Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-12-13
STURGEON FISHING AT MIDDLE
TOWN.
Interesting Connecticut Correspond
ence of the New York Times.

Interesting Connecticut Correspond
ence of the New York Times
The big sturgeon of the Connecticut
river have been a long time coming to
market, but they seem now to have ar
rived. Local fishermen have discov-
cred that the fish. despised in the local
market, is worth money in New York,
and they have prepared nets with a
Pinch mesh in which to take the
monsters. During the last week they
have been after sturgeon in earnest.
and with good success, so that the
first shipments to New York have
been large
1t is good thing that the sturgeon
is marketable-good from the stand
point of the Connecticut river fisher
man. Every few years the fish upon
which he has been depending plays
out. and something else has to be
sought to take their place. Many
years ago salmon were taken here in
great numbers, and many families
were well supported on the returns of
the fishery. Then the salmon depart
ed, and Shad came to take their place.
1t was long before conservative fish
ermen were reconciled to the change,
but now that shad are also becoming
scarce in their turn, the merits of the
vanishing blessing are highly extolled.
Of late years it has been a matter Of
occasional note that sturgeon were
taken in the shad nets, or broke away,
running the nets and freeing the spoil
of the fisherman's nights toll The
big fish with the sucker mouth was
despised. Though he ran in weight
sometimes as high as 800 pounds, the
meat would not bring five cents a
pound in open market. He was
thought to be a menace to all fishing
industry along the lower stream
This season, for the first time
stronger nets have been put in. for the
avoWed purpose of capturing the big
fellows. The first hauls were made
during the last week and some result
ed in fine captures. The fish is treat
ed much like a beef creature after
to butcher" at once. Then the nets
are drawn, the fish made fast with a
rope around the tail, in lieu of horns,
and is lariated to some stout bush
along the Water-side. It can forage
about on the river bottom to the length
of the lariat but that is all. There is
no such thing possible as slipping the
cable. When the captors are ready
to proceed with the butchering, they
draw the prize in shore, cut it's throat.
and bleed it in the approved slaughter
house style, and finally slice it up into
sections convenient for packing. The
sturgeon offered for sale in New York
fishing, vigorous monster that is drawn
from the waves as a sirloin steak does
like the once rampant steer from
which it has been carved.
Although the local market repulses
the mere suggestion of sturgeon. the
noble fish is worth more in New York
than salmon. And this is not strange,
salmon is beyond doubt salmon the
world over, and cannot we'll be con-
founded with other fish. But the Stur-
geon in it's sliced and quartered state
lis capable of becoming almost any
thing. There is scarcely a fish Oh the
bill of fare that is served in sections
that is not likely to prove sturgeon.
If you order tenderloin of sole, you
may reasonably expect sturgeon; and
that you have not before this discov-
cred the deception shows how very
toothsome sturgeon really is. 1t is
served fresh and smoked and sailed.
Sturgeon to the accomplished chef is
like clay to the potter-almost any
kind of a dish may be made from it.
Sturgeon is fish rich in roe. From
the average capture over barrel is
taken. But it is black in color, and
the only use heretofore made of ii
along the banks of the Connecticut has
been as a fertilizer; ordinarily it is
thrown away. But sturgeon roe by
rights should be made into caviare
and it is not too much to expect that
the development of the sturgeon fish.
! cry here will result in the establish.
ment of the caviare-canning industry
Connecticut has a variety of indus
tries. but it has room for still an
other that promises SO we'll as this.