32 REPORT OF THE No. 32 



During the season lie visited the different fishing grounds and found 

 that the fishermen were all complying with the regulations. 



The fishermen of this district deem it advisable that a hatchery should 

 be established here. At the present time the spawn is taken to Duluth, 

 by employes of the Duluth Fish Commission. In the fall some fry is 

 returned, but it is thought that only a small portion comes back to the 

 Canadian waters. It is felt that if a hatchery were established at this point, 

 it would do considerable for the fisheries of Lake Superior. 



RiVEK Nepigon. 



Overseer P. A. Leitch, Nipigon, reports that the number of tourists 

 visiting the Nipigon waters during 1907 was not so large as on previous 

 years. This was accounted for principally by the season being over a month 

 later in opening, and the extremely cold weather generally prevailing 

 throughout the whole season ; making it unnecessary for the people to leave 

 he large centres to escape the heat. 



Owing to the extraordinary dry season of 1906, when the swamps, tri- 



'^tory to the Nipigon, were completely dried up, and the snow disappear- 



^ so slowly last spring, the waters of the Nipigon were much lower dur- 



g 1907 than on any previous season recorded. On this account fishing 



m these waters during the past season was very good, until the stream was 



swollen by the continuous rains of July, August and September. 



The good fishing was accounted for by the low water making numerous 

 pools accessible, that, during high water or ordinary conditions, are too dan- 

 gerous to approach sufficiently close enough to fish them with safety. 



The low water also gave opportunities to observe how numerous the 

 tarse fish are becoming in this river, and the destruction they are causing 

 )on the famous game speckled trout for which the river is renowned. 

 . Considering that for years the Nipigon has been fished for nothing but 

 e game speckled trout, this would naturally reduce their numbers by 

 •grees; but when also considering that nothing has been done to reduce 

 e quantity of the coarser varieties, it is quite easily accounted for why the 

 ver is becoming overrun with the coarser varities which live largely upon 

 e spawn and fry of the speckled trout. It is, therefore, not surprising 

 at the speckled trout should be becoming less numerous year by year when 

 >y have such odds to contend with. 



As a natural course of events the famous Nipigon, known the world over 



its large speckled beauties (attracting as it does numerous wealthy peo- 



from, practically, all parts of the world), will in a very few years, if 



_ething is not done to rid it of the course varities, become so unattractive 



, •'„ be classed with the fished out streams. 



x'he money spent annually in the country by this class of people is 



, small importance. But this to my mind is only of minor importance 



uparison with other benefits to be derived from attracting large num- 



r of this class of people to the country annually for recreation. These 



°e on such trips incidentally become acquainted with the undeveloped 



•al resources of our country, and are largely instrumental for the intro- 



on of much foreign capital in the development of these resources, and 



lich we are so much in need. 



^^There is only one Nipigon, with its world-wide reputation for its large 



^tc speckled trout, and its magnificent scenery. It would, therefore, be a 



^^is mistake and loss, not only to the Province, but the whole Dominion, 



the necessary precautions not adopted, to not only maintain the standard 

 did 



opened umn lauc xxj. -^^ cao^. — . 



