1908 GAME AND FISHERIES. 65 



He sold more licenses to foreigners in 1908 than in any previous year, 

 angling principally for sport. 



Overseer James Myers, of Orchard, reports tliat as far as lie can learn 

 there was no difference in the catch of fish between last year and this, but 

 fairly good catches were made. 



The chief fish in his district are speckled trout and black bass. None 

 are sold, but all used at home. 



No abuses exist that he is aware of. 



The several close seasons were well observed. 



There were no violations, except some boys fishing bass, and no fines 

 were made. 



The Act is well observed by mill owners, and no sawdust or rubbish is 

 allowed to go into the water. 



There were three fishways in his division, but they are out of order. The 

 high water in the spring wrecks them. But he says it seems to him there 

 are more fish above in some of the ponds than below, for the reason that 

 they winter better in the deep water in the pond, and in the dry time in 

 the summer they do better in the dee-^ water. 



The general wish of the people in his district is that the trout season 

 should end on August Ist. 



Overseer Garner Nicholls, of Bohcaygeon, reports that the maskinonge 

 fishing was even better than 1907, Bass was not as good, but much larger 

 lunge were caught during 1908. He says that the law was well kept last 

 spring during spawning season, both for lunge and bass. There is no fish- 

 ing through the ice this winter for bass at all. Giving a rough estimate of 

 the boats fishing every day, would say there would be about twenty-five. 

 There must have been about 4,000 lunge caught, all told, and about 3,000 



Overseer C. W . Parkin, of Valentia, reports that fishing was fairly good 

 during the past season. Green bass were quite plentiful, and some very fine 

 black bass were captured, and he saw quite a number of maskinonge weigh- 

 ing from 5 to 16 lbs. caught around Bald Point. He thinks fishing through 

 the ice should be prohibited, as when a man cuts a hole through the ice over 

 a bass bed, he can fish away until he has taken every bass feeding near. He 

 is of the opinion that if the close season was from December 15th to June 

 15th, and the laws strictly enforced, in a few years fish would again be really 

 plentiful there. 



The laws have been fairly well observed in his division. No reports of 

 illegal fishing were brought to his notice. 



He sold only one family permit, as the Americans who came preferred 

 not to fish rather than pay the fee. 



Ducks were very plentiful, but owing to fine calm weather there were 

 not as many killed as last year. He thinks the law forbidding the hides 

 being built not more than 200 yards from shore is a good one for Scugog 

 lake, as it gives the ducks a chance to feed. He is very glad the use of 

 automatic guns was prohibited, as they are regular slaughtering machines. 

 He has heard a lot of fault-finding with regard to them, and he hopes they 

 will never be allowed in use again. Muskrats are becoming numerous since 

 their houses have been closely watched and protected. He thinks the mink 

 should be protected, as they are the most valuable fur-bearing animal we 

 have, and they are nearly extinct around that lake. He would advise an 

 open season from December 1st to March Ist. He had one conviction for 

 spearing muskrat houses. He had some difficulty in keeping hunters from 

 building their duck hides too far from shore. 



