1912 AND FISHEKIES COMMISSION. 121 



and necessary precaution to provide against an excessive drain being 

 placed on the sporting fisheries of the Province, for not only are the 

 numbers of the sporting fishes strictly limited in the localities in which 

 angling for them can be enjoyed, but also, although credit must be 

 given to the average sportsman of voluntarily limiting his catch to what 

 he knows can be used, for the sale of these fishes, with the exception of 

 the pickerel, is forbidden, there are always to be found a minority of 

 anglers whose chief aim and ambition is to secure a bag of inordinate 

 size, to the extent, if possible, of establishing a record, quite regardless 

 of whether the fish killed can be used for food or whether they will have 

 to be wasted. In the past, before the enactment of restrictions, great 

 strings of fish of all these varieties were secured by individual anglers 

 within the space of a few hours in various sections of the Province, and 

 the publication of photographs of these hauls and accounts of these ex- 

 ploits in the daily and sporting press undoubtedly fired the imagination 

 and desire of many a would-be record breaker to go and do better if he 

 could. In all probability the Province thus secured a considerable ad- 

 vertisement in the angling circles of the continent, buit the price in cer- 

 tain instances was high, for as the population grew and the stream of 

 visitors from outside increased, the finest fisheries gradually showed 

 signs of becoming exhausted, and even the introduction of the limita- 

 tion of catch has not yet succeeded in effecting their rehabilitation. 

 The practical impossibility of supervising the catch of each individual 

 angler where thousands throughout the Province are out on the Avaters 

 at the same time is apparent, and it would seem, therefore, that the 

 time has arrived when some steps should be taken officiall}^ to put a stop 

 to the publication or display of pictures which represent individual 

 catches of game fishes in excess of the numbers fixed by law, for as be- 

 fore noted some persons will inevitably be incited thereby to seek to 

 emulate or surpass the feat recorded. This cannot but result in material 

 harm to the sporting fisheries which, through the Province at large, are 

 not in such a flourishing conrlition as to warrant any unnecessary strain 

 being placed upon them. Undoubtedly both the pictorial press and the 

 railways, who have been the chief offenders in this respect, would be 

 only too willing to co-oi>erate with the Government if the matter were 

 properly placed before them, and it would, therefore, seem that steps 

 should at once be taken to this end. 



A point has arisen In connection with the clauses dealing with the 

 limitation of catch which has already given rise to considerable discus- 

 sion and some ill-feeling, and which, although the matter has been re- 

 ferred to the authorities at Ottawa, has not as yet been officially ruled 

 upon. Inasmuch as this question is likely to have a considerable effect 

 on the annual influx of visiting anglers, it is without doubt of great im- 

 portance to the Province. 



The clauses dealing with the limitation of catch of black bass read 

 as follows: 



