24 THE REPOET UPON No. 13 



large numbers of the former are reported being killed by wolves, which are on the 

 increase. During liis recent trip up Lake Superior at Agawa River one party (a 

 trapper) had eleven wolf skins which he had killed since August. 



The wisdom of the department in having partridge protected during the last 

 three years has been shown in good results^ as they have increased in that district 

 to a large extent. 



Overseer W. H. S. Gordon, of Port Arthur, reports that the fisheries of liis 

 district has been given special attention this season. 



The fishing of the Thunder Bay section has proved, in some parts, to be much 

 better than for some 'years, whilst in other parts of the lake there has been a 

 falling off of the catch. 



One of the fishermen, who has been fishing out of Port Arthur for the past 

 twenty years, states that this season he has had the best fishing during the past 

 five years; in fact, his total catch so far this season has been equal to that of the 

 two previous seasons. The weather conditions, it is claimed, has had a good deal 

 to do with the fishing. It is not thought that the fishing has played out by any 

 means, but it is believed that the fish keep moving to different grounds. The in- 

 crease in the fishing has been more especially noted in connection with the 

 pickerel. The catch of this class of fish is heavier than ever before. As there 

 has never been any fry of this class of fish distributed in Canadian waters by the 

 American fish hatcheries, it is, therefore, not thought that the increase of the fish 

 is due to the fact that the fry has been set out. It is thought that the fish have 

 increased naturally. 



The other fishermen who operate out of Port Arthur report that the fishing 

 has been fair, whilst some report that in certain months there has been an increase 

 in the fishing. 



This fall, with the tug " Gordon Gauthier," he visited all the fishing stations 

 of his district, which extend from Port Arthur to Heron Bay. He inspected all 

 the nets between this place and the eastern point. In discussing the setting of 

 nets in Nepigon Bay witjh the fishermen, the men state that, in their opinion, 

 these grounds should be reserved, owing to the fact that the bay is the natural 

 spawning grounds of the fish. Therefore, smaller fish are caught there. After 

 fully going into the matter he thinks that it would be wise to discontinue the 

 fishing in the Nepigon Bay section. 



At Rossport, the fishing has been fair, and the returns at the end of the sea- 

 son will show that the fishing has been almost as good as last year. In fact F. 

 Bowman reports that the returns in the Rossport section this summer has been 

 a little better than during the past few years. The " Beatrice," owned by Mr, 

 Bowman, has been fishing out in the lake this season. This has been an experi- 

 ment, but it has proved to be profitable, as much better fishing results than in the 

 bays. 



At Port Col dwell, the fishing has been light during the summer, and it was 

 not expected that the catch would be equal to that of last season. 



However, it may be stated that the fishermen are doinr bette- throughout 

 this district than ever before. From information gleaned, he learned that daring 

 the past few years the fishermen from Port Arthur to the east are making money. 

 They all have their bank accounts and if the fishing is not quite up to the aver- 

 age, still the prices have advanced until now the fishing is carried on at a much 

 greater profit to the fishermen themselves. At Rossport, the concern known as the 



