28 THE REPORT OF THE No. 31 



He says the pound net fishermen are continually complaining against the 

 issue of gill net licenses between Blue Point on Lake Huron and the mouth 

 of the St. Clair River, as there are 39 pound net licenses issued between those 

 two points, a distance of about 18 miles, which seems specially adapted for 

 pound net fishing; and besides, the initial cost, and also the working expense 

 of a pound net are much more than of a gill net, and very often fish are caught 

 in gill nets and after much struggling are able to extricate themselves and 

 find their way into the pound nets in an injured condition not fit for food. 

 He says he cannot properly watch the operations of the gill net fishermen 

 without a proper boat to enable him to investigate these complaints and to 

 see that the gill nets are kept the prescribed distance from shore. He had a 

 very difficult task in getting some of the fishermen to send in their returns of 

 the season's satch, as they seemed to think that it was entirely unnecessary 

 for the Department to know the condition of the fisheries, although he tried 

 to impress on them that they were obliged to according to their license. 



The majority of the catch of fish in his district is exported to the United 

 States. 



He has heard no complaints of fishermen refusing to sell to hawkers or 

 any person wanting fish, although some hawkers say the price of the better 

 class of fish was too high; but the fishermen cannot be blamed for that, as the 

 price is ruled by the export demand, the same as in all other classes of foods. 



There was only one infractiou of the law of which he was able to get 

 sufficient evidence to prosecute. 



Overseer McMurray, Bayfield, Lake Huron, reports that the catch of fish 

 during the past season has been light, which may be accounted for in this way : 

 A late start was made in the spring owing to ice and rough weather; storms 

 set in early in the fall, and on August 19th a fishing boat and three men were 

 lost off Bayfield in a severe storm, which accident almost stopped the fishing 

 from this port. , 



The close season has been well observed. No illegal fishing has been 

 brought to his notice. 



There are no fishways in this district. 



There are saw mills on some of the rivers, but no sawdust or refuse is 

 thrown in the water. 



Most of the fish caught are used for home consumption. 



Overseer Bobertson, Southampton, Lake Huron, reports that in his divi- 

 sion the first three months the fishing was good; the best for some years, espe- 

 cially with the tugs. 



The fall fishing was almost a failure on account of the storms ; fish seemed 

 to be plentiful, but the weather was so rough they could not be caught. All 

 the fishermen lost some nets, and a good many lost all. 



Five parties were fined $10 each and costs, three of them for fishing in 

 thf> division for which they had no license, and the other two for fishing 

 without a license. 



He found a net set in the Saugeen River, which he took out and destroyed, 

 but he could not find out who set it. Otherwise the fishery laws were well 

 observed. 



There are no fish slides in his division. 



There are eight saw mills, all of them taking good care of their sawdust 

 and refuse that no harm come to the fishing interests. 



Bass fishing was fair, better than for some years. Carp are getting plen- 

 tiful, and no doubt destroy a quantity of the spawn of the bass. 



About 70 per cent, of the fish was sold in Canada. 



