202 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



favorite resort for the gill-net fishermen of the Beaver and Fox Islands, 

 and for those of the north shore between Manistique and St. Ignace. 



The Beaver Island fishermen resort to different portions of the large isl- 

 and and to the smaller islands, where they camp and remain during the 

 fishing season, salting the bulk of their fish and selling the remainder fresh 

 to the collecting boats. The catch is composed exclusively of white, 

 fish and trout, in the relative proportion of two to one. According to 

 figures obtained from the books of the largest salt-fish dealers on the 

 islands, the catch of the gill-net fishermen for 1884 amounted to about 

 130 half-barrels to the boat, though some of the most fortunate fisher- 

 men got as high as 200 packages. 



Gill-net fishing through the ice has never been extensive. It has 

 been tried from time to" time with poor results, and in the winter of 

 1884-'85 extensive preparations were made by one or two parties for en- 

 gaging in this work, but the catch was so small as to discourage them 

 from continuing for any extended period. 



Pound-net fishery. — According to Mr. Harrison Miller, the first pound-net 

 was brought to Beaver Island from Lake Erie in 1859. It was of small di- 

 mensions and was set in 18 feet of water in the bay, near St. James, where 

 only a small quantity of fish was secured. The next year it was fished 

 on the shores of High Island, and the catch there was very large. From 

 this beginning the pound-net fishing rapidly developed, until now a 

 very large percentage of the fish are taken in this way. The greatest 

 increase was in 1883, when a large number of new nets were purchased. 

 In 1885 there were twenty-three pound-nets on Beaver Island, six on 

 High Island, four on Garden Island, one on* Gull Island, two on Trout 

 Island, one or two on the North Fox, and four on the South Fox, with 

 two additional ones fished in the channel between Hog and Beaver 

 Islands, and four on each of the Manitou Islands. The nets were at first 

 quite shallow, varying from 18 to 30 feet. In 1881 a net was set in deep 

 water and was very successful, since which time deep nets have come 

 into general favor for spring and summer fishing, the shallowest used 

 in 1885 being about 40 feet and the deepest 72 feet. Over fifteen of the 

 entire number are in water of 50 feet and upwards. After the spring 

 and summer fishing many of the nets are cut down for shoal-water fish- 

 ing on the spawning-grounds, two nets often being made out of one. 

 On account of their depth they have considerable value, the average for 

 all the nets of the islands, according to the most reliable estimates, being 

 about $500 each. Many complain that the mesh of the pot, or pound 

 proper, which averages about 3 inches, and is occasionally reduced to 

 1J inches, is such as to catch enormous quantities of young whitefish, 

 and instances are cited where over four hundred in number have been 

 required to fill a half-barrel, while the average number required exceeds 

 two hundred and fifty. Pound-nets are fished regularly from the middle 

 of May till late in November, with an interval of six weeks, beginning 

 about the middle of August. Some, however, are used throughout the 

 entire season. 



