New-York tribune., 1902-12-20
FISHING FOR CISCOES.
No Longer Lake Ontario In
dmstTu.

Utica. y Y. Dec. 10 (speciaD.-It was thirty
years ago this winter that the ciscoes in Lake
Ontario suddenly left its waters. TO -eturn-
Where they went has always been mystery. but
striking coincidence their appearance shortly
after large numbers in Il Lake Erie bay near
SanduSky, Ohio.
The cisco, which belongs the salmon family. is
a peculiar fish far its abiding place is con-
cerned- 1t inhabits only few lakes in the United
States and Canada. and then II moves about
with suddenness that bothers the fishermen who
make living by catching it for the market The
cisco resembles the herring and its head apers
to point 1t in weight from three-quarters of
a pound to one and one-half pounds. and in length
from ten to twelve inches The flesh has fine
flavor, and many compare II to the brook trout
A few years ago there large demand for the
cisco. especially in the winter, when it COM
mon occurrence to see keg of salted ciscoes dis
played in front of a grocery store
The Ciscoes which the fishermen took from the
waters Of Lake Ontario were far famed and Chau
mont ciscoes were noted in the Eastern States.
Chaumont is a little village Lake Ontario, in
Jefferson County, and II the centre of cisco
fishing until 1872 The cscoes came into Chaumort
Bay for the last time in November. 1872. Once in
while now fisherman angling for bass will hook
lone cisco but this happens rarely These fish
are still caught occasionally the Canadian
shoreS OF the lake. and they caught In larger
quantities in the eastern part of Lake Erie. When
the cisco made its home in and about Chaumont
Bay it had never been seen around Sandusky.
Why the fish left Lake Ontario has never been
fully explained Many reasons have been given.
and the most probable one is that much silt
foated into the lake that it destroyed the cisco
feeding grounds and spawning beds.
Signs are still frequently displayed. "Chaumont
Ctscoes, but the Chaumont cisco is Not
a barrelful of ciscoes has been taken from Chau-
mont Bay since 1872. Chaumcnt is pretty
little summer resort. but the village thirty years
ago was famous for its fish trade not only for the
enormous quantities taken from the bay each year,
but for the remarkably fine quality of the meat
Ihieh was of exceptionally good flavor, Chaumont
Ba! was the spawning place for the fish, and early
IN NovembeT they would appear in the bay in large
numbers Then the cisco fishing began From
early morning until late at night the bay was
covered with boats. and the fishermen were busy
hauling in their nets. which always well
hlled. The fishing not confined to the of
Chaumont but residents of other parts of the State
went TO Chaumont Bay TO fish. and about twenty
thousand barrels were shipped from Chaumont every
year Every shore farmer owned fish net, which
in those days cost from 81 go s1.5Co The fisher
men spent their summers in making the nets and
the barrels in which to pack the fish ". ". Enos.
who IS now postmaster at Chaumont was the most
extensive cisco dealer. In 1856 the largest catch
was recorded The fishermen were unaDle TO care
for them. The fish were salted down in boats, and
the boats became frozen in the ice and were sub
sequantly destroyed. The fishing season only lasted
a bout two months.