298 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
shells and fishes were in the main colored the exact tint 
of the weed, so they were perfectly safe from the laugh- 
ing gulls soaring around with eager glance. The most 
interesting fish was a curious creature that even in shape 
resembled the weed; its foot-like fins, its head bemg 
colored, and some parts even shaped like the fringed 
sargassum. This fish, called the walker, from the fact 
that it could walk on the bottom, laid prone on the weed, 
and near it I found the nest, a ball of sargassum about 
the size of a Dutch cheese, wound and- interwound mto a 
globular shape and held together by threads of a glutmous 
secretion resembling starch which the fish takes from a 
pore in its belly. The eggs, about the size of small shot, 
are attached to the nest, and when hatched the young 
find protection in the mass of weed. There were dozens 
of these fishes in floating islands driftmg along up the 
Gulf Stream to be thrown off somewhere and sent mto 
the great eddy of this floating sea. 
As I drifted with the island I looked down and saw 
at least a dozen amber jacks of about fifteen pounds swim- 
ming in the perfect turquoise water. My dmghy was 
twenty feet from the edge of the floating island, and over 
this I cast, watching the actions of the fishes through the 
blue window. The moment the mullet struck the water, 
they charged it, evidently thinking it a j umpmg fish, and 
one seized it, as I hoped, making directly away ; and float- 
ing on the verde antique matting, I played my second 
amberjack, Chief breaking the dinghy out of the thick 
mass so that I could play and bring the gamy creature 
to gaff, which I did in about fifteen minutes. 
Middle Key was a famous place for shells, the beach 
at times being niade up of the smaller varieties, and quan- 
tities were occupied by hermit crabs. I filled my pocket 
one day with the latter and discovered that they crawled 
out almost as fast as I put them in, my back soon being 
covered wiih them. In the coral here were quantities of 
Cvpr^as which the men called micramoks ; a beautiiuUy 
polished creature protected by a fleshy covering which 
made life in the branches possible. From a survey of this 
<^reat reef it was evident that the coral polyps, or their 
eggs are swept around from the tropics, and have estab- 
lic^he'd a reef here which in time may extend out and con- 
nect Florida with Mexico or Yucatan. This is conceiv- 
able if we allow the correct number of millions of years 
Middle Key is arid, a patch of sand covered here and 
there with bay cedar and prickly pear, with now and then 
a patch of tussock. The sand is ground coral, shell and 
the limy secretion of a seaweed, white as snow Its only 
available production is the fruit of the prickly pear or 
tuna and esgs of the tern and noddy. But off from this 
key stretches a garden of the sea of marvelous beauty- 
groves of sea fans, sponges and plumes m glowing tmts 
and colors of yellow, lavender, pmk and black High 
sponges dot the bottom like seats, and scattered about are 
vast coral mounds-the hills of this landscape beneath the 
Gazing into this attractive region, t caught a glimpse of 
one of the largest man-eater sharks it was ever my for- 
tune to see. It came swimming along beneath me with 
dignified mien, moving slowly and evenly. It had a num- 
tfr of remoras clinging to it at least a foot long, black 
against its tawny hide, and swinging like banderillos on 
a maddened bull. About its head was a swarm of pilots, 
one or two of which swam in my direction ; but the mon- 
ster which to my excited imagination appeared nearly 
twenty feet in length, paid no attention to the boat and 
was soon swal lowed up in the deep blue o f the ocean. 
Fisheries of the Interior Lakes 
and Rivers of New York 
and Vermont 
BY JOHN N, COBB, AGENT OF THE UNITED STATES FISH 
COMMISSION, 
The first statistical investigation of the commercial 
fisheries of the interior lakes and rivers New York 
and Vermont was made by the writer 1896- the 
fall of 1903 a second canvass was made, when data were 
ga hered showing the condition of the fisheries during 
rhe calendar year 1902. With the e^ceptio" of the 
Great Lakes and the Hudson, Delaware and Susque- 
hanna rivers in New York, and the Connecticut River 
in Vermont, all lakes and rivers in the two States were 
visited in which it was thought commercial fshm^ might 
be carried on. The writer is under great obligations 
to the Forest, Fish and Game Commission of New 
York, especially to its secretary, Mr._ John D Whish 
and to the Commissioners of Fisheries and Game ot 
Vermont, for many courtesies extended to him. 
New York, 
New York is dotted with numerous lakes, many of 
them— such as Oneida, Champlain and Cayuga— of great 
extent, while there is a veritable network of rivers, 
Seks and canals throughout the State, The principal 
aim of the authorities has been, as far as possible, to 
confine the fishing in the interior lakes and streams 
to sportsmen, who are attracted, not only from all parts 
of New York, but from other States and even from 
foreign lands by the excellent fishing afforded m these 
waters. Such pleasure seekers are usually liberal, and 
the sums expended by them net larger profit to the 
community than would be obtained by the unrestricted 
use of fishing apparatus on the part of local fishermen 
It has been estimated that the sportsmen leave behind 
them in the hands of the railroads, hotels, guides, 
boatmen, etc, several million dollars each year. 
Whenever possible without injury to the sport hsh- 
ine the State has permitted the use of nets to some ex- 
tent, principally for the purpose of reducing the abund- 
ance of the commoner species of fishes, which, when 
in excessive numbers, do serious damage to the game 
fish by devouring spawn and fry. It has been an ex- 
ceedingly difficult matter to guard waters so extensive, 
however, and as a result there is much illegal fishing. 
During lOOi the authorities seized 803 fyke nets, 443 
trap nets, 416 gill nets, 76 squat nets, 20 seines, 335 
set lines, 7 spears, 16 eel weirs, 8 wire nets and 2,637 
tip-ups 'The total number of illegal devices destroyed 
was 4761, representing a total money value of $25,820, 
a sum greater than the whole investment in the legal 
commercial fisheries of the entire region. 
The greatest drawback to the fisheries of many of the 
lakes and streams is the presence of undesirable species. 
The alewife in Seneca Lake, the gar in Lake Chau- 
tauqua, and the ling in most of the lakes and rivers, 
are very unpopular residents, and unless their numbers 
are reduced shortly they will do considerable harm. 
These fishes appear to be useless, althougli the ling 
has been prepared as cod in Buffalo. The German carp 
is also regarded with some disfavor, but if taken in 
the winter time and sent alive to New York City would 
net the shipper a fair price, since it is a very hardy fish 
and would stand transportation in ice. 
Below is a summary of the general conditions and 
principal features in the fisheries of each lake and river 
in which commercial fishing was carried on in 1902. 
A number of other lakes and streams were visited, but 
as they had no commercial fisheries they are not con- 
sidered. 
Bear and Cassadaga Lakes. 
These are small bodies of water close together in 
Chautauqua county, not far from Lake Chautauqua, 
During 1902 spearing for maskinonge was permitted in 
these lakes on Monday and Thursday of each week for 
five consecutive weeks, beginning on the first Monday 
in February. The fishing is carried on in almost identi- 
cally the same manner as in Lake Chautauqua. Hand- 
line fishing through the ice for bullheads is also prac- 
ticed on these lakes. 
Canandaigoa Lake. 
This lake is situated in the counties of Ontario and 
Yates, a portion forming a part of the boundary line 
between the two counties. It runs almost due north 
and south, and is about fifteen miles long, while its 
greatest width is about two miles. The lake occupies 
an eroded valley, and has quite high banks. Its waters 
discharge through Canandaigua Outlet into Clyde River 
and thence into Seneca River. 
The principal fishing town on this lake is Canan- 
daigua. The only apparatus in use in 1902 consisted of 
pound nets and set lines, the former owned and 
operated by the Forest, Fish and Game Commission 
of the State for the purpose of taking whitefish, which 
were stripped for fishculture purposes and then sold 
as food. The set-lines, which were each about 600 
feet long, were operated by the fishermen, and the catch 
consisted of bullheads, pickerel, suckers and whitefish, 
quite a number of the latter being taken in this way. 
Early in 1903 the Legislature passed a law permitting 
ice fishing with hand lines and tip-ups, except during 
the months of March and April, and spearing for all 
fish but lake trout, black bass, and pike perch, except 
during April, May and June. The use of tip-ups and 
set lines is restricted to a certain section near the 
head of the lake. As a result of this more liberal law 
the commercial fisheries will doubtless soon show a 
considerable expansion, 
Cayuga Lake. 
This is one of the prettiest lakes in the State, lying 
in a deep eroded valley, the banks for the most part 
being perpendicular cliffs from ten to sixty feet high. It 
extends almost due north and south for about thirty- 
eight miles, with an average width of two miles.' Its 
greatest width is about three miles, and its greatest 
ascertained depth is 390 feet. The outlet from this lake 
meets Clyde River about six miles from the lake, and 
together these streams form Seneca River. 
Commercial fishing in Cayuga Lake is restricted to 
fyke nets, which are operated from Oct. i to March 31, 
"in that part of the lake which lies north of Canoga 
Point and within 1,800 feet from the west shore thereof, 
and in that part of said lake which lies north of the 
New York Central and Hudson River Railroad bridge 
across such lake, and within four miles of such lake in 
the waters of all streams and rivers which have an 
outlet or inlet in such lake north of such bridge." 
Nearly all of these nets have four hoops, and the 
mesh is limited by law to not less than i^-inch bar. 
Only common fish, such as bullheads, dogfish, eels, 
German carp, suckers and sunfish, can legally be sold, 
the fishermen being required to return to the water all 
game fish taken in the nets. The waters swarm with 
dogfish and German carp, and thousands of pounds of 
both species are taken, nearly all of which are thrown 
upon the shores to rot or else are used as fertilizer. 
As the fyke-net fishing is confined to the foot of the 
lake, most of the fishermen come from Seneca Falls, 
Cayuga, Auburn and Canoga, by far the larger num- 
ber being from the first-named place. 
Lake Champlain. 
A considerable portion of the boundary line between 
New York and Vermont is formed by Lake Champlain, 
the northern end of which extends for a short distance 
into Canada. The greater part of the lake, however, 
is in Vermont, the dividing line in the northern portion 
lying midway between a chain of islands running down 
the center and the New York shore. From its head 
at Whitehall to the border, the lake is about 100 miles 
long. In the southern part it is less than a mile wide 
in places; the northern part incloses several large 
islands, and is nearly fourteen miles wide. The greatest 
ascertained depth is 600 feet. By means of the 
Richelieu River it discharges into the St. Lawrence. 
If both shores are considered, the lake supports more 
important comrnercial fisheries than any lake in the 
United States, the Great Lakes excepted. On the 
Vermont side seines and gill nets are operated, but 
New York does not permit the use of nets of any kind, 
and fishing on that shore is consequently restricted to 
hand lines; set lines, tip-ups and spears. 
An interesting fishery is that for smelt, locally called 
"ice fish." This fishery is carried on between Crown 
Point and Essex, the most important points being 
Westport and Port Henry. As soon as sufficient ice 
forms the fishermen carry small huts out of favorable 
positions on the lake, each hut provided with a small 
stove and a bench or chair, and having about a third 
of the bottom floored. The^fish are caught with hook 
and line through a hole cut in the ice. For a time the 
"ice-fish" caught in this part of the lake, which are 
exceptionally large (examples 15 to 18 inches long 
having been captured), were thought by the fishermen 
to be a different species from the smelt, as the fish 
taken in other parts of the lake and known as smelts 
average but about seven inches in length. At times 
the catch of "ice-fish" is quite heavy, but in 1902 it 
was small, there being but few fishermen engaged. 
Nearly all who participate do so because they have no 
regular occupation, and as last year was a busy and 
prosperous one in nearly every town along the lake 
shore there were but few persons out of employment, 
consequently but few fishermen. In the fishing season 
at certain hours in the day the buyers visit the huts, 
gather up the fish caught and bring them to the towns, 
where they are boxed or barreled for shipment. 
Near the foot of the lake considerable fishing for 
black bass, bullheads, yellow perch, pickerel and wall- 
eyed pike is done by means of rod and line, a few set 
lines are operated for bullheads, and a few spears are 
used in catching eels. 
Lake Champlain is a favorite resort for anglers, and 
it is the aim of the New York authorities to keep it so. 
The dumping of refuse from pulp and chemical works 
into the lake and its tributaries has seriously injured the 
fisheries during the last few years, but strenuous efforts 
are now being made to put an end to this practice, 
Chautauqua Lake. 
This lake is in Chautauqua county in the extreme 
western part of the State, and is long and narrow, like 
most of the lakes in this region. It is twenty-two 
miles long and from one-fourth of a tnile ip its nar- 
rowest part to three miles in width in its widest part, 
with an average depth of about twenty feet. The head 
of the lake is about eight miles distant from Lake Erie, 
but, unlike all the other lakes of the State, except the 
small ones, Cassadaga and Bear, which belong to_ the 
same system, Chautauqua empties into the Ohio River, 
through Conewango Creek and Allegheny River. 
From a commercial standpoint this lake is one of the 
most important in the. State, and principally on account 
of one fish, the maskinonge. This species is distinct 
from the maskinonge inhabiting the Great Lakes, but 
is identical with that occasionally found in the Ohio 
River basin. Its real home is in this lake, only oc- 
casional specimens being found in other waters._ New 
York was the first State to propagate the maskinonge 
artificially. A hatchery was built in 1890 and the work 
has continued each year since with considerable suc- 
cess. The State fish commission has introduced the 
species in other lakes of the State, but in none has it 
yet attained importance. As a garne fish it is held in 
very high esteem. In summer it is usually taken by 
trolling with a specially made spoon or a good-sized 
minnow; a rather short line is used and the boat rowed 
only fast enough to keep the tackle taut, the spoon be- 
ing a short distance under water. 
Up to and including 1902 fishermen were permitted 
to spear maskinonge through the ice on Monday and 
Thursday of each week for five consecutive weeks, be- 
ginning on the first Monday in February. During this 
season the lake presented a busy appearance, as fisher- 
men came from not only the immediate vicinity, but 
from Pennsylvania and Ohio. For this method of 
fishing each man is supplied with a*^'fish coop" and a 
spear. The "coops" are huts about 4 feet square, and 
from 3^ to 4^ feet in height, with a pair ot wide run- 
ners underneath, and built perfectly tight in order to 
exclude every ray of light. Within is a small sheet- 
iron stove, burning wood or charcoal, to furnish warmth 
for the fisherman. Opposite the stove is a seat, with 
only a narrow margin of floor around the inside of the 
hut for the feet to rest upon. The hole in the bottom 
of the "coop" is about three feet across and, when 
the "coop" is in place, is immediately above a some- 
what larger hole which has been cut in the ice. The 
spear used in taking the fish has five or seven tines and 
a short handle, to which is attached a stout cord, and 
hangs half its length down into the water, secured by a 
catch- on the floor of the "coop." The fisherman sits 
with one foot on either side of the house and plays 
a weighted wooden minnow about six or eight feet 
below the ice. Sometimes he does not have long to 
wait for a maskinonge to appear, but again there may 
be no sign of one during the whole day. When a fish 
does appear it generally approaches the decoy slowly 
and carefully. The fisherman grasps the spear and 
quietly poises it directly over the fish, which, as there is 
no light in the hut, is unable to see its danger. It is 
his endeavor to plant the spear a little back of the head, 
thus breaking the backbone and killing the fish almost 
instantly. He then carefully brings it to the surface, 
secures it on the spear by means of a gaff hook, lifts 
it from the water, and throws it through the door of 
the "coop" upon the ice outside. , As soon as the day's 
fishing is done the "coop" must be removed to the 
shore to remain until the next legal day for spearing. 
Owing to the strenuous objections to this manner of 
fishing made by sportsmen and others, the Legislature 
of 1903 amended the law so that the practice is now 
permitted only on Thursday of each week during the 
month of February, 
The gar-pike is an unmitigated nuisance in this lake. 
Strenuous efforts were made in 1896 and 1897, by se- 
curing appropriations of the Legislature and through 
the efforts of private individuals to get rid of this pest, 
and the numbers were materially reduced. The fisher- 
men are allowed to spear gar-pike when speadng 
maskinonge, but as the gar cannot be used as food i 
not many are destroyed in this way, although some of 
the less experienced spearers practice on it first. 
Bullheads are also quite abundant. They are taken 
by means of hand lines fished through the ice, and with | 
set lines during the rest of the year, 
Chautauqua Lake leads all other bodies of fresh 
water in the country in the catch of maskinonge, and, 
with the exception of the Great Lakes, in the catch 
of bullheads, 
Conesus Lake. | 
This is a medium-sized lake situated wholly in Living- 
ston county, in the western part of the State, The 
commercial fishing in 1902 was by means of hand lines 
through the ice, and yellow pecch was the «n1v species 
taken. 
