286 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



in September and October the fish leave for the western end of the lake, 

 to spawn, as the fishermen suppose. 



In addition to whitefish, which are caught in July and August in gill- 

 nets, herring, blue pike, bass, bull-heads, sturgeon, and trout are also 

 taken. Herring are found in small numbers and are secured in gill- 

 nets. Ice-fishing for blue pike was inaugurated in the winter of 1884-'85 

 and has become quite an important branch of the fisheries. The meth- 

 ods followed are similar to those of the Buffalo fishermen, from whom 

 the idea was obtained. An improvement on the Buffalo mode, perhaps, 

 is the use of shanties on the ice, some provided with stoves, built over 

 the holes through which the fishing is done. About fifteen such build- 

 ings were employed in Dunkirk Bay in the winter of 1884-'85, when 

 this fishery was prosecuted for eighty or ninety days. Ice-fishing is 

 followed from 1 to 5 miles from the shore and is engaged in by about 

 two hundred people. Bass are common, but were not so plentiful in 

 1885 as in former seasons. Bull-heads are taken in the spring and fall 

 on set-lines. Sturgeon are very rare, and in 1885 were caught by only 

 one man, who used set-lines. Trout are also uncommon. 



Three steamers from Erie, Pa., fished off Dunkirk with gill-nets in 

 June and July, much to the annoyance and discomfiture, apparently, 

 of the Dunkirk fishermen, who are jealous of their fishing grounds. 



Disposition of products. — The fish landed at Dunkirk are in most part 

 shipped to Buffalo. There is some local demand, and peddlers with 

 team and wagon carry fresh fish through the inland districts and find 

 ready sale among the farmers and others. 



Statistics. — Seven professional and 52 semi-professional fishermen 

 were in this locality in 1885, in addition to the 200 persons engaged in 

 ice-fishing. The apparatus used consisted of 9 boats, 230 whitefish gill- 

 nets, 52,750 feet long, 100 herring gill-nets, 25,875 feet long, and 8,000 

 feet of set-lines, with 800 hooks. The amount of investment was $520 

 in boats, $1,360 in gill-nets, $262 in other apparatus, and $500 in 

 wharves, buildings, and other shore property ; total, $2,642. 



The products were as follows : 73,100 pounds of blue pike, 10,500 

 pounds of bass, 9,730 pounds of whitefish, 4,200 pounds of bull heads, 

 2,000 pounds of perch, 1,200 pounds of herring, 1,000 pounds of trout, 

 500 pounds of sturgeon, and 300 pounds of suckers, the whole being 

 valued at $4,636. 



97. IRVING, CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, NEW YORK, AND VICINITY. 



Description of the toivn. — The town of Irving, on Cattaraugus Creek, 

 is the center of growing fishery interests. Many years ago there was 

 a good harbor here, the place being a port of entry; but at present the 

 mouth of the creek is obstructed by an extensive sand-bar. About 16 

 acres of land at the mouth of the creek are owned by the United 

 States. Irving has a population of about 500, consisting mostly of 



