16 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION^ 



The director of the Bureau of Fish Culture coutinues to recommend 

 au enlarged pond system for brood fish. In his opinion the securing 

 of eggs from wild fish is always a difficult and expensive matter. -It 

 is proposed that during the coming year more extensive study will 

 be given to the possibilities of taking wild eggs from mountain lakes 

 and reservoirs, and a comparative study made of this method and 

 pond cultural methods. Fortunately, under the powers now given 

 the Director of Natural Resources to close lakes and streams, we are 

 better enabled to preserve breeding places for fish so that a supply 

 of eggs is more assured than in the past. 



A considerable and widespread advocacy of the rearing of fish 

 to adult or larger size before being planted has received attention 

 by the division during the past biennium. Certain experiments Were 

 conducted by furnishing large numbers of small trout to various 

 sportsmen's organizations, who planted them in retaining ponds and 

 undertook the care and nurture of the fish until they were ready to 

 be released. In a few instances some success was had, in others, total 

 failure. Success in such ventures depends on ideal conditions and 

 scientific and competent care, otherwise considerable expense is 

 incurred and no results obtained. 



The undersigned is not ready to say that such proposed system is 

 not of value. Further experimentation, with open mind, is necessary 

 to make such determination. The Flycasters Club of San Francisco, 

 at considerable expense, constructed a series of concrete holding tanks 

 on the Truckee River. They have received fish for three years and 

 reared them to a size of approximately five inches before they were 

 released in the Truckee River. This club is strongly in favor of the 

 plan and has been willing to back it up by its own expenditure 

 of time, money and effort. The results it has had and will have 

 in the future will add to our sum of knowledge. 



To accomplish the same ends, and in lieu of holding ponds, rearing 

 tanks have been erected at several of our hatcheries which have been 

 used in rearing fish to larger size before being planted. This whole 

 subject matter is presently being made the object of study and investi- 

 gation by our fish culture and research departments. At the present 

 time the consensus of opinion seems to be that in certain instances 

 and localities it pays and is better to plant large fish, while in other 

 localities small fish are better adapted, due to the greater economy of 

 operations. 



An additional scientific investigation now under way is to determine 

 a more economical food than liver, which is now generally fed, and the 

 cost of which has become almost prohibitive. 



HYDRAULICS 



The Bureau of Hydraulics was organized shortly before the begin- 

 ning of the past biennium to take charge of pollution problems and 

 the installation of fishways and screens. The bureau consists of an 

 engineer and one assistant. 



The duties of this bureau are concerned with the general examina- 

 tion of mill races, ditches, pipes, dams, artificial obstructions, etc., in 

 rivers and streams to determine the necessity for a -fish way or screen 

 and to order such installations when necessary. Blueprints of the 

 fishway or screen ordered are prepared by this bureau. 



