Among other species of fish that inhabit these great inland seas are the mashkinonge, or mashkilonge, the pike or jack, the pickerel or gilt carp, the perch, and a species of trout called by the Chippeways, namogus.
A huge mashkilonge, so ravenous is its propensities, is often caught from the stern of a steamer in full speed, by throwing out a strong line with a small tin fish attached. A marked peculiarity of most of the Lake fish is the quantity of fat, resembling that of quadrupeds, which they contain, entirely different from the salt-water fish—while their flavor differs from that of the latter, being much more delicate and white than that of river fish.
Lake Superior abounds with fish, particularly trout, sturgeon, and white-fish, which are caught at all seasons and in large quantities. Of these the trout, weighing from 12 to 50 lbs., and the white-fish, weighing often over 20 lbs., are perhaps the most important.
The salmon trout are equally large, weighing from 10 to 70 lbs.
Lake Champlain also abounds with fish, among which are salmon, lake-shad, pike, and other fish.
The reciprocity treaty has given a new field to the fisheries on the Canada side of Lake Huron. Some 200 American fishermen are now engaged within fifty miles each side of Goderich in the business. This has greatly stimulated the Cannucks, and it is estimated 400 of them are now engaged in the same business. About 100 miles of the Lake shore is lined with gill nets and seines. Every boat that comes in has a large number of salmon-trout from 30 to 50 lbs. weight. White-fish are very large. The fish caught at Collingwood terminus of the northern railway, from Toronto, are packed in ice, and go to Oswego, Rome, Utica, Albany, and New York. Great quantities taken at Goderich go in ice from thence to Cleveland and Cincinnati.
The Toronto and Oswego markets are supplied with fish from Collingwood, and a well organized company, with nets, ice-houses, &c., might do a fine business by supplying the New York, Boston, and other American markets, daily with trout, bass, and white-fish from the waters of Georgian Bay.
Fishing with the scoop net is the most laborious of all modes of fishing. It was found in practice at the Sault St. Marie by the Baron De Hortan, when he penetrated to that point in 1684. It has been practised ever since, because it is the only mode by which the white-fish can be taken. They go there to feed and not to spawn; the bottom of the river is a rocky broken ground, and the current runs at the rate of 12 miles per hour; the eddy in which the fish are found is of small circuit, and only one canoe at a time can enter it. The canoe is forced into it by setting poles. The man in the bow has a scoop net, the handle to which is about 15 feet in length. He has only time to make one stroke with the scoop, the next instant the canoe is whirled away by the current far below the point where the stroke was made.
The plunge of the scoop may be successful or not according to chance; one fish or half-a-dozen may be taken, or very frequently none. As soon as one canoe is thus swept away, another one supplies its place, and in this manner some eight or ten canoes in rapid succession take their turn. Canoes are used because, being lighter, they can be forced up where it would not be possible to put a boat. Even though the white-fish would take the hook, still in such rapid water it could not be used.
Again, the character of nearly the whole of the coasts of Lakes Huron and Superior forbids any other mode of fishing than by gill nets.