LAKE HURON. 127 



Tbe poiiiid-iK't stations in Thunder Bay are situated on the uoitb shore, between North Point 

 and Wbitetish Point. Fifteen nets were located here in ]879. On the shore at the north of 

 Sulphur Island, in four or five fathoms of water, there are fonr nets. The bottom on this ground 

 is very bard and stony. 



Alcona to Point avx Barques, including Saginaw Bay and the Charity Islands. 



Gill-net fishing is not prosecuted to any considerable extent on this shore. The pound-net fishing 

 of Saginaw Bay is very important. The shores of the bay are very sandy, and great shoals extend 

 from the shore, upon which pounds can be established very firmly. The most westerly station is 

 at Ottawa Point, near the mouth of the bay, where two nets are located. Three other stations 

 on the west shore of the bay arc located at Gravelly Point, Point aux Gies, and south of the 

 shoal at the mouth of Eifle Eiver. At the head of the bay the stations are very numerous. 

 They are set at approximately regular intervals along the whole shore between Nayaliquing Point 

 and Fish Point. Not less than one hundred nets were in use within these limits during the year 

 of the canvass. 



The sandy shoal, on which the nets at the head of the bay are placed, extends out a great 

 distance from the west shore, and in this part of the bay fonr lines of nets, comprising in all about 

 fourteen, are located at distances of from six to eight miles from land. Three other stations are 

 located respectively at North Island, the main shore about four miles noith of Sebewaing, and at 

 about two miles east of North Miueshas Island, at the edge of the inner shoal. The most easterly 

 shoal occupied by pounds is that making off north of Sandy Point. Four lines of nets were in 

 use here in 1879. Thi'ee lines of nets are also located on the shoals which extend from the Charity 

 Islands, situated in the middle of Saginaw Bay near the mouth. 



The Charity Islands fisheries are considered to be the most profitable on the whole chain 

 of lakes. On the north and northeast portion of these grounds, however, the nets are greatly 

 exposed to storms, and heavy losses frequently occur. 



Seine fisheries are still carried on quite extensively in this district. At the head of the bay, 

 on the west shore, there are several important seining reaches. The principal ones are situated, 



(1) near the mouth of the Saginaw River on the west side of the mouth of the Ogahkaning River, 



(2) midway between the Opinkawniug and Saginin Rivers, (3) midway between the Rifle and Pine 

 Rivers, and (4) on either side of Gravelly Point. The last three fisheries are carried on by the 

 Indians. The one between Rifle and Pine Rivers is the oldest and best known seine-fishery in 

 Saginaw Bay. 



There are no gill-net fisheries in Saginaw Bay proper, but to the northward of Point aux 

 Barques and Point au Sable there are several important grounds. Some gill-netting is still carried 

 on in winter, but this branch of the fisheries has declined very much within the last ten years. 

 The same may also be said of the seine-fisheries, but on the other hand the number of pound- 

 nets has considerably increased within that time. 



The winter fishing in Saginaw Bay is very important, and gives employment to a large number 

 of men. Not only gill-nets and pound-nets, but hooks and .spears are used, the last being by 

 far the most convenient and effective device for the capture of fish. The location of the spearing 

 grounds varies according to the season and the thickness of the ice. The fishery is usually carried 

 on, however, outside of a line drawn from Point aux Gres to the west shore of Sebewaing. During 

 a profitable season quite a village springs up on the ice, and a variety of sni)plies are brought out 

 by the buyers of the fish. It is stated, however, that the fishery is becoming less and less profitable 

 every year. A few years ago the sjiearing was so profitable that a supply of fish could always be 



