The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-01-25
SALMON SLAUGHTERED.
Enormous Catches Made in the
Hudson Straits.
Where Some of the Finest Fish in the
World Are Taken by the Thou
sands - Peculiar Method
Employed.

IF to see how the magnificent salm-
on Of the Pacific coast are caught
almost takes the heart out of the man
who loves to cast the fly for these
.sil.Gly fish, he would lose it entirely
Il he venture to Ungava bay, in Upper
Canada and see how they capture
salmon there" said a former agent of
the Hudson Bay company to a New
York Sun man.
1t was only few years ago that
tho possibilities of the south coast of
TnGava bay and Hudson straits in the
way Of salmon and lake trout fishing
we're discovered, and to say that they
70 row being worked for all they are
'3rth is putting it mildly. The salmon
i that high latitude are undoubtedly
re finest il the world. They are FUR
caor north than any other salmon
aiken on this continent, and the lower
nc tempe rature OF the water the bet
ter salruon are. The Restigouche, or
any Of the salmon of the st. Lawrence
b IL, are far superior TO the Oregon
s2lE,"ll, and The Hudson straits salmon
2re a5t as much superior to the Resti-
gou@he fish. Besides the salmon the
s.@1ars Of the Hudson strait coast TEEN
vita It deep-sea trout which has not its
like on the face OF tie globe.
but the method adequate for catch
ing these fish is just as peculiar as the
fish themselves are, and it is doubtful
If salmon or trout fishing is done in the
anne way elsewhere. The coast of
hudson straits is indented by thou
,-:lis Of snail bays and estuaries, and
Any rivers traverse it to the bay. At
low tide there is little water in any of
these inlets, but at high tide the water
rushes up into them for long distances.
The tides rise twenty-five and even
fifty feet. At high tide, in the salmon
nd trout running seasons, these fish
'il0W with the water into the BAYS
.nd rivers as fast as the tide goes, and
warm back with il when it Gibbs. /
ave seen the smaller rivers, streams,
or rather stream beds. one hundred feet
wide. actually choked from shore to
ahorc with the biggest salmon man
ever saw struggling upward with the
tide
Il Is Lot more than eight or nine
ears ago that the first attempt was
l2d2 10 establish fisheries there on a
rgc scale. Drawing seines was i'm
')si'!e, and the fish wheels of Oregon
ycr4 impracticable. SO a simple but
z9eed;ngly effective trap was intro
1ccl. II was not original with the
simon fishermen, the idea being
.orrot'ei from the porpoise fishermen
ii liudson bay. Immense nets were
madr from the largest and strong> t
twins aHd of length and depth to suit
ne inlet to be fished. At low tide
- a'"' "fe set ct the mouths of the
Days or lnlets, ana the top Of the net is
haui2.i to The bottom SO as to offer no
55s,F;;oii@n TO the water or fish as they
'ass Upward with the rising tide Just
ainre the tide turns the line holding
~ iic1tcf side of the net to the
'eherad side Is drawn out. The
- Instantly rise to the surface and
i.sl; Is Get. When the tide coracs
Is l.s>l ere stationed sbave the nets
'a 0'l5.a,2ce, ;sl.l with poles and
-ai seat thH water ana make noises
Farl kinds. This is to keep the
ie7t 20 y OF fish from pressing upon
--9 act at CAGE, and rs the fish are ex
ac<'ingiy tinlid they rush back I'D
.iy:.i.: by the thousand. and will
actually be Left on the dry land bv the
reeet'i''sg tide, SO panic stricken 90 thew
2ecafas al the noise made by the men.
Whom the tile has goae out, the dry
a2Iia OF the inlets will be piled with
olla upon teas OF salmon or trout. Not
alinon and trout, for both kinds are
ever found IN the same inlet In one
se Trap may secure fifty or one hun
red tons CT salmon at a run. while tho
's->t estuary below the catch will he
reut have seen ten thousand salm-
"a taken 81 one haul
i haze seen the marvellous salmon
runs OF the Oregon rivers. but thew are
10 comparison to the tremendous
FDshes OF those Hudson straits fish
II may be that II the latter had biz
fresh water rivers to explore thew
woul.l not be massed SO thickly alonp
the coast, but the channels they seek
are not sufficient to let them all in. If
the salmon supply of the world else
where should ever become exhausted.
lt can be replaced easily by the fish of
those great northern waters. A thou-
sand big vessels could take on cargoes
OF salmon and trout there every season
without yisibly lessening the supply,
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