THIRTIETH BIENNIAL REPORT 35 



REPORT ON FISH PLANTING 



By O. P. Beownlow, In Charge 



For many years it was felt that we were not getting the best results 

 from our fish planting. This was due to a method in use whereby the 

 fish were shipped by train or delivered by truck to sportsmen's organi- 

 zations or interested citizens who had made application for fish. 



When the ones most interested, and those who had had experience, 

 were in a position to handle the fish when they arrived, there was very 

 little trouble ; but in many instances business or other reasons kept 

 these experienced hands away and the fish were sent out with inexperi- 

 enced and uninterested men who would dump them in the nearest water, 

 or would allow the fish to die on the trucks for lack of attention. 



This great annual loss of fingerlings brought about a change in the 

 planting policy of the Commission and on March 15, 1927, the patrol 

 department assumed charge of fish planting operations. A supervising 

 captain was placed in charge of the work, whose duty it was to assist 

 the captains and deputies in making allotments for each district of the 

 state, follow up train shipments and direct distribution from hatch- 

 eries by truck. 



The captains and deputies during 1927 assisted and directed the 

 planting of over 18,000,000 trout in the state with a very small loss 

 considering the fact that the work was entirely new to many and the 

 equipment was not complete. 



In order that the planting work could be more efficiently handled, 

 late in 1927 a truck was equipped with aerating apparatus similar to 

 the equipment used on our railroad fish cars. This truck was not 

 finished until late in the planting season but it was soon demonstrated 

 that the theory was practical and fish could be carried longer distances 

 with less loss and at considerably less expense than on trucks where an 

 extra attendant was necessary to aerate the fish at all times. 



This year another truck is being purchased by this department for 



fish planting purposes and with improved equipment more efficient work 



is expected. 



FISH RESCUE WORK 



The high waters in the San Joaquin valley during the spring of 

 1927 overflowed considerable area and when the waters receded thou- 

 sands of valuable food fish were left stranded. Two part-time crews 

 were engaged during the summer in rescuing and transferring to fresh 

 water these stranded fish. 



In addition to this work a crew rescued approximately 70,000 

 stranded steelhead trout in creeks of Lake County. 



This spring additional equipment has been purchased, including 30 

 pack cans, 6 nets, dippers and thermometers, and it is hoped that at 

 the end of the next biennium California will have sufficient fish planting 

 and fish rescue equipment to properly plant and care for the fish life 

 of the state. 



