The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1903-01-23
FISHING FOR C1SC0ES.
No Longer Lake Ontario 1ndustry--A
4 Peculiar Fish. sas -"

It was thirty years ago this winter
that the ciscoes in Lake Ontario sudden.
ly left its waters, never to return, says
a Utica IN. W dispatch to the New
York Tribune. Where they went has al
ways been mystery, but striking coin
cidence was their appearance shortly aft
er in large numbers in Lake Erie bay.
near Sandusky, O.. %.
The cisco, which belongs to the salmon
family, is peculiar fish, as far as it's
abiding place is concerned. It, inhabits
only a few lakes in the United States
and Canada, and then it moves about
with a suddenness that bothers the fish
ermen who make a living by catching it
for the market. The cisco resembles the
sea herring, and its head tapers to
point. 1t runs in weight from x of a
pound to ~ pounds, and in length from
10 to ~ inches. The flesh has a fine
flavor, and many compare it to the brook
trout A few years ago there was a
large demand for the cisco, especially in
currence to see key of sailed: ciscoes
displayed in front Of a grocery store.
The cisc0es which the fishermen took
from the waters of Lake Ontario were
far famed, and Chaumont ciscoes were
noted IN the Eastern states. Chaumont
is a little village on Lake Ontario, in
cen eGty IAN and 7aS was h the Sener
came into Chaumont bay for the last
time in November, 1872. Once in while
now a fisherman angling for bass will
hook lone cisco, but this happens rare
". These fishh are still caught occa-
sionally on the Canadian shores of the
lake. and they are caught in larger guam
titles in the. eastern part Of Lake Erie.
When the cisco made, it's home in and
about Chaumont bay it. had never been
seen around Sandusky.5 Why the fish
| left Lake OntariO& has never been fully
explained. Many reasons have been Civ
en-, and the most probable one is that so
much silt fioated into the lake that it de-
stroyed the cisco feelings grounds and
spawning beds: VI"
Signs are still frequently displayed,
/ "fChaumont Ciscoes:' - but the Chaumont
cisco is no more. Not barrelful of els
Goes has been taken from ChaumOnt bay
since 1872. Chaumont is now a pretty
little summer resort, but the village thir-
ty years ago was famous for it's fish
ties taken from the bay each year. but
for the remarkably fine quality Of the
meat. which was Of exceptionally good
| flavor. Chaumont bay was the spawning
place for the fish, and early in November
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 were always we'll filled. The
| fishing was not confined to the men of
Chaumont, but residents of other parts
of the state went to Chaumont bay to
fish and about 10000 barrels were
shipped from Chaumont every year. Ev-
cry shore farmer owned a fish net, which
| in those days cost from $1,000 to $500
The fishermen spent their summers in
making the nets and the barrels in which
to pack the fish. w. w. Enos, who is
now postmaster at Chaumont, was the
most extensive cisco dealer. In 1866 the
largest catch was recorded. The fisher
fish were sailed down in boats, and the
boats became frozen in the ice and were
subsequently destroyed. The fishing sea-
son only lasted about two months.