126 Thirty-ninth A)inual Meeting 



This variation in size of roe and fish might be accounted 

 for if there were two runs of kings during the year, as in the 

 Sacramento and Columbia rivers, but, so far as our knowl- 

 edge extends, such is not the case in Alaska. In July of this 

 year (1909), a period when the schools of spawning fish 

 have reached those portions of the rivers above tidewater, 

 king salmon were taken by means of trolling in various parts 

 of Southeast Alaska, thus showing that all do not spawn the 

 same year, even though they may be uniform in size. 



While the fish are feeding they are caught solely by troll- 

 ing, being so scattered that the use of nets is unprofitable. 

 In trolling the white fishermen generally use either the Hen- 

 dryx Seattle trout bait spoon No. 5 or the Hendryx Puget 

 Sound No. 8. The former comes in nickle or brass and 

 nickle and brass; the full nickle is ])refeired. The Siwash 

 Hook No. 9/0, known as the Victoria hook in British Co- 

 lumbia, is in quite general use. As a rule Ijut one hook is 

 used, and this hangs from a ring just above the spoon, while 

 the point of the hook comes a little below the bottom of the 

 spoon. Occasionally double or tre])le hooks are used. Some 

 fishermen use bait, and when this is done the herring, the bait 

 almost universally employed, is so hooked through the bod}' 

 as, when placed in the water, to stretch out almost straight 

 and face forward as in life. Generally the line is trolled near 

 the surface, but sometimes a heavy sinker is attached and 

 the line sunk some 30 to 50 feet below the surface. 



When hooked the king makes a most gallant fight for life, 

 sometimes a half hour being re(|uired to land one with an 

 ordinary trolling line hauled in hand o\er fist. When a rod 

 and reel is employed several hours are sometimes required to 

 land a large specimen. The fishermen claim to be able to dis- 

 tinguish by its actions whether they ha\e a red-meated or a 

 white-meated fish on their hook. If a red-meated fish it will 

 l)reak water once and then sound, while a white-meated speci- 

 men will make its fight for life close to and at the surface, 

 and will also fight much harder than its darker colored 

 brother. 



