

FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES IN 1885. 127 



of the gross value of their catch for the use of their neighbor's seining 

 reach. The first seine was introduced in 1873. The fishing was most 

 profitable about 1880, when, as we are informed, $1,000 worth of fish 

 was captured during a single month in a seine similar to one which in 

 1885 caught only $800 worth for the entire year. There are 11 seines 

 owned south of Namur in the present year, besides one which has not 

 been used for several years and probably will not be again, on account 

 of its mesh being now illegal. The length of the seines used varies 

 from 825 to 1,650 feet, averaging about 1,100 feet. The depth is usually 

 12 feet in the bag and 4 feet on the brail ; but one which is owned by 

 Mr. Jeffrey has a 14-foot bag and a 5 foot brail. Formerly the size of 

 mesh used was 1J to 2 inches, but, owing to the foresight and enter- 

 prise of one of the leading fishermen, a change has taken place in, the 

 last four or five years, and at present the usual size is 3 inches in the 

 bag, 4 inches in the inner portion of the wings, 5 inches in the center 

 of the wings, and 5 to 7 inches at the outer ends. 



In most cases there are only two sizes of mesh in the wings, but 

 there are several seines in which the 5-inch mesh at the center is re- 

 placed towards the brail by a 7-inch strip, making four different sizes 

 in the entire net. The boats used are flat- bottomed skiffs, worth from 

 $15 to $25 each. Nearly all of the fishermen are farmers who fish 

 regularly only from the clearing away of the ice in the spring to the 

 early part of June ; though occasional hauls are made from time to 

 time throughout the season of open water. Four men are required to 

 fish one seine, but where two seines are owned by one man they are 

 fished by the same crew. Two of the seining crews are engaged also 

 in the pound-net fishery ; including these there are forty men employed 

 in the seine fishery of this region. The catch consists of rough fish, 

 the proportion of each species to the entire quantity of fish marketed 

 being as follows : perch, pike, and suckers, each 25 per cent.; catfish, 

 10 per cent.; white bass, black bass, and pickerel, each 5 per cent. The 

 average price obtained per pound was 5 cents for black bass, 3£ cents 

 for pickerel, 3£ cents for pike, 3 cents for catfish, 2J cents for white 

 bass, half a cent for perch, and half a cent for suckers. The catfish 

 are dressed before being sold ; the other varieties are all sold round. 

 The above prices are for the fish as sold. The entire marketable catch 

 goes in a fresh state to three firms at Green Bay City. Up to 1883 

 there was no demand for suckers and they were all thrown away, but 

 in that and later years they have been saved. At present there are not 

 over eight half-barrels of waste fish of all kinds to a seine, and this is 

 buried on shore ; thus far there is no record of its having been used as 

 a fertilizer in the vicinity. The catch in 1885 amounted to 84,335 

 pounds, valued at $3,695. 



Fyke-nets. — Twenty fyke-nets are fished throughout the year on the 

 shore between Green Bay and Wequiock by four professional fisher- 

 men, each of whom operates five nets. The nets are about 10J feet 

 long, with three or four hoops from 3 to 8 feet in diameter. The catch 



