188 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
pereb, flounders, and sole are also found here, all but the first three iu 
salt or brackish water near the river’s mouth. Salmon trout and black- 
spotted trout are plentiful in the upper river, though there is little or no 
fishing for them. 
Shad have made their appearance in this stream, but only a few have 
been caught. The first catch was in 1888, when 13 were taken at one 
haul in a salmon net. 
Three species of clams are found here — the razor clam, hard-shell 
clam (Tapes [Cuneus] staminea ), and the soft-shell clam ( Mya arenaria). 
These abound both on the sea beaches and inside the mouth of the 
river. However, the Mya is found more particularly in the latter-named 
location. It is claimed that the latter was transplanted to the Pacific 
in 1884 by Capt. Robert Simpson, who introduced it into this river as 
well as in Koos Bay. From all that can be learned it thrives in this 
locality and is becoming very abundant. 
A few salmon enter the river in the spring, but never appear in large 
numbers at that season. Special attention is given to what is known 
as the “ fall run,” which begins about the first of August and continues 
until November. The quinnat is the first species caught, and it is nu- 
merous until about the middle of September ; only a few are taken after 
that time. Silver salmon begin to arrive about the middle of Septem- 
ber, and are caught as late as the middle of November, though the 
migration is at its height during October. The quinnat or Chinook 
salmon of this river varies but little from that of the Columbia; the 
average weight is 25 pounds, some weighing 50 or 60 pounds. 
Fishermen , lay , etc.— A large proportion of the fishermen are non- 
residents. As a rule they operate on the Columbia River until the close 
of the season, when they leave that locality and transfer their equip- 
ment to the Umpquah in sufficient time to get the large run of fish. 
During the season of 1888 the fishermen received from the canners 40 
cents each for quinnat, and 25 cents each for silver salmon. The “lay” 
is the same as on the Columbia. 
Apparatus, boats, etc . — Drift nets, set nets, drag seines, and pound 
nets are used. Drift nets have an average length of 175 fathoms, are 
about 2| fathoms deep, and have a mesh varying from 7J to 9J inches. 
Set nets are from 100 to 150 fathoms long, about 30 meshes (2J fathoms) 
deep, with mesh 7^ to 9J inches. Seines are 250 fathoms long, 24 feet 
deep in the bunt, and 10 feet in the wings. All nets are made by the 
fishermen. The pound nets are similar to those on the Columbia. 
The boats are mostly of the Columbia River type. 
Methods of fishing.— Fishing is not commonly prosecuted during the 
daytime, except with pound nets ; the water is generally much too 
clear for using gill nets, except at night; if, fof any reason, the water 
is muddy, fishing with gill nets is continued during the day. The 
methods of operating pound nets and gill nets are similar to those em- 
ployed on the Columbia. 
