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  ALASKA 
  FISHERIES 
  AND 
  FUR 
  INDUSTRIES, 
  1913. 
  

  

  circumstance 
  that 
  these 
  larger 
  fishes 
  are 
  rarely 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  streams 
  

   and 
  lakes, 
  though 
  the 
  smaller 
  ones 
  are 
  quite 
  numerous. 
  

  

  Ever 
  since 
  the 
  inception 
  of 
  fish-cultural 
  work 
  on 
  Letnik 
  Lake, 
  

   Dolly 
  Varden 
  trout 
  have 
  been 
  very 
  abundant, 
  and 
  that 
  fact 
  has 
  pre- 
  

   sented 
  a 
  serious 
  problem 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  proper 
  disposition 
  of 
  

   hatchery 
  fry. 
  Rearing 
  to 
  the 
  fingerling 
  stage 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  circumstances 
  

   and 
  facilities 
  will 
  permit 
  is 
  the 
  solution 
  of 
  the 
  difficulty. 
  In 
  the 
  

   spring 
  of 
  1910 
  it 
  was 
  observed 
  that 
  the 
  hatchery 
  stream 
  was 
  literally 
  

   teeming 
  with 
  Dolly 
  Varden 
  trout 
  of 
  uniform 
  size 
  and 
  weight. 
  The 
  

   average 
  length 
  was 
  from 
  10 
  to 
  12 
  inches 
  and 
  the 
  weight 
  from 
  8 
  to 
  10 
  

   ounces. 
  An 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  stomachs 
  of 
  many 
  taken 
  in 
  seines 
  

   revealed 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  gorged 
  with 
  salmon 
  fry, 
  and 
  their 
  

   excellent 
  condition 
  was 
  added 
  proof 
  that 
  they 
  had 
  been 
  well 
  fed 
  

   during 
  the 
  winter. 
  In 
  October 
  and 
  November, 
  1911, 
  thousands 
  of 
  

   Dolly 
  Vardens 
  gathered 
  at 
  the 
  outlet 
  of 
  the 
  flume 
  discharging 
  from 
  

   the 
  hatchery 
  and 
  were 
  taken 
  by 
  seines, 
  as 
  many 
  as 
  a 
  small 
  dory 
  full 
  

   at 
  one 
  haul. 
  These 
  fish 
  were 
  of 
  all 
  sizes, 
  but 
  the 
  average 
  length 
  was 
  

   about 
  10 
  inches 
  and 
  weight 
  a 
  third 
  of 
  a 
  pound. 
  Throughout 
  the 
  

   winter 
  wire 
  traps 
  were 
  set 
  for 
  them, 
  and 
  in 
  this 
  manner 
  several 
  

   hundred 
  more 
  were 
  destroyed. 
  

  

  The 
  constriction 
  of 
  barricades 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  incoming 
  of 
  Dolly 
  

   Vardens 
  from 
  the 
  sea 
  is 
  of 
  doubtful 
  value. 
  From 
  observations 
  of 
  

   Letnik 
  stream 
  it 
  would 
  seem 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  more 
  of 
  a 
  movement 
  from 
  

   the 
  lake 
  to 
  the 
  sea 
  than 
  from 
  the 
  sea 
  to 
  the 
  lake. 
  Since 
  Dolly 
  Vardens 
  

   are 
  not 
  known 
  to 
  spawn 
  in 
  salt 
  or 
  brackish 
  water, 
  their 
  presence 
  there 
  

   can 
  be 
  accounted 
  for 
  only 
  by 
  the 
  obvious 
  fact 
  that 
  they 
  descended 
  

   from 
  fresh 
  water. 
  Thus 
  a 
  barricade 
  would 
  have 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  retain- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  undesirable 
  Dolly 
  Vardens 
  in 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  lake. 
  During 
  

   the 
  past 
  summer 
  while 
  an 
  examination 
  of 
  Letnik 
  stream 
  with 
  reference 
  

   to 
  the 
  migration 
  of 
  young 
  salmon 
  was 
  being 
  made, 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  

   many 
  Dolly 
  Vardens 
  above 
  the 
  rack 
  was 
  noted, 
  but 
  none 
  could 
  be 
  

   seen 
  below 
  it. 
  Some 
  approached 
  too 
  near 
  the 
  rack 
  and 
  were 
  drawn 
  

   between 
  the 
  slats, 
  where 
  they 
  died. 
  From 
  May 
  26 
  to 
  June 
  9 
  more 
  

   than 
  500 
  were 
  thus 
  destroyed. 
  

  

  The 
  extermination 
  or 
  at 
  least 
  great 
  destruction 
  of 
  Dolly 
  Vardens 
  in 
  

   Letnik 
  Lake 
  can 
  probably 
  be 
  best 
  accomplished 
  by 
  netting 
  them 
  at 
  

   the 
  mouths 
  of 
  the 
  streams 
  where 
  they 
  congregate 
  during 
  the 
  spawning- 
  

   season 
  in 
  September 
  and 
  October. 
  It 
  is 
  reported 
  that 
  at 
  the 
  Afognak 
  

   hatchery 
  this 
  year 
  Dolly 
  Varden 
  trout 
  have 
  been 
  notably 
  scarce. 
  

   This 
  may 
  be 
  due 
  either 
  to 
  the 
  seining 
  operations 
  in 
  the 
  fall 
  of 
  1911 
  or 
  

   the 
  volcanic 
  eruption 
  in 
  1912, 
  or 
  to 
  both 
  causes. 
  

  

  HATCHERIES. 
  

   EXTENT 
  OF 
  OPERATIONS. 
  

  

  Seven 
  salmon 
  hatcheries 
  were 
  operated 
  in 
  Alaska 
  during 
  the 
  season 
  

   of 
  1913. 
  Of 
  these, 
  two 
  are 
  operated 
  by 
  the 
  Government 
  and 
  five 
  by 
  

  

  