Montana farmer-stockman. [volume], June 15, 1954, Image 1

About Montana farmer-stockman. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1947-1993

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
HELENA
June 15, 1954
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If Your Pond Is
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Fr Din Livestock,
Y<|)u Can Enjoy
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Good fish-producing pond on Trygvie Birkeland farm,
Chouteau County. Stocked with warm-water fish—
bluegill and bass—and conveniently close to build
ings, this pond is fished often.
By BILL STELLMON
L IKE TO FISH? Well, then, how would you like your
fishing hole right on the farm?
Every year, more state farmers and ranchers stock their
own ponds or reservoirs with game fish—trout in some cases,
bluegill and bass in others. You can probably do the same,
because few areas in the state lack good pond sites and the
run-off water to fill them.
Too, the fish are available to you free of charge from pub
licly owned hatcheries—warm-water fish at the rate of 150,
000 to 500,000 a year from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
hatchery at Miles City; trout in more limited numbers from
state Fish & Game Department hatcheries. Or you can buy
what you need from commercial hatcheries.
Authorization to stock your pond is also yours for the
asking. In order to plant any fish, from either public or pri
vate hatcheries, you must have a fish pond license issued by
the Fish & Game Department. But it's readily available—
if your pond meets certain minimum conditions necessary for
fish production.
Just how necessary these conditions are can be seen from
stocking records in past years. Last fall, the Miles City
hatchery delivered thousands of bass and bluegill to farmers
in Cascade, Chouteau and Hill Counties. If past history pre
vails, few of the fish will survive their first winter; only
about one in seven of the reservoirs stocked will ever pro
duce any eating fish.
Why? For one thing, farm fish ponds are relatively new in
Montana and much still must be learned about species and
their requirements. For another, far too many ponds which
have been stocked were not suitable for fish.
But the record is getting better. Each year, fishery biolo
gists learn more about fish needs under our conditions. And
what they learn is being brought back to you. Now, too, fed
eral and state fish-game offices and the Soil Conservation
Service are cooperating in (Please turn to next page.)
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COVERS MONTANA AND NORTHERN WYOMING
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service truck from Miles City
hatchery carries warm-water fish to delivery areas.
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From net to pail. . . , Fish from U.S. Fish & Wildlife
hatchery. Miles City, are transported to farm-ranch
pond owners in special truck. Planted last fall, blue
gill were fingerlings, bass (pictured here) up to
inches. Both will be fishing size in couple years.