Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-03-18
TIE FISH COMMISSIONERS.


met in their room st the Union Hotel ct 10
A. NJ. yesterday, all the members present.
The smiling countenances, ocular remarks
and pleasant repartee that prevailed through.
out the meeting indicated that the Commits
siOners had buried the Ratchet, and hence
forth the meetings no doubt will be hsrmoni-
Gus.
Secretary Dibble read lengthy letter from
r. A. Smith, of Navarro Ridge, MeRdociro
county, asking that the dams on Salmon
creek, Albion creek, Big river, Little river
and Casper creek be supplied with fish lad.
ders, and that sawmill men be stopped from
putting sawdust into the streams. He COM
planned of having written to the Commission
on different occasions, but so far they had
done nothing to prevent the destruction of
trout. He said if it became necessary for
citizens to protect the fish in their respective
localities, then they should cease to be taxed
for the support of Fish Commission, which
appears TO have no authority to protect f 81
in Mendocino county. His letter was written
before the call of the extra session, and he
suggested the propriety of the Beard asking
Governor Stoneman to call for legislation on
the sawdust question.
Commissioner Dibble said hs hsd written
to Mr.. Smith and to the District Attorney Of
Mendocino county that those dumping saw
dust into the trout streams could be dealt
with 10 accordance with the Sawyer decision
in the North Bloomfield Gaze, by claiming
that in SO doing they were creating a nuts
ance.
Secretary Dibble said that since the last
meeting he hld written the District Attorney
of ..Solano county. urging him to prosecute
those persons who were violating the fish
laws in the straits near Mare Island.
President Buckingham said that during the
past week he had visited Vallejo and other
points oR the bay. Five Cinnamon were ar.
rested st Vallejo for taking fish unlawfully,
tried and convicted. They were fshin for
sturgeon with lines nearly half mile long, to
which were attached over 5000 undated
hooks. WheD captured they had about {, 900
pounds of sturgeon in their boat. the FISH
ranging in size from nine inches to six feet.
The larger fish were taken to the markets,
while the smaller were sailed down and sent
TO China.
Commissioner Rediiug read from report
of the Fish Commissioners written in 1879 by
his father, that sawdust deposited in streams
below the spawning grounds was not hur.fnl
deposited above the gravel spawning beds,
however, it would destroy the fish. It would
do for the trout streams what slickens had
done in the American and Yubs, dsstroy the
spawning grounds.
Secretary Dibble said he had written under
date of March LIST to Hon. E. A. Brsckett at
Winchester, Mess, asking the Fish Gommis-
sioners of that State TO send him copies Of
the plans and drawings of the Improved
Foster" and the " Brackets" FISH ways, and
such other information concerning fish-ladders
they might have. AS soon rs the irforma-
tion should De received copies of it would be
forwarded by mail to all the miil-owness sad
dam proprietors.
Commissioner Redding said he had received
an anonymous letter charging that the dam
of the railroad company in Monterey county,
built TO supply the Hotel del Monte with wa
ter, was not constructed with proper fish lad
ders. He bad made personal examination
Of the premises and found that on the con.
trary it was furnished with the best fish lad
der possible. He also said the railroad com.
pany was taking care of all the streams in
the neighborhoOd; had constructed s hatch
cry, placed a competent man in charge, aDd
already had distributed over 200, coo trout
sggs.
A communication was received from W. 3.
Bradford, Superintendent Of the Sacramento
Packing Company, replacing lost draft for
5000.
r. Mcintosh, Superintendent Of the Glenn
Box Manufacturing Company, at Camp 20,
on the TIuekee river, in letter to the Board
desire to aid in any measure cal
cuiased to propagate or protect the Tfuckee
trout.
President Buckingham stated that he had
just recsivsd FROM the United States Fishery
at Bucksport, Me-, 80, COO land-locked salmon
eggs.
Secretary Dibble announced that he had
placed gentleman Of Placer county, thor
Oughly competent msn. in charge of the
hatchery at Shelley, in Nevada county, and
that everything was progressing satisfac
.orily.
President Buckin5 ham stated that the trout
1t the Baird station on the McCloud were
spawning late, and the Commission, he
thought, would be able to get all the trout
Eggs they desired. He said, also, that he had
-eeeived letter from United States Cornmis-
iouer Livingston Stone, who informed him
hat if United States fshery.car visited the
Pacific coast this year he would ssnd out
iome black bass.
Commissioner Rsdd;ng said that twenty-five
2lack bass were planted in Lake Pils1citas,
San Mateo county, ia July, 1879, and be had
understood that they had done well The
planted some in a lake in Alameda county,
md also in the straits of Carquinez. He said
hat shad was very plentiful in the San Fran.
cisco markets at present. Tue frat shad
taught in the State, after they were planted,
was taken near Benicia in 1879 by Baltimore
Harry, an old fisherman, who sent it to Seth
Green and received the $50 reward which was
,ffered for the first.
President Buckingham said the fishermen
n the neighborhood of Sacramento growled
because they were not allowed
10 fish in the river with fyke nets. He ssid
;hey were set on private lands in the over.
loved districts, and q large lumber Of fish
,1ught. He was Of the opinion the fyke nets |
lii but little harm 50 long as the small fish
we're put back ia tie river.
All Of the Commissioners then took up
carp as a subject, and discussed it for half "a
hour or more. Each one had peculiar way
Of cooking it, but all agreed that, taken alto |
gether, it was poor food fish.
President Buckingham then spoke Of the |
outlook for the coming spawning season. He |
'aid i. should be q most successful one, as the |
ish had hsd wide range, and no fishing had |
been iadulged in up to the present. From |
his time on, however" said he, the fsl, |
will have to EruD the gaut at, for there are
|, 300 nets in the Sacramento river between |
he Straits Of Csrquiuez and this city"
There being no other business before the |
Beard, it adjourned until the time of its
lext regular meeting.