THE GERMAN CARP IN THE UNITED STATES. 613 



employed. For example, some of the marshes connected with small 

 tributaries of the Sandusky River open into the main channel by out- 

 lets so definite that an}- fish which happen to be in the marshes can be 

 shut off from the river simply by setting- a seine across these outlets. 

 As has already been explained (p. 558), on account of the varying direc- 

 tion and force of the winds over Lake Erie the water level is almost con- 

 stantly changing, affecting also the level of the waters of the bays, rivers, 

 and marshes. By experience the fishermen have learned that when the 

 current sets up and the water level is rising, the carp work up the streams 

 and spread out over the marshes. Conversel}-, with the fall of the water 

 they mave out of the marshes again into the deeper waters. So careful 

 watch is kept of the currents, and shortly after the water has reached 

 its highest, and is beginning to go down again, a seine is stretched 

 across the outlet from the marsh, as described above. A row of stakes 

 is placed in a semicircular line on the downstream side of the seine to 

 prevent its being carried away by the force of the outgoing current, 

 and the cork-line is made fast to each of these stakes, so that the net 

 will not be carried away if the current should change and set upstream 

 again. As the water recedes the carp crowd on the upstream side of 

 the net in large numbers, and when the fishermen decide that enough 

 have come down to justify it, the haul is made. If the current is still 

 running out, a second seine is often set immediately in the place of 

 the first. The fishermen can get some estimate of the number of carp 

 that have gathered above the seine b}^ the number that are seen splash- 

 ing, or b}^ running a paddle slowly through the water, when, if there 

 are many fish present, they can be felt to bump against the paddle. 

 To make the haul, a brail rope is carried across upstream from one 

 side to the other, and the net is wound in to one shore in the usual way. 



An outfit for seine fishing, including seine boat, seine, lines, and 

 other accessories, represents an outlay of about $150 to $200. In other 

 words, a capital of $10 to $50 each is required where the crew consists 

 of four men. Some crews, consisting, perhaps, of only two or three 

 men, who work ou a smaller scale, are probably able to outfit for a 

 smaller sum. In some cases the outfit is furnished b}^ a wholesale 

 dealer or fishing company, and the fishermen work on a salary or on a 

 percentage of the value of the catch. 



The time ordinarily required to make a seine haul and dispose of 

 the fish is from one to two hours, though it may vary with conditions, 

 and the haul is not considered to have paid unless at least half a ton 

 of fish is taken. As a rule, the fishermen will not make a haul unless 

 they think there is a chance of getting a greater amount of carp than 

 that. The number of fish which may be taken at one time depends in 

 large part upon the season, and the size of single hauls sometimes 

 made during the spring months is almost incredible. Upon what 

 appeared to be reliable information there were reported to me a num- 



