The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-07-11
LAKE SUPERIOR FISH YARN.
The Cisc0wet From Away Down and
Giant Among Trout

II one may DelleVe all they tell
him about the ciscowet ND in the
Lake Superior country" said a
New Yorker who has heard it all,
'he may readily concur in their
declaration that the ciscowet is the
rarest and one of the oldest of all
our fresh-water fishes. 1t is found
only in Lake Superior, they will
tell you, and never at depth of
less than 80 fathoms.
" The ciscowet," said the en-
cyclopedic native who described
this and its ways to me, was form
erly believed to be hybrid from
a cross of the white fish and lake
trout, but that was long ago dis
proved. 1t grows to the weight of
80 pounds, and the female almost
invariably contains spawn. This
has led to the belief that the els
cowet is always spawning, but the
more probable theory is that it
spawns twice year, which in it.
self is enough to give it unique
place among fishes, fresh water or
salt.
" The ciscowet is unique in an
other particular. 1t is the latest
of all known fishes, and its flesh is
SO deltciously favored that it is
palatable without being cooked.
Its name is said to have been de-
rived from that peculiar quality,
ciscowet being "Sis-Ko-W Wet" an
Ojibwa term meaning Cooks
itself"
" Owing to the great depth at
which this fish persists in making
its habitation it is a rarity in the
market, and is never seen away
from the Lake Superior country
although, said my encyclopedia
natives, warningly, and l thought
apprehensively, you will find els
cowet listed on the bills of fare of
all the hotels as you travel
through, big and little, good and
bad, and if you are deluded into
ordering it on the belief that you
are to regale yourselfon this rarest
of piscatorial delicacies you will
wonder what sort of a palate that
man must have who can declare
ciscowet to be that delicacy.
The fish they will place before
you as ciscowet will be not
ciscowet, but will be an inferior
lake trout known as bear trout,
which resembles ciscowet in out
ward appearance. The Indians
capture these trout for the market,
and their beautiful white meat has
no merit but its beauty
There is another peculiar fish
of the lake trout family in Lake
Superior, they informed me. 1t is
the true naymacush, they said, but
has ways all it own.
1T travels all by itself, no two
ever being seen in proximity,
keeping always near the surface,
and sometimes swimming on the
surface. This is a giant among
trout, frequently weighing more
than 100 pounds, although it is
never fat
cit is called the racer. from the
alleged circumstances of it occa-
sionally travelling with railroad
speed along its course. This giant
trout scorns bait or lure, and the
way in which it must be captured,
if at all, according to what they
told me, seemed to be about as
remarkable as the fish itself.
Men with big spears go out in
boats and stand on a runway, as
one might say, while other men in
boats, stalking about, sight racer
and drive it to the men in boats
with spears, who harpoon the fish
as it speeds along, and the har-
pooner, so they told me, needs to
be skilful with the barb, or he will
see it blowing the water space be-
hind the big fish, while the latter
skins on its course unframed. -
New York Sun.
Prof. Trotter.