ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES 113 
so that by July 29 no chums were being caught. Although the fish 
were of large size, they were lacking in oil, and when dried they 
shriveled to less than 1 pound each. 
The silver salmon began to run on August 10, but, except for a few 
days, they did not appear in large numbers while fishing was being 
carried on. This species often comes late in September, after most of 
the natives have quit fishing. The silvers this year were about the 
usual size and very fat. 
In general, the catch along the Yukon during the season was light, 
except at afew places. The catch all along the Tanana was said to be 
even lighter than in the preceding year, when a marked shortage had 
been reported. 
Products of the Yukon and Tanana fisheries, including those shipped 
to the outside market, were as follows: 152 cases of king salmon 
canned; 166 tierces of mild-cured and 3,200 pounds of dry-salted 
kings; and 126 tons of dried chums. Apparatus consisted of 204 
wheels, 67 gill nets of 1,244 fathoms, 3 motor vessels of 43 tons, 1 
launch, 3 power dories, 9 gill-net boats, and 30 rowboats. 
WEIRS FOR COUNTING SALMON ESCAPEMENT 
Twelve weirs for counting the escapement of salmon en route to 
the spawning grounds were operated during the 1939 season in repre- 
sentative salmon streams of southeast and central Alaska for the 
purpose of determining the ratio of escape to commercial catch, with 
a view to reserving 50 percent of the runs for spawning, as required 
by law. 
The Chignik weir was successfully operated again, after having been 
discontinued in the previous year when unusually high water prevented 
its installation at the beginning of the season. A weir structure was 
used for the first time in the Kalgin Isiand Creek, where counts of 
brood fish had previously been made without the aid of any structure, 
this being a relatively small stream. The Klawak weir, which had 
been in operation from 1930 to 1938, except in the 1933 season, was 
not installed this year. 
AuitTak Bay 
In the two major red-salmon streams of Olga Bay, tributary to 
Alitak Bay, weirs were again installed through which the brood fish 
were counted as they passed upstream. At the cannery station creek 
counting began on May 19 and continued through September 19, 
during which time the escapement was 59,486 red salmon, 20,002 
pinks, 12,439 cohos, and 7 kings. At the upper station weir counting 
was carried on from June 7 to September 19, inclusive, and the escape- 
ment totaled 336,479 reds and 4,186 pinks. In addition, it was esti- 
mated that 3,000 red salmon ascended the stream at the upper station 
before the weir was in operation and 20,000 ascended after the structure 
was removed. 
Traps operated at both weirs for taking Dolly Varden trout captured 
22,769 of these predatory fish. Of this number, 8,893 were taken at 
the upper station and 13,876 at the cannery station. 
Weir operations at the upper station were carried on by George 
Thompson until about the middle of August and then by Woodrow 
Buckley; while at the cannery station Lloyd T. Burns again was in 
