﻿COMMERCIAL 
  FISHEKIES 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YOEK 
  AND 
  VERMONT. 
  235 
  

   ONEIDA 
  RIVER. 
  

  

  This 
  river, 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  outlet 
  of 
  Oneida 
  Lake 
  and 
  in 
  conjunction 
  

   with 
  the 
  Seneca 
  River 
  forms 
  the 
  Oswego 
  River, 
  is 
  about 
  12 
  miles 
  

   long. 
  The 
  only 
  commercial 
  fishing 
  on 
  it 
  is 
  at 
  Caughdenhoy, 
  about 
  3 
  

   miles 
  from 
  the 
  lake. 
  Here 
  are 
  located 
  14 
  eel 
  traps, 
  or 
  weirs, 
  which 
  

   are 
  valued 
  at 
  about 
  $1,400. 
  The 
  manner 
  of 
  building 
  them 
  is 
  as 
  fol- 
  

   lows: 
  Heavy 
  stakes 
  are 
  driven 
  into 
  the 
  shallow 
  bed 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  until 
  

   about 
  even 
  with 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  at 
  its 
  medium 
  height, 
  and 
  

   may 
  be 
  so 
  placed 
  as 
  to 
  form 
  the 
  outline 
  of 
  the 
  letter 
  W 
  extending 
  

   from 
  shore 
  to 
  shore, 
  the 
  open 
  portion 
  facing 
  upstream. 
  This 
  form 
  

   permits 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  two 
  traps. 
  When 
  only 
  one 
  is 
  desired 
  the 
  

   stakes 
  form 
  a 
  V 
  opening 
  upstream. 
  A 
  wall 
  of 
  planks 
  is 
  built 
  upon 
  the 
  

   stakes, 
  small 
  openings 
  being 
  left 
  at 
  the 
  two 
  lower 
  tips 
  of 
  the 
  W 
  to 
  l)e 
  

   occupied 
  by 
  the 
  traps 
  themselves, 
  which 
  are 
  usually 
  made 
  of 
  lattice- 
  

   work 
  and 
  are 
  either 
  rectangular 
  or 
  rounded 
  in 
  shape, 
  the 
  lower 
  end 
  

   of 
  a 
  larger 
  diameter 
  than 
  the 
  upper. 
  From 
  the 
  inner 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  

   mouth 
  long 
  laths 
  run 
  back 
  into 
  the 
  trap 
  until 
  they 
  almost 
  meet 
  in 
  the 
  

   center, 
  leaving 
  only 
  a 
  narrow 
  opening 
  about 
  four 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter 
  

   between 
  the 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  laths. 
  During 
  the 
  fall 
  months 
  the 
  eels 
  

   migrate 
  from 
  Oneida 
  Lake 
  to 
  Lake 
  Ontario, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  then 
  that 
  the 
  

   fishermen 
  set 
  their 
  traps. 
  An 
  eel 
  on 
  its 
  way 
  downstream 
  meeting 
  

   the 
  side 
  wall 
  of 
  the 
  trap 
  swims 
  slowly 
  along 
  it 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  a 
  passage, 
  

   which 
  it 
  seems 
  to 
  find 
  on 
  reaching 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  trap. 
  Wriggling 
  

   slowly 
  along 
  the 
  slats 
  to 
  the 
  narrow 
  opening 
  it 
  passes 
  through 
  this 
  

   and 
  drops 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  lattice 
  box, 
  thus 
  securely 
  cap- 
  

   tured. 
  The 
  traps 
  are 
  visited 
  at 
  certain 
  hours, 
  lifted 
  into 
  a 
  boat, 
  and 
  

   the 
  eels 
  taken 
  out 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  door 
  in 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  trap. 
  

  

  All 
  the 
  eels 
  caught 
  are 
  smoked, 
  none 
  being- 
  sold 
  fresh. 
  As 
  soon 
  as 
  

   landed 
  the 
  body 
  is 
  split 
  from 
  head 
  to 
  vent 
  and 
  the 
  viscera 
  removed. 
  

   The 
  head 
  and 
  skin 
  are 
  then 
  taken 
  ofi', 
  after 
  which 
  the 
  body 
  is 
  immersed 
  

   in 
  a 
  strong 
  brine 
  for 
  twenty-four 
  hours. 
  On 
  removal 
  from 
  the 
  brine 
  

   it 
  is 
  washed 
  with 
  stiff 
  brushes 
  to 
  remove 
  the 
  slime 
  and 
  surplus 
  salt, 
  

   then 
  strung 
  on 
  iron 
  or 
  steel 
  rods 
  and 
  hung 
  in 
  a 
  smokehouse. 
  Moisture 
  

   is 
  removed 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  hot 
  fire 
  of 
  kindlings, 
  then 
  the 
  cooking 
  is 
  

   done 
  by 
  a 
  fire 
  of 
  corncobs, 
  great 
  care 
  being 
  exercised 
  at 
  this 
  stage 
  

   lest 
  the 
  heat 
  become 
  so 
  great 
  as 
  to 
  curl 
  the 
  fish 
  out 
  of 
  shape. 
  After 
  

   the 
  cooking 
  the 
  fire 
  is 
  partially 
  smothered 
  with 
  sawdust, 
  making 
  a 
  

   dense 
  smoke, 
  and 
  the 
  fish 
  is 
  soon 
  cured. 
  The 
  total 
  length 
  of 
  time 
  in 
  

   the 
  smokehouse 
  is 
  about 
  four 
  hours. 
  Smoked 
  eels 
  can 
  be 
  kept 
  a 
  

   shorter 
  time 
  than 
  almost 
  any 
  fish 
  so 
  prepared, 
  from 
  five 
  to 
  twelve 
  

   days 
  being 
  about 
  the 
  limit; 
  hence 
  they 
  must 
  be 
  marketed 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  

   possible 
  after 
  being 
  removed 
  from 
  the 
  smokehouse. 
  The 
  product 
  is 
  

   sold 
  in 
  Syracuse 
  and 
  vicinity. 
  The 
  smokers 
  are 
  unable 
  to 
  expand 
  

  

  