Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-08-22
COMMUNICATION.
FOR TIE PROTECTION OF THE GAME OF

TENNEsSEE-No. Z.
I'M last two numbers went to show soms Of
the ssil effects Of seine and dp=net fishing In this
number shall pay my respects to the rack, bush
drag and sst-net.
The rack fishing is but seldom resorted to, and it
may be necessary that give description Of 1t. A
number of racks are made generally about twelve
feet in length and eight feet in width, and linked
together with ropes until they will reach across the
stream and where the bottom Of the stream is
suitable they take every fish that isnot small enough
to pass through the bars Of the rack. But it Is
difficult to find suitable place for this mode of fish,
ing, and the whole affair is attended with so much
trouble, exposure snd even danger, that do not
suppose that the rack will ever come into general
use, though the objection may be urged against
the rack that can be brought against seines and dip
nets, except that they do not drag SO many small
fish out on the sand die As the racks are difficult
to keep to the bottom Of the stream very liable to
become foul, or 10 be upset by the current, it re-
quires number of persons, about one for each
rack; and as the operation is slow and heavy per-
sons often continue in the water until they become
exhausted, 50 that number of persons have been
have sickened and died from the exposure And
while grant that there are not great number of
fish destroyed by this mode of fishing yet as it will
not pay for the trouble and svery hazardous withal
it would be blessing to discontinue it. win here
state one single fact for the advantage of those who
may not have thought on the subject-just let the
rack be drawn through any pool of water during the
day. and all the fish that not resident fish will
leave the following night, if it be possible for them
to get out, and drop lower down the stream Let
the racks be abandoned.
The bush-drag which Is resorted to by boys and
negroes on Sundays, is an exceedingly destructive
mode of fishing 1t bears every thing before and in
it,apd as they generally imperfectly landed five
take into the account the small fish that are either
borne out on the sand by the beam that goes before
the drag, together with the number that become en-
tangled in the limbs and die, should think ten are
destroyed for every one that is taken. This mode of
fishing ought not to be allowed.
As to the setnet which is generally placed at the
mouths of small streams, and is very successful
plan Of fishing, nothing can be said against this
mode of fishing, on account Of the season of the
year or condition of the fish. Yet l feel strong
opposition to the set-net from the fact that il is
monopoly of the NEST exclusive character. The
man who owns the mouth of the creek takes DOS
session of all the fish in it, and will in two or three
years depOpulate the stream entirely of oil migrating
fish, for, notwithstanding the fish run up the small
streams the rise of water for the purpose of feed
ing and breathing, as they cannot breathe well in
muddy water, yet the same fish that ascend the
stream one time to deposit their spawn go up at
another time to feed that you may by the use of
set-net at the mouth Of small stream as the water
runs out on the fall Of the larger stream catch all
the parent and spawning fish that belongs to the
small stream, and reduce it to utter destitution
while other small streams in the neighborhood may
still have a supply of fish. No good neighbor, we
think, if he understand the facts as they are, would
so cut off all the supply from those about him, and
ultimately blast his own prospects for mess and
as set-net cost from one to two hundred dollars the
outfit is too expensive for the poor. l know that
should not calmly submit to have set-net at the
mouth Of q stream on which l might live. Let us
away with all such wholesale methods offshing, and
give all chance to get few fish, in the first place,
and net destroy the seed, so that we may have q
mess next year also.
A n n NJ TrTT