lSO« DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. 65 



All the fish caught are used for home consumption. The laws have been well 

 observed. 



Overseer Stephens, Chatham, reports that there has been a large falling oti 

 in the fish taken in his district last year, which is accounted for by the seines 

 on River Thames being shortened to two-thirds of their former length, and 

 because the licenses were not issued until March 12th, which made the season 

 very short. About ninety-five per cent, of the fish caught are exported to the 

 United States and only about five per cent, used for home consumption. The 

 close season was very well observed, no illegal fishing having come to his notice. 

 A small gill net was found in Baptist Creek, which was confiscated. There are 

 two saw-mills in his district ; no sawdust or other refuse is thrown into the 

 river. There are no fishways in his division, and none are necessary. 



Overseer Stewart, Pelee Island, reports that, while he has little to report, 

 owing to the conditions of the fishing and fisheries being much similar to prev- 

 ious years, he is however pleased to state that the industry is on the increase, 

 and while some kinds of fish appear to show a falling off", as for instance sturgeon, 

 the cause is probably owing to a less prosecution of this branch of the industry, 

 no night lines whatever having been used during the past year for the purpose 

 of taking these fish. The conditions of weather and water were very favorable 

 during the whole season for fishing purposes. Angling for black bass was 

 exceptionally good in the spring, and a number of anglers took advantage of it } 

 and in some instances abused their privileges. Having obtained permits to 

 angle, they came with tugs bringing their own row boats and oarsmen, and very 

 seldom came near shore, making it very difficult, and in some instances impossi- 

 ble, for him to know what they were doing, but from reports he has seen in the 

 local American papers some of them caught and took away more bass than the 

 regulations authorized. He would respectfully recommend that the angling 

 permit system be done away with, and the persons desiring to angle in our 

 waters be required to domicile here ; there is ample accommodation for them. As 

 it is now, having permits, they come over here, take our fish and return to their 

 tugs on Put-in Bay, Middle Bass and elsewhere, without probably having landed 

 on our shores, or the community being one whit the better of their coming. 

 During the fall fishing, however, the bass were either scarce or wary of the bait, 

 as very few were taken. In all other respects the fish laws were strictly respect- 

 ed, the close season well observed, and no instances of illegal fishing came to his 

 notice. The herring caught during the fall fishing was very large and ( hard ; in 

 fact, the finest he had ever seen, and brought 3^ cents per lb. at the landing, all 

 of which were sold to American buyers. In fact, all the fish caught in his 

 division are exported to the United States. He would recommend that the 

 Ohio State Fish Hatchery be permitted to procure herring spawn for artificial 

 breeding, provided the fry are placed back in the lake at or near that district. 



" During the freshet of the past season the carp not only came over the bars but went up 

 the ditches from drains leaning off the lands to the lake, and could be found, not only in the 

 mains but on the lands flooded by the great quantity of rain fall we had during the past season. 

 If I do not assume tco much, I might call your attention to the fact that during your visit here 

 and on our drive up the west dyke of the Drainage System, I called your attention to the 

 condition of the water, also the cleaness of the edges of the canal, caused by these fish feeding 

 upon the vegetation that grow there. Now it appears to me after studying to some extent the 

 nature of these fish, that they do not come inshore for the purpose of destroying the spawn of 

 other fish as reported. No tish come so close to shore to spawn, especially when there is clay 

 bottom, preferring reefs and gravelly points in deeper water, but for the purpose of their own 

 either to feed or deposit their spawn or both, and my reason for supposing this is that the water 

 during their habitation in shore is kept in perfect turmoil, being roiled up to such an extent 

 that it would be impossible for them to do much in the way of preying on young fish. I am 

 also inclined to believe that the whole representation of these fish in the lake is present at these 

 times in the bays and indentions of the shores for the purpose as aforesaid of depositing spawn or 

 5 F. 



