The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-10-17
Schools That Escape the Eye in
Crows Nest Readily Seen
From Plane.
USE IN CATCHES IS SHOWN
Flight Made by Navy Graft Bares
Worth as Locator and Time
Saver-Act as Guide to
Steamers.

New York.-A new use for air
planes had been found. Schools or
fish for which the fishing fleets along
the coast may search vainly for days
can be detected from a seaplane, ac-
cording to Il report by w. w. NeIsh
Of the bureau of fisheries.
The report of Mr.. Welsh followed a
trip he made in Il naval seaplane from
the Cape May naval air station. The
flight was made at from 500 to l,OOO
feet and at a speed of 20 miles an
hour. At the time Of the flight no
the surface, and none could be seen
from the crows nest of n vessel or
from fishing piers.
'Erhe plane assembled rapidly to
about 500 feet, and most Of the trip
was made at that altitude" Mr.. Welsh
reported. Pew schools of fish were
e at first, hut ms my eye grew ac-
customed To the conditions many small
schools of menhaden were observed,
Fall moving at some depth, and none
Of them breaking water. Some schools
We're so rear the surface that they
appeared as Il reddish brown granu-
lar mass, amcboid in character ana
changing form constantly.
Large Schools Observed.
Deeper schools had the appearance
IF large masses of sunken gulfweed,
and others We're so deep that they
could be distinguished chiefly by the
shadow they caused on the suspended
particles in the water. From Il com
pariSOn with other objects seen ut
known depths il Is estimated that the
depth of the schools varied from
about two feet TO ten feet, or pos
Sibly more,
cone 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 seer and could
be followed under water.
The most evident opportunity fol
the practical use of aircraft in the
commercial fisheries at the present
time lies I'm their employment as scouts
Cor the ~purSe-Seine fishermen, in the
pursuit of such species as menhaden
mackerel, bluetish, b~luebackS, kyacks
and other schooling fish. In the case
Of the spring maCkerel fishery ii Is
believed that the use Of aircraft would
save much time in locating the fish
upon their first appearance and in en-
aiding the fishermen to keep in touch
with the fish rs they appeared farther
north. The chief service rendered
would be notification of fishermen ot
the general vicinity of the schools and
It would require actual trial and prac
tice TO determine how much could be
particular schools by means Of radio,
telephone or other methods of signal,
Ing.
Most Promising Field.
ut would appear that the menhad
on fishery offers the most promising
field for experiment in this direction
In the case Of a region like the mouth
of Chesapeake bay, where there are
large menhaden interests, and where
there is a naval air station convenient.
~ located, the conditions would seem
TO be excellent for the development
Of tactics In the use Of aircraft TO as,
sist fishing operations. The benefit
TO the fishing fleet would be I'm time
and fuel saved in the searching for