34 REPORT OF THE FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 



naturally, a greater number entered Taylor Creek than any other stream 

 flowing into the lake, and our supply of blaek-spotted trout eggs has 

 been secured from this creek almost exclusively for the last twenty-five 

 years. This fact alone is positive proof of the beneficial results of arti- 

 ficial propagation, as no more than 5 per cent of the eggs collected 

 annually from Taylor Creek are returned to it as fry, after being reared 

 at the Tallac Hatchery. The remainder of the fry are distributed in 

 other streams entering the lake and throughout the Truckee and 

 Tahoe basins. The number of trout entering this stream was undimin- 

 ished during twenty years of our egg collecting operations until the 

 water was held back during the last two unusually dry winters by the 

 dam at the outlet of Fallen Leaf Lake. 



What the effect will be later on when the seasonal storms are normal 

 again cannot be foretold, but it is probable tliat we will have to restock 

 this stream heavily for a couple of seasons to restore the run that has 

 been depleted by storage of the water in Fallen Leaf Lake. 



We are planning to collect eggs from the Upper Truckee River, that 

 has its source in the water shed of the mountain range to the south of 

 the lake and empties into the head of Lake Tahoe, about two and one- 

 half miles from the mouth of Taylor Creek. This is a larger stream 

 than Taylor Creek and should produce as many eggs as it has, if the 

 run has not been depleted during the years that the market fisherman 

 and others were carrying on their illegal fashing. 



The new hatchery at Tahoe City will require a larger number of eggs, 

 as its capacity is four times as great as that of the old station which 

 will be abandoned this season. Therefore our efforts to collect eggs 

 from some of the other streams flowing into the lake will have to be 

 increased. We have introduced rainbow and steelhead trout into Lake 

 Tahoe in considerable numbers during the past two years, and in a 

 few years these desirable species should increase in numbers great 

 enough to give an added attraction to the already remarkably good 

 fishing to be had in Lake Tahoe. The introduction of new species into 

 the lake should improve the fishing conditions, as each new variety 

 has different habits from the others. It often happens that in a lake as 

 large as Tahoe the native species will not take the bait or lure offered 

 them during certain periods in the summer, as the temperature and 

 winds have caused the plankton to descend to greater depths than is 

 practicable to take game fish. The native trout during these periods 

 follow the minnows that are feeding on plankton. Consequently they 

 are too deep to reach with ordinary tackle and, if they are reached, 

 have no inclination to bite freely as their natural food supply is con- 

 yentrated where they can easily obtain all the food that they require 

 without much effort. 



