1916 GAME AND FISHEEIES. 59 



In the spring while the fish are running a lot of game fish are destroyed by 

 the practice of snagging or gaffing, and at present there is no law to prevent it. 

 If a maskinonge or bass is gaffed while the officer is present the fisherman will of 

 course release it saying he did not mean to as he was gaffing for suckers, but in 

 many cases the fish die from the injury received, and if no one who would report 

 happens to be present the fish is bagged. It wo;ald require a man on, watch all the 

 time, and there are several places with over twenty operating at the same time. 



I would recommend some enactmeait to prevent this very destructive and un- 

 sportsmanlike custom. If in the definition of angling, the Avord decoy or bait, 

 alive or artificial, was inserted, it would overcome the difficulty. 



Pkescott County. 



From Overseer F. Dupuis, of Hawheshury, for the County of Prescott. 

 Fishing was about the same as last year. If the fish ladders at Carillon Dam 

 were open it would enable the fish to get up the river. 

 Ducks are numerous but very wild. 

 Partridge are very scarce. 

 Muskrat and mink are in fair quantities. 



Peincb Edwaed County. 



From Overseer Angus Brishin, of Picton, for the waters of Lake Ontario, 

 fronting Townships of North and South Marysburg, including all waters surround- 

 ing islands in said Townships, also Main Duck Islands, and that portion of Bay 

 of Quinte fronting these Townships, as well as the waters of the Bay of Quinte, 

 known as Picton Harbor, in Township Hallowell. 



Gill net fishing has been as good as usual if not a little better, but the high . 

 winds in the latter part of September and October prevented the fishermen from 

 getting to their nets when they should. There was a great increase in whitefish 

 this year. The eels were about the same as last year, but the price was not so good. 



Bass were also plentiful. 



Partridge and black squirrels are also more plentiful. 



Ducks have not appeared in their usual numbers, but I think it is on account 

 of the warm weather. 



From Overseer E. R. Fox, of Northport, for that portion of the Bay of Quinte 

 fronting Township Ameliasburg east of Belleville Bridge, and also Township 

 Sophiasburg, and over all the inland waters within Township Sophiasburg. 



Bullheads are as plentiful as in any year since I have been overseer and pike 

 are more plentiful this fall than usual. 



The whitefish came quite early in October. About the 5th there were some 

 caught. The seine started about the 25th and they have caught them in great 

 numbers, one seine in one haul had 1,700 whitefish. The herring are also very 

 plentiful. 



Black duck are about the same as last year but the fall ducks are quite scarce. 



Partridge are increasing. 



Muskrats, by the looks of their houses, are increasing very much but mink arc 

 very scarce. 



From Overseer FranJc Huff, of West Lake, for the waters of Lake Ontario 

 fronting the Townships of Hallowell and Athol, also for the Village of Wellington 

 in tlio Townships of Hillier and for the inland lakes and streams in the said Town- 

 ships of Hallowell and Athol. 



