Oswego Fisheries

But few of our citizens know that many people living near the lake shore in the Second Ward gain a livelihood by fishing, but such is the fact. The fishing ground at this season of the year extends from a point near abreast of Four-mile Point, including the space from a half mile to three miles from the shore.

There are miles of nets and eight or 10 boats constantly employed. At present the fish taken consist of mullet, suckers, shad, pike, trout and ciscoes, and the hauls are daily such as fully compensate the daring man.

It matters not to a fisherman what the weather is when his nets are down, as he will brave anything to save them, and in some of the worst gales that sweep the lake the little cockle shell boats may be seen far out, dancing madly on the tops of the waves.

The fishermen at present are: Moss brothers, two boats, three miles of nets; "Ginger" Connell, one boat, 80 rods of nets; Henry Dore and David Goggins, one boat, 80 rods of nets; Henry, jr. and John Featherstonhaugh, one boat and 120 rods of nets; George E. Alvord, one boat, 80 rods of nets.

Today Joseph Lennox will set one net for whitefish and another for trout on a shoal off the high bluff below the distillery. The nets are set lengthwise of the lake, from about northwest to southeast. Each fisherman has a pond on the beach, where his catches remain alive until he is ready to sell.

In the whitefish season they sink heir nets between this city and Pleasant Point for a time, but afterward seek the more prolific waters about Port Ontario and Stony Point. When they go below Pleasant Point to fish, they go supplied with camping outfits and live in their canvas houses close to the beach.

Even as fish are now running - the cheapest kind that swim the lake - the fishermen earn a good living.