FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES IN 1885. 47 



ring are used for bait, and are caught in small gill-nets set in the 

 vicinity. 



Set line fishing. — The use of set-lines is less common than formerly, 

 though a few are still employed by the gill-net fishermen during the 

 season of slack fishing in midsummer, and others use them for a few 

 weeks at the close of the gill-net season. The lines are small, not ex- 

 ceeding five hundred hooks each, and seldom more than two or three 

 lines are tended by one crew. They sometimes fish them in connection 

 with herring-nets, which are occasionally used in November, when it is 

 said that herring are peculiarly abundant, and, if the fishermen could 

 find a market for them, could be taken in enormous quantities, though 

 the demand is now so light that comparatively few are caught. 



Dip-nets and other apparatus. — Dip-nets were formerly employed for 

 several weeks in spring at Fond du Lac for catching pike, which were 

 quite abundant at that season, but very little such fishing is now done. 

 There is no spearing of fish about Duluth, and no fykes or trammel-nets 

 have ever been used. 



Smoking fish and manufacture of secondary products. — The smoking of 

 fish has never been important, and prior to 1885 was done only by the 

 fishermen themselves for their own use. In the spring of that year a 

 Scotchman built two smoke-houses, and engaged in preparing stur- 

 geon, trout, white fish, and herring in small quantities, smoking a total 

 of perhaps 10 or 12 tons. No oil, caviare, or isinglass is at present made 

 by the Duluth fishermen, though in former years oil was frequently 

 prepared by the gill-netters, who saved the offal when dressing their 

 fish, trying out, in addition, such species as could not be sold in the 

 markets. 



Superior, Wisconsin, and its fishing interests. — Superior is a village of 

 2,000 inhabitants, on Superior Bay, nearly opposite Duluth, with an 

 excellent harbor. It was for a time the terminus of the Chicago, St. 

 Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Kailroad, but the company has now ex- 

 tended its tracks to Duluth. Strenuous efforts are being made to de- 

 velop its business interests, and the good harbor facilities offer excellent 

 opportunities for engaging in the commerce of the lakes. The fisheries 

 have never been of great importance, though seines have been hauled 

 along the sandy shores since the earliest settlement of the region, and 

 pound-nets have been set in the vicinity for some years. In 1885 two 

 seines were owned in Superior and used for several months each sea- 

 son for catching whitefish and herring, and three Duluth crews bring 

 seines to the locality and join in the work. There are five pound-nets 

 owned and operated by residents of Superior, who sell their catch to 

 Duluth dealers. In 1884 one of these parties established a fish com- 

 pany for the shipping of fresh and salt fish, but the enterprise was 

 soon abandoned. 



