Sept. 11, 1882.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



131 



Ontario. Without disposing «£ the farm we Leased it to 

 Mr. w. G, Yarney, who has remained On it since, merely 



f Working tlie land and paying. no attention to the fishery, 



* which is abandoned. 



Ill early May. of tin- present )«ir. we visited the place for 

 the flitat time in siir* years, and in conversation with Mr. 

 Vurney, who fishes occasionally, he said that he had enuglrt 

 a salmon in Hbneoye Creek a few yecks before, and that it 

 am i Dave been one of ours; He produced the head of it. 

 which we recognized as that of a salmon of some two pounds' 

 iWfyjht, and we walked over the fann, intending to bring 

 the head away willi us. buB in a harried departure it was 

 forgotten. On arriving hi New Yc-rk we wrote for if. hut 



it had disappeared through our negligence in leaving it in 

 the bam. Mr. Varnev says that it is the third on- that he 

 has caught, and that several others have been taken there. 

 We immediately wrote tie- following letter, winch was pule 

 fesBad in the Nam and in the Cit-dh. both of Iloneoye Falls: 

 OlineEol-' pDBEST AMI. SiTTUiAM. I 



Mi;. \V. C. Varnuy: 



It. will be a 





- . ii j i . i o 



pM»ve that, California s 

 for six years, and nol 



Imon lis .-■ rei 





in&oyel eel 



have gone fa 





\s 1 saw the 



heaaof onemyoui 







QfOrtura,telv 



lost, I am aureo 



teillit v ui' lie I 





i you would 



.11, i a n i s • i botl 



1 he papers urn 



(-- I at Hon 



•oye Kails for 



ati tie-.-- ii-i. ii wrapp 





-,;■ ■{ . 



U its ami for 



■•■ b i' 'i w "ii .i iptfcer, 







raght. etc.. to 



Prof. S. P. H.-ilrd, A\ 







- to ild i 



marls -., B deadfish.' on 







icdiafe atten- 



tion. I will paj 82.00 



or each fish - 



iseiii wbii 



ii Prof. Baird 



pronounces T > 1 e sal 



11 OIL 



. 



n MATHER, 



Tt is not possible tl 



it these Lfsh v. 



;nt inloT, 



ike Ontario, 



for the falls wouldpr. 





rn and th< 



•e is no other 



conclusion but that 



omeof them 

 lie Geno.ee R 



have rein 



lined ill the 



Honey, e t :'eek uid t 



VBT tor si 



x vears, and 



have, not grown large 



The latter it 



not to be 



wondered at. 



for fish, like all oil 



a- animal life 



which in 



• stunted in 



growth the first yea 



'. never griW 



to full si? 



6, Tile fish 



whicli Mr. VameV caught were hi a pool below ti mill (lain 

 near the hamlet eaJle.: Sibleyville, and only in times of 

 Ereshet could they go above the streani and reacli the small 

 brook on the trout farm, which empties into the mill pond. 



THE VEXED MENHADEN QUESTION. 



FOR the past few years there has. been a growing feeling 

 among our coast fishermen that the taking of the 

 menhaden for purposes of making oil and guano was seri- 

 ously affecting the number of'bluehsh, waakflsh, -triped 

 bass ami other valuable fbftd fiittes. In the New Jersey 

 Legislature a bill was introduced forbidding the u.se of 

 purse seines on that roast for this purpose, but it. was with 

 drawn when if was shown that such a law was uncou- 



walers included in the three mile limit, and -.-.bile such, a 

 law might be passed bv the general governmanl it could not 

 affect British suhin-is. who have rights under the treaty of 

 Washington. The in. -re.^e in the number of oil factories 

 has been followed b\ a decrease of food fishes, 

 the attention of Congress has Ik-oii called to 

 Lapham. of New York : Miller of ( 'aliform 

 Windoni and Morgan were appointed a. sub-i 

 the Committt 



and at last 



. Senators 

 : Edmunds, 



led 



Lot 



:<-lj 11 



of a. bill which 



Thi 



il lei 



ah, Atlantic Cl 



id C( 



icld 



s introduced into tin 



w Jersey , which pro 

 the menhaden fish 



Island ''l.a'sl weel. 



Senator Lapham began taking testimony at the latter place 

 and several gentlemen Were summoned to give their \ lews of 

 the matter. 



Mr. Eugene ti, Blackford, the well known Fulton Market 

 dealer and a member of the Fish Commission of \'cw York, 

 was examined. He stated that he had been in the fish busi- 

 ness for sixteen years, during which time he bad carefully 

 observed and studied the habits of tish in American waters 

 Various complaints had been made to him in his official 

 capacity that menhaden fishermen were taking food Sshcs 

 and carrying them to the factories to be manufactured into 

 oil and sorap. He had been unable to do anything in ;},r 

 matter, however, because there was no law applying to such 

 cases. Dp to the last two or three years ihc menhaden 

 industry had been expanding greatly, but recently a steady 

 decrease h-d been observed in all of the places '-, he* Bli 

 yield used to be the great est. in some places it seemed to 

 have become practically exhausted; this was especially the 

 ease off tla coast of Maine Striped bass had become scarce 

 all along the Atlantic coast. Mr. Blackford said he knew 

 of several instances where the menhaden fishermen Lad 

 caught schoo.s of food fishes and brought them to market. 

 In the early fall of 1881 there was au unusually large 

 catch, and four or more vessels came to Fulton Market with 

 about .300,1100 pounds, nearly all of wdiick were Weakfish. 

 Owing to the warm weather at that time only about a 

 quarter of this large catch was placed on the market . T lie 

 remainder was taken to the menhaden factories and made 

 into oil and fertilisers. 



Senator Lapham inquired whether food fish were desirable 

 for lite purposes of the menhaden factories, and Mr. Black- 

 ford answered that, as a rule, they were not, but the blue- 

 fish or weakiish caught in the fall were very fat. 



Senator Lapham— Upon what food do the tuenhaden 



feed? 



Mr Blackford— The food of the menhaden, as far as has 



j.d,!:;;l| ll. n v.,- ■'.::. Li,- ...-ill ! (;:'■,'■:; Bi l. .:..'-, '[ '('. .■',-'■ 



of menhaden. 



Senator Lapham— About what time do the menhaden first 

 appear V 



Mr. Blackford— They appear on the Long Island shore 

 between April 1 and May 1. They arc then hi spawn. 

 About two mouths after that we find large quantities of 

 menhaden tibotif au inch long. I have noticed that men 

 haden have spawn in them about May 1. 



Mr. Blackford went on to say that lie had little in forma 

 lion us to the exact time of the spawning of bluefisli. The 

 young blucfi.sk, or "snappers, " were just now making their 

 appearance off this coast. Bluefisk. il wa< believed, spawned 

 somewhere between July 1 and Aug 15. They were caught 

 prior to that period, however. Bluefisli from i wo to three 

 inches long were found abou< sixty days alter they were seen 

 in spawn in their ripest form. ' The young shad would 

 hatch out in about forty-eight hours after the egg was im- 

 pregnated. The effect of the gieat amount of menhaden 

 fishing now 7 carried on, Mr. Blackford remarked, was to 

 Breakup the schools of fish which were followed by the 



striped bass and the bluefisli, and it had a tendency to make 

 them .seek other feeding grounds. The striped bass were 

 very voracious 1'ceder-on menhaden. Five or Six vears ago, 

 late iu the fall, large quantities of striped llass were Caught, 

 and fretptcnth-tiO.OOo pounds were brought loFulton .Market 

 each day. Year by year the field of this kind of iish had 

 steadily diminished. 



Senator Lapham— What le<jislation, in your opinion, 

 would be desirable wdth reference to this decline of the food 

 fisheries'; 



Mr Blackford— I would like to see a law enacted prohibit- 

 l Hi- niching of menhaden from April I until July 1, or 

 such other dates as ibis eoiumilfece may find, upon invosti- 

 gat ion. to fairly embrace the spawning season of tin- men 

 haden. I Ihink that such a law would protect all interests 

 ami would do the least injury to those w ho are interested in 

 the taking of menhaden. 'Many of the menhaden Bsiiei-- 

 nii-ii are of (he opinion that such a measure would he wise. 

 Senator Lapham— Arc menhaden ever used for food 7 

 Mr. Blackford— Well, I have eaten menhaden, but 1 must 

 confess I do not like them. They are only sold in market 

 for food at times when t In re is a 'scarcity of other fish. Mr. 

 Blackford said there had been a slight" diminutioi in the 

 the quality of bluetisb, but nothing" very marked. Fresh 

 mackerel were caught iu much the same way as menhaden. 

 The catch of mackerel this yenr had been [he largest of any 



in the iish supply al present was in striped bass. This fish 



'Menhaden were the most taking hail fur strinod bass, as well 

 as for blueli di. Mackerel fishing was not affected al all by 

 the menhaden fishery, for mackerel did not feed on nieii- 

 baden. Ticyaie jellyfish and, at certain seasons of the 



year, a iecies-.f red seaweed, calle I by fishermen ■-cayenne." 



ran il pepperish qualities and taste. The spawning sea- 

 son loi striped bass varied very much. In the early spring 

 they were found in Ihc Chesapeake Bay with Iheir roc very 

 much advanced, and in the full ihev'wete found off the 

 Long Island coast. Mr. Blackfonl thought ihc prohibition 



two \i -e the increased catch would more than make up for 



the shortness of the season. The percentage of oil o itaiued 

 fro 



Sri 



the in- 



present appliances (purse-nets) within 30 miles Of the Atlantic 

 coast. Mr. Blackford suagested that if purse-nets were 

 prohibited the mackerel fishery would be interfered with. 

 He added that he desired to see legislative protection given 

 to all fish during the spawning seasou. 



Samuel B. Miller, President of the Fulton Market Fish- 

 mongers' Association, said that last \ear bhiefish ha- b-fi 

 these waters for want of food, and striped bass were -. art er 



than ever before. In answer to the claim made l.y men- 

 haden fishermen that it spoiled their nets b, catch bluehsh, 

 Mr. Miller said it was undoubtedly true i hat if a bluefisli 

 made a dive 10 get out of a menhaden la-t. tile tish could cut 

 the net willi its teeth. Caleb li.-div , of Fulton Market, 

 agreed substantially with what was said by Messrs. Black- 

 fonl nnd Miller. Oscar O. Friedlamle.-. ' President of the 

 Menhaden Fishermen's Association, and Cap; Simeon S 

 Hawkins look the ground that the menhaden industry was 

 not detrimental to the food fisheries. Ca.pt. Hawkins' says 

 that out of :.'l, (11)0. ('tail pounds of menhaden brought to liis 



ha'dei, rosi il -.-"'faci,',,-/' „.m,' a'...,',,- '.- .a',' peiMhousanYmi'd 



era. Senator Lapham will pi 

 timotiv on this subject ai pi 

 obtained will be written oi 



sland Manufac- 

 er that in his 



the menhaden men were organized and supplied with capi- 

 tal to prevent legislation against their interests, '■Senator 

 Lapham," said he, "has so far found that any legislation 

 Which would interfere with free fishing for menhaden would 

 affect a very large industry of this Slate, consequently lie 

 has spared no trouble in investigating the causes lot com- 

 plaint thoroughly." Mr Friedlandei claims ihai the catch- 

 ing of menhaden does not cause any diuiinuiioi ;.-- ft q 



fishes. IBs theory is that, the menhaden left the coaSI Of 

 Rhode Island aud'lhe east end of Long Island because they 

 found better leading elsewhere. The v are now found in 

 large quantities on the New- Jersey' coast, between Atlamic 



the Barren Island Company s boats -tutus that he never saw 

 so many menhaden together as he saw off the Jersey coast, 

 last Monday, The average yield of oil from the meiihadeu 

 issaidto be much larger this year than la<t. Ai the fac- 

 tories in which Ml'. Friedlauder is interested the average of 

 oil this year is :>.', gallons for every l.oao Iish, Las! year - . 



menhaden fishermen claim that to prohibit the catching of 



menhaden between llie 1st of April and I si of July would 



Ihc small Iish." said Mr. Friedlandei'. "Our men fish wilh 

 2! and Ml inch meshes, and I huve advocated legislation in 

 thai direction. II would be a good thingto prohibit the 



catching of menhaden with smaller nets than 2.}-inchmesh. J ' 



Fishes of Manitoba.— Win uipeg. Sept B.— I have not 

 been out .shooting- vet this season hul from reports 1 hear 

 that ducks and chickens are fib y plentiful. We have a few 



catfish. Sturgeon and a small tish called goldeye. iM's a Hat- 

 -i led, small-mouthed fish with very bright silvery scales and 

 a yellow- eye from which it gets its name. There is also a 



the best bail to u-.e, and oblige— WiKsrpjsapBE. I Wedo not 

 recognize tin- tish. The last rish may be the lake dogfish 

 Amid caka. Buffalo tish can be taken with a bait of bread 

 dough mixed into cotton to hold it together.] 



Sek urtvertisenieiit uf ShcJton's Challenge ct'iu. 



THE SPADE-FISH OR PADDLE-FISH. 



,"M!A-\<1« I'ABKMAK in his exceedingly interestinj 



-ry of the Great We*t."' ii 



itled 



'The Dis 

 luer deta 



ig the 



id. Ills 



he 



first enters the swift current of the "Father of Waters." 

 soou after which event his canoe was struck and nearly up 

 set by a "spade-fish." and finally catching S feWSpeeun nH 

 in his net;. He records his astonishment at their eccentric 

 appearance. 



There was recently caught in a small lake ne: r Warsaw, 

 Indiana, a single very large fish of this same species. /'-'.>/ 

 lion trpMula, weighing one liuudred and fittv-ouc pounds, 

 aud is the only tish of that kind ever caught in' these wniet's. 

 This small lake at low water is entirely land-locked, but is. 

 after prolonged rains, in Communication with a larger and 

 an adjoining one. 



This singular fish was brought here aud placed on e\bi- 

 projeeiio,, or prolongation of 

 xteeu inches in from of the 



the .i .-■■ I - - the bottom of 

 .gout clfjnvs, roots ami other 

 ml secured in Ills way. But 



dved and grown to such enor- 



ough. 

 ii cvperieneeil lasiilerniist, and will 

 1. Its dimensions are bs follows-. 

 Ij girth, il feet. !'l inches; leiiglli of 

 vidl h of spade. ;; incl.e:-:; thickness of 



. 151 pounds. Iissioni eh wasen- 



! of its capture, and its diet is a ques- 

 Ihvologists. 



if "Araby the Biest,"hul more of 

 e smell," similar to that of the wdi. le 

 ugh the country a few years since, 

 Doiiris. 



the upper law til 

 point where the 1 



its blindness, thi 

 like a spade iu 

 lakes and bed of 

 food that might 



vided with a 

 it extends si 

 ower one do 

 ■knes-s- and g 



-,,.-, tos of fish co 



ltd have sun 



sin this littl 

 s singular en 



Th 

 that "\ 



CATFISH. 



Nt) STiutvu ;if August ;)l. I tiud you ai ■>. 

 rm tiou regarding the catfish family, relative 



illhead" is a good one; 

 and, don't laugh, I have 

 j boy (la}'s, taking them, 

 vintei 1 . are skinned ami 

 •uty cents per pound. 1 



sally 



i the 



had heaps of fun, es 

 They are in season hei 

 readily fetch from fifteen to tweu 

 think the blue and yellow cats of ih 

 in flavor to all others-, and the hen: 

 home. Bv referring to Foiti-.s-i axo 

 ago (1 think) you ivill find several ar 

 out. describing this fish in both north 

 from its range iu the Red River of tin 

 Mexico on the south. It certainly 



lthei 



i tin 



Wiite 



•i-.vwhe 



iet\ 



id decla 



have taka 



you that 

 except in 



nth to the Gulf i 



ish adapt.ed to 

 ml eab-L, il mo- 

 is,, taken in th 

 e. The lake ca 



pre -i 



Th 



few i 



preler Ihem 



all 



the mud shi 



rtty. 



1 you must L 



i-UT} 



pro 



tpoitatio! 



r in fish on the lake is Mr. H. E. 

 ky, Ohio. Tie is the soul of honor, 



ail'whal -I Would be n good idea to teach 

 T)u. E. Steblixo. 



The la 



OT lagan, 

 and aeeoi 

 1 don'i 

 those .Belgians how to cook cats. 



Cl.KVi I.ANIl, O. 



If Mr. Mather can't get catfish more convenient, he could 

 get a full supply in Middle Georgia. Presume he can gel 

 them nearer. Tiiom \s Chauikks 



Hoi.voeb, Mass. 



SEA TURTLES NEAR NEW YORK. 



> a fishing" off tl 

 mild knov thai 



larly known as 

 ,s, for reiuarkii 

 little 



ig pa 



south shore of Btate-c 

 >a turtles nbonud in 

 ,8 Ray. imav be par 

 ut-hel.ic.ully that Priuce's 



About three weeks ago Mr. ..lacob Vetter, of the Excelsior 

 Fishing Club, located at Huguenot, while anglin' 

 weakfish on "the middle," discovered that some thing 

 had "caught on" to a baited hand line which lis hai" 



dang 



i the fide. This proved to be a turtle 



that had 

 With the 

 boat, and 

 ed within 





:' il 



turtle sou,,. 



turtles, it w 



head may b, 



Spruce. It! 



If is uuus 



(Siaten Islam 

 Idea app, 



hi eh eon- 



[R's! g lV ell 



dialers in 

 tilth. Its 



let i 



;ar 



thi-i 



'.s-h-O-U-g-h," 



' YonK, Bept. 11. 



I' one or more of these monsters, or by 

 s they come up to breathe. 



AtaiiiKT E CoiiHRAN, 



Tali Wr.sT Jioit.s!.;v Socno'i'v. — i'liil.-aleljihia, Sept, 3. — 

 The West Jersey Came Protective Association isvery active 

 thi SI '-'--■ -ui the .Ww -1. r,s, y i.ie i.«i' inn- i-i\-,-|-, ScVfjX'a] 

 shoolers li;ivc lieen aiTesleil. noi being able to show lie, -use. 

 te'ic.i -. .in, of pigeon -she.i.ib i .- ;'. i-n- e .-.--, taken in day be- 

 fore y,.stei-da\ ami liueii $m, a'nd yesterday A. Welch, Jr., 

 son of the great stock breeder, was arrested ami taken to 

 Camden and fined $50. The latter gentleman has fl n \taefi. 

 his determination to make appeal and test the constitution 

 ality of the law. whicli you know has been questioned by 

 some, -Homo. 



