Show I 1 Biggest Big Loss To Trout I Fry Not From But Birds But Fish What becomes of the huge buge num num- numbers num- num numbers bers bets of trout fry try planted in streams 1 An Anglers lers naturally attribute their to enemies that are most obvious particularly to the lAr large e fish-eating fish birds But studies in trout streams shows the great great- greatest C est cat t losses are from other fish fish- fish such as sl ers suc-ers suc- suc ers sunfish and even trout and other game fish Besides the fish enemies there are water sank sank- snakes snakes es salamanders crawfish leeches i the larvae of diving beetles and in inI insects insects insects sects such as giant These Thase enemies are in turn do- do de destroyed I by birds It is probable says sas the Biological ical Survey of the I United States Department of Agri Agriculture culture that except at nt hatcheries eating eating fish birds more than make mae makeup makeup up for the harm they do by destroy destroying destroying makeI I ins ing natural enemies of the whole fish tribe I feed upon what is easy to get Their choice of food depends so much upon availability lity that in most waters they get only small proportions r ns of game ame or com com- commercial corn corn- commercial mercial since fish fish since these fish exist I only in small proportion Not only are the valuable fish more rare but they usually inhabit deeper water and are more elus elusive c Even Eyen Evenin Evenin in streams where the proportion of oC trout is large birds capture water I frogs snakes and other water life more easily than they I do the elusive trout I The stomachs of great blue herons good good examples of fish eat in lag ing were birds birds were found to contain only a few commercial or game gamo fish but many of the so called so-called coarse fish as wen well as many ene ene- of ot game fish such as and crawfish The great blue her her- heron heron heron on also cast east many small animals such as field mice It is however destructive about fish hatcheries The Department permits the con con- control con control of herons and other fish eat fish cat ing birds in the vicinity of at hatcher jes Under natural conditions blob biologists believe these birds do more good than harm I |