Evening star., 1898-08-27
STOCKING TROUT BROOKS.
Practice Said to he Increasing in
Massachusetts.

From the Springfield Republican
The practice of stocking trout brooks is
SAID by local fishermen to be increasing in
thls section. One man Is quoted as having
put 25.oOO into certain brook each year for
several years. This year he will put in that
number, only they will be yeariing trout.
instead of the younger fish, as in the previ-
Gus years. The expense of this practice is,
of course, much increased if 1t has to be
done each year, but there seems to be a
likelihood that older fish would be more
likely to live from year to year. The small
f1sh are so quickly gobbled UP by the big
ones ones that 900 viii disappear in a short
time, but after they are a year old they
acquire experience enough of their enemies
SO that they can dodge them pretty we'll by
hlding under stones and elsewhere. Noun
tain brooks are particularly favorable for
young trout to escape their enemies, as
there are SO many stones in the beds of the
streams under which they can hide
A dif11culty that Is encountered in stocking
trout streams is the scarcity of food, par
tcuiariy in the mountain brooks. The
meadow brooks are generally overhung
with grass, from which flies, beetles crick-
cts and all kinds of bugs fall into the
water, supplying ample food But the
mountain brooks run generally through
rocky beds, and the only source whence
bugs can come is from trees overhead 1t
is urged by fishermen that the fish commits
fishery in this state if they would stock
these mountain brooks with little fresh
water shrimps. These are about three
quarters Of an inch long, they easily find
their living, multiply rapidly and would af-
ford an excellent food for the trout The
survival of young trout depends good deal
on the amount of rain that comes to keep
the mountain brooks filled up. If the brooks
get low and become only series of pools
the trout are easily discovered and caught
by minks, snakes, frogs and their ether
enemies. If the streams are full they can
take care Of themselves. On this account
sportsmen say, fishing is unusually good
this year, the rains having kept the streams
full.
Fishermen say that people do not begin to
realize the Importance which trout. fisheries
might have. If the fish were properly pro-
tected and propagated they would be much
more abundant, would become cheaper in
the market, and instead of selling for so
or % cents a pound, now, they might
be had for % cents, so as to be less of a
luxury. To accomplish this the further ex-
tension of the closed season has been ia
vored for long time. The recklessness of
some who fish solely to supply the market
is deplored. and this type of fisherman is
d1sliked by the man who goes out for sport
The money-making trout fisherman keeps
every hsh he gets, no matter how small
He excuses 1T on the ground that the fish
could not live. But experienced fishermen
say it is astonishing how much a trout can
be injured and yet live. They say they
nave Caught HSb 1hat from some previous
tussle with the hook had lost all their under
jaw or had the hook through their eyes
Many fishermen pull on the mouths of the
trout as If they were going to pull up the
bottom of the brook, but this is unneo es-
sary. One man says all that is needful is
to give little twist of the wrist to fasten
the hook in the trout's mouth, after which
the fish should be headed upstream so that
the water shall enter his mouth. BY gettin 9
too much water he is drowned, soon stops
jumping and twisting. and is easily brought
to shore.