17 



There is the best of evidence that these fish do not enter the streams 

 for the purpose of spawning. In all the seining done from January to 

 September, not one steelhead under three pounds was found sexually 

 mature, and none were found that showed any sign of becoming so. 

 By questioning people resident here and familiar with the fish in these 

 streams I find that small steelheads under two pounds are very rarely 

 if ever found with spawn. 



Rainbow trout (Salmo irideus) are nearly every year liberated in 

 Paper Mill Creek, but if they live they have gone back to the habit of 

 running back to salt water and cannot, in habits, general appearance, 

 or structure, be distinguished from the steelhead. 



Although seining was done in tide water from the time young steel- 

 heads begin to hatch until the 14th of June, none of them were caught. 

 Up to this time they had not begun to run out, but they did run out 

 before the next January. They probably run out when the stream is at 

 its lowest, late in August and early in September. 



2s 



