10 FAMILIAR FISH, THEIR HABITS AND CAPTURE 



under natural conditions. To illustrate this it may 

 be stated that those familiar with the subject claim 

 that not even twenty per cent of the eggs deposited 

 in a wild state are hatched out to reach the fry stage, 

 and that but a small proportion of these reach matu- 

 rity. In artificial hatching ninety -five to ninety-seven 

 per cent are usually hatched out, and nearly that 

 amount can be raised to a proper size to plant in 

 various waters. 



The best advice to give a young fisherman is to 

 ascertain the location of the nearest Government or 

 State hatchery, and to visit it at the proper season, 

 allowing ample time to study its workings. Since 

 that is not always possible, however, a description of 

 the artificial hatching and propagation of fish will be 

 necessary. The methods followed with the many 

 varieties would require a volume by themselves; 

 therefore it is better to select one representative fish, 

 and explain the process fully. As the details of the 

 work are very similar with all species, sufficient in- 

 sight will be given into them in this way to insure a 

 good general understanding of the whole subject. 



The spawning season of the different fresh-water 

 fishes varies to such an extent, that nearly every 

 month of the year is represented by some one variety. 

 Again, in different parts of the country, the particu- 

 lar season of a species varies materially. This, of 



