246 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES PISH COMMISSION. 
practice of selling fisli by weight caused no discriminatiou against the smaller fish, 
wliicb now bring as inncli per pound as the larger ones, and led to tbe use of nets 
with smaller mesli with a view to increase the catch by taking the fish which might 
otherwise go through the nets without gilling. 
The increase in the use of small-meshed gill nets may, to some extent, be gauged 
by the additional quantities of blueblacks and steelheads taken, and in future an 
augmented catch of these fish by gill nets may be expected. 
The following detailed statements, showing for three years the daily catch of four 
gill-net fishermen fishing at the mouth of the Columbia Eiver and lauding their catch 
at Astoria, are interesting as indicating the daily fluctuations in the run of salmon 
and because they afford a basis for comiiarisons with other years. The figures were 
selected from the books of the salmon cauuer to whom the fish were sold, for the 
S])ecial reason that the men fished more or less regularly each year and their work 
represents the capacity of the river. In 1892 the fish are designated by number; in 
the followiug years the figures represent pounds. The statement for 1894 comes up 
to June 20, the time of the writer’s visit. 
Statement of the daily gill-net catch of four fishermen fishing at the mouth of the Columbia River in 189S. 
Late. 
No. 1. 
No. 2. 
No. 3. 
No. 4. 
Total. 
Chinooks. 
CO 
o 
a 
<c 
3 
Steelheads. 
Chinooks. 
Bluebaeks. 
j Steelheads. 
Chinooks. 
Bluehacks. 
Steelheads. 
Chinooks. 
M 
O 
ei 
<£) 
3 
Steelheads. 
Chinooks. 
CO 
o 
o 
3 
3 
Steelheads. 
Apr. 12 
No. 
15 
17 
9 
No. 
No. 
No. 
No. 
No. 
No. 
1 
No. 
No. 
No. 
No. 
No. 
No. 
16 
17 
9 
7 
18 
19 
22 
15 
26 
2 
No. 
No. 
16 
19 
20 
7 
1 
1 
21 
9 
9 
9 
5 
13 
1 
23 
5 
5 
26 
4 
27 
15 
1 
28 .. . 
7 
15 
1 
4 
29 
2 
1 
76 
11 
43 
I . 
21 
1 
151 
1 
May 2 
1 
5 
1 
4 
3 
2 
5 
22 
2 
13 
2 
16 
22 
11 
4 
20 
43 
12 
3 
14 
1 
4- 
1. . 
5 
13 
: 
6 
2 
1 
10 
....i 
5 
8 
7 
1 
i"" 
9 
10 
4 
11 
4 
12 
1 
11 
26 
3 
3 
12 

13 
3 
5 
12 
13 
3 
14 
1 
1 
1 
1 
16 
17 
13 
30 
28 
47 

18 
26 
4 
12 

19 
9 
18 
3 
27 
7 
20 
29 
31 
21 
6 
45 
27 
53 
83 
56 
84 
59 
103 
51 
23 
1 
24 
16 
18 
50 
19 
16 
7 
11 
27 
9 
25 
17 
28 
44 
8 
19 
24 
1 
1 
26 
21 
6 
27 
23 
24 
43 
12 
28 
30 
32 
15 
31 
Total 

282 
111 
313 
1 
145 
1 
1 
851 
2 
1 
