Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-26
THE ToMC0D.
Fears That the Species Are Slowly
but Surely Dying Out.
Something About Habits and Peculiar
tiles Of the Fish.

the micrOgaduS tofmcodus-that's the
scientific name of the fish-destined
to become a thing of the past, and to
exist only in memory, and within the
pages of encyclopedias and works on
natural history? Time was when the
tomcod swarmed the waters of the
Kennebec in schools of thousands, and
tens of thousands. AS the Indians
would say, he was more numerous
than the leaves upon the trees. 1t
would be easier to recount the stars than
to count him, on his annual pilgrim
age up the river. He was a cold
weather visitor During the season
of grass, and flowers, and other things
beautiful, he was disporting himself
in the waters Of the broad Atlantic
but when the cold breath of winter
chilled to ice the waters of the river,
and filled the air with discomfort, he
was wont to marshal his forces, and
leave his salt laden summer home for
far-off places where the water was
sweet and pure from the springs
which dubbed beneath it's surface.
In the old days, before the white
mans burden was taken up along the
pilgrimages doubtless extended much
farther up the river, but with the
building of the Kennebec dam there
was placed upon them an injunction
which was destined never to be re-
moved. The tomcod is not much of
a climber, and on account of his lack
of ability in this particular line, the
dam obstruction has barred him for
ever from the upriver haunts which
once We're his.
Since the dawn of that unhappy era
the upriver terminus of the tomcod's
annual pilgrimage has been the waters
below the dam, with few side lines
up Bond Brook, and here, each jan
uary, he has come, in countless thouS-
ands-in such numbers that the shall
low water was alive with him, and
swimming room was at a premium.
The tomcod is not reckoned among
the 400 of food fishes, neither is he con-
sidered beyond the pale of what is con-
sidered toothsome when properly pre-
pared for the table. Among many
people of that locality he has
long been considered a staple article of
food, and his capture has ever been
source of sport as well as profit. In
fishing for him no hook and line is
necessary, though he will take bait
But that way is far too slow, and the
fisherman goes armed with a short
stick having a hook at the end. Some
times he has a dip net, and in this way,
when the fish We're running well, dead
loads of them could be taken in short
time. Many has been the fisherman
who has loaded his horse sled with his
mornings catch, and hied him to Wa
terville, where the fish found ready
sale.
But that was several years ago. 1t
has been noticed by the fishermen dur
ing the past few years that the fish is
becoming scarce. He still comes as in
days of yOre, but he is not so many,
and seems to grow fewer in number,
each year, and now, when the fisher
man, with stick in hand, steals out to
the edge of the ice, to get a mess of
fish for dinner, he is able to catch but
one where he used to get a hundred.
1t has been said that the coming of
the tomcod heralded the coming of the
legislators, and statement is not with
out truth for both the fish and the law
makers seek the Capital of the State
on the first week in January. However,
there can be no affinity between the
two, for the tomcod comes in the off
year just the same. The fish are with
us this wiDter, but are said to be
scarce, and it hardly seems as if the
services of a clairvoyant would be nee
essary to look into the future and see
the day when the tomcod had become
so scarce that not a specimen of him
could be found in the river, from the
Kennebec dam to Fort Popham, and
when the adage about him and the
solons had been forgotten.