234 Fourth Annual Eepoet of the 



shad from finding their way to the npper Hudson river, their 

 natural spawning ground. Said shad taken below Verplanck's 

 Point are not in condition for spawning, owing to the tempera- 

 ture of the water, and with these existing conditions, the Hudson 

 river cannot expeet an increase of shad to keep up the supply of 

 former vears. 



J^etting the waters of the State of Isew York under license for 

 coarse fish (fish not protected by law) has received due considera- 

 tion by the present Conservation Commission, and a very liberal 

 policy has been enacted, yet the giving the people of the State a 

 more abundant supply of food fish has not been accepted by the 

 public for its true value. The removal of the coarse fish by 

 licensed nets has a tendency to make the hook and line fishing 

 better, as the net fishermen are not permitted to take any species 

 of the game fish. This has not been accepted by some of the hook 

 and line fishermen, yet the experimental work which the Com- 

 mission has done in the granting of licenses for the use of nets 

 in certain waters, has proved that hook and line fishing has been 

 improved. There is no valid reason why the objectionable fish 

 such as mullet, carp, catfish, dogfish, bullheads, suckers, eels, gar- 

 fish and ling should not be taken from our waters by netting, 

 which is the only method which may be successfully employed by 

 which benefits may be obtained. To wit: Ridding the waters of 

 the coarse fi^h, giving employment to a large number of men, 

 furnishing a more abundant supply of food fish, and putting 

 money into circulation. 



Fishermen using licensed nets in the bays adjacent to Lake 

 Ontario have taken 46,600 pounds of dogfish, garfish, billfish and 

 ling the past season, thus relieving the waters of a destructive fish, 

 which further demonstrates the benefits derived from the use of 

 licensed nets in certain waters. 



Fishermen netting the Erie Canal at the western wide waters 

 in Rochester under license, assisted the Commission in taking 

 1,317 small-mouth black bass, 3 pickerel, 5 pike, 20 silver bass 

 and 874 calico bass which were placed in Irondequoit Bay. This 

 was in December, 1913, and rescuing said fish from the canal at 

 that season of the year prevented the loss thereof. 



The carp are finding their way into the waters of the State of 



