Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-06-18
Season.
Is Under WAY
At Hatchery
First Batch Consists Of
100000 Rainbow Trout
and |, 100, 900 Natives.
LIBBY PLANT HAS
FINE FACILITIES

The seasons hatch at the Libby state
fish hatchery is we'll under way. A
visit to this attractive and efficient
plant at this time will disclose much of
interest.
Elmer Phillips, the young man in
charge of the plant and who is devel-
oping it with much efficiency, says
that he now has half million rainbow
trout in process OF Matching. The young
rainbows have all Matched out but
when we were at the hatchery the
first of the week they were still carry
ing the egg sack They looked mighty
strong and vigorous and gave much
promise of future sport for Montana
| fishermen.
1T would be hard to realize" said
Mr.. Phillips, the amount of actual
meat or food value those thousands Of
little fish will eventually mean to Mon
| tana citizens" And indeed it would be-
Thousands of them will grow to ma
| turity and will be caught while other
| thousands will die before ever reach
ing sufficient size to entice fisher
| man.
Mr.. Phillips also has 100000 native
| trout eggs in baskets and is taking dill
| igent care of them They will enter the
'seyeing out process in about two
weeks and eventually will hatch out
and be distributed in nearby streams
and lakes. They must be handled with
much care in their present state. They
cannot stand too much bright sun
light, SO the baskets containing them
are kept carefully covered SO as to
reduce the light reaching them.
In July shipment of about $4,000
| Golden trout spawn from California
/ will arrive at the hatchery. This is a
new specie of trout for this district
and they are being tried out as an ex-
pertinent. They thrive best at high al
| titudes-from four to eight thousand
feet Therefore when they reach the
age for planting they will be put in
two virgin lakes in the mountain tops
here. Phillips says there are two lakes
that have no fish in them at all and
!. there ought to be nothing to modest
the Golden trout while they are mn
turing.
4 The new hatchery shows every evil
dence Of per1nanency. 1t is we'll and
substantially built 1t contains at this
time "a Matching troughs made OF Cali
fornia redwood firmly placed on a ce-
ment floor Many windows give an
abundance of light Everything is spot
lessly clean. AT one end of the hatch
cry room there is another room of les
ser size used as an office and work
u shop.
The water is piped from large
spring distance Of 17OO feet through
a 1O-inch wood pipe. 1t pours into the
l. IL ay,1
only small part of the flow from the
!. spring is used The excess water is
later to be used in number of large
. rearing ponds. These are to be planned
out and built later, awaiting a visit
Of the state superintendent of fisheries
who Is expected here the last of this
! week.
9 The state fish and game commission
S has adopted the wise policy of holding
s trout fry until they attain larger size,
: as by that means 1t has been well
established that much larger per-
O centage Of the fry grow to maturity.
u II they are released into streams when
G fingerlings, thousands Of them merely
q become food for larger fish. For this
reason present plans contemplate the
building OF a number of large rearing
ponds. Mr.. Phillips was not ready 70
: state lust what would be done bul
!, said plans would be worked out when
Fl the superintendent arrives.
n The hatchery plant includes a fins
ot five room, modern cottage with ful
-e concrete basement and other moderr
ct conveniences. 1t provides very com
Or Portable quarters for Mr.. and Mrs
ut Phillips and their young son.
Recently work of a day or two wa
contributed by the county road crew
with its equipment, in pulling stump'
and grading the land around tht
hatchery and cottage preparatory Z
"a seeding to grass. A lawn will be de
" veloped surrounding the cottage ant
!, grass will be seeded at the hatchery
11e This will be big Improvement ant
- will add much to the natural beauti'
a. full setting of the hatchery. Fire Chic
us Hoffman has loaned few lengths 0
-, =, old hose for MIR. Phillips to use in get
~ ting his lawn started until he can &c
pipes laid.
- In this connection, Mr. Hoffman say
it is planned to have cleanup da
soon at the hatchery, when Libby me
will be asked to help clean up the sit'
More particulars OF uiis a1iai Wiii
announced later.
! The present site is an ideal on
: There is great amount OF room an
: what is better still there is an album
a dance Of water. Il do not know wh<
one would ask for as more ideal waite
= for a hatchery" said Mr.. Phillips. Ih
. temperature Of the water IS good fe
: Matching and at no time does it var
1 more than three degrees. This Is un
usual and is a valuable characteristic
4 The hatchery sits in beautiful spo
: with lovely mountain view, and SUI
= rounded with masses Of trees and rur
: ming water. The expectation Is that
: will eventually be developed into o.
= Of the large hatcheries Of the state y
site and the fine spring were the n
80. - TIA Neils Lumber COxnpAu