102 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



Silver Salmon Lake contained about 5,000, which brings the total 

 escapement of reds in Alitak Bay waters to considerably more than 

 600,000. 



Several streams at the head of Deadman Bay, which were visited 

 the latter part of August, were found choked with humpbacks and 

 chums, and all the humpback-salmon streams in the district were 

 seeded heavily. 



Inasmuch as the count of red salmon at the two weirs through 

 June 10 was less, than 13,000, the canning companies at Alitak post- 

 poned setting the Moser Bay traps until July 18. The season would 

 nave opened normally on June 15. As the commercial catch ex- 

 ceeded the weir count on August 4, trap fishing was stopped and it 

 was not resumed until August 15. The total reported catch of red 

 salmon in the district was 272,169. No commercial fishing was 

 carried on after September 21. 



Warden Howard H. Hungerford was in charge of operations for 

 the bureau. 



CHIGNIK SALMON COUNT 



The site of the weir at Chignik in 1927 was about 10 rods below its 

 location the previous season, the river at this point being about 460 

 feet wide and from 2 to 5 feet deep. Work of setting the tripods was 

 started on May 3. Four counting gates 22 inches wide and a 74-inch 

 gate to permit the passage of small l)oats were established as in former 

 years. By May 17 the work had progressed so that the river was 

 closed to the passage of salmon, and on May 20 the weir was com- 

 pleted. It was reported that the river was the lowest it had been at 

 that season since the first weir was installed in 1922. 



While construction work was going on no salmon were seen ascend- 

 ing the river. A few fingerlings were noted going downstream, which 

 migration continued light until the latter half of June, when it 

 increased somewhat, although no large schools were seen at any time. 

 More Dolly Varden trout were seen above the weir than during any 

 previous season since the counting experiment has been in progress, 

 and 6,827 were caught during the month of May. At that time, 

 apparently, they were not feeding, as the stomachs examined were 

 found to be entirely empty. 



Red salmon began to pass through the weir on June 6, but no appre- 

 ciable numbers appeared until June 12. By the end of June 912,202 

 red salmon had ascended. The counting was continued through 

 October 13, when 1,256,007 red salmon, 1,823 kings, and 145,390 

 cohos had been counted. Humpback salmon were not counted, but 

 the escapement was good, considering that it was an off year for this 

 species. 



Six traps for the capture of salmon were operated in Chignik Bay 

 and Lagoon by the three canneries that have engaged in the industry 

 in this district during previous seasons. The first catch was made 

 on June 17, stormy weather in the spring having delayed the com- 

 pletion of the trap installations beyond the opening of the commercial 

 fishing season on June 15. All fishing was discontinued September 15 

 in accordance with the regulations. The total commercial catch of 

 red salmon from the Chignik run was 434,141. Operations at the 

 Chignik weir were in charge of Warden Charles Petry. 



