CHAPTER VI. 



TAKING THE FISH FROM THE PONDS IMPLEMENTS FOR HANDLING THEM 

 THE SHIPMENT OF YOUNG FRY. 



The gathering of the harvest and the examination of the crop is one 

 of the pleasantest features of carp culture. The preparatory step to the 

 taking of the fish is the emptying out of the ponds, and this operation de- 

 mands both caution and the closest of attention. This is particularly so in 

 the stock and market ponds, though the principle holds eood in the 

 hatching pond as well, but because of the smallness of the fish in this 

 pond, a panic is not so likely to occur among them. Shut off the water 

 supply, open the outlet, if the pond is large and supplied with more than 

 one outlet, open them all and let the water flow slowly and gradually off. 

 As it settles, in large ponds, boats are used around the edges to drive the fish 

 into the center. This is done very quietly until the last day of the draw- 

 ing off, or until the water has reached the ditches, for if the fish get badly 

 scared they sometimes settle into the mud in large numbers. The only 

 way to remedy such a catastrophe is to shut off the outlets and turn on as 

 large a supply of water as possible until the fish have recovered themselves, 

 when the drawing off is resumed. When the level of the water has 

 reached the ditches some noise is made to drive them down to the collec- 

 tor. Where there are a great many large fish do not draw the water down 

 too close before beginning to take them out. When crowded into too 

 small a compass they get greatly excited and rush about seeking escape, 

 which results in injury and frequent loss of fish. The safest method then 

 is to begin taking the fish as soon as they gather in sufficient numbers at 

 the collector. This may be done in market and stock ponds with a course 

 meshed seine handled by two men. The fish should be weighed as they are 

 taken out in lots of 100 pounds or thereabouts, a record kept of the weight 

 and the fish either sent direct to the market or placed in the sale pond. 

 With this record of weights, and a corresponding record of weights sold, 

 you will know how much fish your pond has yielded, how much you have 

 sold, and what weight you have on hand to supply orders. To return to 

 the fishing out. When the collector is relieved of fish the water is drawn 

 down still further and the operation repeated until the pond is completely 

 dry and every fish is out. When the water gets too low for seining dip 

 nets are used, to lift out the remaining fish. 



The best general purpose seine where but one is to be used in tne es- 

 tablishment for both large and small fish, is one whose meshes measure 

 one-half of an inch. It should be of strong twine, well knotted, and not 

 to exceed 50 feet in length. One longer than this of that mesh will be 

 hard dragging over the mud. It must be provided with floats and sinkers. 



