12 



ALASKA FISHERIES AND PUR INDUSTRIES, 19U. 



To test the run of red salmon in the main river in 1911, two gill 

 nets were, through the courtesy of the Alaska Salmon Co., main- 

 tained in the mouth of that stream throughout the season. The 

 number of red salmon taken in these two nets between the 4th and 

 29th of July was only about 3,000. The very great similarity of the 

 dog salmon to the red may have made some error in this count, but 

 if so it is on the side of indicating a too large count of reds. The test 

 shows conclusively that a comparatively small run of reds ascended 

 the Nushagak in 1911. The catch by the Indian stake nets along 

 the river adds to this evidence. 



The tally at the Wood River (Lake Aleknagik) rack was as follows: 



A curious fact in this connection is the almost exact coincidence 

 of the maximum run each year. In 1908 it occurred on the 14th of 

 July, the three following years on the 15th. Another peculiar feature 

 of the situation in this region is that the favored stream. Wood River, 

 is several degrees lower in temperature than the Nushagak. In 

 southeast Alaska it holds as a general proposition that the redfish 

 streams are the warmer, due to the effect of the lakes in their courses. 

 This is so universally the case that, barring some streams with a dis- 

 turbing glacial influence, an observer can determine with reasonable 

 certainty whether a given stream is a red-salmon stream or not by 

 applying a thermometer. The exceptions, however, go far toward 

 proving that the selection of streams by the red salmon is governed 

 by some other factor than temperature. 



The salmon fingerlings leaving Lake Aleknagik are exceptionally 

 fine fish. The average length of nearly 200 measured was 111 milli- 

 meters. The average length of something over 400 red fingerlings 

 taken at the mouth of the Nushagak was only 61 millimeters. Fur- 

 ther, there is a greater diversity of sizes in the Nushagak fingerlings. 

 They varied between the extremes of 40 and 86 millimeters; the 

 Lake Aleknagik fingerlings between 90 and 133 millimeters. Neither 

 of these lots could have been less than a year and a half old — that 

 is, they must be fish that have passed one winter in the lakes after 

 hatching. An examination of the scales of the Aleknagik fish does 

 not indicate that they are more than one year from hatching. The 



