:^8 THE KEPORT UPON No. 13 



Overseer J. W. Jermyn, of Wiarton, reports : During spring and summer 

 months the fishing in that district was very light ; did not pay expenses, both tugs 

 and sail boats went in debt, but the last two weeks the fishing was fairly good, only 

 the rough weather was against them setting or lifting nets. Yet he considers the 

 catch was better than last year. 



In most instances the game and fishery laws were well observed. But in Owen 

 Sound Bay and vicinity of Cape Commodore there has been considerable iHegal 

 work carried on. There are a number of fishermen who operate there who have 

 no regard for the law, but set hook lines all through the summer, and trout and 

 whitefish nets during the close season. On two occasions he employed a small tug 

 and went out and lifted some miles of hook lines, which he destroyed. He would 

 strongly advise the Government to stop herring fishing during the month of 

 November, then the vigilance of the Overseer will be effective but not otherwise. 

 Pie says he is speaking now from a personal knowledge of how some fishermen 

 evade the law in this respect, and how difficult it is to detect them. 



Black bass were plentiful this year in Lake Huron. Sportsmen had no diffi- 

 culty in getting their lawful catch any day during the season. 



Deer were plentiful last fall on the peninsula. Nearly all the hunters secured 

 one each. There were over one hundred taken out of the hunting grounds. He 

 attributes this increase of deer to the strict observance of the law, and the splendid 

 assistance the hunters themselves rendered in this respect. Partridge and ducks 

 are very plentiful this season, also muskrats and rabbits have increased to that 

 extent that they are becoming a nuisance. 



Overseer Thos. McKenny, of Thornhury, reports that in the early spring fish- 

 ing for trout and whitefish was rather better than last year. During the summer 

 months it was about average, though the run of fish, in size, was smaller than 

 usual. This fall the coming on of fish on the spawning grounds was from six to 

 eight days later than heretofore, but were plentiful when they did come, but too 

 late to catch many in the limited time, and had it not been for the extension of 

 time in which to fish, many fishermen would not have caught more than would 

 pay daily wages, and he finds that the said extension has been duly appreciated. 



The laws have been well kept, and though he thoroughly patrolled his division 

 during the season he only found one gang of illegal nets which he duly seized and 

 confiscated. 



In the most northerly portion of the division he heard of baited lines being 

 set, but though he searched for them, failed to locate any. 



■ He informed Mr. Jermyn, Overseer at Wiarton, of the facts and the grounds 

 on which he believed them set, and he is pleased to say he understands Mr. Jermyn 

 found and confiscated two such. 



There can be no doubt but that some illegal fishing is done in the fall of the 

 year, when fish are on shoals and easily obtained, not by legitimate fishermen, but 

 by poachers, who only fish at such times. It is impossible for any one man to 

 cover properly all the ground at that particular season, and in a necessarily limited 

 time, and he would respectfully suggest the propriety of allowing Overseers in 

 large divisions the authority to appoint, say, three or four deputies for last week 

 of fishing season before closed season, to assist in patrolling, and prevent this 

 annual poaching practice, which, though not large, is an injustice to licensed fisher- 

 men, and an open defiance of a good law. 



Overseer H. W. Reid, of Parry Sound, reports that in his district the fislyng 

 has been about an average season. Early in the spring trout were plentiful, but 



