Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-01-21
SUGGESTIONS ON
FISH INDUSTRY
Resident Of Lahl Makes Interesting
Comment Oh the Situation
GOVERNOR MISSES THE MARK
correspondent Tells How Millions Of
Dollars Can be Made In spawn
Ing Black bass.

|
TO the Editor:
Lehl, Jan. 19.--I see In reading the
recommendation Of the Governor to the
Legislature now IN session. that he
recommends the prohibition Of the sale
OF trout altogether, which may be wise,
but II the state wishes to protect the
trout, 1t would seem that a law should
be passed to prohibit the catching OF
them altogether and fixing fine upon
any person who maybe found with one,
This VIII not allow a few sports to FISH
when they please, as | know OF cases
Where men, Just because they have
little money, are allowed to fish dur
ing closed season. and the county
game warden sits and watches them.
Now | believe the fish are for the poor
as well as the rich, and | don't see
Why the game wardens should strain
every nerve to catch some poor boy
and have him fined from $40 to $50 Just
because he catches trout or bass, and
let men go who are worth their thou
sands and some Of them millions OF
dollars While all old fishermen OF
Utah Lake admit that trout are on the
increase and that there are more now
than 10 years ago. still there should be
some means TO protect them, While II
seems q terrible thing for man or
boy to catch trout or two to eat,
nevertheless there have been tons Of
them die the past two summers IN Utah
lake on account Of low water and ex-
IRENE heat. Trout require cool water
In the summer and all the mountain
streams being taken out and used for
irrigation purposes leave the trout
without cool water Now II would no
doubt be good thing u the state
would drive several artesian wells, -four
or six inch pipe, In the lake. TO supply
the need OF the trout during extreme
heat, TO take the place OF the noun
tain streams and by 10 doing save tons
OF as fine trout as man has ever seen
/ have seen them lying dead along the
shore so thick that a person could load
boat in a few hundred yards. Now
let the people have the privilege OF
catching them to eat or let the state
protect them from wholesale dying by
the above plan or some other better
way.
The black bass are also increasing
very rapidly In Utah lake, and while
trout seem 10 be talked OF more OF are
mobre popular so to speak, neyerthe-
less PEOPLE who have eaten OF the two
for any length of time nearly always
prefer the black bass, and as far as
| am concerned, having lived on the
shore Of the lake for nearly four years.
and having been supplied with bass and
trout quite freely during this time,
the bass, In my judgment are much SUI
pcrlor II properly cooked than trout,
and all fishermen whom I nave con-
yersed with bear me out In this state
ment. Then II bass are as good or
better than trout why not increase them
IN proportion to the trout?
| see by the Governors message that
4,7220O0l trout fry have been produced
at the state fish hatchery in two years,
but II does not say how much II
cost TO produce them. Now
there Is place called "PoweIls
Slough on the east shore of the lake
near Provo, and for three hundred dol
lars to five hundred dollars a dam
could be placed across 1t which would
make an ideal spawning place for bass
as they require clear water TO spawn
In. The state could then each year
have just as many bass spawned as II
desider They would also be protected
until sufficient size to be turned into
the akf.
The black bass spawn mostly In June
and weighing from three 10 eight
pounds each will spawn from 10000 to
10000 each. Now you will readily see
that 237 spawners placed in even at
10000 each would be more than the
amount OF trout spawned at the state
hatchery In two years and these spawn
ers could be caught and put over the
dam In about two hours and any num-
Der could be caught and just as many
million spawned as was desired.
The Madison Brothers Of Lake View
inform me that they have repeatedly
told the county warden that IL he would
get the state TO put In the dam they
would catch all the spawners desired
gratis.
II has been demonstrated by expert
ments that one acre OF water twelve
feet deep will produce $1,000 each year
In game fish. Utah lake Will average
eight by twenty miles, which makes
l6O square miles, and $40 acres TO each
square mile, gives US 1O2, 400 acres, and
AZ S5VOO in fish per acre gives US s307,-
100000 For fear these figures may
astonlsh many who are not familiar
with experiments in fish culture, let US
say $500 per acre, we stlll have $780,.
1000 more than five times the cap
italization OF the Utah Sugar Co. Now,
II a few hundred or even a few thous- |
and dollars viii produce such large
results why not turn our attention 10 |
some Of our natural resources. ana
not only supply the people OF cur own |
state with all the good fish they can |
consume, but also soupply the sur. |
rounding states and bring thousands |
end even millions Of dollars from other
states.
seines should be allowed TO be used |
under present conditions to supply the
demand OF common fish until such time
as game fish will take their place. n |
would be a good thing for the county
wardens and their deputies to be placed |
under bonds the same as any other
public officers and receive a salary. |
Then during the open season they could |
collect 81 per day from men running /
seine and turn II into a FISH and |
game fund, also moneys collected from
other like sources