Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1875-11-12
The Holyoke FIsh-way.

s This extensive affair seems to be con
e demned by'everybody except the .inven
tor, who sticks to it, and growls at sug
, gestion for its improvement, with " Yes
t I've thought of all, you can sugges
} nothing but what l have considered.
> Some one said recently, in the Spring
/ field Union, that a clam could make it,
: passage up the sway but shad do mo-
enter it, and never will until the en-
trance is made so that they can find it
Fred, Mather, IN Lire Stock Journal
The fsh-way at Holyoke has now been
in operation for two seasons, and practi.
cally it has proved to be useless. 1t is
true that there has nowhere been yet
built a fish way that is adapted to the
shad, but there appears to be no reason
why one cannot be constructed that will
answer the purpose, The current through
the Holyoke fsh-way is moderate en-.
ough. Shad to reach that point on the
Connecticut river pass through much
swifter water, They experience no diff
Guilty in ascending the rapids at Enfield
dam, and we have no doubt but with a
properly constructed entrance and
sufficient volume of water from it to
create beaded current at the outlet,
they would go through it
Shad are timid fish, but in ascend
ing the Connecticut they seek strong
current. (Fish taken with hook at
Holyoke are always taken in a strong
currently At the entrance of this fish.
way appears to be the trouble; it is mar
row and every way inadequate for the
purpose.
We have conversed with gentleman
who has had great experience in fishing,
and made fish life study. He has
watched this fish-way from the first with
great interest, and is probably better
acquainted with the fishing grounds at
Holyoke than any one else, and from
him we have heard two suggestions for
making this way whatit should be. The
first, which can be done at small ex-
pense, is to increase the size of the pres
ent entrance materially remove the
hurdles from the lower part of it, say
one third Of the length from the lower
end, and at the highest point where they
are removed introduce larger supply
of water, thus increasing the volume
thrown into the river and creating so
great current that the fish will find it
and follow it up. The second will be
attended with considerable expense, and
appears to be the most desirable. This |
is to cut off the fsh-way about midway
and rebuild it, making angles so that the
lower half will run directly up stream
to the foot Of the dam, introducing at
the turning point an additional supply
of water, making strong current up to
the dam. Shad are always found in
their spawning season in large numbers
laying directly below the apron of the
dam, having passed directly by the en-
trance of the fsh.way to this, the high
est point, which is possible for them to
reach. This appears to us to be strong
evidence that there is where the entrance
should be placed. We hope some plan
will be devised whereby suitable en-
trance can be built to the fsh-way be-
fore the arrival of the first run of sal
mon, as we doubt their liking this any
better than the shad do. AT a high
stage Of water possibly some salmon
might go up the apron of the dam, but
his can hardly be expected. Hump
hire Gazette