Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-03-13
WAYS OF THE SALMON.
WHAT AN OBSERVER HAS NOTICED
IN WASHINGTON TERRITORY.
The Tyhee, the Largest and Stronrest
Salmon That Aseends the River
The "Hampy." the Red the
Dog and the 'eS.iver.~

The short, rapid mountain streams fiowirp
into Puget sound are, at all seasons OF the
year, filed with salmon pressing upward.
into the fercest rapids, to spawn where their
eggs win be most protected from the numer.
Gus smaller fish that prey upon them. When
the winter SHOWS melt from the mountain
sides with the warm sun Of May and June,
and the streams run almost bank full. the
| tyhee, Chinook for chief, run, work their
way slowly into the upper waters, generally
reaching there about July, when the snow
supply having failed, the rivers fall leaving
deep pools between the Hpples In these
pools the tyhees knger for Q couple Of
months, during which time they can only be
caught with seines set in the eddies at the
foot Of ripple.
Only the newest and strongest seines are
used for the tyhee. for he is the largest and
strongest salmon that ascend, the rivers,
often weighing more than fifty pounds Up
to September they are very tastes the In
dian vendors say, AN the same bacon'-and
are Of a beautiful silver color with bright
pink flesh, and very fine eating. In Septem-
Der they begin to spawn and work into the
creeks and sioughs. Climbing ripples, wrig-
Cling through shadows with their backs out
Of the water, sometimes into streams no
wider than their own length. The journey
soon batters them Their bright silver color
turns to bright brown The flesh becomes
white and soft, and they are totally unfit for
food
DURING THE SPAWNING SEASON.
The eggs are deposited on the swiftest
ripples- The female strikes the sand and
gravel violently and at the same time de-
posting the eggs. The eggs have a Shiny
covering, to which the particles of sand,
raised by the blow, adhere, and act as sink
ers. Otherwise the eggs would be carried
away by the strong current, and be devoured
by the swarms Of trout, whitefish, and suck
errs that follow to prey upon them The
male fish follows depositing the spawn
Oftentimes fierce fights occur between rivals,
tearing each other savagely with their for
midable teeth. Spots where the fish spawn
are easily distinguished The gravel has O
white, shining appearance
A considerable percentage Of the tyhees
die during the spawning season; the rest re-
turn to the sea during October. Every third
year, IN the month Of August, the .humpy
salmon so called from large hump on the
back Of the male, push their way upward
toward head-waters. They don't daily in
the pools like the tyhees, but push forward
into the shallow, swift streams in a business
like manner, for their time is short They
spawn and die, and their bodies line the bars
or lie in great heaps in the eddies, yielding
most offensive odor. The first September
freshet generally sweeps them out, and the
canoe man can breathe fresh air again
The humpy is a small fish, seldom weighing
over ten pounds; the large hump and savage
looking teeth Of the male make him hid
eously ugly; the female is smaller and re-
sembles large trout. They are the poorest
fish that come up the rivers
A MOST ADVENTUROUS FISH.
In October the red also called shook
bills, and pill salmon and dog salmon"
make their appearance simultaneously. Tho
red is rather small, seldom exceeding fifteen
pounds. They arc Of silver color on first
entering fresh water, but as they get higher
up turn beautiful red The red salmon is
q most adventurous fellow, forcing his way
up the little mountain creeks to the base Of
the foothills. Nothing will stop him but a
perpendicular fall. have seen them
along through little creeks no
larger than street cutters, burying them.
selves under sticks or logs and projecting
banks at every sign Of danger.
The larger, but less hardy, dog salmon,
generally succumbs by the end of November,
and their bodies lie along the banks in myri-
ads, tainting both air and water They
form the winter food for large numbers Of
iucks that come up from salt water On
heir first arrival these ducks are excellent,
bu. become fishy, soon making them taste ~
lad as their diet smells.
Wildcats, raccoons, wolves, eagles and
other creatures congregate along the water
courses until the spring freshets clean the
away, and they are forced to the
Hills to seek other food. Hogs, too, Of the
-azor- back and fern-digger varieties, allured
BY the smell, squs..ze through hole in the
'ence and 60 afishing. It is an amusing
light to watch a hog pounce upon a weak
med fish, and bear him struggling to the
,hore.
THE INDIANS As FISHERMEN.
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