
FISH AND FISHING. 
IT IS°A-LING. 
I send you herewith a photo of a fish 
taken in Lake Chelan. What is it? 
H. C. Nicoll, Boise, Idaho. 
ANSWER. 
The fish taken by Mr. Nicoll in Lake 
Chelan is, as clearly shown by the pho- 
tograph, the cusk or ling, Lota macu- 
losa, the only freshwater member or the 
cod family in American waters. 
It is variously known as ling, lake law- 
ver, burbot, and freshwater cusk; ling and 
‘tusk being the names most often heard in 

I. Catostomus macrochelius (Girard). 
“Sucker”; Columbia river sucker. Com- 
mon. 
2. Catostomus catostomus (Forster). 
“Sucker”; red sucker. 
This species probably also occurs in 
Lake Chelan, though no specimens were 
seen. I was told-of a sucker which “col- 
lect in schools and swim at the surface, 
sticking their noses out.” It is probably 
this species. 
3. Ptychocheitlus- oregonensis (Richard- 
son). “Squaw-fish.” Abundant; reaches 
CUSK; LING; LOTA MACULOSA (La Sueur ). 
this country. It reaches a length of 2 
feet or more and- occurs in lakes and 
sluggish streams in New England, the 
Great Lakes region, North to the Arc- 
fe=seas and West to Bering straits. “lt 
also occurs in the headwaters of the Mis- 
souri where I found it in Red Rock lake 
and Red Rock river in 1891. 
In 1892, Dr. C. H. Eigenmann reported 
it from the Red river of the North at 
Winnipeg, the Missousi river at Craig, 
the Saskatchewan at Calgary, the Fraser 
river at Sicamous, and the Columbia river 
at Golden. 
While at Lake Chelan in August, 1898, 
I learned of its presence in that lake. It 
was said to be occasionally taken there 
and to attain a length of 2.5 feet and a 
weight of 12 pounds or more. It is re- 
garded as a deep water fish and most of 
the specimens seen have been found. dead 
on the beach. : 
On October 8, 1898, Mr. C. Robinson, 
of Chelan, reported to the United States 
Fish Commission the finding of a large 
fish floating in Lake Chelan. His de- 
scription shows that it was a cusk. This 
example was 32 inches long from snout to 
tip of tail, and is one of the largest known. 
The fishes of Lake Chelan have never 
been collected or studied, but in looking 
over my notes I find I have memoranda | 
concerning the occurrence of at least 9 
species in that lake, as follows: 
,- 
371 
a good size and is not to be despised as a 
game fish, though as a food fish I cannot 
recommend it highly. 
4. Myochelius caurimus (Richardson). 
Columbia river chub; ‘whitefish.’ 
Another common minnow, smaller than 
the squawfish, but equally gamey for its 
size. I have seen this bony minnow served 
at the Demersville hotel, above: Flathead 
lake, as “‘whitefish.” : 
5.  Leuciscus balieatus (Richardson). 
“Common minnow’; “silverside.’’ Usual- 
ly abundant, reaching a length of 5 or 6 
inches. 
6. Coregonus williamsoni (Girard). 
“Mountain herring’; Rocky mountain 
whitefish. Said to be cpmmon. 
This is a true whitefish, and is the sweet- 
est, most delicious pan fish found in the 
Rockies and Cascades. It reaches a weight 
of one to 4 pounds and, in the lakes, is 
usually found in moderately deep water ex- 
cept late in the fall, when it comes out into 
shallow water, in vast numbers in some 
places, to spawn. It is a good game fish. 
Its mouth is small and a small hook must 
be used. 
7, Salvelinus parkei (Suckley). “Bull 
trout’; “charr.” Abundant, and said to 
reach a weight of 6 to 9 pounds, 
8. Salmo clarku var.? 
Local anglers speak of “lake trout,” 
“brooke trett« —-tainbow.~.trout, » ete. 
i 
acai - TEES, 
