188 PROTECTION OF FISH. 



from the first day of February to the first day of 

 November, and no black bass or raascallonge from 

 the first day of January to the first day of June. 

 These times may be restricted for certain localities 

 where greater protection is necessary, but should, 

 under no circumstances, be enlarged. Trout spawn 

 from the middle of October to the latter part of 

 ^November, and do not recover their condition till 

 the opening of Spring. Lake trout spawn about the 

 same time, and mascallonge and black bass in 

 March, April, or even as late as the early part of 

 May. 



None of these fish should be taken in nets, nor by 

 spearing, and no fykes, seines, or gill-nets should be 

 used in the waters which they inhabit. Stringent 

 regulations to this effect are necessary, as it has 

 been the habit of the market fishermen of the 

 northern section of our country to use a net with 

 meshes small enough to catch yearling trout, and 

 which they frequently throw to one side and leave 

 to perish miserably. This net fishing is continued 

 all winter, so that not only are thousands of large 

 fish destroyed in the act of spawning, or just after 

 doing so, but millions of the young, the seed of the 

 harvest, are slain without profit, being left on the 

 ice to freeze. 



Spearing is also terribly fatal, l^one can escape 

 the sharp eye of the spearsman, and although many 

 more are wounded than killed they rarely recover, for 

 their natural enemies, the eels, are ever on the alert 

 for such occurrences, and fastening themselves upon 



