94 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 
The number of species of game fish in Alaska is unusually great. 
Those of chief interest to the most experienced anglers are the rain- 
bow trout, cutthroat trout, steelhead trout, Arctic grayling, Great 
Lakes or Mackinaw trout, Dolly Varden trout, silver salmon, and 
king salmon. Others of somewhat less interest, but whose capture 
nevertheless affords more or less sport, are the common pike (sow 
luctus), Alaska cod (Gadus macrocephalus), Alaska pollack (Theragra 
chalcogrammus), California tomcod (Aicrogadus proximus), halibut 
(Hippoglossus hippoglossus), rock trout (Hexagrammos decagrammus), 
the Sitka black bass (Sebastodes melanops), and several species of rock- 
fish. The king and silver salmons can be taken by trolling almost any 
month in the year, but especially in spring and early summer. One 
of the best regions for this sport is that about Killisnoo. 
Steelheads may be taken in the spring—large ones by trolling in 
salt water and smaller ones with the fly in the streams. Dolly Var- 
den, rainbow, and cutthroat trout may be taken at any time with the 
fly in many of the streams of Alaska. They are plentiful at Ketchi- 
kan, Loring, Killisnoo, Klawock, Shakan, Hunter Bay, and Sitka. 
The Mackinaw trout, common pike, and Arctic grayling occur in the 
headwaters of the Yukon, easily reached by rail from Skagway, and 
the Arctic grayling is found in all the lakes and streams from White 
Pass to White Horse. It is one of the finest game fishes. The other 
less important species may be found almost anywhere in southeast 
Alaska, and may be taken in abundance at any time. 
Methods of the Alaska salmon jisheries.—The manner of taking 
salmon in Alaska for commercial purposes varies with the locality. 
In general it may be said that the great bulk of the catch is taken by 
means of traps (or pound nets), haul seines, purse seines, and gill nets, 
and that the fishing is done in salt water. 
In southeast Alaska purse seines, which are simply deep drag seines 
so hung as to permit of pursing by gathering in the footrope, are 
used in the more important streams, particularly at Karta Bay, 
Wrangel, Hetta, and Quadra. The number of these seines seems to 
_be increasing, and they are regarded as a very effective means of cap- 
ture, most used in narrow, deep channels and where rocky shores 
preclude the use of haul seines. 
Haul seines, or drag seines, are used to some extent in southeast 
Alaska and to a considerable extent at Alitak and Chignik Bay. At 
Karluk they are the only nets used. They are effective wherever 
there are clean sandy or gravelly shores. 
Gill nets are used in limited numbers in southeast Alaska at Quadra, 
Chilkat, etc., and at Chignik. They are effective only in or off the 
mouths of the larger rivers, whose waters are more or less turbid. In 
clear water the fish see the webbing and do not gill well. 
