Catching Fifty-Thousand Salmon in Two Hours on the Fraser River, Canada
1
Catching Fifty-Thousand Salmon in Two Hours on the Fraser River, Canada
By courtesy of THE ANGLO BRITISH COLUMBIA PACKING Co
The first Section of this highly interesting series depicts a panorama view of the river front of Stevenson, B.C., the prosperous town, practically composed of scores of vast "Canneries" of the salmon which are caught in hundreds of thousands annually. These huge structures are built on piles driven into the bed of the river. Scores of fishing boats of the salmon catching fleet are moored to the wharfs and landing stages, and these, with the buildings, form in the background a constant change of panorama as the tugboat (from which this view was photographed), glides rapidly past.
The next Section shows a tugboat towing a fleet of fishing craft down the river, "dropping" one after the other as the salmon "grounds" are reached; after each small boat easts loose, the crew of same hoist sail and begin operations.
The third Section gives a splendid view of one of the many salmon traps in the Fraser River, being emptied of its catch.
These salmon traps are a series of nets strung between piles driven into the bed of the river. The fishermen are seen hauling in these nets and emptying their contents into a seow by various methods; viz., pole or catch net, fork, hoisting nets by hand and steam, &c, until the scow is filled with a squirming, slashing mass of salmon, wonderful to behold.
As soon as a seow is filled, it is towed to one of the Canneries at Stevenson by tugboat, and the next Section depicts such scene.
The fish are finally landed by "chuting" same from the scows into the cleaning sheds of the Cannerie. Here hundreds of Indians are at work, opening, gutting and cutting the salmon into sections, when these latter are put into tin eans, scaled, steamed, labelled, crated and are then ready for transportation to the World's Markets for tinned salmon England drawing her main supply from Stevenson, B.C.
This film reproduces every important phase of the Fraser River salmon fishing industry. The photographic quality is of the best, and the interest is maintained through out the entire length of the film. A unique subject, full of action.
|
 |
| Taking Salmon from the Traps on the Fraser River | Emptying Salmon into Barge on the Frazer River |
URB_1903_11
