Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-09-10
THE STATE FISH LAWS.
HOW rnnv aRE nr,so pI,xraAxuEu.
Thousands OF Young Suad Destroyed by Fish
iisEets Meeting OF the state rin
Upmuisstpners

Oonthissioners,
a special correspondent of the INrELII.
GENCER at Middlctown writes that "the
SuSquehanna has now touched it's lowest
point this summer. Il is 80 shallow that
sand and stone boating cannot be done.
and for the first time in the memory of
the oldest inhabitants, a team fordod 10
York county last Saturday. All the fish
dams are laid up ready for the fall fishing,
aud as II is u presidential election year
fisherman do not anticipate any iuterier-
ence by tho law. Young shad are now
schooling and in transit for south
ern waters keeping close to the
beach. Thousands of them can be seen
lazily moving with the sluggish current,
| aud their silvery scales attract the bass,
! which, play mercless havoc with tho
| tendorest Of tho tiuuy tribe. An old fisher.
man says bass cats its own weight
| daily or common minnows and thinks they
can devour twice as much whom they get
their periodical chance at young shad. The
fish baskets and other illegal devices for
fish catching are destroying countless
numbers of young shad, and unless meas
ures are taken to stop 1t, the future sup
| ply of shad must be small"
The board of Penusy lvania commission
ers Of fisheries held an important meeting
in Harrisburg on Tuesday. One of the
first things they did was to reorgani1e,
when Mr.. John Gay, of Greensburg, was
elected president II. II. Derr, OF Wilkes
barre, secretary, and James Duffy, of Ma
rietta, treasurer. To increase the efficiency
OF the board the president and Arthur
Maginuis, of Monroe county, and August
Duncan, OF Chambersburg, were elected
an executive committee and 4. NJ. Span
gler, of Philadelphia was elected
| nNrras spnpiinn
gicr and Duncannou were appointed
a committee to confer with the Mary
land commission relative to CO opera.
ton on the subject OF times of fishing,
etc, in the waters in which both states
are Interested. Messts. Maginnis and Derr
were appointed n committee to consider
aud prepare for presentation To the Legis.
| lature amendments to existing laws in re-.
lation to the extirpaton of fish baskets
and other Illegal devises, changing the
time fer taking trout to the 10Th of April,
defining accurately what ths legal size OF
the mesh Of the fish net shall be and SO
curing for the Delaware river such re.
strictiors in regard to the taking of shad
as now apply to tho Susquehanna and
Juuiata rivers.
Mr.. Maginn!s WAS in favor of proceeding
tomorrow in the removal Of fish baskets
and other illegal devices for the taking OF
fish that now fill most of the streams Of
the commonwealth, but finally q resolu.
ton was passed for the various members
OF the committee 70 visit and report at the
next meeting OF the board upon the mum.
Der of fish baskets in certain rivers and
tributaries u! tho state, with view to
their speedy removal. The subject of a
hatchiug house at Erie, for the purpose Of
increasing the quantity of whto fish along
= tho shores of Lake Erie, in Pennsylyania,
was considered at somo length, when il
\ WAS ABROAD that the oommission should
visit Erie on the Tth or Sth of October,
to ascertain to what extent the co
operation of tho citizens of that city
can be secured in behalf of such
an establishment. The board directed
that sufficient number of Susquehanna
salmon, or wall eyed pike, be procured foI
the stocking of the tributaries of the Ohio
and Delaware rivers. Tho board has
decided to permit any responsible person
to furnish fishways for one or two of oul
principal rivers that arc now inaccessible
to fish on account of dams, the 6shways L
be paid for only when they accomplish the
object designed. Action was also had IN
the direction of stocking the streams IF tht
state with fish that will be of uso to every
body, instead OF some of the fancy yarietel
I that are now taken chiefly by the use o
/ high priced fishing rods aud tho mos
skilful throwing of gaudily colored artifi.
7 oial flies.