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  BEPORT 
  OF 
  rOMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  their 
  business, 
  as 
  they 
  find 
  it 
  increasingly 
  difficult 
  each 
  year 
  to 
  supply 
  

   the 
  local 
  demand. 
  The 
  season 
  of 
  1902 
  was 
  very 
  poor, 
  and 
  1003 
  was 
  

   even 
  worse, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  excessively 
  high 
  water 
  which 
  prevailed 
  

   most 
  of 
  the 
  time, 
  allowing 
  the 
  eels 
  to 
  escape 
  over 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  

   traps. 
  

  

  Several 
  years 
  ago 
  the 
  fishermen 
  came 
  to 
  an 
  agreement 
  among 
  them- 
  

   selves 
  to 
  the 
  effect 
  that 
  the 
  whole 
  business 
  should 
  be 
  carried 
  on 
  in 
  

   one 
  smokehouse 
  and 
  with 
  but 
  one 
  selling 
  agent 
  to 
  dispose 
  of 
  the 
  whole 
  

   product. 
  This 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  much 
  more 
  economical 
  than 
  the 
  former 
  

   method, 
  with 
  each 
  man 
  curing 
  and 
  selling 
  his 
  own 
  catch. 
  

  

  The 
  eel 
  fishery 
  has 
  ])een 
  prosecuted 
  for 
  many 
  years, 
  and 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  

   well 
  said 
  that 
  "Caughdenhoy 
  was 
  built 
  on 
  eels," 
  as 
  that 
  is, 
  and 
  always 
  

   has 
  been, 
  the 
  principal 
  business 
  of 
  the 
  village. 
  The 
  industry 
  is 
  now 
  

   in 
  danger 
  of 
  destruction, 
  however, 
  as 
  the 
  farmers 
  living 
  on 
  the 
  river 
  

   between 
  the 
  village 
  and 
  Oneida 
  Lake 
  and 
  for 
  several 
  miles 
  along 
  the 
  

   shores 
  of 
  the 
  lake 
  threaten 
  to 
  enter 
  suit 
  for 
  damages 
  to 
  their 
  lands 
  

   from 
  overflows, 
  which, 
  they 
  claim, 
  are 
  caused 
  l)y 
  these 
  eel 
  traps. 
  As 
  

   the 
  traps 
  are 
  rarely 
  more 
  than 
  15 
  inches 
  in 
  height, 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  seem 
  

   prolmble 
  that 
  tliey 
  could 
  cause 
  the 
  water 
  to 
  overflow 
  land 
  several 
  

   miles 
  upstream. 
  

  

  ONONDAGA 
  LAKE. 
  

  

  In 
  1894 
  and 
  1895 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  considerable 
  gill-net 
  fishery 
  for 
  white- 
  

   fish 
  in 
  this 
  lake, 
  but 
  this 
  ceased 
  soon 
  after 
  that 
  time, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  

   almost 
  complete 
  disappearance 
  of 
  the 
  fish. 
  The 
  fishermen 
  ascribe 
  

   this 
  disappearance 
  to 
  the 
  pollution 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  by 
  refuse 
  from 
  several 
  

   large 
  chemical 
  plants 
  on 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  the 
  lake. 
  The 
  city 
  of 
  Syra- 
  

   cuse, 
  which 
  abuts 
  upon 
  the 
  western 
  shore, 
  also 
  runs 
  its 
  sewage 
  into 
  

   the 
  lake. 
  No 
  commercial 
  fishing 
  is 
  now 
  carried 
  on. 
  There 
  are 
  said 
  

   to 
  be 
  large 
  quantities 
  of 
  German 
  carp 
  and 
  ling 
  in 
  the 
  lake. 
  

  

  OTSEGO 
  LAKE. 
  

  

  This 
  lake, 
  the 
  source 
  of 
  the 
  Susquehanna 
  River, 
  is 
  in 
  Otsego 
  County, 
  

   in 
  the 
  eastern 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  and 
  has 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  about 
  9 
  miles 
  

   and 
  an 
  average 
  width 
  of 
  li 
  miles. 
  It 
  is 
  quite 
  popular 
  as 
  a 
  summer 
  

   resort, 
  Cooperstown 
  being 
  the 
  principal 
  town 
  on 
  its 
  shores. 
  For 
  

   some 
  years 
  seines 
  were 
  used 
  for 
  catching 
  whitefish, 
  locally 
  known 
  as 
  

   Otsego 
  bass, 
  but 
  in 
  1901 
  the 
  legislature 
  closed 
  the 
  lake 
  to 
  all 
  manner 
  

   of 
  commercial 
  fishing, 
  except 
  with 
  hook 
  and 
  line, 
  until 
  May 
  1, 
  1906. 
  

   As 
  a 
  result 
  the 
  commercial 
  fishing 
  is 
  at 
  present 
  of 
  minor 
  importance. 
  

  

  OWASCO 
  LAKE. 
  

  

  Lying 
  about 
  midway 
  between 
  Cayuga 
  and 
  Skaneateles 
  lakes, 
  with 
  a 
  

   length 
  of 
  10 
  or 
  11 
  miles 
  and 
  a 
  width 
  of 
  more 
  than 
  a 
  mile, 
  Owasco 
  

   Lake 
  empties 
  into 
  the 
  Seneca 
  River 
  through 
  Owasco 
  Outlet. 
  It 
  is 
  

   wholly 
  within 
  Cayuga 
  County. 
  The 
  only 
  commercial 
  fishing 
  is 
  done 
  

   by 
  means 
  of 
  tip-ups 
  in 
  the 
  winter 
  time 
  at 
  the 
  upper 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  lake. 
  

   Bullheads, 
  eels, 
  yellow 
  perch, 
  and 
  sunfish 
  are 
  the 
  species 
  taken. 
  

  

  