The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-04-30
MISSOURI FISH PLANTING,
The Fruits of IA Venture Now Being
R-ap-d nj Grpat Falls.

IL va " III NOW fteIuR
R-ap-d Mt Grpat Falls.
Every little school boy has been told
that ''large oak, from little acorns grow"
and his kind schoolmistress has made
the saying serve as a lesson to the young
ster not to despise the small things of
life as they often contain the germs of
greatness. This fact was most forcibly
brought to the notice of "a TRIBUNE news
rustler yesterday while conversing with
Capt. Taylor concerning fish planting in
the Missouri river, The captain is not
only a true sportsman but a broad
minded gentleman who looks beyond the
present for those returns which intelli-
gent ventures promise. These remarks
are made to explain what follows:
Two years and a half ago Captain Tay-
lor procured from the fish department
at Washington two car loads of yearling
fish to stock the rivers at tins place.
They we're caught in the Illinois river
for this purpose. The lot was composed
of croppies, black bass, ring perch and
sun fish. They were put in the riv r at
this place, at the mouth of Sun river,
and at the mouth of the Dearborn, sew
eral miles above this city. The inten-
ton. of course. was not to disturb them
until they were grown, but some of them,
especially the croppies, are a gamey fish.
and we're caught 10y fishermen on the
river while batting for the natives of the
stream. Not long ago a four pound
black bass was caught neal the city, and
one day this week the captain hooked a
80 pound croppy, These catches, with
| oilers that have been made above or
near Great Falls, establish the fact
that eastern fish would live and thrive
in the Missouri river. That was a very
essential point TO learn.
Captain Taylor has reported to Fish
Commissioner Mcdonald at Washington
the facts above stated and asked for five
more car loads Of yearlings-half black
bass and half brook trout. If he get
them, and he has no doubt but what he
will, it is his intention to stock the river
from here to the Three Forks. His idea
is, and it seems to be a practicable one,
is to stock the river high up towards its
source so AS to get the fish accustomed
to higher spawning grounds, and also to
fill all the tributaries of the river on both
sides with an abundance of palatable and
nutritious food. If they thrive as well
as may reasonably be expected the
streams and the rivers above Great
Falls will be filled with a fine table fish
to replace the inferior native kinds found
in our streams.
The captain says the croppy and black
bass are a very prolific fish each annual
ly spawning $4,000 eggs. 1t may thus
be seen that with proper protection
against nets and dynamite it will require
but a few years to make the Missouri
river at Great Falls the objective point
of the disciples of Isaac Walton from
every portion of the country, and thu
city will become as noted for its abund.
ance of finny tribes &C it is now for it,
other magnificent advantages.
But the dynamiter must be headed of
and when one is caught in the act OF de
stroying the young and.old indiscrimina
tely with the deadly explosive he should
be punished to the full extent OF tn
law. And it should be the duty OF ever.
true sportsman and OF those who pre-
serve the game of the state in forest ant
stream from unlawful destruction. to in
form the proper officers of every VIOLA
ton of our game laws.