The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-01-26

ing and slowly drawn forward by
means of the ropes. The seine has
previously been piled up on plat
form on sleigh in such a manner
that it can be lifted off without off
ficulty or delay When both ends of
the seine reach the landing hoIe
the Enclosure is complete. Corks of
about four inches in diameter by
two or three inches thick are
fastened to the top rope of the
seine about foot apart which sup
port ii and keep 1t close to the I'M
der surface OF the ice. The lower
edge OF the seine is provided with
sinkers. This holds the net verti-
cally in the water.
v Any fish that were within the
circle are now in the Enclosure, and
cannot escape unless some bad
luck is experienced, such as the
outer or pocket end of the net be
coming snagged in rocks or other
distractions or mired while it is
being drawn forward. The center or
outer end of the net has large
pocket which has a smaller mesh.
This pocket will hold as much as
10000 or 10000 pounds of fish. The
fish work into this pocket as the
seine goes forward. The size OF
mesh OF any seine as designated in
the game laws is understood to refer
to the mesh used in the pocket only
- The SEEMING in Lake Madison is
being done with a small meshed
seine under provision of the
law which gives the state game
commissioners authority to designate
the size of the mesh and to do the
IL I, L.
and by any arrangement which he
or parties doing the actual work
/ By using a small meshed seine the
small rough fish that are caught in
the net will be taken out instead Of
left in the lake to increase in size. A
thorough SEEMING of this kind should
reduce the number of, carp to a
point where it will not be necessary
! to again seine this lake for several
years. 80
)! Heretofore, in SEEMING Lake Mad
ison large meshed nets were used
which allow fish of considerable size
to go through the net and it was
thus necessary to sein the lake each
year to keep pace with the increase
in carp. This is one of the faults
found with the present law. 1t is
ates it really defeats its purpose
as 1t protects the rough, fish and
turns the waters of the state into
the hands of organized commercial
enterprises for their exploitation.
After the net has been placed, it is
ready to be drawn forward This is
som etimes done by hand when the
net is-not too large or the haul is
small, in which case six or eight men
pulling on the brazil can do it. Mr.
: Miller uses team of horses.
The working OF this team is an
other very interesting thing to OBJ
serve. 1t is hitched to one side OF
the net at time, pulling it forward
some fifty feet when the new hitch is
usually made to the other side Of the
net. This team is trained so that il
moves forward at about the slowest
possible pace. So slow and steady
is this pace that it seems incredible
that a team can be trained to move
forward so slowly, They take short
steps of about four or six inches
each, then seemingly rest their
weight against the pull" of the
, seine and move>forward only as the
strain seems to lessen. This must be
! seen to be appreciated. Were it moi
for this almost human pull tn.
! seine would be torn on many hauls
when distractions are encountered
and the results would be disastrous
Because of the horse sense" dis.
played by this team any Tightening
, Of the ropes Immediately bring them
to a stop until the word is agair
given to .go ahead"
ANY obstruction which would
, hang up"the seine would OF course
. c1n "a
or loop and it is there that the cause
| is sought. With shovel the snow
is cleared from the ice at intervals
! along the line Of the seine and BY
i means of an ice chisel-a heav!
} edged tool about three feet long witt
wooden handle and a very sharI
edge about two inches wide-tht
surface Of the ice is cleared of the
rough ice and the top of the seine
cam then be readily seen through
the clear ice. 1t takes but a thrust
or two of one Of these chisels to &C.
compiish this. In this manner the
rope is followed back until the looI
of the net is found where a EchunE
of ice is taken out about three fee
square and the net is raised, pulled
back or otherwise freed from the Cd
struction that is holding 1t. This
. may DO d Ld1 80 dAhOuhS VI Al oA AAO@
has been rolled up in the.net. Man,
times a quantity OF fish are lost II
.. raising the net for the purpose o
freeing It. When the net is free the
I hauling is again resumed.
While the net is moving forw arc
two men each with a tool called &
, dummy" which is made of heaV,
, round ironSthe shape Of a large let
tier " closed at the end, with a Ions
, handle at the small end, through slot!
cut in the ice near the landing hole
T hold the lower edge Of the net dowI
lso it will stay on the bottom Of thu
} lake. The lower edge Of the seine
/ on the side which is not being drawn
+ is staked down to the bottom OF thu
, lake by means Of an IRON stake, witt
, a long handle and with hook neal
, the end which engages the lowe
> rope of the net. This keeps the en-,
5 tire enclosure intact at all times ant
I thus prevent any escape OF hsh a
) this point,
. On the cork line Of the net, at ;
: distance OF, one hundred feet from tn
I pocket, a strong cord is tied in fou
different places for the purpose o
: knowing when the net is in that dis
!, lance from the pocket. Anothe
: similar cord tied in three places de
|, signates the thirty five foot mari
: and stiI1 another tied in two place
! shows the twenty five foot mark
I rnl o1rdc ORC technically callnI