SALMON AND SALMON FISHERIES OF SWIFTSURE BANK 
749 
The sockeyes show the same heavy catches in 1930 and 1934 noted in the Puget 
Sound fishery, providing 23.49 percent and 62.80 percent of the catch, respectively. 
Their average for the even years is 24.64 percent, for the odd years 5.04 percent, 
and over the 8-year period 14.84 percent. 
King salmon, although taken throughout the season, provide only a very small 
proportion of the cape landings. The catch figuies are somewhat reduced, however, 
by the practice of bujfing small kings as pink salmon, and occasionally as cohoes. 
The average in the even years is 1.43 percent, in odd years 0.34 percent, and over 
the 8-year period was 0.89 percent. 
Chum salmon are caught infrequently in the offshore waters. Their average is 
1.55 percent in even years, 0.25 percent in odd years, and was 0.90 percent over the 
8-year period. 
THE TROLL FISHERY 
By George B. Kelez 
Fishing with hook and line was engaged in by natives of the region long before 
commercial salmon fishing began, but this gear never became of significance until the 
introduction of power boats. As was true of the purse seine, little change has taken 
place in the gear itself, whereas a considerable improvement has been made in the 
boats from which it is fished. Although individuals of all five species of salmon are 
landed occasionally, only the coho and king salmon are readily taken by trolling. 
The early Indian gear consisted of lines twisted from bark or animal sinews, a 
stone weight, and a hook of bone or of wood with a bone point. Although “spoons” 
(lures) of shell were in use, the principal Indian fishery was with baited hooks, herring 
being chiefly used for this purpose. According to Rathbun (1899) the fishing season 
at Neah Bay was during the months of June, July, and August. 
Another interesting but little-known type of native gear, which developed from 
the trolling line, is shown in fig. 20. It consists essentially of a bladder float to which 
is attached a line of twisted sinew suspending a stone weight. A second line is fastened to 
the weight, and the free end is attached to a shank of whalebone bearing a double hook 
of bone lashed with bark. As many as thirty of these units were attached together, 
each hook was baited with a whole herring, and the string was drifted from a canoe. 
Both types of gear were fished close to the surface, and the principal catch was coho 
salmon, preferred by the natives because of its suitability for drying. 
DEVELOPMENT OF THE FISHERY 
For many years commercial trolling was of little importance. Collins (1892) did 
not include it among the commercial fishing methods listed for the region, but stated : 
The Indians employ trolling hooks and spears in the Sound and small streams tributary thereto, 
and parties fishing for pleasure also use spoon hooks and trolling lines. Also, the Indians at Neah 
Bay use trolling lines, and in 1888 took 7,000 pounds of salmon valued at $140. A much larger 
catch could, no doubt, be made at this place. . . . 
Rathbun (1899) included trolling gear among commercial methods, but stated 
that its use was restricted both as to locality and number of men employed, and that 
