march, 1968 - Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

FALSE SALMON EGG FEAST?
by Courtney Gustafson
SEVERAL FISHERMEN HAVE WRITTEN to the
Pennsylvania Fish Commission to find out whether or
not artificial salmon eggs can be digested by trout. To
answer the questions a test was recently conducted at
the Benner Spring Fish Research Station to see if these
artificial eggs had any ill effects on trout.
A rainbow trout was presented 9 salmon eggs which
it ate rapidly on the first day. The next day the fish
refused to eat any more of the eggs. It also did the
same on the third day.
At this time the fish was anesthetized and dissected.
The upper photograph shows the salmon eggs as they
were found in the stomach. The lower photograph reveals
various stages of the eggs removed from the intestinal
tract. The egg lettered A was an original egg
that was not ingested by the trout. The egg lettered B
was found in the stomach of the trout while egg lettered
C was located in the anterior intestine. The egg
lettered D was found near the end of the intestine.
Apparently, artificial salmon eggs can be broken
down by trout without any ill effects. However, this is
an extremely limited experiment and more work
should be done before any definite statements can be
made.
PULLMAN continued from page 17
MUDDY CREEK FORK, loading point for trout to be stocked
in Muddy Creek.
MARCH—1968
While this is all going on, the other two trucks are not
sitting idle. The second truck is stocking the stream between
Bridgeton and Woodbine, a distance of not quite a
mile, but it is the only area accessable by hard road. Then
the truck will wait at Woodbine for the train to unload
the rest of its fish. The third truck continues down 74 to
where it crosses Muddy Creek, near Delta. There they
stock downstream as far as an old county bridge, utilizing
another unique method of trout stocking—the float box.
It's not the easiest way to stock trout, but it does do a good
job. The third truck must then backtrack north on 74
where it continues into the Castle Fin Dam area. Here
the truck will meet the train later that afternoon to unload
the balance.
All the while the little train with its live cargo, continues
to clack along Muddy Creek stocking, running for
more fish, changing water, and starting all over again.
Hard work? Yes! But its also a lot of fun and each bucket
of trout that finds a new home in Muddy Creek owes that
litde train and the sportsmen who help a lot.
Its a long day's work but the trout have been stocked
over some 15 miles of stream and many won't be caught
until some anglers do some hiking to catch them.
All because of a little train and a lot of cooperation.
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