20 FISHES AND FISHING IN SUNAPEE LAKE. 



the dead-water end of Pike Brook channel through the beach, about 

 the same tune, took a considerable number, many from H to 2 inches 

 long, with some about 4 inches, which apparently had started for 

 the lake. 



Other fishes, such as black bass, perch, and pickerel, feed upon the 

 young suckers, but the adult sucker is, on the other hand, very 

 destructive to the eggs of other fishes, especially such as spawn in 

 the lake. Suckers are always present on the spawning ground of 

 the white trout m the fall and are taken mgill nets set for this trout 

 by the fish culturists m spawning time. Some rangmg from 6 to 17 

 inches were taken in the gill nets set for trout in shallow water near 

 the mouth of Pike Brook. 



Chub (Semotilus hullaris). 



The chub, here as m many other places known locally as dace, is 

 the largest native species of the muinow family in eastern North 

 America, in some waters attainmg a weight of 2 or 3 pounds or more. 

 It is also one of the commonest fishes of the Eastern States, but does 

 not seem to be abundant in Sunapee Lake. Chubs were frequently 

 taken in the gill nets set for white trout and salmon durmg October 

 and November. The only adult individuals observed were some 12 

 and 13 inches long taken at that time, exceptmg one on August 18 

 that had been caught by some men fisliing at ''the banks." It was 

 about 1 foot long and had red fins, which the men were using for 

 bass bait. 



Small chubs, in common with other small fishes of the family, are 

 known as shiners and are esteemed as live bait. These occur in the 

 brooks and were especially abundant in Pike Brook dead water. On 

 August 18, 1910, a good many 2^ to 2| inches long were taken with 

 caddis larva bait at the lower end of the dead water. 



Now and then one was seen farther up the brook, even in quick 

 water, and one about 2 inches long was observed in the cool spring 

 pool near the hatchery, but they seem generally to affect the warmer 

 waters. It is not known that the young chub leaves the brooks and 

 dead waters at any particular time or under any special conditions, 

 but on August 17 and 18, 1911, a few 3 and 4 inches long were taken 

 with other small fishes at the dead water end of Pike Brook channel 

 through the beach, which indicated that they were possibly attempt- 

 ing to go to the lake. 



Although the chub has toothless jaws and tongue, it is carnivorous, 

 subsisting upon insects and other fishes to a large extent. The writer 

 has seen chubs feeding upon and has found them gorged with young 

 pickerel 3 and 4 inches long. While the chub is more or less de- 

 structive to other fishes and is, like the sucker, a spawn eater, it is 

 too scarce now in Sunapee Lake to cause any alarm. 



