26 FISn AND GAME COMMISSION. 



increase of fish fi-u]ii our hatcheries ciin be had or new liateheries con- 

 structed. Several more hatcheries are needed in the state, not only to 

 supply an ever-increasing demand for trout fry, but to save carrying 

 the fish so far a,s they are now. paticularly to the more remote parts of 

 the state where the lakes and streams are situated far from the railroad. 

 We are constantly giving instructions to persons applying for fish to 

 make a wide distribution of the fry. The best results are obtained 

 where the fr^- are well scattered and planted on the ripples and in the 

 shallow water of the lakes some distance from shore. 



The large output of our hatcheries did not more than lialf meet the 

 demands of the applicants throughout the state as the demand for trout 

 fry for stocking the rivers, lakes and streams of California is increasing 

 annually. And with the increasing population of the state, and the 

 popularity of California a.s a recreation center, the fishing in the moun- 

 tainous sections where the majority of the people enjoy their vacations 

 is so excessive that measures to increase the number of fry to be dis- 

 tributed each season must be arranged and a shorter open season 

 established to allow the fish to attain a larger growth. Plans must be 

 made for the construction and equipment of more hatcheries, building 

 of pond-rearing systems and the improvement of the egg-collecting 

 stations. The possibility of increasing the output of eggs from the 

 Klamath River by the introduction of a larger number of rainbow and 

 steelhead trout fry, as well as salmon fry, must be stressed so that this 

 river may furnish eggs for the other hatcheries in California, where 

 rainbow, steelhead and salmon are in great demand and where suitable 

 waters are to be found for these species. 



The number of hatcheries in the state should be increased as the 

 demand for trout fry exceeds the limit of the present hatcheries. Lakes 

 need to be set aside for the purpose of propagating brood stock from 

 which the eggs can be collected, as well as pond-rearing systems where 

 spawning fish can be reared for egg-collecting purposes. We have but 

 the one egg-collecting pond system at Mount Shasta Hatchery and, to 

 meet the demand of the angling public, the Commission should build 

 one or two more systems equal in capacity to that at the Mount Shasta 

 station. Mount Shasta Hatcherj- can not be enlarged as the water 

 supply and land is limited to the present capacity of the station. Sur- 

 veys should be made at an early date to find other suitable sites for 

 pond-rearing systems for there is no method by which eggs can be 

 more easily procured for propagating the exotic species of fishes than 

 in pond-rearing systems. 



The State Fish and Game Commission is making an effort to procure 

 more funds to establish pond systems where exotic species of fish can 

 be raised in numbers great enough to furnish at least tw^o-thirds of the 

 supply of eggs for the different hatcheries located throughout the state. 



We have one of the best pond systems to be found anywhere at 

 Mount Shasta station ; but as stated in a previous report, it is not large 

 enough to meet the growing demand for trout eggs. Approximately 

 30 per cent of the trout fry collected in California this season were 

 taken from the pond system at Sisson at the average cost per thousand 

 less than the cost of collecting wild eggs when the expense of construct- 

 ing traps and other paraphernalia necessary in handling the spaAvners 

 and the work of collecting eggs from wild fish is considered. 



