South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-10-31
ADDITIONAL SPORT
In the Great Outdoors

The annual meeting az the Indi
ana Fish. Game and Forest league
will be held in Indianapolis on
THURSDAY. oct IS. 1920. I am call
ing attention 10 this fact so the To-
cal county. dsh and game protective
associations of which there are over
a hundred in this state may have
ample time ia which TO prepare res
olutions and such other matter as
they expect TO bring before the
league. January OF 1921 is the be-
ginning of another general assemb-
ly OF the state legislature and we
need some fish and game laws. Most
of the local associations meet but
once a month and some but once
IN two months. Any proposed
changes i'm the fish and game laws
should have the benefit OF some
thought and ought TO be the gen
eral subject for careful discussion.
All fish and game legislation should
come through the efforts made 10y
these organizations and IL is always
q good policy TO bring such matters
before at least two meetings 80 they
can be thoroughly thrashed out be-
fore they are presented 10 the league
for its Endorsement Another mat
ter TO be considered is that il is much
safer 10 depend upon a quorum be-
ing obtained i'm two meetings than
i'm one. The first thing for the local
associations 10 do IS 10 elect a dele
gate and an alternate TO represent
their organization at the league
meeting These officers must have
credentials signed by the president
and secretary of their respective or
CARNATIONS.
One Of the most important laws
that should bc enacted by the next
general assembly is one 10 prohibit
! fishing for all fish during the spawn
| ing season. There is no excuse
whatever for any one 10 be either
/ on a lake or stream with fishing
| tackle during this period. We re-
! spect the breeding period of our
| birds and game with stringent laws
and why neglect the fish. Every
/ body will admit that The fish are
much more valuable than the game,
/ yet we do not protect them while
they are spawning. Such law
would make the streams and lake
, more fruitful and profitable. Thou
sands Of dollars annually are spent
in stocking these waters with fish
/ from the state hatCherieS and others
are added by the federal authOri-
ties. 1t surely does seem foolish TO
stock these waters from year TO year
and then allow unprinCipled anglers
To catch them off the nests II is not
that this sort OF unsportsmanHkc
fisherman catches one fish, but in
taking that one from its nest ne
/ kills thousands of others. leaving
/ the great mass OF eggs 10 be food for
minnOws and craWfiSh. from which
| the parent fish would have protect
/ ed them III they were left 10 do SO.
( 1t / snOt aue asy matter 20 catch
/ fish when fishing in legitimate
manner while they are on the nest.
+ Hungry though the fish may be,
they seem imbued with a sense Of
duty that impels them almost 20
starve rather than TO leave their
nests and the task OF guarding their
young but the persistent and un-
sportsmanlike angler may take them
with artificial lures if he keeps
dangling them often enough in the
face Of the hungry fish. Not only
that, there are some men who make
it a business TO grab the hsh off
their nests or shoot them with high
powered rifles.
So long as these things are per
mitted there is little use in stocking
the lakes and streams with fish. In
the interest OF real sportsmen and
of the community at large which is
bound TO benefit if our waters are
dIled with fish. there should be Il
rigid law prohibiting the molesta-
ton of fish during the spawning
season. Such "a law. i'm view Of the
care that is being taken to rcuey.
fish life i'm our waters. would he only
common sense. II sue ha law wer,
UaSScd and iutclliggntlv and earnest