1905 DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. 39 



He is satisfied that if netting were disallowed in our sporting lakes, there 

 would be better fishing, and the Government would make three times as much 

 money out of angling permits. Just in one lake, he knows of seventeen 

 Americans who took their whole catch of some weeks, and we got nothing. 

 The only parties who make any money out of them are the boarding houses 

 and hotels. 



There have not been many violations. He found one old gill net in 

 Salmon River near Roblin, and another in Varty Lake,' both of which he 

 destroyed. He thinks there is some poaching on the sly, but it appears to be 

 hard to catch the poachers, and the parties living around most of the lakes 

 are afraid to give the names of the offenders. He got a complaint that hunt- 

 ers were camped across Norway Lake. They were fishing as well as fixing to 

 hunt, so he patrolled the lake, but found nothing; the parties had gone, camps 

 and all. He was sure they had gone to Bear Lake, so he went there the next 

 day and found nothing. He found where they had camped over night, so 

 followed their waggon track expecting to find them at Curzel Lake, but they 

 had gone on further north out of his district. 



Overseer Shewen, Mount Julian, Peterborough County, reports that since 

 making his last report another successful season has closed which has given 

 keen enjoyment to many sportsmen of the rod who camped and visited his 

 district in the summer and autumn months. There was a great number of 

 American visitors, and the catch was fairly up to last year. 



All fish caught were used for home consumption. 



If the influx of visitors increases, he thinks the Department will have to 

 consider some means of re-stocking the lakes with fish. If a hatchery were 

 constructed at Burleigh Falls, it would be an untold benefit to this district, 

 and would be the means of keeping all the lakes for a considerable area fully 

 supplied with game fish. He would like to call the attention of the Depart- 

 ment to the place mentioned as being a natural spot for such an institution, 

 and hopes that the Department will look at the matter in a serious light, 

 with the object of constructing the hatchery at an early date for the preser- 

 vation of the fishing grounds in the Kawartha Lakes. 



He patrolled his district at intervals, and found everything correct, no 

 illegal fishing having come under his notice. 



No damage has been done by dumping mill refuse in the streams. 



There are no fishways in his district. 



He would like to again draw the Department's attention to the placing 

 of fish (black bass and salmon trout) in the lakes now devoid of fish in his 

 district, notably Wolf and Crab Lakes, in the Township of Anstruther. By 

 placing fish in these lakes it would be a great help for the settlers, and would 

 also supply a wider field for tourists, who are gradually getting farther back 

 to avoid the crowd. 



MTJSKOKA. 



Overseer Smith, Gravenhurst, Muskoka Lakes, reports that the supply 

 of fish in the waters in his district during the past season, owing to the 

 absence of netting, and the care and attention expended, has in his opinion 

 been greatly improved. 



There has been no violation of the Fisheries Act brought to his notice 

 during: the year 1905, and he attributes the same to the better observance 

 of the fisher^ laws in his district. 



He paid several visits to the tourists during the season and found they 

 gave more care and attention both to the number and size than in any former 

 season. Occasionally, through ignorance of the law, they retain fish under 



