The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-05-25
How Indians Fish.

The two Indians were gong TO show
| MS their method of catching trout and
salmon. The stream runs between
steep mountains, is very rocky and the
current quite swift. The water was
icy colo and clear as crystal. 1t was
alive with small trout and the big holes
| were we'll filled with salmon, or salmon
| trout, ranging from 5 to II pounds.
How / did ache for my split bamboo,
which had foolishly left down in the
valley. These fish, from the smallest
to the largest, would take the fly or any
kind of bait readily. Steiger proved
this by losing fly hooks to two or the
big fellows. but he captured a nice lot
of the smaller ones, ranging from half
| a pound down. He stopped when he
had enough. but / verify believe Eve
hundred could easily be taken in a day
by the industrious and INSCRIPTIONS
trout-hog. The Indians were fishing
for themselves and OF course we could
ular methods Of taking all the fish in
their power, which they salt aud dry for
future use. While not sportsmanlike,
IL was decidedly interesting.
They first select suitable hole with
nsh enough to be an object. In this
case it was about two hundred yards
long, thirty feet wide and varying in
depth to ten feet. At the bottom, laz!-
ly swimming around were a number OF
big Ssh. From a sack Johnnie pro-
duced two light gill pets. which were
stretched across the stream about forty
yards apart. Then he produced the
tips OF spear, which were bound to a
strong willow pole. These tips when
thrust into fish come off the pole, but
are held by buckskin strips. Now we
are ready for business Rocks are
thrown into the water and the startled
fish dart about, and in a moment the
floats OF net are jerked violently under
the water The fish wrIthes ana twists.
tangling himself up hopelessiy and is
soon taken out by his dusky cGptors.
Sometimes a heavy fish would break the
net and escape, but not often. After a
number had been caught this way the
frightened fish hid under the rocks and
suiked. Then the spear came into play.
several being taken. On receiving the
barbs they would struggle violently,
and being haIled out by main strength
and awkwardness would make a good
fight.
Most of the big fish had now taken
refuge under large rocks ir the deepest
part, and were clear out of sight. Then
one OF the Indians stripped off and with
small net, eighteen inches IN diane
ter, in the mouth of which was bent a
willow pole. making it resemble tie or
dinary landing net, he slipped quietly
into the almost freezing cold water and
disappeared under large rock. 1 held
my breath in amaZement, and after he
Lad been under nearly a minute, l con-
clUded he had drowned. But. no ::
away down dark mass came slowly
out, and quickly rose TO the surface.
With snort his head popped up. while
in the net under his arm a twelve
pound Ash was struggling. He crawl
ed out shivering and after a sun bath
was ready for another plunge. Along
the bank for thirty feet was a shelving
rock under which several fish had taken
refuge. Propelling himself along frog
fashion, the Indian cleared it out at
one dive, catching one fish and driving
out the rest.
Thus they keep at work, until, after
about three hours work, not a fish was
left in the hole that would weigh as
much as pound. They caught about
four hundred pounds of these fish on
this trip. During the height of the
fishing season the Indians from the
reservation visit this streams by tripes.
and for miles entirely clear the river of
fish. They are also quite expert with
hook and line, using venison for bait.
Mr.. Steiger presented one of them with
a number Of handsome fly hooks. He
looked at them in a comical way, then
took out his knife and deliberately
trimmed the fly off clean, saying that
he didn't care for any of those new
tangled fxin's venisou was good
enough for him.