10 THE REPORT OF THE No. 31 



no close season for herring in Ontario, has been again granted, it being 

 stipulated and agreed that the fry therefrom should be deposited near the 

 International boundary line. It is reported that 44,000,000 eggs were 

 collected, and that over 23,300,000 fry were planted near or in Canadian 

 waters. As herring are not propagated artincally in Ontario, the fry so 

 deposited were a clear gain to the Province. 



The Inland Fisheries. 



Stocking. 



Soon after the establishment of a Department of Fisheries for this Pro- 

 vince, the attention of the undersigned was drawn to the fact that our 

 beautiful lakes and rivers were fast becoming depleted of -their finny in- 

 habitants. The wide-spread popularity of Ontario as a summer resort had 

 induced thousands from a distance to come here year after year for many 

 seasons, to enjoy our exquisite scenery, salubrious climate, and phenomenal 

 trout and bass fishing. Many American clubs, mostly composed of men of 

 wealth, men of leisure, men who enjoy out-door life and sport, men who are in 

 particular fond of fishing, had come, and many had brought with them their 

 families and their servants, and all were very welcome. They spent their 

 money freely and liberally. And while it is a matter of gratification that 

 1hey did come, and are still coming, the enormous drain upon our game fish 

 by these visitors in conjunction with our own people, which day after day 

 and week after week had continued for these many years, and with little, 

 if any, regard to size or number of fish taken, has been the undoubted cause 

 of the result above indicated — the gradual disappearance of these fish; and 

 the Department was enforced to recognize that if the fishing was not soon 

 to be completely ruined, and the country deprived of the benefits arising 

 out of the tourist trade, heroic measures would have to be adopted for their 

 restoration. And this led to the consideration of the question how could 

 this best be accomplished? Finding that the bass could be obtained in 

 sufficient numbers, their transportation long distances appeared to be thcmost 

 formidable difficulty to overcome. The use of teams for the purpose had 

 but to be mentioned to demonstrate its impracticability, and it was at once 

 perceived that if the work was to be entered upon with any degree of succesi 

 or magnitude, the railway companies must be approached and interested 

 in the matter, with a view to their co-operation. All of the railways com- 

 municated with quickly recognized the pecuniary benefits to themselves, 

 as well as the immense public benefits which were to be conferred by such a 

 work. But the Grand Trunk Railway, whose lines ran more closely to the 

 waters considered of. first importance to be stocked, entered most actively 

 into the proposition. They equipped a car for the purpose of carrying 

 the fish, and have in addition each year borne some share of the expense of 

 the undertaking. During the first year (1901) 9.481 adult bass were de- 

 posited at some eighteen different points, a greater number than had there- 

 tofore been distributed in the whole history of the Province by all Govern- 

 ments; and the close of last season saw nearly 32,367 deposited in some 

 forty different lakes and rivers. It is needless to say that it would have 

 been absolutely impossible to have carried on the work with the same success 

 without the aid of the car. The Canadian Pacific Railway has also fitted 1 

 up a car with a view to similar work being done along its lines. The past 

 year was in point of number of fish deposited the most successful since the 

 work was begun, 12,955 bass having been distributed. With the greater 



