108 FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
Commercial fishing in this river covers a distance of 200 miles or 
more from the mouth of the river to Celilo Falls, in Wasco County, 
but the major portion of the work is done within 40 or 50 miles of 
the mouth and chiefly with gill nets. Important seine fisheries 
are located on the sand bars near Astoria, these grounds being leased 
from the Government. Comparativly little pound-net fishing is done 
on the Oregon side of the river, this method being used principally 
on the Washington side in a widened portion of the river known as 
Bakers Bay, located just within the mouth of the river. Fish wheels 
are of both the scow and stationary type and are located at various 
points on the upper river above the mouth of the Willamette River. 
Considered as a whole, the 1915 pack was slightly above the normal, 
but the fall pack was light, due to the fact, above stated, that the fall 
run of chinook salmon dropped off early. 
Considerable quantities of salmon have been mild cured on this 
as well as other rivers of Oregon in the past years, mostly for export 
to the German trade, but this demand has decreased to such an 
extent since the beginning of the European war that the output of 
this product has suffered a marked decline. The loss of the foreign 
trade, however, has been partly offset by an increased domestic 
demand, and it is believed that with proper effort this business can 
be made independent of the export trade. 
During the last year or two a very important troll-line fishery has 
been established by the fishermen of Columbia River. This work 
is carried on chiefly during the interval between the spring and fall 
seasons, when gill-net fishing is prohibited, though some follow it 
prior and subsequent to that period. The boats are of an especially 
good type, propelled by gasoline engines of sufficient power to enable 
them to go out in very rough seas; the fishing is done in the ocean 
about 5 or 6 miles from the mouth of Columbia River and sometimes 
down as far as Tillamook Head. One boat will sometimes fish as 
many as five to seven lines, fixed on outriggers. The troll-line catch 
is practically all chinook salmon. 
The statistics as to number of persons employed, investment, and 
products of the fisheries of Oregon in 1915 are given in the table, 
page 51. The yield of the fisheries of the coastal waters of the 
State is given in the following table: 
