The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-12-20
FISH AND GAME INTERESTS
Convention Of the Rod and Gun Men at
Which Various Matters Are Considered.
After Hearing Reports and Suggestions on
Several Topics Addresses Are Delivered by
DR.. d. s. Jordan and Prof. jenkins.

rooms Of the State Board Of Agriculture
yesterday forenoon, was called to order by
Col. William T.. Dennis, State Fish Com
missioner, Jesse H.. Blair acting as secre-
tary. r. c. Smith, president of the Fly
fishermen's Club of Charlottesville, was
present. and j. p. Applegate, of New AL
bany, represented tho Southern Indiana
Game Association. which embraces five
counties The Fly-ishermen's Club of Indi-
annapolis was represented by many men,
bers, and there were anglers of high degree
from other parts of the State. In an ante
room. in q large glass tank. Frank Buker,
of Rome City, showed a number of brook
trout from his ponds near that city. The
following committees were appointed -di-
rectly after the election of officers:
State Organizution-A. +. Smith. Nashville; o.
+. Dewey. Goshen; W. T. Fishback. city.
Cicero Sims, Frankfort; w. IL. Sands, Rush
vile.
cultural Societies-Elisha Rowland, James
Kingsbury, city; w. I. Dennis. Richmond.
Press-John NJ. stevens. Rushville; A. w.
Creating sentiment for Fish and Game Pro
tection-B. Border, winamac; W. X. Pleak,
Greensburg; Eli Lilly, city.
Enforcement of Law. p. Applegate, New
Albany; A. I. Smith. ~Ignatius Brown. city,
Additional Legislation-Judge Byron X. FL
lott, Asher Vert. Charlottesville; Willis Vajen,
city.
Best Fish to Stock Streams and lakes Of In
dlana-Frank Buker, Rome City; W. IL. Dye.
Philadelphia; A. III. N0rdyke, city.
Cameo C. Bergundthal. Harry 8: New. Sam
uel Q. Soc we'll. city; Barney dollhouse, Rich
mond, and W. H.. Sands, Rushville.
The afternoon session did not begin I'M
til 3 o'clock, at which time Governor Hovey
woS Infr00npQ0 and smoke hrIafiVg naplQr-
ing himself in hearty accord with any
movement looking to the preservation of
fish and game. He hoped that fish culture
and protection would produce a large
amount of cheap food.
The report of the committee recommend
ing the forming of State, congressional and
county organizations was adopted. Elisha
Rowland reported briefly that the best
method TO secure the influence of agricult-
ural societies was to nave laws passed
that would meet the approval of farmers.
This brought a hearty laugh, but was
unanimously adopted.
Mr.. Apologize, chairman of committee on
enforcement of laws, reported as follows:
We favor the encouragement of local organize
tons devoted to the interests sought TO be sub
served. We should create. through organizations,
persistent effort and every possible influence. a
presenting the matter in proper shape TO the
local press and local agricultural societies. The
farming class should, above all others, be inter-
ested in the matter. Reports should be made to
grand juries. prosecuting attorneys and Others
whose duty 1t is TO enforce laws: No member of
law. A Substantial reward should be offered and
paid for conviction OF persons violating the laws.
Legislation is necessary to establish a close
season Tor hsh as well as game.
The report was adopted.
Judge Elliott, as chairman of the commit
tee on close seasons for fish, reported that,
in the Judgment of the committee, the TAX
ing of black bass in any form by hook and
should be strictly prohibited from the 1st
day of April to the 18th of June. ~TheJudge.
in q brief speech, intimated that there was
no desire to keep away from the streams
the small boy who tished for sinners, but
those who caught bass and fished with fly
minnOw OF crawtish.
Charles Rowland, of Marion county. was
In favor of an absolutely close season to
everybody and for all fishes. Mr.. Pleak
and others had a like opinion. Mr.. Border
thought the close season should last from
March l to July l..
Charles Rowland moved there should be
a close season for all fish from April l to
june ID. The motion prevailed. and was
Colonel Dennis read a letter t, Jm Martin T.
Kruger, Mayor of Michigan City, in which
he spoke of the ~decadence of the fishing in
terests nj and near that city. Il know of
no remedy" Mayor Kruger wrote, "unless
Congress should take the matter in hand
and prohibit the catching of any fish in the
lake with nets, during the spawning sea-
son, at points where they are known
to spawn. 1t should also regulate
matters so that NJ gill-net with a mesh less
than 4la inches. or %pond-net with a mesh
less than 3l2 inches shall be used. The use
of aprons in pond-nets when lifting, for the
purpose of preventing the iescape of small
fish, should be positively prohibited, and
that the casting of g~ill-nets out in the lake
at the season of the year when their recov-
cry is doubtful should be restricted"
President Jordan. of the State UNIVERSE
ty, then talked at some length on the fishes
of Indiana. He said he did not see any
reason. when there are SO many fish-hatch-
cries being established, that Indiana should
not have one. Int that the place for it
would be at the south end of Lake Michi-
gan. He thought that 1t was of more in
terest to look after this matter thar after
broken laws.
There are" the Doctor continued, $50
far as we know. 155 different kinds of fishes
in this State. of which about fifty are good
as food fishes, about ninety are too small.
except as food for black bass and other
large fish. and about ten are too large and
coarse for them to be desirable for food. /
suppose there are no fishes that can be
brought into Indiana as good as those we
now have. and we have here as good fishes
as any region can have where the waters
are as warm as they are in Indiana. None of
our fishes are, to my mind. as good as brook
front. So far as kinds of fish are concerned,
Indiana is all right now, and the main
question is not of increasing the varieties
but of protecting the fish we have. There
are twenty-seven different families of fishes
| reported in the State. think the channel
cat is one of the best food fishes in the
country. and it should have a chance. 1t is
tender, rich and delicate. There is also a
catfish with a projecting under jaw. 1t is
| yellow. with black blotches. 1t lives in
muddy water, but is in most cases an excel
| lent food fish. There is the old Mississippi
cat. caught in the Ohio river and in
Lake Michigan, which grows to be $50
pounds in weight. This is q substantial
food fish. The paddle fish. or shovel
nose. which grows to a large size. / do not
consider good to eat. The buflhead. which
may grow to three or four pounds, is an ex-
cellent fish. The cat-fishes are good, but
/ think the channel cat is one of the
best fishes in America; j do not know of
any fish that can be brought from foreign
countries that is as good, while on the
other hand our cat-fishes are being intro
duced abroad. / remember reading an OBJ
lection to the catfish in London Punch,
one stanZa of which is:
"Oh, do not bring the catfish here,
The catfish Is a name I fear:
They say the catfish climbs the trees
And Tobs the hen-ro0stS. Down the breeze
Sends the prodigious caterwaul;
Oh, leave him IN the Western flood
Where Mississippi churns the mud,
Don't bring him here at ALL"
DIR. Jordan also spoke in high terms of the
black bass, both large and small mouth,
&tA 1910 @t htn , - IN rt.a -, .L.1- <l4