﻿COMMERCIAL 
  FISHEEIES 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  AND 
  VERMONT. 
  231 
  

  

  From 
  a 
  commercial 
  standpoint 
  this 
  lake 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  most 
  important 
  in 
  

   the 
  State, 
  and 
  principally 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  one 
  iish, 
  the 
  muskellunge. 
  

   This 
  species 
  is 
  distinct 
  from 
  the 
  muskellunge 
  inhabiting 
  the 
  Great 
  

   Lakes, 
  but 
  is 
  identical 
  with 
  that 
  occasionally 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  Ohio 
  River 
  

   basin. 
  Its 
  real 
  home 
  is 
  in 
  this 
  lake, 
  only 
  occasional 
  specimens 
  being 
  

   found 
  in 
  other 
  waters. 
  New 
  York 
  was 
  the 
  first 
  State 
  to 
  propagate 
  the 
  

   muskellunge 
  artificially. 
  A 
  hatchery 
  was 
  built 
  in 
  1890 
  and 
  the 
  work 
  

   has 
  continued 
  each 
  3^ear 
  since 
  with 
  considerable 
  success. 
  The 
  State 
  

   fish 
  commission 
  has 
  introduced 
  the 
  species 
  in 
  other 
  lakes 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  

   but 
  in 
  none 
  has 
  it 
  yet 
  attained 
  importance. 
  As 
  a 
  game 
  fish 
  it 
  is 
  held 
  

   in 
  very 
  high 
  esteem. 
  In 
  summer 
  it 
  is 
  usually 
  taken 
  by 
  trolling 
  with 
  a 
  

   specially 
  made 
  spoon 
  or 
  a 
  good-sized 
  minnow; 
  a 
  rather 
  short 
  line 
  is 
  

   used 
  and 
  the 
  boat 
  rowed 
  only 
  fast 
  enough 
  to 
  keep 
  the 
  tackle 
  taut, 
  the 
  

   spoon 
  being 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  under 
  water. 
  

  

  Up 
  to 
  and 
  including 
  1902 
  fishermen 
  were 
  permitted 
  to 
  spear 
  mus- 
  

   kellunge 
  through 
  the 
  ice 
  on 
  Monday 
  and 
  Thursday 
  of 
  each 
  week 
  for 
  

   five 
  consecutive 
  weeks, 
  beginning 
  on 
  the 
  first 
  Monday 
  in 
  February. 
  

   During 
  this 
  season 
  the 
  lake 
  presented 
  a 
  busy 
  appearance, 
  as 
  fishermen 
  

   came 
  from 
  not 
  only 
  the 
  immediate 
  vicinity, 
  but 
  from 
  Pennsylvania 
  

   and 
  Ohio. 
  For 
  this 
  method 
  of 
  fishing 
  each 
  man 
  is 
  supplied 
  with 
  a 
  

   "fish 
  coop" 
  and 
  a 
  spear. 
  The 
  "coops" 
  are 
  huts 
  about 
  4 
  feet 
  square 
  

   and 
  from 
  3^ 
  to 
  1^ 
  feet 
  in 
  height, 
  with 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  wide 
  runners 
  under- 
  

   neath, 
  and 
  built 
  perfectly 
  tight 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  exclude 
  every 
  ray 
  of 
  light. 
  

   Within 
  is 
  a 
  small 
  sheet-iron 
  stove, 
  burning 
  wood 
  or 
  charcoal, 
  to 
  fur- 
  

   nish 
  warmth 
  for 
  the 
  fisherman. 
  Opposite 
  the 
  stove 
  is 
  a 
  seat, 
  with 
  

   only 
  a 
  narrow 
  margin 
  of 
  floor 
  around 
  the 
  inside 
  of 
  the 
  hut 
  for 
  the 
  

   feet 
  to 
  rest 
  upon. 
  The 
  hole 
  in 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  " 
  coop" 
  is 
  about 
  3 
  

   feet 
  across 
  and, 
  when 
  the 
  " 
  coop" 
  is 
  in 
  place, 
  is 
  immediately 
  above 
  a 
  

   somewhat 
  larger 
  hole 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  cut 
  in 
  the 
  Ice. 
  The 
  spear 
  used 
  

   in 
  taking 
  the 
  fish 
  has 
  5 
  or 
  7 
  tines 
  and 
  a 
  short 
  handle, 
  to 
  which 
  is 
  

   attached 
  a 
  stout 
  cord, 
  and 
  hangs 
  half 
  its 
  length 
  down 
  into 
  the 
  water, 
  

   secured 
  by 
  a 
  catch 
  on 
  the 
  floor 
  of 
  the 
  "coop." 
  The 
  fisherman 
  sits 
  

   with 
  one 
  foot 
  on 
  either 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  house 
  and 
  plays 
  a 
  weighted 
  wooden 
  

   minnow 
  about 
  6 
  or 
  8 
  feet 
  below 
  the 
  ice. 
  Sometimes 
  he 
  does 
  not 
  have 
  

   long 
  to 
  wait 
  for 
  a 
  muskellunge 
  to 
  appear, 
  but 
  again 
  there 
  may 
  be 
  

   no 
  sign 
  of 
  one 
  during 
  the 
  whole 
  day. 
  When 
  a 
  fish 
  does 
  appear 
  it 
  

   generally 
  approaches 
  the 
  decoy 
  slowly 
  and 
  carefully. 
  The 
  fisher- 
  

   man 
  grasps 
  the 
  spear 
  and 
  quietly 
  poises 
  it 
  directly 
  over 
  the 
  fish, 
  

   which, 
  as 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  light 
  in 
  the 
  hut, 
  is 
  unable 
  to 
  see 
  its 
  danger. 
  

   It 
  is 
  his 
  endeavor 
  to 
  plant 
  the 
  spear 
  a 
  little 
  back 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  thus 
  

   breaking 
  the 
  backbone 
  and 
  killing 
  the 
  fish 
  almost 
  instantly. 
  He 
  

   then 
  carefully 
  brings 
  it 
  to 
  the 
  surface, 
  secures 
  it 
  on 
  the 
  spear 
  by 
  

   means 
  of 
  a 
  gaff 
  hook, 
  lifts 
  it 
  from 
  the 
  water, 
  and 
  throws 
  it 
  through 
  

   the 
  door 
  of 
  the 
  "coop" 
  upon 
  the 
  ice 
  outside. 
  As 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  day's 
  

   fishing 
  is 
  done 
  the 
  " 
  coop" 
  must 
  be 
  removed 
  to 
  the 
  shore 
  to 
  remain 
  

   until 
  the 
  next 
  legal 
  day 
  for 
  spearing. 
  Owing 
  to 
  the 
  strenuous 
  

  

  