The Republican journal., 1870-02-10
From the Norwich Bulletin.
POOUONNOC FISH FARM.


This is an enterprise started by w. B. Iatcl
uf New \ ork, and VIM. Cliff of Mystic Bridge
last April The enterprise is too recent in it
origin 70 speak much of results. and vet we
learn from the proprietors that the success
thus far attained is quite equal to their ex
ncctations The plan is to mite stock and
dairy fa,mino with fish culture. They first
purchased the farm of the late VIM, T. Bar
rows near the village of Poquonnoc. extend.
inc nearly a mile and half along the east
bank Of Great Brook, and embracing parts
of PoQu0nnOc and Poheganut ponds To get
possession OF these ponds. and mile OF
more Of the brook that runs through them,
they purchased OF several proprietors about
l50 acres making 400 in all. Besides these
purchases, they have leased tor twenty years
several miles of Il brook, rising in Candle
Wood Hill that flows into BuddingtOn pond,
making some six miles of the best trout fish
ing in Graton or elsewhere. The main OBJ
ject is To breed trout by artificial methods
first tor the purpose Of stocking their own
brooks, and secondly to supply the market.
After the brooks have been kept closed for
three years, and are well stocked, they will
lease the right Of fishing to sportsmen who
are willing to pay for the privilege
They have located their Matching house and
breeding ponds upon the Edgecomb brook,
which flows into Poheganut pond. This has
always been celebrated as a trout brook, and
though hard tished every season, has never
been entirely cleaned out. We learn that
about seven hundred trout were taken from
1t the past season for the purpose of stocking
the pond The Matching house on the site of
the old saw mill DAM is substantial build
ing fifty six by eighteen feet, with cemented
walls and floors to keep out rats and mice
which are very destructive to fish eggs The
boxes are mostly the Coste's, arranged in
double flights, manufactured by DR.. j. H.
Slack of Bloomsbury n. j., who projected
The ponds The house at present is but par
TALLY furnished. 1t has a capacity to hatch
over q million of eggs a wear when all the
boxes are in. About seventy thousand eggs
were taken from two hundred fish, which
were all that were large enough to spawn.
Ihe brook water has been used for hafchino
purposes the present wear. but we learn that
spring water will be introduced next summer
To rive higher temperature. and to avoid
the sediment which the brook deposits. al
though it is much clearer than most trout
streams. The eggs are developing well, and
the Young fish are now visible in he oldest
ot them The ponds are five in number, and
with one exception, made by sections of the
brook Each pond is furnished with dams.
fumes and screens above and below to con.
tne the trout The pond for The young fry
IS made by divertng Il part Of the brook into
a side channel, and is about twenty by fifty
feet, and three feet deep. A strong current
is kept flowing through ii. 1t will Hccomo-
late fifty thousand trout the first season.
The stock trout have been regularly fed
twice dav through the season, and have
made surprising growth,
Another part Of this plan is to furnisl
4portsmen with black bass fishing in Poqu0n-
noe pond This is over eighty feet deep an(
IS believed to be well ADAPTED to this superl
game fish. Ninetv-eight Black bass from the
ST. Lawrence have been put into it the past
summer and tall, some of them weighing two
pounds. The pond will be closed for fo1u
years, when it will be leased to fishermen
The pond is kept screened above and below
1t is now we'll stocked with perch pickerel,
sinners sun-tish, eels and bull heads, which
Will furnish abundant feed for the black bass
until they are externinated
The effort also will be made to stock Bio
Brook with salmon. Two thousand Young
rry were purchased last sprino which arc
row kept in the small trout ponds. and will
lie put into BIG Brook next summer
thousand salmon spawn will be put in the
boxes for Matching this winter. and these
will be released in the brook as soon as thev
can feed This is regarded as a somewhat
doubtful experiment, though smaller streams
in England produce fine salmon. Bio Brook
has a course of some fifteen or twenty miles
back in the country. and numerous excellent
trout streams running into ii which furnis|
good spawning beds Ii the best three Gam,