Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1885-11-14
OUR COMMON FOOD FISHES.


|
The Rocky Mountain White Fish
The white fish Of the Rocky Noun
tains belongs to the well-known fam
| lily salmonda, and the genus coregon
us of Linnaus. The specific name i:
Gorgeous Williamsoni.- G1RARD.
The above refers to the white-fsl
common in the upper Missouri river
and in the streams tributary thereto
1t varies greatly in size and somewhat
in the density of it's color. It also
varies in its habits at different seasons
of the year. In the spring and early
part of summer it feeds almost exclu-
sively on the buds of aquatic plants
and on the larvae Of different insects
to be found in the bottom Of the
stream. At this time it prefers the
deeper places and finds its way to the
ponds and pools caused by wash-outs
IN the bed of the river or brook At
such times it is a difficult matter to
get these fish to take the bait, for they
| find an abundance of food in the wa
ter, and are inclined to be sluggish,
but sly. An whole shoal may be seen
and observed with considerable inter
est. There they go in single file
Now one stops to catch a grub, the
others see it and Immediately all Of
them flock about the lucky one, evi-
IDENTIFY with the hope that they may
steal or at least divide the prize. At
last the hurry and excitement is abat-
ed, and off they 60 again, sometimes
fast and sometimes slow; here one
shovels in the mud OF under a stone,
and there another may be noticed
opening and shutting his mouth, al
most like machine, as he imbibes
the loose sediment that overlays the
bottom. This sediment. when exam
ined under the microscope, proves to
be composed of minute plants and
crustaeeam and forms large proper
ton Of the food of many kinds of
fishes.
These white-fsh will follow lead
er like sheep, and it is often the
knowledge of this trait alone that
gives the angler the patience neces-
sary when he does not secure d bite
for the first hour Or two; for, if he
bait. he is almost certain of taking
the whole shoal. The mouth of this
species is small and somewhat com
pressed at the muzzle, hence arises
the name Of ''Pea-mouth," applied to
it by Montanians. Owing to this
characteristic the fish are slow to Sc
cure the bait; so, the bait must not
be too large, and the fisherman rnust
exercise due patience and judgment
OF he will lose his prize and spoil his
sport. Practice alone will teach him
how to catch this splendid member
of the finny tribe. The writer has
caught specimens that measured six
teen inches in length, but he has seen
specimens caught by others that were
nearly two feet long. The flesh is
white, firm and fakey, rolled in flour
or bread crumbs and fried quickly it
forms as palatable dish as can be
made. Fish of this species are often
taken in so fat a condition that they
can be fried in their own oil. The
oil is not at all rank like some fish
oils, but mild and agreeable,
The writer's own experience has
taught him that the best times of the
day to catch white-fsh are from about
8 a. m. until noon; and, then again,
from about an hour and half before
sunset until the sun is lost behind the
hills.
During the latter part of summer
and the early part Of autumn these
fish are in their most active state. In
fact, for awhile they are almost as
lively as the trout, frequently rising
to the surface of the water and often
leaping out Of it in their endeavors
to catch flies and other objects that
may attract their attention.
This species spawns late in the au-
tumn. Marvellous fish stories are told
concerning it. There are times when
wagon load of fish can be taken in
a day in some of the creeks tributary
to the upper Missouri river.
Upon such occasions they are spear
ed with pitch forks We have heard
of parties who found white-fish SO
numerous in an hole of water which
was cut off from the main stream
that they took the fish ont with scoop
shovels. the frightened fish meanwhile
crowding one another out Of the wa
ter in their frantic endeavors to es-
cape. Our fellow-citizen Chris. N.
Dickinson had some experience on
Belt creek.