Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-12-25
The Cultivation of Fish fn Maine-Report
M Commfss ioners.

report for the past year, which of great interest
to oil engaged in fish culture in inland rivers,
ponds and streams. The small sum appropriated
by the Legislature has not been adequate to the
wants Of the department. In 1876 the commits
! sioners subsc ibed $1,000 in behalf of Maine, to
the Penobscot Salmon breeding Works. The
turn for this was 100000 salmon eggs which were
sent, 100000 to Dxfeld to be patched and dis
trlbuted in the Androscoggin and tributaries, and
| the remaining 220 900 to Norway and Sougo, to
be batched and distributed in the tributaries of the
Presumpscot river. Prof. Baird. U. s. Commits
sioner presented TO the State OF Maine y 900 ovs,
| which we're successfully hatched and planted in
the Penquaman and Denny's rivers. In April
| 2j0 900 salmon eggs were received from the L.
| S. Commissioner-l0O,0 600 were assigned TO the
| town of Surry. The balance was planted in the
| Mattawamkeag at Bancroft and kingman, and in
| the Penobscot at Vim. OF the young salmon
planted in the rivers Of Maine, those Put into the
Penobscot in 1874 were seen the following sIring
| in very large numbers, on the If way down to the
| ocean. At every incoming tide the little smolts,
| as the year old salmon are called, would collect
| 10 consider able numbers at the foot OF the dam at
| Morse's mill on the Kenduskeag. A good many
have been caught there. This year the river has
abounded with them from the branches of the Pc
nobscot to Bangor. Very many have been caught
| by snglers at the water-works dam, at all stages
| of the tide. The little boys report at certain sea-
| sons the river "full Of them" On the AndIo-
| scoggn where the first salmon fry we've turned in
|
less are caught both in the smelt nets and weirs,
| as well as by boys with hook and line, at Bruins
| wick. Were good angler to make cast below
| the dam at Brunswick or Topsham, with rod aud
| fly, in the mouths Of July or August he would be
| rewarded by taking either smolt, grilse sal
mon. Sportsmen say that salmon did return TO
the mouth of the river, and IN considerable mum
| bers They have been seen jumping about most
| lively fellow the lower dam at Brunswick, but no
man, so far as ascerained has seen them ascend
| the fish ladder.
Glise which is the distinctive name given to
a salmon its first return from the sea, and
| weighing from one TO three pounds, have been ie-
ported from time to time. The grilse is un-
| known 10 our fishermen here, as their nets are Of
too large a mesh to retain them. Some of our
| best and most experienced fishermen, until lately
| have denied that the salmon was bred in fresh wat
| er. As our fishes become more and more scarce at
the mouths of our rivers and IL our ban bois, from
| over iDdiscl inmate and unreasonable fishing,
the fisherman not only improve the modes and APP
parstus for catching, but demand increased ia
clities, by repeating all statutes that place any
| check upon time place or season. a great AID
CRYING evil one that ef.ctualIy checks the iu-
crease of our salmon and other fshes, is the re-
| peal of the laws prohibiting menbaden and IoI-
gle nets W thin three miles of the shore, and OF
| the Jaw for drifting for salmon on the Penobscot
five hundred yards OF any dam, hshway, or mill
| race. close time is recomme ndcd for a term OF
Elk more years, for the rivers to be restocked,
| during which Period all fishing, except with hook
and line, should be declared Illegal from source to
| mouth.
| The demand for the ova Of the Salmo Sebago, or
| Land Locked Salmon continues. MIR. Atkins has
! organized establishment on Grand Lake Stream,
something after the plan OF that nj Bucksport. AT
present the subscribing parties are L. 5. Commits
| soner Baird, and the Commissioners of Massa-
| chuset,s and Connecticut. 1t Is only required
| compensation to the Grand Lake waters, that the
| parent fish, after being used be turned back alive
| into the waters whence taken, and twenty-five per
/ MT If he haiti lpd lf l.
hoped the legislature Will enable her Commission
els, another year, 10 become subscribers that we
may be able TO STOCK those imme use wastes Of I'M
productive waters that have been cut of from access
TO the migratory fishes all that line OF lakes emp
| tying into the kennebec at Hallowell and Gardi-
| ner and Waterville. These waters are capable of
not only producing an important amount Of food,
but of making the towns on thei shores favor
| lite places of summer resort as much .tequented,
and introducing as much money into the State as
| Moosehead Lake.
About 80. 900 eggs Of the Sebago Salmon, taken
| at Sango lock. have been distributed in the vsr-
| Gus ponds. Wherever the pickeIel has been in
troduced the brook trout are u adualy thlnned out
| and dissppear this does not seem TO be tue case
| with handbook salmon. Good accounts have
been received Of the young fry hitherto distrbut-
ed in our lakes and ponds. 1t is suggested that
| Moosehead Lake be stocked W 18th these fish. One
| ID illion, at least should be turned into the lake
| every year, to supply the drain upon its waters.
| The popularity Of the black bass is increasing,
| rather than abatng 1t attalns larger size aud
| affords more sport in catching than the white
perch. The club is a very destructive fish, espe.
| cally to young salmon and trout. The black
bass has not yet been srtifcisly bred by taking ts
| spawn, the commissioners being obliged in all
| cases to introduced the live fish. Some of the
| young fish have been taken below the dam in Cob
bosseecontee river. Various ponds have been stock
| ed with these fish during the year. The stten-
ton Of the Legislature is called to the law altering
| the close time for black bass from July to June
hat Aa. ftpa 70, thaf .h
| on their spawning beds until the middle of July.
| As the white perch is valuable fish, it is sug
gested that the law for black bass also include the
| white perch. In regard Ito the disregard of the
| fishery laws, the commissioners earnestly say:
| LET us take hold of this matter in earnest.
| Let the worthless lout who now nets our ponds
| aud streams TO obtain the means TO prolong a
drunken, dishonest, worthless life, be consigned
| to the shoe peggiDg or broom department Of our
| county prisons. severe penalty should be in
| hlcted Tor netting our fresh water ponds and
| streams. The carrier should be severely punish
cd, as well as the purchaser, for they incite and
| instgste the poscher. The carrier makes
double profit, for he specuates on the contraband
rum with which he pays tor the fish. Let it be
| an element in all our fishing laws that the possess
ION of any fish during the close-tme of that fish,
| shall be prma facie evidence that the possessor
killed the fish, without regard TO the place where
| killed. This will prevent poaching and stealing
in the neig hboring States and Provinces, and tend
| to destroy the wandering class of vagsbonds, who
| vary their occupation by horse steal NJ and rob-
berry"
| A fsh-way is under construction over Treats
dam at Bangor; two will be built upon the Malta
| waDkeag next summer or autumn. Fish-ways
are required TO Sebec village and at Mile. The
kennebec is still bockaded, by reason Of way
not being constructed over the dam at Augusta.
The Presumpscot river is accessible to salmon and
| alewives as far as Mssson.
Annexed TO the report is an account by Mr.. At
kins Of his operations in taking spawn of the
| Schoodic salmon at Grand Lake stream. This
will be found OF interest not only TO psciculturists,
| but to all citizens. At the time Of distributing
the spawn of the Penobscot salmon. there were
found to be 1925, 900 eggs and there had been
jected for bad quality, about $4,000. The eggs
were sent, in March, in twsnty-seven separate lots
| to various places in Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode
| Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania,
| Maryland OHIO, Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa.
In every instance the eggs reached their destins-
| lions IN good condition, and better than ordinary
| success attended their Matching.
| Ofthe whole number of Schoodic samon eggs
taken at Grand Lake stream year ago, 077 900,
| there were lost before distribution about l4i 600
being about 10 per cent. The separation OF the