Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-02
IMPROVING THE FISHING


Rock islanders who like to fish
when there is anything to catch-will
do well TO form a fishing club. Until
they do the prospects for anything TO
angle for probably will not be brilliant.
We have plenty of water hereabouts
but there isn't much in IL but turtles
and CARS and an occasional carp. we
have probably more people who Ike
to fish than are actively engaged in
any other form of outdoor sport, but
most OF the time they are forced TO
subsist upon hope.
This spring, with conditions which
ordinarily ought TO make the fishing
good, few fish are being caught, even
near the dams where fishermen in
their desperation congregate in spite
OF the fact that 1t Is unlawful 10 do so.
The dams, II might be added. are With
out fishways which afford practical
passageway for the fish and therefore
IL there are any OF the amphibians In
the river they might naturally be ex-
pected to congregate below the dams.
But the fishing even here is poor and
one can angle all day-and many do
and never get nibble.
II is not necessary that this should
be true. We should have fishing as
good here as there Is at Sterling and
Rock Falls. where pike, pickerel, bass
and croppies are taken from Rock
river in large numbers. Conditions
are good for the growth OF the fish but
there are no fish 10 grow. There Is no
suitable place in the river for them
TO hatch and the few minnows of game
fish which pass Through the first stage
are not sufficient to feed the other
creatures OF the streams which prey
upon them. The result is that condi-
lions are growing worse instead OF
better.
II has often been explained why the
fishing is not as good as It used TO be.
Many sloughs and ponds have been
drained and many others which used
TO be deep and to have plenty of water
in them the year round are now filed
with mud and dry up every summer.
Fish which hatch in these are never
able TO reach the rivers. The mature
fish usually find the water high enough
in the spring to pass in, lay their eggs,
and get away, but the minnows are
lost. During the last few seasons there
have been several springs when there
was no high water at spawning time
and the eggs, II laid at all, were de-
posted in the running streams where
they had no protection and were de-
voured by the creatures which inhabit
the water.
There is only one way to restock
the streams hereabouts and to keep
them stocked and that is for the state
or the nation to undertake the job.
Hatcheries must be conducted on a
much more comprehensive scale than
now and every stream of any size must
be annually furnished with minnows
of the game varieties. not by thousands
but by millions. State and United
States hatcheries are working to their
capacity. but the output is sufficient
only TO send a few thousand here and
few thousand there. Communities
where there is an organized demand
for them are the ones which get them.
Herein lies a mission for a Rock Is
land fishing club. II might be made
country wide. II ought to include
everyone who enjoys the sport and
who can conveniently reach a common
meeting place. IL should be affiliated
with other clubs OF the same character
and use its influence toward larger APP
preparations by the Legislature and by
congress for the maintenance of fish
for fish are great travellers
and the restocking OF one part OF a
given stream will help increase the
number for many miles along the same
waterway.
Game fish should be placed in Rock
river. the Mississippi and in the Hen
nepin canal. keokuk lake should have
attention, for that would be of benefit
to the whole of the upper river and all
its tributaries. Let's have a fishing
club and get busy.