24 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



the year were fairly satisfactory, though the output of the stations 

 in this class was somewhat smaller than that of the preceding year. 



AFOGNAK (ALASKA) STATION. 

 [F. R'. Lucas, Sui>«?i'int«ndent.] 



The steady annual increase in the run of sockeye salmon to waters 

 in the vicinity of the Afognak station, frequent mention of which 

 has been made in previous reports, was maintained throughout the 

 past year. Not only were the egg collections larger than in 1922, 

 but fully half the fish counted into Letnik Lake could not be utilized 

 in the propagation work owing to lack of facilities for handling the 

 spawn. This gratifying situation is believed to be due solely to the 

 bureau's efforts to build up and improve the run. 



The spawning operations were begun August 1 and extended to 

 the middle of September, by which time a sufficient number of eggs 

 had been obtained to severely tax the fry-holding capacity of the 

 station, the total amounting to 61,790,000, or nearly 8,000,000 in 

 excess of last year's collection. During the month of September 

 10,678,400 eyed eggs were shipped in charge of an attendant, part of 

 them being delivered at Juneau, Alaska, to fill the application of the 

 fisheries commission of that Territory ; approximately half a million 

 were furnished to the fisheries authorities of the State of Washing- 

 ton, and the remainder was turned over to the Oregon State hatchery 

 at Bonneville. From the eggs incubated at the station 47,569,000 

 fry, or 93 per cent of those retained, were produced, the hatching 

 period extending from October 15 to April 25. All fry were held on 

 trays until the sac was absorbed, when many of them had to be 

 liberated as the rearing capacity under the present stacked-tray 

 system is sufficient for only about 30,000,000. Those retained for 

 rearing were held in open troughs and liberated from time to time, 

 the last of them being disposed of shortly before the end of the fiscal 

 year. 



In response to a request from the Birdsview (Wash.) station 

 for a consignment of humpback-salmon eggs, a collection of 600,000 

 of this species was made on August 23. Approximately 278,000 

 were shipped to that point in the eyed stage, and from the remainder 

 240,000 fry were produced and liberated in the fingerling stage in 

 one of the branches of Letnik Kiver. 



A disquieting feature connected with the propagation work in 

 this region is the presence of the Dolly Varden trout in large 

 numbers. It has been conclusively demonstrated that these fish 

 constitute a serious menace to the welfare of young salmon, which 

 they have been observed to follow in their downstream migrations 

 in May and June, returning with the run of brood salmon in July 

 and later. A dam was recently constructed across Letnik River with 

 the view of excluding this species and other undesirable fishes from 

 Letnik Lake, which it is desired to retain exclusively for the sockeye 

 work. As a result of the systematic attempts made to reduce the 

 numbers of Dolly Varden trout, between six and seven thousand 

 were captured during the year in seines and traps. Their flesh was 

 used, so far as it was needed, for feeding the fingerling salmon. 



