Blue Lakes
There s a unique pair of California lakes called Blue Lakes. They lie 135
miles north of San Francisco .Blue Lakes is two separate lakes ,Upper and Lower
The upper lake is 180
feet deep and 1.2
miles long. Lower Blue Lake
is 25 feet deep. Blue Lakes is exceptionally
popular for fishing having large mouth bass, trout, catfish etc.
From autumn 1870 until 1872, the Blue Lakes were
inhabited by a creature described as
either a Chinese Dragon or a thirty foot
giant fish.
The local indigenous people have
stories about a huge monster resembling a half fish and half horse, to which
they call the Devil Fish. Different reports state the creature varies in length from ten to twenty feet. The monster is held in great dread. It is said
to make its appearance on the surface of the water only once in ten years and
heralds calamity and bad luck.
I also found this : One of those
beings was called “Bagil”. This being lived at Blue Lake and made that location
a danger to humans. Barrett, S.A. 1933, Pomo Myths, Vol 15, pg 1-608, Bulletin
of the Public Museum of Milwaukee.
There were several articles in the
Press about the sightings.
Russian River Flag, Number 4, 8 December 1870
Extract from ‘A VOICE FROM BLUE LAKE’
‘It is said that there is a monster fish, or water dragon, inhabiting
the upper Blue Lake. He is described as being thirty feet long and has only
been seen by a few of the older inhabitants. The Indians of this country have
long had a superstitious notion of the presence of his fishship and regard him
as a sort of deified king of the water. They never camp close to that lake. One
of my neighbors here is so strongly impressed with the belief that such a fish
does inhabit the lake that he has had made a hook and is now engaged in trying
to catch him. The hook is nine inches long, and attached to it is twelve feet
of strong chain, which he don’t believe any fish can bite in two, and to that
is attached a good large rope seventy feet long, which is firmly fastened to a
tree near the water’s edge. The hook is baited with a ham of venison and is now
floating in the lake awaiting the approach of this fabulous Hydra.’
A few months later a man driving a wagon on a road overlooking the
upper lake shared his sighting.
Russian River Flag, Number 10, 19 January 1871
The Monster in Blue Lake
‘Your correspondent—“H.D.L.” in a most
recent letter to you of this country, and among other things, mentioned a
reputed inhabitant of one of those lakes. But he, like many other, myself
included, discredited the existence of his fishship. My doubts were dispelled
the other day, however, by an awful view of this curiosity. While coming across
the grade on the bank of the upper lake last Saturday, I caught a glimpse of
him swimming near the opposite shore, a distance of some four hundred yards
from me. I stopped the team to have a good look at him. When I first saw him he
was at a considerable depth in the water, but he soon rose to the surface, so
that I could see him plainly. He moved slowly a short distance, then changing
his direction swam out of sight. I should think it would measure at least
twenty feet in length and five or six feet around the body.
The Indians here-abouts have the superstition that a sight of this
monster devil fish, as they call him, is certain death to them. They will not
fish in the lake he inhabits, (the Upper Blue Lake). I refused to believe this big
fish story until convinced by the evidence of my own eyes. I find my
incredulity gone but am unable to say what this huge creature is. Inhabiting
the water, it is evidently a fish. Of what kind I shall make it a point to
ascertain if possible. Our neighbor, who for some time has had a mammoth hook
set for this monster, has never had a bite yet; but it is no wonder, since he
pays no attention to his hook, and never changes the bait.’
A
few months later it was seen again.
Russian River Flag, Number 26, 11 May 1871
The Blue Lake monster.
‘A private letter received here from Blue
Lakes, Lake county, states that that fabulous monster of those waters has been
seen again, and so plainly as to establish himself in the minds of those who
saw him as a reality. A party of picnicers from Ukiah stopped on the shore of
the lake, and the brass band [began] to play, when the fish, or whatever he is,
came to the top of the water near shore and was plainly seen by all present. A
member of the Ukiah brass band who was in Healdsburg on last Monday, confirms
the report.
The Indians have always asserted the existence of this large fish, and
they regard it with superstitious awe, believing it to be something
supernatural; while the most of white men, excepting the few who claim to have
seen it, have thought it too big a fish to swallow; but it has been actually
seen too often, lately, by respectable, truthful persons, for the existence of
the extraordinary creature to be longer doubted.’
The next recorded sighting
occurred in 1872 .
“This monster, or Devil Fish,
was seen by the Indians in March, 1872; hence large gatherings of all the
tribes congregating in Big Valley, on the shore of Clear Lake, to indulge in a
grand pow-wow and making peace offerings to the Great Spirit, to appease his
anger and avert evils hanging over their wigwams.”
Whether calamity followed this appearance there is no record. I can
find no reports of modern day sightings. Explanations put forward are a giant
cat fish or large eel.Both plausible but unless it reappears we shall never
know.
PS please excuse the rather derogatory language in the
reports. It is the language of the time.
t
