The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-21
AIRPLANES TO SPY
OUT HIDDEN FISH
Schools That Escape Eyes in
Crows Nest Readily Seen
From Aero.
USE IN CATCHES SHOWN
Flight Made by Navy Craft
Bares Worth as Locator
and Time Saver.

A new use for airplanes Is found
every day and yesterday was no excep-
ton. Schools of fish for which the fish,
ing fleets along the coast may search
vainly for days can be detected instantly
from a seaplane. according to a report
by w. w. Welsh Of the Bureau of Fish
cries, which was made public yesterday
by Lieutenant-Co Commander ]. H. Falge
Of the navy recruiting Office at "a East
Twenty-third street.
The report OF Mr.. Welsh followed a
trip he made in a naval seaplane from
the Cape May naval air station. The
flight was made at from 500 to 1000
feet and at q speed Of seventy miles an
hour. At the time of the flight no school,
ing fish were breaking water on the sur
face, and none could be seen from the
crows nest of q vessel or from fishing
piers.
The plane assembled rapidly to about
500 feet and most Of the trip was made
at that altitude" Mr.. Walsh reported.
Few schools of fish were seen at first,
but as my eye grew accustomed to the
conditions many small schools Of men,
baden were observed. all moving at some
depth, and none of them breaking water.
Some schools were so near the surface
that they appeared as a reddish brown
granular mass, ameboid in character
and 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
cause on the suspended particles in the
water. From q comparison with other
objects seen at known depths II is esti-
mated that the depth of the schools va
ried from about two feet to ten feet, OF
possibly more.
"One school OF silver fish were OBJ
served breaking water. Those were pos
sibly weakfish, certainly not menhaden
as they lacked the characteristic color
Of the latter. A school of porpoises was
clearly seen and could be followed under
water.
THE most evident opportunity for the
practical use of aircraft in the COM
mercial fisheries at the present time lies
In their employment as scouts for the
purse-seine, fishermen, In the pursuit OF
such species as menhaden, mackerel
bluef1sh. bluebacks. kyacks and other
schooling fish. In the case OF the spring
mackerel fishery 1t is believed that the
use of aircraft would save much time in
locating the fish upon their first appear
ance and in enabling the fisherman to
keep in touch with the fish as they ap-
ppeared further north. The chief service
rendered would be notification Of the
fishermen of the general vicinity of the
schools, and 1t would require actual trial
and practice to determine how much
could be done in directing the fishing
vessels to particular schools by means
Of radio-telephone or other methods OF
signalling.
Most Promising Field
TT would appear that the menhader
fishery offers the most promising field 70.
experiment in this direction. In the
case of a region like the mouth of Ches-
apeake Bay, where there are large men.
baden interests. and where there is q
naval air station conveniently located
the conditions would seem to be excel
lent for the development of tactics in the
use of aircraft to assist fishing opera
IONS The benefit to the fishing fleet woulc
be in time and fuel saved in the search
for fish and in the concentration of effort
on large schools instead of wasting time
| on small, scattered punches of fish.
"It Is quite possible also that school,
of large, fat fsh might be distinguished
| from those of smaller. leaner fish, al.
| though this would require experience II
| observation Another field for expert
| ment would lie In the guidance of fish
ing steamers to large schools not visibl,
| from the crosstrees, but plainly visibl,
| from aircraft and communication by
means of wireless telephone, barking
| buoys or other devices would enable tn,
boats to set the seine around the fish in
visible to them. Such cooperation woulC
be OF great advantage TO the naval all
service as we'll as to the fishing inter
ests. as It would provide for the nava
aviators, excellent practice in scouting
station finding and communication.
"In case such coopera ton should b,
established between the fishing interest.
and the naval air service. It would b,
essential that one or more experienced
| seiners be detained by the fishermen a.
observers for the aircraft. as the expe
rience of naval aviators has not beer
such as to enable them, without furthe
training to assist in directing the move
ments of fishing vessels"