Method of Test Fishing with 

 Gill Nets 



In 1957 gill nets were fished daily at the 

 index trap site to evaluate them as a method 

 of test fishing and to secure data on abundance, 

 size, age, and sex composition for comparison 

 with similar data from fyke trap catches. 

 From June 1 to 20, a linen gill net with 5 1/2- 

 inch mesh was used for exploratory fishing 

 that was conducted to teach personnel how to 

 handle the gear in swift water and to improve 

 techniques in releasing and tagging captured 

 salmon. On June 28 when fish appeared in 

 sufficient numbers, fishing was resumed with 

 a 50-foot experimental nylon gill net, con- 

 sisting of five panels of graduated mesh sizes 

 ranging from 4 to 6 inches stretched measure. 

 The net was fished daily in a standardized 

 manner in two areas near the index traps. 



The total numbers of red salmon in index 

 traps 1 and 2 in 1957, 1958, and 1959 were 

 1,934, 1,856, and 1,452 respectively. These 

 figures are not directly comparable since 

 the lengths of time fished each year were not 

 the same. 



In June there is an early run of red salmon 

 in the Kenai River, but it is small in com- 

 parison with the later migration. Most of the 

 early run enters the Kenai River before the 

 commercial fishing season begins and there- 

 fore does not contribute to the catch. In 1957 

 and 1958 fyke traps were fished during June, 

 and it was demonstrated through the recovery 

 of tagged fish that the early run was almost 

 exclusively bound for the Russian River, 

 which is a large clear-water tributary of 

 the Kenai River. In 1959 test fishing did not 

 begin until July 1. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF KENAI 



RIVER RED SALMON MIGRATION 



AS REVEALED BY FYKE TRAPS 



In the course of the experiments to evaluate 

 the effectiveness of fyke traps as a means of 

 determining the size of escapements, much 

 was learned about characteristics of the Kenai 

 River red salmon run which is of use in man- 

 agement of the fishery. This information is 

 detailed in the following sections. 



The numbers of red salmon taken in each 

 of the 3 years adjusted to include the time 

 period of July 1 through August 10, are 1,726, 

 1,724, and 1,309. Judging from fyke trap 

 catches, the escapement of red salmon into 

 the Kenai River in 1959 was only three-fourths 

 as large as in 1957 and 1958. 



Although the catch of red salmon in the 

 fyke traps began to increase during the first 

 week of July, the peak of the migration came 

 at a different time each year (fig. 4). 



Daily and Total Catches in Traps 

 and Timing of the Migration 



All five species of Pacific salmon were 

 taken in fyke traps, with red salmon pre- 

 dominating each year (table 1). Dolly Varden 

 (Salvelinus malma) were commonly taken also. 



The total numbers of red salmon taken each 

 year in traps 1 and 2 provide a measure of 

 the relative size of the escapement, since 

 these two traps were fished in the same 

 location throughout the study. It is assumed 

 that the trapping efficiency remained the same 

 each year and that the salmon did not change 

 their migration path in the river. No changes 

 in stream topography were observed at the 

 fishing sites during the study. 



Such variation in the timing of the run must 

 be considered in applying results of the test 



r 



20 



"T" 



31 



Figure 4.--Comparison of the daily catch of red salmon 

 in fyke traps 1 and 2 in the Kenai River for the years 

 1957-59 (data smoothed by 3-day intervals). 



