290 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



This would seem to indicate a falling off in the catch since 1885. 

 The following interesting notes on the ice fishery are extracted from a 

 letter of Mr. Thomas Williams, keeper of the Buffalo Life Saving Station : 



The fisherman's outfit for this kind of fishing, here called " tip-uping," in addition 

 to the sled and dogs, consists of an ax, shovel, ice-chisel, and the " tip-up," or 

 catching apparatus. The ice-chisel is made by fastening a sharp piece of steel, about 

 2 inches in width, into the end of a pole 5 feet in length; this implement is often 

 required to free the hole cut in the ice of the " slush" or ground ice that may have 

 formed under the clear ice, and this is often very troublesome, especially when high 

 winds prevail at the time when the ice forms upon the lake. 



■ The " tip-up " is novel in its arrangement, and is constructed of two sticks, 18 and 

 24 inches long, respectively, 1 inch wide, and a half-inch thick, firmly tied together 

 with twine in the form of a cross, the free end of the line being attached to a hollow 

 lead sinker by means of a loop of copper wire driven through the sinker, the ends of 

 the wire being brought out below and bent at right angles for the attachment of the 

 lines with the hooks appended. Each " tip-up " has two hooks, which are suspended 

 about 18 inches below the sinker. The hooks are baited with minnows and are 

 lowered through the hole in the ice to within 3 or 4 inches from the bottom. The 

 ends of the short cross-stick rest on the ice on either side of the hole, the short end 

 of the long stick being over the center of the hole. The line is caught in a number of 

 turns around this stick so that the weight of the sinker may be just sufficient to make 

 the frame lie flat upon the ice. When the fish is nibbling at the bait it causes the 

 end of the cross to tip up, whence the name; and when the fish suddenly seizes the 

 bait the long arm becomes almost perpendicular to the surface of the ice and shows 

 that the fish has been caught. The fish is then drawn to the surface, taken from the 

 hook, the latter freshly baited and lowered to its former position. The hole, to be 

 properly cut, should not be over 18 inches in width, but may vary considerably in 

 length. The fishermen, for mutual protection, strictly enforce this rule concerning 

 the width of the holes, since otherwise the deserted holes, when once blown full of 

 the ever-drilting snow, must too often be the means of a bath or even death in the 

 ice-cold waters of the lake. 



« The minnows used for baiting the hook abound in the outer harbor and at the mouths 

 of the numerous little streams that flow into the Niagara River; they are caught in 

 dip-nets and sold by the quart to the fishermen at prices varying with the supply and 

 the demand, by parties who make this their business during the winter and spring. 



The kinds offish taken at this season of the year are blue pike, chiefly, and perch, 

 yellow pike, cisco, lake trout, herring, and sturgeon, caught in smaller quantities. 

 The daily catch of each man will, at the lowest estimate, average 10 pounds ; aud if 

 we consider that two thousand fishermen are thus engaged — sometimes there are 

 many more — we shall have as the total catch of a short season 1,800,000 pounds. 

 This estimate I am sure can be relied upon as correct aud I am positive it will fall 

 short of the actual amount taken some seasons. I have often taken as much as 180 

 pounds of blue pike in one day, but, of course, there will be days when none are caught. 



Each fisherman has from three to five holes in the ice under his charge. 

 The minnows used for bait consist of " chubs," " silversides," etc., and 

 on their abundance and cheapness depends the extent of the fishery. 

 The price of a quart of minuows varies from 10 cents to $1, 25 cents 

 being the average. Only a few of the fishermen catch their own bait. 



The following additional accounts of the ice-fishery are descriptive of 

 the season of 1887. The^ issue of the "Buffalo Express "for April 3, 

 1887, says: 



The past winter has been one of unusual profit and hazard to the lake fishermen ; 

 of profit, because the season has been long (still continuing, in fact), the catch plcnti- 



