The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-04-12
Just Q "Fish Story"

fish and game laws, declares that W,
do not need 5000 fish expert Il
, stock our waters with "razor-bacl
bass, porcupine perch and hog-root
! ing steel head trout" There is soms
force in the objecton.-Rutlanf
Herald.
There might be some force to thi,
objection II there was any truth In
the statement, but there is not The
state Of Vermont does not raise any
bass or perch and has granted in
many instances privileges to clear
ponds Of perch by any method to pre-
pare the waters for the propagation
Of trout. The federal hatchery does
raise bass and pike, but they are not
planted in water inhabited by trout.
Steelhead trout have been raised in
limited quantities and planted in wa
ters inhabited by perch and other
coarse fish for the purpose Of driving
the coarser fish out, with consider
able success.
Newspapers should have some
knowledge of the facts before they
attempt to discredit the work Of the
fish and game department.--St. Johns
bury Caledonian.
So we lie about the fish business.
If we only had lied it would be better
for the waters of Vermont. We said
nothing about who hatched the fish,
"a state or federal hatchery-or do
we care. The fact remains they were
introduced into Vermont waters, and
the Fish and Game Commission did it.
Years ago waters in Orleans county
were stocked with bass; waters, mind
you that did contain trout. We as a
''pessimist on Vermont Fish and Game
laws" fought this introduction at the
time. Years after, Mr. Titcomb wrote
US, in answer to one of our editorials, |
that the stocking of these waters with
bass had been great mistake. 1t is
from these waters they are now try
ing to clean the bass out.
Willoughby Lake like other trout
waters, was stocked with steelhead
trout As the same "pessimist" we
kicked about this. Why? Because
we had been introduced to steelhead
before. They have no more business in
our native trout waters than black
shark has in private pond. Even the
though a good food trout--is
not much better. Both are fighters,
detrimental to native trout ard should
never-the steelhead especially-have
been introduced into the state. We
say never" for reasons q ready stat
ed; but also being a spring spawning
fish the flesh is not good when the
law allows us to catch them. Mr..
Titcomb also told us, years after the
deed was done, that it had been a mis-
take putting this trout into the lakes.
That it was not known when they
were introduced that they spawned in
the spring. Who, regardless of where
they were Matched, introduced this
trout into the state? The Fish and
Game Commission of Vermont.
Now as to the perch family. The
name of perch, whether black, grey,
yellow, red bel'ied, white or wall-eyed,
always gives US the chills. Forty
years ago when fisherman, we could
not sell one on the market. Pike
perch, as we'll as bass, and other fish
of like nature, may pass in Men,
phremagog or Lake Champlain. To-
day such fish do SELL Why? Be-
cause there arc no native trout or
longe, or local salmon to sell, general
ly speaking. Certain perch, like the
yellow, never should be introduced,
or do we know that the state does in
troduce them. At one time, talking
with our fish commissioner on this
subject, he asked why 1t should be
harmful to put even yellow perch in
Lake Champlain as Lake Memphre-
magog already contained them, but
not through the fish commission. Our
reply was that these two waters, TO-
yether with the Connecticut river,
trained most Of the lakes and rivers
II Vermont; and wherever water runs,
! yellow perch will 90 unless shut of
BY dam or big fall. While it may be
true the state does not now put these
fish into waters containing trout, the
lay is coming when some Of the vari-
tiles Of this fish, through their intro
luction into certain waters will cor
-upt every pond, lake and river in
Vermont and no one can prevent 1t. 7
We do kick about the kind Of fish
,eing introduced into Vermont
There is no reason for II beyond a
lew thing being a fad. The quality 7
II the fish has not been improved. !
L.