36 THE REPORT OF THE ' No. 31 



Whitefish are increasing in the Rideau waters. He thinks there should 

 be a short time given by paying a license as some parties will get them if 

 they inform against each other afterwards. The catch of herring was small 

 on account of the season being a little early. There is a great number of 

 them but smaller than usual. 



There were numbers of tourists, and all were satisfied with the regula- 

 tions. 



Overseer Knight, Sunbury, Frontenac County, reports that he has had 

 very little trouble with the fishermen and tourists, that there has been a 

 large number of Americans over in his district during the year, and 0>ey 

 all acted like gentlemen, not one of them having violated the law. The 

 fishermen and tourists say the fish have been as plentiful in 1905 as in 1904, 

 but the catch was not so large owing to so muclj cool weather, but they were 

 all well satisfied. 



He says it is reported there that some of the people are trying to have 

 the Americans stopped from fishing there with hook and line, but he thinks 

 it would be a mistake to stop them altogether. They leave a lot of money in 

 the district, and besides he collected f 39.00 for shipping permits. He thinks 

 the best thing to do would be to shorten the season for them to fish, say two 

 months, from 15th June to 15th August, then this would give the fish a long 

 season to increase. The Americans come over there not just for the pur- 

 pose of fishing, but for the pleasure there is in it as well. He reports the 

 season for 1905 as good. 



Overseer Loveday, Ottawa, reports that he believes on the whole the 

 laws have been observed. He has seized five nets, and two night lines that 

 were illegally set, besides the dip net reported to the department as being 

 used, as deputy game warden, he has seized somewhere about $1,800.00 

 worth of illegal fur, beaver, otter, and muskrat. Also a box of trout and 

 one of pickerel. 



He is sorry to have to report that saw-dust and mill refuse are still 

 being dumped, (or allowed to go) into the Ottawa River. He thinks some 

 steps should be taken in the spring to stop mill owners depositing refuse in 

 the rivers. He has prosecuted one mill owner on Kazubazua Creek, P. Q., 

 for this crime. This part was convicted and fined. He cannot say that fish 

 aie increasing in his district, he -thinks the saw-dust is mostly to blame. 

 The fish have no where to spawn. The spawn gets covered with the saw- 

 dust, etc. 



Overseer Phillips, Smith's Falls, Rideau waters, reports that the season 

 was short, owing to unforeseen difficulties arising, but the "Eva Bell" was in 

 readiness by the latter part of June, and from then until October 28th she 

 patrolled the waters between Smith's Falls and Brewer's Mills, when an early 

 frost set in and froze up the cuts along the canal and he deemed it advisable 

 to finish the season's operations with the rowboat. The "Eva Bell" was then 

 laid up in first-class shape for the winter. 



The weather during the past summer on the waters of his division was 

 for the greater part rough, which made it unpleasant, but by no means 

 deterred from their sport the large number of anglers in that district. The 

 large increase in summer campers and tourists speaks favorably for the health 

 resort, which the Rideau is known to be. The fishing was reported very good, 

 especially the bass. Already there are a large number of cottages and sum- 

 mer resorts along the lake shore, and this season twelve new cottages were 

 erected, and next year will see as many more, which will consequently increase 

 the influx of people there, and also increase the salmon fishing. 



In the Rideau, salmon are decreasing both in size and number. This no 

 doubt is largely due to the poaching that has been going on, for he has 



