1904 DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. 27 



fishway, which was badly needed. Brook trout fishing has not been as 

 good as in former years. The laws and regulations have been well en- 

 forced; he had three convictions, which had a good effect upon others. 

 He would recommend that all angling should be prohibited until the 

 opening of the bass season. 



Overseer Johnson, Harwood, Rice* Lake, reports that the catch 

 of bass and maskinonge was not as good as last year, the 

 cause of which he says was the continued rough weather. The 

 spawning season was the best they have had for several years, on 

 account of the water being kept at a high line, thus allowing the spawn an 

 opportunity to fully hatch before the water receded leaving the spawn ex- 

 posed, which has frequently happened in former years. 



No illegal fishing came to his notice, the laws and regulations being 

 well observed. 



District Overseer Judd, Rideau Water*, reports that the past 

 year has been characteristic of the two previous years in rough 

 ana stormy weather, and while it may have been unprofitable 

 to the commercial industry, and unpleasant for anglers, it was a 

 merciful Providence to the finny tribe, as it lessened the on- 

 slaught which is rapidly increasing. Although reports from anglers 

 were to the effect that the catch in favorable weather noticeably increased 

 and was correspondingly so in size, yet when one realizes that in addition 

 to an overflow of hotels and boarding houses, almost a continuous avenue 

 of tents for thirty miles on a line of Rideau waters were seen for six weeks, 

 one wonders how long good fishing can hold out without some super-hu- 

 man aid in the preservation and perpetuation of the fisheries in this part 

 c+' the Province; and he presumes that what is true in this part is equally 

 so in other parts of the Province, and indeed loudly calls for mature con- 

 sideration in legislation, expenditure and administration. 



During the fall, and before the close of navigation, he made a care- 

 ful inspection of a large part of his territory, of many lakes and places of 

 interest, and obtained all the information he could as to the condition of 

 the lakes, their visitation by tourists and their requirement. It is sur- 

 prising to realize, he says, the difficulty one experiences in keeping pace 

 with the ever increasing changes in the condition of waters and the move- 

 ments of the people. Indeed, the fish like the people seem to surge alter- 

 nately to and from certain localities, according to favorable conditions. 

 For the last two seasons the best bass fishing has been in drowned lands. 

 In certain lakes that have still and only deep water fishing, there is an 

 apparent decrease of game fish, and in consequence applications are being 

 made by anglers' associations and interested residents, by way of experi- 

 ment, to issue licenses for hoop nets, presuming that the cause for such 

 depletion may be found in an accumulation of coarse and destructive fish. 

 This, however, does not always follow. In one instance where seven sets 

 of hoop nets were experimented with, the coarse fish- caught were insuffi- 

 cient to pay the license fees, and the licensee has not renewed his applica- 

 tion. He is of the opinion that in many cases where the catch has fallen 

 short, it may be attributed more to the migratory character of the fish 

 than to depletion. 



The recommendation for a revision of the close season in certain dis- 

 tricts or zones as per report for last year he commends, and says it cannot 

 come too quickly. By way of personal experiment and upon the best in- 

 formation that can be obtained, there is no doubt but what the close sea- 

 son for salmon trout in this district is one month too late. Many of the 



