DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES,

50
year. In accordance with the instructions regularly given me by the Superinten.
dent, I kept down the expenses as much as possible.
Eo Parent Salmon Uollected.
In the month of August last I wrote to the Department for instructions about
the capturing of parent salmon, and was informed that it was not the intention of
the Department to capture any salmon on the Tobique the present season, and that
this hatchery would be supplied with ova from the Bistigouche, but up to the present
time 1 have not received a supply of eggs.
Some good results from the Hatchery.
With regard to the progress that has been made in replenishing some of the
rivers with salmon and some of the lakes with salmon.trout and whitetish, I beg to
say that the good results are very apparent, although the time has been rather too
short as yet for the full development of the salmon-trout and white-fish; still a
sufficient proof has been obtained to show that these fish are gro ving an doing well
in the places where they have been planted. Mr. John Stewart, Superintendent of
the New Brunswick Railroad, has stated that he has caught some very fine specimens
of the salmon-trout in Skiff Lake, and he is much pleased with the experiments of
stocking these waters, and he has been making inquiries for further supplies of fry.
My own sons have caught a few beautiful salmon.tr out in the basin below Grand
kalls. These are no doubt the growth Irom fry turned out two years befote. Information
has been given also by some fishermen that a fine lot of salmon-trout were
taken in the Williamstown Lake. Dr. McOrea, of Lakeville, has interested himself
very much in getting this lake stocked. As regards the improvement in the salmon
fishing in the St. John and Tobique Rivers, and their tributaries, it is admitted on all
sides and by every class of fishermen, tourists, and residents that the run of salmon
in the Tobique was good the East summer and that it has improved one-half within
the last two and three years, and that angling has been excellent. As a proof of this
statement the Local Government has leased the Tobique waters for a term of five
years to a company for fly fishing. This has caused a great deal of jealousy towards
the lessees by the settlers; the latter finding that the salmon were getting more
plentiful, anti the fishing improving, were not disposed to allow what they considered
their rights to be infringed upon by strangers, and serious difficulties arose which
resulted in the murder of the wife of an American angler by one of these lawless
poachers last season.
A few yeats ago, before artificially, bred salmon were planted in the Tobique, rn
person would give five cents for the privilege of fly fishing in it, but now a handsome
rental is paid for angling in it All along the St. John River in the Counties.
of Carleton and York, anti the lower sections of Victoria County, net fishing has
improved wonderfully within the last few years, or at least since the stocking of them
with fry had begun from this hatchery; and a very different kind of salmon is said
to be taken. Some say these are the result of the California fry put in the river.
All of the above improvements are to be attributed to the artificially raised fish put
out from this establishment, The beneficial results arising from the planting of
these young fry are visible on every hand. In travelling by canoes on the Tobique
and other rivers you can observe great numbers of young salmon on all gravel beds,.
sand bars and shoals, if it were possible to protect these rivers as they should be
against poaching and overfishing for a few years, until the young fish got a better
chance to grow and multipiy, I think the salmon fisheries of the St John waters
would be second to none other in the Province. It wrnld, therefore, scorn to be a1mos
a necessity that, the Fisheries Department should keep this nursery properly filled
with ova hereafter.
There are a considerable number of salmon yet caught throughout the wholelength
of the river every year for home consumption, but no reliable record is ever
kept, or rendered officially of the quantity, as the fishermen are opposed to giving
any information that can be relied upon. In conclusion, I may state thai the neoes-