Seining for Salmon at the Mouth of the Columbia - c. 1900

Seine fishing is a traditional way of taking salmon from the Columbia. When early settlers arrived here they found the Chinook people using seines made from wild grasses or fiber from tree roots.

Commercial use of seine fishing was in use as early as 1877, and lasted until it was outlawed by Washington in 1934 and Oregon in 1948.

Seining involved using horizontal nets with floats on the top line and wieghts on the bottom line. At first seines were hauled in by hand, as shown in this circa 1900 view, but by 1895 horses began to be used to provide the muscle power to pull in the seines.

-- This photo is restored and printed by Old Oregon.