The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-28

better for it. Lake whitefish, trout and
pike find welcome place in their season
on the menus of hotels throughout tho
north, and caviare is manufactured of such
quality and quantity that not only the
home demand is supplied in the main, but
considerable amount is exported to Ger
many and other European countries.
Each lake has n distinct character in its
fisheries. Whitefish are the great fish of
Lake Superior, lake trout of Huron and
Michigan, and herring and blue pike of
Erie. All species are found in all the lakes.
and u considerable quantity of each is taken
in every one of them, but the predominant
species caught gives individuality and char
acter to the whole. In size of catch Erie
ranks first, with Michigan second, Huron
n close third and Superior fourth. Lake
Erie alone yields about 25 900 tons of fish
annually, two-fifths of which is lake her
ring, smaller species of the whtefish FAM
lily that rarely exceeds foot in length and
pound i'll weight, but rivals the whitcfish
itself in beauty of scale and the mother of
pearl effects of sunlight on its silvery sides
when first taken from the water Blue
pike comprises another fifth, rivalng the
color of fine blued steel in splendid metallic
lustcr.
About one-tcnth is sturgeon, the largest
species OF lake fish and one of the most I'M
canny looking, whose horny scales are well
shown III the picture. They ure more COM
mon in the eastern end of Lake Erie and
sometimes reach eighty pounds in weight.
Their does, which have been taken weigh
ing as much as sixty pounds, when prop
erly picked and spiced are the caviare of
commerce. while from their bladders ISM
glass is made. This fish i'll the early DAYS
OF lake fishing was lightly esteemed, but
nH CT &c, =.
quantities End sells readily in all the prin-
cipal markets of the country. The remain
ing three-tenth are whitefish, sangers or
sandpike, perch and bass.
More than half the great catch of Lake
Erie Is sold while fresh. 1t is shipped on
ice to all the cities and towns of western
New York and Pennsylvania and of Ohio
and Indiana. About 5000 tons are sailed
and sold over n wide area in the familiar
kits" and quarter barrels, while 1000 tons
are frozen and 1900 smoked The three
greater lakes together produce less than
$4,000 tons annually, total gigantic in it
self, but small indeed compared with the
product of little Erie. Did they but Weld
proportionately to their area, and when the
greater depth of water is considered it
would seem as if they ought if properly
fished, their product would reach the enor-
nous total of 100000 tons.
The fisheries of the lakes are carried ON
principally with two kinds of nets-the
pound and the gill net. Seines are some
times used and grapnels are employed to
some extent in sturgeon fishing, but at
least 95 per cent. of all the fish taken is by
the two means named. The gill net is the
only device used in deep water. Where the
depth exceeds fifty feet the pound net is
Improbable and impossible, and usually it
Is not employed i'll a greater depth than
twenty-five feet The gill net is about six
feet wide, Il single sheet of meshes, as the
cut shows, varying in opanness with the
size of fish to be taken. Each net is about
800 feet long, and they are set together in
gangs of forty to sixty nets Thus each
stretch Of gill nets is between three and
four miles in length BY means Of floats
at one side and sinkers ut the other it takes
an upright position ON the bottom of tho
lake, where it is anchored and its place
marked by buoys and little flags at the sur
face. The fish in swimming up or down
the lake strike this may stretch of Irvine,
push through it if they can, and those that
are too large to pass through are caught by
the gills and held. 1t is cruel method,
because if the net is not lifted in a few
hours the fish is drowned and will then
soon become worthless. Not infrequently