48 REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF IISl [ COMMISSIONERS. 



Frank A. Shebley, has produced splendid results. Under the former 

 law there were less than one hundred people benefited by the taking of 

 steelhead with nets. Under the existing law every person who delights 

 in angling — and they number many thousands in this State — are the 

 beneficiaries, to say nothing of the money that is expended by them in 

 the country in payment of steamer, stage, and railroad fares, hotel bills, 

 livery hire, and fishing outfits. 



The collection of steelhead eggs at our Eel River station has not 

 been nearly so large as we could wish and easily handle, due entirely 

 to the drain by net fishing, and consequent reduced run of spawn fish- 

 So long as the net fishermen could lawfully operate in tide water, they 

 were stopping absolutely the passage of the fish on their way to spawn- 

 ing grounds and hatching stations. The few that managed to ascend 



STEELHEAD TROUT— Salmo gairdneri. 



had to encounter other dangers and when they did reach spawning 

 beds the very small percentage of fish hatched under natural condi- 

 tions was not sufficient to offset the drain caused by the nets; besides 

 cutting off our supply of spawn fish at the hatcheries. For the three 

 years we have operated in Humboldt County the largest take in one 

 season, operating simultaneously at three or four different points, had 

 not been over 350,000 eggs, until during the spring of 1906, after the 

 restriction prohibiting netting became effective, when, operating but one 

 small trap on Price Creek (which was at different times flooded), we 

 were able to take the largest number of steelhead eggs ever taken in 

 that county. We therefore urgently recommend that no change be 

 made in the existing law. 



The following reports of Superintendent W. O. Fassett, who has had 

 charge of the station for the past two years, are appended. Mr. Fassett 

 has skillfully and successfully handled the important work that was 

 entrusted to him, and maintained his station in an excellent state of 

 repair under great disadvantages: 



