THE FISHES OF ALASKA. 247 



and it is possible they might be found in other portions of Alaska at this season were they to lie fished 

 for. At this time they are feeding upon the herring, and. in Southeast Alaska, are especially abundant 

 in the vicinity of Point Comano on Cleveland Peninsula, and in Seymour (anal. Taku Inlet, and Gas- 

 tineau Channel. It is said that there was a run of king salmon in Snug Harbor, Tenakee Inlet, in the 

 fall of 1905 and the spring of 1906, which was the first seen there for several years. 



The season of 1905 witnessed the inception of a new branch of the salmon industry. About the 

 middle of January king salmon were observed in the vicinity of Ketchikan, but it was not until January 

 23 that the firsl fish was brought to that place. News of a large run of fish having spread, there were 

 soon a number of whites and Indians out in canoes catching the kings, which they located by watching 

 the gulls, which would gather over the herring schools upon which the kings were feeding. As the 

 herring were in shoal water, nets could be used in but few places, so trolling lines were brought into 

 use. At first herring bait was employed, but it was soon discovered that a nickel trolling Bpoon would 

 answer the purpose just as well. The vicinity of Poinl Coma no and Point Stewart seemed to be favorite 

 resorts for the fish, but they were to be found almost everywhere within a radius of 50 miles from 

 Ketchikan. Several firms in Ketchikan early saw the possibilities of the business and soon had out 

 steamers and launches collecting the fish from the fishing boats. Upon reaching Ketchikan thej wen- 

 packed in ice and shipped to Puget Sound ports. The lish averaged 25 pound- in weight. Due was 

 caught which weighed 77 pounds, while several were brought in which weighed 7") pounds each. 

 About .!•"> per cent of the catch consisted of white-mealed lish and 75 per cent of red-meated. For the 

 former the fishermen were paid 25 cents each and for the tatter 50 cents eat h. During the run, which 

 lasted until May Isih. 271,644 pounds, valued at 115,600, wore shipped. A considerable quantity was 

 also cured by the Indians for their own use, while some were consumed locally by the whites. 



The Ketchikan dealers stale that the king salmon won- very delicate and would not -land such 

 handling as a red salmon will, and at first many of them had to be classed as second-grade lish on 

 account of being bruised in killiiiLr by the Indians. 



For years the Indians have I n catching kiiiL's in winter for their own i sumption. In 1905 



the run was unusually large. It was much smaller in L906, in the vicinity of Ketchikan, at least . 



The preparation of mild-cured king salmon in Alaska has been carried on for some years. 1'p to 



the year 1900 only spawning fish were so treated, but the big run in the neighborh 1 of Ketchikan 



during the winter of L905 attracted the attention of Puget Sound Baiters, and this year there were a 

 number of plants in operation, some of which handled the feeding fish. In May and June the Juneau 

 and Douglas dealers paid 75 cents each for all red-meated kings weighing over 17 pounds, 35 cents for 

 all under 17 pounds, and 20 cents for white meated kings of an\ weight. These dealers estimated 

 thai there were about 7 white-meated kings to every 100 red meated fish. The largest king handled 

 ai Juneau weighed -17 pounds, while by far the greater pari ran over 17 pounds in weight. Tierces 

 holding 800 pounds were used and about 50 li-h were required to fill a tierce, In curing, the head 



was taken off and the entrails re ved. The lidi wa- ilien split down the middle and the backbone 



taken out, ih us leaving the fish in two halves. Ifter the bl I vessels won- scraped out the fish were 



put into ice water for about thirty minutes and then salted down in the tierces with fine (dairj i -ah. 



Tin- number of king salmon required to the case of 18 one-pound cans) varies somewhat, as shown 

 by the- following figures: Urea. 4.2 ii>h to the case; Dundas Bay, 1.5: Pyramid Harbor, 3.5; Taku. 2.8; 

 Nushagak, 3; Kvichak River, 2.7; Naknek River, 5; Yes Bay, 2.5; Cook Inlet, 3.5; ECenai, 2.7; Kas- 

 ilof. 3; Odiak, 4.5. Of the places mentioned, the largest fish appear to come to the Yes Bay cannery 

 and the smallest to Naknek River. Too much erode inc. however, should not I"- given these figures. 



\ very curious and interesting fact has been noticed regarding the color of the flesh of the king 

 salmon. In some individuals the flesh is red, in otherswhite. In Columbia River lish it is usually 

 that rich reel or salmon color which is so highly prized, although even in that river a certain percent- 

 age of the fish arc white-meated. In Alaska' apparently a somewhat larger percentage are white- 

 meated. Of H,l > :>2 cases put up at Pyramid Harbor, 977 were white; of 4,375 cases at Taku, 1,225 wen 

 while or pink. Those figures indicate that about 42 per cent of Alaska king salmon are white-meated. 

 This, of course, keeps the commercial value of the fish from being what it otherwise would be. 



As already si a lei I. the king salmon of Southeast Alaska are taken chiefly by trolling. Considerable 

 numbers, however, are taken in gillnets at Port Snetlisham. Wrangell Narrows, Point Eighfield, Pyramid 

 Harbor, Taku. Kenai, Kasilof, and elsewhere. The gillnets used in this fishery are usually 9.5-inch 

 mesh. In some places it is 8.5, 9, or 9.25. The nets vary from 50 to 250 fathoms long and from 20 

 to 30 meshes deep. 



The king salmon is the least abundant of the five species found in Alaska. Commercially it ranks 

 as the least important. The catch of 1906 was 267,387 fish, and the pack 60,357 cases valued a1 aboul 

 $223,286. 



The future development of the king salmon fishery in Alaska will be in the large stream.- to the north- 

 ward, particularly in those tributary to Bering Sea. It is probable that methods of conducting the 

 fishery will be developed which will, in spile of the short season and cither unfavorable conditions, per- 

 mit large catches to be made in such streams as the Yukon and Kuskokwim. 



