Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-14
THE WAY INDIANS FISH.
A DESCRIPTION OF THEIR CURL
Gus METHODS.
They Cling to the Ways of Their Fore
fsthers-Hooks of Shell, Lines of Bark
and Nets OF Vegetable Fiber.

match containing the finest of fine silk,
carefully braided line, and casts forth three
dainty flies attached to leader of Spanish
gut, it is not strange that his thoughts go
back to the time when the Indian crept
| along the same stream and whipped out
| fine trout from the same pool. A glance
| at his complete outfit of modern make,
| fully in keeping with the civilization of
| the day. leads to speculation as 70 the
tackle the original owner of the hills and
streams used in securing his fish dinner.
The fact is that the Indian was very
able angler. He did not do his fishing for
sport, but to gain food, and he did it well.
| Some idea of the primitive tackle and
methods OF the early days of the country
can be gained from the Indians of the
| northwest coast, who are slow to adopt
| modern apparatus, and even now make
| little substitution for the tackle of 200
years ago except in accepting iron barbs
for the early hooks of shell or lone. The
Indians of the earlier period had TO do
mostly with salt water fish, and depending
| largely upon fish for food were obliged to
| develop the piscatorial art and make big
catches. To put out a hundred set hooks
| and gain a like number OF fish was mat
size of the fish did not bother them, and
| they safely landed immense halibut weigh
| ing as much as $50 pounds.
Salmon were so common in various parts
| of the coast rivers and streams that fish
trap was often used. Sometimes they used
| spears at narrow passages in the river.
OLD FASHIONED TACKLE.
In the Smithsonian Institution report
| for 1889 is an account of the customs and
habits OF the tribes along the coast all the
way to Alaska, and some statements are
made as to their fisheries. While not, of
| course, showing the evolution of modern
tackle which is the outgrowth of the pisca-
torial tendencies OF the seacoast inhabit-
| ants of the Old World, these statements
| prove how efficient even bungling tackle
can be made. The Indians did not catch
fish for pleasure any more than the pygmies
in Africa do now. The Egyptians did, if
the pictures found in the historic ruins are
properly interpreted. Indeed, it is thought
that the. Egyptians were very successful
| anglers, and came pretty near becoming
fly casters.
The Indians of the northwest coast re-
tain their old tackle to this day. The big
hooks obtained from the whites are used
for gatfhooks and as spearheads. The
hooks are traded as other merchandise. A
primitive style of hook used by the Iaida
tribe of the northwest coast is a straight
piece of bone, the shank 4 straight piece of
! wood, and the snood or smell piece of
Whalebone, the smell being attached to the
shank by lashings of bark. In another
style a narrow block OF wood is used with
spike of bone, shell or iron, and a snood
of spruce root or whalebone. in Alaska
Z l.. l. =
At first these were barbed win bone, but
now they are with iron. They are made in
two pieces, each dashed at the joint with
cedar bark, the shanks made in different
designs, supposed to give good luck to the
fishermen. Some are made from the forked
branches of trees, yew and spruce being
generally used In the wood is set the bone,
shell or iron barb. The bait is dashed to
that arm of the hook which carries the
barb, and placed just under it. These are
very strong, and halibut weighing as much
as fifty pounds are caught on them
By steaming and bending q tough piece
of yew branch various shaped hooks are
made. One variety is twisted Just rs
though the shank of long weaNhsh hook
were bent in an oval shape and brought
back SO as to leave little space between the
point of the barb and the long space shank,
and across it a strip of steel is placed upon
which to tie piece of bait
THE HOOK DESCRIBED.
The hook that is used in catching cod
and founders, constructed with the special
purpose of preventing fouling, is described
by Judge J. G. Swan as follows:
",They are made of knots of hemlock
limbs cut out from old decayed logs These
are split in pieces of suitable size and whit
tied to the required shape, and bent by be-
ing steamed into the form which in the
skill hook resembles the longitudinal sec
ton of goose egg. The lower portion OF
these hooks are turned inward to form a
barb, and when not in use the two ends of
the hook are fastened together by piece
of Irvine, which is also used to tie on the
bait The two parts of the hook are sepa-
rated by means Of stick or peg, which the
fish knocks out when he takes the bait,
and the two ends of thu hook close to-
gether and hold him fast. The peg floats
to the surface and indicates to the Indian
that he has caught fish.
THE sinker is another ingenious contri-
vance. 1t is large stone weighing from
twelve to fifteen pounds and smaller one
to serve as tripping stone. The line is
wound around these stones many turns
the parts in the same manner. a signal
officer rolls up flag in a ball and tucks
blight Of ballard under turn which,
when pulled out, sets the flag free. So
when the Indian fisherman thinks from
the number of floating pegs that he has
enough fish, he pulls out the loop of his
line, the stones become loosened and fall
out, and he hauls in his line relieved Of the
weights.
1.-The Haidas frequently put on 100 hooks |
to line, which act like trawl, and so
plentiful are the black cod that often from
fifty to seventy-fve are hauled in ct one
time. The bait used seems to be anything |
handy, as the skill is greedy feeder and |
will take either fresh herring, squid or
strip of white skin from hslibut's belly. |
The Indian, however, has enemies to con- |
tend with, one of the most formidable be- |
ing the groundfsh, or nursefsh, as the |
sailors call them, which will eat off the |
bodies OF long line of fish, leaving only |
their heads. There is also a small sculpin |
variety, which will steal the bait. Dogfsh |
also are at times very troublesome. When |
ever the Indian is sure of the presence of |
these pests he goes to another place to |
fish. New York Times.
CONLEY'S STATEMENT.