PACIFIC FISHERMAN 



Work of the Bureau of Fisheries on Pacific Coast in 1911 



A RESUME of the work of the Bureau of Fish- 

 eries on the Pacific Coast during the year ISll 

 must necessarily embody In the muin a state- 

 ment of results as the several flsh-culture es- 

 iilillshments under operation, for It has been to this 

 : lactlcal phase of the fishery economics that atlen- 

 H>n has been largely directed. Problems of a sclen- 

 ullc character have also been dealt with to the fullest 

 . .xtcnt afforded by present facilities for such work. 

 In this connection, the need of an adequate biological 

 ration on the Paciflc Coast Is most pressing and it 

 hoped that Congressional aid in this direction 

 A ill be forthcoming at an <-arly date. Any move look- 

 ing to the establishment of a station to be devoted 

 primarily to a study of problems involving vitally 

 both the conservation and development of the vast 

 natural wealth embraced in thew aters of the Pacific 

 I 'oast Is a project worthy of most cordial support. 

 The scope of activities in matters pertaining to 

 Alaska lias l"<n greatly extended, for now the 

 Buriaii uiiil. 1 direction of the Secretarj' of Com- 

 merce and Labor administers not only the fisheries 

 of that region, but In addition has supervision over 

 all fur-bearing animals. Including both land animals 

 and the sea otter and fur seals. A new division of 

 tlie Bureau designated as the Alaska Fisheries Ser- 

 vice has been created to conduct and execute this 

 feature of the work. 



In the summary of operations embraced by these 

 notes the work relating to each of the Pacific Coast 

 states and Alaska is taken up separately. 



WASEnroToir. 



A successful year in llsh cultural work has been 

 registered In the State of Washington, where oper- 

 ations have been conducted with local headquarters 

 at the Baker l^ke and BIrdsvlew stations. Aux- 

 iliary plants were operated also on lUabot creek 

 and Day creek, together with new stations opened 

 this year at Quilccne and Duckabush, and on the 

 Elwaha river near Port Angeles. All species of 

 salmon and the Steelhead trout were handled. 



The Baker I.ake station Is operated for Sockeye 

 eggs. Notwithstanding the light season on Puget 

 Sound waters, 5, 56:;, 000 of these were collected, an 

 average number, though the take, completed in 

 November, wa.s reduceil by unusually low water. This 

 species runs up tlie Skagit river to Baker Lake dur- 

 ing the summer. The fish are taken In traps near 

 the outlet of the lake and impounded in an arm 

 of the lake until they ripen, a method followed for 

 several years. The failure of some brood fish to 

 properly mature their eggs Is believed to be due, 

 at least In part, to Injuries received In gillnets while 

 on the way to the Skagit river. Early in September 

 the run of Cohos started but low water soon checked 

 the movement and the season's take of Coho eggs 

 fell to 1,895,500, the smallest for several years. In- 

 ridentally, 40,000 Humpback and 8,000 Chinook eggs 

 were collected. 



At Birdsvlew the splendid take of 7,327,000 Coho 

 u'gs was received from the Phinney and Grandy 

 leek fields, while receipts of Steelhead eggs nuni- 

 rred 2,032,000, Including several hundred thousand 

 lansferred from the Day creek and Illabot creek 

 li.lds. Also 231,000 Chinook and 1,935,000 Hump- 

 back eggs were handled at Birdsvlew. Collections 

 at the Illabot creek station totalled 839,280 Steel- 

 head, 7.003,000 Coho, 37,800 Chinook and 68,000 Hump- 

 back eggs. 



In February an experimental shipment of Coho 

 "ggs was made from the Blrdsvley station packed 

 iv the so-called bulk method In vogue many years 

 igo for the transportation of Atlantic salmon eggs, 

 instead of the usual trays each containing eggs to 

 a depth of not over two or three layers, the eggs 

 were put directly Into boxes about three Inches in 

 depth, each containing several quarts, or else were 

 merely made into packages by wrapping In cheese- 

 cloth; In each case the whole surrounded by a few 

 Inches of hay, ftjie shavings, or other non-conductor, 

 and placed in a suitable case. No ice was used. The 

 shipment arrived in excellent condition after a Jour- 

 ney of seven days and when unpacked the tempera- 

 ture was ^a' F. This experiment was made with a 

 view to finding an economical and effective method 

 of packing eggs for long distance shipment. The 

 results in this instance most gratifying were proved 

 by sub.sequent experiment to Involve too many risks 

 to commend the method. 



In October it was learned that a dam on the 

 Elwha river some 12 or 14 miles from Port Angeles, 

 was stopping manv salmon. An auxiliary hatchery 

 with a capacity of about 1,500,000 eggs was erected 

 nearby, and about 400,000 Coho eggs taken. More 

 would have been taken but for the loss of the trap 

 bv higli water. At the Qullcene station 793.000 Coho 

 aiid 918,000 Dog salmon eggs have been secured and 

 the work Is still in progress at the present writing 

 (January). Spawning fish are obtained from traps 

 in the Big and Mttle Qullcene rivers. I.Jtte In Oc- 

 totier 435.000 Humpback eggs were transferred from 

 Birdsvlew to Qullcene to be hatched and planted in 

 nearby waters. At Duckabush the collections at the 

 end of the year numbered 1,018.000 Humpback, 1,- 

 "05.000 Dog and 9.000 Coho eggs. 



Dng salmon are not taken at the Baker Lake 

 .station. This species spawns along the shores of 

 Skagit river, frequenting shallow bars where the 

 water Is comparatively quiet. When the fall floods 

 recede millions of these eggs are left high and dry. 

 The eggs are easily susceptible of manipulation and 

 hatching percentages arc found to be ordinarily 

 higher than In any other species of salmon handled. 

 In view of the growing value and demand tor Dog 

 salmon it Is proiiosed to expand its propagation. 



A field station for thih collection of trout eggs Is 

 contemplated In connection with the Bureau's pres- 

 ent activities in the State of Washington. Some of 

 the streams tributary to the uppar waters of the 

 Skagit mav afford spawning fish In sufflcient num- 

 bers for tiie purpose. Everett I.,ake near Concrete, 

 where Black Spotted and Steelhead trout have been 

 observed, may also merit a field station. With refer- 

 ence to the Steelheads in Everett Lake. Mr. T. H. 

 Dlnsmore, superintendent of the Baker Lake station 

 and auxiliaries, reports that these fish resulh from 

 small plant fry from the Birdsvlew station some 

 six years ago. They have easy access by way of a 



By WARD T. BOIVER 



Inspector of .Alaska Salmon Fisheries. 



small mountain stream to the Baker river, and 

 thence to the Skagit river and Puget Sound, and al- 

 though from sea-run Steelheads, they have chosen 

 to remain In the lake. There Is good evidence that 

 they are multiplying. 



Two sub-stations located In the State of Washing- 

 ton are under the Immediate direction of the superin- 

 tendent of the Clackamas, Oregon, station, one near 

 the mouth of the Big White Salmon river, the other 

 correspondingly located on the l-ittle White Salmon. 

 Operations were quite successful on the Big White 

 Salmon. During the fall of 1911, 6,681,000 Chinook 

 eggs were taken; In 1910 only 1,933,000. An Inno- 

 vation this season was the purchase for spawning 

 of fish from trap fishermen of the region. It has 

 been the practice to liberate all fry from this sta- 

 tion In the Columbia river, but hereafter part will 

 be released In the Big Wlilte Salmon river In the 

 hope of building up the run which has diminished 

 very perceptibly In this stream, although good runs 

 pass up the Columbia. The theory that the fish re- 

 turn only to the stream in which planted Is hardly 

 tenable, although there Is a posHlbillty of some In- 

 fiuence In this direction. It Is more probable that 

 shallow water due to the shifting of the bars at the 

 mouth of the Big White Salmon Is the chief cause 

 for the decline In the run up that stream. By the 

 construction of a wing dam it Is hoped to cause a 

 change whereby the river will debouche Into the 

 Columbia In a manner more attractive to salmon 

 seeking spawning grounds. At the Little White 

 Salmon station 14,912,000 Chinook eggs were col- 

 lected this fall, the best take recorded In many years 

 at this point. The previous season's collection here 

 numbered 10,696,000. Shipments aggregating 8,000,- 

 000 eggs were made to the Bonneville hatchery of 

 the Oregon Fish Commission and 1,100,000 to the 

 federal station at Clackamas. The fry from these 

 eggs will be planted In Columbia river waters. 



The continued good collection of eggs from year 

 to year at the stations In Washington may be taken 

 as Indicative of the success of fish-cultural work 

 in that state, and this, too, in the face of greater 

 demands each season of the commercial fishery. 



In pursuance of an Inquiry Into the natural history 

 of the salmon and Steelhead trout now being car- 

 ried on under the direction of Dr. C. H. Gilbert of 

 Stanford University, a total of 4,095 yearling Chinook 

 salmon were marked and released In the waters of 

 the Columbia river near the Little White Salmon 

 station during December, 1911. The mark consists 

 of a piece of pure silver wire three-quarters of an 

 Inch made fast around the first two or three dorsal 

 fin rays. These fish when liberated the latter part 

 of the month were In excellent condition. It Is the 

 purpose of this work to make It possible to follow 

 the movements of the fish, more especially In the 

 matter of their return as adults, and It is desired 

 that any note of their presence, or capture, be re- 

 ported with full details to the Bureau or to Dr. 

 Gilbert ** 



Another line of study seeking to throw light on 

 the same subject is the examination of the micro- 

 scopic structure of the scales. The work of Euro- 

 pean Investigators has demonstrated that a history 

 of the life of the fish is left on Its scales, and that 

 by this means It Is possible to determine »-ith fair 

 accuracy the age, as well as other facts. Dr. Gil- 

 bert has many examples of scales taken from salmon 

 of recorded size spawned at the Little White Salmon 

 and from other localities. Similar studies will be 

 made on material from Alaska by the Bureau's per- 



OBBOOV. 



The Bureau's fish cultural operations In Oregon 

 have been conducted along the same general line 

 which has prevailed for a number of years past. The 

 superintendent of the Clackamas station. Mr. Henry 

 O'Malley, has had local charge of the Oregon work 

 Including the Important Little White Salmon and 

 Big White Salmon field stations In Washington. The 

 list of stations operated Includes those at Czadero, 

 the new station on Applegate creek, west of Grants 

 Pass, Illinois river near Salem. Fish I^ike In Douglas 

 County, Willamette Falls at Oregon City. Iiagle 

 creek on the upper Clackamas river. Rogue river 

 near Trail, and the new so-called Lower Rogue river 

 station near Grants Pass. 



As heretofore the work at the Clackamas sUtlon 

 has been chiefly the propagation of Chinook salmon 

 Early In the year upwards of 3,000,000 fry hatched 

 from eggs taken the previous fall were liberated In 

 the Clackamas river and a marby creek from which 

 they gradually work out Into the main river after 

 becoming accustomed to their new environment and 

 perhaps develop to a higher degree the Instinct of 

 self-preservation so necessary when coping with 

 their numerous natural enemies In the open waters. 

 About 200,000 of the Chinooks were fed until reach- 

 ing a length of from one and one-half to two Inche* 

 As a variation of the ordinary liver and mush diet 

 the experiment of feeding fresh smelt was Inau^r- 

 ated Preparation consisted first of boiling the fish 

 and then pouring off the oily substances rising to 

 the surface, after which they were ground and put 

 under pressure to extract the water, and then run 

 through a fine screen. The young salmon relished 

 and did well on this food. It is understood that 

 the Oregon Fish Commission has found In the 

 smelt a cheap and satisfactory form of food for flsh- 

 culaural purposes. The cost Is said to be about one 

 and one-half cents per pound. When the .smelt riiii 

 Is on quantities may be taken and placed in cold 

 storage until required. . ^, , „ .»,i. 



The collection of Chinook eggs at Clackamas this 

 fall aggregated 2.833.600 as against 2.375.430 the 

 previous season. Low water lessened the take ma- 

 terially this fall. The stock was increased by a 

 consignment of 1.100.000 Chinook eggs from the Lit- 

 tle White Salmon Station. This fall several thou- 

 sand Chinook fingerllngs of last years hatch were 

 marked with a piece of silver wire In the anterior 

 rays of the dorsal fin after the manner previously 

 described. They were liberated In the Clackamas 

 river 



During the year shipments agregatlng 100.000 

 eastern brook trout, 50,000 lake trout, and 200.000 



Rainbow trout were received and the resulting fry 

 were deposited In Oregon waters. A shipment of 

 pike perch eggs (Stizostendlon vltreumi was received 

 from Michigan the latter part of May. This was the 

 first attempt to transport pike perch eggs for so 

 great a distance. Every precaution was taken to 

 make the shipment a success. The eggs were at the 

 best stage of development to withstand transporta- 

 tion and the method of parking was of the most ap- 

 proved type. Upon unpacking, after a Journey of six 

 days, at least sixty per ceni, of the eggs were dead, 

 while the remainder either died or hatched prema- 

 turely within a few hours, and the shipment resulted 

 In a total loss. In view of this unfavorable outcome, 

 notwithstanding the precautions taken to insure the 

 success of the undertaking. It Is hardly pmbable that 

 pike perch eggs ever can be shipped across the con- 

 tinent successfully, at least, unless other than ordi- 

 nary methods are employed in their transportation. 

 The period of incubation Is go short and the eggs 

 are of such a delicate character that further efforts 

 along this line with present means at command seem 

 futile. 



Operations for the collection of Shad eggs were 

 begun June 20, on the Willamette river, near Oregon 

 I'lty, and continued through the early part of July. 

 The run of Shad was good, as high as 200 being 

 taken in a single short drift with a net 600 feet 

 long and 20 feet deep. A peculiar feature was the 

 absence of fully matured fish, although many were 

 taken which yielded a few thousand eggs. This year 

 1,311,000 eggs were taken, a slight decrease from 

 the previous season's take. The collection of Shad 

 eggs at this point began in 1906. Shad were first 

 introduced on the Pacific Coast In 1871 when 10,000 

 fry from the Hudson river. New York, were de- 

 posited In the Sacramento near Tehama. Subse- 

 quent plants up to 1880 aggregated 600,000 fry. In 

 1885 and 1886 plants totaling 910,000 Shad fry were 

 made In the Columbia river. Shad, however, were 

 taken In the Columbia 7 or 8 years prior, evidently 

 having migrated from California waters. The species 

 has since been observed as far north as Cook Inlet 

 In Alaska. The abundance of Shad on the Pacific 

 Coast is too well known to elicit comment at the 

 present writing. The thought occurs, however that 

 In view of the decline of the valuable Shad fish- 

 ery on the Atlantic seabord it is not predicting the 

 Improbable to .say that before long we may be pre- 

 sented with the unique spectacle of efforts to re- 

 stock waters on the Atlantic coast originally the 

 Shad's natural habitat, by transplanting of fry from 

 the wonderfully prolific colonization of the species 

 on the Pacific Coast. Present. l;i\ i ..iniHiDns nn the 

 east coast are almost wholly fail- 



ure of the states to ena< ' lale 



measures looking to the pr A 



notable exception In this c i ili Caro- 



lina, where the results of ..■ ve action 



a few years ne" hnv .iii. nifiMt In 



greatly Impi Al- 



bemarle Soun ' '"e 



situation In i., .... ,..; , ^.,. - 1 .icittc 



Coast may note the induenoe of legiBlallve action 

 upon the fisheries. 



At the Caiadero station coll •"" 'irated 



405.600 Coho, 1,070,000 Ste.lli. ad :■ lOok 



eggs. The unusually liKlit lake <•'■ due 



to the poor run resulting from !"» \\ai<r. pirilcu- 

 larly at the mouth of the Clackamas. During sea- 

 sons when the water Is reasonably high a good run 

 Is assured, but low water means that relatively few 

 fish will enter from the Willamette. The recent 

 completion of an SS-foot <lam on the Clackamas. 4 

 miles below Cazadero, n.i essltateil moving t' 

 ery this fall to a point below th.- dam 'I' 

 ought to result in nn increased lake of egjir 

 tofore manv fish spawned naturally hetw. . ' >i 

 dero and the new site 4 miles below. Tin ■ ti.ii 

 Is a succession of canyons and niplds an.l Mti?i..i 

 be fished. . . 



Early In the year a new substation was estab- 

 lished on Applegate creek. 8 miles west of Grants 

 Pass, and the season's work resulted in the excellent 

 take of 825.160 Coho and 3.120.600 Steelhead eggs. 

 During the past fall the capacity of the station has 

 been Increased by the construction of additional 

 troughs, and ponds have been excavated In wtii' li 

 to hold adult fish while ripening, A rather unique 

 method was adopted whereby moat of the fish wire 

 caught. A dam at this point Intercepts their pass- 

 age upstream, and after noting the place where they 

 Jumped the most persistently in their endeavor to 

 ascend the stream, a trough was so placed that when 

 the fish Jumped they fell back Into It and were 

 automatically carried to a live pen whence they 

 were from time to time transferred to the retaining 

 Inclosurcs. , .... 



An investigation In 1910 of Fish lake, situated 

 on the divide between the Rogue and I'mpqua rivers 

 and draining Into the south fork of the Umpqua. 

 led to the conclusion that this body of water and 

 Its tributary streams presents a good field for the 

 collection of black spotlnl trout eggs. Accordingly 

 preparations were made I ist spring to undertake the 

 work. However, as late as May 20 it was found Im- 

 possible on account of .snow to cross the divide from 

 the Rogue river station near Trail. The outfit was 

 shipped back to Kiddle and finally after many dif- 

 ficulties the lake was r«^(hed June 3 by the way 

 of Drew. Traps and racks were at once Installed 

 In various tributary streams, but. owing to the laie 

 season and high waters from melting snows, rela- 

 tively few spawnluK trout were taken, while many 

 of the larger fish were spent. Part of the 23r.,700 

 eggs which reoultid from this work were transferred 

 to the Rogue river station. Another season, opera- 

 tions will be \indertaken at an earlier date if pos- 

 sible. 



The year's work at the Rogue river statWil In- 

 cluded the collection of 4.830.000 Clilnoik salmon, 

 357.000 Steelli.ad and 39.000 black-spot f. 1 trout eggs. 

 The fry from the 2.483,000 Steelhead • ggs received 

 from Applegate creek station were al.so planted In 

 Rogue river waters. The take of Chinook salmon 

 Is the best for many years. The closing of Rogue 

 river to net fishing during the past two years has 

 been a decided benefit to fish culture. A eontlniia- 



