The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-05-03
CH A M B E R S
PLANTING
FRY

IF the statement made by A. ].
Sprague OF Provo, that tho trout fry
in the hands of the state fish and
game warden are planted IN the
streams before t6ey are old enough
to do well and be protected against
larger fish be true" said State Fish
and Game Commissioner Fred w.
Chambers this morning, then ma
turcs plan OF propagation by hatch
Ing fish In the mountain streams is
all wrong. and even II man were not
on earth, the streams would soon be
cleared of the finny tribe.
The mountain streams are the nat
ural places for the propagation of
trout The best results come from
that method OF raising them and the
only reason we have to furnish art-
ficial places for spawning and the cul-
ture OF fish, is because there have
been SO many people in the past who
have used their fishing rods excess
lively In order to project the fish,
and furnish enough for the necessary
use of the people. II has been neces-
sary for us TO aid nature a little by
way OF increasing The supply
Mr. Chambers states that Mr..
Sprague Is laboring under wrong
impression in that he seems to think
the fry planted by the state are placed
in the main streams of the mountains,
where the water is deep and swift.
and where the larger fish live This
Is not true, he SAYS, the fry are al
ways placed in tributary streams,
where the water is shallow and where
there are no other fish to disturb OF
kill them Much care Is taken In
the selection OF these planting places.
Even as much care as Is taken by the
fish themselves when they spawn.
Places are selected where the wat
er is clear and shallow, and where
there is moss 10 shelter the little
fish. And again, says Mr. Chambers.
the fry that have been propagated in
the hatchcries are tanner than the fish
that have grown in the streams. as u
consequence of which they are bet
ter feeders and get more 10 cat hence
they grow strong at an early age.
There are fish in the Fish lake dis
trict, southern Utah. planted year
ago that are now six Inches long. and
they are still In tho tributary streams.
Thirty thousand fry were planted In
the Fish lake district last year and
the commissioner says there is no
question but what twenty-five thouS-
and of them arc alive today and do
Ing fine This condition is true all
over the state where the commission
er has planted fry fully 20 per cent OF
The fry being preserved and having
grown 10 full sized fish.
L.. NJ Jackling, who has charge Of
the state hatchery at Murray, says
he will plant 10000 fry in the tribu-
tary of mountain stream and Mr..
SpraGue may plant the same number
in private pond if he does not save
ten times as many OF the fry as does
Mr. SpraGue he Will pay for the eX-
pertinent The fry. says the commits
sloner. should he turned into their
natural haunts at the earliest pos
sible moment, if the best of fish arc
desired instinct teaches the little
fellows to remain in shallow water
where the larger fish cannot swim,
and disturb them
In Cache valley last year something
like 5000 was expended in making
suitable places In the streams for
the planting of fry. because there
were not enough natural haunts for
the fish, and In every instance where
natural places cannot be found and it
is desired TO plant fish In a locality.
places will be made for the fry
The work Of planting the 100000
fry that have been raised in the state
hatcheries. Is moving along nicely,
says MIR. Chambers. and the fry aSe
the strongest and finest that have
been turned into the streams Of the
state for a number of years, None
OF the fry is too young, and IL Is safe
to say that nearly all of them will
grow to good sized fish
Mr. Chambers states that 1t would
be nonsense for the state TO go 10 fur
ther expense in the propagation II
fry b. keeping them in the hatcher
les longer than is done now
About 100000 fry have been planted
In the contTibutary streams OF Ogden
river this season. and the fish way
dens say they are doing remarkably
well.