TROUT CULTURE C A P E SB 77b THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID TROUT CULTURE. TROUT CULTURE. A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON TIIK ART OF SPAWNING, HATCHING, & REARING TROUT. BY CHARLES C.CAPEL, F.R.M.S. SECOND EDITION. IloiilJOU : SAMPSON LOW & Co., FLEET STREET. Brighton : II. & C. TREACHER, NORTH STREET. 1885. BRIGHTON : H. AND C. TREACHER, PRINTERS, NORTH STREET. T8C3 PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION. C INCE the first issue of this little work in 1877, there have been held three great Exhibitions Berlin, Norwich, and last, the Great Show in London in 1883. The world has, doubtless, reaped a vast amount of practical information from these displays, but it is a nice question whether the Fisheries of the world have, in reality, reaped any great benefit. Anyhow, the lines of Fish Culture, so far as the writer can see, remain very much in the old groove perhaps from want of observation, or other causes, he failed to extract much information from the great "Fisheries" of 1883. With this brief introductory Preface, the author begs to offer to the Press, and, he hopes, an indulgent public, a fresh issue of his little book on Trout Breeding. CRAY FISHERY, FOOT'S CRAY, KENT. INTRODUCTION. TN bringing out this little work on the Culture of Trout, the author feels that he is attempting to supply a great want, as many landed proprietors, desirous of stocking their waters with that fish, naturally wish for some simple practical work wherein they may find information which will serve for a help to the servant as well as to the master, especially in the absence of the latter. The author, in his first attempt at Pisciculture, would have been truly thankful for such a guide ; and, with the hope that they may be of use to others, and enable them to enter upon a successful career, he now ventures to publish the results of his own prac- tical experience. His grateful acknowledgments are due to the Rev. L. Stone for the account of the Russian or Dry method of Spawning, and for the Spawn and Hatching Tables, &c. All the methods of procedure recommended have been personally tried, and nothing has been taken from the works of others, so far as the author is aware, without due acknowledgment. CRAY FISHERY, FOOT'S CRAY, KENT. CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION CHAPTER I. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS CHAPTER IT. THE HATCHING HOUSE ... CHAPTER III. THE HATCH INO APPARATUS CHAPTER IV. SPAWNING ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23 CHAPTER V. HATCHING 37 CHAPTER VI. REARING ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 46 CHAPTER VII. REARING PONDS AND STREAMS 57 CONTENTS. CHAPTER VIII. DOES ARTIFICIAL SPAWNING INJURE A STREAM? ... 69 CHAPTER IX. ENEMIES 73 CHAPTER X. STREAM CLEANING... ... ... ... CHAPTER XI. ACCLIMATIZATION . CHAPTER XII. CONCLUSION 86 ADDENDA 88 TROUT CULTURE. CHAPTER I. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS. three qualities most needed in order to * become a successful trout-rearer, are Patience, Endurance, and Ingenuity. Without, these no enter- prise can well succeed, and pisciculture is assuredly no exception. In fish breeding patience is required, because its duties ai;e what some might call mono- tonous : the round of work is regular, and must be carried on much the same, day after day, month after month, with, it may be, very slight variation ; but still, the work soon grows into a habit, and when once a system has been formed the tiresomeness of daity duties is much lessened ; and from daily association a sort of attachment spontaneously grows up between the attendant and his charges, which does much to dispel the monotony of the work. Endurance, again, is needed, as the spawning and hatching of trout take place in winter, and the cold- ness of the water is very trying to the hands and arms ; this, however, is but a small matter if the rest of the 2 TROUT CULTURE. body be protected by good woollen clothing and the feet encased in waterproof boots. The subject of clothing will receive more attention at the end of this chapter. Ingenuity, again, is essential, because accidents and misfortunes will happen even to the experienced, and then, he who is the most ready to devise a remedy, or means of escape, will find his quickness of resource amply repaid, and of the greatest value : as if any- thing happens to young trout, unless speedily set right, it usually affects the whole of that stock. He, there- fore, that would successfully rear trout must make up his mind to be constant to duty, fearless of difficulty and obstacle, and quick to act, ready to face cold, snow, and ice ; he must be prepared also to buy experience at some cost ; and it is the object of this little work to reduce that cost as much as possible. We have put before the reader the unpleasant part of the picture ; now, let us turn to the sunny side. What can be more enjoyable than a fine winter's morning, such as we often have in January, with the sunshine dancing among the ripples of the little streams as they rattle over the golden gravel ? " Saw some fine fish up spawning in the Alders this morning, sir. Six or eight there, and lots in the stream above the farm." Cheering news, this, as we meet our faithful lieutenant outside the hatching- house, bustling about amongst nets, tins, &c. How one gloats over the prospect of a good day's spawning ! What a lot of intelligence the wily fishes evince, too, in doubling and baffling their pursuers ! Personally, we would rather have a good day at this than at angling. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS. 3 Again, what a charm there is in a well-ordered hatching-house, with its millions of golden eggs covered with bloom like a ripe peach ! Fish culture is indeed a charming amusement, free from cruelty, and full of enjoyment for anyone who has a love for Nature and her beauties. Some one may, doubtless, think that the colouring of this picture has been laid on with a too generous hand : let him try for himself, and it is almost certain he will admit that there has been no exaggeration. Before this chapter closes, a few remarks on clothing may not be out of place, and, firstly, as to covering for the feet. From personal experience, we strongly prefer the thigh wading boots of indiarubber to the hide boots, as being much lighter, requiring no dress- ing, and if properly used, more comfortable. Two pairs are necessary, so as* to permit the evaporation of the perspiration from the interior of one pair whilst the other is in use. Waterproof socks also tend very materially to preserve the boots, and, what is more, the health of the wearer, as they can easily be turned inside out and aired, thus keeping the foot of the boot dry and free from mouldiness. Wading trousers, of the same material or of tweed and rubber, are very convenient, as they can be turned inside out, and thus thoroughly dried. They also are much more con- venient in deepish water, but necessitate the use of brogues. One or two pairs of 'thick woollen socks should be worn under the rubber socks. The body should be encased in woollen garments, upper and under, to resist the damp, as hatching- houses generally are, more or less, saturated with 4 TROUT CULTURE. aqueous vapour. A pair of indiarubber gloves lined with wool will be found a most comfortable adjunct to the furniture of the fish-breeding establishment. For the supply of waterproof articles we have long employed Mr. George Cording, of 125, Regent Street, 231, Strand, and i, Albemarle Street, and can speak very highly of his productions. The first matter of a special nature, which it behoves us to consider, is of necessity the ^ater in which we propose to grow trout. The phrase *' to grow trout," may seem an odd expression ; but it is, nevertheless, perfectly correct. For, just as in good soil, well manured, and with favourable conditions of rainfall, etc., it is easy to grow good seed and secure a heavy crop, so in good water, with good eggs, and a liberal supply of natural or artificial food, it is easy to rear or grow trout to an extent, both of number and size, which will fairly astonish those who are unacquainted with the mysteries of trout-life. To hatch the eggs we only require pure water, of which the hatching-house should have an ample supply. Whether this be derived from stream or spring is of small consequence, so long as the tem- perature be not liable to sudden changes, as these are likely to interfere with the gradual and even develop- ment of the embryo. On the whole, therefore, we are inclined to prefer spring water for our hatching opera- tions. For rearing the fry when removed from the hatching boxes, we also require pure water ; free from pollutions. But it should be well stocked with insects and animalculae, as these afford a constant supply of natural food for the young fishes. It may be stream or spring water so long as these conditions are fulfilled, PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS. 5 and the more nearly it approaches in its qualities to that in which the eggs were hatched, the nearer will it be to perfection as a receiving stream. Any little stream possessing these characters will answer for rearing purposes, and it should have a moderate current, not too strong for the very young fishes, but not still and lifeless ripple and pool alter- nating form, perhaps, the best home for fry, as they can then select their own quarters. To be perfect in this respect it should vary in depth from a few inches to two feet, as this supplies all that is necessary for the growth of trout to a considerable size. Next in importance to the quality of the water is its quantity. This must be constant, as a stinted or unequal supply, especially at the hatching-house, is very injurious. Therefore, in planning an establish- ment, this point should be kept well in view, so as to make sure that, under no circumstances, and by no accident, can the supply run short. To have to stint and starve the eggs; or to think of every pint of water that can be scraped and saved, adds greatly to the troubles of fish culture, and detracts very much from the results, as eggs hatched under unfavourable con- ditions will never thrive. The means of supply, again, forms a matter of some importance. If the water be derived from waterworks, it will, of course, only be necessary to have it laid to the hatching-house, and to see that the pipes are sufficiently large. Hydraulic rams are expensive; but if one be already on the estate, should it throw plenty of water, it may be used. However, there is always an uncertainty about rams, as the least thing puts them out of order, and it takes some time to induce 6 TROUT CULTURE. the machine to work when once stopped. For instance, an eel gets under one of the valves in the night and stops the machine, and has to be removed by unseat- ing the valve ; this empties the pipes, which then become charged with air, and it often takes some hours to force this out, and to obtain a fresh supply of water. Since the above was written, many improvements in rams have been effected, notably by Mr. Blake, of Accrington, Lancashire, of which two forms are repre- sented, the first a direct action machine, forcing up the water which works it : the second a ram which throws pure water, but is worked by a secondary, and not necessarily a pure supply. DIRECT ACTION RAM. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS. 7 SECONDARY ACTION RAM. Another good source of water-supply, personally tested, and not found wanting, is the hot air-engine, invented by Mr. A. K. Rider, of New York, and made by Messrs. Hay ward, Tyler & Co., of 39, Queen Victoria Street, E.G., Luton, etc. This engine, though of course not self-acting like a ram, is very certain easily kept in good order by any man used to the simplest machine, and goes for some time, if well stoked, without attention. On the whole, perhaps, it will be found better to work such a machine applica- ble for any of the needs of water-raising, to those of the fish-house than to put any trust in a ram , although the improved ram is a very valuable apparatus. TROUT CULTURE HOT AIR ENGINE. Where we can get satisfactory pumping power, by hand, horse or steam, and a cistern of a sufficient size to hold thirty hours' supply for the whole hatching operations, we may be quite contented so far as water supply is concerned. Lead piping may be used with perfect safety in fish culture, and junctions may also be made with india- rubber piping, a great convenience in altering or extemporizing apparatus ; but india-rubber of the best quality only should be employed, as the chalky stuff sold by some firms will only lead to leaks and losses. Black or red rubber should be selected, and from a firm of standing. THE HATCHING HOUSE. CHAPTER II. THE HATCHING-HOUSE. TTAVING treated of the water supply, we next * * pass on to the hatching-house, whicli may be of brick, wood, or stone. Any out-building may be turned to use if only it be well built, well lighted, and well floored. It should be roomy, as vast numbers of little odds and ends, such as nets, tin cans, etc., are wont gradually to accumulate. A neat dry locker or broad shelf is very handy for nets, and cans should be arranged in nests, one inside the other, if possible. A small stove by which to warm the hands will be appreciated. The cistern or cisterns may, if prac- ticable, be inside the house ; but on no account should these, or anything else, be allowed to obstruct the light. A dark hatching-house is a misery and an abomination. As to the size of the cistern or cisterns, that must be regulated by the magnitude of the con- templated operations ; whatever this may be, their capacity should be ample. They may be made of wood, lined with zinc or lead, or of galvanized iron. A dry store-room within the mansion, or somewhere out of the way of thieves, rats, etc. more especially visitors where any secret operation, microscopic or other, may be performed, will be found of the greatest use. In writing the present issue the author begs to say io TROUT CULTURE. that he has entirely altered his opinion on nitration : it is perfectly unnecessary, and utterly useless, as will appear later on. A good, well-trapped drain must be constructed in such a position as may be best fitted to receive the waste water after it has done its work. All waste pipes, whether large or small, should be so contrived that all outlets shall be fully exposed to view. An open escape trough with the wastes from the various apparatus delivering into it v ill then be easily put right, should anything go amiss. A thoroughly sound cement or asphalte floor will be found best in the long run ; as, with a " squeegee," all the inevitable spillings are thus expeditiously swept away. Neatness, order and comfort result, and vermin are thoroughly excluded. The lighting should be ample, either from skylights or side windows, as the construction of the building may require, and it is advisable to be able to cause a current of air to pass throughout the building when desired. Odds and ends will accumulate, and shelves should be fitted up to receive them ; and a strong bench, well supported, for pestle and mortar, meat slicer, etc., will be found useful. There should be a place for everything, and everything should be in its place. Something may be wanted in a hurry, and it should be at hand and in sight ; there should be no rummaging and ransacking after it, as there is sure to be if one thing be piled on another. A " round " towel may be suspended near the little stove for drying the hands, and hand-bowls are useful for many purposes. A mop for the floor is always THE HATCHING HOUSE. 11 handy, as however carefully the work is carried on water is sure to be spilled, and one is very liable to catch cold from standing on a damp floor. If these cardinal points have been attended to, the intending breeder of fishes, whatever the size of his contemplated operations, may look around him with some satisfaction, as he may feel sure that however he may wish to alter the smaller details of his establish- ment, the main plan need not be materially altered or disturbed. 12 TROUT CULTURE. CHAPTER III. THE HATCHING APPARATUS. T N this country troughs of wood, slate or terra-cotta * are almost universally in use for this purpose, and it must be confessed that for the amateur, at any rate, they are unquestionably the best and handiest form of apparatus. It may be very different in large estab- lishments, where many hundreds of thousands of eggs are annually received. Having thus determined on the employment of troughs, the next question is the material best fitted to our purpose. Terra-cotta, slate, and wood have been mentioned, but we feel disposed to select slate for the use of the amateur as being very clean, not so liable to break, chip, or crack as terra-cotta or earthenware, and not so likely to leak as wood. In the colder countries, where severe frosts prevail, however, wood will be found the best material, as, if well charred with a hot iron, and made of sufficient substance, it resists the action of frost far better than any other material. It must be of some thickness, or the intense cold may take effect on it. Where a man who can use tools is at hand, there will be no difficulty in the matter. About two-and-a-half to three inches of water is all that will be needed. All hatching apparatus and accessories can be obtained from the Cray Fishery at moderate prices. THE HATCHING APPARATUS. HATCHING BOXES. TROFT CULTURE. HATCHING BOXES. The boxes can be arranged in tiers, one above the other, as in the sketch or otherwise, at the will of the operator. If wood be selected, it must either be charred, or well dressed with the silicate paint, made by the Silicate Paint Company, of Charlton, Kent, and Cannon Street, London, E.G. All kinds of varnishes have been tried, but none equal it in preservative power. A good strong framework must be arranged to sup- port the troughs, of whatever material they are con- structed. It should resemble a staircase, the steps being of the width of the troughs, and arranged at such a height relatively to one another that the spout of each trough may properly deliver its water into that below it. THE HATCHING APPARATUS. 15 When filling up an apparatus a small " union " metal pipe should be attached to the water supply and carried along the whole length of the bottom edge of each trough, being connected by small gas unions with the supply pipe, as in sketch. The other, or free end, is squeezed together with pincers, and thus closed water-tight. Small perforations are then made with a fine-pointed awl or other instrument, and this gives a thorough aeration to the whole of the water in each trough, and an equal supply of fresh water throughout the apparatus. The spout of the bottom trough must be connected by indiarubber pipe, or otherwise, to a waste pipe leading to the drain, and of the same size as the spout. PERFORATED ZINC INNER TROUGHS. i6 PIPES IN IJOXKS. In slate troughs, or any other for that matter, the writer is perfectly convinced of the usefulness of per- forated zinc as the best, safest, and most useful material to hatch on ; others use a system of glass guiles, and attain success thereby, but the zinc saves the young fishes from falling into any dirt that may have accumulated in the boxes, especially in the absence of a filter, and it is, therefore, impossible for them to escape, unless there be a leak in the angles of the trough. The troughs are fitted by any competent workman with ease and celerity, or can be supplied from this or any other establishment. They must on no account reach the bottom of the main trough, firstly, on account of the supply pipe, secondly, to avoid THE HATCHING APPARATUS. 17 filth which may have come in through floods or other causes. One inch clear from the bottom should always be allowed for these purposes. These trays should be well washed in hot water to remove grease, dried, and painted with silicate paint before use. Spouts of lead pipe are usually used for the outlets ; they should be of ample size for the work that they have to do ; this, however, like so many other things, must be left to the judgment of the person erecting an establishment. Some use tin spouts leading to a tin receiver. Light wooden covers should be provided to exclude the light ; or frames of wood, covered with blue calico may be used, one answering as well as the other ; they must, in any case, be so arranged as not to inter- fere with the influx or the efflux of the water. In the early days of pisciculture all used gravel, which had to be boiled, and then was not safe from fungus, of which more will be said hereafter. That pernicious system has been almost, if not entirely, given up by those who wish to attain the best results. In addition to his other apparatus, the fish-breeder will require a few (one or two) glass tubes for moving and examining eggs and fry. No description need be given of them, as they can be obtained at the Cray Fishery. They are used as follows : The tube is lightly held by the third and fourth fingers of the right hand, in such a manner that the thumb can easily close the end ; the thumb being pressed on the end, the bent part is thrust gently into the water towards the eggs or fry to be lifted. The thumb is then sud- denly removed from the end of the tube for a moment, i8 TROUT CULTURE. when the water, eggs, etc., will rush up. The thumb is again applied, and the other end of the tube raised FORCEPS AND TUBE. by a circular motion of the wrist, when its contents may be examined, and on removing the thumb may be returned to the trough or any other vessel. A few trials give dexterity in the use of this serviceable little piece of apparatus. A few feathers stripped to within an inch of the end, and used for moving eggs under water, are also of service. A pair of spring forceps or nippers will also be required for picking out dead eggs, etc. They should be about six or seven inches long, and have rounded points : they may be obtained at the surgical instrument makers' shops. The above is all that will be required for those who buy eggs and hatch them out. Those who spawn their own fishes will require small flue or trammel nets of a suitable size to stretch across the little spawning streams up which the trout run to spawn. They will THE HATCHING APPARATUS. 19 also need one or two landing nets fixed on to iron frames, fitted with light poles for handles. The writer uses frames, the bottom of the frame, or the side opposite the handle, being square, so as to scoop well under a fish ; and by this means a pair of fishes may be frequently caught, as they are too intent on their own affairs to notice anything else. The irons or frames are punched with holes at intervals of about an inch, by which the net is attached to them with iron or copper wire An improved folding frame has lately been brought out, but is more expensive. Two or three tin or galvanized iron foot-pans, to hold the fish when caught, and two or three stone- glazed or glass bowls, to act as spawning pans, will also be required, together with a light can to hold the eggs. Whilst mentioning the spawning apparatus, it will not be out of place to refer to the boxes, which are handy recipients for unripe fish, and those which are ripe, but which it is not convenient to spawn at the moment. Their size may be made to suit the little streams, and the length may vary from twelve to twenty feet, as the fancy and requirements of the owner may dictate. They should have lids to keep out enemies. The ends of the boxes should be covered with coarse perforated zinc, to allow an abundant supply of water to pass through, as sometimes a large number of fishes may be in confinement at one time. THE HOLTON BOX. This apparatus consists of a square or oblong box, with wooden trays or frames fitted to the interior, the bottoms of which are covered with, or rather formed of, 20 TROUT CULTURE wire netting, of such a size that the eggs may rest on the wires, but that the young embryo, on emerging from the shell, can pass between the wires and swim over the edge of the box through an opening cut in the side of the top edge, and fitted with a lip or spout, into a receiving box placed under it. This has a sloping wire-gauze screen, very accurately fitted, to prevent egress therefrom. THE HOLTON BOX. This receiving box may be one of the " feeding " boxes afterwards described, and may be of any dimen- sions desired, in proportion to the number of eggs to be hatched, and the amount of water available. The trays, which should fit easily, are kept from floating by wedges, as shown in fig. The water is so arranged that it shall come in at the bottom and flow off by the spout at top ; the wires breaking the current and thus distributing the supply throughout the apparatus. In starting the apparatus a small stream of water should run through it a few days before it is actually wanted for use, in order to season it and remove any taint from the paint or other dressing used for its pro- tection ; black asphalte varnish being used in America, whilst silicate paint, of the Silicate Paint Company, Cannon Street, London, E.G., is the favourite for such purposes in England. When sufficiently seasoned, all THE HATCHING APPARATUS. 21 the trays should be removed, the water syphoned out (unless a tight bung has been fitted in the bottom), all dirt, slime, and grease from the varnish or paint care- fully sponged out, and the apparatus re-filled. The first tray is then floated on the surface, the eggs being carefully distributed on the top of the wires, which are arranged in parallel rows, with cross wires to strengthen them and, if more eggs be at hand, a second tray is very gently laid on top of the first, so as not to disturb the first layer ; this is filled in its turn, and so on, according to the supply. Finally, one empty tray is put on, and the trays are very gently and evenly sunk a little under the surface of the water in the box, and secured by wedges. It has been said that the water must enter at the bottom of the apparatus and flow out at the top, passing through the layers of ova : this may be effected by a side chamber, as in the sketch, or by a pipe carried down outside the apparatus and gaining an entrance by a well-caulked aperture in the bottom. For keeping a number of ova in a small space, when fully " eyed," /.