64 HISTORY OF OHIO. 



one is the shovel nose sturgeon, eels and herrings, (not the 

 eastern herring, but larger,) and taken in nets; gnrMi, chubs 

 and minnows; catfishes of two species, black and yellow. 

 Along the Ohio and its branches, many fishes are taken in the 

 spring months; by setting what is called, a trot line, where the 

 water is deep and still. The line is usually from forty to sixty 

 yards in length. The middle of it is supported by buoys, while 

 its ends are fastened down, by large stones. To this line, a 

 large number of short lines are fastened, with hooks attatched 

 to them well baited, with minnews or cray-fishes. This line 

 is visited morning and evening, or even oftener, by a man, in 

 a canoe, who takes hold of the main line, and pulls himself 

 along by it until he comes to one of these shorter lines, which 

 he pulls up, and takes off its fish, baits it again and so proceeds 

 along the whole length of his main line, taking off the fishes, 

 and rebaiting the hooks. In this manner catfishes are some- 

 times caught, weighing one hundred pounds. When the waters 

 are low, in the summer months, seines, are drawn, and large 

 quantites are taken by them. Pikes are sometimes caught in 

 nets weighing thirty, forty and fifty pounds. There is another 

 method used, in taking fishes which is with a spear; sometimes 

 by torch light. Of this method of fishing, the Indians were 

 extremely fond. The fishes are attracted to the surface of the 

 water, by the light, and the expert spearsman darts his spear 

 into him, and drags him into the skiff or canoe. 



In lake Erie, are found all the fishes that we have named, 

 as being in the Ohio, and branches. And in addition to these, 

 there are many others whose names we do not even know. The 

 white fish, of lake Erie, is a valuable fish and a delicious one 

 too. Vast numbers of them are caught in Detroit river with 

 seines. The specled trout is in lake Erie near Buffaloe. 

 The salmon trout of Michigan, the muskelunge of the Erie, 

 Michigan, Huron and Superior, are valuable fishes, millions of 

 which are taken, salted, barrelled up, and some of them sent 

 down our canal, to the towns along it. But there are not 

 enough caught, nor one half enough for our population. Not 

 a few barrels of shad, mackerel, salmon, as well as dried cod- 



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