Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-17
WATERVILLE LOCAL NEWS
JOURNAL g
OFFICE, 90 MAIN STREET

day but every day in the week after
taking due regard for the trout and
sa lmon spa Wning season.
Closing these ponds to winter fishing
has not improved the summer fishing.
The protected fsh-trout and salmon
are not caught in numbers sufficient
to he worthy the name Of fishing, for
while it is true that few persistent
fishermen or a few greenhorns may
catch few each season, the average
man does not get one during the troll
ing season.
There are a few opposed to winter
fishing, some, owners of cottages who
fear they will lose some summer fish
ing; some hotel or clearinghouse
keepers, whose patrons think no one
should rish at except with fly and
Il few who may have tined ice fishing
on IN unfavorable daN and had TO
fun hut caught cold instead of fish.
TO cCnle to the point, a follower of
tie red flag. is surely justified in eX-
pressing his Indignation and making
a kick for the privilege of ice fishing
on these ponds when at a single small
cottage in the middle of the summer
season a record showed 200 perch
caught and tie total Tor the summer
was much greater. Granted, as may
be and should be. that all cottage own
era are not .dish nogs, It il reasonable
to pat an average of 200 per cottage
per season There are some 80 cot
tages on these ponds showing 10000
fish caught Add to that the fish
caught by those who go day at a
time and the total Will be as many
mere. or al told. 10o. ooo. before we add
tie fish caught b. the only true sports
the fly fshernen-Who may not keep
as panv. throwing back the small. in
jured, etc. These will bring the fig
ures "a 80 200. low estimate and Ger
tainly apout all the summer fishers
are entitled to
Now note the difference The vim
ter fisherman is limited to five lines
in the daytime. II he catches one fish
to the hole ne is going some" In fact.
he viii call Your reporters attention =
his luck. but did YOU ever see d sum
m@r fisherman with only five nsh vino
had any use for reporter? Not muChi
1t is safe to say that there never
We're 800" fish caught on all these ponds
in any one winters fishing. and vet
ice fishing is at present absolutely for
hidden. II the 1ish need real protection
why not close those ponds a few years
to summer fishing? 1t is we'll known
trat il is larger fish that bite in Win
ter and that the worst enemy of t1a
small fish is that same big fish. Il
you doubt it ask any one vino ever
cleared big one" what he found in
side. \ a.-pound pickcIcl viii fire.
quent,y contain a partially 1igested
member Of his own tribe weighing nalf
pound td say nothing of a !ot Of
small FISH.
In view of the foregoing, it would
seem as though some provision can be
and should be made that win accom-
modate everyone. 1t is not believed
that these po9ds should be closed DIS
| at prs sent or thai the winter fishing ill.,
| iureg summer fishing. 1t is believed
that with II or more ponds reasonably
accessible to this city, Il system should
be arranged whereby Il large pond
and small one or TWO of average size
should be grouped, and with about five
groups. by opening one group each
year and the next closing that. and
opening another each pond would be
protected four years out Of five ana
still give the ice fisherman his due.
The first thing u do. however, is to
see to il that this petition ifas good
backing. All out ana sign ii. You may
want to go some day and find that fail
IRE To sign this helped shut YOU out
from what YOU are entitled to.