230 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OP FISH AND FISHERIES. 



creek. Two halibut, weighing 5 pounds each, were the total result of 

 a day's fishing with hand lines at the same place. A week later (June 

 1G) repeated hauls were made with the drag seine in Humboldt Harbor, 

 but all kinds of fish except flounders were as scarce as they had been 

 on the previous trial. A few cod and halibut were taken from the ship 

 with hand lines. They were in fine condition, but too small for market. 



Seining was subsequently carried on at Northeast Harbor, Sandy 

 Cove, and Yukon Harbor, of the Shumagin group, the two former being 

 on Little Koniushi Island, the latter on Big Koniushi Island. Cod 

 were plentiful at Sandy Cove, 50 being secured in a short space of time. 

 Their range in weight was from 4 to 1GA pounds, the average weight 

 being 7£ pounds. At Northeast and Yukon harbors only a few flounders 

 were obtained, the beaches being composed of large stones and affording 

 few places where the seine could be hauled. 



Mist Harbor, Nagai Island, is one of the finest harbors in the Shu- 

 magin group for the establishment of a fishing station for cod, being 

 entirely landlocked and of sufficient size to accommodate a large fleet 

 of fishing vessels. The water is everywhere deep, over 20 fathoms 

 occurring within an eighth of a mile of the shore at the entrance, and 

 it is also very clear, the bottom being visible to a considerable depth. 

 The fishing trials were, however, poorly rewarded, and the shores near 

 the water's edge were observed to be almost entirely barren of animal 

 life. The drag seine was employed in all parts of the harbor. One 

 salmon was seen to jump at the mouth of a small mountain stream, but 

 repeated hauls failed to secure us a single specimen. Later in the sea- 

 son the salmon probably strike in here in considerable numbers. Late 

 in the day, by the use of a couple of hand lines off a rocky point not 

 far from the ship's anchorage, I succeeded in catching a couple of cod 

 weighing 3 pounds each, and it is possible that this species may enter 

 the harbor abundantly at some other season. 



The following morning a visit was paid to a small lake on the island 

 about a mile from the entrance to the harbor, where over 20 small trout 

 and a large quantity of sticklebacks were obtained by seining. 



Sanborn Harbor, on the west side of Nagai Island, is well sheltered 

 and offers many advantages for a fishing station. The drag seine was 

 hauled there in many places and there were secured large numbers of 

 two species of flounders, adult salmon, besides many young salmon 

 about 2 inches long, 8 salmon trout, and a dozen sculpins. 



Collections were also made in a small lake adjacent to the harbor, 

 which at one time was connected with the sea, but now has its outlet 

 entirely cut off by a dam of rocks and wood built by fishermen. Its 

 water, formerly salt or brackish, has become perfectly fresh, but in 

 addition to several hundred small trout our seining catch consisted of 

 a large number of starry flounders and a few tomcod. Neither the 

 condition nor quality of the flounders appeared to have suffered from 

 their presence in the fresh w T ater, and they were eaten on board the 

 ship. 



