The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1878-10-24

their way, feeding over the flooded coua
try like focks of sheep; when the water
are subsiding the Creoles or Acadians-
all capital hunters and fishermen-la.
bush weirs across the sluices that max
out into the prairies, and 80 stop to-
fish. They then, with carts and wagons
gather as many as they need, saltin!
them down for winter use.
We were surprised year ago to hea
from friend who WAS fishing drol
net in the Wateree river, that hetbough
he was taking the buffalo, weighing
Eve and six pounds. He had seen then
in Arkansas; he sent US the next b
caught, as we were familiar with thl
fish, and there it was, undoubtedly
buffalo, weighing some five pounds; ant
in clear, strong running water, hrm
sweet, most desirable table fish. w
are making arrangements to get spawn
ers and meters for this season.
The fsh we take ia probably th'
smaller variety of the buffalo, the gas
per gou, if there is difference between
them in anything but size. Halleck, il
his Spor tsman's Guide, describes th'
casper gou, or buffalo: weight from
one to eight pounds; general conforu'a
ton Of the perch family, with a suckel
mouth; color, bright. silYery white, with
q sheen of purple; found in Louisiana
and Mississippi" He describes the
larger fish, buffalo, one of tho largest oi
the sucker tribe, found in the Ohio ano
Western rivers as an excellen. food fish
as ve said before, we think they may be
one. ... .... ... .
There is large sucker fish, found
in the falls of our rivers in the month
Of May, commonly known as carp, from
some real.or fancied resemblance to the
imported fish. Those familiar with its
habits, say it is only found when it is
spawning. but are then taken in great
numbers in the shoals of the Wateree
river by gigging or in seines.. They
weigh from five to eight pounds, and
are very fat, and good eating fish.
This is the fish, we suppose, describad
BY. Hallack, page 38l, calling it the
common carp, and claims to be propaga.
ted (Which we doubt) from fish brought
from Europe at an early date. In sVir-
ginia, he says, they are highly esteemed
for food, and during their run, cousti-
stute for many persons their entire sup
ply of fresh fish. They are very abun.
dan. in the Mattapoui and Pamunky
rivers. They come up the rivers early
in January. After spawning, most Of
them return 10 salt water. They thrive
we'll in ponds, and are not destructive
10 the spawn of other fish; they are veg
etable feeders. We are all familiar
with our river red horse; that also be-
longs to this family. We have seen it
taken from the Wateree weighing ten
and twelve pounds, and remember when
a oollegian, the quantities taken: in tie
fall traps at O Columbia; some Of these
were, we expect, the above described
fish, called carp. They were always
considered a good table fish. As a
general rule, river fish placed in ponds
or lakes grow larger than in running
water. @. q,
ANY one controlling small stream,
can make pond of an acre or half an
acre, with a depth of six or eight feet,
Swallowing to two feet Such a pond
so arranged as to draw of or to be swept
with net, to get rid Of tho predacious
fish. (jaok and pike and mawmouth---
the last as bad as either of the other
two) stocked with any of these varie-
ties of the cyprintdas, or suckers, well
fed on vegetables, meal or bread, will
supply the owner with more fish than
his family can consume, and With less
trouble and expense than raising pou
try. We remember in the mountains
back of Greenville, among the beautiful
head waters of the Saluda, about Ma
rietta, the almost entire absence Of
large fish, few sinners and small suck
ers aut Purh~p4 ANAL Isree.@ea-trUur--
though we never saw any of these last
Yet how easy in all that country to
make ponds, and stock them with any
Of these fish, the clearness of the water,
and the rocky sides and bottoms, with
the swiftness of the current, preventing
those vegetable growths and deposits,
and consequent animal life upon which
the fish would feed and fatten, must be
tho only cause Of the absence, of fish of
available size. -. =.
All through the middle country we
have in the rine-lands, branches that
never fail, and such pond can be made
at your front door with impunity. We
have been living beside such one for
thirty-fve years Though fish, they
say is brain food, and as such is to he
sought, we more particularly desire it
just now, to help in these hard times
our people to live; and, hope that ev' o
this slight effort, may interest some pi
our friends to make an attempt IN; this
direction. HARDWOOD.
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