REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XCV 



STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA. 



As the season was too far advanced when the Albatross reached 

 Tacoma from the special trip to Bering Sea to justify her returning 

 north for Ihe purpose of continuing the fishery investigations in the 

 Alaskan region, instructions were issued to make a thorough study of 

 the fishing-grounds in the Straits of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound, 

 where practically no work of this character had hitherto been under- 

 taken. Scarcely more than a week elapsed, however, after starting 

 npon this inquiry before it was interrupted, and very little was accom- 

 plished, therefore, beyond running a few lines of dredgings and fishing 

 trials through a part of the Straits of Juan de Fuca. 



The investigations were taken up on August 27 and terminated on 

 September 4, having been carried through the strait from the longi- 

 tude of New Dungeness to the vicinity of Cape Flattery. A large 

 amount of life was obtained through the agency of the beam trawl, and a 

 change in the character of the bottom fauna was observed as the mouth 

 of the strait was approached, deep-sea types forming a more conspicuous 

 feature of each haul. The surface, however, was found to be almost 

 barren of life at this season, a few small crustaceans being about the 

 only forms taken in the tow nets during the day, although large num- 

 bers of jelly-fishes came to the surface after dark. On August 28, 

 between I^eah Bay and Cape Flattery, a single specimen of the true 

 cod {Gadus morrhua) was secured in the beam trawl, the first example 

 of this species taken by the Albatross south of the Alaskan coast. Tlie 

 fishing trials were of great interest, but unfoitunately tliey were not 

 continued long enough to permit of entirely satisfactory conclusions 

 respecting the extent of the fishery resources of this sheet of water. 

 The work accomplished may be briefly summarized as follows: 



On the first day the beam trawl was used from off ISTew Dungeness 

 to the neighborhood of Eace Rocks in depths of SO to 100 fathoms, and 

 on Angust 28 six dredging stations were occupied in depths of 98 to 

 151 fathoms between Neah Bay and Cape Flattery. Two cod and two 

 halibut trawl lines were also set on the latter date off Neah Bay in 80 

 to 100 fathoms of water, hand lines being employed at the same time. 

 The currents proved too strong, however, for the successful use of 

 either, and in the course of a few minutes the trawl buoys disappeared 

 beneath the surface; they were not seen again. The weather was fine 

 all day and the sea smooth, but during the dredging trials strong and 

 erratic currents swept the ship about in the most extraordinary man- 

 ner. Notwithstanding this fact, however, many flounders of excellent 

 quality, together with other edible fislies and an abundance of shrimps 

 and crabs, were taken in the beam trawl. 



Greater precautions were taken with the fishing trials on August 

 29, and better success was obtained. One trawl line was first set in 

 140 fathoms, gravelly bottom, off Neah Bay, both ends being provided 



