The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-04-15
FISHING SEASON orENs.


Midnight Was the Legal Hour Today
for the First Casting OF Nets.
The fishing season opened at u
o'clock last night and today the river
will present busy scene.
Fish Commissioner Reed was busy
all day yesterday Issuing licenses to
fishermen and he believes that there
will be but few Illegal boats on the
river this year. The risk Of confsca-
tion OF their nets and other gear in
case OF detection In Illegal fishing.
make the fishermen count the cos, and
most OF them are convinced Il Is cheap
er TO obey the law and pay the license
than run any risks. The licensed FISH
ermen favor the rigid enforcement Of
the law and have pledged themselves
10 aid the officers.
One thing fishermen are cautioned
about and that Is the proper number
ing of their boats. Every year the
officers have the same trouble. They
are forced TO run down licensed fisher
men because they are In unnumbered
boats and then release them. thus
causing unnecessary loss OF time and
money TO both officers and legal flsh-
ermen.
Pilots say that II fishermen will use
little judgment In setting their nets
aud will take the precaution TO warn In
time vessels they see coming In or go-
Ing out OF the location OF their nets,
damage will be avoided In almost every
case.
we have no desire to steer a ship
Into net.' said a pilot yesterday,
but nine times out OF ten we don't
know that we are foul OF n net until
we hear II running out OF the boat
and the fisherman voicing a tlnkers
malldlction. A word Of warning In
time would enable us TO change our
course sufficient to miss the net and
We would certainly prefer to do II
than TO damage some poor fellew. Let
them look out bit and we will look
out for them as well.
Fish Commissioner Reed stated last
evening that nearly 500 glll-net H.
censes had been issued thus far. This
number Is exclusive OF the licenses
issued TO individuals. There is every
er, the judgment and predictions OF
old-tlme fisherman being accepted as
n criterion. A fisherman who has been
operating on the lower Columbia for
twenty-five years stated Yesterday
that there would be either a big run
OF fish this season, In his judgment. or
there would be none at ALL When
asked as to which OF the views he
favored, he replied;
You can get n better idea by keeping
tab on the cannery receipts during
the next few days"
II was stated last night that the
cannerles would pay. for all fish Of
fered. six cents. which is the price
decided upon by the Fishermen's I'm
ion. AS usual. the cold storage people
viii probably raise this price by q
fraction, II necessary, but they will in
sist upon receiving the very finest
grades In return for the advance price
offered.
II is understood that the Columbia
River Packers Association win start
the season with opening the Kinney,
Eureka and Elmore canneries. Other
cannerles reported to be ready to start
in as soon as fish are supplied are Nc
Gowan's, Megler's Sanborns Booths
Tallant's and Warren's. II is rumored
that the cold-storage people are not
as antagonlstic as might be supposed,
and there is good reason to believe that
when some Of their representatives cir
culated the rumor that any old price
would be paid in order to secure fish,
they were wearing large-sized SOM
breros with hole in the top.