50 FISHERIES OF ALASKA, 1908. 



sion of ascending salmon, such as was seen along the edges of upper 

 Wood River. Above Angel Bay the river is broken by islands into 

 several channels, and this condition is said to exist for many miles 

 up the river. Nine hauls with an 80-foot seine were made at points 

 between 25 and 32 miles from the mouth of the river, mostly in the 

 sloughs, which are numerous in this part of the river. Of a total of 

 193 salmon taken, 52, or 27 per cent, were red salmon. This species 

 occurred in every haul in which salmon were taken. In these hauls 

 95 humpback, 11 coho, and 35 dog salmon were also taken. One 

 haul contained 122 salmon, and 30 of these were red salmon. The 

 hauls could not be seen in the rather cloudy waters of the sloughs. 

 The main runs of all the species save the red salmon go up the Nusha- 

 gak River. 



The fact that over one-fourth of all the salmon taken in the seine 

 were redfish argues that a considerable run of this species is to be 

 found in this river. When one considers the slight sweep of the 

 small seine used and the chance for the escape of salmon from it 

 as it is slowly drawn ashore, it is seen that the total number of sal- 

 mon in the man}^ sloughs and channels of the river is probably large. 

 At least these few hauls are sufficient to cast doubt on the opinion 

 held by some fishermen that the main river is to no appreciable 

 extent a red-salmon stream. Moreover, it is reported that the natives 

 at Kakwok and at Tikchik village dry redfish. Tikchik Lake, through 

 Tikchik River, drains into the Nushagak River, and there is no reason 

 in the nature of things why redfish should not seek this lake through 

 Nushagak River as well as the Wood River series of lakes through 

 Wood River. All this evidence goes to show that the red salmon of 

 Nushagak River are not a negligible factor. It is believed that they 

 probably do not equal in numbers those of Wood River, but never- 

 theless are sufficient to make a very important breeding run. 



Every species of Pacific salmon passed through the gate into the 

 lake. Of these, the humpback was most numerous. No record was 

 or could be kept of the exact number, but it was known to a certainty 

 that the presence of this species was only occasional and rare enough 

 to excite comment. When the gate was carefully watched at close 

 quarters, they could be recognized b}^ their spotted backs and smaller 

 size as they emerged, and when so recognized were omitted from the 

 tally. A few were seen spawning or making nests in the immediate 

 vicinity of the ark. The pile driver and ark were constantly sur- 

 rounded b)^ hundreds of salmon, many individuals seeming to finger 

 there for days. These, as well as those that kept on their trav- 

 els, were in plain view and the species readil}^ distinguishable. Prob- 

 ably several hundred, perhaps a very few thousand, humpbacks came 

 to the lake, but it is quite impossible that they were any important 

 fraction of the run or more would have been seen. All the other 



