48 THE EEPORT UPON^ No. 13 



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aDgling weather in the hest waters of that district. The bass were biting well 

 •during September and the fore part of October. Other fish are quite plentiful, 

 and good catches have been made. The shipments of fish to the American side 

 have not been as large this year as last. There was a falling off in whitefish and 

 lake trout, caused by the continued rough weather during the summer. Herring 

 were very plentiful last fall, and large shipments were made from there to Cape 

 Vincent. There were not as many anglers this year as formerly in that district, 

 a good many of tliem preferring the back lakes and the Rideau River, where rough 

 weather would not interfere, and the angling was just as good. As the new 

 international treaty is not likely to come into force next year (if ever), he would 

 strongly- recommend the granting of licenses for the catching of sturgeon. Their 

 waters there aje full of them, and American fishermen are licensed to catch them 

 on the American side, and it is causing a lot of dissatisfaction among the fisher- 

 men in that vicinity to see the Americans catching sturgeon a few hundred yards 

 from them, and they are not allowed to do so. He says they are simply breeding 

 and feeding them for the American fishermen. 



The laws have been well observed, and he has liad less trouble than in former 

 years. 



Ducks and other water fowl are more plentiful this fall than for twenty years. 

 Muskrats are becoming very scarce, and he believes the season for trapping and 

 hunting them should be shortened, or a close season be established for a year or 

 two. 



Overseer Albert E. Tarry, Toronto, reports that he has had no returns from 

 the fishermen regarding their catch of fish, but he is of the opinion that the catch 

 will not be as good as last year. Salmon trout, whitefish and blue-backed herring 

 are tlie principal fish in the lake waters of his district. He knows that salmon 

 trout and whitefish have been scarce, and there has been hardly any herring. He 

 can account in no other way for the scarcity of fish than the dirty water caused 

 by the quantity of sewage that pours into the lake, and the dirt that is taken up 

 by the dredge out of the bay waters and carried out and dumped into the lake. 

 Angling is very poor. There have been two prosecutions for illegal fishing during 

 the year. 



There have been fewer ducks this year than last, which he thinks is owing to 

 the condition of the weather, which has caused them to continue their flight. It- 

 has been a very mild fall, and they did not appear to stop here as they have in 

 other years. Muskrats are also becoming very scarce, not bvit what there is plenty 

 of feeding ground for them, but the fur is bringing a very high price, which is 

 such an inducement to trappers that there are few rats left. 



Overseer E. A. Titus, of Wellington, reports that bass fishing in Wellers Bay 

 has been far above the average this season, and also in Consecon Lake; pickerel 

 (dore) were quite plentiful in both waters. Whitefish and trout in Lake Ontario 

 were not as plentiful as last season, which the fishermen attribute mostly to the 

 weather and winds. Carp are becoming quite a nuisance in Wellers Bay. There 

 has been very little illegal fishing, and what has been done has been by fishermen 

 coming from other districts. On the whole the fishermen have behaved remark- 

 ably well. 



Re Game. — Muskrats are numerous in the bays, there having been very little 

 illegal trapping, and only one conviction. He watched the muskrat houses very 



