Lakes. 



Each lake should be specially studied. The old 

 fashioned fishing must be brought back in all the mud 

 bottom ponds, sloughs and creeks. That is, they must be 

 heavily stocked with pickerel and perch. 



To return to a local example. Any of the ponds in 

 Norfolk could be brought back to the conditions of twen- 

 ty years ago by such methods and absolute protection for 

 two years (viz Goshen pond, where it is now possible to 

 catch a hundred pickerel any time.) There are certain 

 of the larger and clearer ponds with which experiments 

 might be made. For instance Twin Lakes typical of sev- 

 eral ponds in the State, raises many great lake white fish. 

 The pond is literally alive with them but as they are a 

 deep water fish and because it is against the law to use a 

 gill net only a few are caught and those illegally. 



After the experience of the past two years and after 

 a study of the situation I do not believe in the Chinook 

 salmon unless he is to be raised and fished for with nets 

 He is too hard to catch in the lakes to be a good sporting 

 fish or much of a factor as a food supply. I can give 

 data and details regarding Chinook fishing in Massachu- 

 setts, New York and Connecticut which will demonstrate 

 this point. 



Therefore it is a fair conclusion that most of the lakes 

 ought to be stocked with the indigenous fishes and that 

 those ought to be increased by propagation and stocking 

 to a point where any farmer's boy can get a mess in season. 



There are fifty miles of stream in each, the Housatonic 

 and Farmington which raise only a few insignificent fish 

 and which might be made to raise tons of food by inten- 

 sive work. All this means money. Money can be raised 

 only by educating the public to the necessity of a fish 

 license. A fish license at from $3 to $5 would raise ample 

 money to support all necessary hatcheries. 



Pollution. 



The whole subject of pollution of streams is, to my mind, 

 for the present immaterial except so far as it relates to the 

 shell fish proposition. 



The Naugatuck river, from Torrington down is the only 

 river in the State of which I personally know which is so 

 polluted that it will not raise fish. The other rivers are 

 not bad and the lakes throughout are comparatively 

 clean and healthful. 



What the State now possesses in the line of hatcheries 

 and their output is absolutely inadequate ; good enough 



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