102 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
of the river, are for daily use, as they require more time and attention 
for drying than do other species. 
Both chum salmon and reds were unusually abundant this year. 
A heavy run of chums started on June 19 at the mouth of the river 
and continued strong until the middle of July, when it dropped off 
sharply. The bulk of the red-salmon run entered the river between 
July 1 and July 15. Toward the end of July a few cohos were taken 
in the vicinity of Bethel, and a good run began on August 1, which 
continued heavy for only a few days while a southwest wind prevailed. 
Stormy weather throughout August made it impossible to dry cohos 
except under cover in the smokehouses. All natives who fished with 
any regularity had previously caught and cured sufficient fish for 
their winter use, and many disposed of a surplus to traders. The 
latter by the end of July had obtaimed all they could handle during 
the winter. 
Fishing apparatus used by the natives between the mouth of the 
river and the Narrows consists mainly of set nets, from 9 to 30 fathoms 
in length. Drift nets are not considered practical for general use in 
this locality because of the extreme width of the river and the many 
bars and channels. Much of the time it is too rough offshore for the 
use of small boats. Between the Narrows and Tuluksak the bulk of 
the catch is taken by drift nets, from 25 to 50 fathoms in length, 
although set nets are used to some extent. Upstream above Akiak 
the current is stronger and the fish wheel is the main gear, with com- 
paratively few drift and set nets in use. 
The only commercial fishing operation in the district for the outside 
market was that of Robert Gierke, who reported an output of 6 tierces 
of pickled cohos and 12 tierces of pickled kings. Three hundred and 
eighty natives fished in the river for local food requirements, using 
520 gill nets of 13,499 fathoms, 47 wheels, and a number of small boats. 
They prepared 248 tons of dried chums, 22 tons of dried kings, and 21 
tons of dried reds. 
YUKON RIVER 
Three outfits prepared mild-cured salmon on the Yukon River for 
the outside market, as follows: Northern Commercial Co., which 
operated on a barge in Acheron Channel; St. Mary’s Mission, at the 
head of Sunshine Bay in Acropok Slough; and Chris Lauridsen, at 
Kwiguk Slough. Their total output of mild-cured salmon was 198 © 
tierces of kings. The fish used by the Northern Commercial Co. 
were taken in gill nets outside the mouth of the Yukon River by 
native fishermen; while those handled by the other two operators 
were taken in the river by wheels and gill nets, respectively. 
Inspector Calvin F. Townsend and a stream guard patrolled the 
district aboard the Coot, leaving Nenana on May 26 for the mouth of 
the Yukon and returning to Nenana on September 18. During the 
trip downstream the water was at low stage, with very little driftwood. 
At that time there was little activity at the camps, as the inhabitants 
were out hunting beaver and muskrats. In general, the supply of 
dried fish from the previous season had not lasted through the winter, 
but plenty of whitefish had been caught by means of traps through the 
ice. 
The first king salmon were caught at the mouth of the Yukon on 
June 1, but the main run began on June 5 and continued good until 
