40 Ticciify-scz'citth Annual Meeting 



to take tliem is when they are spawning, provided you have 

 spawn-takers on the ground. But even if you haven't the spawn- 

 takers on the ground, the loss to the lake would not be as great as 

 it would if the same fish were taken a week before spawning time, 

 for if taken in the spawning season, some of the eggs have been 

 deposited, but if taken before then they are all lost. 



I think our small shore fishermen have it hard enough with- 

 out closing the season and stopping him from fishing the only 

 time in the year he has a chance to make a cent. You practically 

 drive him out of business and give what he makes to the large 

 firms that have large fishing rigs and tugs to follow the fish 

 back to deep water. And any man after having a few years' ex- 

 perience amongst our fishermen and out on our lakes, and un- 

 derstanding the extraordinary gain in hatching results by passing 

 the spawn through a fish hatchery, can come to but one conclu- 

 sion, and that is that the time of all times when fishing for white- 

 fish and lake trout should not be prohibited, is the spawning 

 time. 



I have always found that all fishermen in their honest hearts 

 believe in the artificial propagation of fish, but there is sometimes 

 a limit to a man's endurance. After being hampered for about 

 so long, they will fight, and when a man fights any old weapon ' 

 will do if he can only come out on top. Some of the arguments 

 used by the fishermen, although thev don't believe them them- 

 selves, will take ever}' time with a man that does not thoroughly 

 understand fish culture and the spawning habit of fish in nature. 

 Rather than be hampered every two years they would sacrifice the 

 Fish Commission, Imt if handled rightly they would be the best 

 friends the Fish Commission ever had. 



(From J. W. Powers, Overseer State Fish Hatcherv, Paris, 

 Mich.) 



Mr. F. B. Dickerson, 

 Detroit, Mich. 



Dear Sir: — The question of a closed season for commercial 

 fishing in our Great Lakes having been referred to me for an 

 opinion I beg leave to submit the following: 



It is claimed by those who favor a closed season that the fish 

 will increase in numbers and size under this method of protection. 

 Hiiving been engaged in the artificial propagation of fish for the 

 past twelve years, I am forced to hold an opposite opinion. If 

 you are allowed to take the adult fish during the spawning sea- 

 son, obtain the ova, put it in your hatching house, hatch out from 



