MONTANA STATE FISH AND GAME DEPARTMENT 



Page Seventeen 



Moet^e^^s Fish Hsitelheiries 



By Keiinptli F. MarDonnId, Ilpleiia, Sljif<' Siiiierinfondent of Fisheries 



E 



F. MacDonald 



A r H biennial 

 period brings 

 g h t new 

 factors which must 

 be reckoned with it 

 we are to keep pace 

 with the ever-in- 

 creasing demand for 

 good fishing. The 

 outstanding factor 

 of this biennium is 

 the road improve- 

 ment program which 

 brings the old and 

 new fishing areas 

 within comparatively 

 easy reach of the 

 fisherman. As is 

 not always the case, 

 the very factor 

 which creates this 

 new demand, serves materially in assist- 

 ing with satisfying the demand as with 

 improved highways it is now possible 

 to enlarge upon territory served by 

 each hatchery. With improved methods 

 of fish transportation, it will make pos- 

 sible, with the enlargement of present 

 hatcheries, to centralize activities, 

 which is the accepted method of pres- 

 ent day times tor efficient operation. 



The protracted and unprecedented 

 drought which reached its maximum 

 during the late summer and early fall 

 of 1931 is another factor which de- 

 mands consideration. This drought re- 

 sulted in a heavy loss of fish and 

 aquatic food life in many smaller 

 streams, with the only compensating 

 feature being the attention it drew to 

 the value of water conservation. There 



are agencies now at work on a pro- 

 gram of this nature and it merits the 

 whole-hearted support of all sportsmen 

 as well as the general public. Each 

 fish has a monetary value, dependent 

 upon the size and species, and until 

 a water conservation program is put 

 into effect assuring sufficient water tor 

 the sustaining of fish life in the areas 

 affected by each drought, it would be 

 the better policy to direct activities 

 toward building up fishing in the 

 larger streams and lakes. 



The natural food rearing pond idea 

 which was so popular a few years ago 

 and in which this division participated 

 to a certain extent, has proved that it 

 has but little merit. In only Isolated 

 instances has it developed the results 

 anticipated. 



It is the present day policy to estab- 

 lish ponds on hatchery grounds where 

 it is possible to have constant super- 

 vision and the cost of operation re- 

 duced. 



There are instances, however, where 

 it is to an advantage to establish the 

 rearing ponds or better termed, feed 

 stations, on a creek or stream in the 

 heart of a large distribution area. Last 

 spring one of these stations was es- 

 tablished on Beaver Creek near Havre. 

 This was of an experimental nature, 

 and it developed that the nominal cost 

 of constructing and maintaing this sta- 

 tion, with the splendid results ob- 

 tained, justify expanding upon this 

 program. 



It is the intention next year to es- 

 tablish stations of this type in several 

 regions where they will make possible 



the liberation of larger fish with but 

 small distribution costs. 



It is possible through use of this 

 type of pond to utilize a larger vol- 

 ume of water and of a higher tempera- 

 ture than the average hatchery water 

 which promotes a more rapid growth 

 of fish. The fish are transferred from 

 the hatchery during :\Iay or June, after 

 the high water period and at a time 

 when the stream and hatchery water is 

 of about the same temperature. A man 

 is placed in charge of the station and 

 attends to the feeding and other duties 

 necessary in the operation. 



The fish are retained until the water 

 temperature drops to the point where 

 they will not take food readily and 

 are liberated in the adjacent territory. 

 All obstructions are then removed 

 and a volume of water allowed to run 

 free through the ponds during the idle 

 period. This keeps the ponds in a 

 clean, sanitary condition and reduces 

 the danger of disease to the minimum. 



Another feature of this type of pond 

 is the rearing of the fish in the wa- 

 ters in which they are to be later re- 

 leased or water of approximately the 

 same character. There has been con- 

 siderable study of recent years of the 

 effect of transplanting fish from one 

 water to another of entirely different 

 mineral content and the results indi- 

 cate that in many instances, it is dis- 

 astrous. 



Considerable headway was made dur- 

 ing the last biennium toward the plant- 

 ing of larger fish and getting a record 

 of waters In each district for the pur- 

 pose of Improving our planting pro- 



Fish Distribution Report of All State Hatcheries in 1931 



Crappies Perch „, , 



and and „^'tf'«, 

 Sunfish Catfish Spotted 



Rainbow Grayling Brook Sain 



Anaconda .... 

 Big Timber 

 Elmlgrant .... 

 Great Falls 

 Hamilton .... 

 I.,ewlstown .. 



LIbby 



Miles City 



Missoula 



Ovando 



Phllipsburg 



Poison 



Red Lodge . 

 Somers 



I.'SO 445,300 49.080 



Total SUte 



Field: 



.Tones Lake 



Nine Pipe 



Somers 



Cooperative: 

 Butte Anglers 



Grand Total 



Chinook Salmon 



2.516.S60 

 1,718.170 

 1,634.306 



1.609.000 

 983.036 

 974.917 

 490.970 

 543.430 



1.294.000 



299.674 

 4G8.000 



1.410.945 

 ■ '269".'270 



.115.290 870.222 676.683 1.680.215 



194.032 - 



224,482 445,300 49,080 17.754,344 4.498,209 



'Sockeyc Salmon "Includes 875,000 Whlteflsh 



.115.290 870.222 676.583 1.680.215 



3.600 4,142,766 



._ 4.446.650 



1.634.306 



2.263.654 



2.456.000 



1.350.06n 



22,100 1.072.200 



524. S30 



•2.750.000 



s.ss.ose 



!174.9I7 



790.644 



643.430 



2.057.000 



25,700 25.995,493 



8.400 



2.032 



192.061 



1.272.000 



732.900 



20,000 



2.227..'!0,1 



),700 28.222.886 



