: PUBLIC DOCUMENT. No. 25. REPORT Fish and Game Commssioners MASSACHUSETTS For the Year ending December 31, 1886. BOSTON WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS 18 Post Office Square. 1887. \ CONTENTS Page. Report 5 Appendix A. List of Fish Commissioners 41 B. List of Leased Ponds 50 C. Extract from Report of 1878 56 I)- Account of a large Water-bug (Belostoma), an enemy to Young Carp 67 E. Legislation 75 F. Returns of Pounds, Weirs, Seines and Gill-nets . 81 Commoitfomltl^ of P^assat^srfts. To His Excellency the Governor and Honorable Council. The Fish and Game Commissioners respectfully present their Twenty-first Annual Report : — FishWAYS. There have been no complaints as to the working of the fishways, and only two applications for the construction of new ones. Below will be found Mr. Holmes's report on the Lawrence fish way : — Lawrence, Nov. 23, 1886. E. A. Brackett, Commissioner on Fisheries. Dear Sir : — I enclose my report of the Lawrence fish way for this year. I do not think that the run of salmon has been as large as was expected, although they showed up very well in the fall, and very late too. The run of lamper eels was the largest I have seen since the fishway came under my charge. I do not think the alewives came up to last year. Perhaps if screens could be put in at the head of the canals, so that salmon and alewives could not get into them, it would be an advantage. As the river is now, when the water is low the fish are disposed to follow the current down the canal, and in ascending in the spring are attracted by the outflow at the foot of the canal, and sometimes in the sw'ift current dash themselves against the sides of the wheel-pit. The time ma}^ come when it would be desirable to adopt some means for keeping the fish out of these places. I have heard of two or three salmon being killed in the wheel-pits after the mills were shut down. 6 FISH AND GAME. [Dec. If Andover, or some other town, could be induced to put ale- wives into a large pond connected with the river, not only would the alewives be increased, but the fisheries of the pond would be benefited. Raggett's would be a good one for that purpose. Mr. Knowles repaired the fish way this season, and it is in better condition to stand the spring freshets than it has ever been. Yours truly, Thomas S. Holmes. Fish in the Lawrence FiSHvy^AY in 1886. May 1. A few lampreys and alewives. 2. Lampreys, alewives and suckers, run small. 3. Lampreys, alewives and suckers, run small. 4. Lampreys, alewives and suckers, run small. 5. Lampreys, alewives and suckers, run small. 6. Lampreys, alewives and suckers, run small. 7. Lampreys, run moderate ; alewives and suckers, run small, 8. Lampreys, run moderate ; alewives and suckers, run small. 9. Lampreys, run moderate; alewives and suckers, run small. 10. Lampreys, run small ; a few alewives and suckers. 11. Lampreys, alewives and suckers, run small. 12. Lampreys, alewives and suckers, run small. 13. Lampreys, alewives and suckers, run small. 14. Lampreys, alewives and suckers, run moderate. 16. Lampreys, alewives and suckers, run moderate. 16. Lampreys, run moderate ; alewives, run small. 17. Lampreys, run moderate ; alewives and suckers, run small. 18. Lampreys and suckers, run moderate ; alewives, run small, 19. Lampreys, alewives and suckers, run moderate. 20. Lampreys and suckers, run moderate ; alewives, run small. 21. Lampreys and suckers, run moderate ; alewives, run small. 22. Lampreys, alewives and suckers, run moderate. 23. Lampreys, run large ; alewives and suckers, run moderate. 24. Lampreys, run very large ; alewives and suckers, run large. 25. Lampreys, run very large; alewives, suckers and redfin shiners, run large. 26. Lampreys, run very large ; suckers and alewives, run mod- erate. 27. Lampreys, run large ; alewives and suckers, run moderate. 28. Lampreys, run large ; alewives and suckers, run moderate. 29. Lampreys, run moderate ; alewives and suckers, run small. 30. Lampreys, run large ; suckers, run moderate ; alewives, run small. 31. Lampreys and suckers, run large ; alewives, run small. June 1 . Lampreys, run large ; suckers, run moderate ; alewives, run small. 2. Lampreys, run very large ; suckers, run moderate ; alewives, run small. 3. Lampreys and suckers, run large ; alewives, run small. 1886.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 25. 4. suckers, alewives, run June Lampreys, run large ; run moderate ; small. 5. Lampreys, run large ; suckers and alewives, run small. 6. Lampreys, run large ; suckers, run moderate; alewives, run small. 7. Lampreys, run large ; suckers and alewives, run small. 8. Lampreys, run moderate ; suckers and alewives, run small. 9. Lampreys, run moderate ; suckers and alewives, run small. 10. One salmon, 12 pounds ; lampreys and suckers, run mod- erate ; alewives, run small. 11. Lampreys, run moderate ; suckers and alewives, run small. 12. Lampreys, run moderate ; suckers, run small. 13. Lampreys, run moderate ; suckers and alewives, run small. 14. Lampreys, run moderate ; suckers, run small. 15. Lampreys and suckers, run moderate. 16. Lampreys and suckers, run moderate. 17. Lampreys and suckers, run moderate. 18. Lampreys, run moderate suckers and alewives, ; run small. 19. Lampreys and suckers, run moderate; alewives, run small. 20. Two salmon, 10 to 12 pounds ; lampreys and suckers, run moderate. 21. Lampreys and suckers, run moderate; alewives, run small. 22. Two salmon, 12 to 14 pounds ; lampreys and suckers, run moderate. 23. Lampi'eys and suckers, run moderate ; a few alewives. 24. Two salmon, 10 to 12 pounds ; lampreys and suckers, run small. 25. Lampreys and suckers, run moderate. 26. Lampreys and suckers, run moderate. 27. Lampreys and suckers, run moderate. 28. Lampreys and suckers, run small. 29. Lampreys and suckers, run moderate. 30. Lampreys and suckers, run small. The water kept getting lower every day after the 1st of July, and the fish seen were less and less, and on July 12 I shut the water out of the fish way, as there was no water running over the dam, and only a few suckers in the way. The water was low all through the latter part of July, the month of August and half of September ; water shut out of fishway nearly all the time, except Sundays. The fish seen were a few suckers and small silver eels in August and September. The river commenced to rise about September 17, and I let the water into the fishway on the 18th. Suckers appeared on the 19th, and I saw salmon as below : — Sept. 21. One salmon, 8 pounds. 26. Two salmon, 8 to 12 pounds. 28. One salmon, 14 pounds. 8 FISH AND GAME. [Dec. Oct. 5. Two salmon, 6 to 8 pounds. Water was shut out of fishway again from October 10 to October 31, and on November 4 I saw one salmon, 8 pounds, since which time I have seen no fish. Yours respectfully, Thomas S. Holmes. The Lower Part of the Merrimac. What is knowQ by the fishermen at Newbaryport as bait, coDsisting mainly of blue-backs and menhaden, have become very scarce at the mouth of the Merrimac. The menhaden, which were so plenty in our bays years ago, appear in many cases to have entirely deserted them. The theory that no amount of fishing could materially lessen the deep-sea fisheries appears to be losing ground, and the intelligent fishermen are earnestly struggling for a law to protect the mackerel during their spawning season. With the driving away or destruction of the menhaden, the blue-fish are decreasing on our coast. If the New England States had combined and protected the menhaden in their bays and estuaries they would prob- ably have added millions of dollars to the value of our in- shore fisheries. They furnished an immense amount of food to more valuable fish, for where their food is will be found all animal life. In no other industry has there been such a reckless dis- regard of common sense as has marked the course of most of our fishermen, and it is gratifying to know that a de- cided change for the better is taking place among many of them. The misfortune is that they do not awaken to the danger that threatens them until the injury is done. The most ignorant farmer knows that there is a limit to the production of his farm, no matter how many acres he may possess ; and with the improved methods of fishing there is a limit to the catch of fish, no matter how large the feeding grounds may be. : 1886.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 25, Newburtport, Mass., Nov. 22d, 1886. To the Commissioners on Inland Fisheries. Gentlemen : — I have the pleasure herewith to submit to you my report for the present season : — Fish called bait have been very scarce in the Merrimac this season, not more than thirty-five barrels having been taken ; it is at least twentj^-flve years since they have been so scarce. In regard to dead salmon, I would sa}^ that in my rounds- during the season I have seen but one, and that on the river near Haverhill. In the matter of violation of the law in relation to lobsters, I desire to say that warrants have been issued against the following John Low of Haverhill, Mass., who disappeared before the warrant oould be served, and who has not since been seen ; also, Ambrose A. Pike of Newburyport and Albert Reed of Haverhill ; Pike and Reed were both arraigned, found guilty and fined in the police court at Newburyport. Their oflfence consisted in the following : Reed, for catching at Ipswich ; Pike, for having in his possession at Salisbury Point ; and Low, for selling at Haverhill.