FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES. 685 
to induce men to engage in fishing, furnish them with twine and in 
return are allowed to handle their catch. The dealers retain from a 
third to half of the catch, according to the amount of twine furnished, 
and pay the fishermen the prevailing market prices for the remainder. 
In many instances this has proved a disastrous venture for the dealer, 
as he runs the risk of a poor fishing season and the tendency of the fish- 
ermen to sell to the dealer offering the highest prices, notwithhstanding 
their contract. In addition, the same care of the nets can not be 
expected from the fishermen as if they were the sole owners. 
~The pound-net season in Saginaw Bay is from about the first of 
April until early in July, when the nets are taken up, to be set again 
about the middle of September and allowed to remain down until the 
latter part of November. The depth of water in which they are set 
varies from 8 to 35 feet, though comparatively few are set in more 
than 20 feet of water. It is only when a long string of nets is set 
that a greater depth is reached. The sizes of mesh in the pound nets 
along the lake are from 5 to 8 inches in the leaders, + to 6 inches in 
the hearts, and 2 to 4 inches in the cribs or pots. In some instances 
where the mesh in the sides of the cribs is 24 inches, those in the 
ends are 2+ inches. The length of pound-net leaders varies from 275 
to 550 yards. In the Saginaw River, which is only a few hundred 
feet wide, the length of the leaders is necessarily much less. Owing 
to the rocky character of the bottom between Saginaw Bay and Port 
‘Huron, and the difficulty necessarily encountered in driving stakes, 
pound-net fishing is not followed very generally along that portion of 
the lake, one firm usually dcing most of the fishing done in a locality. 
The value of pound nets in Lake Huron varies from $25 to $400 
each, according to the depth of water in which they are set. An 
average value would be about $150 each. A pound net ordinarily 
will last about four years, its length of service depending upon the 
eare taken of it, the character of the fishing grounds, and the weather 
encountered. The most valuable species taken in pound nets are her- 
ring, wall-eyed pike, white-fish, yellow perch, and suckers. 
Gill nets rank second in importance among the different forms of 
apparatus. They are used along the entire length of the lake, though 
to a rather limited extent in Saginaw Bay. Over two-thirds of their 
entire catch was taken by steam vessels, including three from Alpena, 
two from Ausable, and one each from Cheboygan, Rogers, and Harbor 
Beach. When steamers are used gill nets are set in from 25 to 100 
fathoms of water, while with sailboats the depth varies from 8 to 40 
fathoms. Trout is by far the most important species caught in gill 
nets, though large catches of white-fish, Menominee white-fish, yellow 
perch, wall-eyed pike, and suckers are taken. Between Saginaw Bay 
and Port Huron gill netsare very commonly used during the summer, 
between the spring and fall pound-net seasons, in taking yellow perch 
