720 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
During the earlier years this southern area was fished chiefly for cohos and chums 
and the pink run was usually in full swing before fishing commenced. Later the 
fishing was advanced to take in all of the pink run, and more recently a large proportion 
of the traps made their first 
lift about May 4 ; evidently 
fishing immediately after 
the cessation of the April 
closed season to catch the 
early run of king salmon. 
In the areas east of 
Whidbey Island the season 
was always very long. The 
traps opened in late April 
and early May to take kings 
and steel heads, and to be in 
time to fish the June run of 
sockeye to the Skagit River. 
They then remained open 
for the coho run in the fall. 
The season fished by the 
traps has been modified 
somewhat by regulation. 
The first of these was a law, 
enacted in 1905, imposing a 
weekly closed season of 36 
hours. Our data do not in- 
dicate any observance of this 
law prior to 1908. This 
weekly closed season was 
modified in 1915 to apply 
only during July and August. 
june july august sept oct nov Commencing in 1921 it was 
TRAP FISHING SEASON applied during the balance 
Figure 10. — Length of the trap-fishing season in Boundary Bay by groups of years from of the year to the districts 
1897-1934. The length of the season is gaged by the percentage of the traps that were g ag j. "Whidbey Island and 
actually in operation during the various parts of the season. Note the progressive •C , 
increase in the length of the season during which they fished. SOUtll of a line from Pomt 
Wilson to Partridge Point. 
A closed season was introduced in 1915 from January 18-April 15, inclusive. 
This affected some forms of gear but had almost no effect on trap fishing. In Hood 
Canal an additional closed season from November 16 to January 1, inclusive, probably 
had some effect on the few traps in that area. The area near Tacoma, including 
Poverty Bay, was also closed from November 16-30, inclusive. The closed periods 
from 1921-34 are given in the following table. 
