32 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



tory of Alaska and the various fishing companies in destroying this 

 char, very little is known about the species. Dolly Varden trout 

 inhabit the coastal streams on both sides of the Pacific from California 

 to Alaska and south to Japan. Some spend their entire life in streams, 

 somQ live entirely in lakes, while others spend part of their life in a 

 stream or lake and part in the ocean. The mature fish vary in size 

 from 6 to over 24 inches in length, depending on their habitat and the 

 population pressure. They are frequently found with salmon eggs, 

 fry, and fingerlings in their stomachs, and consequently their extermi- 

 nation is desired by most members of the salmon industry. 



As these fish are very abundant on Kodiak Island and probably 

 are detrimental there as well as elsewhere to the salmon population, 

 a series of marking experiments were initiated during the past year 

 to furnish some information on the migrations, age, and growth rate 

 of this sj)ecies. Some of the chars were marked by excising two of 

 their fins; others by insertion of a numbered metal tag in the body 

 cavity and excision of the adipose fin so that they could be easily 

 identified when recaptured. Three experiments were started at 

 Karluk and two at Red River, a stream entering Shelikof Straits about 

 35 miles south of Karluk. In the Karluk experiments chars were 

 marked in the Karluk River during their migration to and from 

 the ocean and in Karluk Lake. In the Red River experiments chars 

 were marked during their upstream and downstream migration. 



Fish from only the first experiment of each series (those on down- 

 stream migrants) have been recaptured to date, but recoveries will 

 probably continue for 2 or 3 years. The information obtained from 

 these experiments to date is as follows : 



1. Of the chars marked at Karluk in June as they were migrating 

 to the ocean, over 12 percent were recaptured between July 17 and 

 September 9, while on their return migration upstream. Of the chars 

 marked in the first Red River experiment 18 percent were recaptured 

 between July 12 and August 18 as they were migrating upstream. 

 Thus, an appreciable percentage of the chars which migrated to the 

 ocean in the spring returned to their home-stream in the fall of the 

 same year. 



2. Marked chars from the Karluk experiments were recaptured in 

 salmon traps in the vicinity of Uganik Island over 45 miles away 

 from the point of tagging and marked chars from the Red River 

 experiments were recaptured in Uyak Bay over 60 miles from the 

 point of tagging. These data show that after entering the ocean 

 some of the chars wander a considerable distance away from their 

 home stream. 



3. That some straying of chars from one stream to another occurs 

 was proven by the recovery of Karluk marked fish at Red River (5 

 percent of the total recoveries) and Red River marked fish at Karluk 



(0,6 percent of the total recoveries) . Because of differences in fishing 

 regulations, the difference in the amount of straying may not be as 

 great as the figures indicate. Fishing operations are carried on as 

 close to the Karluk River as 100 yards, whereas fishing is prohibited 

 within 1 mile of Red River. 



4. These fish grow very slowly during the time spent in the ocean. 

 Although many of the Karluk and Red River chars attain the same 

 length as red salmon, the latter, when in the ocean, grow approximately 

 6 centimeters (2% inches) a month during June, July, and August, 



