FRESH-WATER FISHES OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MAINE. 
49 
The upper (J miles of llemiys Eivt^r seems to be iiartieularly adapted to pickerel; 
tlie remaiuder of the river is said to be, and ought to be, a hue trout stream. The 
gravel bottoms afford excellent spawuiug-grouiids for both salmon and trout. Starters 
liips are reputed to be the faAmrite spaTvuiiig-grouiid of salmou. Alewives find their 
proper spawiiiug-grouud in the lake, aud perhaps iu the upper part of the river. The 
rips aud rapids are always the favorite haunts of trout iu the spring aud summer, and 
they often congregate at the mouths of spring brooks, where insects and other trout 
food are likely to be washed iu. 
Fish have access to the river from below and from the lake. Pickerel are found 
along the entire length of the stream; they were probably introduced into the lake as 
well as into the mill pond at Denuysville. How much havoc they may have wrought 
among the trout and smaller fishes is hard to say, but the trout are still pleutiful, and 
in certain localities there seems to be no dearth of smaller aud less important fishes. 
The reported decrease of ifickerel iu Meddybemps Lake may possibly be due to the 
presence of black bass. 
At Denuysville Mr. Benjamin Lincoln, a ])rominent resident, gave us some inter- 
esting aud instructive information regarding the fishes of the locality. He said that, 
iu the early history of the town, salmon were pleutiful in the river, but were smaller 
and of ditfereut shape than at present, having more of a “mackerel shape,” and not 
going beyond 12 imuuds in weight. In 1845 a water mill was built a mile above the 
present one. No fishway was placed in the dam, so that the migratiou of salmon, 
shad, aud alewives up the river was interrupted, aud these species were unable to 
reach their spawning-grounds. Shad were once abundant in the Machias, Pembroke, 
aud Dennys rivers, but at present only an occasional one is observed iu any of those 
streams. A single specimen was taken at Denuysville this season. Alewives as well 
as salmon, however, are now increasing in abundance. In 1858 the above-mentioned 
mill and dam were destroyed by fire, and the passage of fish again made possible. 
Salmon aud alewives resumed their migrations to some extent, with a little increase 
from year to year. The lower mill, built by Mr. Lincoln’s grandfather, caused no 
obstruction iu the river, as at one end of the dam a good natural fishway Avas left, 
aud it still exists, somewhat iminoved. 
In 1874 Mr. Lincoln began thex)lanting of young salmon in the river, a work which 
fie continued every season until 1890, obtaining bis sux)i)lies of eggs from tlie State or 
U. S. Fisfi Commission aud hatching them at his own ex^ieuse. At the latter date, 
however, he discontinued this commendable undertaking, the indefatigable poaching 
carried on by some of the residents along the stream tending to defeat his efforts. 
Mr. Lincoln estimates that about 250,000 young salmon have been deposited iu the 
river. The old run of “mackerel-shaped” salmon has disapxmared and larger and 
proportionately deeper fish (“true Penobscot salmon”), attaining as great a weight as 
33 xmunds, haA'^e taken their xilace. The quantity of fish has also greatly increased. 
According to Mr. Lincoln there are two runs of salmou in Dennys River every sea- 
son, one from May 15 to Julj" 30, or thereabouts, and the other from October 1 until 
NoA^ember. AiAxtarently oidy a fcAV males are found with the summer run. The 
spawning season is in NoA^ember, aud hooked-nosed individuals are found only at 
that time. 
J. C. B. 1894.— i 
