Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1886-08-18
How to Raise Trout.


may raise their own trout: There are
many farmers who own trout streams,
and would like to have them restocked,
and some Others very feebly attempt
to DO it by putting in few thousand
young fish. This would restock 4
small stream if it were done every
year for some years. But it is folly to
suppose that large stream, which
has been tished for years, and thou
sands taken from it every year, can be
restocked quickly by putting in a few
hundred, or even a few thousand
young fry. 1t is much easier to stock
a stream than to raise fish in ponds,
because the young fish will take care of
themselves much better than anyone
can take care tnem, and if they are
protected from danger until they are
about forty-ive days old-which is
about the time the fish culturist takes
charge OF them-until they are ready
to feed, they are then tolerably able to
look out for themselves. In stocking
a stream with trout, the young fish
should be taken to its head-wa ters, or
put into the springs and little rivulets
which empty into it. As they grow
larger, they will gradually settle down
stream, and run again to the head
waters in the fall and winter to spawn
When putting fish into stream. do
not put them suddenly into water
much warmer than that of the vessel
n which they have been transported.
They will not be so likely to be injured
by putting them in water a few de- rees
colder; but try to avoid all sudden
changes, and gradually raise or lower
the temperature of the water in which
you bring them, until it is even with
that OF the stream in which they are to
be placed. Perhaps. in no branch of
fish culture, are the results more im-
mediate, or more apparent. than in
restocking streams. Very many inland
streams that were once inhabited by
trout, are now wholly depleted, not
only of that fish, but of all others.
They are beautiful, sparkling little
streams, but so far as food-producing
element goes, they are valueless, and
in large majority of cases, they
make wonderful return for the re-
stocking.
In the year 1875, the State of New
York directed it's commissioners to
purchase trout breeding establish
ment, and to raise and distribute brook
trout. Since then, from one to two
millions have been Matched and distrib-
uted each year, and the results have
been most CRAFTY ing. Those that
were taken first, after the restocking,
were small, of course; those that were
left, had the more food, and bv the
next year, yielded nearly as much
weight, although fewer would be taken
and the following year the fish were
still larger, furnishing a splendid re-
turn for the expense of restocking.
This addition to the yield of any
stream, is so apparent as to convince
the most skeptical. 1t is indisputable;
and those WHO have once visited
trout stream the year after it has been
stocked, and have seen the young fish
then from three to five inches in
ngth-darting out from under the
weeds and roots. will need no further
proof as to the practicability of trout
culture. In such cases one may al
most say that the numoer taken from
stream will depend simply upon the
number put in, provided the stream is
we'll stocked with food for them, while
the cost of Matching and transporting
is small, indeed, when compared
with the yield of pleasure.
No brook, that has once contained
trout, need be. without them if the
waters remain pure and cold. l be-
l!eve there are no waters more salts
factory to stock than brook trout
streams. because they are always be-
fore you. In stocking waters with
shad or salmon, they migrate to the
ocean, and only return once year for
the purpose of spawning; with salmon
trout and white fish, they stay most of
the time in the deep waters of our
lakes; but brook-trout remain where
they are placed, grow, and are caught
among the residents, and contribute
directly to the support and amusement
of the people. Streams that have been
wholly worthless in producing food.
can be once more rcplcnished, and be
M AIDE a very valuable addition to the
farm.