28 ALASKA FISHERIES AND FUR INDUSTRIES IN 1919. 



by the exclusion of all areas not strictly in the river or its outlets or 

 within 500 yards outside the mouth of each. 



Under the new definition of the Copper River delta, fishing on the 

 tide flats between the grass banks and the sand islands 3 or 4 miles 

 ofl'shore was unaftected, except as the prohibitions of the general 

 law were applicable. By reason of that fact, the packing companies 

 having canneries at Cordova and near the delta put their fishing 

 gear in operation in this open field as soon as salmon began to run, 

 and they made a very considerable catch before fishing could be 

 commenced in the protected waters. Even after the close season had 

 elapsed and all watere of the delta were open to commercial fishing, 

 the flats were the preferred grounds and the bulk of the catch was 

 made there. When the season was at its height there were approxi- 

 mately 65,000 fathoms of gill nets in operation on the delta. The 

 greater part of this gear was used in the form of stake nets, though 

 a small quantity was used as set nets in the sloughs, leaving the 

 remainder for drift fislimg in the channels crossing the tide flats. 



Fisliing in the delta district began about the middle of May and 

 was diligently prosecuted mitil early in Jul}^ about wliich time all of 

 the companies except the two nearest the field withdrew their men 

 for the humpback fishing in Prince William Sound. The excepted 

 companies did not stop fishing on the delta until late in August. 

 The total catch of salmon in the waters of the delta was 1,129,934. 

 Of this number 1,096,090 were red salmon; 8,972, kings; and 24,872, 

 cohos. 



In Miles Lake, all fishing was by means of gill nets, a total of 3,250 

 fathoms being used. Fishing in the canyon was carried on by the 

 use of dip nets, there being from 20 to 50 men employed as dip-net 

 fishermen, the number varying with the fluctuations in the run of 

 salmon. Fishing began both in lake and canyon on June 15 and con- 

 tinued until September 16. The following catch of salmon was made: 

 Reds, 157,597; kings, 4,092; and cohos, 15,778; or a total of all species 

 of 177,467. This entire catch was canned by F. H. Madden at the 

 Abercrombie cannery, formerly operated by the Abercrombie Pack- 

 ing Co. The followmg number of cases of salmon was packed: 

 Reds, 13,933 cases of 1-pound tails and 1,248 cases of ^-pound 

 flats; kings, 1,383 cases; and cohos, 1,461 cases. 



The total catch of salmon in Copper River waters was 1,307,401, of 

 which number 1,253,687 were reds, 13,064, kings, and 40,650 cohos. 



Early in the season Assistant Agent E. M. Ball of the Bureau's staff 

 and Special Agent Joseph A. Bourke, whose services had been tem- 

 poraril)' secured by detail through courtesy of Gov. Riggs, erected a 

 number of notices on the Copper River delta, indicating the extent of 

 the waters affected by departmental regulations. Soon thereafter 

 Mr. Ball returned to Cordova and devoted his attention to fishery 

 matters in th(^ Prince William Sound region and to the westward. 

 Mr. Bourke continued to act for the Bureau during the fishing season 

 on the Copper River. Newt Casperson was employed in special 

 capacity ana stationed for a number of weeks in the vicinity of Miles 

 Lake and Abercrombie Canyon. 



The great importance of the Copper River fishery and the several 

 unusual problems involved in connection therewith, especially in 

 regard to the extent of the spawning areas, seemed to demand a 

 special inquiry into conditions in order that as complete information 



