishop and lower Rock creeks. Most creeks from Lone Pine to Bishop still H, SD but bait fishermen are connecting.

MONTANA: SO May 22 for most waters but high water makes OP except in lakes; best bet is reservoir-controlled Madison River.

BRITISH COLUMBIA: All coastal lakes still producing well; lower Campbell among best, with occasional 5-pounders reported. On the mainland the Harrison River has had good run of fry, with plenty of feeding cutthroats; OG. For Kamloops trout, Jacko and Canim lakes report FG, others around 2,000-foot level are open but roads are still in bad shape.

IDAHO: FF in Coeur d'Alene area waters; most roads in bad shape. On Snake River, FG at Thousand Springs, American Falls, Massacre Rocks below Strike Dam; trout are hungry for worms, roe, yellow wooly worm and renegade flies, and OG.

WISCONSIN: Our Brule River spy says stream is L, C, WT50-55, weather cold and windy, fishing pressure light, FF and OG.