FISHERIES OF WASHINGTON AND BRITISH COLUMBIA. 287 



Everett. Two purse seines were immediately put in operation, and in 

 one haul it was estimated that fully 10,000 fish had been surrounded. 

 The fishing was continued uninterruptedly during three days, the quan- 

 tity assembled beiug the largest ever known, but on the fourth day 

 they had entirely disappeared, and none were subsequently observed 

 in this locality. This sudden disappearance from the salt water in the 

 fall is said to be the rule, and those fishing for the species find their 

 occupation abruptly terminated. The last of the large bodies must 

 therefore make a quick move toward the rivers and their spawning- 

 grounds. The important fishing-grounds in Puget Sound extend 

 mainly from the vicinity of Everett to Tacoma. 



There is a considerable variation in the general abundance of the 

 species from year to year, and also as regards different parts of the 

 region. Thus, while they may be scarce in some localities and exceed- 

 ingly plentiful in others during any one year, the following year these 

 conditions may be more or less reversed, and this applies to the rivers 

 as well as to the salt waters. 



There is a reported decrease in the quantity of this species observed 

 in certain places, as in Semiahmoo Bay, Birch Bay, Bellingham Bay, 

 Samish Bay, and Elliot Bay, but if such a decrease has actually taken 

 place there is nothing to show that it is more than local in character. 

 In Elliot Bay and some other places the fishermen claim that it is due 

 to the amount of steamboating now going on. In the other bays above 

 named the decrease has been charged against the continued heavy 

 fishing by seines at the i)eriod when the coho are entering the rivers. 



The silver salmon appears not to be canned on the Fraser River, 

 except in the case of a shortage in the pack of sockeye. The same is 

 also true in principle with regard to most of the Washington canneries, 

 but in fact it has been so difficult to obtain sufficient supplies of sock- 

 eye at nearly all the latter that the silver salmon is extensively used 

 in place of it, and it also composes an important part of the catch 

 made for the Seattle cannery, where the sockeye is not put up. It is 

 extensively salted on the Fraser River for the export trade, and is one 

 of the favorite species with the Indians for their own use. 



The traps at Point Roberts, Lummi Island, and the San Juan Islands 

 are mostly removed before the run of silver salmon is fairly on, but 

 some may be left in place for the special purjiose of obtaining this 

 species if the sockeye catch has been small, and it is also taken in the 

 traps in Skagit Bay. The main supply from the salt water, however, 

 has been obtained by means of purse seines, although drag seines and 

 reef nets are also used, the former chiefly at the mouths of the rivers. 

 On the Fraser River the fishery is by means of drift nets. 



The silver salmon, like the quinnat, affords good sport fishing in the 

 salt water, and may be taken by trolling, either with or without a spoon. 

 This method is resorted to for commercial purposes in some localities, 

 but the catch is small. It is also said that they may be taken in this 

 way in the lower 2 or 3 miles of some of the small rivers. 



