1899 ] GAME AND FISHERIES. 53 



The lakes in his territory were thoroughly patrolled by him on several occasions. 

 The only persons found fishing were tourists and local anglers, using rod and line and all 

 keeping witbin the limits of the law. 



All the lakes in the vicinity abound with fish of all kinds, which is a good tbing for 

 the settlers and Indians. But should licensing be allowed for netting all kinds of fish, 

 the waters would soon be depleted of this source of sustenance to the above named parties, 

 and would also injure the traffic of the merchants and hotel men who cater to tourists who 

 come here to fish in the summer months. 



He would suggest that the use of hoop nets be licensed to catch suckers, pike, sheep- 

 heads, ling and other destructive fish. The numbers of pike taken would easily pay for 

 the catching and destroying of lings, sheepheads, etc. By so doing pickerel, bass, white- 

 fish and herring would have a much better chance to multiply. 



The smaller inland lakes and streams are well supplied with brook, speckled and grey 

 trout. A large number of foreign tourists avail themselves every season of the opportun- 

 ity to fish in these waters. So far he has had little trouble with these people as they keep 

 well within the limits of the law. 



In some instances several different parties of tourists and anglers have taken catches 

 of fish in different places and have amalgamated the catches and had the whole photogra- 

 phed with different parties standing behind the fish each time a picture was taken. This 

 was done several times. 



He knows this was for the purpose of advertising. These pictures look like a great 

 slaughter of fish when only two or three people are standing behind the catch. But when 

 the number of groups that have taken part in this fishing, and that have been photo- 

 graphed behind the same lot of fish s taken into consideration, it will be readily under- 

 stood that there has been no slaughter. 



Lake Simcoe District. 



Overseer Terry reports : 



That the Holland river and its branches are the principal spawning grounds in his 

 division of the Maskinonge. " This river, he says is navigable for small boats for about 

 twenty miles from its mouth ; flowing as it does through a wide marsh it has many tribu- 

 taries, which are, like it, slow and muddy. These find their way to the main stream by 

 very circuitous routes and thus greatly increase the total mileage of the stream. In these 

 small branch streams the maskinonge are found during the spawning season. It is here 

 that it is so difficult to protect them from poachers, for it is quite impossible for a few 

 guardians to protect the fish perfectly over such an extended river system. However, the 

 large measure of protection given them is already showing its effects in the greater num- 

 ber of maskinonge taken by trolling during the past season. These fish range in weight 

 from three to eight pounds there being but few large fish caught." He believes the in- 

 creased number of young fish to be the result of increased protection and hopes that as 

 the trolling improves, more persons will be found anxious to assist in every way in the 

 proper protection of their interests. 



He further reports that "great numbers of carp have made their appearance in 

 the Holland river and in marshy portions of Cook's bay. These it is believed were first 

 introduced into mill ponds on the upper branches of the Holland river and by the break- 

 ing of dams found their way to the river where they have increased during the past three 

 years with amazing rapidity. What the effect of their presence will be remains to be 

 seen, but it is feared they will be found very destructive to the spawn of the maskinonge. n 



The salmon trout he believes to be decreasing in numbers. He says that in lake 

 Simcoe these fish spawn earlier than they do in the great lakes, that the spawning begins 

 there about the first of October and is entirely over by the first of November, when the 

 present close season begins. He would strongly recommend that a change be made in the 

 law and that October be made the prohibited season. 



The past season has been an average one for bass fishing, some very good catches 

 being made. 



Overseer Myers reports : 



That the chief fish in his division are speckled trout. He cannot say that there is 

 any decrease in the trout, but the catch was not so good this year. The reason of this 



