Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-08-18
THE PROJECTION OF THE GAME OF TEN.


IprOmised in my last to say something more on
the subject Of seining. I regard the sein and dip
net among the fruitful destroyers of the fish in small
streams. Take single case in the county of Rob-
ertson. About Eve miles of small stream have been
posted for some two or three years only Before
this step was taken, it was with difficulty that fish
could be found in the bounds large enough for the
pan and the protection only extends to that of sens
and dip-nets, and what is the result. The angling
Is now decidly good-the stream seems to be well
supplied, and at any time in an hour, sufficient
number of fine trout and perch may be taken with
hook and line, to furnish meal for large family
while the large fish caught out, giving the
small ones better opportunity to grow.
Catching the fish with a sein at the time that it
is done generally is violation, of the intentions
and provisions of Providence from the fact that the
time selected by seners is generally June and July,
which is the spawning and raising season, and IS
complete destruction to take the mother fish from
watching her spawn, at that time and the fish them
selves not suitable for food beng lean and unhealthy
because of the warm state of the weather. together
with other natural causes. To make the point SO
plain that the reader shall not fail to understand me,
would just say, you had just well kill for the
table sitting hen partridge off her nest And that
the fish might be protected while in this state God
has constituted them that they will not bite dur
ing this period that they safe SO far as the
angler is concerned. Unless the live bait minnow or
craw fish the case may be should be thrown with
in their circle to endanger their eggs; in that
they will seize the bait to bear it off At that
moment they are sometimes taken with hook, but
if let alone few seconds they will when they have
gone sufficient distance from their spawn cast the
bate, hook and all out of their mouth. During this
nursing season have no evidence that the mother
fish takes any solid food Anglers sometimes at that
season take the male fish, though it is a very I'M
successful season of the year for the angler But
this is the very period in which the sein and dip
net do their mischief. The fish are feeble and less
timid than at other times, being like all other par
ents bold when their young in danger, and they
further exposed from the fact that they select
water which is comparatively shallow, that the sun
may aid in Matching the egg
Now is it not too bad that we should take adyan-
tage of this particular PERIOD and go with sein and
dp-net and catch all the parent fish, and leave the
eggs to be eaten up by frogs, turtles and fish,
and thus IN few days entirely drain beautiful
| stream of years supply Of fish.
A gentleman informed me the other day that in a
little pool of water in small stream, produced by
a slight dam which had been thrown in order
to raise the water so as to move a wheel to hoist
water into a tan yard that $50 parent trout had
been taken by q sein. The fish had stopped in this
quiet soft water three feet deep to raise their
young Had they been let alone for twelve months,
they would have completely stocked the creek, but
long sein took them all out at once. The day was
hot and sunny, the fish poor and thin, and in all
probability before they could get them home and
prepare them for the pan, they spoiled, and at
any rate the man with the sein had no right to
all the fish in the creek, and had they been his own
he would not have ght many at once, and blast
ed his prospects of ever getting any more. Such
| things ought not to be allowed.
A LOVER OF NATURE