FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 
237 
next on the east side, and opposite Long Island ; the North and South 
Nemur Rivers occur next, a few miles north of Nasal River; the Palux 
River enters the bay opposite Leadbetter Point, and the Whilapah River 
is situated in the northeastern part of the bay. On the north are the 
North and Cedar Rivers. 
Fishing centers . — Bay Center, on the eastern side of the bay, near the 
mouth of the Palux River, is the principal center for the shipment and 
distribution of the local fishery products. At this point the major 
part of the oyster trade is carried on. Small sloop-sailboats bring oys- 
ters from the beds on the bay and temporarily deposit them in racks 
and cribs at this town until wanted for market. Some years ago Oys- 
terville enjoyed a monopoly of this trade, but the center of activity is no 
longer located there. A few other points on the bay also have oyster 
interests of small value. 
Importance of the fisheries.— Salmon and oysters are the only objects 
of fishery commerce of this bay. The products of the salmon fishery in 
1888 amounted to.l, 755,000 pounds, valued at $52,650, or an average of 
$355 per man engaged in the fishery that year; 148 fishermen were em- 
ployed, who used 108 gill nets, 42 pound nets, and 54 boats; the whole 
value of apparatus being about $41,000. The taking of oysters is still 
the most important industry in the bay, so far as the value of the prod- 
uct is concerned, although it is surpassed by the salmon fisheiy in the 
amount of capital invested. The total output of this fishery in 1888 was 
32,762 sacks, valued at $65,524; it employed 150 men, who used 23 
sloops, 61 bateaux, and 49 rowboats, the whole having a value of 
$14,920. 
y Species , seasons , etc . — The following species of fish occur in the bay 
and its tributaries in proper season : Salmon, salmon trout, mountain 
trout, flounders, tomcod, porgies or perch, sardines, smelt, herring^ 
soles, skates, and sturgeon. About 80 per cent, of the catch is the silver 
salmon (O. hisutch ), while the quinnat or u black” salmon (O. cliouicha ) 
comprises about 20 per cent, of the yield. The former species weighs 
from 8 to 16 pounds, averaging 12 pounds, and the latter from 14 to 50 
pounds, averaging22 pounds. The silver salmon are found from October 
to December, spawning during the months of November and December. 
The quinnat salmon occur from August to October, being^most abund- 
ant from the first to the middle of August. A few steelheads {S. 
gairdneri) and humpback salmon (O. gorbuscha) are sometimes taken. .* - 
Of shellfish, there are found oysters, and razor and soft-shell clams. 
Fishing grounds. — The fishing grounds are located in all sections of 
the bay. Salmon gill nets are set across the entrance to the bay and 
at other available sections. Pound nets, 42 of which were in operation, 
are generally located in the rivers.* Nearly all the natural oyster beds 
* No charts of Shoal water Bay were available of a scale sufficiently large to permit 
the location of the pound nets. For the same reason the definition upon the map 
of many other interesting data had to be omitted. 
