180 SCIENCE OF FISHING. 



with large fins and the characteristic sucker mouth. It is 

 gray on the back, light ashy on the sides and white beneath. 

 The sucker spawns in spring, about May, and ascends the 

 streams for this purpose. About the Great Lakes there is a 

 heavy run of these fish in the streams, at that time of year 

 At such times they are taken in gill nets stretched across the 

 streams, also by slipping a brass wire snare over the fish 

 when they lie in shallow water, and by spearing. They do 

 not take a bait at such times, nor during the summer when 

 the water is clear, except on rare occasions. They are caught 

 mostly in early spring when the rains raise the water and 

 discolor it. At such times they feed in the eddies of the 

 streams, or muddy bottom, and may be caught by still fishing 

 with a number of rods, which are set, in the same way as 

 for carp. The rod should be a long native cane, or a wood 

 rod. Sometimes a slender, dead, white pine is trimmed of 

 branches and knots and the bark, also some of the wood 

 shaved off, making a fairly good rod, though cane is better 

 The smallest cuttyhunk linen line, or an oiled silk line, or 

 a light cotton line is all right. Two or three No. 10 or 12 

 snelled hooks are fastened to the line near the end, being 

 placed about ten inches apart, and a sinker weighing from a 

 half ounce to an ounce is tied to the end of the line. It is 

 a common practice to attach the sinker by means of a weaker 

 line, so in case it gets caught between stones the weak 

 string instead of the line will be broken. A cork is also 

 used. The hooks should be baited with angleworms, well 

 bunched, with an end hanging loose to wriggle. 



Instead of using rods, some fishermen use hand lines, and 

 by means of the sinker throw the bait out into deep water 

 then fasten the other end of the line somewhere on shore 

 Before using such rigs it is best to look up the fishing 

 laws and see whether these lines may be used lawfully, also 

 how many may be used by one person, and how many hooks 

 may be used on a line. 



