FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES IN 1885. 175 



The yield, valued at $16,845, was as follows : 



Pounds. 



Whitefish 201,075 



SturgeoD 139,224 



Trout 43,425 



Perch 14,325 



Suckers 1,750 



Pike 1,000 



Bass - 300 



Catfish '274 



Trade. — With the exception of 1,100 pounds of whitefish, which were 

 salted, all the above were sold fresh. The local demand was not great, 

 aud the bulk of the products was sent to Chicago. 



Two firms incidentally bought sturgeon roe and bladders, preparing 

 therefrom 9,875 pounds of caviare and 125 pounds of isinglass. Two 

 hundred gallons of oil were also extracted from refuse fish. The value 

 of the raw products to the fishermen was $318. 



Fisheries of Ganges. — At Ganges, a very small village south of Sauga- 

 tuck, seven men engage in fishing at times, but are not dependent on 

 the water for a living. Their apparatus and catch have been included 

 with those of the fishermen at Saugatuck. They used one pound-net, 

 one seine, and a few gill-nets and set-lines, taking, in 1885, 24,113 pounds 

 of fish, valued at $898.91. Whitefish and sturgeon formed almost their 

 entire catch. 



60. GRAND HAVEN, OTTAWA COUNTY, MICHIGAN. 



Character of the town and its fisheries. — Grand Haven is a town of 

 6,000 people, on Grand Eiver, about 1 mile from its mouth. Lumbering 

 is the principal occupation of the inhabitants, a large proportion of 

 of whom are Dutch. Four steamers belonged at Grand Haven in 1885, 

 and from them the principal fishing was carried on.' Only three sail- 

 boats were used. 



Gill-nets are extensively employed both for whitefish, trout, and stur- 

 geon, 1,921 being fished in the year covered by this report. Prior to 

 1885, gill-nets were almost the only apparatus used, but in that year a 

 number of fishermen set pound-nets. These were fished throughout 

 the season without much success, due, it is thought, to the unfamiliarity 

 of the fishermen with this form of apparatus. Two nets were used in 

 1884 and thirteen the next season. In 1885 the average stock was 

 $340— only a few dollars more than the average cost of the nets. 



Indian fishermen. — At the "fish town" opposite Graud Haven is a 

 small party of Indians who fish little themselves but clean the catch 

 of the steamers, taking their pay in fish. They also make oil from the 

 refuse, and buy a few fresh fish to smoke for their winter's use. Spear- 

 ing and hand-lining is followed by Indians on Grand River, but they 

 seldom fish in the lake. 



Fishermen of Grand Haven and Holland. — In 1885 fifty-two men were 

 engaged in fishing at Grand Haven, nearly all of whom were Dutch. 



