60 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



eggs which produced 160,000 fry. The run of silver salmon was the 

 largest since the estabhshment of the station and contained many- 

 large males, some of them weighing 25 pounds. The egg collections 

 of this species numbered 2,166,000, from which 1,910,000 fry were 

 hatched and distributed. Three earth ponds, each 40 by 16 feet, were 

 built during the year and successfully used in rearing operations. 

 An addition of 25 feet was built to the east end of the natchery, 

 making it 40 by 127 feet, with capacity for 100 hatching troughs. 



In the Oregon field, the egg collections of all species for the year 

 numbereji 39,941,100, and the output amounted to 35,099,392 fish 

 and eggs. The earlier salmon-egg collections in the Columbia Basin 

 were above the average, but there was soon a diminution, because 

 of the redoubled efforts of commercial fishermen, wlio were spurred 

 on by the higher prices paid for salmon. The operations of these 

 men are jeopardizing the industry. 



Through a technicality discovered in the law, Clackamas River 

 was thrown open to commercial fishing after having been closed 

 about eight years. This stream has heretofore been gaining each 

 year, notwithstanding the strenuous fishing near its mouth and on 

 the Willamette River. Unless there is relief within a reasonable 

 time, it is feared that salmon fishing on the Clackamas will soon be a 

 thing of the past. 



From Clackamas station a large distribution of trout was made 

 throu^out Wasliington and Oregon. An autotruck, transferred 

 from Baird station, greatly faciUtated and cheapened the distribu- 

 tion. Shad operations were undertaken during the early summer 

 months as usual at Willamette Falls, and two new collecting fields 

 were opened up — one at St. Helens, on the main channel of the 

 Willamette -River, and one at Astoria, on Youngs River. Flood 

 waters from melting snows and warm backwaters materially ham- 

 pered the work, and up to the close of the fiscal year only 1,861,000 

 shad eggs had been secured at the three points. 



At the upper Clackamas station low water prevented satisfactory 

 runs of chinook and silver salmons. Two earth ponds were built 

 at this point for the alternate holding of adult fishes while ripening 

 and fry undergoing rearing. An abundant supply of water followed 

 the introduction of a new 6-inch line. 



Collections of chinook eggs for Little White Salmon station were 

 satisfactory only at first or while the Columbia River was yet closed 

 to commercial fishermen. Then fishing became a handicap, reducing 

 collections to about half the amount of the preceding year, or to 

 17,914,000 eggs. During the long period that the Columbia River 

 was at flood stage, the fish remained at the mouth of the river where 

 they were captured by trolling operations of commercial fishermen. 

 The intensity of these operations is evidenced by the fact that one 

 concern in Astoria paid the commercial fishermen $52,000 for the 

 salmon taken by that method. From stripped salmon a sufficient 

 number of carcasses were preserved to meet the food requirements 

 of young fish. Some of the flesh was smoked, but most of it was 

 salted. In former years these fish have been discarded. During 

 July and August 50,000 chinook fingerhngs were marked by the 

 removal of the posterior half of the dorsal fin and the left ventral fin. 

 The fish averaged about 2| inches in length, and were not in the best 



