The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1901-11-20
A FISHING FICTION.
THE "MAGlG EYE" OF THE sAUtT
STE. MARIE INDIANS.

Indian WhitciSh Hunters Method
of Getting Ills GIistcninw Catch
From Under the Rapids
The FIRST time | fished In the Saut
Ste. Marie rapids" said a we'll known
Lake Keulla sportsman. Il landed In
an hour tweuty=one brook trout that
weighed fortyliye pounds; 50 was
ready and willing TO believe anything
heard or read about the possibilities
Of those waters or the astounding
things that men who tlshed In them
We're able to do
Consequently | believed what they
told me about the marvellous feats the
Indian fishermen of the Sault Ste.
Marie could perform in the way OF
netting whiteiiSh. Few who hnVe tour
ed the great lakes have not heard of
those same feats witnessed them and
of course. could do nothing hut so
away believing that they were all they
seemed To he
particularly will they marvel IA l
did, nj the Indian whitctsh hsherman's
magic eye with which he seems to
look down through ten feet or more of
foamIng, rushing water and see white.
fish that TO the white mans eye would
be invisible five inches beneath the
surfoee Ii would have been strange
IL | had not marveled ut 1t. having
witnessed more than once manifesto
lions Of It's alleged power. That was
before | talked with old Guide Garron.
The astounding feats Of the Indian
whiteiiSh METERS of the Sault Ste.
Marie that the guidebooks and the
hotel keepers md steamhoatmen insist
on telling tourists about are performed
by two Indians In n canoe One occu-
pies the stern and manipulates the
puddle TO keep the canoes head point
ed up stream. The Indian In the bow,
standing upright, uses a pole to aid In
propelling the canoe or In keeping It
steady.
Lying ready TO his hand is II dip net
-four feet In diameter. fastened to the
end of II pole perhaps fifteen feet long
The fishing Is done Mt the foot of the
rapids, where the water boils and tum-
hles furIonsly. With his pole the In
dian In the bow keeps the boat moving
about In the rapids and gazcs constant
ly into the water, Which Is often ten
feet or more deep.
Suddenly the Indian In the bow will
seize the net handle with one hand.
never ceasing to manipulate the canoe
with his pole In the other nor for an
In ii
the water. The net Is not more than
In his hand before he has plunged II
perhaps ten feet distant from the boat.
thrustinE II ut the same instant to tho
bottom. Then he gives 1t peculiar
twist, draws It up and, surrendering
the care of the canoe for the moment
to the Indian with the paddle he
draws the net up, never without from
tilrce TO mir dozen Rifstcufng white
fish IA 1t, frequently Weighing Ave
pounds each
"The wondering spectator. seeing
nothing but the boiling water, the sud
den start of the Indian and his quick
and dcXtcrous plunging aud drawing
up Of the net with It's lnvarablc load
OF wllitefsh, can do nothing but ne
knowledge TO himself the necromancy
of the Indians pscatorial art. know
that ! did, and for two seasons gave
myself away to the fascination of that
mysterious fishing Then one dny |
maryeled at II greatly 10 Guide Garron,
the shrewd and cunning old French
man who knows every rock and eddy
md whirlpool OF the rapids and all the
wilcs and tricks that any other guide
knows and II whole lot that no other
one does know, and Garron's little
bluek eyes twinkled.
"'Ahr he chueliled Vat magcccll
hye He Won crrrand hombongl
"'rhen he explained In his voluble
and picturesque patOls the apparent
mystery OF the Indian whitelish fisher
mans magic eye Whitensh are natu-
raj dcnizens OF the still, silent Yates
of the great lakes. T0 get from Lake
Huron to Lake Superior these fish
must fight their way up the fierce and
stubborn Sault Ste Marie rapids. In
doing this they travel by easy stages.
They can brave the rapids but short
distance at n time when almost cx-
hausted, they drop into the shelter Of
the friendly rocks that pile the bottom
OF the rapids.
'Huddled sometimes by the score be-
hind these rocks getting wind, as #
were. TO overcome another stage Of
their journey. the whltellsh. If the wa
ter IL not too deep, can be lifted out
by the hand OF the fisherman, they are
SO nearly exhausted. The Indians Hs
well as the white fishermen know this
and, knowing wen the location of these
sheltering rocks, have only to thrust
their nets down behind them aud draw
them up filed with fish.
'The cunning of the Indian led him
long ago to give visitors the impression
that he could penetrate the troubled
depths Of the rapids with his gaze and
discover the whiteAsb on the bottom.
The wonder OF II spread, and 1t has
been one Of the fondest and best pay
ing fictlops of Susan Mary as the ma
tlyes give you the pronunciation Of the
Snult Ste Marie Npw York Timea