The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1913-04-11
WILL ENJOIN THE WARDEN
POcatello Tribune.

Ominous silence in the office OF
the fish and game department OF the
state has followed the article in re-
cent issue of the Tribune relating to
the rumor that Chief Deputy State
Game Warden w. N. Stephens OF
Rexburg was about to resume the old
practice of taking spawn from the
streams Of the Island park country
in utter disregard of loud protests
from fishermen throughout the south
eastern part of the state. Neither
State Game Warden o. H. Barber, OF
American Falls nor Chief Deputy
Stephens has denied the rumor. From
unofficial though reliable sources, IT
is learned that Deputy Stephens Is
already making plans to commence
stripping trout of the north fork of
the Snake river during the present
month, the eggs and spawn to be u.s.
ed to stock the state hatchery at
Warm river, and the resultant fry
to be distributed among the steams
of the state exceeding the Island
park streams.
Why Chief Deputy SteDhens should
insist on doing this Is difficult to I'M
derstand. He has been In the depart
ment long enough to know that this
practice, has ruined the fishing in the
Island park country and has taken
away from that famous summer out
ing district one of its chief attrac-
tons
In 1906 and 1906 the north fork
of the Snake river and its tributaries
constituted the greatest trout fishing
field in the northwest. Its fame
spread all over America. Yellowstone
park tourists told the east about 1t.
Millionaire sportsmcn heard of 1t and
made annual trips to the teeming wa
ters. Today trout fishing in Island
park is but a sad memory. The cause
is not far to seek.
Under the administration of Mr..
Stephens, who was state game and
fish warden under the Frank Good
ing administration, O state trout
hatchery was built on Warm river.
Every spring force of men was sent
to the bridge near Big Springs on the
north fork to siene and strip the big
native trout. Thousands were so in
jured in the operation that they died
and it was no uncommon sight all
during the summer months to see
dead fish lodged along the stream
from Big Springs to Porter's ranch.
However, the loss through death was
infinitesimal compared with bad eff
| feet in another direction. The strip
ping of tens of thousands of trout
prevented that number from spawn
ing in their natural habitat, and the
result was that each year saw less
number of new trout Matched. Thus
the fishing become annually poorer,
until today it Is practically waste OF
time to attempt to land the laws linn
/ it in the north fork. Buffalo river,
Moose creek, the outlet and other tri-
butary streams. Millions of trout fry
were Matched at the Warm river
hatchery from the spawn stripped
from native trout, but not single baby
trout was placed back in the stream
from which they were prenatally tax
en-. Instead, the fry were sent to
the four corners of the state.ln other
words the Island park streams were
4 ruined for the benefit of few isola'
ted streams where few fishermen ever
go.
When George Isaacs, one OF the
most expert fish culturists In the
west, was appointed superintendent
of the state hatcheries, he put stop
to the practice of stripping trout
from native streams Instead, ne
sent east for millions of eggs, hatch
ed them in the three state hatcher
les, distributed the resultant Try
where they would do the most good
and gradually began to build up
again the reputation Of the entire
state as a splendid trout state. He
proceeded on the we'll grounded the
ory that the practice of stripping
trout from the native streams Is al
wrong; that the proper method o.
conservation is to vigorously enforce
the limit law, and encourage the ma
tive trout to spawn In their native
waters. In addition. Superintendent
Isaacs began a campaign against tn
millions OF whitefish in the nortl
fork of the Snake. A whitef1sh Il
not a cannibal and he and his brothe
the trout, get along nicely. But thu
whitefish Is a voracious fish, with
huge appetite. He eats everything
in sight, and also multiplies rapidly
Whitef1sh a few years ago became 81
numerous in the streams of the Is
land park country that they begal
to starve the native trout to death
Mr.. Isaacs sent force Of men int
the streams with seines and lande'
hundreds of tons. He offered tn
whitefish on the markets Of the stat
and they were eagerly snapped up
because properly cooked they are
good fish. Thus the work OF riddin'
the streams of this undesirable var
iety of fish was made self-supportin
and cost the state nothing.
Mr.. Isaacs has been reappointed eX
officio superintendent of the stat
hatcheries again by Governor Haines
but Chief Dupty STEPHENS is his chic
in the matter of authority. Despit
protests against again resuming tn