Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-01-26
Fishing Grounds Of Green Bay-Mack
mac Trout-Sturgeon.

mac Trout-Sturgeon.
/ Mr.. COVER Having heard otter
among my new associates here, Of
the pleasure ard profit enjoyed by
those who spend the winter fishing
on Green Bay. went out TO see for
myself, last Saturday. in company
with our friend g. G. Archer, who is
teaching over on the Michigan side
Of the Men0minee. Among the fish
erman living out on the ice are sew
eral of my pupils who graduated
from school as soon as the bay trozc
over, 10 commence this winter cam
paign against the Mackinac trout
and in compliance with their request,
went out 10 see how they did il.
After a br 80 walk of some four
miles, through the snow, we were
about one fourth of the way across
the bay, and came in sight of the
shanLes Of the fishers. There were
ABOUT % in all scattered at various
distances, some of them being near
| ly five miles away and among these
were scattered about twice al many
smaller objects that we could not
name. On toiling up to the nearest
Of these we found it to be a fsher>
man with bis outfit. He sat on the
box OF his long handsied, bobbing
his line through hole in the ice,
while be was screened from the keen
wind by q blanket or sail spread up
on poles fastened in his sled. In his
sled box lay the ice chisel, and few
herring and whitef~h for bait
There were no front to be seen.
Ills feet, resting on the ice, were clad
in pair Of 'boot- packs and sever,
al pairs Of socks. He was corpulent
with coats, wrappers, and fiannels,
but evidently very cold. He was
| apparently Swede ana after a short
conversation, in which bis share con-
sisted in shakes OF the head only, we
moved on in search OF my friend.
looking back we saw him running
at full speed, drawing his sled like
vessel under full sail, for the double
purpose Of getting warm and trying
new location. The next sail seem
ed about half q mile away. The
man fishing there proved to be
Frenchman. He didn't know where
any OF my boys were, and coulj not
tell me the street and number Of
their shantes, in that village d" OF
ma Lnficent distances" He was pos
tive on two points only that he
was cold, and had not had q bite
that day. "Well, Archer" said [,
as we moved on, " what will we 90
about this keep on in our schools.
or come out here and fish 2" HIS
reply was indistinot, for tho chatter
ing of his teeth but it sounded very
much like not any FISH in mine,
if you please ! .
So We jourueyed on. At last we
round friend named George who
kindly offered to let me fish for him
awhile | sat 10 the Ice Of his sail
Jerking the line gently up and down,
hoping that one Of the great trout,
that was undoubtedly lying sixty
feet below cycling the bait, would com
plete the circuit and send me dis,
patch on the line, so | might throw
the cord over my shoulder aud run
from the hole, till my prize was
laundering on top Of the ice. This
knew to be the way always prac
iced, to avoid the fish getting off
the hook, butt had no chance to
show George how it was done.
AS soon as we took the line,
George got his feet into his wooden
snow~shoes and started on lively
run, To get warm. These shoes
were the most interesting curiosity
of the day to ma. They are Nor
wegian institution, but adopted by
many of our young Americans Or
ten IN childhood | have seen pictures
Of Norwegians travelling upon them,
but with "a very dim idea Of their
form and use. We at once tried
them on and took our first lesson in
this strange method OF locom9tion.
Without once falling, We soon made
time much faster than walking
These snoworkates were each COM
posed OF single piece Of hard wood,
five inches wide, one inch thick, and
| five feet long. They are turned up
at the toe, and very smooth on the
bottom. The skater does not lift
them at all, but, running his feet in.
TO leather straps and standing on the
shoes, he pushes one before the oth>
er, aud keeps both in motion. letting
neither of them come to q top as the
foot does IN walking On the level
dry snow of the lake they are only
second iD usefulness to a horse and
sleigh, and they require more room
for turning round
At last We found our pupil who
was having his holiday pleasure on
the ice that day, aud had caught a
ten FOUNDER. Bat when | ordered
him to catch another, and lei US see
it done, he disobeyed me as he new
er had done before.
We found the shanty of my two
best Dutch pupils. and Que OF them,
was ut home. We entered his house
(about six feet by nine, and warm.
ed beside his stove. he made us
plenty of tea and coffee, on the
strength of which we were much re-
vived. Cropping under the blankets
in bis bunk, he got out loaf Of
bread for US, saying, "it would
freeze up hard as rock. if ] didn't
keep it IN there, when we're gone"
| did not slight these kind hospital,
ties, as many would. He was well
aware of my fondness for any new
feathered specimen, so be had trap
ped and saved tor me monster sea-
gull, which received with gratitude.
rne bird has since been reconstruct-
ed, and will probably remove to
Grant Co.
On our long journey home, we
found six Indians, spearIng sturgeon,
through the ice. Each one has a
single pointed spear, with pole OF
handle 20 feet long. Lying down