Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-11-05
Fish Planted From Airplane
in Lake Elmo, Near Billings

u rained fish at Lake Elmo, north
east of Billings, one day in mid
October as the state fish and game
department conducted a successful ex-
Periment in planting lingering trout
hom an airplane. TWO thousand rain
bow and native trout, ranging from
two to three inches long, were dumped
into the lake from a plane flying at
heights of from 10 to 400 feet and
not more than so were believed by de-
partment officials to have been killed.
The experiment was conducted to
test the soundneSs Of planting fish
from the air so that numerous small
lakes. tucked away in nearly inacceSs-
Eble places in Montana mountains may
be stocked with trout for Treasure
state anglers. John Schofield Of Hell
ena, superintendent Of state fisheries,
announced the experiment a success
after examining the trout from a boat
Gfter they were dropped.
Just how widely this method Of
pianting fish will be used In Montana
Il not yet known, Schofield said after
the experiment, but he was sure that
sman trout could be planted cheaper
and faster with but a slightly higher
loss than is now done by pack trains.
1t Works in Canada
Paintings of fish by airplane has
proved highly successful in Canada in
recent years. DR.. Gustave Provost of
the biological department. University
Of Montreal, developed the method
there and has successfully stocked
ever 200 lakes and numerous streams
m the Quebec region. He reports that
fish dropped into water from heights
up to 1000 feet are unframed.
Participating in the Montana expert
i 4
the fish after they hit the water; Her
man Henrickson, Billings Shell Oil Co.
agent, who piloted his private plane
carrying the fish over the lake; Dick
Logan, manager of the Billings air
port, who dropped the fish from the
plane: Forest Keller, superintendent
Of the Big Timber fish hatchery, who
supervised the experiment in the
plane; Charles Fuqua, superintendent
Of the Bozeman hatchery, who assisted
Gchofield on the water; Art Trenerry, /
secretary of the Billings Rod and Gun
club, and B. L. Price of Laurel. chair
man Of the state fish and game COM
mission.
Rainbows and Natives
The 1000 fingerlings, 1000 rainbow
and 1000 native, were hauled to Bill
Ings by truck from the Big Timber
hatchery
Schofield wanted to use four differ
ent methods of dropping the fish and |
had made two three-foot cylinders, |
pointed on one end and open at the !
other, out Of heavy galvanized tin, |
and had brought several quart card |
board cartons and several buckets.
The plane made four trips from the |
airport, where the fish we're loaded, |
over the lake in the experiment On |
the first flight, two of the metal CYL !
with fish and water. The first bomb" |
carried 300 rainbow and was dropped I
from height of 100 feet. No dead fish /
were found although the bomb" was
nearly flattened from the impact with i
the water. It floated open end down
and all the fish were liberated from
900 feet.
The second bomb" was dropped
from a height of 400 feet. It turned
over coming down, hit the water on
its side and also was flattened. 1t
noated open end up and although
nearly all of the 400 native fingerlings
were thrown out on the way down and
when it hit the water, there we're IL
left in the can and only one was dead.
The fish left in the bomb" received
the fun shock of the fall and with
only one killed, Schofield felt sure that
this method could be used.
In the second flight over the lake,
Logan dumped rs natives and so rain
bows from height of 100 feet. The
fish were thrown out Of a pail from
the plane. From the first pail several
hit the shore of the lake and others
fell in water near the shore. Even of
those hitting the ground. but q very
email percentage were killed Many
picked up off the ground and thrown
into the water swan away, uninjured. ]
The second open dump hit the center Y
of the lake and not a fish could be |
found that was injured or hurt.
Cardboard Containers
Two closed cardboard containers
containing 125 mixed fish were
dropped from 100 feet on the third !
flight The cartons burst open when |
they hit the water, but only a half !
dozen fish could be found that had
been killed.
On the final flight. 1000 fish were
dumped from the ship in buckets and
again only a few were found that had !
been hurt in the fall from 100 feet.
Schofield said after the experiment
that he believed the open dump
method, merely pouring the fish from
a. bucket, proved the most successful
OF an The fish, left to float down
through the air by themselves, flut-
tered as they fell and retarded their
drop. They hit the water with much {
Iess force than the others