Some False impressions Corrected by a Fisherman
By Magnus Nordstrom
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A considerable amount of mis
understanding dm- to the Bureau
of Fisheries in ’ heir iemulations
for catching king salmon and
cohoes with hook and line. Tj: '
Alaska Troilers’ Associat ion li is
tried to make corrections with
out success; in fact their sug
gestions seem to have been ignor
ed altogether.
In this article I shall endeav
or to explain how there is no
comparison with the type of gear
we troilers are using with other
types of gear used in catching
salmon in Alaska.
Everybody knows that catch
ing salmon by trolling is done
with hooks and lines. We troil
ers have no way of compelling
the salmon to take our hooks.
We are just trying to fool the
salmon, but instead of fooling
the salmon, we are often the
iAoled.
The English satirist, Jonathan
Swift, two hundred years ago,
gave the right definition of an
gling-—“A hook and line on one
end of the rod and a fool on the
other.”
The troller’s method of catch
ing salmon with hook and line
has no interference with traps,
seines, or gill nets. During the
regular trolling season (from the
month of May to November) the
trolling is done mostly on the
outside waters. Of the thou
sand miles of the coast line of
Alaska, we are only trolling from
Dixon Entrance to Cape Spencer,
a distance of two or three hun
dred miles. There are two kinds
of salmon that we trollers catch,
the king salmon and cohoes.
Very little is known concern
ing the habits of king salmon It
is commonly believed that the
king salmon we trollers catch
are just feeding along the coast.
Mr. Henry O’Malley claims that
they helon? to the Columbia Riv
t r. meaning that restrictions
must be placed upon Alaska
trailers. But he forgets that
there are no restrictions placed
upon trolling on tiie whole coast
of British Columbia and upon
Die Cape Flattery trailers whose
gear the king salmon must es
cape before the salmon reaches
the Columbia River.
In regards to the cohoes, very
little percentage is caught by the
trailers in proportion to the oth
er types of gear. As soon as the
cohoes reach the inside waters
and salmon streams, we trailers
aie not able to catch them be
cause they quit feeding.
These facte make if ridiculous
for Mr. O'Malley to place any re
strictions on Alaska trailers—the
regulations are ineffective with
out similar regulations in Brit
ish Columbia, even if we were to
grant that the king salmon be
longed to the Columbia River.
But when a joke becomes a se
rious matter, then it is time that
we all set politics and creeds
aside and face the facts as they
are. I am r>ot speaking for any
personal gain? by relieving these
restrictions on trolling. I am
speaking on behalf of the resi
dents of Alaska, who have in
vested in trolling boats and gear
every cent they have and then
some. Residents of Alaska who
are trying to support a family
with their income from trolling.
Before the year 1929, the week
ly closed period, and also certain
inlets closed to commercial fish
ing were already effective on
trollers without objection from
the trollers. La~t year, more re
strictions were placed upon the
trollers. We were prohibited
from trolling with power boats
during the months of January,
February and March.
We took the matter up with
the Bureau of Fisheries through
our Delegate to Congress, the
Hon.. Dan Sutherland. We stated
the difficulties we were operat
ing under. Later on more re
strictions were placed upon the
trollers.
First the trailers proposed sub
stitutes for winter closing.
Then Behm Canal was closed
for trolling during the months of
May and June.
Then additional closing on
trolling from August 24 to Sep
tember 30 was made effective.
The reason given by the Bu
reau of Fisheries for closing
trolling from August 24 to Sep
tember 30 was that they said
many of the trollers go to the
streams with nets during the fall
season to catch cohoes.
The Bureau seems to argue
that by prohibiting fishing al
together, no violations occur. We
maintain that the violations of
law are very few in number con
sidering the large number of
trollers there are. Would the
Bureau of Fisheries close down
ail seining because a few seiners
violate the law? Or all trap
fishing because trapmen violate
the law? Why not continue
the same patrol that protects the
fish stream during the seining
and trap fishing season and thus
permit the law abiding troller
to make his honest living instead
of shutting down the season and
making the honest troller suf
fer with the dishonest one?
The sea-lions which are pro
tected by the Bureau of Fish
eries eat more salmon than all
that are caught by the trollers
during the closed season. The: