FISHERIES OP THE GREAT LAKES IN 1885. 319 



Statistics of the fisheries. — Fifteen professional and 21 semi-profes- 

 sional fishermen were engaged in this section in 1885. The apparatus 

 consisted of 7 gill-net boats, 24 other boats; 87 sturgeon gill-nets, 

 34,G40 feet long; 76 whitefish gill-nets, 29,690 feet long; 40 herring 

 gill-nets, 13,200 feet long; 3 trap-nets; 10 seines, 15,759 feet long; 126 

 fyke-nets; 12,000 feet of set-lines, with 800 hooks; and wharves, build- 

 ings, etc. The total amount invested in fishing property was $5,146. 



The relative abundance of the individual species is shown by the fol- 

 lowing figures, giving the catch for 1885: Pounds of bull-heads taken, 

 44,361; sturgeon, 12,000 ; bass, 4,600; pike, 4,390; eels, 2,712; white 

 fish, 2,600; herring, 1,200; perch, 1,000; suckers, 200. The total value 

 of the fish taken was $3,250. 



114. JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK, FROM THE SOUTHERN COUNTY- 

 LINE TO STONY POINT. 



Character of the shore. — The southern section of this coast is an almost 

 unbroken sand beach, while the northern portion is rocky and uneven. 

 To the south, a few rods inland, is the extreme upper part of Little 

 Sandy Pond ; beyond this the shore is broken by Big Sandy Creek and 

 Pond and Stony Creek. 



Settlements and fishing grounds. — There are no settlements imme- 

 diately on this shore. A few miles from the lake, on the South Branch 

 of Big Sandy Creek, is the village of Ellisburgh, which is the post-office 

 of the people in this part of the county. The inhabitants are all 

 farmers, some of whom engage in fishing. The mouth of Big Sandy 

 Creek and Big Sandy Pond are the principal grounds where fishing is 

 carried on. One man sets his nets in Little Sandy Pond. Only a very 

 little fishing is done in the lake. 



Woodville is a small community of farmers on the North Branch of 

 Big Sandy Creek. At one time the fishery iuterests of the place were 

 of considerable importance; seining, in particular, on the lake adjacent 

 to the village was a favorite occupation for a number of people ; but 

 now the fishing interests are unimportant. 



Half- way between Big Sandy Creek and Stony Creek are deserted 

 seining grounds that were extensively worked until the year 1881, 

 when the desirable fish became scarce. 



Apparatus of capture. — Throughout this section of the lake fyke-nets 

 are the apparatus most extensively used. The fishermen of Ellisburgh 

 use them exclusively, and make them at home. The nets have leaders 

 about 200 feet in length, and have a 2£-inch mesh. Many nets are left 

 in the water during the winter, a hole being cut in the ice through 

 which to take the fish. Gill-nets are employed in taking sturgeon, her- 

 ring, and whitefish. Suckers are speared through the ice to a slight 

 extent. 



Kinds of fish caught. — Bull-heads are the most abundant fish in Big 

 Sandy Pond and at the mouth of Big Sandy Creek. Sturgeon are 



