The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-01-08
LAKE ERIE SUPPLIES FISH.
TIRE STAPLE VARIETIES AND
HHERE THIEF COME
From-Prices-How the Fish Are
taaEht.


Caught.
The great staples of the commercial
fishing industry are whitefsh. pike,
! herring. sturgeon and lake trout. They
/ form the biggest catches and are al
ways salable. The chief source OF sup
! ply Of one or another of these staples
! is the Great Lakes and the lakes Of the
Canadian northwest. Lake Erie is
| one of the best fresh-water fish-prO-
| ducing bodies in the hands of the in
| dustrY. One authority states it pro-
! ddces nearly as much tonnage of fish
a year as in all the other Great Lakes
| together. That is not because there are
more fish in Lake Erie, but because it
| is fished more.
One of the most desirable fish taken
from the waters of the Great Lakes is
the whitefish. and Lake Erie whitefsh
is the standard for all of that species.
The quality of fish depends upon the
nature of the water it inhabits. There
are probably a score of different kinds
OF Whitef1sh known to commerce, the
| differentiation being in color and shape.
| If whitefsh from Lake Erie and one
| from the Lake of the Woods were
| placed together, the ordinary observer
wouldn't believe they were of the same
! family. The whtefish from the Lake
of the Woods is black alongside the sill
ver-sided denizen of Lake Erie. Those
from Lake Winnipeg have a reddish
tint. glance at a Whitefsh will re
veal to an expert the locality in which
| it was caught. But while the best
Whitcfsh come from Lake Erie, the
main source of supply is from the Ca
madam lakes.
Most of the supply Of lake trout is
found in Georgian bay, Lake Huron
and Lake Superior. There are practi-
cally 10 trout in Lake Erie and there
are none in the larger Canadian lakes.
A large supply Of yellow pike and pick
erel is caught in the Canadian lakes.
Yellow pike is not abundant in Lake
Erie, while blue pike is not found out
side of Lakes Erie and Ontario. Lake
| Erie contains the large supply. Many
of the large catches Of fish made in
Lake Erie about Buffalo are of blue
Pike. The herring in Lake Erie are the
standard of quality for all the other
lakes and are finer and better than any
| others. 1t is said to be the only kind
of herring that closely resembles the
Whiteish. It's weight has increased
lately, many of two pounds being
caught. BY the eye the large herring
| can scarcely be distinguished from the
ordinary whitefsh, but the flavor, Of
course is not the same
oF 81,
great article of commerce is one of the
most interesting stories connected with
the fish industry. Fifteen years ago
sturgeon sold for twenty-five cents
apiece. One female sturgeon sold for
twenty eight dollars the other day.
j Tho value placed on the sturgeon for its
eggs is familiar to all but the flesh
now, too, sells up with that of other
staple fish 1t brings ten cents a
pound fresh while the smoked article
sells at a much higher price. Smoked
sturgeon is now considered one of the
hest fish dclicacies on the market and
almost all of that caught is prepared in
that way The eggs of tho sturgeon
bring fifty cents a pound to the fisher
man. They are made into cayair.
The bladder sells for one dollar
round and is used for isinglass,
A fish regarded as a staple all over
New York state is the bullhead. The
chief commercial supply comes from
Lake Ontario 1t is said that calls new
ci gel into Lake Erie unlce" they lock
themselves through the Welllnd canal.
They are a migratory fish that come
originally from the sea and Niagara
Falls bars that passage into the upper
lakes. 1t is supposed the cells are al
ways propagated in salt water, Boat
men often report seeing millions of one
and tW0-inch cells struggling up the
swift waters of the st. Lawrence river
on their way into Lake Ontario.
While the eel, from its shape. is repuc-
nant tn many people, the demand for
them is greater than the supply.
The much -despised carp occupies a
place on wholesalers lists, but Ameri-
cans haven't been educated up to its
use as an article Of food to any extent.
! These fat, Shiny fish We're imported
, frcm Germany by some well-neaning
persons, but their propagation in the
waters of the Great Lakes has proved
a ms VI tttlIF. iiItS dC Jul lttI - He'AAA
titles of the spawn of other and more
valuable fish. At certain times of the
year when other fish are scarce they
, command a fair price. In some places
abroad carp is still considered delica-
cy. One fish merchant thinks carp
We're designed by nature to supply the
wants of people where water is
scarce. for they can live in mud holes,
Farmers in Germany haiso them in
very small ponds. The black bass sup
ply is very limited, especially on ac-
count of the Cana dian laws which pro-
hibit their exporta ton from that coun-
thy. Black bass bring from sixteen t"
eighteen cents a pound at retail and
the man who gets them at that price
considers himself lucky, Fish retailers
usually save black bass for their very
best customers. Some black bass are
caught in Lake Erie.
Practically all commercial fishing in
fresh waters is carried on by the Use
of nets, whether rowboat or an up-to-
date tug is employed. The sill net is
I h is, 1,1Irb I1cp6 in aSn