The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1899-09-14
Puget Sound Salmon.

Puget Sound for several weeks. and the
word is to the effect that ''the catch is
unprecedented. Practically there is nc
season, save that created by the fish them
selves, for if they did not run there
would be no season; but when the sal
mon appear in numbers, then the can
neries steam up. This rule does not apply
to the Oregon fisheries, ON the Columbia
river, or to other river fisheries which are
governed by law and have their open and
closed seasons. This is for the protection
of the fish, in order to prevent extermina-
ton of the species.
In the busy season the Meyers cannery-
a Seattle industry, is we'll worth a visit.
Then thousands of salmon, large and
small, old and young, are daily guilotined
by Bret Harte's cunning "Heathen Chi
nee, who knifes his victim as stolidly as
he eats him when he has chance The
scene at this period is one of great activity.
Like Phil Armour's pig, which is knitted,
dressed and hung in the curing room
while bis dying refrain still fingers on the
stock yard air, the salmon is caught,
quartered and cooked almost contempor-
aneously with the last flap of his tail At
times like these, when the utmost activity
and quick work is necessary, human
mechanism and the steel and iron machin-
cry are expected to work very closely in
unison.
MAKE hay while the sun shines,' and
make hay they do in these busy quarters.
To see the daily arrivals Of fish in the
cannery and their mysterious disappear
ance into cans, the aggregate would appall
the novice, since the depopulation of the
waters of our great food fish would ap-
pear to he imminent The spectator thinks
little Of the source of supply-the bound
less Pacific, where they grow in countless
legions, or Of the simple running streams
which they breast far up to their source
up among the snowclad mountains, hun
dreds of miles from their native main-up
where the torrents dash themselves into
cataracts and cascades-up into the crys-
taline streams pure and cold. there to
spawn and many to die from exhaustion
there where myriads of their progeny find
a birthplace, which they very soon desert
for the restless waters of the angry deep.
Eastern sportsmen have as yet learned
little of Puget Sound as among the best of
fishing grounds, and comparatively few Of
them have had experience here. Many
local sportsmen and others, who may fish
for need and profit, are daily seen upon
the bay while the salmon are running. Y
Many of them use thick bamboo poles
with reel as large as a baking powder can,
aud cord strong enough to check the mad
career of the king of salmon-the Royal
Chinook.
Trolling for salmon is confined to the
silver species, and their ''run' usually
occurs during the month of September.
There are several species of the salmon,
running at different periods during the
summer and fall. An experienced fisher
man, who had battled with all the gamy
fish known in this latitude, says it requires
more skill and practice to land a good
sized salmon than any other fish he has
ever encountered
my experience, said he, with sal
mon has been exclusively contined tc
Elliott bay, and have had more pleasur-
able sensations in this line, | honestly
believe, than any other man in Seattle.
have made quite study of salmon fishing,
and once you are master of the art, anxiety
on the subject of landing your salmon is
gone and only the question of how long
the SPORT will last remains. Instead OF
wondering whether he viii break your line
or hooks-whethe he will pull you out of
the boat, or you will pull him in, you
devote yourself to enjoyment. The strain
and the experience to the angler who cares
more for the pleasure than for the meat,
is simply intense. This firm jerk you feel
at the end of your 200 feet Of line sends
and no fever stricken victims pulse beats
more rapidly than mine, venture to say,
when know my salmon is hooked. There
is no mistaking the telegram which trem-
bles along the line, for it sends to you the
size Of your game. If the fish be medium
size. he at once comes to the surface and
leaps five or six feet in the air, and what
sight that is, as his coat of silver mail
sparkles on with the intensity of an cleo
trio light under the rays of the sun. Do
not wonder that while your ten FOUNDER
is gyrating in the air, his head shaking
rapidly while his body describes the arc
of circle, that the amateur is over
whelmed by the sight and loses his head
and oftentmes his fish,
1.-THE large salmon rarely if ever leaps
| in the air when first hooked. His first in
tention is to run right down to the bottom,
no matter how deep, and there sound. y
You must give him the line and hold it as
tightly as possible, and under no circum-
stances give him slack, for your prisoner
is fighting for liberty and he may dis
engage himself; but now he rises rapidly
to the surface, moving with the tide.
Give him the reel and work it quickly,
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