2l6 



Sierra Club Bulletin. 



"The feature about this find," said Warden Ferguson, "is that 

 the popular behef has always been that the golden trout's brilliant 

 coloring is due to some mineral element in the water of Volcano 

 Creek, which for ten to twelve miles passes through a lava bed 

 formation and that the fish takes the coloring from something 

 in the water. 



"The big fish that we found in the lake were transplanted 

 sixteen years ago, and the formation of the lake is in pure 

 granite with no indication of mineral. The proof was that the 

 golden trout retains its coloration, but the fact is that the 

 lake fish that we sent up to the hatchery are even more brilliantly 

 colored than those taken from the native stream, proving fur- 

 ther in their size and growth what has always been contended 

 with our Sierra fish that they thrive better than in their native 

 habitats, when transplanted." 



The Volcano golden trout expedition is notable for the fact 

 that it is the biggest consignment of big fish that ever was 

 brought out of the high altitudes and safely delivered in the 

 valley. These golden trout went to the State hatchery to be 

 propagated for distribution in suitable waters in high altitudes 

 next year. The success of this expedition will mark the most 

 notable achievement in the fish transplanting and transportation 

 line ever attempted in this State. The golden trout in Cotton- 

 wood Lake were taken at an altitude of over 10,000 feet and those 

 in Little Whitney at 8,000. 



Reports from the State hatchery at Sissons are that the 1,300 

 adult golden trout brought down from the mountains and 

 delivered by mule pack-train to the State fish car in Inyo County, 

 are alive at the hatchery and that there has not been the loss 

 of a fish. In fact, says Ferguson, the loss out of the consign- 

 ment of this brilliantly hued fish was only three, and that loss 

 was experienced before delivery to the fish car. The experience 

 is cited as a remarkable one in fish transplanting work and is 

 declared to be without a parellel. 



The pack train also has returned home, but on the return 

 journey Deputy Bullard picked up loi golden trout, which after 

 a journey of eight days in cans in pack-mule trains were liber- 

 ated in three streams with the loss of only one fish. They were 

 liberated in the north fork of the Kaweah River in the northern 

 part of Tulare County, in Madera Basin Creek in this county 

 between Millwood and Hume, near the Kings River Canon State 

 road, and in Mill Creek near Traweeks on the Millwood road 

 and new Sand Creek road into the mountains, — Fresno Republi- 

 can, Sept.-Oct., 191 1. 



