76 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



Ugashik. — Transportation north for the Ugashik crew, with Harry Allen in 

 charge, was secured on the Star of Lapland, leaving Semiahmoo April 27 and 

 arriving at Bristol Bay May 21. As the bureau's launch Scoter was late in 

 being launched, the Alaska Packers Association boat Kodiak and the St. Kath- 

 erine, of the Red Salmon Canning Co., carried the men to their destination at 

 the cannery of the latter company, where the fishing gear was stored. 



Tlie supplies for this crew were on the Star of Finlund, which was yet en route. 

 With the small amount of groceries stored from last year and a supplementary 

 supply borrowed from the Red Salmon Canning Co., a start up the river was 

 immediately made and camp established below the first rapids. A further 

 supply of groceries was borrowed froin the cannery for a second trip up the river 

 before the landing of the bureau's shipment from the Star of Finland on 

 June 17. 



Fishing in the vicinity of the first rapids was not satisfactory, and camp was 

 moved to the ui)per rapids on a stream connecting the two lakes, where good 

 results were secured. A trap was installed, and in connection therewith set 

 nets, seines, and hand lines were used to good advantage. Trips were made 

 with light camping outfits and nets to all the different streams around both 

 lakes, and good work was accomplished. The best results were attained at the 

 upper rapids, where the trout were ascending from the lower to the upper lake. 

 Those of any size in the upper lake were schooling just above the rapids, seem- 

 ingly waiting for the salmon to ascend although many were taken in the trap 

 while descending to the lower water. The majority, however, schooled above 

 and were feeding pai'tly on the young sockeyes just out of the gravel, but 

 mainly on the migrating .salmon fingerliugs. The last of these passed into the 

 lower lake about July 17, and after that date many of the trout stomachs exam- 

 ined contained crawfish. The migration was in excess of the previous year, 

 which in itself is satisfactory and encouraging. 



Seventeen creeks were visited, of which 14 were along the west shores. Five 

 were of good size and several apparently were suitable for spawning salmon, 

 although it was too early to ascertain definitely. Eacii creek contained many 

 small Dolly Vardens and grayling, which were fished as closely as possil)le with 

 fyke nets and small seines. For purposes of recognition the creeks in the 

 upper lake are i-eferred to by numbers and in the lower lake by letters. There 

 are but few creeks of importance as salmon streams, and these only will be 

 mentioned in this report. 



Creek No. 3, on the east shore of the lake, is a large sluggish stream with 

 its source about 30 miles back in the hills. It contains considerable good 

 spawning territory, and some red salmon were noticed ascending. 



Creeks Nos. 4 and 5 are similar to No. 3. All flow into a small bay along 

 the east shore, which is well adapted for spawning in the vicinity of the mouths 

 of the creeks. 



Creeks Nos. 7 and 8, on the east shore, are large and deep with suitable 

 spawning gravel on the lake shore around their mouths. 



Other creeks in the upper lake contained some trout and whitefish, mostly 

 small in .size and few in number, but no salmon, and had very little suitable 

 spawning territory. 



In the lower lake there are four streams along the east shore, all of good 

 size, with spawning area around the mouth of each. Creek A was not promis- 

 ing, but creeks B, C, and D have some gravel bottoms suitable for spawning. 

 Salmon made their appearance later than usual, it not being necessary to 

 remove the gills nets from the stream until July 11. The run was never 

 large and passed up in small schools at short intervals. The escapement was 

 poor, and from all appearances the spawning grounds will be sparsely seeded. 

 It is estimated that the escapement was less than 30 per cent of that of last 

 year. Some red salmon were entering on the occasion of our trip down the 

 river at the end of the season to join the siiip. A fair school was observed 

 below the lower rapids, and the native fishermen who were operating set nets 

 in the river below, for home consumption, were making small catches, which 

 proved that fre.sh red salmon were then en route to the lakes. The waters 

 were too badly discolored to permit an intelligent estimate of the number of 

 salmon ascending, but from the extent of the schools passing on the crest of 

 the run it is probable that no great numbers were en route at the season's 

 end. 



Specimens taken on July 11 had in their stomachs young feeding sockeyes 

 just out of the gravel. One Dolly Yarden's stomach contained approximately 

 200 young salmon, a lake trout 250, and a grayling about 125. These counts 



