■^■i^^->:: 





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£/ec(ro-fi$hmg, which harmlessly stuns fish, can be used io segregate species of fishes, to determine populations, and lor fropping fishes for 



egg taking. 



San Francisco County. (This is the same device which 

 Oregon made use of in its treatment of Diamond Lake 

 late in 1954.) 



The department's rough fish control activities were 

 highlighted by the eradication of rough fish in Bass 

 Lake, Madera Count}', and in 10 miles of its tributary 

 streams. This 1,165-acre reservoir was treated when 

 the Pacific Gas and Electric Company drew down the 

 lake to repair the outlet valves. Many of the game fish 

 were rescued and held for restocking the lake after 

 chemical treatment. The weight of carp killed greatly 

 exceeded the weight of game fish. 



Twenty-four other lakes and ponds were also 

 treated with rotenone to eliminate rough fish. Most of 

 these \\aters have been restocked with game fish to 

 provide improved fishing. Forage species have also 

 been introduced in waters suitable for them. See Table 

 20, Appendix, for a tabulation of results. 



Chemical Treatment 



Large-scale chemical treatment of streams was at- 

 tempted for the first time during the biennium. A pro- 

 gram was initiated in the Russian River drainage to 

 improve conditions for steelhead trout by eliminating 

 rough fish in several tributaries. Here a checkup 

 showed that no more than 5 percent of the resident 

 fish were game fish. About 87 miles of tributaries were 

 treated in Dr\' and Maacama Creeks, in Sonoma 

 County. In most instances barriers were built or nat- 

 ural barriers were utilized to prevent re-entry of 

 rough fish. 



Santa Ysabel River and its tributaries, San Diego 

 County, were also treated with rotenone to remove 

 undesirable fish before inundation by a contemplated 

 water project. 



Numerous sportsmen's groups have assisted mate- 

 rially in the department's rough fish control program 

 by donating many hours of work. Various counties 



also assisted by making county fine money available 

 for purchase of rotenone. 



In 1953 electrofishing was used for the first time in 

 California to segregate species of fish in population 

 control. It was used in Pine Creek, Lassen County, to 

 separate the Eagle Lake rainbow trout from its com- 

 petitor, t1ie eastern brook trout. 



An experimental gill netting program was conducted 

 at Convict Lake in Mono County in 1953 to remove 

 large predatory brown trout. These fish consumed 

 many of the catchable rainbows which are stocked 

 annually, but are themselves almost invulnerable to 

 capture by angling. A total of 124 browns weighing 

 368 pounds was removed during the operation. The 

 largest weighed over 20 pounds! Creel census records 

 from 1954 will be compared with past catch records 

 on this lake to determine the effect of this experiment 

 on survival of rainbow trout. Whether or not such 

 work is justifiable in view of the time and special 

 equipment required, still is uncertain. 



Carp Permits Issued 



Carp seining permits have been issued wherever 

 practicable to reduce competition with game fishes 

 for living space. 



During the biennium more than 651 applications 

 for the stocking of private ponds were processed, 282 

 ponds were visited, and about 500 ponds were stocked 

 with fish by the owners. See Table 21, Appendix. 



It has been the policy of the Department of Fish 

 and Game to supply an initial stock of fish of warm- 

 water fishes to private ponds too small to support pub- 

 lic fishing and which meet certain other requirements. 

 Trout for such ponds must be purchased from a 

 licensed domestic fish breeder. 



Largemouth black bass and bluegill have been the 

 usu^l species stocked. The department has been par- 

 ticularly anxious to find species of fish which will 

 reproduce in the colder waters of coastal and North- 



