Notes and Queries 



133 



species of food-fishes, particularly those which 

 prey upon the menhaden and are taken by the 

 anglers. 



The contention is made by sportsmen and 

 others, and generally accepted by the news- 

 papers and the public, that in menhaden fish- 

 ing large quantities of game and other food- 

 fishes are taken ; that these are usually landed 

 at the factories, where they serve the same 

 purpose as the menhaden ; that important fish- 

 ing grounds for game fishes have been ruined ; 

 that where food-fish are not actually caught 

 they are driven away. 



All of these statements were denied by the 

 menhaden fishermen, who claim that the quan- 

 tities of food-fish taken in the menhaden fish- 

 ery are inconsiderable and not sufficient to 

 supply the vessels' crews with food. 



The above-mentioned investigation was for 

 the purpose of determining the facts in the case , 

 With the approval of the menhaden fishermen 

 representatives of the Commission were placed 

 upon three of the menhaden steamers during 

 the fishing season of 1894. These agents kept 

 a complete and detailed record of all the species 

 of fishes taken at each seine haul, and the results 

 of these observations are full of interest. 



The total number of menhaden taken by the 

 three vessels during the time the agents of the 

 Commission were on board, was 27,965,755, 

 which is estimated to be about one-twentieth 

 of the entire catch in 1894. Sometimes as 

 many as 200,000 menhaden were taken at a 

 single set of the seine. 



The total number of other fish taken was 94,- 

 795 ; of these 93,893, were of species ordinarily 

 regarded as food-fishes, while 902 were of no 

 recognized value as food. The 93,893 con- 

 sisted chiefly of fish useful in the manufacture 

 of oil and fertilizer, while only 6,990 were really 

 food-fishes of importance. Over 86,000 of the 

 total were ale wives, nearly half of which were 

 taken at a single haul m Boston Harbor. 



The other species taken in some numbers 

 were the following: 



Bluefish 2,274 



Shad i,Si6 



Butteriish 811 



Mackerel .- 631 



Sharks of various species 3S8 



Skates and rays 372 



Flounders of various species 369 



Spanish mackerel 150 



The investigation shows that as a general 

 thing, not enough food fishes were taken to 



supply the vessels' crews, and that the num- 

 ber of food fish taken is really inconsiderable 

 compared with the vast importance of the 

 menhaden industry. 



It would seem, therefore, that the menhaden 

 fishery is not seriously detrimental to any 

 species of game or food-fish. 



Notes from a Montana Ranchman. 



Several years ago I attended a Methodist re- 

 vival meeting and heard a young man relate 

 his experience. He said, when he first had a 

 change of heart, he felt like a young colt that 

 had been shut up in the barn all winter and 

 was let out in the spring to grass. I am not 

 exactly in that condition, but feel anxious to 

 see the spring grass start, so that I can shoul- 

 der my long cane pole and try the mountain 

 streams again where I had such fine sport in 

 October. 



The whole talk here is " quartz and placer " 

 among the miners, and I hear so much of it I 

 want to get among the speckled beauties once 

 more. No one can complain of the weather 

 here ; no one this month (February) has seen 

 the thermometer within ten degrees of zero, 

 and in January only two mornings below zero. 

 I killed a snake day before yesterday on the 

 side of the mountain near the cabin where I 

 live. 



My first recollection of trout fishing was in 

 1836 in a small stream that helps make the 

 Neversink, in Sullivan County, New York, 

 four miles from Monticello. A Mr. Tremain, 

 the father of Judge Lyman Tremain, was vis- 

 iting his son, Israel P. Tremain, who was very 

 sick at my father's house, and had just began 

 to get better, and his father thought if he 

 could get him a few brook trout he might rel- 

 ish them. He came to my father and wanted ■ 

 a pole and line ; he got it and dug some worms, 

 and went along the little stream, but had no 

 luck. My father told him to let me try, for I 

 knew where every trout was. I went and in a 

 short time caught six and gave them to him. 

 He was very much pleased and gave me a 

 Spanish sixpence. 



After his son got well he called to me and 

 gave me a French five-franc piece, which I 

 kept for more than forty years, and finally lost 

 it. He said he never had anything taste so 

 good as those little trout. I don't know 

 whether he is alive or not ; he was President 

 of the Union Bank, Monticello, when I last 

 heard of him. 



