FOREST AND STREAM. 




The Carp. 
New York, Jan. 6.—Editor Forest and 
Stream: The United States Bureau of Fisheries 
has just issued a bulletin of 116 pages on “The 
German Carp in the United States,” which should 
be read by all persons interested in the fisheries 
and in fishery laws. 
It is the result of several seasons’ careful 
study by Mr. Leon J. Cole, under the direction 
of the Bureau. Mr. Cole has earned the right 
to be heard on this subject and has probably a 
better understanding of it than anyone else in 
the land. 
The paper may be accepted as an entirely im- 
partial and reliable consideration of the status 
of the carp in our waters, its relation to other 
species, and to the fishery trade of the country. 
Little of the discussion of the subject by ang- 
lers and other correspondents of sportsmen’s 
journals has been helpful. There has been com- 
plaint in abundance, and much useless clamor for 
its extermination. Scolding is cheap—cheaper 
even than advice—and we have had a-plenty of 
it. The author in his final chapter points out 
pretty conclusively that the carp is here to stay, 
and that the question now is what is the best 
thing to be done in the way of utilizing it and 
reducing its numbers. 
I have to-day compiled from the latest Gov- 
ernment statistics at hand the following figures 
relative to the quantity and value of carp an- 
nually sent to market: 
Year. Region. Pounds. Value. 
1899 Mississippi and tributaries. .11,868,840 $289,258.00 
1903 Greats, LakeSaic cases cate arte 4,237,643 71,285.00 
1991 Middle Atlantic States...... 1,159,958 59,238.00 
1896 Minor interior waters....... 1,448,217 37,683.00 
1899-1902 All other Waters... esses eeees 383,332 6,213.00 
igtalywrasacets oe en aesieeste rs 19,097,990 $463,677.00 
The bulk of the catch from the Mississippi 
River and tributaries is credited to the Illinois 
River, and that of the Great Lakes to Lake Erie. 
The data for some of the above named regions 
is out of date and the quantity taken at present 
would probably be nearly twice what older re- 
ports show. 
The catch of carp by non-professional fisher- 
men in different parts of the country is enor- 
mous, as I had ample opportunity to observe dur- 
ing five years’ study of the fisheries while Chief 
of the Division:of Commercial Fisheries in the 
Fish Commission Office in Washington. In 1899 
I visited certain centers of the carp industry, one 
of them in company with Mr. Cole. 
The catch of carp by professional and non-pro- 
fessional fishermen could be vastly increased if 
a greater use of netting were permitted. Our 
State fishery laws should be promptly revised so 
as to permit of the catching of carp freely. 
Sportsmen—and they have done their share of 
anti-carp talk—should look up the fish laws in 
their respective States, and when such are to be 
revised curb their prejudices and yield such 
points to the commercial fishermen in the use of 
netting, as will enable them to catch carp as 
cheaply and abundantly as possible. 
There are over 200,000 professional fishermen 
in the United States. By all means let us give 
them such a chance at the carp as they have not 
yet had. This is not an entirely easy matter to 
arrange, but it can be done, and ought to be done, 
wherever carp are caught so abundantly that 
fishermen can handle them profitably. 
The population of the larger cities of the coun- 
try is growing and fish dealers can dispose of 
more carp than they now receive. Approxi- 
mately 8,000,000 pounds are used annually in New 
York city. 
_ The more extensive the use of carp becomes 
in the markets the less will be the drain on our 
lakes and streams for the more gamy fishes for 
market purposes. C. H. Townsenp. 
[JAN. 20, 1906. 





The Anglers’ Club of New York. 
THE first annual meeting of the Anglers’ Club 
of New York was held at Mouquin’s Hotel, in 
Sixth avenue, New York city, the night of Jan. 
9. Before the meeting a large number of the 
members and their guests dined together. The 
meeting was called to order by President Robert 
B. Lawrence with the following members present: 
Messrs. Gonzalo Poey, R. B. Lawrence, Edward 
Cave, G. M. L. LaBranche, Joseph E. Zdankiewicz, 
W. G. Geety, C. G. Levison, Dr. R. J. Held, Ed- 
ward B. Rice, Charles Stepath, F. W. Sumner, 
Dr. George W. Blakeslee, Harold DeRaasloff, R. 
H. Chambers, Milton H. Smith, James D. Smith, 
John E. Bullwinkle, Perry D. Frazer, -a number 
of applicants for membership and several guests. 
Mr. LaBranche, chairman of the committee on 
admission, reported the following list of appli- 
cants who had been elected to active member- 
ship in the club since the last meeting: Bernard 
Waters, James H. Cruickshank, J. Alden Weir, 
Henry S. Hayes, Edward F. Todd, Robert D. 

ROBERT B. LAWRENCE. 
President of the Anglers’ Club. 
Kennedy and Tom M. Jardine; and these asso- 
ciate members: Thomas J. Conroy, of New York 
ae Ee Edward F. Payne, of Highland Mills, 
Mr. John E. Bullwinkle reported that articles 
of incorporation had been filed, bearing the signa- 
tures of the directors of the club, as follows: 
Robert B. Lawrence, Milton H. Smith, Gonzalo 
Poey, Perry D. Frazer, Edward Cave, Chancellor 
G. Levison. A few minor changes were made in 
the constitution, in order that it could be formally 
adopted by the club as a corporation under the 
laws of the State. Routine business followed and 
then came the election of officers to serve during 
the fiscal year. The gentlemen selected are named 
below: 
President, Robert B. Lawrence; Vice-President, 
Milton H. Smith; Treasurer, Gonzalo Poey; Sec- 
retary, Perry D. Frazer; members from the club- 
at-large to serve as directors: Chancellor G. 
Levison, John E. Bullwinkle and Edward Cave; 
committee on admissions, G. M. L. LaBranche, 
Edward B. Rice, Dr. R. J. Held, James D. Smith 
and Charles Stepath. 
y 
4 
Nie 
O 
LLL 
— ——— 
Among other things it was decided that all ap- 
plications for membership must be made to the 
secretary, whose address is 501 West 164th street. 
Messrs. LaBranche and Poey were appointed a 
committee to confer with the Department of 
Parks officials and ascertain if permission could 
be obtained to hold casting contests on one of 
the lakes in Central Park; while Mr. Bullwinkle 
was asked to perform a similar duty in Brooklyn, 
in which is Prospect Park, and Messrs. Conroy 
and Levison were delegated to arrange for a club 
badge. 
The next meeting will be held on the second 
Tuesday in February. 
Canadian Anglers. 

Suggestions for the New Minister. 
Whoever may become the new Minister of 
Fisheries for the Dominion will find a number of 
recommendations for changes in the. laws re- 
specting fisheries awaiting him. These sugges- 
tions are the result of the work of the recent 
fish and game congress held in Montreal. They 
were embodied in the report of the committee 
on coarse fish, which was presented and put 
through the congress by Mr. C. H. Wilson, of 
Glens Falls, New York. Of these recommenda- 
tions the most important are that the close sea- 
son for maskinongé, bass and wall-eyed pike or 
doré, shall be uniform, and from Jan. 1 to June 
15. That the close season for sturgeon shall be - 
from May 15 to July 20, and that the size limit 
shall be 42 inches. That there be a limit to the 
size at which the following fish may be taken, 
namely, bass, 10 inches; rock bass, 6 inches; 
wall-eyed pike or doré, 15 inches; barbotte, 10 
inches; barbue or channel catfish, 18 inches; 
yellow perch, 8 inches, maskinongé, 24 inches. 
This reminds me that the recommendations 
of the committee on game fish, adopted by the 
same congress, have not yet seen publicity in 
FOREST AND STREAM, and they are certainly en- 
titled to that distinction, being of special interest 
to every American angler who fishes in Canada. 
The committee heartily approved of the deci- 
sion of the provincial Minister of Fisheries, 
Hon. Mr. Prevost, to issue no more licenses for 
netting in the inland lakes of the Province of 
Quebec, and recommended that no netting for 
salmon be permitted in the estuaries of rivers, 
and that the minimum penalty for the spearing 
of salmon be $50; that the weight of the day’s 
catch for any fish except salmon be restricted 
by law; that the minimum fine for the illegal 
fishing of trout and ouananiche be $10 for the 
first offense, $50 for the second and imprison- 
ment without the option of a fine for the third, 
with expulsion of any club member violating 
the law; that proper measures be taken to assure 
the raising of all salmon nets during the times 
prescribed by law; that special provision be 
made for the enforcement of fish and game laws 
in districts in which lumber camps are situated; 
that during the close season such districts be 
efficiently policed; that owing to their destruc- 
tive nature, stake nets in the lower St. Lawrence 
should not be permitted within one mile of the 
mouths of salmon rivers; that the Quebec fish- 
eries act be amended so as to harmonize with 
the Federal fisheries law; that it is advisable 
that the sale of speckled trout (fontinalis) be 
entirely prohibited from Oct. 15 to May 2 of 
each year, and that, if not already provided for, 
regulations be adopted to prevent the pollution 
of fishing waters by mill or other refuse of a de- 
leterious character, such as pulp, sawdust, 
bark, etc. P 
So far as the Dominion Department of Fish- 
eries is concerned, it is not known what action 
may be taken upon the suggestions to change 
