THE FISHES OF ALASKA. 247 



and it is possible they might be found in other portions of Alaska at this season were they to be fished 

 for. At this time they are.feeding upon the herring, and, in Southeast Alaska, are especiaUy abundant 

 in the vicinity of Point Comano on Cleveland Peninsula, and in Se>Tnour Canal, Taku Inlet, and Gas- 

 tineau Channel. It is said that there was a run of king .salmon in Snug Harbor, Tenakee Inlet, in the 

 fall of 1905 and the spring of 1906, which was the first seen there for several years. 



The season of 1905 witnessed the inception of a new branch of the salmon industry. About the 

 middle of January king salmon were ol)served in the vicinity of Ketchikan. Init it was not until .lanuary 

 23 that the first fish was brought to that place. News of a large run of fish having spread, there were 

 soon a number of whites and Indians tnit in canoes catching the kings, which they located by watching 

 the gulls, which would gather over the herring schools upon which the kings were feeding. As the 

 herring were in shoal water, nets could be used in but few places, so trolling lines were brought into 

 use. At first herring bait was employed, but it was soon discovered that a nickel trolling spoon would 

 answer the purpose just as well. The vicinity of Point Comano and Point Stewart seemed to be favorite 

 resorts for the fish, but they were to be found almost everywhere within a radius of 50 miles from 

 Ketchikan. Several firms in Ketchikan early saw the possibilities of the business and soon had out 

 steamers and launches collecting the fi.«h from the fishing boats. Ujion reaching Ketchikan they were 

 packed in ice and shipped to Puget Sound ports. The fish averaged 25 pounds in weight. One was 

 caught which weighed 77 pounds, while several were brought in which weighed 75 pounds each. 

 About 25 per cent of the catch consisted of white-meated fish and 75 per cent of red-meated. For the 

 former the fishermen were paid 25 cents each and for the latter 50 cents each. During the run, which 

 lasted until May ISth, 271,644 pounds, valued at 815,600, were shipped. A considerable quantity was 

 also cured by the Indians for their own use. while some were consumed locally l:>y the whites. 



The Ketchikan dealers state that the king salmon were very delicate and would not stand such 

 handling as a red salmon will, and at first rhany of them had to be classed as second-grade fish on 

 account of being bruised in killing by the Indians. 



For years the Indians ha^■e been catching kings in winter for their own consumption. In 1905 

 the run was unusually large. It was ranch smaller in 1906, in the ^•icinit^■ of Ketchikan, at least. 



The preparation of mild-cured king salmon in Alaska has been carried on for some years. Up to 

 the year 1906 only spawning fish were so treated, but the big ran in the neighborhood of Ketchikan 

 during the winter of 1905 attracted the attention of Puget Sound salters, and this year there were a 

 number of plants in operation, some of which handled the feeding fish. In May and June the Juneau 

 and Douglas dealers paid 75 cents each for all red-meated kings weighing over 17 pounds, 35 cents for 

 all under 17 pounds, and 20 cents for white-meated kings of any weight. These dealers estimated 

 that there were about 7 white-meated kings to every 100 red-meated fish. The largest king handled 

 at Juneau weighed 47 pounds, while by far the greater part ran over 17 pounds in weight. Tierces 

 holding 800 pounds were used and about 50 fish were required to fill a tierce. In curing, the head 

 was taken off and the entrails removed. The fish was then split down the middle and the backlwne 

 taken out. thus leaving the fish in two halves. After the blood vessels were scraped out the fish were 

 put into ice water for about thirty minutes and then salted down in the tierces with fine (dairy) salt. 



The number of king salmon required to the ease (of 48 one-pound cans) varies somewhat, as shown 

 by the following figures: Orca, 4.2 fish to the case; Dundas Bay, 4.5; Pyramid Harbor, 3.5; Taku, 2.8; 

 Nushagak, 3; Kvichak River, 2.7; Naknek River, 5; Yes Bay, 2.5; Cook Inlet, 3.6; Kenai, 2.7; Kas- 

 ilof, 3; Odiak, 4.5. Of the jjlaces mentioned, the largest fish appear to come to the Yes Bay cannery 

 and the smallest to Xaknek River. Too much credence, however, should not be given these figures. 



A very curious and interesting fact has been noticed regarding the color of the flesh of the king 

 salmon. In some individuals the flesh is red, in others white. In Columbia River fish it is usually 

 that rich red or salmon color which is so highly prized, although even in that river a certain percent- 

 age of the fish are white-meated. In Alaska apparently a somewhat larger percentage are white- 

 meated. Of 3,232 cases put up at Pyramid Harlior. 977 were white; of 4,37.5 cases at Taku. 1,225 were 

 white or pink. These figures indicate that about 42 per cent of Alaska king salmon are white-meated. 

 This, of com'se, keeps the commercial value of the fish from Ijeing what it othei-wise would be. 



As already stated, the king salmon of Southeast Alaska are taken chiefly liy trolling. Considerable 

 numbers, however, are taken in gillnets at Port Snettisham, Wrangell Narrows, Point Highfield, Pyramid 

 Harbor, Taku, Kenai, Kasilof, and elsewhere. The gillnets used in this fishery are usually 9.5-inch 

 mesh. In some places it is 8.5, 9, or 9.25. The nets vary from 50 to 250 fathoms long and from 20 

 to 30 meshes deep. 



The king salmon is the least abundant of the five species found in Alaska. Commercially it ranks 

 as the least important. The catch of 1906 was 267,387 fish, and the pack 60,357 cases valued at about 

 ?223,286. 



The future development of the king salmon fishery in Alaska will be in the large streams to the north- 

 ward, particularly in those tril)Utary to Bering Sea. It is probable that methods of conducting the 

 fishery will be developed which will, in spite of the short season and other unfavorable conditions, per- 

 mit large catches to be made in such streams as the Yukon and Kuskokwim. 



