66 THE REPORT OF THE No. 31 



feeding. They seem to be a sort of hog fish, or as I stated in my last annual report, a herbiverous 

 fish. If this is so, I do not think they should be to any great extent interf erred with. The 

 time will come, if not now, when there will be a fish worthy of protection, as for instance, 

 sturgeon. A few years ago fishermen threw them out of their nets, they having no market 

 value, while to-day they are one of the most valuable fish on the market, and the fewest of 

 them. And again, if, as I said before, a representation of the carp in the waters of the lake is 

 expressed by the numbers in shore, there are not so many of them after all ; also an examina- 

 tion of this fish will show that they have not the capacity for being voracious like the pike, 

 pickerel, or in fact any of the game fish. We live and l^arn, and while I was of opinion that 

 these fish were detrimental to all fishing interests, I have had occasion to change my mind, 

 and while I do not for a moment presume to dictate to you or your Department, I would ask 

 for your careful consideration of this matter, and herring fishing as well. 



Overseer Taylor, Renfrew, reports that the fish caught in his district are all 

 for home consumption. He would call attention to the necessity of a fish way at 

 Pembroke on the Indian River, to allow the fish to pass into this river and up 

 the Muskrat to Muskrat Lake, etc. The close seasons were all well observed. 

 He has had no complaints of spearing, nor has he seen any signs of such having 

 been done. He has entirely put a stop to mill men putting sawdust in the 

 water. Parties holding net and line licenses rendered useful advice in giving 

 information of parties violating the law or encroaching on their territory. Bass 

 seem to be more plentiful, but pike are not so numerous as formerly. White- 

 fish and pickerel and all coarse fish seem to be increasing. The catch for all 

 purposes was about 25,670 lbs., an increase over former years. There are no 

 fishways in his division. 



Overseer Terry, Lake Simcoe, reports that during the close season for 

 maskinonge, three guardians were on the Holland River. They did good work 

 in protecting the maskinonge. He superintended their work, visiting them at 

 different times. One night he took five nets from the main branch, near the 

 upper end of the river. During the last few years the large bed of rice has 

 been completely destroyed by carp. The rice bed was the chief spawning 

 ground in Cook's Bay for the maskinonge. Since its extermination there is no 

 suitable spawning ground in the bay for the maskinonge, so they run up the 

 Holland River. This confines them to a smaller spawning ground, and the 

 poachers would be more easily caught ; but it is almost impossible to catch or 

 convict them, as they set their nets in the night. After setting the nets, they 

 leave them. The trolling was fairly good, and a goodly number of fish were 

 caught, but not equal to the average of other years, owing, he thinks, to the cold, 

 wet weather rather than to there being a scarcity of fish. The bass fishing was 

 good, but not so many caught as in other seasons. This was due to their being 

 fewer fishing, the weather being so wet and cold. During the close season for 

 lake trout the weather was generally windy, therefore the poachers had but 

 little chance to set their nets. 



Overseer Trotter, Bobcaygeon, reports that the year just closed has been a 

 most successful one for both maskinonge and bass fishing. They are the only 

 kinds of fish taken in the waters under his supervision. He consulted some of 

 the guides — about 25 in number — who were of opinion that about 40,500 lbs. of 

 bass, and about the same of maskinonge were taken during the season. He does 

 not think that any one exceeded the limit in their daily catch. He reports that 

 a greater number of tourists visited that locality during the year, most of them 

 from the United States. He would call the attention of the Department to the 

 fish slide in the Government dam, and would recommend that it be repaired in 

 such a way that the fish could get through to the upper lakes ; that there should 

 be a fishway in the dam at Boyd's mills ; and that a license fee be charged all 

 foreigners in those waters. The law regulating the sale of bass and maskinonge 

 has been a great protection. This law has been well observed, and he would 



