REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 155 



care ])cint;" taken that the fish does not break away. Frequently the 

 fishing is done without the use of the rod. When the sinker is used 

 the trolling- is done at a depth of at least 20 feet. The usual sailing 

 speed in trolling is 4 miles an hour, and the average size of the salmon 

 taken is a little over 20 pounds, although 50-pounders are sometimes 

 caught. The best fishing is usually to be had during the afternoon, 

 and 25 fish are considered a good day's catch for one hook. 



Monterey is the most southerly point where salmon are taken, either 

 coumierciall}' or for sport. Very few salmon are taken with the hook 

 in San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento River. In the Eel River 

 there is good salmon trolling to be had in the fall. The fish are taken 

 in tide water cliiefly l)y professional fishermen, using from 20 to 30 

 boats, l^ut many anglers visit these waters for the sport fishing. It 

 takes the angler an hour on an average to land one of the larger fish. 

 Similar fishing is done b}" anglers in a number of the smaller coast 

 rivers, such as the Russian and Nevarro, the Olema, and about the 

 head of Tomales Bay. Steelhead salmon are frequentlj^ taken in these 

 waters with artificial flies. 



The Indians of Neah Ba}', Washington, do considerable trolling for 

 silver salmon and have been known to take as many as 4,000 fish in a 

 day. The principal fishing-grounds lie off the mouth of the bay and 

 in the vicinity of Tatoosh rock off the coast and some 2 or 3 miles 

 farther south. The catch is usually disposed of at Port Townseud. 

 The Indians repair to the grounds early in the morning, remaining 

 out all day and sometimes after dark if the weather permits. The 

 spoons employed are larger than those used elsewhere on the coast. 

 The lines are usually of 30 thread and about 150 feet long. Pieces of 

 salmon and small herring are used for bait. In trolling the canoe is 

 paddled, except in very light breezes, when the sail is set. 



Salmon trolling has long been practiced in Puget Souna, where 

 sportsmen use the rod and reel. 



At Killisnoo, Alaska, the king salmon take the spoon readil}^ the 

 fish coming in to feed on the herring which annual Ij^ visit these waters 

 in great numbers. Spoons and lines of the same pattern as those used 

 at Neah Bay are employed by the Killisnoo Indians. The same bait is 

 used and the fish taken are for their own consumption. 



When salmon will not readily take a spoon at the surface, a baited 

 hook towed near the bottom frequently induces them to bite. 



There can be no dou1)t that there are many other places along the 

 west coast where salmon could be taken by trolling. They have 

 recently been taken from vessels 10 or 12 miles ofl:" the coast of Wash- 

 ington, the bait l)eing towed at 30 fathoms where the soundings were 

 40 fathoms. It now seems probable that a thorough trial by deep 

 trolling all along the west coast will show that the salmon are "on 

 soundings" and not far from the coast during most of the time they 

 spend at sea. 



