Tower, is noted for its pike. This spring the first warm days 

 in Northern Minnesota saw E. W. Cobb, superintendent of 

 state hatcheries, standing on the banks of Pike river, which 

 empties into Lake Vermillion. 



The ice was not out of the river many hours before Mr. 

 Cobb could detect the fin of an occasional wall-eye cutting 

 the water top as the fish headed up stream. Less than half 

 a mile from the lake there is a dam across Pike river so the 

 pike can go no farther. 



The first sight of the pike was enough for Mr. Cobb. He 

 sent word for the commission members and the game war- 

 dens and special workmen who take part in the spawn catch. 



The weather was ideal for spawn taking this spring. Geo. 

 J. Bradley, president of the commission and veteran spawn 

 taker, was early on the scene. With him arrived Fred Myers 

 and T. O. Ofsthun, members who never before engaged in 

 catching spawn. This year the pound net was used. No, the 

 pound net does not catch a pound of fish at a time. Rather 

 it is so fashioned as to empound the fish like dogs are em- 

 pounded in an enclosure. 



Nets soon were out from either shore of the river. Their 

 inclination was up-stream. The side wings of these nets al- 

 lowed little fish to pass through, but larger pike could not 

 pass. Being bent, however, on going up-stream the pike 

 would nose along looking for an opening in the nets which 

 barred their passage. Finally in midstream they would think 

 that they had discovered the exit leading upstream. They 

 would switch their tails and pass on through. 



Some fish lend themselves easily to artificial aid. Others 

 refuse to allow man to assist nature. The result is that those 

 who lend themselves to the aid of man always will be found 

 in Minnesota lakes and streams. The others will pass into 

 history unless strictly protected and given every chance to 

 multiply. 



These two classes are divided as follows: Those which 

 lend themselves to the will of man are the fish from which 

 the spawn can be extracted when ripe. The wall-eyed pike, 

 properly known as the pike perch, is most amenable to the 

 well directed efforts of human aid. The brook trout also gives 



9 



