Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-03-24
Asnaebtf gorlrnal.
] REL RHsEslMaRKaBLE FISHING.

We suppose everybody knows by this
time that people are coming to Rochester
from all parts Of the State to obtain fish
and spawn For stocking purposes; but few
have any idea of the extensive nature oil
the supplies furnished. Over one hun
dretl lakes and streams have been furnish
ed with bass or pike or both this winter.
Every one who came has carried away
from seventy to one hundred and fifty fish,
and to show how far such a number goes
in stocking a body of water, we may men
ton that fourteen years ago fourteen black
bass were placed in the Potomac, and that
the river has now become the best stream
in the country for black bass fishing
.Ail the fish obtained here are taken from
the Whitewater. At the urgent solicita-
ton of Seth Green, the canal authorities
forbid private parties from drawing net
there during the winter, and so all the
fnny tribe that have gathered there can
he made available for stocking depleted
ponds, lakes and streams When the
wnter was drawn from the canal last fall
a net was placed across it at the eastern
end of the western Whitewater, and
the water all the way from Buffalo was
allowed to flow in this direction, and i'm
the basin. At Seth's invitation we visited
the scene of these operations ON Monday
afternoon. One ofthe party, we may add.
was Mr.. Lamberton, who is still skeptical
on the fish-bearing question. The Wide
Water presented a lively scene, dozens of
men and boys having gathered on the ice,
most of them brought there to secure the
coarser varieties of fish which are not
wanted. The surface was dotted with
small openings cut through the ice, with
two or three larger apertures. A canal
boat furnishes local habitation to the men
in charge of the fishery. The latter drew
from under the ice at the large openings
for, the inspection OF the visitors, number
of boxes containing several pike, black
and rock bass. These boxes are simple
but extremely we'll adapted for the pur-
pose, and the fish are readily taken from
them and preserve all their vitality. The
manner of drawing the seine was then
shown us. The ropes by which it il
drawn are passed under the ice by mean!
OF . pole, to which each is attached, ant
which is passed from one of the small
openings to the next succeeding one
These appertures lead in opposite direc
tons from the large one into which tn
net IS lowered OF course, the small hole
gradually converge to large opening
where the seine is finally drawn out. T
draw it requires about three-quarters {
an hour. An animated picture was pre-
sented as the fish came to view-pikt
bass, sunfish, mullets, sheep-head an
half a dozen other varieties A landin
net was brought into requisition to tax
the fish from the seine, when the fine
kinds were placed in pals and immediate
lyitransferred to the boxes already allude'
to- 1t should be stated that in the sprin,
the water stagnates in the large basin ant
nearly all the fish die, SO that it is posi-
tive saving to draw them out, beside tn,
important benefits which accrue from thu
operation. We need hardly say that tht
whole plan is of Mr.. Green's continuance
The men are in his employ, and the cost
which is inconsiderable. is met by tn
State -ROcheSter Democrat,