Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-11-29
EXTENSIVE FISH PLANTING.
Distribution ofthe 0swego or Large Mouth Bass
in the Waters of Utah.

Permit me to respectfully submit for
the information of the general public
the following report of the distribution
of black bass from Utah Lake, as pro-
vided by chapter %, session laws of
1897.
In pursuance of said act distribution
and paintings of the Oswego or large
mouth bass in the waters of Utah have
been made as follows: on the 4th and
9TH of May, 1897, very large car load
of live bass was taken to the northern
part of the State and planted in Bear
Lake and Bear river in Rich. Cache and
Boxelder counties; the number of fish
in the several paintings aggregating
about $500 in ALL OF this number
there We're about 450 spawners that
would average nearly two and one
half pounds In weight each, and esti-
mated to spawn from fifteen to wenty
thousand eggs to each two fish this
season. These bass being planted just
before spawning time II may be reason
ably expected that the waters into
which they were put will receive a
large stock of young bass this season.
and in the two years and six months
that they are protected by special act
from being taken in any manner. those
~
cellent food and game fish.
on the 30th day of October / took
n shipment of bass to Richfield as n
stocking plant for the waters of the
upper Sewer valley. This plant con-
sisted of 1870 fish, 1870 of which were
spawners ranging from one to five
pounds each.
The 18th day of November another
shipment of 1000 bass was made to
the waters of the lower Sewer river
and distributed from Chicken Creek
lake In Juab county to Swan and Clear
lakes in Willard county. OF this ship
ment two large barrels containing 20
large spawners each We're taken out at
Juab station and sent to Scipio lake in
charge of Hon. Orvil l.. Thompson OF
Scipio and in passing Chicken Creek
lake. one barrel of spawners was taxi
en- out and planted there. Four hundred
yearling fry were taken out and planted
| in the Sewer river at the dam site of
the Bonneville Reservoir company; af-
ter which the bulk of the shipment was
taken to Deseret and planted by Coun-
| ty Warden $. II. Nichols of Willard
county in the waters of the lower
| Sewer river and lakes with which the
! river connects.
Two barrels containing AZ spawners
were taken to Clear lake and planted
| there.
These several paintings of the Oswe-
go bass from Utah lake which have
| been made during the present season
give wide distribution throughout
| the State to this very good game and
| food fish, and much benefit will result
| therefrom in few years If the law In
regard to their protection be observed
| and compiled with by the people. Too
| much emphasis cannot be placed on
the Importance of compliance with the
| provisions of the law protecting these
| FISH. hut / fear that there are those
| NplllntnlX
for 1t. and ! have reason to think and
believe that some of the early seasons
| planting have been already taken
| since they were planted. AS an In
stance tending strongly to this belief.
| / viii state that, few days ago in
company with S. F. Thompson, the
warden of Boxelder county, while re-
| turning from the mouth of Bear river,
| where I had been investigating for
| some evidence of the bass planted in
| that locality in the early part of the
| season we saw two men with boat
hauling a seine on the opposite side of
| the river from us. AS 1t is unlawful
to use senes anywhere only in Utah
| Bear and Sewer lakes and In the Green
| and Grand rivers at specified seasons
| Mr. Thompson called the men TO our
| side of the river with their boat and
seine, and upon their arrival promptly
| placed them under arrest Upon ex-
| animation of their catch nothing was
| found but suckers, but | am satisfied
| that If these men and other Violations
| like them should chance to get bass
or two in their nets, that they would
| fail to distinguish the difference; or
forget to put the bass back again into
| the water.
These men whom we caught in the
very act of violating the law told us
| that IL was n common occurrence for
| other parties to come down from
| Brigham City and use seines In the
river. and which they stated had been
| roiny on all summer. Whether this
| statement is true or only made with
| hone of mitigating their own folly and
| transgresslon, / cannot say; but
| fenr TINT II is too true, and If true, 1t
| is very much to be regretted, as 1t Will
| be Impossible to stock the waters OF
our state II vandals take out the par.
ent stock as fast as II Is put in; ana
| the hard work of years, ana the eN-
| penditure of the peoples money IN try
| ing to stock our streams ana lakes
| with good food and game fishes VIII be
| thrown away unless this vandalism
| ceases. ,..,..
AS the fish and game law permits the
| taking of bass with hook ana line.
some persons may get the erroneous
| impression that these bass recently
| niauted may be taken lawfully In that
| ,vnv INT il is not so. special act OF
| the Legislature of 1897 appropriatins
$500 for the purpose of stocking heoi
! lake and the Bear and sewer rivers