The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-10-14
SALMON TIME
Is NOW HERE
HATCERY MEN CATCHING BIG FISH
Institutions Just Across the Columbia
from Hood River Distribute Mil
lions Of Fry Each Year

GUIDED apparently by some instructive
obsesslon in their search for suitable
spawning waters.
Thousands of these great fish. how
ever, will never get beyond the mid.
Columbia for crews of men are now
engaged at the United States govern
ment hatcheries at Hood, Wash, and
at the mouth of the Little White Salm-
on river, both institutions in the south
western part OF Skamania county,
catching hundreds of them daily.
These two hatcheries are but four
miles apart. Although hidden in OBJ
scure indentations in the Columba's s
gorge, where they attract but little at
tention from the general public, they
are annually restocking the streams
with many millions of young fish. The
Hood hatchery last year produced %,
900, 900 young fish. That at the mouth
of the Little White Salmon river has
double the capacity.
1t is salmon time-you would know
this fact were you to approach the
neighborhood of hatchery by the
gathering in of the Indians. During
the spawning season the Indian men
and women gather in by the scores
from miles around. Tons of the fish,
when the eggs are taken by the gov
ernment men, would go to waste were
it not for the presence of the Indians,
who dry them for winter food. Dried
salmon is great delicacy with lndi-
ans. They simply hang the strips of
fish in the brilliant autumn sunshine,
using no smoke or salt, as the white
man prefers his salmon. An Indian
will not touch the kippered fish of his
white brother, if the real article as
cured by the ancient squaws is obtain
able. This latter product is often sold
by the river Indians to the tribesmen
of the more remote regions for rs
cents and 81 pound. 1t is said that il
will keep for years.
Yet a person of the least timidity
cannot eat fish of any kind for months
after a visit to the hatchery IN the
height of the spawning season. The
stencil from drying fish and offa is
very offensive. Strips of the Indian
product, strung from lines, the branch
es of trees and frames erected for the
purpose cover many square yards of
adjoining ground. Old squaws may be
seen indifferently washing the waste
fish and cutting it into strips. Swarms
of flies hover over the scene and buzz
around the shady side of the drying
fish or create worry for the lazy
bucks and their dogs as they watch the
women work. Some of the men, how
ever, it may be added, are industrious.
They secure employment as seiners at
the hatcheries.
As the fish enter the smaller streams
the seining crews of the hatchery are
awaiting them. AS the fish are caught
they are placed in pens. The Hood
hatchery is located on Olsen creek,
small, clear mountain stream. At this
season of the year the dozens of pens
made in the lower portion of this
stream are chockful of the great Chi
nooks One can stand on the banks
above them and watch them working
like hogs at a stockyards. The men in
charge of the spawning work daily de-
creasing the numbers in the pens.
When he is ready to remove the eggs
the spawner takes the female fish in
the gills and with sharp knife Sits
open the stomach. The eggs are placed
in a shallow basin. They are then fer
tilted by milking" male fish over
them. The eggs are then placed in
cans. similar to and about the size OF
an ordinary creamery milk can, in
which they are transported to the
troughs of the hatchery. The eggs
hatch in a period of 60 days.
A hatchery building is very simple;
merely a shed over the tiers of shallow
trough, through which the pure water
constantly runs. But there are thou
sands of the troughs. and toward the
close of each season each trough has
its thousands of little fish.
Little salmon are the worst of canni-
balls. When they begin to feel the
pangs of hunger they hesitate mot in
the least in biting each others tails
off. When once wounded little fish
ends as food for his brothers. And lit
tie salmon, like growing children, must
have plenty of food. To provide this a
portion of the fish from which the eggs
are obtained is cleaned and salted.
But the little fellows thrive better on
a diet of some fresh food and accord.
ingly a portion of the fry is used to
feed the more fortunate members of
the hatchery family who are destined
for distribution.
The Hood hatchery is in charge of
G. Z. Larson. This government insti.
tuition has been in operation for the
past l6 years, and not 100 people of
Hood River have ever visited it, al
though it is less than two miles from
the city. One of Mr.. Larson's helpers
is John Vincent, who owns neighbor-
ing ranch. Mr.. Vincent spends the
spring and summer months engaged on
his small fruit tracts. Protected by
the high gorge on the Washington side
of the Columbia, and getting all the
benefits of the first warm spring sun
shine, the Vincent ranch produces the
earliest Strawberries of the mid -Colum-
bia district. MIR. Vincent is often mar
keting his fruit three weeks before
other growers have begun to pick their
fruit.
The routine work of the salmon
hatchery man obscures the romance of
the Royal Chinook. His task of rear
ing millions of little fish to restock the
stream, to make a livelihood for scores |
Of men and to furnish food for thou
sands of people, as he cOntemplates it
from the bloody scow where he is
the female fish or cleaning
their dead bodies to make food for
their young, may seem a little more
trying than that of most men. The
accepted story of the salmon may
touch no sentiment of the salm on
hatchery man.
1t is said by those who have become
versed in the life History of this great
ish that the female salmon will return
from the ocean in the fourth year of
her life to spawn. 1t is declared that
the great fish seek the very streams in
which they we're hatched. At the close
Of each day at this season Of the year
hnndreds nf Ealmnn come churninp over