ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1924 99 



DESTRUCTION OF PREDATORY FISHES 



Wood River Lakes. — The Nushagak crew arrived at Nushagak Bay on May 16. 

 Both Nushagak and Wood Rivers were as yet solid with ice, but the ice in the 

 river broke on May 22. Travel was blocked for a few days by ice floating back 

 and forth on the tides, but the ship transferred the crew to Snag Point on May 2.5. 

 Supplies and equipment were in readiness, and the following day the men pro- 

 ceeded upriver to the lake. Ice still covered the lake, but by following a narrow 

 channel along the shore we were able to reach the tally scow anchored near the 

 lake outlet. Here camp was established and fishing begun with set nets and 

 hand lines. Poor success was had until the ice left the lake June 8, after which 

 operations were extended and catches improved. Another camp was established 

 at a former location on the stream between Aleknagik and Nerka Lakes, where 

 fishing was most successful. Trout were scarce at all points and noticeably 

 fewer than in former years. All the trout areas were visited, and fishing pro- 

 gressed continuously and aggressively at various points with set nets, which were 

 the most effective method of capture until July 2, when the salmon made their 

 appearance, after which the nets were removed. Hand lines and beach seines 

 were then the only effective gear. 



Camp was established and fishing begun at Nerka Lake, but very little success 

 resulted from our efforts. Few trout were noticed in our investigation of that 

 lake, while high winds, which continued from the middle to the 24th of July, 

 handicapped operations. 



The outward migration of young salmon, representing the return from the 

 escapement of 1922, was small. Schools were noticed descending intermittently 

 from the beginning of our operations to the end of July, but no large schools were 

 encountered during the season. 



Trout were extremely scarce and at no time were good schools seen, although 

 the operators covered the field fully several times. It is felt that the absence 

 of migrating young salmon was partly responsible for this condition, as there 

 was little schooling, but it is also believed that the intensity of operations in this 

 section in previous seasons is mainly responsible for the satisfactory condition. 

 The men on patrol assisted in the trout fishing before and after the commercial 

 operations in the bay. 



The season's operations on the Wood River I^akes resulted in the taking of 

 3,162 predatory fish, and in the work in the fall of the previous year (not included 

 in the 1922 report) 2,389 fish were captured, making a total of 5,551 fish de- 

 stroyed. About 95 per cent of these were Dolly Varden trout and the remaining 

 5 per cent were mainly pike. The average weight was 23^ pounds, or 13,877 

 pounds total. In addition, 1,300 Dolly Vardens were taken by two nets lent to a 

 local fisherman during the late fall months but are not included in the above 

 total . 



_ Iliamna Lake. — Warden F. G. Morton, who supervised the work in the Iliamna 

 district, left Seattle on a commercial steamer April 5 for Seldovia, where a boat was 

 chartered for the trip to Iliamna Bay. He traveled thence via dog team to Ili- 

 amna village, which was reached on May 2. As the Iliamna River was partly free 

 of ice early in April, vvork had been begun in a small way by local people with 

 whom arrangements had been made the previous fall to begin operations as soon 

 as conditions permitted in the early spring. Upon the arrival of Mr. Morton 

 operations were undertaken on a much larger scale with the most satisfactory 

 results yet accomplished in this section. 



Water conditions were ideal for seining, the river being low and without much 

 current, so that beach seining was conducted intensively wherever possible in the 

 river and vicinity. Good results were obtained for several miles up the Iliamna 

 River. All the trout captured were large Dolly Vardens, several specimens 

 .weighing 13 to 14 pounds. The larger number of trout in this vicinity during 

 the last two years was probably due to the great number of salmon that spawned 

 in the river, the resulting young from which constituted the attraction for the 

 trout. Trips were made to Pile Bay and vicinity, but trout were not found in 

 numbers in that localitj^ nor for several miles up the river. Very little salmon 

 spawning was ever noticed in Pile River. 



On May 15 enormous schools of salmon fry were noticed emerging from the 

 gravel, and the trout then scattered and became more difficult to secure in satis- 

 factory numbers. A few days later the snow began melting in the hills, and 

 streams rose rapidly to such an extent that seine fishing became impossible. 

 Other modes of fishing were tried, but with discouraging results. 



It was felt that best results could be secured by operating in the lake during 

 the very early spring and late fall. Mr. Morton was therefore transferred to 



