CHAPTER XXXI 

 THE RELATIONS OF FISH TO MAN 



THE fishes constitute a group of animals that are practically 

 always beneficial to man. Fish are caught sometimes for pleas- 

 ure alone, as an exhilarating form of recreation; and the species 

 that are fished for in this way are called game fishes. More often 

 fish are caught as an article of food, and such are called the/ood 

 fishes. 



Game Fishes. - - Every one is familiar with many of the fresh- 

 water game fishes. Among the common species are the perches, 

 trout, pike, muskallunge, and basses. 



FRESH-WATER GAME FISHES.- -The yellow perch (Fig. 155) 

 inhabits the fresh-water streams and lakes of the northeastern 

 United States, and ranges west to the Mississippi Valley. It is 

 perhaps the best pan fish among American fresh-water fishes, 

 and in many localities it is taken largely for market. It is not 

 a good game fish, but for the food market it has one advantage 

 - it is easy to catch. The perch has been introduced success- 

 fully into several small lakes in Washington, Oregon, and Cali- 

 fornia. It can be artificially propagated, but other fish, such as. 

 whitefish, lake trout, and pike perch, are of greater commercial 

 importance and are, therefore, preferred for propagative pur- 

 poses to the yellow perch. 



The trout family contains a number of our finest game fishes. 

 The brook or speckled trout prefers clear, cool streams with a 

 swift current and a gravelly bottom. The mountain or cut- 

 throat trout is a large species inhabiting the streams and lakes 

 of the Rocky Mountain region. The rainbow trout (Fig. 1 70, A) 

 is also a western species. It is a good game fish and takes the 



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