American Fisheries Society. 49 



any other. As for the sport of catching carp with hool< and line, I 

 consider it equal to anything in the way of pleasure fishing, as the 

 fish is gamey and will fight as hard against being landed as bass or 

 other game fish and are to be handled with precaution on account of 

 their tender gills, which will often tear when hooked by an inexperi- 

 enced angler. In the past two years carp have become popular where 

 they were unpopular, because of the wearing away of the prejudice 

 that they were of no benefit to the angler on account of the belief 

 that they would not take a hook. Now it is different, as the very ones 

 who were so loud in their protest against the carp, have found great 

 sport in taking them with hook and line, and it is wonderful to hear 

 the change of sentiment as to the carp for food purposes. They are 

 a good fish now and fit for a king in comparison to what was said 

 of them while the prejudice still existed. To my mind the carp is 

 a good fish for food purposes and is fast finding favor in the west in 

 every way, now that the angler has found it is the coming fish for 

 sport. Just at present In the Illinois river, we have a world of all 

 kinds of game fish and no end of carp, which insures the angler his 

 full measure of sport until the end of time. 

 Most respectfully yours,' 



M. D. HURLEY, Peoria, 111. 



NOW HOW TO <JOOK THEM. 



1 feel sure that most of the prejudice to the car]) as a tabic 

 fish is from the fact that they are too often taken from the warm 

 water, fried and broiled without preparation. Their rapid 

 growth and th(^ warm water they are taken from, has a tendency 

 to make them soft, t have found the best mode of preparing 

 them as follows : Kill as soon as caught, by bleeding, taking out 

 all of the blood. Skin, soak in salt water for several hours, then 

 parboil and bake, basting frequently. They an- frequently 

 served here as a boiled fish, covered with proper dressing. It 

 takes but a slight stretch of the imagination to place on bill of 

 fare as anything from l)lue fish to buffalo. Today 1 had blue 

 fish served with my sou}) at one of the j)rincipal hotels and it 

 would have ])assed as such with the average man, tell-tale bones, 

 however, said carj). 



I give herewith a recei])t of Swedish origin, given nie by Dr. 

 Weiss of Ottawa, 111., rresident of the Fox K'iver Kisli and Game 

 Association, who assures me that Uie perfeeled i.n.dnci is e(|ii;d 

 to tile imported fish jelly that l)rings $1.<>(t per pound. 



