28 PISHES AND PISHING IN SUNAPEE LAKE. 



waters. The best-known and appropriate names in the United 

 States and Alaska are chinook salmon and king salmon, although it 

 has several others of somewhat restricted local use. 



This salmon has been planted in eastern waters, off and on, since 

 1873, and some placed in fresh-water lakes. The results of these 

 plants have not been very encouraging, tlie most successful outcome 

 being in Sunapee Lake. 



The records of the capture of this species in any waters since its 

 introduction are very meager. From those planted every year from 

 1874 to 1879 in Lake Michigan waters only two have been reported; 

 June, 1879, one measuring over 20 inches in length, caught in I.,ake 

 Michigan, and in November of the same year another measuring 10 

 inches in length, caught in Green Bay, Mch., were sent to the United 

 States National Museum. From the report of the Fish Commis- 

 sioners of New Hampsliire for 1881, the following extracts are re- 

 printed from an article by N. K. Fairbanks, entitled ''Breeding Cali- 

 fornia salmon in fresh water," referring to the results of introduction 

 of the chinook into Geneva Lake, Wis. : 



Having all the requisites which I consider essential to the experiment, viz, pure 

 deep water, a moderately sized lake, with room for range and exercise and plenty of 

 food, I began in the spring of 1876 by depositing 25,000 California salmon which were 

 hatched at the United States hatchery at Northville, Mich., by Frank N. Clark, and 

 were sent to me by Prof. Baird, United States Fish Commissioner. The Wisconsin 

 commission also put in about 15,000 shortly after. 



In April, 1877, I also procured from Prof. Baird about 25,000 and from the Wisconsin 

 commission 25,000, and in the fall of 1877 I received from the United States commis- 

 sion 100,000 eggs from the McCloud River, which I hatched and put into the lake in 

 the spring of 1878. I also deposited 200,000 in the spring of 1879, 100,000 last April, 

 and 100,000 yearlings last October, making in all in round numbers 590,000, hatching 

 count; deducting for losses from various causes, I estimate that I have placed in 

 Geneva Lake half a million young California salmon in excellent condition. 



They began to make their appearance and attain considerable size very soon, and 

 during the summer of 1878 there was an occasional one caught by parties who were 

 fishing for bass. I had four sent me one day which weighed three-quarters of a pound 

 each, and one of them went a trifle over a pound. In the summer of 1879, Mr. L. Z. 

 Leiter, while trolling for bass, captured a very fine salmon which weighed 4^- pounds. 

 Several others were taken during the summer, weighing 2 to 3 pounds each, all of 

 which was reasonably encouraging; but not until the developments of the past summer 

 have I felt that the experiment would prove a valuable one, when, on the afternoon 

 of July 29 last, I was presented witli a beautiful specimen which was 29^ inches long 

 and 18 inches girth and weighed 12| pounds, and when I had it boiled and served for 

 dinner and found it to be a delicious fish, then I felt certain that the salmon would 

 grow to a respectable size and condition in fresh water, and that at least, so far as 

 that fish and my dinner of that day went, it was no longer an unsuccessful experiment- 

 there was a reality, the ' ' substance of things hoped for, ' ' which did much to strengthen 

 and build up my faith. 



In September they began to show themselves at the head of the lake near the mouth 

 of a small creek having its source in a group of springs a mile- back, which empties 

 into the lake. Mr. William Welsher, who has charge of the hatchery and ponds there, 

 discovered eight fine specimens one day splashing about in this creek. They were 

 up the creek nearly a mile, and as far as they could get and were, of course, looking 



