NOTES ON THE FISH OF THE CUMBERLAND 



RIVER 



By J. F. Boepple 



While examining the Cumberland River during the 

 summers of 1910 and 1911, from its headwaters to its 

 mouth, for information as to the mussel beds, I devoted 

 some, time to observations relative to fish. 



Among the largest yellow catfish I saw caught was one 

 weighing 59 pounds. The largest buffalo weighed 16 

 pounds, while the largest haul I saw made in the trap bas- 

 kets was 58 pounds. A very reliable fisherman claims he 

 raised some baskets of 100 pounds, and all channel cat, 

 which they call "fiddlers" there, and the largest of which 

 weighed 2 pounds. Drumfish, for which they use trot lines, 

 were also conspicuous in the catch. 



I found a great many people fishing with dynamite, and 

 one of the first things I heard was complaint on the part of 

 the fishermen against this method of fishing. A farmer at 

 whose house I stopped told me that the week previous dyna- 

 mite had been used that resulted in killing a catfish of -64 

 pounds. He gave me to understand that he knew these 

 people, but dared not say anything for fear of damage to 

 his property. 



While working up the river bottom for mussels, I found 

 places where there was no life of any kind — no insects or 

 worms, and upon inquiring among the fishermen learned 

 that dynamiting had been done. It appears that not only the 

 fish are killed, but all life in these eddies is destroyed, and I 

 was informed by the fishermen that for a long time after 

 dynamiting no fish are caught. 



I was working three months on a portion of the river 

 which was locked and dammed, some places for one year, 

 other places for three years, and some even for seven years. 

 The opinion of all fishermen that I talked with was that 



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