The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-05-01
THE FISHING OF INDIANA.
EXPERIENCES OF JUDGE o. S. sANTA
The Great Variety of Fish-rhe Kingly
Black Bass-Our Streams GeoIogicaIIy
Favorable to the Development of
the Best Species of Fish.

doxical as it may seem, greater variety of
fishes may be found in any one OF the larger
creeks in central or southern Indiana than In
all the creeks, rivers and inland lakes put to-
gether in the upper Michigan peninsular, and
yet the number of Indianians who 90 there or
TO northern Wisconsin, which is much the
same. every summer to fish, counts up into the
hundreds, while from Indiana, Ohio and Illi-
nois the number into the thousands. So
great is the annual influx of fishermen into
northern Michigan that its through railroad
line, the Duluth, South Shore < Atlantic,
lies mon the income from that travel during
the summer months with as much certainty
upon the income from any other
source at any other season. Not
that such income may be as large as the
income from the shipment of ores or of lumber
or of some other commodities that might be
mentioned, but IL IS as certain TO come IN, and
20 say the least, is as uniform in amount taking
one season with another, the income from
any OF the other sources mentioned
Why this rush to northern waters II the vari-
tues of fish found in Indiana waters are SO many
more? More than one reason might be as
signed but the most potent one, we may
safely assume, is the superiority OF the Upper
Peninsula fishing to the Indiana. Prolific as
our Indiana waters naturally are, they have
been, comparatively speaking, almost depopu-
lated of their best varities of hsh. 1t is the
small fry that swells the list OF families that
find home in our Indiana creeks. One I'M
acquainted with the literature of
this subject would be amazed at the
great number of varities already dis
covered; still more surprised to learn
that the work of discovery is yet going on. |
remember that shortly after Prof. Jordan came
TO Indiana he made a visit to Franklin and
dipped his net in YOung's creek an insignIf-
cant stream close at hand and amid the null
titude of fngerlings scoOped up, was one rep
Tesentative OF variety that had never been
described before. SO-far as | know that little
fish was peculiar to the Young's creek waters,
and Is to be met with where else in the
world. Nor is our little Franklin creek peculiar
in this respect The scientific fisherman is
every once in while gratitied at finding some
thing unexpected, no matter IN what stream he
plies his vocation. The archaeological students
al the State university hardly ever let q sum-
go by, j told, without finding some
thing which, IL not new 10 science, is at least
new TO the neighborhOOd, in Bean Blossom,
Clear creek, or some other stream IN that
locality.
When the state was new there was no need
20 20 from home for good fishing. In both
quantity and quality the Indiana waters were
unexcelled, and of all the fnny tribes within
Its borders that took the hook or were esteemed
food, the kingliest was the black bass.
Taken all in all, the black bass has more of the
qualities that endear it 10 the heart OF the an
gler than any other purely fresh water fish that
ever lived. He has the proud distinction of
OelnE q genuine American. 1U0aDltlng the
waters from the northern lakes to the tip end
of Florida; and what is more TO the purpose,
he puts his very best foot foremost, If | may
80 speak night here in our central Indiana
streams. River bass are nearly or quite always
superior to lake or pond bass in game quail
ties indeed all fish in running superior
70 fish in still waters; but the highest develop
ment OF this superb fish, / cannot help but
think, was found by the men who settled the
New Purchase. Many years ago read in a
II raNa
the pen OF an old angler who was an ardent lover
of bass fishing, and who. having had a wide
experience, having 6Shed, he said from the
lakes to the gulf. gave it his opinion that
the gamest fish he ever caught was in White
river. The veterans statement made no great
impression my mind at the time, but con-
siderable experience as an angler since then
has led me to give 1t more weight.
In the beginning, White river was. noted for
the crystal-like clearness of It's waters They
were as lucid as the sunlight itself. The stream
in a swift. deep current over grRvelly bot
toms, its waters never being riled to the hurt
of the fish. | remember hearing Mrs. Cyrus
Wetzel, who came 10 the country early IN the
twenties and settled in the neighborhood of the
Bluffs, remark, with animation, in her old age,
upon the pellucid beauty OF the stream. When
] first looked upon White river, and for many
years afterward," said she, Its waters were
clear that you could see pearl button glisten
al a deDth Of from twelve TO twenty feet"
Judge Franklin Hardin, who has lived within
2 mile of the river, twelve miles below In
dianapolis for fifty years or more during all of
which time he has been a disciple OF lzaak
Walton dscourses rapturouslv vet of its
pristine purity and clearness. So marked and
30 constant was this peculiarly that its name
in the languages Of all the people who have
been known 10 inhabit its shores or float their
canoes upon It's surface, has been one meaning,
white. Indian, Frenchman, Englishman,
American, all in time in their own speech
called it White river.
What was true Of White river as regards the
clearness Of its waters when the country was
new, true OF all the other central Indiana
streams. The only difference was one Of appear
snce rather than reality. The White river waters
flowed over beds containing a larger per cent.
of white gravel than most of the other streams
All were superb fishing waters, and in all the
fish found were the choicest OF their kinds.
There was, and is, geological condition of
things highly favorable TO the development of
the inhabitants of the waters, that / do not re-
member to have ever seen adverted to by any
writer, which may be referred to in this con-
uection.
FSince writing the foregoing my attention has
been called TO the following observation of DIR.
Jordan, published in 1873:
"Other things being equal a river whose
course lies In a region of undisturbed stratifed
rocks of glacial drift contains most genera and
species"
While my caveat will not entitle me to any
thing, glad to know that [ have so emf
nent a witness 10 prove my case.
All OF the northern and the west of what is
known as central Indiana, is covered by the
drift. sheet of varying thickness composed of
powders, clay, gravel and sand, which, the
biologists tell us. was brought down from the
far north and spread all over the land during
the ice age" IL is to the presence of this great
drift sheet that is due the lasting fertility Of
the soil throughout the middle regions of
our state In some places il is 100 feet thick
in Others 200, and in others, again, 800, and SO
on Beneath il, and through It, are reservoirs
of water, pure and cold, which supply the per-
ennial springs gushing from the hill sides and
flowing INTO the creeks and rivers of the region.
The beds of all the northern and central Indi-
ana streams lie their length in this drift,
whence their gravelly bottoms and the normal
purity Of their waters. One of the characters-
tics of the drift Is it will not wash,
and hence the streams running through
it never roll 70 the hurt of the
fish. In all efforts 10 restock our depleted
water courses, this is a circumstance that should
ever be kept in mind. There are streams that
il would be foolish waste OF both time end
money to undertake the restocking with fish.
] am told, and can well believe it, that there
are Kentucky streams which were once
esteemed for the quantity and quality OF the
fsh they contained, but which are now entirely
depopuated not even the small fry being found
in them, circumstance owing 70 the light,
friable nature OF the clay soil Of the adjacent
fields. This soil is of kind well known TO
farmers as one that washes, and during the
freshets little rills of liquid mud, pouring