FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 
171 
23. FISHERIES OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY. 
Geographical characteristics . — The land is bold and high along the 
coast of Humboldt County on the south and north, but in the center of 
the county, in the vicinity of Humboldt Bay, the shores are rather Hat 
and less striking. The coast is generally unsuitable to sea fishing ; 
there are no inlets or harbors of importance, except at Eureka, on 
Humboldt Bay, and as this is barred and the sea is usually breaking 
heavily on the bar, it is comparatively seldom that boat fishermen 
could be assured of returning safely to the harbor, even if they suc- 
ceeded in getting to sea. Access to the bay is rendered dangerous for 
vessels by the narrow, shallow, and shifting character of the channel 
at the entrance. Humboldt Bay is 12 miles long and about one-quarter 
as wide. The Mad River enters it on the north and the Eel River 
empties into the southern extremity of the bay. 
Character of the fisheries . — The fisheries of this county are confined 
to Humboldt Bay and the two rivers mentioned. The only fishery that 
is prosecuted on an extensive commercial scale is that which has the 
salmon for its object. There are, of course, besides the salmon, many 
other varieties of fish, some of which are taken incidentally. 
Species , etc . — Several varieties of salmon are recognized by the fish- 
ermen, which they know as the silver, hook-bill, dog, steelhead, and 
humpback salmon. The latter are small, not exceeding 10 pounds in 
weight on the average, but the general average of salmon is said to be 
25 pounds. There is no spring run of salmon in the Eel River. Un- 
like many salmon streams, it is not fed in the spring by melting snows, 
but is dependent upon local rains for a full supply of water; conse- 
quently it is frequently quite low during the time when salmon are 
ascending the coast rivers and it is believed that this is the reason why 
salmon do not enter it in the spring. During the fail and winter, how- 
ever, fish are abundant; they enter the stream about the first of Octo- 
ber and remain until March. In the latter part of the winter the catch 
is made up largely of steelheads, which are almost entirely absent in 
the early fall run. 
Shad have occasionally been taken in recent years and are increasing 
in abundance. There is no regular fishery for them, and consequently 
their actual relative abundance is not known. Those taken are caught 
incidentally — chiefly in salmon gill nets — the mesh of which is too large 
to take shad of an ordinary size. In 1888 as many as twelve shad were 
taken at one haul in a salmon drift-net, which had a 74-incli mesh, this 
being the minimum size permitted by State laws. A few shad are annu- 
ally taken in Humboldt Bay. They first appeared iu 1882. About one 
hundred were reported caught in 188S. Brook trout are numerous in 
parts of Eel River. Below the forks perch and suckers occur ; within 
a few miles of the mouth flounders are found ; and during the summer 
months herring, smelt, and sardines are plentiful in the bay. 
