The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-03-13
NO HELP FOR FISH
New Law Has Not Yet Gone
Into Effect.
Many Complaints of Depreda-
tions Of Professionals.
RAIDING THE STREAMS
Reported That Game Fish Are
Caught by Barrels.
Provisions of New Measure Are
Very Strict.

While the legislature passed a new fish
law. and one that is expected to do away
with all the destroying influences that
tend to depIete the streams of the state.
it is not yet in operation. When it was
going through the committee of the
whole an economical member suggested
that the amendatory law be published in
the statute book, instead Of the official
state paper It was so ordered. and now
comes the annual spring howl from the
regions of the fishing streams that pro-
fessional fishermen are unIawfully
sweeping them clear of fish. The pro
fessionaIs'' Will have all spring to oper-
ate.
The old law is still in force, but there
seems, from reports, to be many viola
tons and calls for redress. The weak
ness of the old law is that il specifies
that game fish" are not to be seined,
SHARED, dynamited, etc This gives
something of a Ioophole, it seems, in one
place the seine fishermen claiming that
they are only after suckers, in another
catfish.
From Cottonwood Falls comes word
that hauls of three hundred day are
being made by professionals The Cot
tonWood is a great bass stream, and
anglers for sport are worried over the
slim prospects that await them if this
thing is kept up all through the spring
At Clay Center the fish protective peo-
pie are in a sorry plight. toe In the
waters of the Republican the channel cat
abOundS- The SpOrtSmen say this fish Is
just as gamey as bass and croppie. Here
too the professional is getting his work
in and shipping out fish by the wagon
load. In the larger cities the sudden in
crease IN the supply of fish in the mar
ket is taken as conclusive evidence that
they are being taken out of Kansas
streams by the wholesale Clay Center
proposes organizing a club and pr0tect-
i've association this week. It will be
formed on Saturday night. The sports
men propose to establish a fund 20 be
dealt out a slice at a time to attorneys
who secure a conviction Of a vio1ator of
the law. They are without a deputy fish
warden just at present also, the late in
cunbent having moved out of the
county. The petition for a new warden
is now on its way to State Fish Warden
George Wiley.
Fishermen all over the state are in
curing about the new fish law. 1t was
printed in the official state paper last
week, but it is not yet a law, neverthe-
less. because the last section prescrfbes
that it is not effective until its publica-
ton IN the statute book, which will
hardly see publication before May or
June. The new law will make it 'un-
lawful for any person to catch or take,
or attempt to catch or take. from any
lake, pond, river, creek stream or waters
bordering on the state, any fish by any
means or in any manner except with
rod and line and fish-hoOk or hand-line
or set-1ine- The possession of any trap.
gill-net, net CT other device Except rods,
lines and fsh-hoclzs) used or intended
for use in catching. taking or killing fish,
except minnow nets or seines. by any
other than the owner of a private or ar
tificiaI fish pond, shall be prima facie ev-
idence of the violation of this act. It
shall not be unlawful to angle al any
season of the year with a rod, line or
fish-hook; provided. that nothing in this
ing in possession or catching fish at any
time from the public waters Of the state
by any such means he may adopt for
the purpose of propagating fish and re-
stocking the waters of the state. but for
no other purpose"