Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-03-19

REMARKABLE TISHING.-Wc 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 Of the supplies
furnished. Over one hundred lakes and
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 number goes in stocking a
body of water, we may mention that four
teen years ago fourteen black bass were
placed in the Potomac, and that that river
has now become the best stream in the
country for blackbass fishing.
All the fish obtained here are taken
from the Wide Water At the urgent
solicitations 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 be made available for stocking
depleted ponds, lakes and streams. When
the water was drawn from the canal last
fall, net was placed across it at the east
ern end of the western Wide Water, and
as the water all the way from Buffalo was
allowed to flow in this direction, an i'm
mense quantity of fish were stopped in the
basin. At Seth's invitation we visited the
scene of these operations on Monday after
noon. One of the party, we may add, was
Mr.. Lamberton, who is still skeptical on
the fsh-rearing question. The Wide Water
presented lively scene, dozens of men and
boys having gathered on the ice, most of
of them brought there to secure the coarser
varieties of fish which are not wanted.
The surface was dotted with small open
ings 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 inspec-
ton Of the visitors, number Of boxes con-
tanning several pike, black and rock bass.
These boxes are simple but extremely well
adapted for the purpose, and the fish are
readily ia ken from them and preserve all
their vitality. The manner of drawing
the seine was then shown Us. The ropes
Uy Wnlca IL Is uraNu are paSSeu uuleT the
ice by means of pole, to which each is
attached, and which is passed from one of
the small openings to the next succeeding
one. These apertures lead in opposite
directions from the large one into which
the net is lowered. Of course, the small
holes gradually converge to a large open
ing where the seine is finally drawn out.
To draw it requires about three-quarters
Of an hour. An animated picture is pre-
sented as the fish came to view-pike, bass,
! sunfsh, mullets, sheepheads and half a
dozen other varieties. A landing net was
brought into requisiton to take the fish
from the seine, when the finer kinds were
placed in pals and Immediately transferred
to the boxes already alluded to. 1t should
be stated that in the spring the water
stagnates in the large basin, and nearly all
the fish die, SO that it is a positive saving
to draw them out, beside the important
benefits which accrue from the operation.
We need hardly say that the Whole plan
is of Mr.. Green's contrivancs The men
are in his employ, ard the cost, which is
inconsiderable, is met by the State
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