Caldwell. — The Gar Problem 63 



interested as many of the commercial fishermen as possible 

 in the work, and, if it could he made general, the resulting 

 reduction of the gars would be of immense benefit to their 

 interests. 



Very large hauls of gars have been noted late in the fall 

 and early in winter when they congregate in certain parts 

 of the rivers and are to a certain extent sluggish. One haul 

 of several hundreds of thousands was noted. At the pres- 

 ent writing the rivers fairly swarm with them, so plentiful 

 are they that in passing over them with a boat, the oars hit 

 them at almost every stroke. To go about the work of ex- 

 termination successfully would take more money than we 

 have at our disposal, but what we have is being used in that 

 way. So far this season we have taken half a million or 

 more, and hope to increase that number by many times be- 

 fore the season is over. I believe that if this work could 

 become general all over the state, it would be the means of 

 greatly increasing the supply of food fishes and their food. 

 In Lake Mantangas, which is controlled by the State Com- 

 mission, we note a wonderful improvement following the 

 attempt to destroy gars. Some of the specimens attain a 

 large size, and their destructiveness is in proportion, while 

 the small ones are equally busy, but with smaller fishes. 

 With the small meshed seine we take the small gars in great 

 numbers, and when we are so lucky, or imlucky, as to get a 

 bunch of big ones in a haul, it is generally at the expense of 

 the seine, as "they go right through it." according to the 

 foreman of the seine gang. 



We hope to get such legislation at the next session of 

 our legislature as will enable us to prosecute the work sys- 

 tematically all along the line. 



Perhaps an illustration of the destructive qualities of the 

 gar would be not out of place. On August 8, 1912, a pond 

 back of the reservation at La Grange Locks was reported 

 to us as being very low, and the fish in danger of perishing 

 and becoming a nuisance. We sent a gang there with small 



