St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-11-01
STOCKING WITH TROUT.
Fish and Game Commissioner Tit
comb Issues Instructions for
Owners of Streams.

| Fish of the following varieties
will be raised by the state this sea-
SON. Brook trout, Steelhead trout,
| Commonly called Rainbow), Lake
trout, Landlocked Salmon, Chinook
Salmon.
OF these species the brook trout
is adapted to brooks and similar
small streams. The Steelhead or
Rainbow destroys the native brook
trout in small streams. This species
and the salmon are adapted to lakes
and large bodies of water.
Fish may be obtained for stocking
public waters by applying to the
commissioner, John w. Titcomb,
Lyndonville, VT, for one blank for
each stream or water it is desired TO
stock, filing in the blank when re-
ceived and then mailing promptly to
the commissioner. All applications
for fish to be planted in 1912 must
be in the commissioners Office not
later than March 80, 1912. The
number of fish assigned will depend
upon the size of the stream and the
number of fish available for distri-
button.
The state will deliver free of
charge at the applicants nearest
railroad station, fish to be planted in
public waters. Fish may also be OBJ
tanned by writing the United States
Bureau of Fisheries, Washington, D.
c., asking for one application blank
for each body of water to be stocked,
filing in the blank as indicated and
mailing it to your congressman with
request that he give it his endorse
ment and forward to the Bureau of
Fisheries. If you prefer you may
send the application to the state
commissioner who will take care of
it and see that it reaches proper des-
tination. Application may be made
to both the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries
and the state for fish to stock the
same waters.
The federal government delivers
fish free of charge at the applicants
nearest station.
Both federal government and state
give proper notice before fish are
forwarded to an applicant, with in
structions how to plant.
Posted and Private Waters.
Trout for posted waters and pri-
vate preserves may be purchased
from the state provided any trout are
available after the applications for
public waters have been filed. It
will also be possible to arrange for
the purchase of trout from the state
hatchery if ordered in the fall before
it is too late to procure eggs. Eggs
of the brook trout are only obtain
able in the fall of the year, and it
is in this season that we must make
arrangements for the entire stock
which is to be Matched for next sea-
sons distribution. The price will be
practically the same as that charged
by commercial dealers.
A list of commercial dealers in fish
will be mailed to any person asking
for it.
Stocking Streams Before April 10Th.
The question whether streams
must be stocked before April 18th
in order to make posting lawful and
of full effect, is constantly arising.
The attorney general was interrogat-
ed and advised me as follows:
"I am directed by the attorney
general to write you in reply to your
letter of August 23d, concerning the
time when streams should be stock
ed in order to enable the owners of
lands, through which such streams
flow, to take advantage of the post
ing law, Secs. $3.50.
He has considered the same and
advises you that, in his judgment,
the stocking of any stream after
April 18th in any year and before
April 18th of the succeeding year,
answers the requirements of the
statute so far as emitting the owner
of the land and stream of the pro-
lection of the statute during the
open season following the second
April 18th. -
From this Interpretation of the
law any person who has stocked a
stream this present season may con-
slider that his posting holds good on
fish are planted.
Fingerlings Advisable.
In many cases it is a waste of fry
to plant them early in the spring and
therefore persons desiring to avail
themselves of the posting law at the
beginning of the open season in 1912
should, if possible, secure fingerlings
in the fall of 1911. The state has.
none for sale this fall of 1911. Try
commercial dealers.
Fry are to be obtained in the
spring.
Fingerlings are not available I'M
til late in June and the size and price
both increase for deliveries up to
October. Trout hatch in the spring
and winter only.
The closing of streams by the state
for a period of years is a pract-
ice which has not worked to per-
lection even tn nugh it looks good in
theory. The principal objections to
the practice are these: Such streams
usually receive no more attention
than public waters. A few poachers
get the cream of the fishing while
the honest man gets nothing. At
the end of the closed period there
is a rush to the stream with the re-
suit that it is soon stripped of such
fish as are in it and conditions are
no better at least than before it was
closed.
The best results follow annual
stocking of the waters leaving the