1912 GAME AND FISHERIES. 29 



whitefish were scarce. But July fishing was very good. September was light. 

 There were plenty of fish in October, but the weather was so very stormy the last 

 two weeks that it was impossible to fish up their nets. One fisherman reports that 

 he lost $500 worth of nets. There has not been so much illegal fishing in his district 

 this year, owing to the difficulty in illegal fishermen disposing of their fish, the 

 parties who had been buying them having had their licenses cancelled. He believes 

 this was a move in the right direction by the Department. The Department fur- 

 nished him with the steamer " Pearl '' in the spring for ojne month to patrol the 

 waters between Moon Eiver and Point Aux Baril; but didn't find much illegal 

 fishing, 'having only seized one trap net. Later he went with Captain Irwin on 

 patrol boat " Vega " to Byng Inlet, seized one seine net, and on trip to Blackstone 

 Bay seized and destroyed two trap nets. 



The tourist season there has been one of the best for years, and he has not 

 heard any complaints from them. They all seemed well pleased with the regula- 

 tions and their catches and all seemed to have observed the laws. A number of 

 fine lunge were caught in that vicinity. 



He has had five convictions for illegal hunting during October; the parties 

 were fined and their guns and launches confiscated. Partridge are very plentiful 

 this season, but are being killed off very quickly. He has heard of several parties 

 killing a large number and he believes there should be a limited number to each 

 hunter. 



Ducks are plentiful, but are very wild, and it is very hard to get near them. 



Deer are reported as numerous. A great number of hunters have passed 

 through there. He believes the laws are being well observed in his district. 



Overseer T. W. Robinson, of Collingwood, reports that he did not find it neces- 

 sary to make any arrests during the past year, as the laws were well observed. Did 

 not require any assistance in the discharge of his duties. 



No licenses were issued to any person who had been convicted of any offence 

 against the Game and Fishery Act. 



Gill nets in every district have been examined and found to comply with the 

 law and he instructed them as to having them properly marked for identification. 

 No transfer or sale of fishing licenses was made in that district during the year. 

 He has enclosed statistics of the catch of all kinds of fish during the year in that 

 division, and hopes that they will meet with the approval of the Department. 



The catch of fish this season was practically the same in the first of the season, 

 but they became very plentiful about October. Herring were about the same as 

 last year. The percentage of total catch in that division shipped to the United 

 States was about 10 per cent., balance of 90 per cent, was for home consumption. 

 Close seasons were strictly observed during the past year. No violation of the 

 Fishery Laws came to his notice. 



The Fishery Laws were well observed by the mill owners, and he does not think 

 any damage was done to the fisheries through their action. All streams are free 

 for fish to ascend, no obstructions being in the way, nor any sawdust or other mill 

 rubbish finding its way into the lake. 



Overseer Murdoch Watts, of Byng Inlet, reports regarding the season's opera- 

 tion of the catching of whitefish and salmon trout that the catch has been better 

 this year than last. The trout and whitefish left the shoals and shores about the 

 first of June, much earlier than last year, and the catch will be much heavier. The 

 bass fishing in the Magnetawan River was about the same as last year — ^not very 



