The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-12-21

canoe up to where the Mill.kin place
now in and launch it, One with his
light paddle would sit in the stern and
guide the canoe through devious chan
nels in the Currcn, while the other
stood IN the PROV and drove his spear
firmly into the backs OF the great sal
mon that, having worked hard In com
ing up through the falls, were natur
ally somewhat spent and thus not as
wary ms they would have been below
the falls Some were speared in this
way that weighed from 20 to 30
pounds. The Indians would come
down into the falls as far M the small
eddy In front Of where the stone house
is now formerly used as school
house, draw out OF the canoes and
carry them back up the river again
to the head Of the swift water and
repeat the trip, doing this day after
day
The building Of the different dams
across the river stopped the shad and
salmon coming as far north, about the
year 1900. An early picture of the
toll bridge across the falls shows IL
man sitting in chair suspended by
a rope from the bridge, let down near
to the water, spearinG salmon as they
passed. The shad We're taken in small
or quantities by SCOOP nets, or In bas.
kets fastened 10 poles, but the guam.
titles would be large compared with
present day success in fishing AS
long as salmon and shad were taken
here in marketable quantities, the
Connecticut river brands of both spe-
cies commanded fancy price, owing
to their good size and delicate flavor
accounted for In early times by the
reputed purity of the waters. Brook
trout were often taken in the Con.
necticut weighing from four to six
pounds and also in Williams and Sax.
tons rivers. AS late as 1850 a trout
was taken at the foot of the locks
here weighing four and a quarter
pounds by George kimball Il cousin of
George w. KImball This was put into
the basin OF one Of the three foun.
talns then on the grounds of the
island house and kept there a long
time.
There were no pike in the Con.
necticut until about 1910. They are
all supposed to have come from ply.
mouth ponds on Black river Some
years earlier these lakes were stock.
ed with them and protected by the
state. a flood broke down the barri.
ers and washed many Of them into the
river, and from that into the Con.
necticut, and they have gone Both
north and south from the mouth of
the Black river. Some good pickerol
and black bass are now found. but
pike are the largest sized and most
valuable fish now IN the Connecticut.
Some OF the records Tor weight are
as follows:
In 1871 pike was caught AT the
foot OF the locks. Weighing Is 81
pounds, by Henry Hills. which was
SO large Mr.. Hills was unable to land
II and II was shot The fish was sery-
ed up AT Davis d Russclls tavern.
the old Bellows Falls stage mouse. and
~ citizens -partouk OF tirp dinner. one.
OF tho same species was caught hv a
lad In May, 1860. WEIGHING IL III
pounds; 10 IL pound one from the
eddy May -, 1862 seven FOUNDER
IN October. 1859, BY L. a.. Noursc.
il IL pounds by Col. c. l.. King AT the
mouth Of Williams rirer May 6. 1873;
l0 FOUNDER in May 1857. by Peter
Browser master mechanic of the V. V.
X. r.; u 5-l6 pounds by Master"
Fred l. .Amadon May 1G. 1865: VII.
liam kiniry about 1870 caught one
weighing 1884 pounds; a II pound
one by c. +. Capron and q 16 pound
one by Charles Barker landed the
same day in July, 1852, while in Sep.
tembar, 1908. Elmer Porter aud
George Wright, living near the
scyihe snath shop secured two which
together tipped the scales at the