64 THE REPORT OF THE No. 31 



to enable the fish to get from Georgian Bay to Muskoka lakes to help in 

 keeping up the supply of fish. He is of opinion that the issuing of two netting 

 licenses in his district has been most beneficial in the interests of the fishermen, 

 and has helped very materially to do away with illegal netting. There has 

 been no confiscation of nets or any other fishing implements during the past 

 year. 



Overseer Steed, Lambton, reports that the catch of fish during the past 

 season of 1902, though below that of 1901 in the total amount, yet in respect 

 of some kinds it is above, and prices have been better. As to the reason why 

 it might be summed up in a few words — heavy weather combined with the 

 geographical position of our shores has all to do with this. And when we 

 report the fact that nets were blown out last spring as soon as set, combined 

 with this last fall only some ten set of stakes were saved out of over forty, and 

 cases in which parts of nets were lost, prove conclusively that heavy north-east 

 and south-west gales have a great deal to do with the profits of all those engaged 

 in the industry. The peculiar way in which the fish run has much to do with 

 the individual catch, for we find some of our fishermen parting with one net 

 and keeping what they were sure was the best, and then find that the other net 

 let out fishes the one kept. In other cases, in which the leader has been made 

 shorter in the lower net, placing the heart of the upper away out in hopes of 

 taking everything that came up the shore, even this failed. As reported last 

 season, the great percentage of our catch is exported to New York. Close 

 seasons have, he says, been fairly well kept, for although it was reported in the 

 latter part of November that the fishermen on our lake shore were keeping 

 trout and whitefish, he found after taking the trouble, on that month, of going 

 up and seeing some of the nets lifted, as well as taking the " Murray " up on 

 the 24th and seeing four more lifted, then going over to Fort Gratiot, U.S., and 

 meeting the fishery tug " Wilson," when she came in with a load of fish from 

 our shore, and finding no trout or whitefish, the report to be false. This past 

 season has been the exception as far as illegal gill net fishing goes; we have 

 had a rest. Our own fishermen would like if thos^ holding licenses on our own 

 shore would try to remember the three mile limit from pound nets, and in some 

 cases go so far as to ask that no gill net licenses be granted off Sarnia Township. 

 The saw log matter has turned up again this last s> ason as a nuisance, but in this 

 case to the pound nets on our lake shore, for the saw-mills located on Sarnia 

 Bay in rafting down their logs have had the misfortune during heavy weather 

 to have their rafts broken up, and the logs, when they are blown in towards the 

 shore, play sad havoc with all nets that come in their way. The one fishway in 

 this division is working all right. 



Overseer Steele, Ontario, reports that the fishing in his division was not so 

 good as in 1901, especially the bass fishing, there being one-third less caught, 

 owing, he thinks, to the wet a!id stormy weather, which was a great drawback 

 to the anglers. The trout and whitefish caught was also not so good as in 1901 

 for the same reason. He reports that the maskinon^e are on the increase, and 

 the herring seem to be as plentiful as in former years. There seems to be an 

 abundance of coarse fish. The carp he reports to be very numerous, both in 

 Lake Simcoe and Couchchiching. During the year he confiscated two spears, 

 one hundred yards of gill net, one seine, and had six persons prosecuted for 

 violating the Fishery Act. Of these cases three were rined and three dismissed 

 for want of evidence. Anglers who have been fishing in the lake for years tell 

 him they have been making good catches in spots where for the last few years 

 they have been unable to get anything. He thinks this is good evi-lence that 

 the fish are increasing in that lake. There are no tishways in his division. 



