302 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



Figure 1. — Kvichak River system, Bristol Bay, Alaska. 



reports of the Kvichak smolt studies are on file 

 at the Fisheries Research Institute. 



Credit for the development of most of the 

 gear and methods used in this study is due 

 Drs. W. F. Thompson, R. L. Burgner, and Ted 

 S. Y. Koo, of the Fisheries Research Institute. 

 The developmental work was conducted before 

 1951 at Mosquito Point, on the Nushagak River 

 system, and was financed by Alaska Salmon 

 Industry, Inc. 



Unpublished reports were written by Dr. 

 R. L. Burgner and D. W. Linn for the Kvichak 

 smolt studies of 1955 and 1956, and the author 

 has used freely and without reference the in- 

 formation from these reports. 



Dr. 0. A. Mathisen critically reviewed this 

 paper and made helpful comments on the pre- 

 sentation of the data. The manuscript was 

 edited by Drs. W. F. Royce, Ted S. Y. Koo, R. L. 

 Burgner, and J. P. Harville, and H. D. Smith 

 and J. F. Roos. 



Appreciation is extended to all Fisheries Re- 

 search Institute staff members, past and pres- 

 ent, permanent and temporary, who were in- 

 volved in collection of data. 



DETERMINING RELATIVE SMOLT 

 ABUNDANCE 



Fyke-Net Design 



The rigid frame of the fyke net used in this 

 study measured 4 feet by 4 feet. The body of 

 the net tapered from the frame to a single rec- 

 tangular funnel 2 inches by 10 inches at the 

 throat (fig. 2). A second funnel of the same 

 dimensions was located in a detachable cod-end 

 section, which facilitated emptying the catch. 

 The net had two wings, each 10 feet long and 4 

 feet deep, with appropriate cork and lead lines. 

 The two wings were held open by the force of 

 the river current and two connecting spacer 

 lines allowed the net to fish a consistent 9-foot 

 wide section of the river. The net was made of 



