FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES IN 1885. 287 



Americans, with a few Canadians and Indians. Farming is the oc- 

 cupation in which the greatest number of people are engaged. 



Extent and character of the fisheries. — For two years prior to 1885 the 

 fisheries had been on the increase, owing to the action of the authori- 

 ties in licensing the use of pound-nets. As the law now stands a tax 

 of $15 is levied on each pound-net set. 



The fishing grounds are off Cattaraugus Creek, on the government 

 land at the mouth of that stream, where men have fishing shanties, 

 and in the creek itself, where seining is followed in the spring. Six 

 fishermen from Erie set gill-nets off the creek in the spring of 1885. 



The nets used at Irving are bought in New York City, not many, if 

 any, of the fishermen making their own apparatus, as is done at many 

 other localities on the lakes. The mesh of the pound-nets is regulated 

 by the state, 3 inches being the minimum size for the bowl aud 6 

 inches for the wings and leader. The pounds at Irving have leaders 

 1,930 feet in length and are staked on clay bottom, with ash poles, in 

 3:2 feet of water. The pounds at Irving in 1885 were fished from March 

 11 to July 15, and from August 20 to November 1. It is thought that 

 if the present law continues in force, a large number of new pounds 

 will soon be placed in the lake at this place. The supply of jish cer- 

 tainly warrants the use of more productive and more extensive fishery 

 apparatus than has heretofore been employed. 



Gill-nets are set for whitefish, herring, and pike. Set-lines are quite 

 extensively used for sturgeon, bull-heads, etc. Seines are hauled in 

 the spring and fall for suckers, bull-heads, pike, etc. 



Fisheries of Silver Creek.— At Silver Creek, a small village about 2 

 miles from Irving, twenty people fished with hand-lines in 1885 and 

 sold the fish thus caught to supply local demand. No gill-nets were 

 set there, but a few seines were hauled by the farmers, chiefly for their 

 own use. 



Species. — Commercially, sturgeon occupy the first rank among the 

 species found in this locality. They are taken in pound-nets and on 

 set-lines baited with minnows. Spawning grounds of the sturgeon 

 probably exist near the mouth of the creek. Bull-heads are abundant, 

 and are caught in seines and on set-lines. Pike, herring, bass, and 

 mullets are also plentiful. Whitefish are not particularly common, aud 

 trout are unknown. 



Trade and preparation of 'products. — Many of the fish are sold to ped- 

 dlers, but the larger part are shipped to Cleveland, Buffalo, and New 

 York. Twenty or thirty farmers get their supply of fish for salting 

 from the pound-nets. Sturgeon are prepared for shipment simply by 

 removing the head and tail, and are not skinned and cut in pieces as is 

 done in Lake Ontario and elsewhere. When dressed in this way a 

 sturgeon weighs about 30 pounds. 



The roe, swimming bladder, and skin of the sturgeon are here util- 

 ized on a small scale in the preparation of caviare, isinglass, and oil, 



