The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-09-15
AN UNPOPULAR FISH.
Carp Getting to be Too Numerous
i'll N,W Jersey Waters.

Carp Getting to be Too Numerous
in N,w Jersey Waters.
When the government some years
ago. began the introduction of carp into
t1!s country a great deal OF interest
was manifested in the project, and ali
kinds of predictions were INDUCED il.
Carp ponds were constructed all over
the country, and the immigrants took
kindly to American water. The pre-
diction that the carp would do we'll in
this country was soon realized, but
there does not seem to be much pros
pect of the realization of the predio-
ton that it will be- the future food fish
of this country. At any rate Jersey
men are not taking kindly to eating it.
An attempt was made to introduce it
into the market at Paterson, and the
price dropped TO 10 and cents per
pound, but the taste of the people was
more favorable TO catfish and pergies,
and the carp were driven out OF the
market. Those who ate them pro-
nounced them worse than the Ameri-
can sucker, and nobody seemed anxious
for second trial. Mr.. George Jackson,
of Little Falls, was one of the first to
catch the carp fever aud he had several
ponds fulls of the various kinds. One
day be killed one weighing about four
pounds. 1t was prepared in various
different ways and was found to be
enough for a,dozen families. Carp
boiled, stewed, fried and fixed up in
different other ways was passed about
in the neighborhood, but nobody
called for second plate. Then some
one suggested that the proper way was
to eat it with port wine sauce. The
jury returned verdict without leaving
their seats that this was good way to
spoil port wine.
In the upper part OF Passaic County
there were number of carp ponds.
One night freshet swept them away
and the carp got into the river. Since
that time they have multiplied rapidly,
aud last year large numbers weighing
about a half to three quarters of q
pound were caught. This year they are
caught in still larger numbers, and the
average weight has increased to over
pound, and occasionally one weighing
three or four pounds is caught. They
have been caught weighing six or seven
pounds, but carp of this size are scarce.
FED TO CATS.
The Passaic River from the Morris
County line for several miles either way
is sluggish stream, admirably adapted
for the growth of carp. This part of
the river is now literally alive with
them, and it takes but short time to
catch large number. They will take
a worm like any common fish, but the
largest number are caught on dough
mixed with cotton. Boiled peas make
delicate bait, and when boiled string
beans are presented to them the carp
fairly-jump with delight.
After they are caught they are gener-
ally thrown away. fed to the cats or
used for manure. Very few people I'm.
dertake to eat them. In some places
the carp are so thick that they cAn be
seen at times by the hundreds. Then,
again, they stir up the bottom in search
of bait, and the water presents muddy
appear for considerable distance
around. In this way the river is kept
almost con tinually stirred up, so that
people living along the banks are COM
planning of the quality of the drinking
water.
What this marvellous increase in carp
is going TO result in is a question that
is troubling some people. Other fish
introduced into waters where they do
not belong have frequently multiplied
so rapidly as to die off by the thou
sands for want of nourishment and
have thus caused disease, their rotting
oarcasses being exposed to the action of
the sun and the water. It is feared that
this will be the case with the carp, and
many of the residents along the Passaic
RIVER are talking about joining the
Know-nothing party and putting moth
Ing but American fish On guard.
STUNNED BY OTHER FISH.
Anglers. having tried the carp and
found them wanting in gamey qualities
concluded that their introduction wouli
be good thing for the bass and pick
erel, who, it is thought, would relish
the carp to feed upon. But the bass
are too intensely American to have
taste for carp, and they let them
severely alone and look for 9th IT food.
Fishing for bass and pickerel is Just as
good as it has been for years, and the
carp do not seem to have int rfered
with the food supply of other fish.
Catching carp is novelty to az angler,
but he suon tires OF it, and the result is
that they are being let alone, and when
caught by accident are generally
thrown back into the water. I he c.rp
consequently, have everything their
own way. and are continuing to null
tiply until they threaten TO take the
rank among the fi.hes whit h the Egg
lish sparrow occupies among the hirds
of this country.-NeI York Eesald.