Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-08-25
Fish Commission Plans
More Trout For Maine.
High Pennsylvania Authority
Endorses Names Views,
-Four New Corporations, Maine MIll'
Tia and Capitol Chat.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR
Next Meeting Of Governor and Council
Tussday, Aug. 80, at 10 A. M.

Commissioner of Fish and Gam,
Brackett has for years made a specia
study of the subject of fish cultur.
which he considers of the highest i'm
portance to Maine. In many ways ir
his opinion, it is of more importanc.
than that of big game, To his wav OF
thinking and this theory is supported
by the opinions of many experts. we
can profit by change in the method
of handling our salmon and trout.
For number of years" said Com
missioner Bracket to the Journal State
House man Wednesday. "our aim has
been to raise fish to the age of yea,
or more. To do this we have beer
obliged to keep hem in feeding ponds
BY the time they reach the lingering
size the number which can be cared
for in these ponds is comparatively
small. This must be taken into con
sideration when Matching fry BY dis
tributing more fish when smaller at the
stage known as advanced fry manv
more eggs could be handled and the
number of fry available for stocking
Maine waters would be greatly in
creased.
1T sounds very nice to talk about
keeping all fish until they nave reached
the yearlin2 stage. Some authorities
question the advisability of it. They
say that, cost considered, better results
are obtained by distributing them when
they have reached the advanced fry
stage
Fish kept until they are wear old
before being released. have grown to
be dependent on others. They do not
know how to hunt for food or to pro-
tect themselves: they are tame. Fish
of this kind expect someone to feed
them at regular intervals. This is not
an advantage. Advanced fry are fish
that have learned to eat. Liberated at
that age their natural instincts assert
themselves and they hunt food as soon
as released in the waters of the small
streams. At the same time these in
stinCts cause them to hide and avoid
danger. Your yearing. being used to
care and attention, is handicapped in
that he has lost the natural food hunt
ing spirit. and being in sense tame.
he does not avoid danger so readily
and falls an easy prey to the larger
fish. 1t is because of this that some
authorities say that the best time to
release fish is at the advanced fry
stage instead of the yearling.
s~"My idea and what shall endeavOr
to get the commission to do. is to plant
more of these advanced fry but in
stead of releasing them in the lakes
and ponds proper. put them into the
headwaters of The streams which emp
ty into the ponds. This would eliminate
to a great extent the danger of fry be
ing eaten by big fish. as the fish at
these headwaters will be more nearly
like that of the fry, consequently less
liable to try to eat them.
by scattering the fry we'll in these
small brooks. excellent results can be
obtained.
Il do not wish to be understood that
our plan of keeping fish in our feeding
ponds is not a success. 1t is. We Will
doubtless build more ponds but I want
to impress the idea that we must liber-
ate millions more trout in our little
streams every year than has been our
custom, if we will keep the supply good
and 1t can be done with much less ad-
ditional expense than the casuai read
or may suppose"
Commissioner Bracket is of the firm
conviction that putting in practice MS
theory of planting these millions OF ad-
vanced fry in the springtime as well as
in the fall. Maine will get much more
for her money" than by keeping them
from six months t6 two years on their
liver feed. The fall planting OF course
will be continued
In support of mis- views is the follow
ing letter from the Penn. Fish Comni,s
soner Neehan. one of America hlsH-
est authorities on the subject OF the
culture Of fish:
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
Harrisburg. Pa. Aug. Is. 1910
Hon ! w Bracket,
Commissioner of Inland F1sherles
and Game. Augusta. Maine.
NY dear Sir:
| am much pleased with What you
saw, especially with respect to the SIZE
of the fish which you believe Shoulu oe
sent out of the hatcheries for STOCKING
purposes. only I should have gone III
tie further had I been you
think YOU slightly weakened your
argument when you intimated that i'sn
might be held in hatcherles lor anS
length of time and planted succeSe," :"
lv. Our experience does not peal t"''
out Our experience is that tue o.i'
way to roplenish the stream al" ,'-
crease fish life is to simply put yo"iie
fs;, in with lavish hand. 1ha' we
are succeeding will he indicated U! '".
e,c,ossd nort;on of the letter whlch
recoivad Yesterday. The streams Wh'c'
he mentions had been nearly ru'neo ~
hn