Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-09-22

utmost to prevent any unfair destrOe-
tlon of life, and yet Il any individual
busies himself to protect the Ash at the
seasons of the year when they are spawn !
Ing, or to prevent their being swept |
away in nets, he at once becomes unpop- |
ular ard denounced as meddler, and /
quite Likely exposes himself 10 personal
injury
Nature provides so abundantly for the
reproduction Of Ash, that were they
taken only with hook and line during
the open weather, the fish would increase
rapidly, and we might have our cake
and eat it too, but no iecundity can with
stand the Wholesale and rapacious des-
truction dealt out to the fish by certain
persons in the community.
1t is strange that there should be any
hesitation in the minds of the better
class of the community with regard TO
the suitable protection of fish. Who are
the persons who spear the fish in the
spring on their spawning beds, and net
them with gill nets by hundreds in the
fall With rare exceptions they are
the most worthless class in the commu-
nity-men who are too lazy and vicious
to earn an honest living, and seek mon
ev as n means of gratifying their vicious
propensities; and at the same time the
more respectable citizens are rather apt
TO Weld to the influence of these men to
sheer Mt whoever seeks to protect the
fish and are willing to buy at cheap
rates the fish they know to have been IL
legally taken, whilst they would them
selves be ashamed to join in the bust
ness of taking them.
1t seems to me il men would reflect q
little aud recognize that individually
and collectively the community is rob
he'd to afford the lazy and vicious q
means Of support, there would be gen
| eral desire TO have the laws for the pres
| ervation of fish strengthened and en-
! forced.
The fish are killed out of our
waters in these three ways: lst, spear
| ing the fish on their spawning beds.
During the last spring there were at
least one thousand pickerel and Oswe-
90 bass speared in Lake Bomaznc du-
ring the spawning season. Men go in
boats at night into the spawning
ground, and take fish often weighing
twenty pounds. In one instance saw
pickerel weighing seventeen pounds,
which had been speared, out of which
three quarts of eggs were taken-aud
remember that not less than Que thou
sand were taken during the spring.
At the same time men drag these
spawning beds with gill nets. On the
I'd of April two men, whose names are
well knowI., dragged the spawning
grounds at the north end of Lake Bonn
azine, and took about three bushels OF
fish, full of spawn. On the same even
ing there were six boats spearing On the
marshes. Now, sir, if the farmers OF this
state were to kill their cows, systemati-
callv. before the calves were born, how
long would this state produce neat cat
tie?
Two farmers, who live on the east
side of the northerly end of the SAINT
lake, have regularly tshed with gill nets
for many years in summer, and through
the ice in winter, and brag that no one
can stop them.
Later in the Summer gill netting be
comes very common. Not only the resi-
dents along the lake, but men from o
distance come and sweep out the fish,
Winter, too, affords field for these ne
tarious operations. During mild days
many men may be seen who have cul
holes in the ice and set large number
Of lines. The fish swarm to the holes
for air and food, and are caught in great
numbers.
, So, when Summer comes, we, the law
abiding people, must 60 without oul
share of the fish because we have take1
no pains to protect ourselves.
Trout suffer even more than lake fish
Men set nets across the brook, go below
or above the net, and beat the watel
with rods and tramp noisily through
the brooks bed, soaring the timid fish
before them, which plunge headIong into
the net. to be taken out and sold by thu
pound to people whose only care is tt
fill their stomachs, regardless Of thu
cost to the community.
We have laws which forbid all this
but tney are inefficient. LIST. They d'
not sufficiently describe the fish, AL
persons are forbidden to take or Kill
any trout or lunge at certain times anc
by certain means. Lunge means moth
ing, not being descriptive of the hsf
most liable to destruction. If it means
anything, it must be contraction fol
muskelonge, large fish in our lakes
Pickerel, trout and bass are the game
fish which should be specifically pro
tected by name. I'd. The law makes thu