52 THE EEPDBT UPON No. 14 



Overseer Oliver Taylor, of Niagara-on-the-LaJce, reports that this has been 

 the poorest fishing season at the mouth of the Niagara River that the fishermen 

 have ever known.. Having discussed the matter with the fishermen, they have 

 come to the conclusion that it must be on account of the polluted water coming 

 down the river, as the fish will not come into this water. 



•Owners of trap nets above Queenston have done nothing. 



The Fishery Laws were well observed, with the exception of several lines 

 which he found illegally set and which he seized early in the spring. 



He only sold eight angling permits as the season was a very poor one. 



There is very little game in his district beyond pheasants and they are very 

 plentiful this fall. 



Muskrats were quite plentiful round the ponds last spring. 



Manttouun District. 



Overseer J. J. Avis, of Cockhurn Island, reports that the season this year has 

 been an average one, very much the same as it was in 1912, except that there 

 were no pound nets set, no American tourists came, and therefore there were no 

 angling permits sold. He states that he does not think the trout spawn should 

 be conveyed from the waters in his district to stock the lakes in the east, but 

 that the spawn which is taken from those waters should be raised to young fry 

 to re-stock Lake Huron or the North Channel of the Georgian Bay. It is his 

 opinion that the reason for the scarcity of whitefish is because the spawn is 

 destroyed by other kinds of fish, and that the fishermen in that district agree with 

 him in saying that the close season through November should be abolished, and 

 one or two hatcheries established. It is their firm belief that if this were done 

 the lakes would, in the course of a few years, be once more teaming with fish. 

 When these hatcheries have been established he would suggest that the fishermen's 

 twine should be reduced to half the present length. 



With regard to the game, partridges, ducks, rabbits and deer are numerous, 

 and there are a few stray moose. 



The Game and Fishery Laws have been well observed. 



Overseer W. M. Boyd, of Kagawong, reports that the season just closed has 

 been an exceptionally pleasant and profitable one for the tourists who visited 

 Kagawong in order to fish in the lake. Never does he remember such a successful 

 season for angling, when such splendid catches were made; the fish were large 

 and in many cases the limit was caught in a couple of hours. 



The Game and Fishery Regulations were well observed. 



Ducks were very plentiful, but partridges do not seem to be so numerous, 

 they are perhaps the most difficult bird to protect. He thinks still fewer should 

 be allowed to be shot during the day, half a dozen should be enough to satisfy 

 any sportsman, and it would help to increase the numbers for another year. 



He never remembers deer being so plentiful on Manitoulin Island as they are 

 this year, the farmers are getting their limit apparently all over the island. 



Mink and muskrats are increasing, especially the latter. 



Overseer Andrew Hall, of Oore Bay, reports that brook trout have been very 

 plentiful, although they do not seem to be as large as usual. 



If mill owners were compelled to build proper slides at their dams it would 

 be a great benefit. 



