614 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



ber of hauls iu which 10 tons of carp were taken at one time. It 

 would probabl}" be fair to assume that these fish taken in the spring- 

 averaged in the neighborhood of 8 pounds each, which would mean 

 that each haul contained some 2,500 fish. The largest single haul of 

 which I heard at Lake Erie was said to have contained 14 tons of fish. 

 A recent apparently well-authenticated report from Lake St. Clair, 

 however, exceeds this by more than as much again. Net fishing in 

 Lake St. Clair has been prohibited b}^ the state of Michigan until 

 within a short time, and in the favorable marshes of the St. Clair 

 delta and about the mouth of the Clinton River the carp had increased 

 to an amazing extent, resulting in some phenomenal hauls now that 

 seining for these fish is permitted. The American Fish Culturist for 

 July, 1904 (vol. 1, no. 7, pp. 18-19), quotes from the Detroit News an 

 account of probably the largest haul on record, and adds further con- 

 firmation of the report from Mr. Seymour Bower, superintendent of 

 the Michigan state hatcheries. The article seems of sufficient interest 

 to quote in full: 



" That despised fish known as the German carp is having a growing commercial 

 value, and with the possibilities of carp fishing in mind, Carl Schweikart formed two 

 companies, the St. Clair and Erie Carp Company and the Detroit Carp Company. 

 The field of operations is at the mouth of the Clinton River, where the water is clear 

 and the fish are supposed to he at their best. The former comj^any has had phe- 

 nomenal success in carp catching, having taken in one haul last week 7,200, which 

 they suppose will average about 8 pounds. The catch was made about 8 o'clock in 

 the morning, and several men were kept busy all day getting the carp out of the nets 

 and into the ponds in which the carp are kept until sold. Eastern buyers are figur- 

 ing for the purchase of their entire catch, but Mr. Schweikart is inclined to wait for 

 better prices. The quotation in New York is now 3 cents a pound. 



"What do they do with the carp? Well, they are considered a delicacy by hun- 

 dreds of patrons of the best hotels and cafe's in the East, but the name ' Great Lakes 

 salmon' is preferred." 



Referring to the above, Mr. Seymour Bower, superintendent of the Michigan State 

 hatcheries, says: 



' ' The big haul Avas made in Lake St. Clair, near the mouth of Clinton River. Net 

 fishing of all kinds was prohibited in this lake until the last legislature jiassed an act 

 allowing the seining of carp. Tliis lake, as you may know, is famous for its small- 

 mouth bass fishing, and it is claimed that the presence of the carp in such over- 

 whelming numbers is bad for the bass; hence the passage of this law." 



"Mr. Schweikart is interested in two companies fishing for carp, and I supposed 

 that report of the catch for the month of May, received a few days ago, covered 

 everything in which he was interested, but it was for one company only. The 

 report for the other company was received this morning, and the big haul is there 

 all right. I then called Mr. Schweikart by 'phone and he not only confirms the 

 statement made in the clipping, but says the half was not told, and I know Mr. 

 Schweikart is thoroughly reliable. He states that from the big haul they impounded 

 7,200 carp by count, and for want of time and facilities for handling were obliged to 

 let fully as many rjore go, and that the fish taken will average not less than 10 

 pounds in weight. The two companies in which he is interested impounded 44,900 

 carp by count in May, or upward of 200 tons. 



"Following are the rules under which eleven firms are now fishing there: 



