44 THE REPORT UPON No. 32 



Ducks and plover are on the increase, especially black and the late kinds. 

 The law was well observed this season. Muskrats are plentiful. He has 

 examined a great many muskrat houses, and found quite a few broken and 

 damaged by some unprincipled parties who do not care how many rats they 

 destroy as long as they can catch one. He thinks the remedy would be to 

 allow no rats to be taken, only in March and April, when the skins are the 

 best. 



Overseer J . E. Whaley, of Westp.ort, reports that he has in every way 

 tried to fill his office in the true sense of the law, and can certainly vouch 

 that very little, if any, illegal fishing was done in his jurisdiction, as he 

 made the impression on the minds of the fishermen that great harm would be 

 done in destroying fish in the close seasons, as we derived quite a revenue 

 from summer tourists throughout Ontario, and by their acting in con- 

 junction with him, they could make the Rideau waters one of the most 

 attractive summer resorts in Canada, and every one living near the respec- 

 tive lakes he had to inspect would reap a certain amount for such supplies 

 as they could deliver to each visitor who might be a guest in their neigh- 

 bourhood. 



They had not many tourists there this season, as the lakes in that 

 locality are not very well advertised, but they are certainly the best bass 

 and salmon fishing lakes in Ontario, and he will be pleased at any time to 

 give any information regarding these lakes to intending visitors for the 

 coming season. 



Overseer J. R. Wight, of Newhoro, reports that, with the assistance of 

 tourists, guides and hotelmen, and others interested in the preservation 

 of game and fish, he has been able to give the lakes in his district proper 

 protection without any cause for inflicting a single fine. The lakes adjoin- 

 ing Newboro contain some of the finest bass in Ontario, and the lakes directly 

 west of there are reached bj crossing Newboro Lake, and contain some very 

 fine salmon. One specimen caught in Buck Lake in August v.'eighed 34 

 lbs. and other catches in Devil Lake weighed from 10 to 15 lbs. These fish 

 are the original species, the lakes never having been re-stocked with fry by 

 artificial means. He thinks that the fee of |2 for non-residents should be 

 left as it i^, for if it was raised to |5 it would close the lakes to a number of 

 good people who have only a few days to spend. If some provision could 

 be made tor charging tourists who bring their own help and yachts or house 

 boats a fee of at least |10, it would be a good thing, as this class leaves 

 little or no money in the country, and are the hardest to watch, as they have 

 every facility for taking their full catch away when they go home. He 

 thinks more licenses for hoop nets should be granted than heretofore, for 

 the reason that bull heads, ling and other coarse fish are a nuisance to the 

 game fish, and the sooner the lake is rid of them the better. He uses dis- 

 cretion, of course, in recommending licenses, and recommends only those 

 who do not have to be watched too closely. The granting of licenses to catch 

 herring in lakes where they are is also a good move, as the herring cannot 

 be taken in any other way, and they are relished ver;v much by settlers as a 

 rare article of food. There was no bass or other game fish caught 

 in any of the nets licensed in his district, and he would strongly recommend 

 the planting of a large quantity of small-mouthed bass fry in Newboro Lake, 

 as that species is getting scarce. The large-mouthed are plentiful as ever 

 through the natural increase and respect for our laws and close seasons by 

 the guides and tourists. Newboro is fast becoming a tourists paradise. 

 There are two good hotels, and a number of good boarding houses, a bank, 

 long distance telephone and telegraph, the mails every day, steamer and 



