Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-05-23

sUPT. RACE REPLIES TO A BAN
COR CRITIC.
WHAT THE HATCHERY Is DoING-ITs
VALUE TO THE sTATE-soMETHISG
ABOUT RACERS.

In an article relating to the government
fish hatchery at Green Lake in THE AMER
IcAN last week, very brief reference was
made to an srticle printed in the Bangor
Commercial some weeks ago, in which a
prominent member of the Bangor cottage
colony at Green Lake was quoted as say
ing the hatchery there was running the
fishing at the lake, through the practice
of stalking trout and salmon from the
spawning beds in the lake and its tribu-
taries, Matching the spawn in the hatch
cry tanks, and then shipping the young
fry to other waters in the State and even
to points outside the State.
Superintendent f. E. Race, OF the fish
hatchery, has seen dit to reply to this ar
ticle, and his reply was printed IN The
Commercial OF Saturday.
In reply TO statement made by the
Bangor cottager which implied that the
cottages preceded the hatchery at the lake,
and that good fishing wss enjoyed until
the hatchery came in and spoiled it, Supt.
Race says:
al believe | have spent more hours at
Green lake than any member of that
summer colony. During this time the
summer cottages at that beautiful resort
have been built, with the possible exoep-
ton of three or four. In the meantime
the government fish hatchery has been
enlarged, and valuable Improvements
msde to the entire plant. The hatchery
was established about three years before
the writer assumed charge, and it is be-
lieved that there wss only one summer
cottage at the lake when the government
commenced operations"
The Bangor cottager says: "You come
out to Green lake with me next summer
and will show you where the employees
OF the hatchery there have their nets set
on every natural spawning bed of trout
and salmon on the lake. Iwill show you
where every sand and gravel bed which
TIE sun strikes, and which is wsrm
enough for the fish to lay the spawn on with
any hope of its Matching, is covered with
the hatchery nets so that the fish can't get
on the spawning beds without being
caught and stripped Of their spawn. As q
result of this the mature fish have 10 go
off into deep water to lay their spawn.
The spawn is eaten by other fish or does
not hatch because there is no warmth
from the sun to hatch it. II only few OF
the brooks were left open and the fish al
lowed to go up and spawn, it would be an
other matter, but, as ! have said, they
don't leave any of them.n
t. ~
says: at has been the policy Of the bu-
reau of fisheries 10 make liberal plants in
Green lake in addition to returning to its
waters twenty-five per cent. Of the fry re-
sulting from eggs collecting therein. At
Green lake, Boggy brook, Mann's brook
and Great brook are the only tributaries
that the government has ever attempted
to fish. Boggy brook some years ago was
dshed for two seasons, but the channel
was not closed and the fish had free access
to the spawning beds above. MsRnis
brook has not been fished for more than
FIVE years, and no distractions have been
placed across the channel or brook during
this time by the government employees.
Msnn's brook and Jellison's brook are
natural trout brooks, but the government
has never, to my knowledge, operated fish
ing traps in the latter.
mo complaint or request was ever made
against operating nets or other apparatus
in Mann's brook, but the writer looked
upon this matter as an injustice to the
summer residents to fish this brook, SIS ii
was the landing place for their boats, etc.
The matter was talked over with Hon.
George NJ. Bowers, commissioner OF fish
cries, and the writer given TO understand
that everything possible should be done to
stock Green lake waters without giving
ofiense to any summer resident. So faith
fully have these instructions been carried
out that no person has just cause for com
plant. Great brook is the natural spawn
ing ground OF the lsnd-locked salmon.
and more than seven-eighths of sill suswn
collected in Green lake waters have been
collected in this immediate vicinity. It
may be interesting to the distinguished
complainant to know that the federal
government owns and controls this book.
and that il has not seemed necessary to
consult the State fish commissioners in
relation 10 operations there.
''The information ths gentleman has
given US in relation to sunlight propags-
ton Of trout and salmon sp&wn--in the
fifth parAgrEph-is certainly interesting,
and entities him TO copy OF the fisheries
of Japan"
PLANTS OF FRY AT GREEN LAKE.
Regarding the statement that s'not one
in 100 Of the fry Matched is put back in
the waters in which they rightfuIly be-
long, Snpt- Race quotes AT some length
facts and figures from the accurate records
kept at the station. he says:
This charge Is so absurd that ii is be-
hsyed the gentleman was imposed upon by
his friends-however from dats made ssy
after day and year after year for the past
eleven yesrs-not in anticipation of this
reply-rhs total fish captured and eggs
collected theretrom in Green lake waters,
are as follows:
s4BrosoE rrouf-AsteS S7. females no