254 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



equal number of nets only one-fourth as many fish are caught now as 

 were taken four years ago. He further says : ' Late in October m 1870 1 

 took with a set of thirty nets, at one time, 1,980 pounds of dressed trout. 

 Four years ago it was common to take from 1,000 to 1,500 pounds of 

 fish at each trip. Now we never go over 500, and not unfrequently go 

 less than 200 pounds. The lake is filled with nets and the fish can hardly 

 escape.' " 



In the report of 1875 the Wisconsin commissioners say: "At Milwau- 

 kee there are four steam smacks and two sailing smacks engaged in fish- 

 ing. These six smacks have a total of sixty-five miles of nets. Each 

 steam-smack costs about $7,000. The capital invested at that place is 

 not far from $75,000. Kenosha employs four smacks, with about thirty 

 miles of nets, and the catch is about equal to Racine. In these places, 

 Kenosha, Eacine, and Milwaukee, there is a total of one hundred and 

 twenty-five miles of gill-nets used. There is a total of nets used in the 

 waters of Lake Michigan to extend from one end of the lake to the other. 

 During the year 1875 there has been great comi)laint of scarcity of fish, 

 and there has been a falling off of at least one-fourth ; so that it is evi- 

 dent to all that the waters of Lake Michigan are being gradually depleted 

 of fish." 



III. Size of fish diminished. — In their report for 1875 the Wisconsin 

 commissioners say: "In former days the fishermen used nets of a larger 

 mesh and took whitefish that weighed from 8 to 14 j)Ounds each, the 

 latter figures being the largest known to have been caught. Now they 

 have to use smaller-meshed nets and take smaller fish, the larger ones 

 being almost unknown now." 



From Green Bay, Mr. Kumlein reported, "Of late years pound nets 

 with small meshes have been largely employed, and thereby millions of 

 young whitefish have been destroyed." • 



Writing from Port Clinton, Mr. Kumlein says : "In Mr. Mckels' opinion 

 the mesh is now rarely one-half the size it was ten years ago. The fisher- 

 men and dealers generally pronounce the decrease, especially of white- 

 fish, very great indeed. However, Mr. Mathews, of Port Clinton, thinks 

 there are just as many whitefish as ever, and as many caught; but, being 

 distributed among more fishermen, they individually take less than form- 

 erly. Collectively, the catch is pretty much the same as it was ten 

 years ago, or ever was, in his opinion." 



From Menominee, Wis., Mr. Kumlein writes : " The number of white- 

 fish to a half-barrel is yearly growing greater. Sixty has been thought 

 a good number ; now ninety is common. I am informed by Cai^t. Thos. 

 Larseu, of Menominee, that he has seen a half-barrel filled with twelve 

 no longer ago than 1874. It is the opinion of fishermen north of Menom- 

 inee that the whitefish increased in numbers on their shore till 1876, 

 when the yield rapidly fell off till the present date ; it is estimated to 

 have fallen off two-thirds since 1875." 



At Washington Island, in 1878, there were over 5,000 barrels, equal to 

 fuUy 7,500,000, young whitefish thrown away, being too small for market. 



