
FOREST AND STREAM. 




What Fish are Best Adapted to New 
England Waters ? 
Stower, Vt.—Editor Forest and Stream: The 
foundation of my opinion is based on the con- 
ditions in Vermont, assuming that the same 
conditions exist in portions of the other New 
England States. 
In the early history of New England, and long 
before, the square-tailed speckled trout was the 
native of our streams and inland lakes and 
ponds. They were here dictated by nature, ap- 
proved by reason. They inhabited our waters 
innumerable, and any person who can remember 
forty or fifty years back can tell you it did not 
require the expert angler to secure at any time 
all the trout required for family sustenance. In 
those days there was no closed season, no limit 
to the catch, and no limit to the size. As time 
sped on and the country became more densely 
populated, the people discovered that our trout 
streams and ponds had become depleted. The 
people not forming a just estimate of this 
beautiful native. of their waters, imprudently 
planted in many of the ponds, pickerel, perch 
and other coarser fish. There was no law to 
prevent this, which was a public misfortune. 
The people knew nothing of scientific fish- 
culture, and this branch of industry was not 
taken up until compelled to do so by reason of 
the scarcity of fish in our public waters. They 
knew a fish was a fish, and the larger it was the 
better it satisfied their curiosity, but learned in 
time that pickerel and trout were not congenial 
habitants in the same waters; that the trout 
disappeared and the pickerel and perch hold 
full sway of waters, which by right should have 
been inhabited by trout. 
Without being pessimistic, we may admit that 
at this time the conditions are somewhat 
changed from years ago by the depletion of our 
forest and pollution of waters, but the day of 
the passing of the brook trout has not come, and 
I am encouraged to believe that the knowledge 
of fishculture, that fish and game protective as- 
sociations throughout our New England States, 
with stringent laws rigidly enforced, will in a 
few years regain what we have imprudently lost. 
Not that pickerel and other coarse fish will be 
eliminated, but stringent laws preventing any 
citizen from stocking either public or private 
waters with undesirable fish, which will partially 
remedy present conditions in waters inhabited 
by the coarser varieties, and restock with the 
better varieties. I think even in ponds inhabited 
by pickerel, pike, perch or bass, providing the 
water has good depth, that the saibling or 
Mackinaw trout would do exceedingly well, 
other conditions being favorable, both being 
far superior to the others mentioned. 
Many have the confirmed impression that 
brook trout in order to thrive, must inhabit 
cold waters, well shaded. Such environments 
are most natural, but not necessary. In pure 
water, well aerated, they will thrive and grow 
more rapidly than trout inhabiting waters of low 
temperature. These conditions are conclusively 
illustrated in my own State, and under con- 
ditions which I have mentioned. I would ex- 
clude from such waters, steelhead, rainbow, 
brown, or any other not indigenous, and per- 
sistently continue planting our native brook 
trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). 
The sawdust nuisance, sewerage and refuse 
from pulp mills, which is allowed and tolerated 
to be dumped into our public waters, has be- 
come a serious menace to the increase of fish 
by natural production in such waters. The 
source of typhoid fever is not always readily 
traced, but usually to contaminated waters. We 
know that ice crops are harvested from these 
SEA AND RAVER FISHIINC 
waters for domestic use; we know the spawning 
beds are destroyed; we know at times epidemics, 
seemingly unaccounted for, destroy millions of 
fish, and until such laws are enacted to prevent 
the pollution of our public waters, the best ef- 
forts of the Fish and Game Commissioners to 
restock such waters will be handicapped, and one 
of the prime objects of American, National, and 
State fish and game organizations, collectively, 
should be to bring about a more wholesome 
condition for the public safety. With this ob- 
ject in view and carried to a successful issue, 
we have restored these waters in a large meas- 
ure, to their natural conditions. Assisting 
nature in this way, spawning beds will become 
numerous, and by natural propagation we are 
restocking more rapidly than by wholly arti- 

HENRY J. THOMAS, 
Commissioner of Fisheries and Game, Vermont. 
ficial plants, as well as restoring our stock to a 
more hardy condition. 
Those who would coincide in the suggestion 
to persistently continue to plant our common 
brook trout under the most favorable conditions, 
might be prevailed upon or induced under the 
less favorable to restock with other varieties 
of trout. I think this has been done in all our 
England States. In my State this change has 
been a detriment: There are too many in every 
State that have a hobby, usually very unreason- 
able. Within the last month I received a letter 
from a man in the State of New York, asking 
for information; where would be a good place 
for him to locate in Vermont; he wished to go 
into the fishculture business, propagate yellow 
perch, pickerel and eels, to sell to farmers cheap, 
to restock trout streams. 
If it is conceded that plenty of good fishing 
and hunting in our New England States and 
Provinces are valuable assets, it becomes our 
duty to not only protect these assets, but to give 
to your State and non-resident sportsmen and 
tourists the best for his money. 
The experimental state of propagation has 
passed and in a fair position to estimate results, 
and I believe it is better to hold fast to that 
which has been tried and not found wanting, 
[FEB. 24, 1906. 

until converted by negative evidence that we can 
improve on the native brook trout (Salvelinus 
fontinalis), by introducing other varieties of 
trout not indigenous to New England waters. 
We note that at every session of our Legis- 
latures new laws are enacted, others repealed 
or amended, and are usually made in the further 
protection of fish and game; usually through 
the influence of true sportsmen and recommen- 
dations of the fish and game commissioners, 
who appreciate the benefits which will accrue 
to their respective State by keeping their waters 
and forests well stocked with fish and game for 
recreation. We may expect, as time goes on, that 
the general Assembly will continue to further 
protect fish and game, and laws will become 
more stringent. I think three months open sea- 
son for brook trout long enugh. Limit the 
catch, stand pat on the merits of our native 
trout, eliminate the species heretofore men- 
tioned, and we certainly have committed no 
error, it being conceded by sportsmen that our 
native brook trout as a game fish, pound for 
pound, stands in the front rank and recognized 
by epicureans to be equal and superior to the 
majority of all food fishes. : 
H. G. Tuomas, 
Commissioner of Fisheries and Game. 
Vermont’s Commissioner. 
BENNINGTON, Vt.—Editor Forest and Stream: 
In your issue of Dec. 23 I was glad to see a well 
deserved tribute paid to Vermont’s Commis- 
sioner of Fisheries and Game, H. G. Thomas. 
The people of Vermont are slowly but surely 
awakening to the fact that their State is one of 
the best natural fields for fish and game in the 
Union, and that the time has come when strin- 
gent laws must be enacted and enforced if the fish 
and game are to be preserved. .The last Legisla- 
ture took the first decisive step. The most im- 
portant measure it enacted was to have a single 
commissioner, clothed with nearly plenary powers. 
For this office we believe no better man could 
have been found in all New-England than Henry 
G. Thomas, of Stowe. Only those who have been 
close to the commissioner and worked with him 
are fully aware of his ability, honesty of purpose 
and sincere interest in the cause which he 
espouses. He has accomplished wonders when 
we consider what he has done and the numerous 
handicaps he has overcome. 
His first move was to secure honest and com- 
petent county wardens. He now has quite a num- 
ber who have given good accounts of themselves. 
These Mr. Thomas has caused to “imbibe some 
of his enthusiasm,” and he has supported and en- 
couraged them through thick and thin. He gives 
his wardens to understand that if they will “get 
out and hustle’ and enforce the laws without 
fear or favor, they will find in him a friend and 
supporter, but if they don’t so act they will be 
given no quarter, What is the result? In parts 
of Vermont the fish and game laws are as well 
enforced as in any place in America, while Com- 
missioner Thomas is constantly striving to make 
this condition general. 
In many counties the leading sportsmen are 
forming protective associations to aid the ward- 
ens, and enthusiasm for the cause is being aroused 
all over the State. At this rate the old Green 
Mountain State is destined to become one of the 
leading resorts in the East for sportsmen and 
summer visitors. All this has been accomplished 
by Commissioner Thomas in one year. There 
yet remains much to be done. If the next Legis- 
lature will give him a liberal appropriation and 
follow his recommendations Mr. Thomas is fully 
competent to bring Vermont to the front. 
VERMONTER. 
