Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-08-17

q. Atkins of East Orland. Me-, super
intendent of the Craig brook station,
has reported to the fish commissioners
In this city about the fish Matching
facilities In the vicinity of Rangeley
lakes. Towards the close of the extra
ordinary session of Congress-. Senator
Frye requested the fish commissioner
to investigate the Rangeleys with
view to stocking them with more fish.
The fish commissioner intended to make
personal investigation Of the lakes
and tributaries, but was unable to do
so and detailed Mr.. Atkins In his stead.
Mr.. Atkins was accompanied on his
trip, which began July %. by the Maine
State fish commissioners, Mr.. Stanley,
whose opinion concerning the capacity
of certain streams for Matching pur-
poses was frequently consulted.
Parmaclenee Lake and the hatch
cries on Rangeley lake were examined.
The location of the Parmacl1enee Club
Is on Cedar brook, which rises In
bog. fed by springs. The stream falls
120 feet with good facilities fer the fire.
quent change OF the water and for
sufficient aerations. The volume OF the
brook is 1860 gallons per hour and q
spring below the hatchery has capac-
ity OF 200 gallons more per hour. The
volume Of water from both sources,
however. decreases at times but might
be used safely a half dozen times for
Matching purposes. The stream has
a capacity for fry rearing of from 12O,-
900 to 100000 trout and would develop
about million and a half OF eggs, pos
sibly more. The capacity of the pres
ent hatchery is described as 100000 eggs
or 10000 fry to be reared to the age Of
six months.
Trout are native to Parmachenee
Lake and land-locked salmon have
been introduced, but it is not possible
to take sufficient eggs for Matching pu--
poses. There are no known spawning
beds of trout in the lake and no tribu-
taries in which spawns are found ex-
cept in Magallaway river. In the lat
| ter there are not more than two beds
| in easy reach.
The present hatchery on Rangeley lake
Is located on a small tributary OF the lake
and is managed by the Rangeley Guides
Association. 1t has II troughs with a
capacity for 500,00O eggs or 60,OOO fry. and
| the capacity could be increased by addi-
| tional troughs to about 2,500000 eggs or
warm for trout in summer and there is
no available supply of cooler water at
| hand the place could not be used for
rearing during the whole of the summer.
The hatchery might be used for develop
| ing eggs and for Matching, but its Local
| ton is not convenient to collecting
grounds upon which it would be neces-
| sary to depend for a supply of trout and
salmon eggs, being about II miles by the
best route from the tributaries of Moose
lucmeguntic lake. in which lie the best
| spawning grounds, and from, two to six
| miles to the Quimby pond, where trout
can perhaps be found in considerable
numbers.
On Haley brook, near the village of
Rangeley, salmon have recently appeared.
possibly as many as $50 in the fall of 1896,
and from there limited number of sal
| mon eggs might be obtained.
| The hatchery at Bemis consists merely
of small log house built more for the
purpose of protecting trout that come up
there to spawn than as Il regular hatch
cry. The trout spawn on gravel In the
| pool artificially formed. Bemis stream
has been used as collecting ground for
| trout spawn and yielded some years a
good number of spawn, but the site is
| not accessible and does not offer the fa-
cilities for the erection of a good hatcn-
cry.
| or the localities examined, two appear
| to be quite unavailable for hatchery,
the other only to limited extent The
expense of establishing egg-collecting
| stations, transporting the eggs to the
be too great for the probable results OBJ
tainable.
The commission this year has made ar
rangements for the extension of land
locked salmon work in Maine by operat-
ing a station on Grand Lake stream, and
It Is believed that it will afford a largely
Increased production of these fish for
Maine waters.