﻿EEPOET 
  OF 
  THE 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISHERIES. 
  23 
  

  

  No 
  rise 
  of 
  any 
  consequence 
  occurred 
  after 
  April 
  12, 
  and 
  while 
  striped 
  

   bass 
  in 
  unusual 
  numbers 
  were 
  in 
  evidence, 
  the 
  returns 
  to 
  the 
  commer- 
  

   cial 
  fishermen 
  were 
  the 
  smallest 
  ever 
  known. 
  Notwithstanding 
  the 
  

   unfavorable 
  weather 
  conditions, 
  more 
  eggs 
  were 
  secured 
  than 
  last 
  

   year, 
  and 
  the 
  output 
  of 
  fry 
  was 
  greater 
  than 
  in 
  any 
  previous 
  season. 
  

   The 
  comparative 
  success 
  is 
  attributable 
  in 
  some 
  measure 
  to 
  the 
  pro- 
  

   portionately 
  larger 
  number 
  of 
  ripe 
  males 
  secured, 
  and 
  also 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  

   that 
  more 
  females 
  in 
  spawning 
  condition 
  were 
  available 
  than 
  hereto- 
  

   fore, 
  both 
  these 
  propitious 
  features 
  being 
  made 
  possible 
  by 
  the 
  very 
  

   conditions 
  which 
  militated 
  against 
  successful 
  fishing 
  operations. 
  

   Male 
  and 
  female 
  fish, 
  clustered 
  together 
  in 
  the 
  act 
  of 
  spawning, 
  were 
  

   easily 
  distinguishable 
  in 
  the 
  clear 
  water 
  of 
  the 
  river, 
  and 
  owing 
  to 
  

   its 
  low 
  stage 
  it 
  was 
  comparatively 
  easy 
  to 
  surround 
  with 
  a 
  net 
  and 
  

   capture 
  fish 
  so 
  clustered. 
  By 
  means 
  of 
  the 
  motor 
  launch 
  recently 
  

   provided 
  for 
  the 
  work 
  on 
  this 
  river, 
  the 
  eggs 
  were 
  collected 
  from 
  the 
  

   commercial 
  fishermen 
  with 
  greater 
  facility 
  than 
  ever 
  before, 
  and 
  to 
  

   this 
  fact 
  may 
  be 
  attributed 
  the 
  higher 
  percentage 
  of 
  hatch 
  attained. 
  

   The 
  egg 
  collections 
  numbered 
  10,383,000, 
  and 
  the 
  output 
  of 
  fry 
  aggre- 
  

   gated 
  7,234,000. 
  

  

  Propagation 
  of 
  the 
  trouts 
  and 
  pond 
  -fishes. 
  — 
  At 
  the 
  trout 
  stations 
  

   of 
  the 
  Bureau 
  the 
  work 
  m 
  general 
  was 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  preceding 
  

   years. 
  The 
  supply 
  of 
  brook- 
  trout 
  eggs 
  derived 
  from 
  brood 
  fish 
  

   carried 
  in 
  ponds 
  and 
  collected 
  from 
  wild 
  stock 
  was 
  supplemented 
  by 
  

   the 
  purchase 
  of 
  eggs 
  from 
  commercial 
  dealers, 
  this 
  course 
  having 
  

   proved 
  more 
  economical 
  for 
  some 
  stations 
  than 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  eggs 
  

   from 
  waters 
  available 
  for 
  the 
  purpose. 
  The 
  total 
  output 
  of 
  fry 
  and 
  

   fingerlmg 
  trout 
  exceeded 
  that 
  of 
  last 
  year. 
  Owing 
  to 
  unfavorable 
  

   weather 
  conditions 
  during 
  the 
  spawning 
  season, 
  fewer 
  rainbow 
  trout 
  

   were 
  produced 
  than 
  in 
  1912, 
  the 
  falling 
  off 
  in 
  this 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  work 
  

   being 
  more 
  noticeable 
  m 
  Colorado 
  than 
  elsewhere. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  Yellowstone 
  National 
  Park 
  the 
  provision 
  of 
  additional 
  

   facilities, 
  the 
  establishment 
  of 
  new 
  field 
  stations, 
  and 
  the 
  extension 
  of 
  

   operations 
  over 
  a 
  wider 
  territory 
  permitted 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  approx- 
  

   imately 
  29,000,000 
  blackspotted 
  trout 
  eggs, 
  more 
  than 
  the 
  number 
  

   secured 
  in 
  that 
  field 
  in 
  any 
  previous 
  year. 
  The 
  fish-cultural 
  possibil- 
  

   ities 
  of 
  Yellowstone 
  Lake 
  and 
  tributary 
  streams 
  are 
  practically 
  

   unlimited 
  and 
  plans 
  will 
  be 
  made 
  another 
  year 
  to 
  increase 
  stiU 
  further 
  

   the 
  output 
  of 
  blackspotted 
  trout 
  from 
  this 
  field, 
  which 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  

   time 
  is 
  the 
  Bureau's 
  only 
  source 
  of 
  supply 
  for 
  eggs 
  of 
  Salmo 
  lewisi, 
  

   one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  species 
  of 
  trout. 
  

  

  A 
  new 
  branch 
  of 
  fish 
  culture 
  undertaken 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  

   work 
  of 
  the 
  St. 
  Johnsbury 
  station 
  was 
  the 
  propagation 
  of 
  steelhead 
  

   trout 
  in 
  streams 
  tributary 
  to 
  Lake 
  Memphremagog. 
  By 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  

   trap 
  mstalled 
  in 
  the 
  Willoughby 
  River, 
  brood 
  fish 
  were 
  intercepted 
  

   and 
  penned 
  in 
  a 
  spring-fed 
  stream 
  entering 
  the 
  river 
  just 
  above 
  the 
  

  

  