696 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



ponds and corrals in which they were placed, now none whatever die, 

 or appear even to suffer, from the effects of their confinement. 



Some people have ridiculously supposed that placing an obstruction 

 across the river would do mischief, by setting an example to lawless per- 

 sons, who would be tempted to do the same elsewhere. The utter folly 

 of such a supposition is at once apparent to any one who knows anything 

 about the matter, aud I consequently do not need to say anything fur- 

 ther on the subject. 



Besides this upper rack to detain the salmon, a second rack, reaching 

 nearly but not quite to the bottom, was put across the river just below 

 the fishing-ground. The object of this second rack was to prevent the 

 salmon from falling below the fishing-ground during the fishing season, 

 for, although the instinct of the salmon is so strong to ascend the river, 

 they will, nevertheless, when they find they cannot pass the upper rack 

 and are being constantly harassed by the drawing of the seine, fall back 

 down the river far enough to get out of reach of the net. Here they 

 Avill remain, unless driven off, and deposit their spawn. From this source 

 of trouble our fishing operations have suffered every year, and this year 

 I thought I would try the experiment of putting the additional rack, 

 just mentioned below the seiuing-ground, to see if it would not prevent 

 the fish in some degree from dropping down the river out of reach of 

 the net. The rack, not reaching the bed of the stream by eight or ten 

 inches, is no obstruction to the ascending salmon, as they swim very 

 low, but does obstruct the salmon above the dam from going down the 

 river, as they swim higher and do not hunt so diligently for a passage 

 for escape in that direction. The practical workings of this second rack 

 did not, however, meet our expectations, and I would not recommend its 

 use again. 



The work of building the first bridge and rack began in May, and on 

 the 10th of July the river was entirely closed to the salmon. The second 

 bridge was then built, but the rack connected with it was not lowered 

 into the river until the 1st of September. The upper rack was no sooner 

 completed than the salmon began to accumulate as usual in great num- 

 bers below it. Thef e were large patches where the river was black with 

 them. Thousands could be seen from the high banks on either side of 

 the river. They assaulted the rack by hundreds, and so many could be 

 seen jumping at once that they could not be accurately counted. They 

 seemed to be so innumerable that high hopes were cherished of an un- 

 usually successful season, but when we came to make a trial haul of the 

 net we found how illusive the most flattering hopes may prove to be. 

 All this immense accumulation of fish in the river turned out, with very 

 few exceptions, to be young male salmon, or, as they are commonly 

 called, grilse. This discovery occasioned no little dismay and alarm. 



Day after day we hauled the net, from the middle of July to the mid- 

 dle of August, but with the same result. There appeared to be nothing 



