The Globe-republican., 1895-05-17
The Fish Law.

The fish commissioner shall appoint
one fish warden in each county of this
state where there are streams, lakes,
ponds or other bodies of water of suffi-
cient size to propagate fish of any kind,
or where there are kept or maintained
private fish farms for the raising of fish,
whose duty it shall be to aid the COM
missioner in stocking the streams of this
state with good fish. and in carrying out
the provisions Of this act; such warden
shall receive no compensation for his
service other than is provided ia this act.
The fish commissioner and each Of the
wardens appointed by him shall have the
power Of constable or police officer to
make arrests, and when he has infOrma-
ton of the violation OF this act he shall
make complaint as provided by law in
other criminal cases, whereOn a warrant
shall issue and arrest made rs now pro-
vided by law in cases of misdemeanOrs,
and he shall have the compensation al
lowed other officers for like service.
1t shall be unlawful for any person to
catch or take, or attempt to catch or take
from any lake, pond, creek, stream or
waters within or bordering on the state
any fish Of whatever kind by means of
any trap, net, firearnl, gig, spear or
snare, or in any other mnnner than by
the usual mode Of angling with the rod,
line and fish hook, or hand line, or set
line, either Of the last two having attach
ed thereto no other device with which to
catch fish than the plain baited hook.
1t shall be unlawful for any person to
catch or take from, or injure or worry in
any manner, any black bass, in any of
the waters aforesaid between the first
day Of April and the first day of July in
any year, or at ally time to take any
black bass of less than eight inches in
length; and it shall be unlawful for any
person to sell or haye in possession any
black bass of less than eight inches in
length.
The possession of any trap. gill he,
seine. or net or trap Of any kind, except
minnow nets, by any other than the own
er of private or any artificial fish pond,
shall be prima facie evidence of viola
ton of this act.
The foregoing sections shall not be
construed as to prohibit the catching of
minnows for bait, but for no other pur-
pose in minnOw net or seine not more
than Ii feet long; and any minnows or
fish so taken, other than such as are to be
taken for bait shall at once be returned
to the water alive, neither shall the fore
going sections be construed as to prevent
the fish commissioner or warden from
having or catching fish at any
time from the public waters of the state,
by any such means as he may adopt for
the purpose ofpropogating fish and re-
stocking the waters of the state, but for
no other purpose.
Any person who shall violate any of
the provisions of this act shall upon con-
yiction, be fined in any sum not less than
ten dollars and costs of prosecution or
imprisoned in the county Jail not n ore
than thirty days for each offense, or pun
ished by both such fine and imprison-
ment ut the discretion of the court, and
every fish unlawfully caught, taken or
possessed. every trap or net unlawfully
used shall constitute separate effense,
aud upon conviction of the owner or
possessor of such unlawful traps or nets.
or on the failure of any one to claim the
same, said traps or nets shall be burned
or destroyed by the officer taking the
same.