The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1920-01-22
AIRPLANES SPY
OUT HIDDEN FISH
Schools That Escape the Eye in
Crows Nest Readily Seen
From Plane.
USE IN CATCHES IS SHOWN
Flight Made by Navy Craft earss
Worth ~ Locator and Time
Saver-Act az Guide 70
Steamers

| planes had been found. Schools Of
fish for which the fishing fleets along
| the coast may search vainly for days
can be detected from a seaplane. ac-
cording to a report by w. w. Welsh
Of thee bureau Of fisheries.
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 speed Of 10 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.
1.-THE plane assembled rapidly to
about 800 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 &C
customed to the conditions many small
schools of menhaden 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 granu-
lar 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 caused on the suspended
particles in the water. From a COM
parison with other objects seen at
known depths 1t 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 for
the practical use Of aircraft In the
commercial 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, bluefish, 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 appearance and In en-
abling the fishermen to keep in touch
with the fish as they appeared farther
north. The chief service rendered
would be notification Of fishermen of
the general vicinity Of the schools and
1t would require actual trial and prac-
tice to determine how much could be
done in directing the fishing vessels to
particular schools by means Of radio
telephone or other methods Of signal
ing.
Most Promising Field.
at would appear that the menhad-
en- fishery offers the most promising
field for experiment In this direction. |
In the case of region like the mouth |
of Chesapeake bay, where there are
large menhaden interests, and where |
there is a naval air station convenient
ly 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 in time |
and fuel saved In the searching for |
fish and in the concentration Of eff
fort on large schools instead Of vast
ing time on small, scattered punches
Of fish.
1T is quite possible also that
schools of large fish might be distin-
guished from those Of smaller, leaner
fish, although this would require ex-
perience in observation. Another field
for experiment would lie in the guild
ance Of fishing steamers to large
schools not visible from the crosstrees,
but plainly visible from aircraft, and
by means Of wireless
telephone, barking buoys or other de-
vices would enable the boats to set
he seine around the fish invisible to
hem. Such cooperation would be Of
great advantage to the naval air serv-
ce as well as to the fishing interests,
IS it would provide for the naval avi-
itors excellent practice in scouting.
Itation finding and communication"
I