MILNER FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES. 23 



infringes on the rights of other fishermen, on each side, by preventing 

 the access of fishes to their nets. 



A law restricting the number of pound-nets to the mile, along the 

 shores of the lakes, would be a favorable regulation. 



The gill-netters, though having had much less influence in diminish- 

 ing the numbers, would assist the increase, to a large extent, if they 

 restored the mesh of the gill-net, now generally foui- and one-quarter 

 inches, to the original four and one-half inch mesh. A discrimination 

 should, however, be made in favor of Grand Traverse Bay, yhere the 

 larger portion of the catch is the black-fin, Argyrosomus nigyijiimiis. 

 Gill, which does not attain an average weight of more than one pound. 



A regulation prescribing the size of meter and seaming, and enforcing 

 the renewing of the same, and also the stretcher-lines of gill-nets, would, 

 be valuable, as grent numbers of fish are destroyed uselessly by the 

 breaking away, in storms and currents, and loss of the nets in the lakes, 

 Avhich continue to capture fish until the floats become water-logged 

 and sink to the bottom. 



The catching of white-fish during the spawning-season, fi^oni Novem- 

 ber 10th or 12th to the middle of December, is often censured. It will 

 be observed that though the ova at this season of the year are ready to 

 be deposited, and produce, in the course of a few months, young flsh, 

 there are no more eggs destroyed at this season, in killing such fish, than 

 at an earlier period, i^or is the production of the next season's stock of 

 young fishes any more diminished by taking the same number of fishes 

 from the water in Xovember than in August. The objection to taking 

 fish at this season is, that they run into shoal water, in large schools, 

 and are t^ken in greater numbers than at any other season of the year. 



There is no fault found with the quality of the fish taken in the cold 

 waters of early winter, and the largest quantities can be handled with 

 safety, because of the favorable weather. 



The only run of fish the fishermen can look forward to, with cer- 

 tainty, is the run of trout upon the reefs in October, and of white-fish in 

 the shallow waters in November. Though the previous months have 

 been unprofitable, they look forward to this season with certainty of 

 some success if it does not prove too stormy. 



There is a wasteful destruction of fish in the killing of sturgeon in 

 certain localities. In the waters of Green Bay they are taken by thou- 

 sands in the earlj' fall in the pound-nets. The fishermen make no use. 

 of them, and considering them an annoyance, draw them into the boat 

 with a gaff-hook, and throw the carcasses on the offal-heap. Thou- 

 sands of pounds of food are destroyed in this waj^ every year. 



The firm of Schacht Brothers have attained quite a degree of wealth 

 during the past six years, in the city of Sandusky, Ohio, by utilizing 

 the sturgeon. They smoke the thicker parts of the fish, making a su- 

 perior substitute for halibut, manufacture caviare from the ova, isin- 

 glass from the bladders, and oil from the thin parts and offal. 



