BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 87 



3S HOOD RIVER, OREOOIV, AS A Pl.ACE FOR SAIiMOIV BKEEDIIVG. 



By E. L. S1?IITM. 

 [From a letter to Mr. Livingston Stone.] 



I would call your attention to a stream, not meutiouecl by you in your 

 report on " Salmon Hatching," which may possess some advantages for 

 propagating several varieties of the Salmon family. The stream to 

 which I refer is called Hood Eiver (the Dog Eiver of Dr. Suckley), and 

 falls into the Columbia on the south side, about 23 miles west of The 

 Dalles. This river receives the drainage of the north and east sides of 

 Mount Hood, and is for its entire length, some 30 miles, a rapid mount- 

 ain torrent, carrying a large body of water nearly equal in volume to 

 that of the Klikitat. * 



I wish to speak more particularly of the west fork of this stream, 

 which has its source in and forms the outlet of what is known as Lost 

 Lake, a triangular-shaped body of water, some 10 miles due northwest 

 of Mount Hood. This lake is not less than 3 miles in circumference, 

 is very deep, and abounds in mountain trout. About 12 miles from 

 Hood Eiver railroad station this fork unites with the main river. The 

 waters of the west fork are at all seasons clear and cold, while the 

 other branches of Hood Eiver late in summer are colored with volcanic 

 detritus. About 80 rods up the west fork above the main river is a per- 

 pendicular fall of about 15 feet, and immediately below the fall is a 

 large circular basin of unknown depth. A few feet below this basin 

 a bold mountain stream falls into the west fork, falling several hundred 

 feet in a few rods. Salmon, mountain trout, red-spotted salmon trout 

 {8almo spectahilis Girard), and Hood Eiver silver trout find their way iu 

 large numbers to the foot of the falls, where their further progress is im- 

 peded, except at times of extreme high water. I have fished in many 

 of the streams of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, as far north as the 

 forty-ninth j^arallel, as well as iu those of Northern Vermont thirty 

 years ago, and have yet to find any stream superior to the west fork of 

 Hood Eiver for the varieties and size of its trout. 



Salmo spectabilis are found of very large size, probably 10 pounds or 

 more in weight; but the fish most j)l^iitiful is what is known as the 

 Hood Eiver silver trout. This fish enters the river about August, I 

 think, and is found there until the next spring. It resembles a small 

 silver salmon, of the average weight of 2 pounds (though some are 

 much larger), very fat, and most excellent for the table. It is singular 

 that this fish is not found in any of the neighboring streams — the White, 

 Salmon, Klikitat, &c. 



It was not supposed that these fish would rise to the fly, but last 



