34 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 
fished among the migrating salmon. With this crude device two men succeeded 
in taking 14 tons of trout in one day. As fishing continued the numbers taken 
gradually decreased several hundred pounds each day to the time of our de- 
parture, when the best capture possible was from 800 to 1,000 pounds per day. 
A check was made from time to time, in 5-minute periods, on the numbers 
of salmon ascending during the height of the run, and it was estimated that 
about 400,000 fish passed upstream during the period of 20 days. This consti- 
tuted the run, figuring a steady escapement during the whole 24-hour day. This 
figure, while not absolutely correct, we feel is as close an estimate as can be 
made under the circumstances. 
The salmon affiicted with fungus were closely checked by myself and each 
employee individually, and we estimated that 5 per cent unable to swim the 
current in the river would die in the lower lake in a very short time. A wound 
caused by gill nets in salt water rapidly becomes covered with fungus after the 
fish enters fresh water. When the fish is badly cut the wound putrefies rapidly, 
and on arrival at the head of the first lake there will be a circle of fungus 
one-half inch or more in depth and several inches wide around the body of the 
fish. Another 5 per cent were noticed with numerous gill-net marks around the 
body, but in these the fungus was not in an advanced stage. However, while 
these fish have strength to ascend the river, I am positive that few, if any, ever 
reach the spawning stage. 
KVICHAK AND ILIAMNA SECTION. 
It was planned to operate early on the Kvichak River, but owing to the im- 
possibility of securing help and an accident to one of our boats en route, which 
was repaired at the cannery of the Alaska-Portiand Packers’ Association, that 
plan was necessarily abandoned. 
For various reasons it was impossible for Mr. Gardner, who had his equip- 
ment assembled at Naknek, to reach the Iliamna district before June 27, and at 
that date the water was extremely high in the streams with occasional floods 
overfiowing the banks. Very little help was possible, but every effort was made 
with gill nets; seines could not be used owing to the high water. Good work 
was accomplished by Mr. Gardner under discouraging conditions. 
The writer divided his time between the Wood River and Naknek fields until 
it was necessary for employees at those points to discontinue work, owing to the 
departure of cannery boats on which they had passage to the States; then he 
proceeded to Iliamna, arriving August 10. On the Iliamna River, where our 
first camp was established, but few large trout were taken, and those mostly 
at the mouth of the river in the lake. All taken here were Dolly Vardens, 
with the exception of a few steelhead trout and whitefish. The high water had 
the effect of scattering the schools and but small numbers were noticed gather- 
ing in the pools. The trout, unlike those captured in other localities, were 
long and slender, which made it impossible to gill many in our nets, and, 
moreover, the ascent of the salmon necessitated the removal of the nets from 
the water so as to prevent injuring the ascending salmon. 
As the water receded the trout were noticed schooling in the eddies. Traps 
were improvised, about 5 feet long and 2 feet in diameter, from wooden hoops 
covered with chicken wire, with an opening in one end similar to the opening 
in lobster pots. These traps were baited and set in the pools where they 
caught many thousand fish. In the first one set we took 150 fish in two hours. 
Many worked through the wire mesh, necessitating doubling the wire screen, 
thus making the mesh smaller, and no further trouble was experienced. 
These bait traps have the advantage of catching the predatory fish without 
in any way attracting or interfering with the salmon. They can also be fished 
in any water and are efficient up to the time of active spawning. 
The people in the vicinity were impressed with these traps and wished to 
use this method in their own fishing. Therefore, on our departure, we dis- 
tributed the traps on hand and supplied the other residents with material to 
make one or two each. 
After the pools in the vicinity were cleared of trout, which work was 
accomplished in short order without interfering with the salmon, it became 
necessary to seek new locations for operations, and the near-by creeks and 
rivers were examined with this end in view, and also to obtain all salmon 
data possible. 
In accordance with previous pians, we arranged to proceed to Lake Clark, 
arriving at the portage between DUliamna Lake and Newhalen River on August 
