The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-03-05
MONTANA RICH IN
SPAWNING AREAS
SUPERINTENDENT FISH HATCH
ER1ES LISTS ADVANTAGES IN
BIENNIAL REPORT

Montana is fortunate in possess
ing valuable spawning fields, ac-
c0ralng to the biennial report for
s9S5 and 1896 made by the state
1lsh n game commission. A state
ment of these conditions is found
IN a report, made by Superinten-
lent of Fish Hatcheries Elmer G.
fhllllps, contained in the depart
ment report, from which the fol-
lowing is taken:
Montana is indeed fortunate in hay
ing looked into the future and real
lied that certain bodies of water must
pc developed and held exclusively for
the taking of millions of trout eggs
necessary to supply the hatcheries and
maintain them at full production.
Without them the department would
be compelled to purchase eggs from
outside sources. This would involve the
expenditure of many thousands of dol
lars now used for rearing and distribu-
ton.
There are five outstanding spawn
ing fields available to the department:
Georgetown lake, Ashley lake, Hebgen
lake, Rogers lake and Alvord lake.
At Georgetown Lake
~"Georgetown lake, maintaining a po-
sition Of prominence over the entire
United States, showed a heavy decrease
in 1885 because of extreme low water
in the Flint creek drainage and be-
cause of everlasting by anglers. The
Montana fish and game commission,
realizing that immediate action was
necessary to conserve the trout popula-
ton, has barred ice fishing entirely in
fishing to Saturdays, Sundays and
legal holidays.
1.-The result of this action has been
a marked improvement in egg collec-
lions in the spring of 1896, which were
made under more favorable weather
conditions. The increase was about 100
percent above the 1885 take.
Heavy inroads have been made on
the sucker population of Georgetown,
for a time threatened to deplete the
trout due to competition for natural
food. However, the constant use of lake
nets during the spawning seasons has
served to limit the number of suckers
to such a degree that favorable condi-
tions for trout again exist.
Ashley Lake Plant
1.-THE development of Ashley lake in
the Kalispell district, to augment the
Georgetown, has been progressing in a
satisfactory name Egg collections
for the spring of 1886 showed a healthy
gain over 1885 with a total of 100000
eggs collected.
improvements of a permanent ma
ture have been completed on the traps
and a new hatchery has been built to
take care of the increased egg take.
This building is a log structure which
scape and is of sufficient capacity to
handle anticipated future egg collec-
tons.
spawning field at Hebgen lake is one
of the departments most valuable as
sets and with continued heavy plant
ings in the Madison, Gibbon and other
other waters tributary to Hebgen lake,
n be = fu utbei'e Increased sress sIs In the fall Of
1884 a total of 5,735,040 Loeb Leven
eggs were collected and in the spring
Of 1885 the rainbow egg take totaled
12,447,936 {.
Brook Trout Station
"Alvord lake near Troy has been de-
yeloped the last three years as a spawn
ing field for eastern brook trout. Pres
sent indications show that the de-
partment's efforts have been rewarded
and sufficient eggs for stocking any
waters suitable to this species now are
being Gathered from this source.
Rogers lake in the Kalispell vicinity
is used exclusively for the taking OF
grayling eggs. This species is assuming
Increasing Importance in Montana. AS
they are one of the most beautiful n
sporty of Montana'S native game Spe-
cies every effort has been put forth to
increase their numbers.
I'm the spring of 1896 a total OF ~,
BOG, 72O grayling eggs were collected II
in the season of 1886 the take amounted
to IL, 773, 27O eggs. The solution OF prac-
tical and successful propagation OF /
species promises to contribute greatly
to the perpetuation OF this beautl1ul
fish"