﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  XI 
  

  

  were 
  also 
  taken 
  iu 
  Otto 
  Creek 
  during 
  tlie 
  spring 
  of 
  1897. 
  These 
  are 
  

   generally 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  lower 
  sections 
  of 
  the 
  streams 
  in 
  deeper 
  water 
  

   than 
  that 
  usually 
  inhabited 
  by 
  the 
  brook 
  trout. 
  Lake 
  trout 
  were 
  also 
  

   reported 
  by 
  the 
  same 
  authority 
  as 
  being 
  abundant 
  in 
  Caspian 
  Lake, 
  

   where 
  plants 
  of 
  that 
  species 
  were 
  made 
  some 
  years 
  ago 
  by 
  the 
  Com- 
  

   mission. 
  In 
  certain 
  streams 
  iu 
  eastern 
  Tennessee, 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  

   stocked 
  with 
  rainbow 
  trout 
  within 
  the 
  last 
  few 
  years, 
  excellent 
  fishing 
  

   is 
  now 
  reported. 
  

  

  The 
  probability 
  of 
  the 
  steelhead 
  trout 
  becoming 
  successfully 
  intro- 
  

   duced 
  in 
  many 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  interior 
  and 
  Eastern 
  States 
  is 
  indicated 
  by 
  

   the 
  results 
  already 
  attained 
  in 
  some 
  regions. 
  In 
  the 
  spring 
  of 
  1896 
  

   the 
  Commission 
  planted 
  35,000 
  fry 
  in 
  Sucker 
  and 
  French 
  rivers, 
  Minne- 
  

   sota, 
  and 
  50,000 
  in 
  other 
  streams 
  in 
  that 
  State. 
  Mr. 
  S. 
  P. 
  Wires, 
  super- 
  

   intendent 
  of 
  the 
  station 
  at 
  Duluth, 
  reports, 
  under 
  date 
  of 
  June 
  14, 
  1897, 
  

   that 
  tlie 
  number 
  and 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  steelhead 
  trout 
  in 
  the 
  two 
  rivers 
  

   named 
  warrant 
  the 
  belief 
  that 
  the 
  si^ecies 
  is 
  well 
  adapted 
  to 
  that 
  section. 
  

   On 
  June 
  13, 
  1897, 
  80 
  steelheads, 
  from 
  6 
  to 
  8 
  inches 
  long, 
  were 
  caught 
  

   in 
  Sucker 
  River. 
  

  

  One 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  interesting 
  attempts 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  Commission 
  to 
  

   secure 
  the 
  introduction 
  of 
  food-fishes 
  into 
  new 
  waters 
  has 
  been 
  the 
  

   planting 
  of 
  young 
  Atlantic 
  salmon 
  in 
  tlie 
  Delaware 
  River, 
  in 
  conjunction 
  

   with 
  the 
  Pennsylvania 
  Pish 
  Commission. 
  In 
  1895, 
  as 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  last 
  

   report 
  of 
  this 
  Commission, 
  over 
  300 
  full-grown 
  salmon 
  were 
  taken. 
  In 
  

   1896 
  record 
  of 
  the 
  capture 
  of 
  142 
  fish 
  was 
  obtained 
  by 
  the 
  office; 
  these 
  

   weighed 
  1,697 
  pounds. 
  Others 
  were 
  undoubtedly 
  taken 
  and 
  not 
  reportetl. 
  

   The 
  outlook 
  for 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  1897 
  was 
  considered 
  good, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  first 
  

   haul 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  shad 
  seine 
  at 
  Gloucester, 
  X. 
  J., 
  a 
  15-pound 
  salmon 
  was 
  

   caught; 
  but 
  the 
  record 
  for 
  the 
  year 
  was 
  poor. 
  

  

  The 
  cod 
  fisliermen 
  of 
  Massachusetts, 
  with 
  practical 
  unanimity, 
  

   ascribe 
  their 
  successful 
  fishing 
  on 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  coast 
  to 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  

   Gloucester 
  and 
  Woods 
  Hole 
  hatcheries. 
  The 
  "rip 
  fishing," 
  which 
  has 
  

   apparently 
  been 
  established 
  and 
  maintained 
  by 
  the 
  very 
  large 
  plants 
  

   of 
  fry, 
  continues 
  profitable. 
  Many 
  statements 
  have 
  been 
  received 
  from 
  

   fishermen 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  cod 
  in 
  the 
  inshore 
  waters 
  and 
  their 
  pres- 
  

   ence 
  on 
  new 
  grounds, 
  especially 
  on 
  the 
  southern 
  part 
  of 
  Massachusetts. 
  

   The 
  following 
  note 
  is 
  typical 
  of 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  letters 
  that 
  might 
  be 
  quoted 
  ; 
  

  

  Possibly 
  it 
  will 
  interest 
  you 
  to 
  know 
  tbat 
  the 
  ''rock" 
  cod, 
  as 
  we 
  calltbein, 
  caught 
  

   along 
  our 
  shores 
  within 
  a 
  mile 
  or 
  so 
  of 
  the 
  coast 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  bold 
  shore 
  itself 
  at 
  

   times, 
  have 
  increased 
  in 
  number 
  Avithiu 
  the 
  last 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  years. 
  The 
  present 
  

   season 
  they 
  are 
  remarkably 
  abundant. 
  Early 
  in 
  April 
  (1897), 
  when 
  the 
  herring 
  

   were 
  in, 
  they 
  could 
  be 
  caught 
  with 
  hand 
  lines 
  by 
  the 
  dory 
  load, 
  and 
  just 
  recently 
  

   (May) 
  have 
  been 
  caught 
  from 
  the 
  rocky 
  points 
  along 
  the 
  shore, 
  which 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  

   the 
  case 
  to 
  any 
  extent 
  for 
  twenty-five 
  or 
  thirty 
  years 
  before. 
  They 
  weigh 
  from 
  2 
  to 
  

   10 
  pounds. 
  

  

  Reports 
  from 
  various 
  localities 
  along 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Massachusetts 
  

   indicate 
  that 
  young 
  lobsters 
  are 
  abundant, 
  and 
  if 
  the 
  work 
  is 
  continued 
  

   on 
  the 
  same 
  scale 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  past 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  years 
  it 
  is 
  believed 
  that 
  

   this 
  fishery 
  will 
  be 
  fully 
  reestablished. 
  

  

  