Anicricait Fisheries Society 161 



I watched the fish very closely from day to day, and found 

 that I had checked the fungus, but I also found that I had de- 

 stroyed the sight of the first one, so I killed it ; the other one 

 began to loose all of its outer coating and coloration, but 

 after a few days it began to eat and the beauty to return, 

 "like a bird molting." I ke])t it in ni}- hatchery all of last 

 summer, and showed it, an object lesson, the result of grasp- 

 ing with a dry hand. I have since caught this fish with my 

 hand wet, hundreds of times without injury. I have the 

 same trout in my hatchery at tlie present to exhibit its beauty. 



From this experiment I was led to the i:)rinting of the 

 cards, "A plea for the fish," for the education of the fisher- 

 man, but have found that some of our old and experienced 

 fish men require enlightenment of this same kind. One de- 

 nounces the proposition as "l)osh," stating that he has had 

 twenty years experience in the fish business, and has never 

 found that condition to exist ; l)ut his statement simph- goes 

 to prove and support the position that I have taken, for he 

 was speaking from the standpoint of a fisli man, and when he 

 handles spawning fish, he takes them from a tub of water, 

 with hands always wet ; l)ut the fisherman takes the fish from 

 the hook with his hands dry. 



I never show the beauty of a trout here in the hatchery, 

 without pointing out the efifects and danger of the dry hand. 

 I called upon the advertising agents of all of the railroads 

 that run trains into our mountains during the fishing season, 

 and urged upon them to insert in their acK'ertising matter for 

 this season the information as to how to handle a fish taken 

 from a hook. 1liey did so ; and the work last summer in this 

 direction is hax'ing its results this season, for the information 

 given is being applied by the fishermen, and they are edu- 

 cating others. It is all a matter of education. 



