Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-09-25
FISH BREEDING.

Half n Million OF Fish being "Rniscd.n
TFrom the Grass Valley Union, September 1871
A few miles above the town OF
Truckse, on tho bank of the Truckss
river, Conner & Bro. are engaged in the
breeding of trout on quite an extensive
scale. They have now been in the BUSH
ness two years, and their success so far
would seem to indicate that their iabors
will result not only in proving that
breeding large numbers Of fish can be
accomplished, but at o handsome profit.
At the time Of our visit to their place q
few wesks ago, they had in their reser-
voirs and tanks trout Of two years and
one year old, and a vast quantity Of the
Matching of the present season. hessrs.
Conner commenced the breeding OF fish
without any previous experience, n
have continued unremittingly at it, re-
naming at the river during the winter
months, and have satisfied themselves
that the winter climate Of the mountains
is no drawback to the fish culture.
They report that their success has been
beyond their expectations; and they
have now NO doubt of their ability to
raise all tho fish their works can ac-
commodate. Their fish Of two years
growth are limited in number, but have
attained q size of from seven to eight
inches in length thosssof one year are
from four to Eve inches long, and OF
these they have several thousand.
These are contained in tanks and reser-
voirs, supplied with water conveyed
from the river by a ditch. The tanks are
divided into compartments, to prevent
the crowding of the 6sh-the divisions
between the compartments being
perforated to permit the free flowing
of the water. The fish Of this
seasons Matching were some six weeks
old, about an inch in length, and
roughly estimated in number at 500, 900.
They appeared innumsrable. These
were contained in shallow wooden boxes
or trays, the bottoms Of which were
covered with fine gravel, and these were
placed within long inclined boxes, not
unlike @ miners ~sluice, with a slight
fall from one tray to the other, and at
the head Of each sluice. the water was
turned in and permitted to flow in q
gentle current over the trays. When
these fish attained a growth that would
crowd them in the trays it world be but
a moments work to remoye the trays
and place them in the tanks, where the
6sh would have more room. Tho fish
were fed wholly on beef's livsr-for the
smallest fish the food being cut as fus
as possible-to q jelly. For the larger
ones the food was not so carefully pre-
pared. The feeding operation was per-
formed twice a day, aud the liver of one
beef per diem was used. In tho tanks
the older fish were quite tame, and they
would readily nibble at the fingers OF
the attendants if they would place their
hands in tho water. From the expert
euce they have obtained, the Melsrs.
Conner say they now lose but few fish,
but End their stock generally healthy.
It seemed to US that there was some
danger of loss by overcrowding, and
some Of the tanks we're quite full Of fish,
but they have the water conveyed to a
point high enough above the bank of
the river to admit Of extending the num-
Der Of tanks indefinitely. Beside the
tanks they are building a large reser-
voir, in which the large ish-of two
and three years growth-will be placed.
These fish have all been raised from the
spawn taken from the Trackee River,
where enough can be obtained every
season to stock an almost unlimited
number of fisheries. The wner have
not had as yet any fish for the market,
and will not commence sales until next
year. The fishery is on the direct road
from Truckee to Lake Tahoe.