New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-30
FISHING WITH THE AID OF DECOf'
HOW TIE INDIANS DO IT THROUGH THE lon
PROBLEM FROM AN OLD SPORT.

A
"You have heard OF shooting game by means Q.
dccoy birds often enough no doubt" sao IN vi"
sportsman the other day. but doubt IL you ever
6.urd OF fishing BY means OF decoy fish, where the
Lcoy was not used for bait. l never SAW IL oo"s
mv.elf TIL | visited Georgian Day, part OF LAKE
Huron In Canada, one winter Ihere lo"'" .""'
the alfbrecd Indians erected hus OH the frozen oAy
and Gsled through hoes cut In the Ice, by "e'"'
Of queer decoy.
in order to facilitate matters some OF them IN"
little stoves In their huts to keep them warm WINE
they fshed The huts had only one opening, door,
and when the fisherman had entered and closed the
door no light entered the hut except what came up
through the floor reelected through tile Ice o"'Sloe
and the water underneath It, This maze IL Poss,o'e
for the fisherman to see deep down Into the water
and difficult for Ash to him In his dark nut
Tie fisherman has chair or bench 10 st upo' ioo~
and drink to keep life in him during his long "a""
aud little stove to prevent clhl' No" 'o"' wv
dccoy business.
"TIle fbrced takes out OF bis kit queer look
lrg stick, painted and shaped roughly TO look IKE
fish, lie AYERS, though 1t would hardly be preah'"s
tho Second Commandment 10 worship H. ior " 10
the likeness Of nothing In the heavens ABOVE Ut vi
the earth beneath. or IN the water under the enIrn
but II tho fish think 1t is, the main object Is atcop
iisI-d. This wooden counterfeit OF n hsh Is lo'e ,
with lead that 1t sinks and lies IN the %a'er tho
right why, when suspended from the middle OF the
back by a string attached to short fishing Polo.;
The Indian lets this decoy down into the water ana
Garn Jerks which make 1t dart hitler and thither In
a remarkably life.lke manner. although. OF course.
| It's range Is exceedingly limited, about yarn II"
The thing is provided with tin fms and tall ana
weighted with lead most the nea hena ihnn the ai
nDon the back. aud the skill WIN VIM" ms
men make the queer thing shoot a"o me ce Is try
i anoroh. aid not succeed In acquiring the arr
mySef should say from trying II ana' " Is r''"e'
more oiiCI tow fish, noticing this decoy dar,!nr
,nout as II in active pursuit OF his food swim TIM,
way II there Is not some enr herring. salmon
trout whites less valuable game Tho oI bali breed
big or fG soo Tels one he or his dogs
~" children. or his snuaw. eat readily. Ia. aowr ,
pulling up his deco H. the ns' si on the newcomers
| seldom in win. These men hsI WHY ,a han
queer bait saw one n man maze r white sp bone buoI
one dry using l%r 0 The fish swallowed 1t geedily
and would Jerk them MP, up o tnro 81 A' BY and BY
they co"H sGt ~ seeing o" the shoa OF fish nronnd III
ppoI. darts after them They scatter IN nurry mn
| thc fisherman let's down his decoy "e"'" " "'"">
' SSw all the skill his command mITt 6 Incs em q
ploy-d to make the decoy work W nike n suspect IT.
senniocncs<, he viii turn AWAY IN disgust, nd IN
ds deccvcs the willy ps ne sa nike can crab it II
hl strong Jaws The pike turns to persmr an "ih a.
he halt turn the dpi rc,a e. l ha pike
,rnnstxed and Is brought bleeding 10 the surface IL
| INV. ,,,,o, ,rr,ors ond kn,v man,
.ur,oms habits OF Ire creatures they pursue" Ihey say
that mskras. for instance are aoc 10 ST T,n 'U"
long breath the mus IT dives from his pur>nrr an.
swims rs far he cai When he can go no I'nS nI
out fresh breath he comes up under tho Zee "n'
nr,ssng his nose against IT, breathe, out an me an
! In his lungs This forms big bubble unaer tne zee
ia Tho Indians an, that the ice has TN" power %
making tfnt bubble OF air fresh again: oNygrnncs y
I'm fact and that the liltc fellow then brca,nes Ii
| So1cn times the Indians saw before the air ne IooI
with ,dm becomes foul that the leo cannot ires"e'
| II again A., -, =, ,.,,o ar ro,
Whether this property OF the Ice Is tru" or nos
| .onnot saw bni PIE Indians firmly believe H. ana
,. ,,ot mu.krots can travel n long way under ths
,cn and have seen them up under the Ice pr" $
| t',oIr noses II II awhile ana hl"n hlV' ie.'"' ~
| ,one some scientist might explain the caSr'