Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-05-21
Silver Lake Fishing.

I
We are told that Mr.. Holmes of the Sill
yer Lake House has received from the state
| hatchery 100, 600 rock bass to put in Silver
/ Lake, also that G. ID. Cushing has received
4 rs, 900 pike perch from Swanton. Ii seems
now that with the protection the statute
gives we shall soon have good fishing
again in this water.
Thirty years ago or more a special act
was passed by the legislature protecting
! fish in this lake for five years. Then by
subscription money was raised 10 buy
pickerel from ST. Adams and some black
4 bass Three boxes came and were emptied
out at the head. Boxes of large fresh fish
came to Bethel for eating, packed IN ice.
Some were noticed alive, were bought and
/ foolishly put in our lake. They proved
ravenous sharks OF pike, that at once COM
menced feeding on the young fish OF all
/ kinds. and at the end OF five years there
was but little left only the long, slim pike
piekerel, which were not good eating.
There was one advantage, for these
sharks ate their own young, as well as
trout, suckers, minnows and dace. Not a
single bass was ever seen or caught alive,
mo trout left and but few suckers.
All saw the great mistake and studied
for a remedy. Some proposed trying
horned pouts, saying the lake had great
deal of mud bottom and they would take
care of themselves, breeding fast. So
pouts were procured, mostly from Lnce's
pond, now Lacota lake, and it is generally
admitted that in three years we had better
fishing than ever before or since known in
Silver lake. They bred fast and would
bite red rag night or day, the more loud
talk, laughter or noise the better. We have.
often seen men and boys standing on the
bridge with fish poles as thick as could be
laid on that long railing through long
evening, with a fish in the air every half
minute.
These pouts grew to good size, weighing
one pound and upwards and were good
eating. They are now extinct from this.
lake and the loss must be charged up to
few of those sharks, which many think
are still with us. II so, and in good form,
the 10000 fry might last them three
weeks.
A project often talked about was to-
drain the lake and in that way get rid OF
all mean fish, starting new, with more
popular breeds; but to meet this expense
would require a considerable subscription,
hard to raise. The main body lies lower
than the outlet and would have to be
drawn bya siphon which might be expen-
sive, altho' southern railroad contractor
once offered to do it for Sl50.
For more than one hundred years
suckers would every spring run up three
brooks at the upper end of this lake to
spawn, lasting three or four weeks, afford
ing the best of fun in spearlng at night.
Ii was no unusual event to get from 90 to-
100 pounds in two hours. Now this sport
is gone, for about five years ago the lake
shores became lined with dead suckers, So
much so that the health board was called
out to remove and bury them.
This second loss could hardly be charged
to sharks, and the real cause seemed a
mystery. Some surmlsed it was done with
dynamite, but this would have only killed
what were in the brook at the time OF eX-
plosion, while there doesn't seem to be a
single sucker left in the brook or lake.
Judge Howard thinks ii must have been
a disease, as some looked to have been
dead two or three weeks, almost nothing
but bones left, while others had the APP
pearance of having just died. Whatever
the cause it made clean sweep, leaving
nothing for seed.
Mud cells have stood the campaign of
sharks and dynamite better. Several good
ones were caught by Charles Stafford last
season. We cont think they will do any
injury to the new crop, but if there are
any old pike pickerel left they Will tatten
on the fish hatchery fngerlings.