Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1889-01-04
WINTER FISHING.
HOW 1T is CARRIED ON IN
FROZEN LAKES AND RIVERS
The Outfit Required and the Way
of Catching the Fish Described
The Indian Way - Cut
ting Holes in the Ice.

cannot be cast upon the water aud the
gilded spoon can no longer be trolled
beneath It's surface to lure the credulous
fish to its doom, yet fishing through the
ice remains.
mdr1fy -snialr i.n6s III Z ifIerent sections
of the country are well stocked with
pickerel, and these gamey fish afford ex
cellent sport. They are hungry fish,
always ready to bite, and once hooked,
make a stubborn fight before they sur
render. The method of their capture is
not difficult. Learned originally from
the primitive dweller by the lake shores
the dusky Indian-it has been i'm
proved upon by the arts of civilization
and is now popular sport through the
Eastern and Middle States. 1t has also
many followers in the West. The few
Indians remaining in Wisconsin and
Michigan still fish in their own way, and
earn good living from the sale of their
captures to white men who ship them to
Milwaukee and Chicago markets. They
cut a hole of about eighteen inches in
diameter in the Ice, and build rough
house of boughs over the spot. The
house is intended to make it dark at the
opening in the ice. The Indian pro-
vides himself with rough iron spear
and live minnow attached to a string
He then lies fat on the ice. The min
now attracts the larger fish, but before
they can close their Jaws on it, the spear
descends and the fish is captured. The
Indians get only two and three cents
pound tor the fish, but they frequently
make dollar day
10 L 6
rods, reels, leaders, flies and nets-is
not required for the winter sport The ex-
pense OF an elaborate outfit is accordingly
saved, and as the fnesse of the anglers
art-the casting of the fy-is not elm
ployed, those who are not experts, can
en- oy the sport. The apparatus neces-
sary consists of about forty short lines,
provided with strong hooks, and at
tached to reel made out of piece of
wood. Then tip-up is required for
every line that is to be set This is the
contrivance that signals the fisherman
when fish is caught.
There are dozens of ways of making
tip-ups. Every old fisherman thinks he
knows q little more about them than
anyone else, and will take great pains to
inform every novice jus how the tie ups
should be made. One Of the oldest and
most popular methods is to place round
stick flat on the ice and so that it reaches
across the hole. Then cut a stick with
crotch in it. One limb of the crotch
should be six inches long and the other
twelve inches long. Attach the line to
the longer one and place the shorter so
that it will tit over the cross stick with
its butt resting on the Ice and having a
red rag tied to it to serve as flag When
there is a bite the flag goes up and no.
tifes the fisherman.
Another device is made out of half
inch pine board. A piece eighteen inches
long and tapering from three inche:
wide at one end to one inch wide at the
other is cut out. A three quarter inch
hole is bored in the piece of wood about
eight inches from the small end, small
stick is passed through the opening as ii
is placed across the hole in the ice. The
bait is then attached to the small end.
A bite tips up the larger end, which ma y
be painted red, so that it will the
more readily attract the eye of the fish
erman. A good way to tell when the
minnow is on the hook aud alive, is tc
attach cork or small piece of wooC
to the line where it enters the water
The minnow will keep this bobbine
around the water as long as he is al
right, but if hungry pickerel carries
him off the cork will not move.
Fishing parties are made up in nearl,
all of the towns and smaller cities tha
are in the vicinity of any lakes in which
Dickerel or rock bass abound. If tn
distance from the lake IS more than few
miles, the party starts one day in ad
vance and puts up at some convenien
hostelry. The fishing is not attempted
until ice four or five inches thick ha
formed, as an involuntary bath on colo
day is not included in the sport. A still
day, whether it is clear or cloudy, i
preferable to q windy one.
Operations at the lake are commenced
at daylight. The party are warmly clad
Strong leather boots, heavy suit o
wool goods, fur cap and pea JACKIE
make good rig. A fire of dead branche
and old rails is built at a convenien
place on the shore, and one of the part
left in charge The others take axe
and proceed to the ice. Cutting tn
holes is no easy task, especially if the ic
is very thick.
Unless some member of the party i
familiar with the haunts of the fish il
the lake selected, local fisherman
employed to act as guide. The bes
places usually lie from fifty to hundre,
wards from shore, and where the dept
of the water ranges from ten 10 twent
feet. The mouths of small coves an
positions opposite the outlets of creek
are good fishing grounds
The holes in the ice are cut in
straight line parallel with the shore,
the shore is regular or ross the bay
and ooves, If the shore is irregular.
long row of hoes in single live, or tw
or three shorter rows side by side are Gu
according to the locality, and to tn
gradual or rapid increase in depth of tn
water. The holes are square, and froI
ten inches to one foot across. The dis
lance apart should not be less than fl
4een feet and twenty feet is better. On
man can attend to from thirty to fort
holes. unless the fish are very numerou
and hungry then he will need helpt
IN halt the hooks while he takes OIL th
captures.
IN four inches in length. They al
caught by the thousands in the fall b.
fore the lakes and streams freeze an
kant in tanks in the cellar until the
are wanted for the ice fishing. Some
4he more enthusiastic fishermen ha1
elaborate arrangements for keeping IL
bait and have supply on hand at a
times of the year. The lines are abo'