The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1919-10-17
Schools That Escape the Eye in
Crows Nest Readily Seen
From Plane.
use m CATCHES IS SHOWN
Flight Made by Navy Craft 6ares
Worth az Locator and Time
Saver-Act as Guide to
Steamers.

New York.-A new use for air
planes had been found. Schools of
dsh for which the fishing fleets along
The coast may search vainly for days
Fan be detected from seaplane. ac-
cording to report by w. w. Welsh
Df the bureau of fisheries.
The report of Mr.. Welsh followed
rip he made In naval seaplane from
The Cape May naval air station. The
hight was made at from 500 to 1000
feet and at speed of 20 miles an
hour. At the time of the flight no
schooling fish were breaking water on
the surface, and none could be seen
from the crows nest of vessel or
from fishing piers.
"The plane assembled rapidly to
about 500 feet. and most Of the trip
was made at that altitude" Mr.. Welsh
reported. "Few schools of fish were
seen at first, but as my eye grew ac-
2ustomed to the conditions many small
schools of menhaden were observed.
MI moving at some depth, and none
If them breaking water. Some schools
were so near the surface that they
appeared as reddish brown granu-
lar mass, ameboid in character and
changing form constantly.
Large Schools Observed.
Deeper schools had the appearance
IF 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 COM
parison with other objects seen at
known depths it Is estimated that the
| depth of the schools varied from
about two feet to ten feet, or pos.
sibly more.
"One school Of silver fish was OBJ.
served breaking water. Those were
possibly weakfish. certainly not men
baden, 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 fol
the practical use Of aircraft In tn,
commercial fisheries at the presen
time lies in their employment as 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 4
believed that the use Of aircraft woult
save much time in locating the fisl
upon their first appearance and in en-
abllng the fishermen to keep in touc
with the fish as they appeared farthe
North. The chief service rendere,
would be notification of fishermen O
thu general vicinity Of the schools an
1t gould require actual trial and pra(
tio4 TO determine how much could b
doGf in directing the fishing vessels t
particular schools by means Of radio
telephone or other methods of sigma
Ing.
Most Promising Field.
ut 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 ar
large menhaden interests. and wher
there is naval air station convenien
ly located, the conditions would seel
to be excellent for the developmer
Of tactics In the use of aircraft to al
sist fishing operations. The benef
to the fishing fleet would be In tin
and fuel saved in the searching II
fish and in the concentration Of e
fort on large schools instead Of was