192 KEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



place ; it has grown steadily in importance and since 1877 has been fre- 

 quented as a summer resort by Chicago and Kalamazoo people. There 

 is now more fishing prosecuted from Charlevoix than ever before. 



Pound-net and seine fishery.— The first pound net was set here about 

 1862 ; in 1866 others were set; in 1879, however, there was but one ; and 

 in 1885 none were employed. The use of seines has also been discontin- 

 ued since 1883, prior to which date they were employed in the capture 

 of herring and other species. No fyke-nets, trammel-nets, or spears are 

 used at this place. 



Gill-net fishery. — The only fishery of importance is that with gill-nets 

 for whitefish and trout. As early as 1866 three gangs of gill-net fisher- 

 men with seventy-five nets to a boat, began operations at Charlevoix. 

 In 1885 there were 2,826 nets in the water, having a total length of 

 606,900 feet, the average length being about 35 fathoms. The nets have 

 from 4 to 4J-inch mesh, are from 18 to 20 meshes deep, and cost about 

 $6.50 each. The fishing season is from May 1 to December 15, between 

 which dates the fishery is followed without intermission. Both steam- 

 ers and boats are used in connection with this fishery at Charlevoix, 

 four of the former and eleven of the latter being employed. The tugs 

 carry five and six men, with from one hundred and fifty to four hundred 

 gill-nets; the small boats carry two and three men, with from forty to 

 two hundred and seventy-five nets. 



The steamers have no regular fishing grounds, but set their nets 

 wherever fish happen to be. In 1885 the localities most frequented 

 were the Manitou Islands, Cross Village, and Old Mission. Three of 

 the steamers, namely, Seawing, Fisherman, and Clara E. Elliott, fished 

 at Sand Beach, Alpena, and Saugatuck, respectively, in the spring of 

 1885; the remaining one, the Anspach, was at Charlevoix during the 

 entire season. The catch of the steamers while fishing from Charlevoix 

 was as follows : 



Steamers. 



Whitefish. Trout 



Anspach 



Seawing 



Fisherman 



Clara E. Elliott 



Total.... 



Pounds. 

 84, 933 

 50, 891 

 49, 372 

 11, 959 



197, 155 



Pounds. 



42, 466 



38, 520 



41,254 



9,341 



131, 581 



The following statement of the operations of the steamers Seawing 

 and Fisherman gives the monthly fluctuations in their catch of white- 

 fish and trout : 



Month. 



June 



July 



August . . . 

 Septemher 



Whitefish. 



Pounds. 

 25, 041 

 25, 956 

 30, 149 

 19, 117 



Trout. 



Pounds. 

 19, 815 

 19, 332 

 18, 547 

 22, 080 



Total catch. 



Pounds. 

 44, 856 

 45,28$ 

 48,698 

 41, 197 



