CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 381 



fishermen locate as near as possible to the legally closed waters out of 

 which the catfish sometimes venture. The fyke nets in the lower reaches 

 of the river near Pittsburg are operated hy gill netters as a side line. 



Most of the fishermen live in houseboats moored to the bank. 

 Usually the base camp consists of the dwelling boat, a cleaning barge, 

 live cars, and a net tarring tank which is on the shore. The live cars, in 

 which the fish are kept until marketed, are large boxes set in the water. 

 Thej^ have holes or slits through which the water can circulate but 

 which are small enough to prevent the escape of the fish. The boats 

 from which the fishermen tend their nets are 16- to 20-foot skiffs pow- 

 ered with outboard motors. 



Each fisherman uses 50 to 100 fyke nets. Some of the fishermen 

 work in pairs, in which cases as many as 150 or more nets are employed. 

 These nets are no more than stationary baited traps. (See Fig. 145.) 

 The net consists of tarred webbing of 22-inch mesh stretched over 5 

 iron hoops to form a sort of modified cone. The largest hoop is at the 

 open end. A mesh sack containing bait is at the closed end. To get at 

 the bait, the fish must enter at the open end of the trap. Mesh funnels 

 on the second and third hoops direct the fish toward the bait but 



Fig. 145. A typical Sacramento River fyke net. The open end is at the 

 right; the bait is l<ept in a bag at the small end of the net. To get to 

 the bait, the fish must pass through the mesh funnels, which then pre- 

 vent their escape. Photograph by D. H. Pry, Jr., Pittsburg, October, 

 1932. 



hinder their escape. The nets are usually about 14 feet in lengtli. In 

 some nets the hoops taper from 4i feet down to 2^ feet in diameter. 

 Others have a 6-foot hoop at the open end and one of 1^ feet as the 

 smallest. The cost of the average fyke net is about $20. The webbing 

 must be dipped in coal tar every 30 days to prevent deterioration, 

 resulting from contact with catfish slime. A number of years ago it 

 was the general practice to place mesh wings on either side of the 

 opening to lead the fish toward the trap, but the wings were held to 

 be destructive and were outlawed. The fishermen now use an increased 

 number of the wingless nets. 



The fisherman places his nets in deep water close to the bank of 

 the river or slough. The net is lowered to the bottom and a rope or 

 wire from each end is made fast to an overhanging tree or stake on tlie 

 bank. The ropes are made taut enough to keep the lioops upright. 

 The lines are not marked, but rather are concealed from the prying 

 eyes of net thieves. The nets are often stolen and more often robbed 



