Page 4
THE FISHERMAN
October 6, 1953
lr«H>
COPYRIGHT 1953  CARTOONS OF THE M.ONTH
"And now, for my impression of our dear ■>yer returning from another arduous trip
Bowling Notes
Billy Warns Old Hands To Watch Newcomers
By BILLY DONALDSON
Some very good scores were made during the past two weeks at the Garden Bowling Centre. Some of our new players will have to be reckoned with by a few of our best bowlers who still hold the best scores from previous seasons.
There is
one girl, Martha Anderson, who struck up a hefty average in her first three games as can be seen by the records and another newcomer, Mrs. Erie Erik-sen, the other half of our president, is hitting very good scores too. So our players such as Esther Bellas, Helen Smith, Chrissie McMillan and Dot Paulik (nee Dot Gunn) will not need to forget their laurels.
I noticed that Ann Stoppell and Peggy Sanderson, also Pearl Rus-nak, have improved quite a bit (the weaker sex, what a lie). They trimmed the men folk in our bowling league really good on Wednesday, September 23 and you can say it again, I was pleased (I am only writing this for the benefit of our out of town readers of The Fisherman) because the others in town here have a chance to get after me when I try to describe the color of their hair or their wearing apparel, such as skirts, waists, and the unforgettable nylons. (Give me English Bay on a hot summer's day, where there is no argument).
You all know that we had to line up several new players, the reason being that some of the players had transferred their affections to other teams. They are really going simon pure and want to have nothing else but representatives of their various employers. That has not always been done in the .past but I believe it would make stronger competition and keener rivalry.
I have been able to get in touch with Bob Bingham of the B.C. Ice Company and he is very anxious to have a team listed with us but unfortunately the teams have been made up (or listed, I should say) and we can fill in a few spares or change the name of a team.
In closing, I might say that this
CUMMINS DIESEL SALES OF B. C. LTD.
DEPENDABLE DIESELS DIESEL ENGINES 1490 East Georgia Vancouver
season promises to be a very successful one according to the fine sportsmanship that has been shown in the early games. A word of thanks to Miss Esther Bellas who volunteered to take over the job of secretary-treasurer for the coming season. She did a grand job last season.
Standings to September 30
Skylarks ............................ 5 16
Cloverleafs ...................... 4  2 6
Pin Heads ........................ 4  2 6
Gold Seals ........................ 4  2 5
Challengers ...................... 2  4 3
All Stars ............................ 2  4 2
Hy Waves .......................... 0   3 0
Leftovers ............................ 0  3 0
Season's Records Ladies' high three—Martha Anderson, 723 Enid Eriksen, 605.
Ladies' high single—Martha Anderson, 322; Ann Stoppell, 267.
Men's high three—Wilf Baker 663; Eric Eriksen, 651.
Men's high single—Wilf Baker, 262; Eric Eriksen, 256.
Scores for September 30 Ladies' high  average — Martha Anderson, 200; Chris MacMillan, Helen Smith, 186.
Ladies high three—Helen Smith, 601; Esther Bellas, 553; Chris MacMillan, 535.
Ladies' high single — Helen Smith, 219-213; Peggy Sanderson, 216; Gwen Gunn, 213.
Men's high average—Wilf Baker, 211; Eric Eriksen, 207.
Men's high three—Wilf Baker, 663; Eric Eriksen, 651; Geo. North, 582.
Fishermen Have Problems Too
By JEFF CROSS
DISING costs of equipment, fast-" dwindling world markets, overemphasis on "record" catches and grossly overweight competition. These are the present-day circumstances surrounding the lot of the Fraser river fisherman, the Cinderella man of Pacific Coast industry.
Recent stories of mammoth sock-eye catches on the river prompted The Columbian to investigate the seemingly never-satisfied fisherman and his consistent demands for higher prices and better conditions.
Records with the authentic background of the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission proved recently that sockeye runs were nothing if not substantial. Yet dissatisfaction continues to echo through the ranks of the gillnet fishermen, over a thousand of whom call New Westminster their headquarters.
A trip along the river from New Westminster to Steveston, just three days after the peak fishing period described in the annals of the commission showed that the boom was over, the large catches were finished — at least for the time being—and those who had failed to "get in on the run" had missed their chance.
MUST BE ON THE SPOT
The truth is that unless a gill-net fisherman is right on the spot when a school of salmon makes its darting way to the spawning grounds, he is likely to go through the season with only meagre catches and end up on the rocks.
For salmon fishing as a commercial proposition is nothing if not a gamble.
A man may spend all winter preparing his boat and equipment. Then a couple of days before the sockeye arrive, he falls sick, or has an accident or loses half his net to a hunk of floating timber. He loses his season and with it his only chance of making money.
Every commercial fisherman has the gambler's instinct. Each one believes he knows better than the next where and when the next school will make an appearance. He may make his preparations and spend three days near the Rice Mill with just snatches of sleep. Or he will decide that the Sand-heads lightship will provide a better ground and will cast his net there. Or he may decide to spend the whole season in the Queen Charlottes or one of the other isolated fishing areas. He may be lucky—or he may not. He may make several thousand dollars. Or he may lose his shirt.
Gradually things are getting tougher for the commercial fisherman.
The cost of equipment is rising. A gillnet fisherman wilL tell you that his net cost him something like $550-$700 this year, twice
0 The accompanying article appeared in the British Columbian in August and was written by Jeff Cross who covered the Fraser River gillnet fleet in company with UFAWU organizer Harold Wilcox. The article is reprinted because of its general interest and also for the reason that it marks somewhat of a departure from the regular run of newspaper articles which depict fishing as a soft touch with plenty of easy money.
as much as a few years ago. And at least one new one is needed each year. A bit of bad luck and he may need two or three. Even the prices of such small items as primus stoves for the tiny galleys have doubled in price since the end of world war two.
Added to that there is the continued drift of "amateurs" into the professional ranks. Fisheries Department figures show that 1400 licenses were taken out this season for the Fraser river area alone. And it is needless to point out that the greater the number of fishermen, the smaller the catches for each one. CATCH OFTEN SMALL
Any day on the Fraser it is possible to see boats coming in with just two or three small fish aboard, the result of a hard and strenuous day's work. Nor is it unlikely that many will be seen returning completely empty handed.
Commercial fishermen have always been regarded as a poor risk by insurance companies, and therefore when accidents have happened it has often been necessary for the fisherman to quit the river and take up shore employment, a prospect regarded with dread by most men of the river.
The fishermen have thus welcomed the federal government's insurance proposals, which while still not complete, look to be providing some relief for those whose livelihood is lost through no fault of their own.
CHANNEL PROBLEM
The necessity of keeping the main channel of the river free for ocean going ships has also brought a problem for fishermen. Many believe that salmon have the habit of using this channel when fighting their way upstream and so have cast their nets there — often with good results. The »udden arrival of a 10,000 ton freighter on the scene has all too often proved fatal for the fisherman, however, when he has not been able to drag in his net in time and the precious twine or nylon has been severed in half and lost to him for good. For of course a heavy ship cannot be expected to manoeuver in and out of hundreds of tiny fish boats. Even with an experienced pilot aboard, the Fraser is a treacherous stream, and millions of dollars are carried in cargo and passengers in and out of the port of New Westminster annually.
A movement is now going ahead between the Harbor Commission in the Royal City, and the fishermen, through their Union, to keep in constant touch by radio when the latest information regarding the comings and goings of deep-
DINER: "I'll have two eggs, please. Don't fry them a second after the whites are cooked, don't turn them over. Not too much fat, just a little pinch of salt on each, and no pepper . . . Well, what are you waiting for?"
Waiter: "The hen's name is Amy. Is that all right, sir?"
Harbour Boatyards Ltd.
Builders & Repairers
Tugs, Yachts, Fishing Boats, Etc. Machinists — 2 Marine Ways 1 Inside P. STORNESS 3015 Wall Street      HAst. 3706 Vancouver, B.C._
SEE US
FOR YOUR 1954
NYLON GILLNETS
NATIONALLY KNOWN BRANDS.   TOP QUALITY
WE HAVE A SUPPLY ON HAND FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY.
WESTERN MARINE SUPPLY
CO. LTD.
550 POWELL STREET
HA. 5100
G.M.C. MARINE ENGINES
6 cyl. OJrl.V. 93 H.P. to 145 H.P. Everything for Fishermen
Mechanical 6? "BERGE" hydraulic net drum drives
AGENTS FOR GARDNER DIESEL ENGINES
SALES and SERVICE
RAY ADAMS MACHINE WORKS
821 Victoria St. New Westminster Phone 3280
COP: "Have you any explanation for wandering around at this time of night?"
Drunk: "If I had an explanation, I'd have gone home to my wife hours ago."
* * *
THE PLAY had been long and uninteresting. One member of the audience kept mumbling a few words until a woman in an adjoining seat could restrain her curiosity no longer.
"Do you mind if I ask what you're saying?" she said.
"Not at all. It's merely 'I envy my feet'," replied the mumbling one.
"But why?"
"They're asleep."
* * *
"THEY SAY brunettes have sweeter dispositions than Redheads."
"That's a lot of hooey. My wife's been both and I can't see any difference."
OLD-TIME DANCING
to Alf Carlson's Orchestra EVERY MON., WED. & SAT.
Hastings Auditorium
Moderate Rental Rates 828 E. Hastings Vancouver
i i i i i iihi ■ i i ■ i
i Bill Henderson ■ Sam Montgomery
■ i i i i i i i
HA. 4377 = Stev. 63 *
RICHMOND TRANSFER
i Nothing Too Large - Too Small =
\ 425 Alexander St. HA. 6297 = ■ ■ i i i ■ i i i ■ i i i ■ i i i i i i i i i i
i i i ■ t i i i i iii ii i i i i i iii ii
I   GREGORY & REID I
LIMITED |
| "C-I-L" Marine & House Paints | Varnishes - Enamels | | Brushes and Pure Linseed Oils § |ll W. Hastings      PAcific 9828 |
TllllMIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlT
sea ships will be available to gill-netters, so that risk of loss, accident or serious injury can be avoided in the future.
EXPERIENCE NEEDED
But generally speaking the fisherman is a phlegmatic individual. The experienced river fisherman will tell you that it is useless for a beginner to try his hand at commercial fishing without proper instruction. That is why the men have long been advocates of a system of apprenticeship, whereby a newcomer would first serve a period of time on another boat until he h«d learned the "trade" completely.
For instance, a beginner could not be expected to know that nylon nets are generally held to be 50 percent  better  than linen, that
sockeye are more likely to move in on a high running tide with the best time of all about an hour after the tide changes, or that certain waters have a penchant for attracting cohoe yet repel the more tasty sockeye.
Yet the fascination of river fishing continues to attract men of all ages to the possibilities of earning their livelihood by pitting their wits against the fish, the elements and against the vagaries of world economy.
The scores of colored flags which dot the river daily in the fishing season — the green and white of B.C. Packers, the green and orange of Nelson Brothers, the red and white of Canadian Fish, the horseshoe design of Todds, and others—continue to increase year by year.
The lure and attraction of "landing a big one" is not less to these men who do it every day than it is to the individual who sits quietly by a lake or pool, and hopes for success.
Fishing is in a man's blood whether he pulls them in by the hundred, or whether he never lands a thing.
Progress Report Issued On Pink, Chum Tagging
Ferris Neave, in charge of the Nanaimo Biological Station's pink and chum investigation in Johnstone Straits, has issued a progress report, a copy of which was forwarded by him to the United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union.
Results cover the period up to September 25 and Mr. Neave points out that "Since these operations are expected to continue for several weeks, the figures are, of course, incomplete both for fish tagged and for fish recovered. It is intended to issue further reports during the course of the program."
Following are the tagging results to September 25: Fisheries Research Board of Canada Johnstone Straits Tagging Program — 1953 PINKS — RESULTS TO DATE — (Sept. 25, 1953)
Total number tagged ........................................................................ 3385
Total number recovered .................................................................. 946
% recovery .............................................................................. 27.94%
Area 12—Total number tagged ...................................................... 1664
Total number recovered................................................ 496
% recovery ....................................................-.............. 29.80%
Area 13—Total number tagged ...................................................... 1721
Total number recovered .............................................. 450
% recovery .................................................................. 26.08%
Distribution of Recoveries (Areas 12 and 13)
(1) In and near Johnstone Strait ............................................ 522-55.18%
(2) Away from Johnstone Strait ............................................ 329-34.78%
(3) Recovery location uncertain ...................T....................... 95-10.04%
Recovery Location away from Johnstone St. (2)
North of tagging location ...................................................... 19 5.77%
Loughborough, Phillips and Bute In................................... 29 8.81%
Toba ............................................................................................ 13 3.95%
Jervis In., Pender Hbr........................................'................... 71 21.58%
Georgia Strait.......................................................................... 10 3.04%
Howe Sound, Burrard Inlet .................................................. 46 13.98%
Fraser River ........................................................................ 98 29.78%
South of 49th Parallel .......................................................... 43 13.06%
CHUMS — RESULTS TO DATE — (Sept. 25, 1953)
Total numBer tagged .................................................................... 358
Total number recovered .................................................................. 15
% recovery .............................................................................. 4.16%
Area 12—Total number tagged .................................................... 230
Total number recovered .............................................. 13
% recovery............................................................... 5.65%
Area 13—Total number tagged ...................................................... 128
Total number recovered .............................................. 2
% recovery ................................................................ 1.56%
RICHARDS ENGINEERING CO. LTD.
SALES Manufacturers SERVICE
NOW MANUFACTURING JESSOP
RUN- TRU
Patented
FLEXIBLE COUPLINGS
Approved by Dominion Steamboat Inspection
Stops Sound Travel, Vibration and Wear
A Guaranteed Solution to That Misalignment Problem
With or Without Hubs 1/5 to 1500 H.P.
Industrial — Marine — Automotive
1219 RICHARDS ST., VANCOUVER, CANADA MArine 5412 MArine 0027
The coasts of both the Mainland and Vancouver Island are dotted with convenient Imperial Esso Stations ... to give British Columbia fishermen the finest service on Esso Diesel Fuel and Lubricating Oils, Esso and Acto Gasolines, Marvelube Motor Oil, and other high quality petroleum products.
IMPERIAL OIL LIMITED
IMPERIAL
£sso
STATIONS
FOR
BETTER SERVICE
)
IMPERIAL
£sso
SERVICE
1