Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-02-06
ICE FISHING IN THE ARCTIC.
How tho Esquinsrz Provide Their Means or
Living.

Living.
"Wherever there is level field OF
this seasons ice Enclosed by lines OF
hummocks the fish are sure TO be
plenty. such field as this, about
half mile long. practically afforded
n living TO most OF the people in the
village during the season OF 1883. be-
cause That year the ice was very I'M
favorable for sealing and food was
pretty scarce ia the vicinity" says
Forest and Stream. writing on fishing
In the Arctic regions.
The fishing is carried on mostly by
the women and children. though one
or two cd men generally go out aud
one or two OF the younger men. when
they cannot go sealing and food is
wanted at the house. will join the fsh-
ing party.
Each fisherman is provided with a
a long-handed icepick, which he fire.
quently leaves sticking in the snow
near the fishing ground; a long line
made OF strips OF whalebone, recled
leng thwise on a slender wooden shut
TIC about eishteen inches long and
provided with a copper siDker and two
pear-shaped .jiSs' OF walrus ivory.
armed with four barbless hooks OF cop
per. and scoop or dipper male OF
reindeer antlers, with wooden han
Ole about two feet long Hardly an
Esluimau, aud especially no Esqui-
mau boy, stirs out OF the Ia ouse Ia the
winter without one OF those scoops in
his hand. 70 every party OF two or
three will also be gool-sized bag OF
seasllin. generally made OF piece OF
an old kayak cover, for bringing home
tho fish. Arriving on the fishing
grounds each proceeds to pick n no o
through the ice. which is about four
feet thick, clearing out the chips with
the scoop. The .jigs' are then let
down through the hole and enough
line unreeled to keep them just clear
OF the bottom where the fish are play
ing about The reel is held in the
right hand and serves as a short rol
while the scoop is held in the left hand
and used to keep the hole clear OF the
scum oi new i:e. which, OF course. is
constantly forming The line is kept
in constant motion. jerked up quickly
short distance and then allowed TO
drop back so that the little fish that
are nosiug about the white jigs' after
tho manner OF cod fish, are hooked
about the jaw or in the belly.
LAS soon as the fisherman fesls fish
on his hook ne catches up blight OF
the line with his scoop and another
below this with his reel and thus reels
up the line on these two sticks in loose
coils until the fish is brought to the
surface. when sliiliul toss throws him
of the barbless hook on the ice. where
he gives one convulsive flap and almost
instantly freezes solid. Tne elastic
whale bone line Is thrown OF the sticks
without angling and paid out through
the hole again for another trial. l
fish are not found plenty at the frs
hole the fisherman shifts his ground
until he strikes school," They are
sometiines so plenty that they my bc
caught as ,ast rs they can be hauled
up. Ono woman will frequently brin!
in upward OF bushel OF little fish %
they are generally about five or 81!
inches long from a days fishing
This fshiug lasts until about ia
middle Of My when the ice begins I,
soften. a good many are also caugh
along the shore in November in abou
"a foot OF water. when there are no tdC
cracks in the ice At this season III,
Esquamaux use little rod about tw'
feet long with II short line and little
ivory suud, AT which the fish bite"