276

[Verso]

“approves of the Extension of the Close
“Season for Bass and Mascalonge
“to the 15th June as recently made
“by the Dept of F & G of Canada
“and heartily recommends that, the
“Close Season in the state of New York
be Extended to the same date as the
“best means for protecting those fish
“while upon their spawning beds.
Recorded Fish Laws
of the State of New York.

Extracts from in the
American Angler.

“No person shall catch or
kill any Black Bass in the
waters of Columbia county or in
the Counties of Essex, or Warren,
between the 1st of Janry and the
1st of July; or in Lake George, or
Brant Lake, between the 1st Janry
and 20th of July, or catch or kill
any Black Bass, Oswego Bass, or
Mascalonge, in any other water
of the State, between 1st of January
and the 1st of June.”

From the above Extracts
which I have picked up hurriedly
it will be seen that, your
Departmental “Close Season”
for Bass is in accordance with

[Recto]

250

the adjoining State of New York,
and I am quite [certain?]
that, other states of the Union
are alike [conformist?].

I notice a remark in your
letter that “the Petition in [?]
Mitchell Bay, where the season
varies so much” I beg respectfully
to state that, the spawning seasons
for fish in Canadian waters do [not?]
vary but in such a trifling measure
as to be hardly worthwhile, - certainly
not to affect in any way any
changes in the Establishment of close
seasons for their spawning or for
their protection. This alleged
variation of the times of spawning in
certain localities, will not hold
good, and is only made frequently,
as a pretext for designing persons to
influence if possible your Dept
to make the close seasons suitable
to the greed of the fisherman, or
the would be sportsman, whose
sole object is selfishness for the present,
irrespective of the welfare of the present
or future fisheries interests of the
Country

I am Sir
Yours Obedly
Samuel Wilmot