96 FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
1904, the canvass for 1915 shows a decline in the output of this species 
of 6,464,036 pounds in quantity and $181,678 in value. 
Ghum.—Next to the humpback, this species commands the lowest 
price of any of the salmon. The average price per pound in 1915 
wasl2cents. They are taken mostlyin the Puget Sound region, purse 
seines being the chief means of capture, though large quantities are 
also taken with gill nets and pound nets. The run begins about Sep- 
tember 20 and continues until the end of the year. Most of the catch 
is utilized for canning, but considerable quantities are sold frozen. 
The average weight of the chum salmon is about 8 pounds, though 
some weighing as much as 12 pounds have been taken. There has 
been an increase in this species since 1904 of 3,504,056 pounds, valued 
at $151,402. 
Steelhead trout.—This species is taken very generally in the waters 
of Washington but is much more plentiful in the Columbia River, 
more than one-half of the State’s entire catch being credited to that 
river. More than one-half of the catch was taken in pound nets and 
most of the remainder in gill nets. This fish is found in the Snake 
River as far up as Clarkston, Wash., and constitutes the most im- 
portant part of the catch at that locality. It is more plentiful during 
the winter and until March 15, which accounts in a measure for the 
good price received. It is said to be not so attractive for eating dur- 
ing part of the spring and summer seasons. The skin then is dark 
in color, though the flesh is white. It is also quite thin at this time, 
following the spawning season. In 1915 the fishermen received on 
an average about 43, cents per pound. Only a small proportion of 
the catch is used for canning, as the steelheads are taken in largest 
uantities when the canneries are closed. Some are frozen, but 
the demand for the fresh fish usually equals the supply. Steel- 
head, like chinook salmon, vary much in weight, but an average 
would be about 12 pounds, though some reach a weight of as much 
as 45 pounds. There has been a fair increase, both in pounds and 
value, of this species since the last canvass for 1904. 
Cod.—Eight schooners owned in Washington, with a combined 
crew of 268 men and 156 dories, made their annual trip to Alaskan 
waters in 1915 to prosecute the cod fishery. These vessels ranged 
from 138 to 413 tons net tonnage. The result of the trip was 5,498,284 
pounds of salt cod, valued at $180,934, and 30,000 pounds of cod 
tongues, valued at $2,090. The round weight of the fish was 13,- 
745,710 pounds. Four of these schooners were from King and four 
from Skagit Counties. The catch, which was taken entirely with 
hand lines, was dry-salted in Alaska and taken to Seattle and 
Anacortes, the hailing places of the vessels, where the fish were re- 
salted and otherwise prepared for market. 
The vessels usually leave their home ports about the middle of 
March, and after three weeks sailing arrive in the neighborhood of 
Shumagin Islands, in the North Pacific. They are then approxi- 
mately 1,553 nautical miles from Seattle. As the fishing is followed 
mostly during the summer season, they have the advantage of long 
hours of daylight. The period of darkness during the fishing season 
rarely exceeds four hours, and is even less during June and July. 
Fishing with trawl lines for cod has been followed to some extent m 
the past, but very seldom now. The fishermen seem to prefer the 
