28 SALMON FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



The smelt of Alaska are large and very plentiful. They resemble our eastern smelt 

 in appearance. The range of the species is from the Bristol Bay region to Point Bar- 

 row, and they are most abundant from the early part of September until November. 

 They abound in sheltered bays and tide creeks. 



Still another smelt occurs around the shores of the Gulf of Alaska, which is ident- 

 ical with one of the California species, and a very excellent food-fish. 



The Gapelin is found along all parts of the coast and is one of the most important 

 food species of the cod and salmon. 



Eulachon are very common in the Gulf of Alaska, particularly at Katmai on the 

 peninsula of Alaska, where they have been salted and meet with ready sale. 



The foregoing representatives of the salmon family have been reviewed simply to 

 call attention to the wealth of the Territory in superior food-fishes. Their commercial 

 importance up to the present time is small, but they will figure eventually and very 

 prominently among the resources of Alaska. There is no doubt that many of the 

 small marine species play a very important part in attracting the larger commercial 

 species of the salmon family to certain localities. 



Before proceeding to an account of the salmon and trout it may be well to state 

 that the herring of Alaska is one of the finest species of its genus (Clupea), and is 

 universally known as one of the fishes upon which the salmon subsist. The herring 

 visits all parts of the coast of Alaska, running up into the bays in schools, sometimes 

 covering an area of many square miles. It comes into the shallow waters of the bays 

 to deposit its eggs, reaching Cook's Inlet for this purpose early in July, so that its 

 appearance in force coincides with the height of the salmon runs. The capelin is also 

 found early in the summer, and we know that salmon are very eager in their pursuit 

 of this fish. The little sand launce, or lant, is also present in the bays in wriggling 

 masses at the period when salmon abound. 



The King Salmon (Oncorhynchus chouicha). 



(Plate i, fig. 1.) 



The largest and finest of the Alaskan salmon is the King, or Chowichee, known 

 also as tiie Takou, Columbia River, Chinook, and Quinnat. This valuable fish occurs 

 in the large rivers as a rule, but we know that it runs into some of the small streams 

 also, notably the Karluk, and some of the rivers emptying into the eastern part of 

 Cook's Inlet. The Yukon and the Nushagak are the greatest King Salmon rivers. 

 The species is found less abundantly in the Dgashik, Kuskoquim, and Kvichuk. 



The King Salmon is the most favorably known of all the species; its average 

 weight is above 20 pounds, and individuals of 100 pounds or more are recorded. At 

 St. Paul, Kadiak, in 1880, Mr. B. G. Mclntyre told me he had weighed one which 

 registered 87 J pounds without its viscera; he believed the entire fish would have 

 weighed 100 pounds. 



The flesh of the King Salmon is paler in color than that of the Bed Salmon, but 

 superior to all others in flavor. The salted bellies are considered a great delicacy. 

 The principal uses of this fish are as fresh fish and for canning purposes. In Alaska 

 it has not yet acquired the importance belonging to it on the Columbia River, chiefly 

 because of the distance from San Francisco to the Alaskan King Salmon rivers, and 

 the difficulties of fishing in those waters. 



