Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-05-20
FISHING At cossossE ecowTEE,
Reasons Why Il lsn't Up to The Great Pond
Mark.

| Naturally the success that has at
tended recent fishing expeditions to
Great pond, and the rather disappoint-
ing fishing at Cobbosseecontee, this
! spring, has naturally occasioned a
great deal of discussion among local
fishermen as to the real reason for this
difference.
1t appears to be very generally con-
ceded that there are few, If any, lakes
in Maine better stocked with fish than
is Cobbosseecontee. There is here an
abundance of bass. trout, perch, pick
erel and landlocked salmon. but sur
rounded by conditions which render it
very difficult to catch them.
Some have thought that the meshes
OF the screen at the outlet We're not fine
enough to prevent the young land
locked salmon from escaping into the
sea; but this is denied by those who
are apparently in position to speak
with authority on the matter and who
assert their firm belief that not a
salmon has succeeded in getting
through this barrier Every one who
is at all familiar with the lake knows
that it is literally swarming with
bass, and there is probably few bodies
OF water Of similar size in New Eng
land as plentifully supplied with trout,
and yet the fact remains that the good
catches are few and far between. Why
is this thus?
Fishermen generally appear to agree
in the opinion that real trouble is to
be found in the over-abundance of
natural food The whole lake fairly
swarms with small smelts and min
nows-and sensible fish may certainly
be excused for preferring the real
thing" to phantoms and spinners. The
first step. therefore, in the securing of
good fishing in this lake will be a re-
duction of this over-abundant natural
food supply. Under the existing law
the taking of smelts. minnows, or other
bait fish except for ones own use in
fishing is prohibited, and as a result
the increase of such fish in lakes where
the conditions are naturally favorable
to their propagation has been some
thing enormous. Formerly smelts and
minnOws were taken from the Cob
bossee stream in large quantities by
net. being used in many instances for
fertilizer. Under such conditions the
fish were obliged to work for living.
and were far more ready to do busi-
ness with enterprising sportsmen
Will the time ever come when this fine
lake will yield the fine fishing it Is
capable of? Not, in the judgment of
many observing lovers of the pisca-
torial art. while the present law pro-
tecting smelts and bait fish continues
in force. Doubtless this law has been
Ne hn,, -,
of the ponds and lakes of our State:
but there are exceptions to every rule
1t is not a law that conduces to good
fishing at Cobbosseecontee-an prob
ably never will be. 1t might seem,
perhaps, as If nature would herself ad-
just such matters, and that a super
abundant supply of bait fish would
bring about such an increase in the
fish that prey upon them as would re-
suit in keeping them down to proper
limits. Ordinarily such might, per-
haps. be the case; but it does not work
that way at Cobbosseecontee. Doubt
less the bass trout, perch. pickerel and
salmon have increased enormously in
this lake during the past few years.
but not sufficiently to make any ap-
preciable diminution in the supply of
bait fish. Indeed fishermen report, this
spring, vastly greater supply of
smelts and minnowS in the lake than
ever before. and the big fish have no
trouble whatever in securing all they
want.
This is a matter of considerable in
terest to the fishermen in this section.
Here is lake within easy riding dis
tance of the three sister cities of the
Kennebec, that contains fish enough to
give all lovers of the rod first-class
sport the year round. if conditions
were favorable for catching them.
Why should we not have such condi-
tions. If the protection of bait fish is
necessary for other ponds and lakes
let them have it: but here at least let
us have it possible to secure such
thnning-out of this natural food sup
ply as shall at least give fishermen
half a chance.