The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-10-18
Schools That Escape the Eye m
Crows Nest Readily Seen
From Plane.
Use IN CATCHES IS SHOWN
Flight Made by Navy Graft Sares
Worth as Locator and Time
Saver-Act as Guide to
Steamers.

New York.-A new use for ar
planes had been found. Schools OF
fish for which the fishing fleets along
the coast may search vainly for days
can be detected from seaplane' ac-
cording to a report by W. w. "eISn
of the bureau Of fisheries.
The report of Mr.. Welsh followed
trip he made in naval seaplane from
the Cape May naval air station. Inc
flight was made at from 800 10 l'OoO
feet and at speed of 40 miles an
hour. At the time of the flight no
schooling fish We're breaking water on
the surface, and none could be seen
from the crows nest of a vessel or
from fishing piers.
The plane assembled rapidly 10
/ about 500 feet, and most of the trip
was made at that altitude" Mr.. Welsh
reported. Few schools of fish were
seen ut first. but as my eye grew ac-
/ custOmed 10 the conditions many small
| schools of menhaden were observed
| all moving at some depth, ana none
of them breaking water. Some schools
! were so near the surface that they
appeared as a reddish brown granu-
lar mass. amebOid in character ana
! changing form constantly.
Large Schools Observed.
Deeper schools had the appearance
of large masses of sunken gulfweed
and others were so deep that they
could be distinguished chiefly by the
| shadow they caused on the suspended
particles in the water. From a com
| parison with other objects seen al
known depths it is estimated that the
depth of the schools varied from
about two feet to ten feet, or pos
sibly more.
zone school of silver fish was OBJ
served breaking water. Those were
possibly weakfsh. certainly not men
haden. as they lacked the characters
tic color of the latter A school OF
porpoises was clearly seen and could
be followed under water.
The most evident opportunity TO
the practical use of aircraft in th'
|
time lies in their employment rs scout
for the purse-seine fishermen, in tn
pursuit Of such species as menhaden
mackerel, bluefish, bluebacks. kyack
and other schooling fish. In the cas-
of the spring mackerel fishery 1t
believed that the use of aircraft woul'
save much time in locating the ifs
upon their first appearance and in er
aiding the fishermen TO keep in touc
with the fish as they appeared farthe
north. The chief service rendere
would be notification of fishermen G
the general vicinity of the schools an
II would require actual trial and prat
tice to determine how much could b
done in directing the fishing vessels {
particular schools by means of radio
telephone or other methods of sigma
ing.
Most Promising Field.
at would appear that the menhat
en- fishery offers the most promisin
field for experiment in this direction
In the case of a region like the mout
of Chesapeake bay. where there al
large menhaden interests. and whel
there is naval air station convenien
~ located. the conditions would see
[ TO be excellent for the developmel
I of tactics in the use of aircraft to n
sist fishing operations. The benei
to the fishing fleet would be in tin
, and fuel saved in the searching f,
| fish and in the concentration of G
| fort on large schools instead of was