BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 117 



Leidheiser, of Vermillion, says: "I cannot give the amount of my 

 catch, but it: was rather light, owing to the unfavorable winds we had 

 for our coast. 1 think the hatcheries are all right, and do a great deal 

 toward keeping up the stock, and that the business should be contin- 

 ued and extended beyond where it now is." 



Post & Co., of Sandusky, give some excellent testimony : " Yes, sir; 

 I know that the business of propagating whitefish is a great benefit. 

 In fact, if the United States and State hatcheries were to cease work- 

 ing I believe it would pay the fishermen and dealers to continue it them- 

 selves. I would be willing to be taxed my share for supporting it. I 

 understand that at Erie and Dunkirk a great many small whitefish 

 were taken weighing a pound to a pound and a half, which was never 

 done until the last two or three years, and they increase year by year, 

 which is good proof that they are some of the planted fish. 



"1 received the fish from 100 pound-nets last year (1883) and from 

 110 this year (1884), with the following results : 1883, 40 tons whitefish ; 

 1884, 80 tons whitefish. 



"Whitefish are not now decreasing; but from the number of pound 

 and gill-nets in use to catch them, a decrease is sure to follow unless the 

 artificial hatching is continued to keep up the supply. 



"I am opposed to fishing such long strings of pound-nets, and think 

 the gill-netting needs regulating. The gill-netters commence away 

 down below, off Buffalo and Erie, in deep water, and fish all summer; 

 then, as the fish move up toward the head of the lake to the spawning- 

 grounds, the nets are moved right along with the runs, so that they are 

 hunted almost the year round, which is done with no other kind of fish." 



Harry Molyneux, of Sandusky, gives some valuable testimony: "Am 

 a practical gill-net fisherman. A few years ago fishing on the island 

 reefs got so poor that I gave up going there ; but in the fall of 1882 I 

 tried it again and did very well. In the fall of 1883 I caught double 

 the amount of whitefish I did the fall before; and this last fall I caught 

 almost twice as many as in 1883. 



"I credit all the increase to hatching and planting, and would like 

 to see more hatcheries." 



William Eehberg, pound-net fisherman, of Middle Bass Island, says: 

 "Think the hatching a good thing, but the planting has not been prop- 

 erly clone long enough to tell really how much benefit it is toward 

 keeping up the supply of whitefish. Think the supply could be kept 

 up in Lake Erie. by prohibiting gill-net fishing west of Kelly's Island, 

 which would give the fish a chance to breed on the natural spawning 

 reefs, where the gill-nets are now placed." 



Caspar Voight, of Sandusky, says : " My catch of whitefish in the 

 past two seasons was as follows: 1883, from 35 pound-nets, 37 tons; 

 1884, from 35 pound-nets, 45 tons.  



" I have not thought much about the hatching business, but it must 



