80 CALIFORNIA PISH AND GAME. 



River, and also in the main river near the mouth. The results of these 

 experiments of the last three years have not justified the expense of 

 establishing a permanent egg-collecting- station on the lower reaches of 

 the river. 



There are several conditions in that region that make it seem imprac- 

 ticable to establish an egg-collecting station there. The salmon, upon 

 entering the mouth of the river, are compelled to remain in the large 

 pond below Loleta until the river rises in the fall, as there is not enough 

 water during the seasons of normal rainfall to allow the fish to pass 

 over the wide, shallow riffles connecting the large pools from South 

 Fork to the large pool at the mouth of the river. 



As a rule the river rises to a considerable extent, but not before the 

 majority of the salmon are caught by the comm.ercial fishermen at the 

 mouth of the river in the large pool. It has been suggested that eggs 

 be collected from the fish in the large pool during the early fall before 

 they ascend the river or are taken by the commercial fishermen, but we 

 find that the fish do not ripen in numbers great enough to justify the 

 expense of seining them up and separating the few ripe ones from those 

 that are green or immature. Furthermore, tiiere is no water near the 

 mouth of the river suitable for hatchery purposes. If eggs could be 

 taken in sufficient. quantities to justify the expense of collecting them, 

 they would have to be taken direct to Fort Seward Hatchery on the 

 railroad, some sixty miles up the river. The eggs collected would, in 

 all proliability, be in such small lots that it would not pay to keep the 

 necessary help and equipment. 



Any attempt to place racks across the main Eel River or the South 

 Fork, anywhere near its mouth, is almost impossible, as the loose nature 

 of the formation is not solid enough to hold the racks and, even if this 

 were overcome, the tremendous amount of water that comes down Eel 

 River during flood periods, carrying logs and debris of all kinds, would 

 make it impossible to retain any kind of a rack in the river. Further- 

 more, if a rack could be built that would stand the flood water of the 

 river when the salmon were running, the number of fish that would be 

 entering the river would be all fresh run from, the ocean and would 

 have to be held too long in order to allow them to mature. 



An egg-collecting station on Eel River or its tributaries must be 

 situated far up the stream, away from the tremendous floods and the 

 floatage matter in the river, and must be in the upper reaches near the 

 spawning grounds, Avhere the fish have spent the necessary time in fresh 

 water for the breeders to mature. 



It takes less fry to stock Eel River and maintain the run of salmon 

 than any other river on the coast, as there are few natural enemies of 

 the young of the salmon to be found in the river. . There are no pred- 

 atqry fishes, no diverting canals to carry off the water where fry are 

 lost, or overflow basins, and very few water snakes or other natural 

 enemies. If only a few million eggs can be collected and the resulting 

 fry planted each season, the run of salmon in Eel River can be easily 

 maintained provided the fishing at the mouth of the river is regulated 

 as well as the ocean fishing, where large numbers of salmon are taken 

 each season. 



