262 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Snake River . — The spawning-grounds of Chinook salmon in Snake Biver between 
Huntington and Auger Falls have been, and perhaps still are, the most important in 
Idaho. Certain it is that more salmon fishing for commercial purposes is done here 
than in any of the other streams of the State. Owing to the interesting fact, not 
hitherto noted by anyone writing upon the salmon, that the spawning takes place in 
Snake Biver from six weeks to two mouths later than in the headwaters of Salmon 
and Payette rivers, we were able to learn more regarding it from personal observation 
in Snake Biver than elsewhere. 
Mr. William O’Brien, of Weiser, Idaho, says: 
I have been fishing for about sixteen years, off and on, principally for salmon trout, salmon, and 
sturgeon ; also pay some attention to chubs, whitelish, and suckers. 
I call these fish Chinook salmon. They appear iu this part of the river about the middle of 
August, but, as my fishery is on the Oregon side, I am prohibited by the law of that State from fishing 
until the 15th of September. We get our best salmon fishing between then and the 15th of October; 
they are most abundant, however, in latter part of August and early September. Up to the present 
time (September 21) have caught about 175 salmon. They will average 12 to 25 pounds, or about 15 
pounds dressed. Have taken about 25 or 30 young ones this year; never saw any of these small ones 
until four or five years ago. All that I noticed were males. Some Chinooks probably come up during 
the high water in July. They begin to get ripe about October 1 to 15; then they are not so good. I 
know of one large spawning-bed at Washoe near Ontario. This bed is of gravel in water 1 to 1£ feet 
deep. Have seen the old males turn on side and flip the tail as if scooping out the gravel. I think 
all the salmon that spawn here die after spawning. Have seen weak and dead ones floating down 
about last of October and early November, and some drifted up on shore. Have caught spent fish, 
but they were no account, so we threw them away. This, of course, would be late in the season. 
While at Mr. O’Brien’s fishery, September 21 and 22, the following additional 
information was gained: The fishery is 4 miles below Weiser and on the Oregon side 
of the river. Fishing began this year on September 18. The seine is 12 to 14 feet 
deep, about 350 feet long, and 2J-inch bar. To operate it requires three men, a horse, 
and a boat, and the seine is hauled over the same ground each time. Starting at the 
upper end of the seining-grouud, the man in the boat rows straight out from the shore 
as far as he can, the seine beginning to pay itself out when the boat is 150 to 200 feet 
from the shore; when he has gone as far out as he can, he rows downstream as fast 
as possible, the shore end being pulled downstream by the horse at the same time. 
When the boat is about two-thirds of the distance down to the landing-place it is 
pulled in toward the shore, and the oarsman, assisted by the third man, takes hold of 
the rope at the lower end of the seine and pulls it in to the shore, while the other man 
and the horse manage the other end. 
When the area inclosed by the seine became small the fish would begin to dart 
from one end to the other ; seldom would one get away, but most of them would soon 
become entangled in the seine. Then one of the men would hold a gunny sack into 
which another man would push the fish, and then they would be carried down to the 
live-boxes, where they are kept until ready to dress or sell. The place where the 
seine is hauled out is a long, broad gravel bar between which and the shore is a 
long, narrow, shallow strip of water. Mr. O’Brien has dammed this both at the lower 
and upper ends, thus making a pond into which he can put his fish and keep them 
alive indefinitely. He says he has had as many as 600 or 700 fish in this pond at 
one time. 
He sells his fish (1) to farmers who come to his fishery for them, (2) to men who 
peddle them over the country, (3) some few to the hotels and others in Weiser, and (4) 
in the latter part of the season he ships a good many by express to various points, such 
