764 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
The curves for the 12 early years, 3 sockeye cycles, and for the 12 late years are 
shown in figure 22. For the 12 early years sockeye fishing usually terminated on 
August 25, although consid- 
erable fishing was carried 
on during the heavy fall 
runs of 1905 and 1909. No 
data are available for the 
fall of 1905, but those for 
1909 are shown in figure 
22 . 
Because of the lack of 
fall fishing during most of 
the earlier years it is often 
thought that there were no 
abundant late runs in those 
years, but the figure shows 
plainly that the late run of 
1909 was many times as 
abundant as that of 1930, 
the most abundant of the 
late rims during the last 12 
years. 
That some sockeye were ordinarily present in the river after the usual cessation 
of fishing on August 25, during the years before we have accurate records, is indicated 
by Rathbun (1899, p. 270) who says: 
Figure 22. — Occurrence of sockeye as shown by Fraser River gill-net catches. Note 
the peak in the week ending August 11 in the three early cycles (1898-1909), which is 
entirely missing in the three late cycles. The late runs of 1909 and 1930 are also 
shown. The big years of 1901, 1905, 1909, and 1913 were characterized by a second 
heavy run coming late in the fall. 
. . . the average fishing season ends somewhere about the 20th to the 25th of August, and 
years are recalled when nothing could be done after the first week of that month. Small numbers 
usually continue present during more or less of the early part of September, but with the near approach 
of the spawning period the fish rapidly deteriorate in appearance and condition and lose their com- 
mercial value. 
Table 29. — Change in seasonal occurrence ofsockeyes between early and late years in Fraser River gill nets 
Week ending 
1898 to 1909 
1923 to 1934 
Week ending 
1898 to 1909 
1923 to 1934 
Num- 
ber of 
years 
with 
data 
Average 
catch per 
gill net 
delivery 
Num- 
ber of 
years 
with 
data 
Average 
catch per 
gill net 
delivery 
Num- 
ber of 
years 
with 
data 
Average 
catch per 
gill net 
delivery 
Num- 
ber of 
years 
with 
data 
Average 
catch per 
gill net 
delivery 
July 7 
3 
33. 34 
5 
10. 83 
Sept. 22 
1 
202. 90 
9.03 
9 
14. 40 
6 
10. 41 
Sept. 29 
1 
107. 32 
4 
3.09 
July 21 
10 
19. 73 
12 
8. 44 
Oct. 6 
1 
80.93 
3 
15. 64 
12 
34. 37 
12 
13.09 
Oct. 13... 
3 
2. 77 
12 
63.31 
12 
15. 15 
Oct. 20 
2 
1.63 
12 
86. 58 
12 
16. 98 
Oct. 27 
2 
1.44 
12 
35! 14 
12 
14. 54 
Number of fish 
1, 982, 735 
1, 469, 746 
23. 41 
12 
11. 10 
Number catches... 
30,700 
87, 514 
Sept. 15 
i 
101. 52 
12 
16. 60 
Wbat has happened to the early runs is clearly shown by table 30, giving the 
average catches during the period from July 15-August 25, which embraces almost all 
