44 THE REPORT OF THE No. 31 



fish in their waters. The only objection against a fee is made by a few 

 hotel men and proprietors of pleasure resorts, who are afraid it might deter 

 parties from patronizing them. This, he thinks, is a poor argument, as 

 Americans will come here anyway, because they find better fishing and 

 cheaper living than they can get in their own country. 



All parties are highly delighted that the Fishery Department are re- 

 stocking the lakes with black bass, as all the lakes in his district are for the 

 benefit of anglers, and not for commercial purposes. As no licenses are 

 issued in his division, the revenue is small, derived principally from fines, 

 whereas a license fee be imposed it would bring considerable into the De- 

 partment. 



He states that all parties interested in fishinc. as well as all the over- 

 seers, condemn the new regtilations, that no lunge shall be cauo-ht under 

 30 inches in' length. The general opinion is that 25 inches should be the 

 extreme for lunge. 



Overseer Trotter, Bobcaygeon, Kawartha Lakes, reports that the fishing 

 during the past season was very good. From June 16th until the end of 

 August there were thirty guides employed, and all of them had very good 

 catches. After consulting some of the expert guides, and averaging the 

 number of each guide's catch, he estimates that there were taken qui of the 

 Kawartha Lakes this season 21,600 lbs. of maskinonge, and 18,000 lbs. of 

 bass. A great many Americans visited the lakes, and quite a number of 

 them took home the quantity allowed. During the season he issued 53 

 permits. There was great objection raised by the tourists to the length 

 b'niit of the maskinonge. It is a difficult matter for a person in a boat to 

 tell whether he has a 24 in. or a 30 in. fish hooked. He strongly recom- 

 mends that a reduction of the length to 24 inches be made, for during the 

 past season many small lunge were caught, and when unhooked they were 

 thrown back in the water to die from their injuries; others took them ashore 

 aud used them for the table. There were no fish offered for sale. No 

 doubt some of the Indians exchanged them for provisions, but the fishery 

 laws as a whole were well observed. But great vigilance on the part of the 

 cverseer, whoever he may be, is constantly required. He looks for a great 

 many more tourists to those waters next summer, as the accommodation 

 will be much better on account of the new hotel which has just been com- 

 pleted. He thinks that if a permit fee of five dollars was charged, instead 

 of one, as at present, it would be paid just the same, as many of the American 

 tourists think it is insignificant, and say they would come to those beautiful 

 lakes if the fee was raised; and now that they have beter railway communi- 

 cation, there will be greater inducement for tourists to frequent those waters. 

 He had some trouble at the beginning of the season to convince tourists 

 that they could not ship fish without a permit. One man escaped him, and 

 took his box of fish to Toronto and transhipped them from there to the Ameri- 

 can side. He went to the Trent Navigation Co. and forbade them to re- 

 ceive any more boxes of fish without a permit, and had no more trouble in 

 that respect. He could mention many more tricks to evade the fishery regu- 

 lations. 



He again draws attention to the need of a proper fish slide in the Gov- 

 ernment dam. The bass and maskinonge last spring were seen in hundreds 

 below the dam, but owing to the imperfection of the fishway they could not 

 make the ascent, and it was a great temptation to some to do a little spearing 

 illegally. 



Overseer Van Norman, Sault Ste. Marie, Lakes Huron and Superior, 

 reports a decrease in the catch of whitefish of about 100,000 lbs., which is 

 attributed to the fact that the fishermen took out their nets in Lake Superior 



