34 THE REPORT OF THE No. 31 



The number of tourists visiting this part of the district is increasing annually, and 

 they tax the accommodation to its utmost, and a great many are building cottages for 

 themselves. No fish is sold for export. 



The close seasons are well observed. 



Salmon Trout fishing, which fish are caught principally on the troll, in spring and 

 fall, did not appear to be quite so good this year. There is no Maskinonge or Speckled 

 Trout fishing in the above lakes. 



Overseer Moore, Lakefield, reports that the catch was not as large as last season, 

 perhaps owing to the coolness of the summer. A great many tourists visited the lakes 

 during the summer, and had fair catches of Bass and Maskinonge. The law has been 

 well observed, both as to close season and the number of fish caught daily by tourists. 

 He suggests that the number of Bass that may be caught by any one person in a day 

 be changed to 6, and 2 Maskinonge, and as in previous reports he again suggests that 

 foreign tourists should pay a small license fee. Most of them that he has talked with 

 express a willingness to pay toward the expense of restocking tlhe waters and better 

 protection of the fisih. 



He recommends that the use of spears be entirely prohibited. At present they 

 are used to kill Suckers, and as the Maskinonge spawn about the same time the 

 Suckers are running, he is of opinion that a number of Maskinonge are killed at 

 that time. 



Overseer Myers, Orchard, reports that the chief fish in his district are Speckled 

 Trout, and the catch this year has been about the same as last year, but there were 

 some larger fish taken than usual. The laws and regulations of the Department were 

 well obterved. 



No mill refuse is allowed to run in the streams. He pays special attention to this 

 clause of the Act. Most of the waters in his division are under control of fishing 

 clubs. The unanimous wish of the members is that the close season should commence 

 on the 15th August, as a great many trout caught during the latter part of August and 

 the fore part of September are full of spawn. 



Overseer McAulay, Souhampton, reports that the fishing during the year has been 

 poor, owing to the very rough weather that prevailed. The fish, were just as plentiful as 

 last year, but the fishermen could not in many cases get out to lift their nets, conse- 

 quently great quantities of fish spoiled in the nets. The Bass fishing on the lake shore in 

 S.'iugeen River has keen very good. There is only one fishway in his division, which 

 ic in a very good condition. Owing to the rough weather there were 125 nets lost 

 during the season. 



Overseer McCall, Vittoria, reports that he finds it hard to base a calculation as to 

 the take of fish, as there were fifteen less pound nets fished this year than during 1902, 

 there being only four pound nets fished fronting the County of Norfolk this year. 



There is no doubt there was a great falling off in the Whitefish ; fishermen report 

 that <he usual quantity did not come on the shore fronting the Townships of Walpole 

 and Rainham, which is the great breeding ground. One pound net fisherman said there 

 was not one fish this year where there were five the previous year. 



There would not he five per cent, of fish sold here for home consumption. 



The fishery regulations and close seasons were fairly well observed, with the ex- 

 ception of Long Point Bay, where poaching is largely on the increase, and no attention 

 is paid to fishery regulations or close seasons, and every device is used to take fish 

 at all times when possible. 



There is no mill refuse allowed 1 to run in the streams. There is one fishway on 

 Nrntxoke Creek at the dam, one mile from Lake Erie. 



Overset McComber, Port Arthur, -eports that there would have been a much 

 larger c?t/m of fish had it not been for the extremely rough weather on Lake Superior 



