6 



California War Papers. 



rameuto rivers. Most of them are 

 marketed in a fresh or frozen condition, 

 many carloads being sent to eastern 

 markets, while some thousands of cases 

 of both fish and roe are canned each 

 season. Some are also dry salted and 

 shipped to oriental markets. The de- 

 mand for shad is slowly but steadily 

 increasing, and the supply could be 

 greatly increased should the necessity 

 arise. 



WHITEFISH (Cores/onus) A number of 

 species of this very choice fish are found 

 in many of the inland lakes and streams 

 of the Northwest and in Alaska. Some 

 commercial use is being m.ade of them in 

 Washington, where they are seined in 

 the lakes and shipped to Chicago and to 

 nearby western states. In Alaska prac- 

 tically no use has yet been made of them 

 except as food by the natives who catch 

 them. They could be both canned and 

 salted in Alaska. They are a delicious 

 fish and will compare very favorably 

 with the Great Lakes whitefish. 



SMELT There are several species of 

 smelt found along the Pacific coast, all 

 of w r hich are used as food. Some species 

 run up the rivers to spawn in the spring 

 in incredible numbers, while others spawn 

 in the surf in late summer. While con- 

 siderable commercial fishing is carried on 

 at various places, the most important is 

 on the Cowlitz River, near the town of 

 Kelso, in Washington, the fish being 

 shipped from here in ice to various nec- 

 tions of the country. 



Various efforts have been made to pre- 

 pare them by such methods as will premit 

 of their being kept for a considerable 

 period, thus making it possible to vastly 

 expand the industry, which is now much 

 restricted by the shortness of the season, 

 which compels the dealers to dump them 

 frequently onto the overloaded fresh fish 

 markets at unremunerative prices. About 

 three or four years ago a company was 

 organized in Washington for the purpose 

 of dehydrating or removing the water from 

 the smelt, and then packing the fish so 

 prepared in sealed pasteboard boxes. 

 When desired for cooking the fish were to 

 be placed in fresh water and in 30 minutes 

 they would absorb sufficient moisture to 

 make them virtually the same as fresh 

 fish. The company did not get beyond the 

 experimental stage, but the author tested 

 some of the fish so prepared and found 

 them to be excellent. 



A few years ago Puget Sound fishermen 

 began the drying of smelt for export to 

 Japan and met with a considerable meas- 

 ure of success. 



This year some smelt were canned on 

 the Cowlitz River, and it is reported the 

 resulting product was very good. 



The installation of freezing facilities 

 nearby would enable the dealers to freeze 

 and hold for limited periods large quanti- 

 ties of these delicious fishes. 



EULACIION (Thalc-irlilhifK pacificus) 

 This delicious fish, which is also known 

 as the candlefish, is not in as common use 

 as it ought to be. Because of its oiliness 

 it has always been a favorite with the 

 natives, who extract an oil or grease from 

 it, this forming their favorite condiment. 

 Through lack of enterprise the white 

 fishermen have done very little to extend 

 the market for it. 



The species is very abundant in the 

 rivers of British Columbia, and is also 

 found in many of our streams from the 

 Columbia River northward. They appear 

 in the spring in immense numbers and at 

 this time are extremely fat, so much so 

 that when dried it is said their bodies 

 will burn like candles. 



Several attempts have been made to 

 prepare the oil obtained from the fish as 

 a substitute for cod-liver oil in medicine. 

 Unfortunately, at ordinary temperatures 

 the oil becomes semi-solid or lard-like, and 

 has to be heated in order to flow like oil. 



It is an excellent pan fish, being ex- 

 tremely well flavored. It does not bear 

 transportation in a fresh condition very 

 well. One of the most satisfactory ways 

 of preparing it is by pickling, in which 

 condition it can be handled and kept in 

 good condition for a considerable period. 

 It is not good for canning, as the flesh 

 drops from the bones after cooking, and 

 when the can is opened the contents 

 present a much jumbled and uninviting 

 appearance. If they were smoked before 

 being canned they might hold up better. 

 Thoy could also be frozen and held for 

 as long as desired in this condition. 



CAPELIN (Mallotus villosus) This spe- 

 cies is closely related to the eulachon, and 

 also resembles it in general appearance. 

 It is very abundant in Alaska, where it 

 spawns in the surf during the late sum- 

 mer. The natives are the chief consumers 

 of this fish, despite the fact that it is one 

 of the choicest fishes to be found in our 

 waters. 



FLAT FISHES There are various spe- 

 cies of Pacific fishes which go under this 

 designation, and while a few of them find 

 their way to certain markets on this 

 coast, the great majority are thrown back 

 into the sea when taken in any of the 

 forms of apparatus. Included amongst 

 the flat fishes is the deep sea sole, found 



