88 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



in the river for local food requirements, using 290 gill nets of 4,900 

 fathoms, 45 wheels, and a number of small boats; their estimated 

 output was 349 tons of dried chums. 



YUKON RIVER 



Only two outfits on the Yukon River engaged in salting salmon for 

 the outside market — the Northern Commercial Co. in Acharon 

 Channel and St. Mary's Mission at the head of Sunshine Bay. All 

 fish handled by the former were taken in gill nets outside the mouth 

 of the Yukon by native fishermen. The catch of the mission was by 

 wheels in the river. 



Inspector Calvin F. Townsend and Stream Guard Charles Mc- 

 Gonagall patrolled the district aboard the Coot. The vessel was 

 launched from the Government ways at Nenana on May 18, but lay 

 at the dock until May 27 waiting for the Yukon River to clear of 

 ice. When the Coot began the journey downstream, the Tanana 

 River was very high and in many places over its banks, making 

 navigation extremely difficult. 



The ice in the Tanana River at Nenana started to run on May 12 

 and continued until May 17, with the highest stage of water ever 

 known at a break-up. About 20 miles below Nenana the ice jammed, 

 raising the river until the streets of Nenana were about 2 feet under 

 water. After 5 days the ice broke, but it jammed again at the 

 mouth of the Tanana River and held until May 25, flooding the whole 

 country. Nearly every fish camp along the Tanana and Yukon 

 Rivers for a distance of about 200 miles was either washed away or 

 broken up by the ice. 



The high water, resulting from an unusually heavy fall of snow 

 during the winter, continued through June and July and was one of 

 the main causes of the light catches of salmon at the various fish 

 camps. At three places — Pilot Station, Bishop Mountain, and 

 Ruby — the catches were normal, which is accounted for by the fact 

 that the river is confined to one channel at these points. Elsewhere 

 there are many channels and sand bars, and owing to the liigh stage of 

 the river the salmon did not follow their usual course but kept in the 

 shallower water on the side of the river opposite from the location of 

 the fish wheels. Many wheels were broken by drift wood. In any 

 case the wheel is practically useless during high water. 



As a result of the light catches there will be a shortage of salmon 

 for men and dogs in many places. However, white fish and black 

 fish are available there in quantities. After the river lowered in the 

 fall some natives and whites took fairly good catches of salmon in their 

 fish wheels, but most of the men had gone to the hills to hunt caribou. 



The first king salmon were caught at the mouth of the river on June 

 11. The best catch was on June 19, but the runs were light through- 

 out the season. Chums entered the river at the same time as the 

 kings, but none were taken at the saltery. As all streams tributary 

 to the Yukon were at flood stage during the season, it is thought that 

 many spawning beds will be left dry before the eggs have a chance to 

 hatch. Very few beluga whales were observed this year; generally 

 hundreds of them follow the salmon runs up the river. Although good 

 runs of kings and chums usually enter Kwiguk Slough, almost no 

 salmon were found there this summer. In 1927 the run at that place 



