The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1919-08-08
GAME FISH.

! Thursday last Deputy Game Warder
Faver, of Tonasket planted 100000
steelhead trout fry in Osoyoos lake
1.-THE little fellows came from the state
Hatchery, in the Methow river neal
Pateros, and were in prime condition
The game commission of the county
has performed most admirable work il
the distribution of game fish among
the lakes and streams of the county
no section being overlooked Last year
| 100000 trout were distributed, and
this year the number will exceed
4 100000. With one of the best hatch
cries in the west Immediately in the
county the commission has been sup
piled with vigorous fry, and these
Idiminutive fish develop with surpris-
ling rapidity. Already are the sports
men enjoying the fruit of the work OF
the game commission. From Osoyoos
Wanicut, and Spectacle lakes are be-
| ing taken large, handsome trout, and
the gameness of these fish bring Joy
to the hearts of the angler. In connec-
ton with this mention of the activities
of the local game commission we pub
lish the following circular letter from
l.. H. Darwin, state fish commits
sioner and state game warden, which
| is very interesting statement in re-
gard to the work of the commission
ier's department:
THE last legislature was urged
from certain quarters to change the
game laws of the state of Washington
so as to make them uniform with
those of the state of Oregon, and the
laws of the state of Maine were also
cited approvingly to that body.
1T may interest those of the state
|of Washington who are interested in
our outdoor life and in the perpetual
tion of our game and game fish to
know there is considerable dissa It's
faction in Oregon with the laws which
are in effect there, which system we
were urged to adopt. AS the result
of charges filed with him growing out
of this dissatisfaction, Governor o.
colt of Oregon held a public hearing
on June 7, 1919, the proceedings OF
which were published in the Portland
Oregon morning papers of June Sth
last.
"At this hearing the master fish
warden of Oregon testified that 1918
was bad year for the taking of trout
spawn in Oregon that in Oregon
steelheads are classed as trout in
stead of a salmon as in the state Of
Washington; that in Oregon in 1918
| it cost $500 thousand to hatch trout;
that during the same year the state OF
Maine which had been cited approx
ingly by the complainants, expended
$9.05 per thouand for the Matching OF
trout; and that Maine Matched less
trout. in 1918 than Oregon, although
Maine had been engaged in trout
hatchery work for more than thirty
years. 1t also developed at this hear
| ing that in 1918 the Governments loss
of rainbow trout eggs was &c per cent
only "a per cent of the take being
saved for planting.
May we, of the state of Washington
not feel proud of the fact that, if We
include steelhead as a trout, we hatch
ed in round numbers 32,000,000 in the
state of Washington in 1913 as COM
pared with Oregon's 100000? And
may we not also feel proud of the fact
that in Washington in 1918 our trout
production was the greatest of any
year in it's history? And could it not
be a source Of great satisfaction tc
know that in the state of Washington
| it only cost 35 cents a thousand tc
hatch our trout in 1918 as against S;
a thouand in the state of Oregon ant
1905 in the state of Maine? And may
we not further take pride in the fac
that our average loss of trout ant
,steelhead was, only 7 per cent as
against loss of sc per cent by the
united States Bureau of Fisheries?"