FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES IN 1885. 73 



fished very extensively, especially along the western and the north- 

 ern shores. At the present time there is nowhere a strip of coast 50 

 miles in extent where it is not in use. The center of the pound-net 

 fishery has been for years in Green Bay, though in the southern por- 

 tion of these waters the quantities of whitefish have been very much 

 reduced, and the nets are now employed in the capture of herring and 

 other species. The most important pound-net fisheries for whitefish in 

 1885 were along the northern shores of the lake and about the Beaver 

 Islands. 



Importance of the gill-net fisheries. — Gill-nets are more extensively em- 

 ployed in Lake Michigan than in any of the other lakes of the chain. At 

 first only a few were owned by each fisherman, these being set from sail- 

 boats near the land, but gradually the quantity of netting has been 

 increased, steamers have been gradually replacing the sailboats at the 

 principal fishery centers, and the nets have been set farther and farther 

 from shore, until now the ends of those belonging to fishermen of oppo- 

 site sides nearly meet at the center. 



Mode of setting gill-nets.— Where the bottom of the lake is very irreg- 

 ular, and the ridges have abruptly sloping sides, frequent use of the 

 lead-line is required in setting the nets, and soundings are taken at inter- 

 vals of five to fifteen minutes. In this way the captain is enabled to 

 follow the ridges, keeping the nets in a certain depth of water, which 

 varies with the season and the locality. On grounds of this nature the 

 set is very irregular, following closely the direction of the ridge, usually 

 a few fathoms from the top, where the fish are feeding in greater num- 

 bers than on the top of the ridge or in the valley. A fisherman well 

 acquainted with the grounds thus has a decided advantage over one 

 not possessing similar technical knowledge, and it frequently happens 

 that, other things being equal, the former will catch from a third more 

 to fully double the quantity obtained by his rival. Iu other localities, 

 where the bottom is level, the nets are usually set in a straight line at 

 right angles to the current, which is usually parallel with the shore, the 

 depth varying with the season from 5 to 70 fathoms, and the distance 

 from shore often reaching 25 and 30 miles. The nets are most fre- 

 quently set on the bottom of the lake, but in some places it is customary 

 at certain seasons, to put them near the surface, the vertical position 

 varying according to the habits of the fish. 



Mode of hauling corJc and lead gill-nets from steamers. — Six men are 

 usually required for steamer fishing. When lifting the nets the captain 

 stands at the wheel in the pilot-house and the engineer remains con- 

 stantly at his engine. Two men are engaged in hauling the nets, walk- 

 ing backwards diagonally across the deck from the net-roller to near 

 the pilot house, one going forward to get a fresh hold while the 

 other is going back. The two remaining fishermen stand on a slightly 

 elevated platform at the hatch, one removing the fish while the other 

 runs the wet nets into boxes. The steamer is kept under a slight head- 



