OALIFORNTA FTSH AND GAME 75 



LARGE-MOUTHED BLACK BASS INTRODUCED INTO LAKE 



MERCED - 



A plaiiting of larp-e-monthed black bass in Lake IVrprcod, San 

 Francisco County, Avhicli is used as a storage lake for the municipal 

 Avater supply of San Francisco, was made on October 28, 1933. This 

 introduction was sponsored by the Associated Sportsmen of California 

 and is in keeping with the policy of the Fish and Game Commission 

 to plant fish in bodies of water in the State where public fishing will 

 result. 



Two hundred and twenty cans of these fish were netted under the 

 direction of George Neale, in charge of the Bureau of Fish Rescue, 

 in the upper Sacramento Valley sloughs. They were transported to 

 San Francisco by motor truck under the care of game wardens of the 

 Division. Not a fish was lost from the time they were taken from the 

 river waters until they were released in the lake. Some of the bass 

 weighed as much as eight pounds, and none w^ere less than one-half 

 pound in weight. This supply of brood stock will be added to until 

 some 2000 large-mouthed bass will have been planted in the lake. 



These bass are prolific spawners and develop quickly, therefore, it 

 is expected that within the next three years the lake will be well stocked 

 Avith this species of game fish. Until they increase in numbers and 

 size, the lake will be closed to angling. — 0. L. Warner, Division of 

 Fish and Game, San Francisco, November 15, 1933. 



FIRST CALIFORNLA PHEASANT SEASON A SUCCESS 



California's first open season on pheasants is now history. 



During the six-day period, November 15 to 20, when these great 

 upland birds could be legally hunted, more men went out in the fields 

 to try their luck than have fared forth for any other small game in 

 many years. 



While no exact figure could be obtained as to the number of male 

 birds that were killed during the season, 20,000 seems to be a fair 

 estimate. This figure is based on reports of game wardens who kept 

 a careful check on all hunters and their kill, questioned sporting goods 

 dealers and devoted much effort to ascertain the success of the oi)en 

 season in every section where pheasants were hunted. 



The wardens' reports revealed many interesting facts. A great 

 number of sportsmen and some of our field men figured there avouW 

 be a veritable slaughter of these birds because they were beconung so 

 tame and domesticated. But it appears that the cock pheasant is a 

 very wary bird and well able to take care of himself. He soon got 

 it through his head that the report of a shotgun meant no good for 

 him when his native, wild instincts asserted themselves and he sur- 

 l)rised many a shotgun wielder with his speed in flying and running, 

 his deceptive flight, and his ability to hide and back track on the 

 nimrod. 



* The 14th Biennial Report of the State Board of Fish and Game Commis- 

 sioners for the years 1895-1896, p. 30, reveals that in June, 1805, the .Sprine: Valley 

 AVater Companv planted 300 larp:e-mouthed black bass in Lake Merced. The.se 

 fish were procured from the East by the Fish Commission. — Ed. 



