The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-29

| of the river the tide governs, and there
! is no choice Some of the larger fish
i break the threads. though the nets are
made of the strongest naX. IL Is usually
possible 10 tell when large Chinook has
| been ''giled," and the fisherman hastens
! TO gaff the FISH IL his boat Is near, for
a large salmon is often worth from So
TO So, and represents the prohts OK the
| day.
Sometimes a big sturgeon will hit the
net and then the fisherman Is likely TO
| have some large holes TO mend. Hidden
snass and floating brush and logs are
| also the enemies OF the fisherman Oc,
| casIonally net strays into the central
| channel which is supposed to be Kept
open. and gets wound up in the pro-
peller or the paddlewheel of a large boat.
Lucky Is the fisherman then " the profits
of good part OF the season are not
wiped out almost in an instant. The
central channel is often such good
fishing ground, however that the darihs
fisherman sets his net low and takes the
chance.
The gill-nctter must he out in all kinds
OF weather and his small boat affords lit-
tie protection from the heat of the sun
or the piercing wind or driving rain.
storms come up suddenly off the mouth
Of the Columbia and there Is an anxious
period in hundreds of fisher homes. Never
n nshing season passes but that lives
are lost, and sometimes n whole heet
OF boats Will escape almost miraculously.
float far out to sea and stay on tho
water for long periods of time. eating
and sleeping In his rocking boat as IL
floats out with the tide or is sailed back
There IS n temptation also TO fish dur
Ing the closed season, since all or the
fish taken at this time represent clear
profit, II the floating net Is found by the
river patrolnan il iS promptly couhs-
Gated and the fisherman given chase II
he is seen. Fisherman luck on the Col
umbia is very uncertain. Some days not
single salmon will be caught but a
good day may bring from $40 to SlOo'
The sillnetter Will most often earn oe-
tween $1,000 and $4,000 season in these
DAYS OF high prices paid for all OF the
salmon that can be delivered To the can
nery-for the modern cannery Will never
refuse fish, though the Chinese workers
may be forced TO labor practically all OF
the time during the height OF the salmon
run The fisherman may engage In other
kinds OF work during a part OF the year,
if he chooses, since the season lasts only
about six months. He usually remains
specialist. however making new nets
and idling his time during slack sea-
son. The days OF idleness find many
most certain TO be his II he does faith
full work so the fisherman usually ac-
cumulates little wealth.
On the upper Columbia many OF the
gillnetters own farms or small orchard
tracts and have thelr comfortable dry
land homes. Many a fisherman and ian-
lily live in houseboats or comfortable
shacks built on large scows. The scoW
be ShifteG ABOUT TO lOilp" lllSll
work. and living is thus. cneapened. since
the rents of the city are avoided and
wood and water are free Tor the TAX
ing.
Columbia river is by means OF traps
Bakers Bay. on the Washington side. is
a fayorltc place for this form OF fish
snare. and more than 400 traps may be
counted here In. group. The trap IS
found In the more shallow water where
gillHets and seines do not operate: Ihe
form OF this kind of salmon snare is well
enough indicated by the name. Long
arms of pilnes stretch out into the cur
rent at an angle, and on these are
stretched strong net. The arms ot
pilings converge and lead the salmon
along until they find themselves through
n small funnel, from which there is no
egress in a square or round enclosure
which is filed with a sort Of hugh dip
water and the f1sh scooped into the
launches which visit IL at regular inter-
walls.
These traps are enormously profitable
when we'll located. The average OF them
will cost about $1,000 TO place, and after
that they are little care. They demand
no labor TO maintain. excepting the
launchman who hauls their catch TO the
cannery. AT times 1t is found profitable
10 have them carefully guarded. for 1t
Is a very easy matter TO transfer boat
load OF from two 10 FIVE dollar salmon TO
another nearby trap or to the boat OF
that they often make, and the fact that
they employ almost no labor. the trap is
very unpopular with the gllnetters, who
must risk their lives daily when they fol-
low their drifting nets far out TO sea,
and who must faithfully work for every
salmon that they ensnare.
Some of the most profitable trap hauls
have been made in the Puget Sound sec
tlon, where the salmon come in great
crowded schools every fourth year One
trap in this section Is reported TO have
caught $50 tons OF fish In one setting,
and another 100 tons during the fishing
season, At times these traps are filled
so quickly that some OF the fish are
crowded entirely out OF the water.
AT favored spots for almost 200 miles
along the Columbia seining crews may
be seen at work, This is the third
method OF catching the Columbia river
salmon, and involves a large initial eX-
pensc. Seining points are but few in
number. due TO the eXacting condition
demanded. There must be n stretch Of
at least quarter or half mile OF shall
| low water with comparatively level bot
| tom, and this bottom must be cleared
OF all snags, sometimes at cost Of
! thousands OF dollars. Not the least part
| of the expense, very often. is securing
! control of the shore lands SEEMING