42 REPORT OF THE No. 32 



racooon and muskrat appear to be very scarce. This is accounted for by 

 the high price paid for this kind of fur, which makes trappers more vigilant 

 in the pursuit of those animals. 



Overseer John Dowker, Hartington, reports that he finds that in com- 

 pelling the fishermen to use three-inch mesh nets it has increased the size 

 of the fish. He allows no nets to be used in lakes where pickerel are found, 

 and they are getting very plentiful for fishing with rod and line. 



He finds the muskrat very plentiful in his district this year, and he 

 recommends the close season to be kept on till the first day of March. The 

 otter are increasing. He has about ten miles of river that does not freeze 

 over, and the otter collect there from the surrounding lakes to winter. And 

 in regard to ducks, he has a large hatching ground for black and grey ducks 

 and found them very plentiful last year; he finds it very hard to protect 

 them from the trappers shooting them in the spring. With regard to 

 partridge, they are very scarce in his district, and he recommends them to 

 be prohibited for two years. 



Overseer Henry Drew, Long Lake, reports that the catch for past season 

 was small. In regard to angling permits, he thinks it would give overseers 

 a better chance if guides were licensed, as he has had some trouble getting 

 after some of the anglers, especially on Sharbot Lake, otherwise the fishery 

 laws have been strictly adhered to. As he is now in about the centre of 

 his district, and as he does not allow any hoop nets, and there are none but 

 settlers' licenses issued, he can keep a pretty close watch on all the lakes. 



Overseer James Dunlop, Mackey's Station, reports that the people in 

 his district are afraid of the law of last year, and consequently there have 

 been no convictions. In former years there were nets set and quite a lot 

 of fishing done. There is any amount of fish in both the Ottawa River and 

 lake, but no one comes to fish on the Ontario side — they go to the Quebec 

 side. 



Overseer Henry Esford, Barrie field, reports that fishing has been very 

 good, and also angling up to late in the fall. All of the fishermen are com- 

 plaining about the dogfish becoming so numerous. There were tons of them 

 destroyed last season, and the carp are beginning to be seen, but as yet are 

 small. There were dozens of them caught last fall. 



Game was very scarce in the fall, especially ducks. Where in other 

 years they were very numerous, this season there were hardly any to be seen. 

 Muskrats seem to be on the increase. 



Ovrseer Adam Greene, Diamond, reports that there are probably no 

 finer places on the Ottawa than the mouth of the Mississippi and the mouth 

 of the Carp Rivers. These waters have plenty of bass, pike and pickerel, 

 and all kinds of coarse fish, and can easily be fished from boat or from shore. 

 There are no fish caught except for local use. The close season has been 

 fairly well observed. 



Overseer U. R. Knight, Sunbury, reports that the season of 1907 was as 

 good as that of 1906, if not better. The weather was warm and the catches 

 were quite plentiful. The Americans and tourists appeared to be well satis- 

 fied. It is reported that there is a petition going around to have Loughboro 

 Lake closed up from foreigners for a period of three years. In his opinion 

 this would be a wrong move, for as long as the fish are as plentifulas they 

 are, and the Americans and tourists are satisfied with their catches, it would 

 be too bad to have the lake shut up from them. Besides, there is quite a 

 revenue derived from this like. He judges there were $250 or $300 collected 

 from parties fishing there this season, and he himself received $150. 



