30 THE PIKES: DISTRIBUTION AND COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE. 



liked by a great many people, and, again, that in some parts of New 

 York it is little esteemed, but in other portions of the State it is 

 considered a fairly good fish and furnishes sport for the angler. 



Whatever its food qualities, it is persistently sought throughout the 

 year in localities where no restrictions are placed on the fishing and 

 everywhere tlu-oughout the prescribed open season and is a common 

 fish in some markets of the East and South. Smith (1907) stated 

 that in North Carolina considerable quantities are marketed, but it 

 does not rank high, the flesh being coarse and filled with minute 

 bones. 



In the writer's experience the pickerel has always been found to 

 be an excellent fish when fresh from Maine waters and properly 

 cooked. While small fish might be objected to on account of bones, 

 he has not found them more troublesome in that respect than in 

 many other small fishes. 



PROPAGATION. 



It appears that only the Fish Commission of Pennsylvania has 

 ever considered the pickerel worthy of artificial propagation. At- 

 tempts were made in that direction as early as in 1901, but it was not 

 until about 1905 that much success was attained. The reason for 

 the attempt at artificial propagation of the pickerel is stated in the 

 annual report of the commissioner (William E. Meehan) for 1905, 

 pages 57-59 (1906) as follows: 



Between 40 and 50 years ago nearly all the sluggish waters in eastern Pennsylvania 

 teemed with pickerel, especially the streams near the border line of New Jersey. 

 Three-fovirths of the natural mountain lakes also contained large numbers of this 

 fierce but excellent food fish. The pickerel in the streams were soon wiped out, so that 

 25 years ago it was rare to find a pickerel in any of this type of water, except occasional 

 "strays." With very few exceptions there has been a rapidly diminishing supply 

 in the mountain lakes. Destructive methods of fishing undoubtedly have been the 

 one potent cause for this marked reduction, another was that no efforts were made 

 to restock. 



At first vain attempts were made to retain pickerel in ponds or 

 pens until they became ripe and to retain them afterwards as breeders, 

 but it was found impossible to supply them with the required living 

 food. Therefore, they began to search for their eggs where the pick- 

 erel had deposited them naturally. These were collected and con- 

 veyed to the hatchery, where they were placed in hatching jars. 

 At first the Downing jar was used, but later one devised by the com- 

 missioner himself, which was found to be more effective. The jars 

 were arranged in the form of ''batteries," as in the case of whitefish 

 or perch. 



It was stated to have been found to be remarkably easy to hatch 

 pickerel eggs, as onlj'' a very small flow of water was required. How- 

 ever, constant vigilance day and night was necessary, for as soon as the 



