Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-10-31
FAVOR
SHORTER SEASON
SURVEY IS MADE OF CLUBS IN
ALL PARTS OF STATE By
COMMISSION
Only Two Clubs In State Opposed RuI-
ing Of Fish and Game Commission
Closing Season Except In Lakes and
Large Rivers November 1.

While the closing of the fishing
season on November l, except In
lakes and certain Of the larger rivers
Is objected to by some anglers the
vast majority Of the state anglers
are In favor Of the action, . survey
of communications from these groups
shows.
Thirty-three clubs were asked to ex-
press their opinions regarding the pro-
posed closing Of the season when the
state fish and game commission had
the matter under advisement, and of
these clubs, q, including such bodies
as the Butte Anglers club, the Kalis-
pell Rod and Gun club and the West
ern Montana Fish and Game associa-
ton were unqualif1edly In favor of the
action.
There were two clubs opposed to the
action, while four clubs were of the
opinion that they we're not affected in
any way. So the fish and game COM
mission ordered q closed season on the
fish.
Big Objection
The biggest objection seems to come
from SpOrtsmen In the districts where
many whiteflSh are taken annually.
These fishermen say that poor people
are unable to get part OF their winters
food supply since the WhitefiSh season
Is closed, but 1t Is pointed out that If
the season on these fish remains open
until in March there will be an air.
tight alibi for fishing.
Most Montana sportsmen are sports
men in every sense Of the word" says
T. N. MarlOwe, chairman of the COM
mission. "They would throw back all
trout they caught while angling for
whitefish. But there will be found
some game hogs, and these men are
the men that we want to keep from
fishing, for they would destroy many
of the finest trout in the streams.
And the streams are low. There Is
no chance that more moisture will raise
the streams until late in the winter.
The adult fish are concentrated in a
few holes, and when sluSh ice fills the
rivers they will be found where warm
spring SlOughs enter the streams. There
the trout a be captured easily, and
the stock in the waters would be SO
depleted that it would be impossible to
get any good fishing next summer
And there are a hundred times as
many anglers after trout in the sum-
mer as are after them in the fall and
winter. Why endanger the summer
sport?"
hS uIc dCtiUu ID dPpllcu W WlutcllSIl,
there is every reason to believe that
it will help this particular species. In
the past the fish were not classified
as game fish. Many comparatively
young men have caught them and sold
them in the open market. And the fish
are not as large as they should be.
Length of Whitefsh
The average length of the whiteflsh
taken today is but eight inches, while
in earlier days fish two feet long were
not uncommon, and the average length
was twelve inches. Before the war
fish less than a foot in length were not
salable. This depleted the stock con-
siderahly.
But all parts of the state will have
some open water. All lakes will be
open to fishing until the regular time
of closing the season, except Lake
Francis, Lake Mary Roman, Georgetown
lake and Hebgen lake.
Several of the larger streams are
opened to all kinds OF fishing, and this
will make it possible for most of the
sportSmen who must go out to catch
fish.
And after all, the commission would
rather be baWled out now for closing
the season than be bawled out next
spring for not closing it," Mr.. Marlowe
said.