284 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
PACIFIC COUNTY. 
This county is favorably located in respect to its fishing resources, | 
One-half‘of its southern border is at the mouth of the Columbia River, 
Here are located over 300 pound nets used in the salmon fishery, many | 
of which areowned in the county. Here, also, a large part of the salmon 
eatch of the river is taken and distributed among the salmon canneries | 
on both sides of the river. Here, at certain seasons, sardines, herring, 
shad, and other varieties not now utilized hold out inducements for the 
extension of the fisheries. ' 
Just outside of the mouth of the Columbia, and off the shores of | 
Pacific County, are good fishing-grounds on which may be found in | 
more or less abundance, at all seasons of the year, rockfish, flounders, 
perch, halibut, and numerous other varieties of good food-fish, to all of | 
which only slight attention is given. 
At the northern end of the county Willapa Harbor is a good haven | 
for shelter, and leading from it is Willapa Bay, formerly known as 
Shoalwater Bay, which is noted for its extensive beds of native oysters, | 
as well as the abundance of salmon occurring during the fall. 
The fisheries of Willapa Bay are confined to the salmon and oyster 
business, in addition to which a small uae of crabs taken in the 
salmon aes are utilized. 
The run of salmon was fair in 1889, light in 1890 and 1891, and the 
largest in many years in 1892. The fish in 1892 were also of larger 
size and better quality than the average of past years. Three can-, 
neries are located on the bay, but only one of them was packing during 
1892. The low price of canned salmon and the light run in 1890 and 
1891 were so discouraging to the canners that two of the canneries did 
not resume in 1892, and the only one packing was ill prepared for the 
large run, and was obliged to shut down in the height of the season, 
owing to lack of cans in which to pack. The first salmon to enter 
this bay are the chinooks, locally known as black salmon; they run 
from the last of July to the last of August, with some stragglers later. 
Silver salmon appear about the middie of August and drop off in Sep- 
tember, to be followed by dog salmon and another run of silver salmon 
during the last of September or early in October. A few steelheads are 
found in November, but only alight run of them occurs before December, 
after which they are to be found more or less abundantly all winter. 
The salmon catch is chiefly by pound nets, of which twelve were 
located on North River and three on Willapa River, near their entrance 
to the bay. As showing the abundance of salmon in 1892, the catch of 
_ 1,700 salmon, of which 1,460 were silver salmon, at one lift of a single 
pound net may be recorded. Pound nets are put down in August, 
previous to which time the fishing in Willapa Bay is of small extent 
and for local use. 
The prices paid the salmon fishermen during 1892 were 10 cents each 
for silver salmon, 25 cents each for chinook salmon, and 5 cents each for 
