100 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



YUKON RIVER 



All commercial fishing for export from Alaska was prohibited in the 

 Yukon area in 1925. Fishing for local needs was carried on as usual, 

 especially in the interior of Alaska, where salmon were dried for 

 dog feed. Inspector C. F. Townsend and one stream guard were 

 on duty at the fishing grounds during the season. There was a 

 normal run of kings but apparently a shortage of chum salmon. 

 The ice break-up caused more damage to wheels than usual and 

 resulted in a smaller production of dried salmon; but owing to the 

 large surplus carried over from the preceding year, there seemed to be 

 a sufficient supply for the winter. To supplement the food supply 

 whitefish can always be caught through the ice, and the eel run in 

 the lower river never fails. 



Products of the Yukon and Tanana fisheries were as follows: 144 

 barrels of red salmon and 21}^ barrels of chums pickled, 71,200 

 pounds of kings, and 336,545 pounds of chums dried, and 212 cases 

 of kings canned. Apparatus in use consisted of 168 wheels, 46 gill 

 nets of 896 fathoms, 1 lighter, and a number of small boats. Approx- 

 imately 27 whites and 174 natives were engaged in the fishery. 



KARLUK SALMON COUNT 



In 1925 a counting weir was erected on the Karluk River at about 

 the same location as in 1924. Work was begun on May 10 and was 

 completed a week later. Three traps were set above the weir to 

 capture- the predatory trout that gathered to prey on the young 

 migrating salmon and to follow the ascending spawning salmon; 

 30,221 trout were captured in May and June, after which they dis- 

 appeared and the traps were removed. 



The first salmon passed through the weir on May 22, when both 

 kings and reds began to ascend, and counting was continued until 

 October 6. The total escapement during this period was 1,620,927 

 reds, 13,379 kings, and 15,445 cohos. Other species were not 

 counted. Cohos and steelheads were still running when the weir 

 was removed. 



Commercial fishing off the mouth of the Karluk River was stopped 

 from August 27 to 6 a. m. on September 7 because the catch exceeded 

 the escapement. It was reported that 1,317,742 red salmon were 

 caught in Karluk waters during the season, indicating that 45 per 

 cent of the total run was caught and 55 per cent escaped to the spawn- 

 ing grounds. The commercial fishermen conducted an interesting 

 experiment by marking (with white tape) and releasing 200 red sal- 

 mon off the mouth of the river on August 1, to determine how promptly 

 they ascend to the spawning grounds. The first fish reached the 

 weir on August 4, when eight passed through, and they were noted 

 continually until September 5. Fifty-nine fish in all were counted. 



The work at Karluk was under the immediate supervision of Ray 

 S. Wood, of the Afognak hatchery. 



ALITAK SALMON COUNT 



The weir at the upper station on Olga Bay was completed on May 

 21. The counting of red salmon began on May 29 and continued 

 until October 1 . The cannery station weir was completed on June 1 

 and counting began on June 4 and continued until October 5. At 



