274 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
_ 
the same quality here as off Cape Flattery and the Queen Charlotte 
Islands. The water is shallow and the bottom sufficiently smooth to 
render fishing easy, and while the tide runs rapidly at times, it is not 
strong enough to carry a trawl buoy below the surface. 
Running down the coast 48 miles, work was resumed off Heceta 
Head. Between this point and Coquille River, a distance of 63 miles, 
trials were made with hand lines in 15 different places. The bottom is 
not unlike that found farther north, and on many spots and ridges red 
rockfish were fairly abundant. In other localities, however, the bottom 
seemed to be more or less destitute of life. 
Some time was occupied in hand-line fishing off Tsiltcoos River, in 13 
fathoms, the mouth of the river bearing SE. by E. (magnetic), distant 
2.7 miles, but without success. Better results were obtained during a 
ten-minute trial off Umpqua River, 12 miles south of Tsiltcoos River, 
27 red rockfish being taken. The character of the bottom in these two 
places did not differ materially. 
The ground adjacent to Cape Gregory was carefully examined in - 
depths of 11 to 40 fathoms. The best fishing was found in the last- 
mentioned depth, Cape Gregory light bearing S. 3 E. (magnetic), 14.5 
miles distant. The catch consisted of 22 red rockfish. In six subse- 
quent trials nearer the shore, in depths of 11 to 25 fathoms, no bites 
were obtained, notwithstanding the fact that the same kind of bait was 
used. At times, however, fish may be more abundant in this locality. 
At hydrographic station No. 2066, lat. 43° 03/30” N., long. 124° 33/ 30” 
W., 44fathoms, the ship lay to, drifting foran hour and twenty minutes, 
with twelve hand lines in use, but not a single fish was taken. As we 
worked farther southward fish became exceedingly scarce, and the 
ground in the immediate vicinity of Cape Orford proved as unproduct- 
ive as that off Cape Gregory. Nota fish was obtained in the course of 
seven trials, while with the beam trawl, 11 miles from the cape, only a 
few shells, 1 starfish, and a small crab were secured. 
Many trials were made in the vicinity of Orford Reef by means of the 
dory, fitted with hand lines of different sizes. ‘This reef consists of sev- 
eral rough ledges, rising abruptly and in some places perpendicularly 
from the sea, and is inhabited by many sea lions. .Unlike other.similar 
localities, however, where the presence of sea lions seems to cause a 
great scarcity of other aquatic life, food-fishes of several species are 
abundant here. By far the best fishing was obtained on the south side 
of the reef, in 6 to 8 fathoms of water, hard, irregular bottom. In the 
beginning an anchorage was made for each trial, but as it proved very 
difficult to raise the anchor at times, it was found expedient to lay to 
and drift with the wind and tide. The hooks frequently caught on the 
rocks, causing the dory to bring up suddenly, but notwithstanding these 
difficulties a very good collection of fishes was made. Among these 
were red, orange, and vermilion rockfishes, the cultus-cod, black-cod, 
and several large sculpins. The cultus-cod were unusually abundant. 
During the progress of this investigation the ship was engaged in 
