The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1908-05-02
Season Should
Be Extended.
George WilliamA Wen known
Sportsman, Favors Game Warden
Pierce's Plan and Comments
In Press.

George Williams, who will be remem
bered by many Of the readers of TIL
SENTINEL as having had charge of ths
Fish and Forestry exhibit at the recent
Houghton County Fairs and ~ president
Of the Houghton County Rod and Cur
Club, has written an interesting letter
to the press endorsing State Game
Warden Pierce's views on the question
of extension of the fishing season and
expressing his reasons therefor.
Following is the letter in part:-
The trout in the early spring, as soon
as the ice leaves the rivers, are hungry
for food, having, been forced to fast in
a great measure during the winter, and
they will take all kinds of ground bait,
thereby becoming an easy victim to the
fisherman. You will find them in all
parts of the waters Of the river, just
waiting for nice, fat juicy worm, a
fine feast, as they think, to come along,
and It is as easy for the boy with his
ten-cent line and pole to catch them as
it is for the best fishermen of the
country with their fifty dollar outfits.
As the season advances the water is
lower in the rivers and is not so cold.
The brush along the banks has leaved
and makes it harder to get the hooks
into the choice pools under the shade.
Here the fish swim during the hot days
of the summer. The trout will not stay
in warm water, but seek cool places,
such as over spring bottoms and under
trees, hence the fisherman may try and
trvto get them but with poor results.
Sure they are taken, but the man who
gets them has to work harder and the
number of his catch is smaller than in
the same waters during the early sum-
mer.
The fish get more shy as the season
advances and the spawning time comes
on. We have heard lot about the
catching of trout during the late season
and the fish being heavy with spawn.
Did you ever stop to consider how few
ydd catch during that time as compared
with the early portion of the season?
The trout are governed by the same
laws of nature as are all living things.
Trout while on their way to the spawn
ing beds are not heavy feeders. Their
every action is bent on fulfilling the laws
of nature. They are shy and easily
frightened and looking for food is Sec
ondary consideration with them. How
many times have you. noticed when out
fishing during the close of the season
that you have been able to see in some
pools dozens Of the beauties. My! how
fine they looked and how hard you
fished to jry and land one Of them, but
without succese. -
The one great reason for closing the
season early is to let the trout spawn.
This is the position Of those who sup
port the season as it now stands.
wonder how many Of them have stopped
to consider what percentage Of fry
comes from the natural propagated
spawn. Let me say it is mighty small,
30 much so that If it were left to the
trout to keep up the supply it would
not be very long before trout fishing
would be thing Of the past.
Here ARE the conditions surrounding
the fish during the spawning season and
the Matching Of the fry in the natural
way. Take any trout stream in this
northern portion Of the state. The fish
travel up stream rs far as they can gel
and find q stretch Of sandy bottom.
Then in pair they mate. The trout
makes a shallow hole in the sand by the
motion Of their fms and in il the female
deposits her spawn. The eggs are Gov.
cred by the fish as best they can and
after their labors are over they retire
to section Of the river just below their
nest There are perhsps fifty more
pairs going to nest on that same sandy
bottom and II isn't long before the frs,
deposits Of eggs are turned up and out
by the late comers to take care Of theil
spawn. In this manner thousands ant
millions Of eggs are lost being eater
BY the fsh farther down the river. Tn,
suckers are an agency Of the wors
kind in the destruction Of fish eggs
Supposing gosdly number of>egg'
hatch out fry; what protection do the.
get against the heavy floods of on
spring breakup? The odds are a
against the natural propagation o
trout. The snow melts fast and tn
large amount fallen during the winte
always makes the rivers run In floods
What chance has the poor little half
inch trout, hardly big enough to be seel
by the naked eye, with q torrent o
water strong enough to carry trees an
suBsc