44 REPORT OF THE No. a2 



people from the tourist traffic and more revenue for the Government than 

 there is from licenses for gill nets to catch fish for market, which fish are 

 mostly shipped to the United States. He thinks the time has come when 

 commercial fishing with gill nets should be abolished in those waters. 



- He kept up almost a constant patrol of the waters of his district the past 

 summer. He patrolled every part of it once a month, and some of the back 

 inland lakes twice each month, the effect of this being that he thinks there 

 has been very little, if any, illegal fishing or poaching done there, and on the 

 whole the fishery laws were well observed. 



Overseer J. H. Phillips, Smiths Falls,' Teports that he fitted out the 

 Eva Bell and was ready to start on the 2nd May, and kept up a steady patrol 

 until the 8th November, when the row-boat was used for the remainder of 

 the season. 



The past fishing season has been a very satisfactory one, although 

 shorter than usual for tourists. The earlier part was so cold that they were 

 later in coming, but the amount of permits sold in his division was a little 

 in excess of last year, and he finds it is so all the way through. The salmon 

 fishing never was better, and some very weighty specimens have been reeled 

 in. On June 18th several cans of salmon fry, 30,000 in all, were deposited 

 in the Big Rideau. The bass fishing also was good, and some of the sports- 

 men reached their limit almost every time. But he must say that the laws 

 have been well observed, for he has not had a single conviction for illegal 

 angling during the whole season. The illegal fishing, if any, is done with 

 nets ; the old fish pirates cannot resist sticking in a net when they get the 

 overseer's back turned, but they are sure to get pinched. There have been 

 eight convictions and eight gill nets seized in the past season. He would 

 respectfully suggest that the close season for bass be extended to the last of 

 June, as bass were on their beds on the 1st July last, probably owing to the 

 cold season. He would also advocate a |5 fee instead of $2 to non-residents, 

 for if fewer sportsmen there would be as much revenue, and it would save 

 the fish. The weather last summer was very rough, high winds and sudden 

 squalls, but on the whole it was a good fishing season. 



Overseer Nathaniel Shillington, Burridge, reports that the black bass 

 are decreasing, but the pickerel are on_the increase. The sports claim that 

 the pickerel are far more numerous than the bass. There were more sports 

 on the water this last season than usual. The herring are as plentiful as ever. 

 The fishermen did not stav as long on the lakes this season. No violations of 

 the law came under his notice, nor did he hear of any. He believes that if 

 the residents were only allowed to catch enough for their own use, there 

 would be fish there for years to come. 



Game was very scarce last season. Partridge never were so scarce, 

 which a good many attribute to the cold spring. The ducks also are dimin- 

 ishing. The muskrat is about the only fur-bearing animal around there. 



Overseer William Spence, Athens, reports that it is his opinion, and 

 also the opinion of the guides at Charleston Lake, that the small salmon fry 

 are of little benefit to the lake. They ought to be as large as the largest that 

 were put in a couple of years ago, and then they would be capable of taking 

 care of themselves.. He says there is no increase whatever in salmon. Before 

 the limit for salmon, from twenty to thirty a day would be caught by one 

 person, while now hardlv the limit can be caught. He thinks the limit for 

 pike should be down to eight or ten. The pike are a favorite fish with certain 

 tourists, and they are satisfied when they catch a ten or twelve pound pike. 



