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Fish Cultural Successes andFailures in MinnesotaThaddeus Surber Superintendent of Fish PropagationPublished online 09 Jan 2011

To cite this article Thaddeus Surber Superintendent of Fish Propagation (1931) FishCultural Successes and Failures in Minnesota Transactions of the American FisheriesSociety 611 240-246 DOI 1015771548-8659(1931)61[240FCSAFI]20CO2

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FISH CULTURAL SUCCESSES AND FAILURES IN MINNESOTA

THADDEUS SURBER

Superintcbulldent of Fish Propagation

The geographical position and size of Minnesota with the sources of three mighty river systems located therein com- bined with its immense area of lakes is particularly favor- able for fish life The natural distribution of its fishes is therefore of more than passing interest because certain spe- cies peculiar to each of these three river systems are found within its borders

The walI-eyed pike our most important game and food fish is peculiar to the Mississippi and Hudson Bay Drainage but totally unknown in the Lake Superior Drainage On the other hand the lake trout often locally but erroneously termed land-locked salmon is peculiar to the Hudosn Bay Drainage only in rare instances having been taken in lakes tributary to the St Lawrence Drainage and totally unknown in lakes tributary to bullhe Mississippi

The brook trout so far as we can learn was restricted to the St Lawrence Drainage and the smaller tributaries of the Mississippi south of St Anthony Falls and the St Croix River St Anthony Falls Minneapolis was apparently a barrier to the ascent of the Mississippi River by trout

The large Mississippi River cat and channel catfish were also barred by these falls but ascended the Minnesota River nearly to its source and are still found in considerable num- bers along this entire stretch of water

Preceding the craze which drained the northern and north- western tiers of counties hundreds of small streams in that territory maintained low summer temperatures through thbull medium of peat bogs Drainage was far too effective in that territory with the natural result that forest fires have re- peatedly burned over these bogs and cold swamps destroying hundreds of potential trout streams over an area several hundred square miles in extent Notwithstanding this many streams still exist around the headwaters of the Mississippi the tributaries of the Rainy River (which is a part of the Hudson Bay System) and even tributaries directly connected with the Red River of the North which have been converted into excellent trout streams either for brook brown or in certain cases rainbow trout

240

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Surber--Successes and Failures in Minnesota 241

Where waters have become too warm for brook and brown trout we have succeeded in introducing rainbows For many years it was impossible to obtain results with rainbow trout because they could not be induced to remain in the smaller streams but found their way downward until they either reached the Mississippi or Lake Superior and there remained but within the past six years we have been rearing rainbow trout the original stock of which was procured from the State of Missouri which actually remain in the smaller streams and we are now enjoying excellent fishing for these gamey trout over a large area in which no trout fishing ever before prevailed

The expansion of brook trout fishing began nearly 20 years ago but over a period of years met with little success because fry alone were being planted in most waters During the lJast eight years we have been introducing fingerlings exclu- sively the area has been greatly extended and now brook trout streams are located in about 60 of the area of the state in fact throughout the state except the southwestern prairie region but our hope for the future so far as stream trout is concerned seems to lie with the rainbow trout and the Loch Leven which are also thriving in streams which have for one reason or another become unsuitable for brook trout

Most of our success in recent years can be attributed to the fact that we are planting with our own trucks and our own men directly to the streams and lakes and therefore planting them in a manner which assures the minimum of loss The most outstanding results however have been ob- tained through the introduction of wall-eyed pike fry into waters uninhabited by them at all I have previously alluded to the fact that they were not found in lakes tributary to Lake Superior Many of these lakes were over-abundantly supplied with natural food for game fishes but the only game fishes existing in their waters were too often found to be pickerel and perch exclusively

The introduction of wall-eyed pike fry into such bodies of water met with almost instant success and the growth of these particular fishes in these lakes notwithstanding the long protracted cold seasons has been almost beyond belief and has furthermore afforded us an opportunity to learn how fast wall-eyed pike can grow where food conditions are almost ideal Four years after the introduction of wall-eyed pike fry into certain of these lakes they have been taken by hook and line weighing as much as four pounds and six years after the

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242 American Fisheries Society

first planting occasionally specimens have been taken weigh- ing as much as eight pounds

The only reason that we do not at this time distribute wall- eyed pike in every lake in that territory is because of the inaccessibility of such lakes the majority of them lie in a rough unbroken wilderness without either roads or trails and therefore inaccessible for planting except along one line of logging road and a single highway But some day that country will be opened up with roads leading to all the more important lakes and as soon as these are accessible we can be assured of wall-eyed pike fishing because the conditions conducive to success are there and only await the planting of the fry to be fruitful Whenever I speak of the possibili- ties of success with wall-eyed pike I am accused of being over- enthusiasticfrac12but I do not feel that this is a just conception of my attitude because of these very conditions

In the southern part of the State on the other hand at- tempts to maintain pike fishing in the majority of lakes have not met with success This has been due almost exclusively to the active competition of young carp for the food supply necessary for pike in the earlier stages of their growth and not by reason of the fact that the waters are otherwise un- suitable This has been conclusively proven in certain cases where lakes have been dry over a period of a few years and then become refilled with water In such lakes the introduc- tion of pike fry always meets with success but of course after they reach the second year of their growth in these lakes it is almost hopeless to expect results of any great con- sequence until we also introduce suckers and minnows of various kinds to favor the growth of the pike

In the attempted re-introduction of bass crappie etc into these carp-infested lakes their maintenance is a rather for- lorn hope not only due to the competition for natural food previously referred to but also due to the fact that the spawn- ing beds of these nest-building game fishes are destroyed particularly those of the crappies and sunfish by the hordes of carp which run into these shallow areas during their own spawning season and by weight of numbers alone destroy either the eggs or the newly hatched fry of both crappies and sunfish and any belated nests of bass also Under these circumstances we are compelled to rear bass to fingerling size before introducing them into such lakes

The successful operation by our department of a large pond owned by the Izaak Walton League in the vicinity of Minneapolis has demonstrated the possibilities (in large ponds

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Surber--Successes and Failures in Minnesota 243

at least) of rearing a maximum of about 5000 five-inch finger- ling bass per acre Last year we constructed two bass ponds one of eight acres another of eleven which in my belief is about the minimum size in which we can expect practical results and the sites selected for these two ponds--Windom and Hutchinson--are in the heart of the carp infested lake region While we in all probability shall never be able to maintain the maximum number required to provide good angling for bass in the many lakes demanding attention at the same time if we do not neglect through commercial sein- ing operations to remove the carp at the proper season of the year namely when they are running in to spawn we shall in all probability through these ponds and a number of small ponds maintained by sportsmens organizations be able to provide reasonable fishing for bass for years to come

About two years ago we practically completed the construc- tion of a new trout hatchery in the extreme southern part of the state This was found absolutely necessary due to the fact that three of the older hatcheries were facing a water famine At this new hatchery we have an unvarying flow of approximately 10000 gallons per minute of pure spring water of a temperature of 47 oslash This season the output of fingerling trout of various species will be approximately 21bull million three to five inch fish The hatchery has actually been in operation nearly five years and has clearly demon- strated that volume of flow is far more important in trout culture than either quality or low temperature because it is of sufficient volume to permit a gradual increase of the flow in both hatchery troughs and cement rearing ponds as the trout increase in size This has had the effect of practically nullifying the hazard of disease and through the increased exercise afforded by the strong current both in hatchery troughs and in ponds induced an exceedingly keen appetite among the growing fishes thereby producing marvelous growth

At this nebullv hatchery we have one dirt experimental pond planted with aquatic plants principally water-cress which produces a sufiqcient quantity of fresh-water shrimp to sup- port several thousand trout maintained in it up to the year- ling stage

We have hatched at this place some lake trout which are thriving beyond all belief the loss from actual disease having been absol_utely nothing These fish are now slightly over three years old and vary in length from eighteen to twenty- two inches and while it is yet a problem as to whether they

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244 American Fisheries Sofrac12getbull

are going to mature and produce eggs the object of the ex- petrimerit in their rearing we sincerely hope we shall be able to accomplish this result because we are bull absolutely unable owing to weather conditions existing during the spawning period of these fishes to procure a natural supply of lake trout eggs for replenishing certain inland lakes which are becom- ing depleted

A 412 acre pond at this station devoted to the cultivation of small-mouthed black bass has been productive because of favorable conditions particularly the vast quantity of shrimp growing in a natural state in this pond While we have harvested a crop of small-mouthed bass from this pond but two seasons the maximum last season being something over 12000 the production is of unusual size in my belief be- cause the fish removed from this pond in October average 5 inches in length

Previous reference has been made to the wall-eyed pike as a food fish It is classed as a food fish only when taken from international and interstate waters except those taken at the commercial fisheries on Red Lake in all other lakes and streams lying entirely within the boundaries of the state it is classified as a game fish At the same time we must not lose sight of the fact that its importance as a food fish is not exceeded even by the whitefish because of the much wider distribution of the pike

Outstanding results have been accomplished rather unex- pectedly in the introduction of the so-called Labrador White- fish from our largest inland lake (Red Lake) into waters of Lake Superior We have for a period of about five years had a surplus of these whitfish eggs over and above what we could handle at our Red Lake Hatchery and this surplus has been transferred to and hatched at our Lake Superior Hatch- ery near Duluth all the resulting fry being planted in Lake Superior During the period from 1927 to 1931 inclusive approximately 84 million fry produced from that source have been planted in Lake Superior waters

Notwithstanding ichthyologists are now prone to regard the Lake Superior whitefish as being identical with the Lab- rador whitefish the fishermen of the North Shore of Lake Superior last fall readily identified the comparatively large run of whitefish appearing along their shore as being entirely different from any runs of previous years and as there is a decided difference in the size of the eggs obtained from the native whitefish of Lake Superior and those which we have been introducing in its waters we had no difficulty in dis-

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Surber--Successes and Failurebull in Minnesota 245

tinguishing that difference when the eggs were delivered at our hatchery Eggs of the true Lake Superior whitefish run about 35000 to the quart whereas those obtained from the so-called Labrador whitefish of Red Lake approximate 52740 per quart

During the past fifteen or eighteen years commercial fishing for whitefish had been maintained at such a low ebb that we have had no laws regulating this fishery in Minnesota waters of Lake Superior consequently the sudden appearance of whitefish in large numbers during the fall of 1930 which was again repeated to a certain extent during the spring of 1931 found us without any legal means of meeting the situa- tion It is however gratifying from the fish cultural point of view to know that these fish within a period of about four years become matured and are now spawning or at least spawned last season in large numbers along the coast line of about 200 miles

Until within recent years the pickerel or so-called Great Northern Pike has been held in but little esteem as a game fish and this belief still exists where it still abounds in the northern tier of counties However its ability to compete wibullh the carp in carp infested lakes in the southern part of the state has won recognition in that section and more and more requests are made for restocking which we are meeting with more or less difficulty because we are not yet prepared to handle pickerel eggs as successfully as we do those of other species

Discussion

Mg SugBsbull We have not only found the rainbow taking well in the streams but so far they have apparently been immune to ordinary trout diseases at least in our waters and in our hatcheries In certain waters in the southeastern part of the state where they never had any trout but did have smallmouth bass we now have excellent rainbow

fishing along with the smallmouth fishing Mg Ross (Missouri) I noticed a statement in your paper that the

streams had become too warm for brown trout hence the introduction of rainbow Is it true that the brown trout requires a lower tempera- ture than the rainbow

Mbull THABbullrUS Sussrg Absolutely We have found that strain of rainbows in the Cannon river will stand midsummer temperature We had an average temperature last summer of 82 or 83 degrees could never maintain in that stream any brown trout we have planted thousands of them but could never maintain them--they either die or leave the stream and it is not a natural tendency of brown trout to desert these streams because food is abundant That is just one

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246 American FiMteries Society

amplbull out of many In our north shore country where in the tribu- taries of Lake Superior we are supposed to have the most famous trout streams we found a number of years ago that the midsummer tempera- ture is too high to maintain trout of any kind except in certain small tributaries That was due to the repeated forest fires which not only opened the entire country bullordering on these streams but destroyed all the cold swamp cedars In that territory we first introduced small- mouth bass in two very large streams and we are having some success with them but reports of fishermen and anglers this summer would indicate that the rainbows are taking in splendid manner

MR Ross (Missouri) With reference to your statement that disease was limited by large volume of water we have found in Missouri that we have no trouble with disease in rainbow trout if we have a sufficient volume of water In our hatcheries in which the volume decreased last

year we had bullome trouble witbull disease but in the hatcheries where we have had a large olume of water there has been practically no loss from that cause We discovered this year that in Cave Spring at the headwaters of the Current river--contrary to the fish culturistbull--rain- bow trout have propagated naturally It is the first time that natural propagation has been discovered in the streams all our trout have to be artificially propagated in Missouri with this exception I am in- clined to think that these fish in Missouri have been there for probably twenty years and that they are acclimatizing themselves to the warmer water That water has a temperature of about 54oslash it varies only two degrees winter and summer and does not freeze

MR THAi)i)EUS SUaBEbull With regard to the period of time during which you probably have had rainbow trout in Missouri in 1896 in southwestern Missouri I had the pleasure of catching the first rainbow trout I ever saw so I imagine you have had the same strain of rain- bow trout in Missouri longer than you imagine

M Ross For about fifty years Ma THOMAS (Missouri) Rainbow trout have been in our state since

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Surber--Successes and Failures in Minnesota 241

Where waters have become too warm for brook and brown trout we have succeeded in introducing rainbows For many years it was impossible to obtain results with rainbow trout because they could not be induced to remain in the smaller streams but found their way downward until they either reached the Mississippi or Lake Superior and there remained but within the past six years we have been rearing rainbow trout the original stock of which was procured from the State of Missouri which actually remain in the smaller streams and we are now enjoying excellent fishing for these gamey trout over a large area in which no trout fishing ever before prevailed

The expansion of brook trout fishing began nearly 20 years ago but over a period of years met with little success because fry alone were being planted in most waters During the lJast eight years we have been introducing fingerlings exclu- sively the area has been greatly extended and now brook trout streams are located in about 60 of the area of the state in fact throughout the state except the southwestern prairie region but our hope for the future so far as stream trout is concerned seems to lie with the rainbow trout and the Loch Leven which are also thriving in streams which have for one reason or another become unsuitable for brook trout

Most of our success in recent years can be attributed to the fact that we are planting with our own trucks and our own men directly to the streams and lakes and therefore planting them in a manner which assures the minimum of loss The most outstanding results however have been ob- tained through the introduction of wall-eyed pike fry into waters uninhabited by them at all I have previously alluded to the fact that they were not found in lakes tributary to Lake Superior Many of these lakes were over-abundantly supplied with natural food for game fishes but the only game fishes existing in their waters were too often found to be pickerel and perch exclusively

The introduction of wall-eyed pike fry into such bodies of water met with almost instant success and the growth of these particular fishes in these lakes notwithstanding the long protracted cold seasons has been almost beyond belief and has furthermore afforded us an opportunity to learn how fast wall-eyed pike can grow where food conditions are almost ideal Four years after the introduction of wall-eyed pike fry into certain of these lakes they have been taken by hook and line weighing as much as four pounds and six years after the

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242 American Fisheries Society

first planting occasionally specimens have been taken weigh- ing as much as eight pounds

The only reason that we do not at this time distribute wall- eyed pike in every lake in that territory is because of the inaccessibility of such lakes the majority of them lie in a rough unbroken wilderness without either roads or trails and therefore inaccessible for planting except along one line of logging road and a single highway But some day that country will be opened up with roads leading to all the more important lakes and as soon as these are accessible we can be assured of wall-eyed pike fishing because the conditions conducive to success are there and only await the planting of the fry to be fruitful Whenever I speak of the possibili- ties of success with wall-eyed pike I am accused of being over- enthusiasticfrac12but I do not feel that this is a just conception of my attitude because of these very conditions

In the southern part of the State on the other hand at- tempts to maintain pike fishing in the majority of lakes have not met with success This has been due almost exclusively to the active competition of young carp for the food supply necessary for pike in the earlier stages of their growth and not by reason of the fact that the waters are otherwise un- suitable This has been conclusively proven in certain cases where lakes have been dry over a period of a few years and then become refilled with water In such lakes the introduc- tion of pike fry always meets with success but of course after they reach the second year of their growth in these lakes it is almost hopeless to expect results of any great con- sequence until we also introduce suckers and minnows of various kinds to favor the growth of the pike

In the attempted re-introduction of bass crappie etc into these carp-infested lakes their maintenance is a rather for- lorn hope not only due to the competition for natural food previously referred to but also due to the fact that the spawn- ing beds of these nest-building game fishes are destroyed particularly those of the crappies and sunfish by the hordes of carp which run into these shallow areas during their own spawning season and by weight of numbers alone destroy either the eggs or the newly hatched fry of both crappies and sunfish and any belated nests of bass also Under these circumstances we are compelled to rear bass to fingerling size before introducing them into such lakes

The successful operation by our department of a large pond owned by the Izaak Walton League in the vicinity of Minneapolis has demonstrated the possibilities (in large ponds

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Surber--Successes and Failures in Minnesota 243

at least) of rearing a maximum of about 5000 five-inch finger- ling bass per acre Last year we constructed two bass ponds one of eight acres another of eleven which in my belief is about the minimum size in which we can expect practical results and the sites selected for these two ponds--Windom and Hutchinson--are in the heart of the carp infested lake region While we in all probability shall never be able to maintain the maximum number required to provide good angling for bass in the many lakes demanding attention at the same time if we do not neglect through commercial sein- ing operations to remove the carp at the proper season of the year namely when they are running in to spawn we shall in all probability through these ponds and a number of small ponds maintained by sportsmens organizations be able to provide reasonable fishing for bass for years to come

About two years ago we practically completed the construc- tion of a new trout hatchery in the extreme southern part of the state This was found absolutely necessary due to the fact that three of the older hatcheries were facing a water famine At this new hatchery we have an unvarying flow of approximately 10000 gallons per minute of pure spring water of a temperature of 47 oslash This season the output of fingerling trout of various species will be approximately 21bull million three to five inch fish The hatchery has actually been in operation nearly five years and has clearly demon- strated that volume of flow is far more important in trout culture than either quality or low temperature because it is of sufficient volume to permit a gradual increase of the flow in both hatchery troughs and cement rearing ponds as the trout increase in size This has had the effect of practically nullifying the hazard of disease and through the increased exercise afforded by the strong current both in hatchery troughs and in ponds induced an exceedingly keen appetite among the growing fishes thereby producing marvelous growth

At this nebullv hatchery we have one dirt experimental pond planted with aquatic plants principally water-cress which produces a sufiqcient quantity of fresh-water shrimp to sup- port several thousand trout maintained in it up to the year- ling stage

We have hatched at this place some lake trout which are thriving beyond all belief the loss from actual disease having been absol_utely nothing These fish are now slightly over three years old and vary in length from eighteen to twenty- two inches and while it is yet a problem as to whether they

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244 American Fisheries Sofrac12getbull

are going to mature and produce eggs the object of the ex- petrimerit in their rearing we sincerely hope we shall be able to accomplish this result because we are bull absolutely unable owing to weather conditions existing during the spawning period of these fishes to procure a natural supply of lake trout eggs for replenishing certain inland lakes which are becom- ing depleted

A 412 acre pond at this station devoted to the cultivation of small-mouthed black bass has been productive because of favorable conditions particularly the vast quantity of shrimp growing in a natural state in this pond While we have harvested a crop of small-mouthed bass from this pond but two seasons the maximum last season being something over 12000 the production is of unusual size in my belief be- cause the fish removed from this pond in October average 5 inches in length

Previous reference has been made to the wall-eyed pike as a food fish It is classed as a food fish only when taken from international and interstate waters except those taken at the commercial fisheries on Red Lake in all other lakes and streams lying entirely within the boundaries of the state it is classified as a game fish At the same time we must not lose sight of the fact that its importance as a food fish is not exceeded even by the whitefish because of the much wider distribution of the pike

Outstanding results have been accomplished rather unex- pectedly in the introduction of the so-called Labrador White- fish from our largest inland lake (Red Lake) into waters of Lake Superior We have for a period of about five years had a surplus of these whitfish eggs over and above what we could handle at our Red Lake Hatchery and this surplus has been transferred to and hatched at our Lake Superior Hatch- ery near Duluth all the resulting fry being planted in Lake Superior During the period from 1927 to 1931 inclusive approximately 84 million fry produced from that source have been planted in Lake Superior waters

Notwithstanding ichthyologists are now prone to regard the Lake Superior whitefish as being identical with the Lab- rador whitefish the fishermen of the North Shore of Lake Superior last fall readily identified the comparatively large run of whitefish appearing along their shore as being entirely different from any runs of previous years and as there is a decided difference in the size of the eggs obtained from the native whitefish of Lake Superior and those which we have been introducing in its waters we had no difficulty in dis-

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Surber--Successes and Failurebull in Minnesota 245

tinguishing that difference when the eggs were delivered at our hatchery Eggs of the true Lake Superior whitefish run about 35000 to the quart whereas those obtained from the so-called Labrador whitefish of Red Lake approximate 52740 per quart

During the past fifteen or eighteen years commercial fishing for whitefish had been maintained at such a low ebb that we have had no laws regulating this fishery in Minnesota waters of Lake Superior consequently the sudden appearance of whitefish in large numbers during the fall of 1930 which was again repeated to a certain extent during the spring of 1931 found us without any legal means of meeting the situa- tion It is however gratifying from the fish cultural point of view to know that these fish within a period of about four years become matured and are now spawning or at least spawned last season in large numbers along the coast line of about 200 miles

Until within recent years the pickerel or so-called Great Northern Pike has been held in but little esteem as a game fish and this belief still exists where it still abounds in the northern tier of counties However its ability to compete wibullh the carp in carp infested lakes in the southern part of the state has won recognition in that section and more and more requests are made for restocking which we are meeting with more or less difficulty because we are not yet prepared to handle pickerel eggs as successfully as we do those of other species

Discussion

Mg SugBsbull We have not only found the rainbow taking well in the streams but so far they have apparently been immune to ordinary trout diseases at least in our waters and in our hatcheries In certain waters in the southeastern part of the state where they never had any trout but did have smallmouth bass we now have excellent rainbow

fishing along with the smallmouth fishing Mg Ross (Missouri) I noticed a statement in your paper that the

streams had become too warm for brown trout hence the introduction of rainbow Is it true that the brown trout requires a lower tempera- ture than the rainbow

Mbull THABbullrUS Sussrg Absolutely We have found that strain of rainbows in the Cannon river will stand midsummer temperature We had an average temperature last summer of 82 or 83 degrees could never maintain in that stream any brown trout we have planted thousands of them but could never maintain them--they either die or leave the stream and it is not a natural tendency of brown trout to desert these streams because food is abundant That is just one

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246 American FiMteries Society

amplbull out of many In our north shore country where in the tribu- taries of Lake Superior we are supposed to have the most famous trout streams we found a number of years ago that the midsummer tempera- ture is too high to maintain trout of any kind except in certain small tributaries That was due to the repeated forest fires which not only opened the entire country bullordering on these streams but destroyed all the cold swamp cedars In that territory we first introduced small- mouth bass in two very large streams and we are having some success with them but reports of fishermen and anglers this summer would indicate that the rainbows are taking in splendid manner

MR Ross (Missouri) With reference to your statement that disease was limited by large volume of water we have found in Missouri that we have no trouble with disease in rainbow trout if we have a sufficient volume of water In our hatcheries in which the volume decreased last

year we had bullome trouble witbull disease but in the hatcheries where we have had a large olume of water there has been practically no loss from that cause We discovered this year that in Cave Spring at the headwaters of the Current river--contrary to the fish culturistbull--rain- bow trout have propagated naturally It is the first time that natural propagation has been discovered in the streams all our trout have to be artificially propagated in Missouri with this exception I am in- clined to think that these fish in Missouri have been there for probably twenty years and that they are acclimatizing themselves to the warmer water That water has a temperature of about 54oslash it varies only two degrees winter and summer and does not freeze

MR THAi)i)EUS SUaBEbull With regard to the period of time during which you probably have had rainbow trout in Missouri in 1896 in southwestern Missouri I had the pleasure of catching the first rainbow trout I ever saw so I imagine you have had the same strain of rain- bow trout in Missouri longer than you imagine

M Ross For about fifty years Ma THOMAS (Missouri) Rainbow trout have been in our state since

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first planting occasionally specimens have been taken weigh- ing as much as eight pounds

The only reason that we do not at this time distribute wall- eyed pike in every lake in that territory is because of the inaccessibility of such lakes the majority of them lie in a rough unbroken wilderness without either roads or trails and therefore inaccessible for planting except along one line of logging road and a single highway But some day that country will be opened up with roads leading to all the more important lakes and as soon as these are accessible we can be assured of wall-eyed pike fishing because the conditions conducive to success are there and only await the planting of the fry to be fruitful Whenever I speak of the possibili- ties of success with wall-eyed pike I am accused of being over- enthusiasticfrac12but I do not feel that this is a just conception of my attitude because of these very conditions

In the southern part of the State on the other hand at- tempts to maintain pike fishing in the majority of lakes have not met with success This has been due almost exclusively to the active competition of young carp for the food supply necessary for pike in the earlier stages of their growth and not by reason of the fact that the waters are otherwise un- suitable This has been conclusively proven in certain cases where lakes have been dry over a period of a few years and then become refilled with water In such lakes the introduc- tion of pike fry always meets with success but of course after they reach the second year of their growth in these lakes it is almost hopeless to expect results of any great con- sequence until we also introduce suckers and minnows of various kinds to favor the growth of the pike

In the attempted re-introduction of bass crappie etc into these carp-infested lakes their maintenance is a rather for- lorn hope not only due to the competition for natural food previously referred to but also due to the fact that the spawn- ing beds of these nest-building game fishes are destroyed particularly those of the crappies and sunfish by the hordes of carp which run into these shallow areas during their own spawning season and by weight of numbers alone destroy either the eggs or the newly hatched fry of both crappies and sunfish and any belated nests of bass also Under these circumstances we are compelled to rear bass to fingerling size before introducing them into such lakes

The successful operation by our department of a large pond owned by the Izaak Walton League in the vicinity of Minneapolis has demonstrated the possibilities (in large ponds

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at least) of rearing a maximum of about 5000 five-inch finger- ling bass per acre Last year we constructed two bass ponds one of eight acres another of eleven which in my belief is about the minimum size in which we can expect practical results and the sites selected for these two ponds--Windom and Hutchinson--are in the heart of the carp infested lake region While we in all probability shall never be able to maintain the maximum number required to provide good angling for bass in the many lakes demanding attention at the same time if we do not neglect through commercial sein- ing operations to remove the carp at the proper season of the year namely when they are running in to spawn we shall in all probability through these ponds and a number of small ponds maintained by sportsmens organizations be able to provide reasonable fishing for bass for years to come

About two years ago we practically completed the construc- tion of a new trout hatchery in the extreme southern part of the state This was found absolutely necessary due to the fact that three of the older hatcheries were facing a water famine At this new hatchery we have an unvarying flow of approximately 10000 gallons per minute of pure spring water of a temperature of 47 oslash This season the output of fingerling trout of various species will be approximately 21bull million three to five inch fish The hatchery has actually been in operation nearly five years and has clearly demon- strated that volume of flow is far more important in trout culture than either quality or low temperature because it is of sufficient volume to permit a gradual increase of the flow in both hatchery troughs and cement rearing ponds as the trout increase in size This has had the effect of practically nullifying the hazard of disease and through the increased exercise afforded by the strong current both in hatchery troughs and in ponds induced an exceedingly keen appetite among the growing fishes thereby producing marvelous growth

At this nebullv hatchery we have one dirt experimental pond planted with aquatic plants principally water-cress which produces a sufiqcient quantity of fresh-water shrimp to sup- port several thousand trout maintained in it up to the year- ling stage

We have hatched at this place some lake trout which are thriving beyond all belief the loss from actual disease having been absol_utely nothing These fish are now slightly over three years old and vary in length from eighteen to twenty- two inches and while it is yet a problem as to whether they

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are going to mature and produce eggs the object of the ex- petrimerit in their rearing we sincerely hope we shall be able to accomplish this result because we are bull absolutely unable owing to weather conditions existing during the spawning period of these fishes to procure a natural supply of lake trout eggs for replenishing certain inland lakes which are becom- ing depleted

A 412 acre pond at this station devoted to the cultivation of small-mouthed black bass has been productive because of favorable conditions particularly the vast quantity of shrimp growing in a natural state in this pond While we have harvested a crop of small-mouthed bass from this pond but two seasons the maximum last season being something over 12000 the production is of unusual size in my belief be- cause the fish removed from this pond in October average 5 inches in length

Previous reference has been made to the wall-eyed pike as a food fish It is classed as a food fish only when taken from international and interstate waters except those taken at the commercial fisheries on Red Lake in all other lakes and streams lying entirely within the boundaries of the state it is classified as a game fish At the same time we must not lose sight of the fact that its importance as a food fish is not exceeded even by the whitefish because of the much wider distribution of the pike

Outstanding results have been accomplished rather unex- pectedly in the introduction of the so-called Labrador White- fish from our largest inland lake (Red Lake) into waters of Lake Superior We have for a period of about five years had a surplus of these whitfish eggs over and above what we could handle at our Red Lake Hatchery and this surplus has been transferred to and hatched at our Lake Superior Hatch- ery near Duluth all the resulting fry being planted in Lake Superior During the period from 1927 to 1931 inclusive approximately 84 million fry produced from that source have been planted in Lake Superior waters

Notwithstanding ichthyologists are now prone to regard the Lake Superior whitefish as being identical with the Lab- rador whitefish the fishermen of the North Shore of Lake Superior last fall readily identified the comparatively large run of whitefish appearing along their shore as being entirely different from any runs of previous years and as there is a decided difference in the size of the eggs obtained from the native whitefish of Lake Superior and those which we have been introducing in its waters we had no difficulty in dis-

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tinguishing that difference when the eggs were delivered at our hatchery Eggs of the true Lake Superior whitefish run about 35000 to the quart whereas those obtained from the so-called Labrador whitefish of Red Lake approximate 52740 per quart

During the past fifteen or eighteen years commercial fishing for whitefish had been maintained at such a low ebb that we have had no laws regulating this fishery in Minnesota waters of Lake Superior consequently the sudden appearance of whitefish in large numbers during the fall of 1930 which was again repeated to a certain extent during the spring of 1931 found us without any legal means of meeting the situa- tion It is however gratifying from the fish cultural point of view to know that these fish within a period of about four years become matured and are now spawning or at least spawned last season in large numbers along the coast line of about 200 miles

Until within recent years the pickerel or so-called Great Northern Pike has been held in but little esteem as a game fish and this belief still exists where it still abounds in the northern tier of counties However its ability to compete wibullh the carp in carp infested lakes in the southern part of the state has won recognition in that section and more and more requests are made for restocking which we are meeting with more or less difficulty because we are not yet prepared to handle pickerel eggs as successfully as we do those of other species

Discussion

Mg SugBsbull We have not only found the rainbow taking well in the streams but so far they have apparently been immune to ordinary trout diseases at least in our waters and in our hatcheries In certain waters in the southeastern part of the state where they never had any trout but did have smallmouth bass we now have excellent rainbow

fishing along with the smallmouth fishing Mg Ross (Missouri) I noticed a statement in your paper that the

streams had become too warm for brown trout hence the introduction of rainbow Is it true that the brown trout requires a lower tempera- ture than the rainbow

Mbull THABbullrUS Sussrg Absolutely We have found that strain of rainbows in the Cannon river will stand midsummer temperature We had an average temperature last summer of 82 or 83 degrees could never maintain in that stream any brown trout we have planted thousands of them but could never maintain them--they either die or leave the stream and it is not a natural tendency of brown trout to desert these streams because food is abundant That is just one

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amplbull out of many In our north shore country where in the tribu- taries of Lake Superior we are supposed to have the most famous trout streams we found a number of years ago that the midsummer tempera- ture is too high to maintain trout of any kind except in certain small tributaries That was due to the repeated forest fires which not only opened the entire country bullordering on these streams but destroyed all the cold swamp cedars In that territory we first introduced small- mouth bass in two very large streams and we are having some success with them but reports of fishermen and anglers this summer would indicate that the rainbows are taking in splendid manner

MR Ross (Missouri) With reference to your statement that disease was limited by large volume of water we have found in Missouri that we have no trouble with disease in rainbow trout if we have a sufficient volume of water In our hatcheries in which the volume decreased last

year we had bullome trouble witbull disease but in the hatcheries where we have had a large olume of water there has been practically no loss from that cause We discovered this year that in Cave Spring at the headwaters of the Current river--contrary to the fish culturistbull--rain- bow trout have propagated naturally It is the first time that natural propagation has been discovered in the streams all our trout have to be artificially propagated in Missouri with this exception I am in- clined to think that these fish in Missouri have been there for probably twenty years and that they are acclimatizing themselves to the warmer water That water has a temperature of about 54oslash it varies only two degrees winter and summer and does not freeze

MR THAi)i)EUS SUaBEbull With regard to the period of time during which you probably have had rainbow trout in Missouri in 1896 in southwestern Missouri I had the pleasure of catching the first rainbow trout I ever saw so I imagine you have had the same strain of rain- bow trout in Missouri longer than you imagine

M Ross For about fifty years Ma THOMAS (Missouri) Rainbow trout have been in our state since

1550 or before that Dow

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Surber--Successes and Failures in Minnesota 243

at least) of rearing a maximum of about 5000 five-inch finger- ling bass per acre Last year we constructed two bass ponds one of eight acres another of eleven which in my belief is about the minimum size in which we can expect practical results and the sites selected for these two ponds--Windom and Hutchinson--are in the heart of the carp infested lake region While we in all probability shall never be able to maintain the maximum number required to provide good angling for bass in the many lakes demanding attention at the same time if we do not neglect through commercial sein- ing operations to remove the carp at the proper season of the year namely when they are running in to spawn we shall in all probability through these ponds and a number of small ponds maintained by sportsmens organizations be able to provide reasonable fishing for bass for years to come

About two years ago we practically completed the construc- tion of a new trout hatchery in the extreme southern part of the state This was found absolutely necessary due to the fact that three of the older hatcheries were facing a water famine At this new hatchery we have an unvarying flow of approximately 10000 gallons per minute of pure spring water of a temperature of 47 oslash This season the output of fingerling trout of various species will be approximately 21bull million three to five inch fish The hatchery has actually been in operation nearly five years and has clearly demon- strated that volume of flow is far more important in trout culture than either quality or low temperature because it is of sufficient volume to permit a gradual increase of the flow in both hatchery troughs and cement rearing ponds as the trout increase in size This has had the effect of practically nullifying the hazard of disease and through the increased exercise afforded by the strong current both in hatchery troughs and in ponds induced an exceedingly keen appetite among the growing fishes thereby producing marvelous growth

At this nebullv hatchery we have one dirt experimental pond planted with aquatic plants principally water-cress which produces a sufiqcient quantity of fresh-water shrimp to sup- port several thousand trout maintained in it up to the year- ling stage

We have hatched at this place some lake trout which are thriving beyond all belief the loss from actual disease having been absol_utely nothing These fish are now slightly over three years old and vary in length from eighteen to twenty- two inches and while it is yet a problem as to whether they

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are going to mature and produce eggs the object of the ex- petrimerit in their rearing we sincerely hope we shall be able to accomplish this result because we are bull absolutely unable owing to weather conditions existing during the spawning period of these fishes to procure a natural supply of lake trout eggs for replenishing certain inland lakes which are becom- ing depleted

A 412 acre pond at this station devoted to the cultivation of small-mouthed black bass has been productive because of favorable conditions particularly the vast quantity of shrimp growing in a natural state in this pond While we have harvested a crop of small-mouthed bass from this pond but two seasons the maximum last season being something over 12000 the production is of unusual size in my belief be- cause the fish removed from this pond in October average 5 inches in length

Previous reference has been made to the wall-eyed pike as a food fish It is classed as a food fish only when taken from international and interstate waters except those taken at the commercial fisheries on Red Lake in all other lakes and streams lying entirely within the boundaries of the state it is classified as a game fish At the same time we must not lose sight of the fact that its importance as a food fish is not exceeded even by the whitefish because of the much wider distribution of the pike

Outstanding results have been accomplished rather unex- pectedly in the introduction of the so-called Labrador White- fish from our largest inland lake (Red Lake) into waters of Lake Superior We have for a period of about five years had a surplus of these whitfish eggs over and above what we could handle at our Red Lake Hatchery and this surplus has been transferred to and hatched at our Lake Superior Hatch- ery near Duluth all the resulting fry being planted in Lake Superior During the period from 1927 to 1931 inclusive approximately 84 million fry produced from that source have been planted in Lake Superior waters

Notwithstanding ichthyologists are now prone to regard the Lake Superior whitefish as being identical with the Lab- rador whitefish the fishermen of the North Shore of Lake Superior last fall readily identified the comparatively large run of whitefish appearing along their shore as being entirely different from any runs of previous years and as there is a decided difference in the size of the eggs obtained from the native whitefish of Lake Superior and those which we have been introducing in its waters we had no difficulty in dis-

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tinguishing that difference when the eggs were delivered at our hatchery Eggs of the true Lake Superior whitefish run about 35000 to the quart whereas those obtained from the so-called Labrador whitefish of Red Lake approximate 52740 per quart

During the past fifteen or eighteen years commercial fishing for whitefish had been maintained at such a low ebb that we have had no laws regulating this fishery in Minnesota waters of Lake Superior consequently the sudden appearance of whitefish in large numbers during the fall of 1930 which was again repeated to a certain extent during the spring of 1931 found us without any legal means of meeting the situa- tion It is however gratifying from the fish cultural point of view to know that these fish within a period of about four years become matured and are now spawning or at least spawned last season in large numbers along the coast line of about 200 miles

Until within recent years the pickerel or so-called Great Northern Pike has been held in but little esteem as a game fish and this belief still exists where it still abounds in the northern tier of counties However its ability to compete wibullh the carp in carp infested lakes in the southern part of the state has won recognition in that section and more and more requests are made for restocking which we are meeting with more or less difficulty because we are not yet prepared to handle pickerel eggs as successfully as we do those of other species

Discussion

Mg SugBsbull We have not only found the rainbow taking well in the streams but so far they have apparently been immune to ordinary trout diseases at least in our waters and in our hatcheries In certain waters in the southeastern part of the state where they never had any trout but did have smallmouth bass we now have excellent rainbow

fishing along with the smallmouth fishing Mg Ross (Missouri) I noticed a statement in your paper that the

streams had become too warm for brown trout hence the introduction of rainbow Is it true that the brown trout requires a lower tempera- ture than the rainbow

Mbull THABbullrUS Sussrg Absolutely We have found that strain of rainbows in the Cannon river will stand midsummer temperature We had an average temperature last summer of 82 or 83 degrees could never maintain in that stream any brown trout we have planted thousands of them but could never maintain them--they either die or leave the stream and it is not a natural tendency of brown trout to desert these streams because food is abundant That is just one

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246 American FiMteries Society

amplbull out of many In our north shore country where in the tribu- taries of Lake Superior we are supposed to have the most famous trout streams we found a number of years ago that the midsummer tempera- ture is too high to maintain trout of any kind except in certain small tributaries That was due to the repeated forest fires which not only opened the entire country bullordering on these streams but destroyed all the cold swamp cedars In that territory we first introduced small- mouth bass in two very large streams and we are having some success with them but reports of fishermen and anglers this summer would indicate that the rainbows are taking in splendid manner

MR Ross (Missouri) With reference to your statement that disease was limited by large volume of water we have found in Missouri that we have no trouble with disease in rainbow trout if we have a sufficient volume of water In our hatcheries in which the volume decreased last

year we had bullome trouble witbull disease but in the hatcheries where we have had a large olume of water there has been practically no loss from that cause We discovered this year that in Cave Spring at the headwaters of the Current river--contrary to the fish culturistbull--rain- bow trout have propagated naturally It is the first time that natural propagation has been discovered in the streams all our trout have to be artificially propagated in Missouri with this exception I am in- clined to think that these fish in Missouri have been there for probably twenty years and that they are acclimatizing themselves to the warmer water That water has a temperature of about 54oslash it varies only two degrees winter and summer and does not freeze

MR THAi)i)EUS SUaBEbull With regard to the period of time during which you probably have had rainbow trout in Missouri in 1896 in southwestern Missouri I had the pleasure of catching the first rainbow trout I ever saw so I imagine you have had the same strain of rain- bow trout in Missouri longer than you imagine

M Ross For about fifty years Ma THOMAS (Missouri) Rainbow trout have been in our state since

1550 or before that Dow

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are going to mature and produce eggs the object of the ex- petrimerit in their rearing we sincerely hope we shall be able to accomplish this result because we are bull absolutely unable owing to weather conditions existing during the spawning period of these fishes to procure a natural supply of lake trout eggs for replenishing certain inland lakes which are becom- ing depleted

A 412 acre pond at this station devoted to the cultivation of small-mouthed black bass has been productive because of favorable conditions particularly the vast quantity of shrimp growing in a natural state in this pond While we have harvested a crop of small-mouthed bass from this pond but two seasons the maximum last season being something over 12000 the production is of unusual size in my belief be- cause the fish removed from this pond in October average 5 inches in length

Previous reference has been made to the wall-eyed pike as a food fish It is classed as a food fish only when taken from international and interstate waters except those taken at the commercial fisheries on Red Lake in all other lakes and streams lying entirely within the boundaries of the state it is classified as a game fish At the same time we must not lose sight of the fact that its importance as a food fish is not exceeded even by the whitefish because of the much wider distribution of the pike

Outstanding results have been accomplished rather unex- pectedly in the introduction of the so-called Labrador White- fish from our largest inland lake (Red Lake) into waters of Lake Superior We have for a period of about five years had a surplus of these whitfish eggs over and above what we could handle at our Red Lake Hatchery and this surplus has been transferred to and hatched at our Lake Superior Hatch- ery near Duluth all the resulting fry being planted in Lake Superior During the period from 1927 to 1931 inclusive approximately 84 million fry produced from that source have been planted in Lake Superior waters

Notwithstanding ichthyologists are now prone to regard the Lake Superior whitefish as being identical with the Lab- rador whitefish the fishermen of the North Shore of Lake Superior last fall readily identified the comparatively large run of whitefish appearing along their shore as being entirely different from any runs of previous years and as there is a decided difference in the size of the eggs obtained from the native whitefish of Lake Superior and those which we have been introducing in its waters we had no difficulty in dis-

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Surber--Successes and Failurebull in Minnesota 245

tinguishing that difference when the eggs were delivered at our hatchery Eggs of the true Lake Superior whitefish run about 35000 to the quart whereas those obtained from the so-called Labrador whitefish of Red Lake approximate 52740 per quart

During the past fifteen or eighteen years commercial fishing for whitefish had been maintained at such a low ebb that we have had no laws regulating this fishery in Minnesota waters of Lake Superior consequently the sudden appearance of whitefish in large numbers during the fall of 1930 which was again repeated to a certain extent during the spring of 1931 found us without any legal means of meeting the situa- tion It is however gratifying from the fish cultural point of view to know that these fish within a period of about four years become matured and are now spawning or at least spawned last season in large numbers along the coast line of about 200 miles

Until within recent years the pickerel or so-called Great Northern Pike has been held in but little esteem as a game fish and this belief still exists where it still abounds in the northern tier of counties However its ability to compete wibullh the carp in carp infested lakes in the southern part of the state has won recognition in that section and more and more requests are made for restocking which we are meeting with more or less difficulty because we are not yet prepared to handle pickerel eggs as successfully as we do those of other species

Discussion

Mg SugBsbull We have not only found the rainbow taking well in the streams but so far they have apparently been immune to ordinary trout diseases at least in our waters and in our hatcheries In certain waters in the southeastern part of the state where they never had any trout but did have smallmouth bass we now have excellent rainbow

fishing along with the smallmouth fishing Mg Ross (Missouri) I noticed a statement in your paper that the

streams had become too warm for brown trout hence the introduction of rainbow Is it true that the brown trout requires a lower tempera- ture than the rainbow

Mbull THABbullrUS Sussrg Absolutely We have found that strain of rainbows in the Cannon river will stand midsummer temperature We had an average temperature last summer of 82 or 83 degrees could never maintain in that stream any brown trout we have planted thousands of them but could never maintain them--they either die or leave the stream and it is not a natural tendency of brown trout to desert these streams because food is abundant That is just one

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246 American FiMteries Society

amplbull out of many In our north shore country where in the tribu- taries of Lake Superior we are supposed to have the most famous trout streams we found a number of years ago that the midsummer tempera- ture is too high to maintain trout of any kind except in certain small tributaries That was due to the repeated forest fires which not only opened the entire country bullordering on these streams but destroyed all the cold swamp cedars In that territory we first introduced small- mouth bass in two very large streams and we are having some success with them but reports of fishermen and anglers this summer would indicate that the rainbows are taking in splendid manner

MR Ross (Missouri) With reference to your statement that disease was limited by large volume of water we have found in Missouri that we have no trouble with disease in rainbow trout if we have a sufficient volume of water In our hatcheries in which the volume decreased last

year we had bullome trouble witbull disease but in the hatcheries where we have had a large olume of water there has been practically no loss from that cause We discovered this year that in Cave Spring at the headwaters of the Current river--contrary to the fish culturistbull--rain- bow trout have propagated naturally It is the first time that natural propagation has been discovered in the streams all our trout have to be artificially propagated in Missouri with this exception I am in- clined to think that these fish in Missouri have been there for probably twenty years and that they are acclimatizing themselves to the warmer water That water has a temperature of about 54oslash it varies only two degrees winter and summer and does not freeze

MR THAi)i)EUS SUaBEbull With regard to the period of time during which you probably have had rainbow trout in Missouri in 1896 in southwestern Missouri I had the pleasure of catching the first rainbow trout I ever saw so I imagine you have had the same strain of rain- bow trout in Missouri longer than you imagine

M Ross For about fifty years Ma THOMAS (Missouri) Rainbow trout have been in our state since

1550 or before that Dow

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Surber--Successes and Failurebull in Minnesota 245

tinguishing that difference when the eggs were delivered at our hatchery Eggs of the true Lake Superior whitefish run about 35000 to the quart whereas those obtained from the so-called Labrador whitefish of Red Lake approximate 52740 per quart

During the past fifteen or eighteen years commercial fishing for whitefish had been maintained at such a low ebb that we have had no laws regulating this fishery in Minnesota waters of Lake Superior consequently the sudden appearance of whitefish in large numbers during the fall of 1930 which was again repeated to a certain extent during the spring of 1931 found us without any legal means of meeting the situa- tion It is however gratifying from the fish cultural point of view to know that these fish within a period of about four years become matured and are now spawning or at least spawned last season in large numbers along the coast line of about 200 miles

Until within recent years the pickerel or so-called Great Northern Pike has been held in but little esteem as a game fish and this belief still exists where it still abounds in the northern tier of counties However its ability to compete wibullh the carp in carp infested lakes in the southern part of the state has won recognition in that section and more and more requests are made for restocking which we are meeting with more or less difficulty because we are not yet prepared to handle pickerel eggs as successfully as we do those of other species

Discussion

Mg SugBsbull We have not only found the rainbow taking well in the streams but so far they have apparently been immune to ordinary trout diseases at least in our waters and in our hatcheries In certain waters in the southeastern part of the state where they never had any trout but did have smallmouth bass we now have excellent rainbow

fishing along with the smallmouth fishing Mg Ross (Missouri) I noticed a statement in your paper that the

streams had become too warm for brown trout hence the introduction of rainbow Is it true that the brown trout requires a lower tempera- ture than the rainbow

Mbull THABbullrUS Sussrg Absolutely We have found that strain of rainbows in the Cannon river will stand midsummer temperature We had an average temperature last summer of 82 or 83 degrees could never maintain in that stream any brown trout we have planted thousands of them but could never maintain them--they either die or leave the stream and it is not a natural tendency of brown trout to desert these streams because food is abundant That is just one

Dow

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246 American FiMteries Society

amplbull out of many In our north shore country where in the tribu- taries of Lake Superior we are supposed to have the most famous trout streams we found a number of years ago that the midsummer tempera- ture is too high to maintain trout of any kind except in certain small tributaries That was due to the repeated forest fires which not only opened the entire country bullordering on these streams but destroyed all the cold swamp cedars In that territory we first introduced small- mouth bass in two very large streams and we are having some success with them but reports of fishermen and anglers this summer would indicate that the rainbows are taking in splendid manner

MR Ross (Missouri) With reference to your statement that disease was limited by large volume of water we have found in Missouri that we have no trouble with disease in rainbow trout if we have a sufficient volume of water In our hatcheries in which the volume decreased last

year we had bullome trouble witbull disease but in the hatcheries where we have had a large olume of water there has been practically no loss from that cause We discovered this year that in Cave Spring at the headwaters of the Current river--contrary to the fish culturistbull--rain- bow trout have propagated naturally It is the first time that natural propagation has been discovered in the streams all our trout have to be artificially propagated in Missouri with this exception I am in- clined to think that these fish in Missouri have been there for probably twenty years and that they are acclimatizing themselves to the warmer water That water has a temperature of about 54oslash it varies only two degrees winter and summer and does not freeze

MR THAi)i)EUS SUaBEbull With regard to the period of time during which you probably have had rainbow trout in Missouri in 1896 in southwestern Missouri I had the pleasure of catching the first rainbow trout I ever saw so I imagine you have had the same strain of rain- bow trout in Missouri longer than you imagine

M Ross For about fifty years Ma THOMAS (Missouri) Rainbow trout have been in our state since

1550 or before that Dow

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Lib

rary

] at

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04 1

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246 American FiMteries Society

amplbull out of many In our north shore country where in the tribu- taries of Lake Superior we are supposed to have the most famous trout streams we found a number of years ago that the midsummer tempera- ture is too high to maintain trout of any kind except in certain small tributaries That was due to the repeated forest fires which not only opened the entire country bullordering on these streams but destroyed all the cold swamp cedars In that territory we first introduced small- mouth bass in two very large streams and we are having some success with them but reports of fishermen and anglers this summer would indicate that the rainbows are taking in splendid manner

MR Ross (Missouri) With reference to your statement that disease was limited by large volume of water we have found in Missouri that we have no trouble with disease in rainbow trout if we have a sufficient volume of water In our hatcheries in which the volume decreased last

year we had bullome trouble witbull disease but in the hatcheries where we have had a large olume of water there has been practically no loss from that cause We discovered this year that in Cave Spring at the headwaters of the Current river--contrary to the fish culturistbull--rain- bow trout have propagated naturally It is the first time that natural propagation has been discovered in the streams all our trout have to be artificially propagated in Missouri with this exception I am in- clined to think that these fish in Missouri have been there for probably twenty years and that they are acclimatizing themselves to the warmer water That water has a temperature of about 54oslash it varies only two degrees winter and summer and does not freeze

MR THAi)i)EUS SUaBEbull With regard to the period of time during which you probably have had rainbow trout in Missouri in 1896 in southwestern Missouri I had the pleasure of catching the first rainbow trout I ever saw so I imagine you have had the same strain of rain- bow trout in Missouri longer than you imagine

M Ross For about fifty years Ma THOMAS (Missouri) Rainbow trout have been in our state since

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