Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1908-07-31
New Fish Hatchery on
Silver Creek Breaks
the Record
$4,000 Fry Already Sent Out,
More Ready---Bear Lake
Trout PrOpagated.

Idaho can boast Of many thing her
people, her climate, her forests, her
irrigation projects. her mines but
there is one point where perhaps she
has the whole world faded to a dull
drab, and that is in her fish hatchery.
The Idaho fish hatchery is new-so
new that the paint hasn't hardly worn
oid-indeed, the paint isn't yet laid on.
But in the last few months the little
hatchery up on Silver Creek has made
a record that is not surpassed if equal
ed, by the biggest, oldest, most ex-
pensive fish hatchery of the United
States government, than which there
is no better fish culturist on the face
of the earth.
Mr.. George H. Isaac, the superin-
tendent, Is responsible for most Of this
record. He had only small hatchery;
so small, indeed, that it looked dubious
to attempt to make fair progress. But
conditions We're good. the water was
right, ne had industry and ability and
the good luck that follows the know
how AS a result the hatchery has
actually done more work than other
establishments of two or three times
its rated capacity. In assigning the
credit, however. State Game Warden
Stephens has been the able and respon-
sible head, while the alert and enthusi-
astic chief deputy warden, By Living
ston, has been invaluable in keeping
the work up to the highest standard.
The hatchery has sent out already
this year about S50 600 fry, to be
planted in the waters of the state.
There are a lot more on hand ready for
distribution, enough to make a carload
of about 100000 to be taken to north
Idaho. The fish car, furnished and
transported free by the Oregon Short
Line and the other railroads it had to
traverse, has just returned from a trip
to north Idaho, where it took 275. 900
fry to plant in the lakes and rivers Of
that section.
This trip Of the car was a conspic-
uous success. The fish were carried in
135 cans, and air was pumped into the
water in the cans from the air compress
sor on the engine. Hardly fish died
out of the 275, 600. It is in the shipping
that the greatest losses usually occur;
but no government expert ever made a
better shipment than this one.
An especial point of interest is the
great success achieved in the Matching
and delivery of l25.OOO fry of the IA
nous Bear Lake trout. This big,
gamy trout, single specimens of which
sometimes reach a weight of p pounds,
is found only in Bear Lake in Idaho and
Utah. So far as recorded, until this
year no effort has ever been made to
save the eggs of this fish and propa-
gate the species in other waters. This
spring the state fish and game depart
ment did some arduous work and Sc
cured a quantity Of the eggs These
made a remarkably good hatch in the
hatchery and the little seeding trous
have just been taken to their new
home. The conditions in the cold, deep
lakes-of the north are SO much the same
as those of their native habitat, that
it is believed the species win thrive
there almost as well as at home. This
would be worth fortune to Idaho, to
fll those magnificent northern waters
with this desirable food fish.
Only the native and Bear Lake trout
have been distributed. they being the
only spring-spawning ishso far handled
by the department The eastern brock
trout and the rainbow trout. both ex-
tremely desirable fish, spawn in the
fall. and they viii come on for attention
in a short time.
1t is the plan of the fish and game
to establish two other
hatcheries. where conditions will be
most favorable for the propagation OF
all the best fishes for planting in tie
streams of Idaho. The number Of fish
srmen. is increasing rapidly, but even
more can the number of FISH be increas-
ID by proper care. There is no other
itate better supplied with fine
rout streams. and certainly no other
hat is going at it in so vigorous. sue
,essful way to utilize the fishing pos
ibilities of its streams.