ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 19i3 77 



were conservative, as many of the young fish were partly digested. The total 

 number of fish destroyed was 9,510, of which 85 per cent were Dolly Vardens 

 and the remainder miscellaneous predatory species. The Dolly Vardens 

 averaged 22^^ inches in length and from 3 to 4 pounds in weight, and the 

 average lake trout weighed 2^^ pounds and was 14 inches in length, the total 

 weight being 33,285 pounds. 



Egegik. — The Egegik crew, with H. B. Looff in charge, was transported on 

 the Star of Lapland, landing at Egegik on May 26. After overhauling the 

 Evinrude and equipment and assembling supplies they left for upriver on 

 May 30. Camp was made for a short period at the rapids near the outlet of 

 the lake. Boats with equipment and supplies were lined over the rapids and 

 a start made for the Little Becharoff Lake district. A severe storm forced 

 a landing and delayed progress for four days at Gass Rocks. While efforts 

 were made with set nets here, results were negligible. As soon as the weather 

 permitted camp was moved and established at Salmon Creek, where opera- 

 tions were begun. Work here was not satisfactory, and camp was again 

 moved to Kanatak village, where part of the supplies were stored in a native 

 barabara. Heavy windstorms, accompanied by rain, occurred through the 

 first two weeks and prevented much work. Camp was then moved from 

 creek to creek, the crew traveling with light equipment, the method being to 

 fish each creek as effectively as possible and then move on to another. In 

 this way good catches were made, and when the routine was established the 

 daily catch averaged from 300 to 500 trout. Specimens weighing 8 pounds 

 were taken, and 5-pound trout were common. The number of small trout 

 taken reduced the average weight considerably. 



The most successful method of capture early in the season was by stretch- 

 ing gill nets entirely across the streams. It was noticed that the trout entered 

 the creeks from the lake late in the evening to feed and departed at daylight. 

 Later in the season quantities of bait were placed along the shore of the lake 

 in the vicinity of the creek mouths to attract the trout, after which seines 

 were used with considerable success. The season continued stormy, which 

 made it necessary to do most of the work in the creeks, operating throughout 

 their full length in some cases. 



A trip to the cannery was made on July 20 to take up more supplies and 

 arrange to operate as late as possible before proceeding to the States via 

 Kanatak about September 1. This gave a month longer for operations. 

 Storms and heavy rains delayed the return of the party to Kanatak village 

 until August 10, when work was resumed with results nearly equal to those 

 before the departure for the cannery. This absence of 20 days just at the time 

 fishing was so good was a severe loss, but the men were in no way to blame, 

 as it was due entirely to weather conditions. Good catches were made up to 

 the day of departure for Kanatak to take the steamer Starr for Seward en 

 route to Seattle. Equipment was overhauled and stored in a cabin at Little 

 Becharoff Lake. 



Another year it is the intention to have employees proceed via the regular 

 transportation steamer to Kanatak and thence over the short portage to Little 

 Becharoff. Operations can thus be started at least a month earlier than by 

 proceeding on the cannery ships and ascending to the lake, as the ice dis- 

 appears from its upper portion several weeks before travel is possible on the 

 main lake. 



Owing to the localities where operations were carried on. it was impossible 

 to obtain any very accurate check on the migration of salmon. The escape- 

 ment was good, being on a par with 1921 and a trifle smaller than 1922. Salmon 

 arrived on the spawning grounds early. The first noted was on June 10 and 

 the main run entered June 21. 



All fish captured here were Dolly Vardens, 17,210 of which were destroyed. 

 These averaged 3 pounds and weighed a total of 51.630 pounds. Gill nets, 

 fyke nets, seines, traps, hand lines, and spears constituted the equipment used. 



Wood River. — The Wood River crew, with Eric Fenno in charge, was taken 

 north on the ship Chillicothe, leaving Astoria April 28 and reaching Nushagak 

 May 21. The men went a.shore at the Columbia River Packers' Association 

 cannery and the following day were transferred to Snag Point by patrol boat 

 Xo. a. As the bureau's groceries had not yet come ashore, a 10 days' outfit of 

 supplies was procured from the Alaska Packers Association cannery and a 

 trip was made to Aleknagik Lake on May 23. Camp was established at the 

 mouth of the lake, tliis being necessary owing to the 10-inch sheet of ice that 



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