The Delta independent., 1891-03-24
FISHING THE ARCTIC.
When the Fish re Pulled Out They Ia.
stantly Freeze Solid.

"hen the rhn re Pulled Out They IN.
stantty Freeze Solid.
Wherever tn are is level field of
this seasons ce inclosed by lines OF
bummocks TIN fish are sure to be
plenty, says Fl orest and Stream, speak
ing of fishing in the Arctics. Su ch n
field as this, about half mile long,
practically af forded a living to most OF
the people in the village during the
season OF l! 1873, because that year the
ice was YER unfav0FHDIe IOr seafinE
and food ws svery scarce in the village.
The fishin g is carried on mostly by
the wo mel and children, though one
or two old. men generally go out and
one or w'o of the younger men, when
they eau not go sealing and food is
wanted ut the house, will join the fish.
ing part y.
Each fisherman is provided with a
long-hanadled ice pick, which he fre-
quently leaves sticking in the snow
near the fishing ground, long line
made of strips of whalebone, reeled
lengthwIse on a slender OGDEN shuttle
about Gig hteen inches long, and pro.
vided W ith II copper sinlter and two
pear-shs. ped ''jigs" of walrus ivory.
armed with four barbless hooks OF
copper. and scoop or dipper made OF
reindee antlers, with a wooden handle
about two feet long. Hardly an Es-
qnimal, and especially no Esuuimau
boy, sirs out OF the house in winter
without one of these scoops in his
and To every party OF two or three
tn ese will also be IL good-sized bag of
see Iskin, generally made OF II piece of
an spd kayak cover. Tor bringing home
the fish. Arriving at the fishing
grou uds each proceeds to pick IL hole
throu gh the ice. which is about four
feet t. 1ick. clearing out the chips with
the s, oop. The .jigs" are then let
down through the hole and enough
line unr eeled to keep them just clear
of the bo tom, where the fish are play
ing about. The reel is held in the
right hand and serves as a short rod,
while the scoop is held in the left
hand and s,'d to keep tho hole clear
OF the scum OF new ice which, OF
course, is constantly forming. The
line is kept in constant motion, jerlsed
up quickly a short distance and then
allowed to drop back, so that the little
fish that are nosing about the white
.jigs," after the manner OF Goldfish,
are hooked about the aw or in the
belly.
As soon as the fisherman feels Il fish
on his hook he catches up blight of
the line with his scoop and anothe,
below this with his reel, and thu
reels up the line on these two sticks
in loose coils until the fish is brought
to the surface. when. u skillful toss
throws him off the oarbless hook on
the ice. where he gives one convulsive
flap and instantly freezes solid. Tho
elastic whaleb one line is thrown of
the sticks without tangling and paid
out through the hole again for anotli-
er trial. II fish are not found plenty
at the first hole the fisherman shifts
his ground until he strikes a
school," They arc sometimes so plenty
that they may be caught as fast as
they can be hauled up. One woman
will bring in upward OF n bushel OF
little iish-they are generally abou.
five or six inches iong-from singln
days fishing. This fishing lasts until
the middle OF May. when the ice be-.
gins to soften. A good many are also
caught along the shore in November
in about II foot of water. when there
are no tide cracks in the ice. At thin
seaaon the Esquimau use little rod
abot,t two feet long. with sh ort line
and u little ivory squid. at which tho
fish bite.