476 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
on the coasts of Oregon and Washington. The Albatross has thus far 
found no trace of the Gadus morrhua on the Oregon coast. 
Soon after the last trial we ran under the lee of Yaquina Light and 
came to anchor, making a series of trials with hand liues along the 
rocky shore, but we obtained no fish. 
At 3 p. m. we got under way and proceeded 8 miles to the northward, 
heaving to in 38 fathoms of water, dredging station 3058 (latitude 44° 
48' N., longitude 124° 10' W.). No bites were felt during the drift, 
although a fair trial was made. Many flounders, 1 herring, and several 
small specimens of Octopus were subsequently taken in the beam trawl, 
some 7 or 8 miles farther offshore. 
Astoria , Oregon . — Returning northward, we reached the mouth of 
Columbia River June 10, anchoring at 3 p. m. off Astoria. Salmon 
have been exceptionally scarce in the Columbia River this season, the 
largest catch made by one man in a day having been 37. There is con- 
siderable talk amongthe cannery owners of abandoning gill-net fishing 
next season and resorting to traps. Many shad have been taken in the 
gill nets this season. They were mostly shipped to Portland. 
Tillamook Eoclc Grounds . — June 14 we proceeded to Tillamook Rock, 
south of the Columbia River, and set cod and halibut trawls. Acting 
upon information obtained from the captain of the Light-House steamer 
Manzanita , the outer trawl buoy was thrown over close to Tillamook 
Rock, and the inner one near the main shore, thereby covering the entire 
ground from which halibut have been reported. Hauling the trawl at 
the end of 2 hours, we secured one halibut weighing 25 pounds, one 
skate, one red rock-cod, and hundreds of starfishes. During the same 
time three halibut and two ground sharks were taken on hand lines 
from the Manzanita. Hand-line fishing would be the most profitable 
here at this season. The starfishes were a great source of annoyance 
and gave as much trouble as the dogfish on other grounds. Nearly 
every hook on our trawl had been seized by a starfish, and some had 
two clinging to them. On the south side of the rock, flounders, tomcod, 
and crabs were obtained in the beam trawl, but nothing was caught 
on the hand lines, although they weje tried at every station. The 
grounds about Tillamook Rock cover a very small area suitable for boat 
fishing, but they can never become the resort of large bodies of fish, 
and offer no inducements to vessel fishermen. Scattering halibut may 
be found here during a large part of the year. « 
From Tillamook Rock we ran 3 miles offshore, SW. by W. J W. 
(magnetic), and fished with hand lines in 46 fathoms, capturing one red 
rock-cod. A second trial was made in 42 fathoms, the rock bearing 
NE. \ E. (magnetic) 2.6 miles, with no results, very little material 
also being taken in the beam trawl at the same place. No better success 
was had in 27 fathoms off the mouth of the Columbia River, Cape Dis- 
appointment bearing NE. £ E. (magnetic) 6.8 miles ; nor again 15 miles 
