SALMON FISHERIES OF PACIFIC COAST. 7 



In most places the flesh is of a deep salmon red, but in certain 

 places, notably southeast Alaska, Bristol Bay, Puget Sound, and 

 British Columbia, many of the fish, the proportion being sometimes 

 as much as one-third of the catch, have white flesh. A few examples 

 have been taken with one side of the body red and the other white, 

 while some are found with mottled flesh. No reasonable explanation 

 of this phenomenon has yet been given. 



In its southern range the quinnat strikes in at Monterey Bay in 

 sufficient numbers to justify commercial fishing about the middle of 

 April, where it is seen feeding upon the inshore moving schools of 

 herring and sardines, continuing until in August. There are two 

 runs of spawning fish in the Sacramento, the first or " spring run " 

 beginning in April and continuing throughout May and June, these 

 fish spawning mainly in the cold tributaries of the Sacramento, such 

 as the McCloud and Fall Rivers. The second or " fall run " occurs 

 in August, September, and October, and these fish spawn in the 

 riffles in the main river between Tehama, and Redding, also entering 

 the tributaries in that vicinity. The two runs merge into each other. 

 It is also claimed that there is a third run which comes in December. 



In former years the San Joaquin and the American and Feather 

 Rivers of the Sacramento system had large runs of salmon, but ex- 

 cessive fishing and the operation of various mining and irrigation 

 projects have practically depleted them. 



The Eel and Mad Rivers of northern California have only a late 

 or fall run, while the Klamath River has both a spring and a fall 

 run, and Smith River has a spring run alone. Rogue River in 

 Oregon has both a spring and a fall run, and the Umpqua and several 

 other coast streams of Oregon have small early runs. 



The Columbia River has three runs, the first entering during 

 January, Februarj^, and March, and spawning mainly in the Clack- 

 amas and neighboring streams. The second, which is the best run, 

 enters during May, June, and part of July, spawning mainly in the 

 headwaters. The third run occurs during late July, August, Sep- 

 tember, and part of October, and spawns in the tributaries of the 

 lower Columbia. 



In Puget Sound chinook salmon are found throughout the year, 

 although it is only during the spawning season that they are very 

 abundant. In the Fraser River, a tributary of the Sound, the run 

 occurs from March to August. 



In the Skeena River, British Columbia, the run occurs from May 

 to July, the same being approximately true of the Nass also. 



In southeast Alaska they are found all months of the year. From 

 March to the middle of June they are abundant and feeding in the 

 numerous straits and sounds: in May and June the spawning fish 

 enter the Uhuk, Stikine, Taku, Chilkat, Alsek, and Copper Rivers 



