FISH AND FISHING. 



SPEARING MUSKALONGE. 



Jamestown, N. Y. 



Editor Recreation : 1 noticed in a recent 

 issue of Recreation, a reference to Chautau- 

 qua lake — copied from the Evening Journal. 

 Your conclusion is in error. I doubt if 3,000 

 muskalonge were taken from Chautauqua 

 lake during the 10 days' lawful spearing. 

 I and a companion occupied a fish coop, 

 each of the 10 days, and secured 5 fish. The 

 last 4 days we did not see a fish. The fish- 

 ing is very poor in this lake and will con- 

 tinue so until our fish commissioners come 

 to their senses, and conduct the propaga- 

 tion of our muskalonge in a sensible man- 

 ner. 



At present the fish are taken in early 

 spring, stripped and as soon as the fry are 

 fairly hatched, they are returned to the lake 

 to feed the perch, sunfish and rock bass, that 

 infest this water. Instead of this ponds 

 should be established for rearing the fish to 

 a proper size to be returned to the lake. We 

 have all facilities for making such ponds 

 and making a success of the work. The 

 manner in which this matter has been han- 

 dled so far, has resulted in nothing more 

 than a detriment to the lake, and a loss to 

 the state in expenditures. 



There is no danger of anyone becoming a 

 full fledged fish hog in this vicinity, as 

 there is not game or fish enough here to 

 make it possible to produce the swine. 



But, Mr. Editor, we have a species of 

 swine that literally abound about here that 

 you fail to mention. They are in their pens, 

 and await the branding process. I refer to 

 the members of our so-called gun clubs and 

 fish protective societies. 



People who through their position and in- 

 fluence induce resident land owners to post 

 their premises so that the poor cuss cannot 

 shoot or molest what little game is left, or 

 in any way interfere with the pleasure of 

 these swine who kill more game in one day, 

 with their trained dogs, than the poor cuss 

 can kill in a week. D. 



I fully realize the claims of market fish- 

 ermen to their share of the products of the 

 water, but the muskalonge is not properly 

 a market fish and the law which allows its 

 destruction in the manner referred to is 

 wrong. I, in common with every lover of 

 .legitimate sport, hope soon to see this law 

 repealed. I would as soon think of spear- 

 ing brook trout through the ice as muska- 



longe. One is just as strictly a game fish as 

 the other and if any difference the muska- 

 longe is the greater of the 2. I cannot un- 

 derstand how any man who has the slight- 

 est idea of sport can ever descend to the 

 level of the savage Indian by hiding in a 

 coop, tolling these noble fish to a hole in the 

 ice and murdering them with a spear. 

 Every man who ever killed one or more 

 of these fish, in this barl arous way, should 

 be ashamed of himself and should never 

 descend to such barbarity again, even if the 

 law does allow it. 



D. says he and his companion occupied 

 their fish coop 10 days and secured only 5 

 fish ; that during the last 4 days they did 

 not see a fish. No wonder. The chances are 

 that nearly all the large muskalonge in the 

 lake were killed during the first few days. 

 If there were a few that were so wary as 

 not to be enticed in this way, so much the 

 better. They were left for seed. I only 

 regret that all the others were not equally 

 wise. 



D. further says, " The fishing is very 

 poor in this lake and will continue so until 

 our Fish Commissioners come to their sen- 

 ses." 



As a matter of fact, the fishing will con- 

 tinue so despite the efforts of the Fish Com- 

 missioners, no matter how they may con- 

 duct the work of propagation and restock- 

 ing. No. process of supplying the waters 

 can be successful against the organized 

 force of an army of fish hogs armed with 

 spears, who camp on the ice 10 days of each 

 winter and kill the breeders. 



I heartily approve of the methods of the 

 farmers who post their lands against tres- 

 passers, and 1 wish that for the next 10 

 years they might post them against all 

 shooters, rich or poor. It is only by the 

 most rigid means of protection that any of 

 the fish and game in these Eastern states can 

 be saved and the more rigid and severe such 

 measures can be made, the better for the 

 game. 



I am aware I shall antagonize the senti- 

 ments of many fishermen and hunters in 

 making these statements. So be it. Let the 

 fish, the birds and the mammals live, and 

 if in future we can raise the stock to such a 

 degree as to again admit of fair and reason- 

 able indulgence in these sports, all right. If 

 not, let us at least have the fields and the 

 forests blessed with birds and animals, if 

 our guns are to be preserved simply as relics 

 of flr* past. — Editor. 



479 



