The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-05-29

The method for securing the spawn
IS to catch the trout in the fish traI
a crate in the water with an opening
like a long funnel so that the fish
can easily get in but find it very
difficult to locate the place for get
ting out because the opening is in
the middle of the crate, and the fish
seeking to escape always hunt around
the edges of the crate, the whole
thing. being under water
When a number of trout are in
the crate they are seized and put in
portable crate which is also kept
IN the water The operator takes
female in his hands, holds it by
main strength until it ceases strug-
gt.ng then rresses o finger or thumb
elong the side of the fish to press
the spawn and cause it to flow out
INTO container held to receive it..
Each female yields a few spoon
falls of spawn, and after two or three
have been operated in this way a
nale is caught and some of the milky
1uid IS made to flow upon the spawn.
During the process Of fertiliz1ng,
the eggs turn from silky, velvety
condition to a sticky mass, some
what like tapioca in cooking and then
/
begin to separate and harden. They
are soon hard like tapioca but al
ways of salmon color In this
condition they may be preserved
about forty-eight hours if kept cold,
and in that time they are taken to
the hatchery and placed in the little
trays where the water flows over
them. In water at a temperature OF
so or 50 degrees it takes eighteen
days to form the embryo called the
eve, and about ten days more for
it to take the form of a minnow.
They can then be placed in large
cans of cold water charged with air
while being taken to the stream to /
be turned loose or planted as they
call it. The means of aerating the
water is to keep dipping and pouring /
back into the cans, or pump air in
with pump or keep the water in
motion as is done by hauling in a
vehicle,
When they are yearlings or older
they are large enough for use, and
they flourish only in cold water as
in mountain streams. Warm or
stagnant water is fatal to them.
They flourish in the beaver ponds
along streams that are very small
il there is altitude and brush to keep
the water cool.
Brush creek is one of the larger
streams tributary to the Blackfoot
river and has many beaver dams.
Some of the dams are so large they
have to be torn somewhat to enable
the trout to ascend. The trout in
this stream are speckled, and of the
variety having red area about the
under side at the gills and are known
as cutthroat trout. Those being
handled at the trap vary in size
from about two to six pounds and
are so gamy it is very tiresome to
handle them in the process of TAX
ing spawn. The hands clasp them
about the gills and on the slope be-
of the body, and the vigorous strug-
gle together with their extreme
sickness, makes them very hard to
hold. Last Sunday a good many
went up to the spawnery and
up to eleven o'clock in the morning.
Mr. Shaner had operated 161 trout
and his hands were almost exhaust
ed. Mr.. Shaner says that two
pound trout female yields at 1000 i
eggs, and a few drops of the milky O
fluid fertilizes them. From these t
eggs about LOO minnows may be r
expected, the Sunday morning catch 8
being recorded as about 100000 eggs f
and at noon NJ M. Farmers car left
or Blackfoot with them in ice water c
consigned to Ashton by express. In 81
/ month or so about 10000 minnows O
should be shipped back from that 81
lays catch, and the fish committee Il
will meet the train and rush them II
o the creeks to take up the fight T
or existence in their native element. B
The road from the Snake river y,
yalley leading in thru Presto and T
Up the Blackfoot river are very good W
IS far as Brush creek, but parties al
lesiring to continue east or south in
rom there find it very difficult to get in
tut of the canyon into the higher
alleys, Paradise or Portneuf. The st
ounty commissioners are said to be W
tanning to go up into that territory N
n the second of June to consider tn
ONE road improvements on the fifty c,
fly plan with the Eastern Idaho bl
irazing association. 1t is said that N
he road up the B1ackfoot river can
e shortened several miles by cut
rs that can be easily built, but peo-
ell who travel the road for pleasure
ant to see the country anyhow, and CO
is not likely that any cut-offs will bi
e made soon for pleasure-seekers, b
10 it is considered desirable to con- pr
ect up the broken sections so that of
Ircuits may be made. AS the
,reams become properly populated in
18th trout 1t will be advisable to ex wi
md the roads so people can get to tt
lem. 1t will also be imperative ed
lat drastic rules be observed to Sc