Fish, Fishing and Fisheries of Pennsylvania. I'd- 



the headwaters at Cleveland, year before last, weighing one pound and 

 one and one-half ounces. This fish is probably some of the gold fish 

 put into the lake by Dr. Ackley, of Cleveland. He has no doubt but 

 that they will propogate and increase in the lake, as he considers thena 

 a hardy fish when once acclimated. 



He relates the following story regarding sturgeon : About fifteen or 

 sixteen years ago, the north channel pier at this point canted over, 

 owing to currents washing out the sand foundation on the north side. 

 He was engaged on one of the tugs employed by the construction in 

 making repairs. The tugs lay at the piers all night. Just before day- 

 light one morning, stepped on to the pier and saw something moving in 

 the water. It was too dark to see what it was, but after waiting awhile 

 it became light enough and he discovered that it was a compact masa 

 of sturgeon (hundreds of them), with their heads just at the edge of the 

 water sucking the moss from the pier timbers. He stepped aboard of 

 the tug and got a slack bur (used in firing), with a hook on it, and him- 

 self and two others, landed about twenty of them on the pier in a few^ 

 minutes by hooking them in the gills. He says he could have landed 

 many more of them, but at the time they were very plentiful and there 

 was no sale for them. This was before they began smoking them and 

 using the roe for caviars. 



In Lake Erie, according to the review of the fisheries of the great 

 lakes recently published by the United States Fish Commission, the cat 

 fish rank next to the white fish in number of pounds taken. This may 

 be so in some localities, but it is not so at Erie. They were formerly 

 very abundant there, but are growing less plentiful every year. Erie 

 receives her supply from the pound nets, and from the fishermen work- 

 ing between here and Conneaut, Ohio. They average from eight to 

 twelve pounds, but are sometimes taken at twenty-five or thirty pounds- 



As has been shown the black bass, the gamiest fish in the lakes, are 

 becoming more scarce every year. Erie used to be noted for its fine 

 bass fishing, and parties came here from abroad for that purpose. They 

 are now becoming so scarce that they are seeking other localities for 

 fishing. Within ten years the writer has seen two men going through 

 the streets with a string of bass suspended on a pole between their 

 shoulders, dragging on the pavement, the result of a half days fishing. 

 The reef at Four mile creek was a favorite place to fish for them, and it 

 was customary during the fishing season for the steam pleasure yachts 

 to make daily fishing parties to their grounds. The channel and piera 

 were also fine spots for these most excellent fish. 



Formerly perch abounded in the bay, particularly in Misery bay, but 

 they were by no means as plentiful as formerly, and yet they are not 

 nearly as scarce as black bass in proportion. Eock bass and sunfish 

 were some years ago exceedingly abundant. The different varieties of 

 pike indigenious to the lakes formerly were in great numbers, but are 



