﻿48 
  ALASKA 
  FISHEEIES 
  AND 
  FUR 
  INDUSTRIES 
  IN 
  1314. 
  

  

  The 
  species 
  of 
  salmon 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  Yukon 
  are 
  the 
  chinook, 
  coho, 
  

   and 
  chum, 
  with 
  occasionally 
  a 
  humpback. 
  One 
  fisherman 
  operating 
  

   a 
  wheel 
  said 
  that 
  he 
  had 
  not 
  caught 
  more 
  than 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  hump- 
  

   backs 
  throughout 
  the 
  summer. 
  The 
  chinooks 
  are 
  used 
  more 
  than 
  

   the 
  other 
  species 
  for 
  human 
  consumption. 
  They 
  are 
  found 
  aU 
  the 
  

   way 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  headwaters 
  of 
  the 
  stream. 
  The 
  chinooks 
  begin 
  to 
  run 
  

   as 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  ice 
  disappears, 
  generally 
  from 
  the 
  first 
  to 
  the 
  middle 
  

   of 
  Jime, 
  and 
  the 
  run 
  continues 
  usually 
  for 
  30 
  to 
  40 
  days. 
  In 
  Sep- 
  

   tember 
  another 
  run 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  appears 
  for 
  a 
  shorter 
  period. 
  

  

  The 
  cohos 
  and 
  chums 
  are 
  the 
  most 
  numerous 
  salmon 
  in 
  the 
  Yukon 
  

   and 
  large 
  quantities 
  are 
  easily 
  secured, 
  which 
  are 
  prepared 
  for 
  dog 
  

   feed 
  for 
  use 
  during 
  the 
  long 
  winters 
  of 
  that 
  latitude. 
  Considering 
  

   the 
  great 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  Yukon 
  and 
  its 
  tributaries, 
  demands 
  in 
  this 
  

   direction 
  are 
  quite 
  heavy, 
  for 
  mining 
  camps 
  and 
  the 
  dwell' 
  ngs 
  of 
  

   natives 
  are 
  scattered 
  throughout 
  this 
  vast 
  region. 
  

  

  Fishing 
  in 
  the 
  Yukon 
  is 
  conducted 
  almost 
  altogether 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  

   small 
  and 
  rather 
  primitive 
  fish 
  wheels, 
  which 
  are 
  placed 
  at 
  various 
  

   points 
  along 
  shore 
  where 
  the 
  current 
  is 
  strong 
  enough 
  to 
  keep 
  them 
  

   constantly 
  in 
  motion. 
  The 
  wheels 
  are 
  often 
  located 
  in 
  specific 
  places 
  

   to 
  catch 
  the 
  different 
  species, 
  as 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  that 
  the 
  cohos 
  are 
  

   taken 
  more 
  plentifully 
  along 
  the 
  sandy 
  beaches, 
  while 
  the 
  chums 
  favor 
  

   the 
  rocky 
  and 
  rough 
  banks. 
  Therefore 
  wheels 
  are 
  often 
  set 
  on 
  one 
  

   side 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  to 
  catch 
  chums 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  opposite 
  side 
  for 
  cohos. 
  

   In 
  some 
  places, 
  however, 
  no 
  apppreciable 
  difference 
  in 
  respect 
  to 
  

   these 
  two 
  species 
  is 
  noted. 
  

  

  The 
  lower 
  Yukon 
  section, 
  which 
  is 
  flat 
  and 
  subject 
  to 
  overflows, 
  is 
  

   sparsely 
  populated 
  by 
  natives 
  and 
  but 
  little 
  fishing 
  is 
  done. 
  The 
  

   natives 
  along 
  this 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  are 
  improvident 
  and 
  shiftless. 
  

   What 
  little 
  fishing 
  they 
  attempt 
  is 
  generally 
  neglected, 
  and 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   resulting 
  light 
  catch 
  is 
  usually 
  sold 
  to 
  traders 
  at 
  3 
  to 
  4 
  cents 
  a 
  pound. 
  

   Along 
  in 
  the 
  winter, 
  when 
  food 
  runs 
  low 
  for 
  themselves 
  and 
  their 
  

   dogs, 
  they 
  often 
  purchase 
  the 
  same 
  fish 
  back 
  from 
  the 
  traders 
  at 
  8 
  to 
  

   10 
  cents 
  a 
  pound, 
  if 
  they 
  can 
  scrape 
  the 
  money 
  together. 
  The 
  lower 
  

   Yukon 
  is 
  not 
  as 
  well 
  adapted 
  to 
  the 
  fishing 
  methods 
  and 
  appliances 
  

   of 
  the 
  natives 
  as 
  are 
  the 
  middle 
  and 
  upper 
  reaches 
  of 
  the 
  stream. 
  

  

  From 
  Holy 
  Cross 
  up 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  Kaltag 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  oatch 
  

   consists 
  of 
  chums, 
  although 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  good 
  sprmkling 
  of 
  cohos. 
  In 
  

   this 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  stream 
  there 
  are 
  precipitous 
  banks, 
  and 
  rough 
  and 
  

   rocky 
  beaches. 
  At 
  Nulato, 
  which 
  is 
  perhaps 
  the 
  leading 
  fishing 
  center 
  

   of 
  the 
  Yukon, 
  the 
  catch 
  is 
  mostly 
  cohos 
  for 
  here 
  sandy 
  beaches 
  are 
  

   more 
  common. 
  From 
  Nulato 
  to 
  Ruby 
  fishing 
  is 
  carried 
  on 
  more 
  

   systematically 
  than 
  farther 
  down 
  stream, 
  and 
  the 
  catches 
  are 
  much 
  

   heavier. 
  Smokehouses 
  have 
  been 
  constructed, 
  and 
  the 
  bright 
  red 
  

   appearance 
  of 
  the 
  cohos, 
  hanging 
  on 
  racks 
  to 
  dry, 
  makes 
  them 
  much 
  

   more 
  inviting 
  than 
  the 
  pale 
  chums 
  lower 
  down 
  the 
  river. 
  At 
  Ruby 
  

  

  