San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-02-23
FISHING IN THE ARTIC.
When the Fish are Pulled They
Instantly Freeze Solid.

| lhStahtty S
| Forest and Stream.
Wherever there is level field OF
this seasons ice inclosed by lines OF
hummocks, the fish are sure to be
plenty. Such field as this about
half q mile long, practically Afforded
living to most of the people in the
village during the season of 1888, be-
cause that year was very unfavorable
for sealing, and food was pretty scarcs
In the village.
The fishing is carried on mostly by
the women and children, though one
or two old men generally go out t,
and one or two of the younger men,
when they cannot go sealing and food
is wanted at the house, will join the
fishing party.
Each fisherman is provided with a
longhandled ice pick, which he fire.
quently leaves sticking in the snow
near the fishing ground, a long line
made OF whalebOne, reeled leDgthwise
on q slender wooden shuttle about
eighteen inches long and provided
with q copper. sinker and two pear
shaped jigs of walrus ivory, armed
WlOh louI Vol ulOSb h0Ohb vi I,
and q scoop or dipper MAIDS of reiu-
deer antlers, with wooden handle
about two feet long Hardly an Es-
quimaux, and especially no Esqui-
maux boy stirs out Of the house In the
winter without one of these scoops in
his hand. To every party of two or
three there will also be q good sized
bag of sealskln, generally made of q
piece Ofan old KAYAK cover, for bring
ing home the fish. Arriving at the
fishing grounds each proceeds to
pick hole 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 to Keep them just clear
of the bottom where the fish are
playing about. The reel is held In
the right hand and serves as q short
rod while the SCOPE is held in the
left hand and used to keep the hole
clear of the scum of new ice which, of
course, is constantly forming. the
up quickly q chort distance and then
allowed to drop back, 80 that the
little fish that are nosing about the
white jigs after the manner of Goldfish
are hooked about the jaws or in the
belly.
AS soon as the fisherman feels
fish on his hook he catches mp bite
Of the line with his scoop and another
below this with his reel, and thus
reels, up the line on these two sticks
loose coils. until the fish is brought
the surface, when q skilfull toss
slows him off the bareless hook on
he ice, where he gives one convul-
i've flop and instantly freezes solid.
the elastic whalebone line is thrown
of the sticks without tangling and
said out through the hole again for
mother trial. If fish are not found
plenty at the first hole the fisherman
shifts his ground until he strikes
school. They are sometimes so plen-
ry that they may be caught as fast as
they can be hauled up. One woman
will bring in upward of bushel of
little fish-they are generally about
five or six inches long-from q single
days fishing. This fishing lasts until
the middle Of May, when the ice be-
gins TO soften. A good many are
caught along the shore In November
in about foot of water, when there
are no tide cracks in the Ice. At this
season the Esquimaux use little rod
about two feet long, with a short lir Q
and a little ivory squid, at which the
fish bite.