28 THE EEPORT UPON No. 13 



coarse fish. Many applications come to him for net licenses for the lake and the 

 river, but these are the best angling and trolling waters in that part of Ontario. 

 Game. — No deer in that part, but they have issued about the usual number of 

 hunters' licenses, but partridges are quite plentiful. On his trip, within gunshot of 

 Forest Mill he saw about forty and near Roblin there are a great many; if such 

 droves of the birds can live so near to a large village the laws must be in force. 

 Trapping is good along the Salmon and he thinks there should be a license for 

 trapping. 



.Overseer E. B. Fox, of Northport, reports that in the beginning of November 

 1909, he found parties fishing without a license, and they claimed they had per- 

 mission for catching some fish for their own use which he stopped at once, and 

 stopped all net fishing as well for close season was over. He proceeded until the 

 spring fishing of hoop nets when he found several fishing across channel and creeks, 

 which they had to remove during the winter. He found one man trapping in 

 muskrat house and laid information to Mr. Hunter and recommended easy settle- 

 ment if possible, which was done. He commenced to patrol with the "Shark" on 

 the 25th of May up the bay as far as Belleville for supplies for the " Shark." 



May 31st he patrolled down the bay, and found one man fishing night-lines, for 

 which he did not know he had to have a license which he procured for him for the 

 month of June. He made some six trips up and down the bay for the Game and 

 Fishery Department. In July he made the same number of trips, but found no 

 fishing, and for the month of August he made eight trips up and down the bay look- 

 ing for non-resident fishing parties, but found very few anglers without permits and 

 for the month of September patrolled up and down the bay. He dragged several 

 times, but found nothing. The month of October was the hardest month for work 

 ns he patrolled over his division some eleven times, measured nets and found them all 

 right. For the opening the season was well observed and also the closing for white- 

 fish, which were very plentiful, but the season was quite short for there was no 

 extension this year for the month of November. He made a seizure of hoop nets. 



He says he might first say that the fish seem to all to be very plentiful and on 

 the increase. But for the fishermen, he would suggest that there be no gill net fish- 

 ing in the spring as the most they catch would be pike and the price is low, from 

 2% to 3 cents per pound, and in the fall they are worth 5 cents per pound. 



In regard to duck — the black ducks were very plentiful, but not as many fall 

 duck as usual, but he thinks the season opens a little too early. He would say that 

 the open season be not until the 5th of September instead of the first as the duck 

 are very poor and full of pin feathers and not fit to eat. There are plenty of ducks, 

 but partridge scarce but on the increase. He would suggest that there be a heavy 

 fine placed on any one burning the marshes, as the muskrats, when frozen out 

 of houses, have no place to go, and freeze to death, also the duck in the spring have 

 no place to lay and hatch. 



Overseer I. Glass, of Trenton, reports that he has only three men in his district 

 holding license to fish hoop nets, no gill nets allowed in his district, except for 

 domestic purposes. The licensed fishermen are apparently obeying the law without 

 any trouble. There was a large number of domestic licenses granted last year, and 

 some of the parties holding them took advantage of the fact of having domestic 

 and caught large numbers of whitefish for commercial purposes. The angling in 

 his district was excellent. Bass, pickerel and maskinonge were very plentiful. 



