1912 AND FISHEKIES COMMISSION. 97 



ducts of small lake commercial fisheries, should be easily effected so that 

 even though general trading in the fishes could not be prohibited in the 

 Province so long as they remain legal commercial fishes when caught in 

 the great lakes, at least what lake trout and pickerel where netted in 

 such instances would have to be disposed of locally, and it should be com- 

 paratively easy, therefore, to bring home the offence to the offender. 

 The endorsation of the commercial licenses issued for the lesser lakes in 

 which it was desired to stop commercial lake trout and pickerel fishing, 

 with the prohibition of netting or selling either fish under the license, 

 would appear to meet the requirements of the case, provided a reason- 

 able penalty was imposed for any infraction of the provision. Such a 

 step would, of coui'se, be within the jurisdiction of the Provincial Gov- 

 ernment. It is apparent that the value of the commercial license w^ould 

 by this means be somewhat diminished, for the trout and pickerel com- 

 mand an especially high price, but, on the other hand, there can be no- 

 urgent reason advanced for the commercial exploitation of the fisheries 

 of the lesser lakes under the ordinary commercial license, at least not at 

 the present time, so that, even if the measure did result in the sale of a 

 less number of such licenses, there would be no occasion for great regret 

 on that score. 



THE DISTRIBUTION AND CHIEF CHARACTERISTICS OF THE 

 RECOGNIZED GAME FISHES OF THE PROVINCE. 



The Small-Mouthed Black Bass. 



It is generally acknowledged that at the present time the black bass- 

 is the most important of all the sporting fishes to be found in the Pro- 

 vince. Its fighting qualities are second to none ; as a table fish it is the 

 peer of any, and consequently it is not only most highly esteemed by the^ 

 anglers of the Province, but affords also an immense attraction to those 

 who live without the Provincial borders. The range of the black bass is 

 considerable, and it is found in more or less abundance throughout most 

 of the waters of the eastern and central portions of the Province, as well 

 as in certain portions of all the great lakes, with the exception of Lake 

 Superior. To the north it does not appear to any gi'eat extent in the 

 waters of the Hudson Bay watershed, excepting, perhaps, near the height 

 of land, while to the west it does not occur much beyond the eastern 

 limits of the Algoma district with the exception of a few rivers and lakes 

 in the Rainy River district, which, although themselves a part of the 

 Hudson Bay watershed, are close to the height of land in Wisconsin ter- 

 ritory, south of which this fish again appears in abundance. Although 

 the range of the black bass is thus seen to be very extensive, it does not 

 occur naturally in all the waters of the area indicated. The Algonquin 

 National Park, for instance, in which lie a network of lakes, and where- 



