The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-09-22
DECOYING FISH.
skiLLFuL INDIANS or THE NORTH
HAVE QUEER METHODS.

Over the Hole and Let Down "a Decoy
Through the Ice Fooling Innocent Crea-
lures of tho Deep Lakes.
.You have heard of shooting game by
means of decoy birds often enough no
doubt" said an old sportman the other
day, "but doubt if you ever heard of
fishing by means of q decoy fish, where
the decoy was not used for bait. never
saw it done myself till visited Geor-
gian bay, part of Lake Huron, in Can
ada, one winter. There found that the
half breed Indians erected huts on the
frozen bay and fished through holes cut
in the ice by means of queer decoy.
''In order to facilitate matters, some of
them had little stoves in their huts to
keep them warm while they fished. 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,
reflected through the ice outside and the
water underneath it. This made it pos
sible for the fisherman to see deep down
see him in his dark hut. The fisherman
has chair or bench to sit upon, food
and drink to keep Gfe in him during his
long watch and little stove to prevent
chill Now comes the decoy business.
1.-THE half breed takes out of his kit a
queer looking stick, painted and shaped
roughly to look like a fish, he AYERS,
though it would hardly be breaking the
second commandment to worship it, for
it is the likeness of nothing in the heay-
ems above, or on the earth beneath, on in
the water under the earth; but If the fish
think it is the main object is accom-
plished. This wooden counterfeit of a
fish is loaded with lead, so that it sinks
and lies in the water the right way when
suspended from the middle of the back
by string attached to short fishing
pole. The Indian lets this decoy down
into the water and by means of the string
gives it series of short, sharp jerks,
which make it dart hither and thither
in a remarkably lfelike manner, al
though, of course, its range is exceeding.
~ limited, about yard in any direction.
"The thing is provided with tin fins
and tail and is weighted with lead most
heavily at the head. The string is at
tached nearer the head than the tail
upon the back, and the skill with which
these fishermen make the queer thing
shoot about in a triangle under their
| feet, through hole in the ice, is truly
remarkable. I did not succeed in ac.
quiring the art myself. should say
from trying it that it is rather more diff.
ficult to learn than fly casting.
Presently few fish, noticing this
decoy darting about as if in active pur
suit of his food, swim that way to see il
there is not something there for them
also. They may be fresh water herring,
salmon, trout, whiteish or less valuable
/ game; but none of them, big or little, is
refused by the half breed. Fine fish he
sells; the coarse ones he or his dogs or hii
children or his squaw eat readily.
Pulling up his decoy, the fisherman
let's down a baited hook and tries hi.
luck on the newcomers, seldom in vain
These men fish with all sorts of queer
bait. saw one man make splendid
haul one day, using for bait only a bis
white bone button without any hook
The fish swallowed it greedily, and ht
would jerk them out of the water befor,
they could getit out of their throats. By
and by pike or dogfsh, seeing tht
shoal of fish around the pole, darts aftel
them. They scatter in hurry, and tin,
fisherman let's down his decoy again Ii
attract the pike.
Now all the skill at his eommant
must be employed to make the deco,
work well, for if it lags in the waite
long enough for the pike to suspect it
genuineness he will turn away in dis
gust. If the decoy deceives the vii,
pike he dashes at it, and the fisherman
4 jerks it away before the pike can grab
in his strong jaws. The pike turns Il
pursue, and as he halts to turn the fisher
man drives at him with a long forke.
spear. If his aim is accurate, the pike
transfxed and is brought bleeding to th
surface in a jiffy.
These men are skilled hunters an
know many curious habits of the crea
lures they pursue. They say that musk
rats, for instance, are able to swim Ion
distances under the ice in this manner
Taking a long breath, the muskrat dive
from his pursuer and swims as far as b
can. When he can go no longer withou
fresh breath, he comes up under Nth
ice, and pressing his nose against
! breathes out all the air in his lung
This forms big bubble under the ic,
and the Indians say that the ice has th
power OF making that bubble of air fres
again, oxygenizes it in fact, and that th
, little fellow then breathes it in again an
dives once more This he can do half
, dozen times, the Indians say, before til
air he took with him becomes SO 70,
that the ice cannot freshen it again.
4 whether this property of the ice
true or not cannot say, but the Indiar
firmly believe it, AMI know that mus
, rats can travel a long way under the ic
and have seen them come up under Il
/ | ice, press their noses to it awhile an
! then dive again. Perhaps some scienti
9 might explain the case. New Yol
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