Nov. 14, 1896.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
391 
to be a scarcity of smelts just then. To be sure^ we got 
what I was ready to call fair fishing, but it was tame com- 
pared to what they had enjoyed a week before. In fact, 
Capt. Seth Hartford, the Commodore's companion at the 
cottage, said it was very poor. That same Capt, Hartford, 
being a Provincetown man, is also an inbred fisherman 
and a very handy man to have around a camp. The 
Commodore went to the city to join a party of friends on 
a coon hunt in Middleboro, while I remained with Capt. 
Seth, who was always ready to go fishing whenever I de- 
sired. I made two trips to the island. We had all sorts 
of weather — too rough to go out one day and beautifully 
warm and pleasant the next — and altogether I put in some 
very enjoyable days; got some fish every time we went 
out; heard with satisfaction the Commodore's story of the 
coon hunt when they didn't get any coons, and came 
Itiome with a firm determination to go again the next 
time I was asked. William B. Smart. 
VERMONT FISH COMMISSION. 
COMunssiONERS John W. Titcomb and Horace W. Bai- 
ley have submitted to the Vermont Liegislature the thir- 
teenth biennial report, ending with June 30, 1896, The 
document is illustrated with a set of the colored portraits 
of fishes prepared by Mr, F, S Denton, under the direc- 
tion of Dr. Tarleton H. Bean, for the Pennsylvania Fish 
Commission; the plates were here supplied by the Ver- 
mont Fish and Came League. 
The work of the hatchery shows for 1895 a planting of 
195,000 brook trout. 210,000 lake trout. 35,000 rainbow 
trout; and for 1896 600,000 brook trout, 285,000 lake trout, 
10,000 Von Behr trout. 
In the spring of 1895 Hon. A. W. Hyde, of Sudbury, 
seined from Hinkum Pond 2.844 small-mouthed black 
bass and placed them in Lake Hortonia, with a loss of 68 
fish. Of the 3,776 planted in good order one-third were 
3 to 6in. long, one-third 6 to Sin. long, one-sixth 8 to lOin. 
long, one-sixth somewhat larger. He also took with rod 
and line 17 adult bass weighing from 11 to 21bs. , and 
planted in the larger lake. From Lake Champlain he 
purchased of a fisherman, under authority of the Com- 
missioners, 111 adult bass and transported to Lake Hor- 
tonia. In the spring of 1896 Mr. Hyde took 506 bass from 
Hinkum, from 4 to lOin, in length, and planted them in 
Lake Hortonia, Hinkum Pond, the source of supply, 
was formerly inhabited by bullheads and perch. It was 
subsequently stocked with bass some years ago, but being 
of too small area for bass, the latter ate the smaller fish, 
exhavisting their source of supply, and do not now grow 
to full size in the smaller pond. Hinkum Pond is for 
this reason used as a source of supply for stocking other 
waters. In the autumn of 1895 Ealph Garfield and others 
secured about 25 black bass from Wolcott Pond and 
planted them in Big Pond. These fish averaged about 
lib. in weight. 
On May 27, 1896, F. H. Crandall, superintendent of the 
Burlington City Water Works, obtained from the Wi- 
nooski River and planted in the city reservoir 88 wall- 
eyed pike. 
April 26, 1895, Hon. Ira E. Allen and others obtained 
from Lake Champlain 110 wall-eyed pike, which they 
placed in Lake Bomoseen. In May, 1896, the same par- 
ties placed 58 wall-eyed pike in Lake Bomoseen from the 
same source. 
The citizens of Berkshire and Franklin, being interest- 
ed in the stocking of Franklin Pond, obtained from Lake 
Champlain adult wall-eyed pike to the number of 10 in 
the spring of 1895, and 52 in the spring of 1896. 
With respect to other fishes handled by the Commission 
we quote from the report. 
A table is given which shows fines and costs as paid by 
the offenders amount to about $3,000, with many cases 
pending in the county court. Violations are not increas- 
ing in number, although the table may indicate that 
more offenders have been brought to justice the past 
term than heretofore, " 
The case against Adalbert Bundy, who was arrested by 
* Fish Warden Kipp with 244 short trout, has attracted 
considerable attention from the fact that Bandy was em- 
ployed by several citizens of Hyde Park, who owned a 
private pond and wished to stock it by taking trout from 
the public waters of the State. The Commissioners have 
always maintained that, inasmuch as it was not lawful to 
use fish propagated at the State hatchery for the purpose 
of stocking private waters, and inasmuch as it was also 
unlawful for individuals to, take fish less than 6in. long 
from public waters of the State, it is not proper or lawful 
to permit the taking of trout except of legal length and 
by lawful methods for the purpose of stocking private 
waters, 
Referring to the case of State vs. Johnson and Waite, 
one justice refused to try the case. The accused plead 
guilty to catching 96 trout under 6in. in length and re- 
ceived a fijie of only $5 and costs, or about one-hundredth 
part of maximum penalty. There were no extenuating 
circumstances in the case. .The trial justice made the 
remark in court that "it is a very foolish law, but so long 
as it is on the statutes I suppose I must take notice of it." 
The 6in. Trout Law. 
The main argument in favor of a law placing a limit 
on trout as to length is in the fact that by thus protecting 
the small trout they have at least one opportunity to 
spawn and reproduce. This law is well observed by 
sportsmen throughout the State, although there are com- 
munities where sentiment is very generally opposed to 
the law, and where fishermen who fish for numbers 
rather than size, and regardless of sport, utterly disre- 
gard the law. It has its objectionable features in that 
the careless fisherman, not in sympathy with the law, 
will maintain that a small trout, once hooked, almost in- 
variably dies. That this statement is not true may be 
substantiated by the fact that several thousand short 
trout were caught for stocking the breeding ponds at 
Roxbury, with no noticeable mortality as a result. Nearly 
all the New England States have followed the example of 
Vermont in placing a statutory limit upon the trout to be 
legally caught. 
There has been a misunderstanding among many fish- 
ermen who were of the impression that it is legal to take 
trout of less than 6ui. in length from public waters for 
stocking private waters. In cases of this kind the owners 
of the private waters have been allowed to restore the 
short trout to the public waters again without further 
action. 
It is a notable fact that in communities where public 
sentiment upholds the law better fishing prevails than in 
more rural communities, where the fishing should be the 
best. 
Saw-dust. 
It always has seemed strange that the farmers should 
oppose legislation against the pollution of streams, inas- 
much as they individually suffer more than any other 
class of citizens. There are instances in various parts of 
the State where the riparian owners have secured injunc- 
tions against the pollution of the streams adjacent to 
their lands with sawdust during high water. A notable 
instance of the utility of such an injunction may be men- 
tioned in connection with Moose River. This stream had 
been practically depleted of trout, but since the mill 
owners have begun to take care of their sawdust the 
trout have steadily increased from natural propagation 
with but little assistance from artificial propagation, and 
in spite of the fact that the stream has been fished almost 
daily during the open season. It is a notable fact that 
large mill owners, or those who operate most extensively, 
take care of their sawdust and refuse either by burning 
it or selling it. It is the smaller mills that do the most 
damage to the trout streams. [The Com mission refuses to 
supply trout to sawdust-plagued streams.] 
Landlocked Salmon. 
This valuable variety of food and game fishes is not 
known to be indigenous to any of the lakes in Vermont. 
It is fast becoming one of the most popular varieties in 
Maine and New Hampshire, both as a food and game fish. 
Some years ago Lake Morey was stocked with them by 
the United States Fish Commission, and a few of good 
size have been caught there the past two seasons. In all 
probability the larger part of the salmon from the plants 
above referred to have escaped into ponds below Lake 
Morey, and thence into the Connecticut, and possibly some 
of them have returned into the ocean. In order to have 
some of the inland lakes of Vermont stocked with this 
valuable variety, Peacham Pond, or Onion River Pond, 
as it is properly named, has been stocked and closed by 
the Commiasicmers, the fish having been received from 
the United States Fish Commission and turned over to 
the State Commission before being deposited in the lake. 
It is designed that this lake shall be used as a source of 
supply for stocking other waters, if the first deposit proves 
a success. The United States Fish Commission will ob- 
tain spawn from the fish when mature for further work 
of propagation. It is not contemplated to keep Peacham 
Pond permanently closed, but simply long enough to give 
the salmon a foothold in the lake. After that time the 
lake wiU be restocked from time to time, by returning to 
it annually a portion of the fish produced from eggs pre- 
viously taken from it and artificially hatched. 
While these fish are naturally river spawners, it has 
been shown that they will spawn in lakes supplied by 
streams too small to admit of their use as spawning 
grounds. In such cases the salmon spawn on gravelly 
bottoms in the lake, very much like the lake trout. In 
such cases they select a spot where a spring bubbles up 
through the gravel. The brook trout of Caspian Lake 
have the same habit, as well as the brook trout of many 
other lakes not so well known. 
In considering the suitability of our lakes for the inti'o- 
duction of the salmon, the question of fish food is of first 
importance, as it is in the attempt to increase the product 
of any water by the introduction of any other variety of 
fish. Many of our lakes are now well stocked with min- 
nows. These make good food for the salmonidce, but not 
so valuable as the smelt. State Fishculturist A. N. Che- 
ney, of New York, recommends the round whitefish, 
called in New York frost fish. 
Lake Trout In Lake Champlain. 
To the older inhabitants of Vermont it will be recalled 
that Lake Champlain was once inhabited by lake trout, 
commonly called longe, and also Atlantic salmon, which 
entered Lake Champlain by way of the St. Lawrence and 
Richelieu rivers during their migratory period for the 
purpose of spawning, also that salmon entered the various 
rivers and tributaries to spawn. At that period the 
waters of the lake were undoubtedly colder than at pres- 
ent, and the condition of the rivers in which the fish 
spawned was also better. The water was not polluted 
with sawdust refuse or other sewerage; although the con- 
ditions have been much changed, the experiment has 
been made to restock the lake with lake trout, and in 
place of the Atlantic sdimon, which is now prevented 
from entering the lake by dams and other obstructions, 
landlocked salmon have been introduced. Whether 
these fish will thrive and multiply is entirely an experi- 
mental question, which only time will decide. An occa- 
sional salmon has been taken in Lake Champlain. About 
one mile from Port Kent, N. Y,, a salmon was taken 
which weighed about 12ilbs. ; it was taken with a spear 
probably near the mouth of the Au Sable River. Hon. 
A. N, Cheney, fishculturist of New York, states that the 
fish above mentioned was probably a sea salmon from fry 
planted on the New York side of the lake; and the New 
York Fish Commissioner also states that a number of sal- 
mon were captured near Plattsburg, N, Y. He also makes 
mention of salmon being taken weighing 201b8. The 
United States Fish Commission in 1894 planted 9,770 fin- 
gerling salmon under the direction of Mr, Cheney in some 
of the streams on the New York side of the lake. A lake 
trout weighing 151bs, was taken on a smelt hook in Shel- 
burne Bay, in April, 1895, Other trout are said to have 
been captured, of smaller size, but the reports have not 
been verified. These facts go to show that fish of the 
salmon family can still live in Lake Champlain, but it has 
not yet been proven that they can reproduce in suffi- 
cient numbers to make stocking of the lake a success. 
During the year 1895 the United States Fish Commission 
sent two shipments of fingerling steelhead trout to Lake 
Champlain from the station at St. Johnsbury, One con- 
signment was planted in the vicinity of Isle La Motte, the 
other consignment around the reef off Colchester Point 
and Stave Island. The steelhead trout is indigenous to 
the waters of California, and resembles very much the 
salmon trout. It is believed that this variety will stand 
warmer water than ordinary lake trout. The steelheada 
above referred to were fingerlings of good size, and well 
able to take care of themselves. 
The Rainbow Trout or California Trout. 
Salmo irideus has been distributed to some extent with 
very satisfactory results. The Commissionera do not ad- 
vise stocking natural trout waters with rainbow trout, 
but rather select streams which were formerly the natural 
haunt of the common brook trout, but in which the latter 
no longer thrives, owing to changed conditions which re- 
sult in a warmer temperature of water than is agreeable to 
the speckled trout. 
The lower and deeper waters of some of the large trout 
streams prove very acceptable to the rainbow variety. 
The cutting off of the forests has resulted in marked 
changes in the nature of many streams, and the rainbow 
may be the means of preserving the fishing in some of 
these streams. The following is an extract from a letter 
showing what the rainbow has done in four years: 
"Randolph, Vt,, Aug, 24, 1896.— The rainbow trout that 
I put into Mad River four years ago have been heard 
from this season. I have heard of about twenty being 
caught, weighing from about 2 to 2ilbs. each. 
J. E, Eldkidge." 
Black Bass. 
The law protecting black bass until June 15 was framed 
with especial reference to the spawning season of this 
fish. The bass protects its spawning beds and afterward 
its young. They do not leave their spawning beds in 
many instances before July 1. During the period of 
spawning the bass do not usually eat, but they are easily 
captured, because they will seize baited hooks dropped on 
their beds or dragged slowly over them, in an evident at- 
tempt to protect the latter. 
As a matter of information, the following data are 
given respecting the size and weight of bass: A bass lOin. 
long weighs about lOoz,; llin. long, 12oz,; 12iin. long, 
14oz, ; 17in. long, Bibs, loz, ; 19Ln. long, 41bs, 2oz, 
The figures will of course vary with the condition of 
the fish and in different waters, some bass being more 
stocky than others. 
Pound Netting Disaster. 
ASBURY Park, N. J, — Editor Forest and Stream: Ruin 
to some, financial embarrassment to all, is the story of the 
pound fishery of our coast for the season of 1896, Un- 
heeding the advice of men of experience and opposing all 
law looking to the better condition of affairs, these men 
have persisted in their exterminating course until Nemesis 
has overtaken their affairs. Men who have heretofore 
been wealthy now stand with property assigned, or so 
badly in debt that years of hard work will be essential to 
their betterment of condition. Unmindful of the fact 
that fishes like chickens come home to roost, they have 
persisted in stripping the seas by their enormous nets of 
the early spawn-bearing fish, and against the warning of 
the men in the same pursuit off the coast of the Eastern 
States, they have used nets of so small a mesh that in the 
autumn the fingerlings of the season's hatching have been 
used as bait to entrap the fish of larger size. The exter- 
mination has been of the most pronounced type. In con- 
sequence the crews of the pounds have been discharged 
without their season's pay and have just cause to lament 
their employers' folly. Added to this condition of affairs 
the late heavy storms demolished every pound on the 
coast, causing a loss of at least $100,000 to the syndicate, 
for be it known the entire system of pound fishery of our 
coast is controlled by a trust, who fish and dictate terms 
to our legislators at their will. Leonard Htjlit. 
A Trout Netter Fined. 
Dr, Willett Kidd, the fish and game protector, won 
another victory at Chester yesterday, and recovered the 
full penalty. The case was that of Stephen Garrison, an 
old guide, of Greenwood Lake, who was charged with 
netting a trout stream, Seeley's Creek. Garrison must 
pay $100, the usual penalty for such violation, besides 
costs of court. The waters of Seeley's Creek have been 
netted again and again by reckless violators along its 
banks. Dr. Kidd's victory will have a salutary effect 
upon them. — Newburgh {N. Y.) Journal. 
FIXTURES 
BBarCH SHOWS 
Dec. 1 to 4.— City of the Straits Kennel Olub'a local show, Detriot, 
Mich. R. H. Roberts, Sec'y. 
Dec. 8 to 11.— Augusta, Ga.— Georgia Poultry and Pet Stock Associ- 
ation. J. W. Killingsworth. Sec'y. 
Dec. 15 to 18.— Central Michigan Poultry and Pet Stock Associa- 
tion's show, Lansing, Mich, 0, H. Crane, Sec'y. 
1897. 
Feb. 8 to 5.— New England Kennel Club's annual show, Boston. 
FIELD TRIALS, 
Nov. 16.— National Fox Hunting Association's third annual trials, 
Bardstown, Ky. F. J. Hagan, Sec'y. 
Nov. 16.— Newton, N. C— E. F. T, Club's trials. 8, 0. Bradley, Sec'y, 
Greenfield Hill, Conn. 
Nov. 17.— Chatham, Ont,— International Field Trial Club's trials. 
W. B. 'SV^eUs, Sec'y, Chatham, Ont. 
Nov. 20.— Thomasville, N. C— Philadelphia Kennel Club's trials. 
Dr. Alexander Glass, Sec'y, 3125 Sansom street, Philadelphia. 
Nov. 23.— Newton, N. C— U. S. F. T. Club's faU trials. W. B. Staf- 
ford, Sec'y. 
Dec, 14.— Athens, Ala.— Dixie Red Fox Club's second annual trials 
J. H, Wallace, Sec'y, HuntsvlUe, Ala. 
1897. 
Jan. 11.— Tupela, Mlas.— Continental Field Trial Club's quail trials. 
P. T. Madison, Sec'y. 
Jan. 18.— West Point, Miss.— U. S. F. T. C. winter trials. W. B. 
Stafford, Sec'y, Trenton, Tenn. 
Nov. 8.— Carlisle, Ind.— Union Field Trials Club second annual 
trials. P. T. Madison, Sec'y, Indianapolis, Ind. 
The Brooklyn Show. 
Mb, James Mortimer writes us that the first annual dog 
show of the Metropolitan Kennel Clnb, to be held in the 
old 13th Regiment Armory on Nov. 24 to 26, will have 140 
classes provided, of which the open classes will have three 
prizes, $8, $4 and $2; while the challenge classes will have 
a prize of $8 to first, and a prize of $10 will be given to the 
best exhibit of four of a number of the more important 
breeds. Nearly all the specialty clubs have taken an active 
part in the contribution of cups and medals. 
The judges are as follows, namely: Mastiffs and blood- 
hounds, Mr. H. W. Lacy, Boston; Great Danes and poodles, 
Mr. Charles D, Bernheimer, New York; St. Bernards and 
Newfoundlands, Mr. Alexander McKenzie Hughes, Brook- 
lyn; Russian wolfhounds, deerhounds and greyhounds, Mr. 
H. W. Huntington, Brooklyn; pointers. Mr. Chas. Heath, 
Newark, N. J.; English foxhounds, English setters, Irish 
V 
