Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1906-04-26
FISH COMMISSIONER
MEEHAN DISAGREES

In letter TO Senator Godcharles of
Milton, Commissioner Meehan says:
do not agree at all with Donehow-
er's theory that spring planting of
trout is not right | have so stated in
the Williamsport Sun. | would not
care how great the facilities might be
when rearing trout, | would not favor
planting them in the fall. l could give
very many good reasons in favor of
spring planting of small fish and
against planting large fish in the fall.
Here are two or three very good and
conclusive ones:
First. Young fish three or four
months old when planted in the streams
in the spring soon find plenty Of food
coming to them and by the autumn
are fully capable of hunting food for
themselves.
Second Fish held in the hatcheries
through the summer must necessarily
be fed with artificial foods and when
lldHitNl III bilt idll VI lllt CCkA dO hOl
know how to hunt for food for them
selves, and food at that time is very
scarce Consequently, these fish have
very hard time of it pulling through
the winter and many are lost.
Third. Fish kept in hatcheries un-
til fall learn to school and when
planted in the fall hold to the habit
and when the angler comes along in
the spring it is almost certain that
nearly every fish will be caught.
Fourth Fall planted fish are the
most helpless creatures that can be i'm
agined. Spring planted fish in a week
or two learn to take care of them
| selves.
Fifth 1t is by results that we de-
termine whether thing is good or
not. The results from the trout streams
in Pennsylvania show that spring
| planting is good.
The allegation which is often made
! that floods will sweep away little fish
is not founded on fact, if the fish are
planted where they should be, namely
in spring runs tributary to the stream
from which it is expected to catch
them. No flood which has yet occur,
red has been able to turn as much as
the tail of the trout or move it from
where it wants to remain. That is af-
ter the trout has become used TO Its
new water, which will be at the most
three or four days, and when planted
there early in the season before the
snow water has entirely disappeared
the time is shortened. Twenty-fOul
hours Will settle them securely.
The United States Bureau of Fisher
les has apparently learned that botl
Pennsylvania and Michigan and some
other states are right in spring plant
ing from the fact that it is going into
spring planting as rapidly as possible
A few years ago it planted nearly al
its trout in the fall, advocating au
tumn planting. Last year they raised
ten and half million trout, of whicl
only one million were fall planted
The rest were planted even earlier than
we do. Michigan plants in the sam'
stage and has achieved marvelOu
success. am convinced from expert
ence covering nearly thirty years il
fish planting that it would be impossi
hla tr 81 '.tt-o -r-o+orr of p9-r-'7I-l
vania with trout if fall planting wer,
INDUCED in The best evidence t
prove this is to be found in New Yorl
state where they plant almost eXclu
sively in the autumn; the fishing i
there falling behind. In Pennsylvani;
and Michigan where spring planting
is the rule, trout fishing is improving
annually.