OPERATING THE HATCHERY 



lifted in the net from the water and 

 poured into tlie holding cans. 

 Where larger nets are employed, the 

 "lift" should not clear the water, 

 but rise to a point where sufficient 

 water will be present for ample 

 movement of the captured fish. The 

 fish in the net can then be trans- 

 ferred to the holding cans with a 

 long-handled dip net. 



Drop nets are operated success- 

 fully in quiet waters on certain 

 species, such as the golden shiner, 

 fathead minnoM', and creek chub. 

 Minnows can be collected efficiently 

 with little or no injury by this 

 method under the guidance of a 

 good operator. There are many ad- 

 vantages in using a drop net, where 

 practicable, instead of a seine. In 

 capture, the fish are not rolled, 

 crowded, or crushed ; the bed of the 

 pond is not broken, nor is the bot- 

 tom debris roiled to any extent. 

 Furthermore, minnows under sal- 

 able size can be returned to the 

 Avaters, uninjured. 



In clear waters, the drop net w ill 

 work more efficiently for certain 

 species if the netting, ropes, and 

 frame support are dyed a neutral 

 color that harmonizes with the sur- 

 rounding water. In highly turbid 



waters, dyeing would probably be of 

 no material value. Where fragile 

 minnows are being collected with a 

 drop net, the netting material 

 should be a soft fabric, such as 

 cheesecloth. When this material is 

 used, some minnows which scale eas- 

 ily, such as the golden shiner, can 

 be harvested successfully during the 

 hottest weather. 



Dip nets. — The so-called dip net 

 is frequently used in taking shiners 

 in the Great Lakes. This net is usu- 

 ally of conical design, 1 to 2 feet in 

 diameter at the opening, and 2 to 

 ?) feet deep. The rigid hoop that 

 forms the opening is fastened to a 

 handle. The mesh size of the net- 

 ting material used in construction 

 varies, depending on the size of the 

 minnows to be collected (fig. 20). 



Scap nets. — A scap, or hand, net 

 is very useful in the handling, 

 sorting, and transfer of fish. Gen- 

 erally, the scap net is small, from 

 () inches to 1 foot across, if square, 

 and not more than 8 to 10 inches in 

 diameter, if round. The netting 

 material is supported by a rigid 

 framework attached to a wooden 

 handle. These nets usually have 

 shallow pockets. The netting ma- 

 terial is of small mesh and soft in 



FiGUKK 20.— The dip net is used to handle bait fish in quantity. 



36 



