FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES. 685 



to induce men to engage in iishing, furnisli them with tv/ine and in 

 return are allowed to handle their catch. The dealers retain from a 

 third to half of the catch, according to the amount of twine furnished, 

 and pay the fishermen the prevailing market prices for the remainder. 

 In many instances this has proved a disastrous venture for the dealer, 

 as he I'uns the risk of a poor fishing season and the tendenc}^ of the fish- 

 ermen to sell to the dealer otfering the highest prices, notwithhstanding 

 their contract. In addition, the same care of the nets can not ])e 

 expected from the fishermen as if they were the sole owners. 



Tiie pound-net season in Saginaw Bay is from about the lirst of 

 April until early in July, when the nets are taken up, to be set again 

 about the middle of September and allowed to remain down until the 

 latter part of November. The depth of water in which thev are set 

 varies from 8 to 35 feet, though comparatively few are set in more 

 than 20 feet of water. It is only when a long string of nets is set 

 that a greater depth is reached. The sizes of mesh in the pound nets 

 along the lake are from 5 to 8 inches in the leaders, -i to inches in 

 the hearts, and 2 to -i inches in the cribs or pots. In some instances 

 where the mesh in the sides of the cribs is 2^ inches, those in the 

 ends are 2i inches. The length of pound-net leaders varies from 275 

 to 550 yards. In the Saginaw River, ^hich is only a few hundred 

 feet wide, the length of the leaders is necessarih/ much less. Owing 

 to the rocky character of the bottom between Saginaw Bay and Port 

 Huron, and the difficult}^ necessarily encountered in driving stakes, 

 pound-net lishing is not followed ver}' generally along that portion of 

 the lake, one firm usually doing most of the fishing done in a locality. 



The value of povrnd nets in Lake Huron varies from $25 to 1400 

 each, according to the depth of water in which they are set. An 

 average value would be about $150 each. A pound net ordinarily 

 will last about four years, its length of service depending upon the 

 care taken of it, the character of the fishing grounds, and the weather 

 encountered. The most valuable species taken in pound nets are her- 

 ring, wall-eyed pike, whitc-tish, yellow perch, and suckers. 



Gill nets rank second in importance among the difi'erent forms of 

 apparatus. They are used along the entire length of the lake, though 

 to a rather limited extent in Saginaw Bay. Over two-thirds of their 

 entire catch was taken by steam vessels, including three from Alpena, 

 two from Ausable, and one each from Cheboygan, Rogers, and Harbor 

 Beach. When steamers are used gill nets are set in from 25 to 100 

 fathoms of water, while with sailboats the depth varies from 8 to JrO 

 fathoms. Trout is by far the most important species caught in gill 

 nets, though large catches of white-fish, Menominee white-fish, yellow 

 perch, wall-eyed pike, and suckers are taken. Between Saginaw Bay 

 and Port Huron gill nets are very commonly used during the summer, 

 between the spring and fall pound-net seasons, in taking yellow perch 



