11 minute read
Along the Shore: Part 2
Whitefish netting: Honoring our heritage
By Chris Pascone
How many people have ever been whitefish netting?
According to a 2022 Minnesota DNR press release, only 700 people a year participate in this tradition in Minnesota. While netting has a rich heritage in the state, times have changed: much of today’s fishing crowd employs scanning sonar, navigation apps, and high-speed motorboats to ply the waters. Fishing has gone hi-tech, leaving the original heritage methods of the Native Americans, and early European settlers, behind.
Low-tech netting still has a legal season in Minnesota, and you don’t need a Garmin Livescope to do it. In fact, the beauty of whitefish netting is in its simplicity. Netting these beautiful, nutritious fish is about following the ways of our ancestors, and the Indigenous, to harvest fish for sustenance.
For the Ojibwe, these fish are the adikameg—“the caribou of the water.” The whitefish—netted in the fall—were a major source of winter food for the Ojibwe, equal in importance to caribou meat. Here’s how to learn this heritage fishing method.
To start, whitefish netting is strictly regulated in both Minnesota and Ontario, with an open season in late fall, when whitefish come in shallow to spawn. In Minnesota waters, whitefish netting using gill nets is open to state residents only. A resident whitefish/ herring/tullibee harvest license must be purchased by each individual netting in Minnesota ($10, available at any DNR license agent), along with a regular angling license.
In Ontario waters, only dip nets may be used to pursue whitefish—a separate pursuit that involves swinging a net by hand to scoop up whitefish, usually at night, much like smelting.
Gill netting requires simple tools. For Minnesota waters, start with a gill net made by Duluth Nets. This local producer (formerly named H. Christiansen Company) was originally founded in 1886 to serve the commercial fishing industry. Yes, they have over 135 years of whitefish gill net production experience on the North Shore.
Whitefish netters can use a 100-foot-long by 3-foot-deep gill net in approved lakes (see the MN DNR’s yearly Whitefish and Cisco Sport Gill Netting Regulations to identify water bodies with a whitefish netting season—about 100 lakes in all in Minnesota).
Duluth Nets makes ingenious sinking nets with a bottom lead core rope, and a top foam core rope. When deployed in the water, the net’s bottom rope sinks to bottom, while the top rope rises toward the surface, thereby keeping the net taut top to bottom. In between is a monofilament mesh pattern with thousands of small openings for fish to swim into, then get caught by their gills upon trying to retreat.
The art of “hanging” nets is knowing the spacing of how many meshes to put in a certain interval depending on the species and size of fish targeted, then securing (hanging) the mesh on ropes.
Bryan Sederberg, co-owner of Duluth Nets with his brother Derek Sederberg, says that the company’s business provides a source of cultural continuity. “We view the whitefish season as an opportunity to supply the local fishing culture that Minnesota is so well known for. We enable people to experience netting, and what it historically provided for people, especially in this area.”
A whitefish gill net runs $120 and can be purchased online or in person at Duluth Nets’ retail store in Rice Lake, MN.
These nets are a piece of history that you can use productively today. “Historically, lead weights were tied to the bottom of the net, and simple cork floats or sponges were tied to the top,” says Sederberg. “Today, we’re using a very sophisticated braided polypropylene leadcore-style bottom rope. Same thing on the top rope, with a foam core and a braided polypropylene jacket. That makes things a lot easier on the netters.”
Now that you’ve got your net, you’ll need at least a 2-foot-tall buoy to mark your net in the water. This alerts motor boaters to avoid driving through your net with their propeller. You must also attach an identification tag with your name and address to the buoy. Nets may not be set in any water deeper than 6 feet, and cannot be set within 50 feet of another net. Finally, a person may not have any angling equipment (rod and reel) in their possession while netting.
Anchor each end of the 100-foot-long net to the bottom with a rock or other heavy weight, and make sure the net is stretched to the fullest for proper tension.
Now that you’ve got the equipment, you need to learn strategy. You’re aiming for rocky reefs where whitefish come to spawn. The season runs roughly late October through early December, but varies from lake to lake, so follow the netting “schedule” released each October by the DNR.
The DNR website explains the reasoning behind each lake having its own schedule: “The DNR bases netting schedules on expected water temperatures, fish abundance and the vulnerability of game fish. As the water temperature cools, game fish head to deeper water and whitefish and cisco come to shallow water for fall spawning. Netting is allowed when there is little chance that game fish populations would be harmed by recreational netting in shallow water. Game fish incidentally taken in nets must be returned to the water immediately.”
Once you’ve chosen a location, you need to get out on the water. This is easier said than done in late fall. Netting from a canoe is a challenging endeavor in fierce November winds. Conversely, you can wait until ice forms on the lake, and take your chances walking on first ice. This method will require using a hand-powered ice saw to open a hole to deploy the net through. Either way, be prepared for cold hands, whipping winds, and lots of wet, icy equipment. A pair of insulated, rubber gloves can be critical.
Nets are deployed in late afternoon, and left in the water overnight, to catch the whitefish swimming through their spawning grounds. Nets may not be set or lifted between sunset and sunrise.
The next morning, the anticipation runs incredibly high as you paddle out, or brave the ice, to go check your net. It’s an entirely different feeling than fishing with a rod and reel. You’ve been “fishing” all night long— back in your cozy shelter on shore. You lift the net with great expectation, and can often feel the weight of the fish even before you can see them. You may even observe the net “moving”—a tell-tale sign that there are fish in the net. When netting through clear fresh ice, you may see the golden forms of the whitefish swimming below you, trying unsuccessfully to get unstuck from the net.
Ruurd Schoolderman, a netter from Duluth, says that whitefish netting is a good excuse to get out in the shoulder season, when most people are either in the woods hunting, or sitting at home on the couch. He highlights that whitefish “are a different species that are hard to target in other times of the year. It’s one of the best game fish you can eat.”
Schoolderman adds that netting is “for the hearty,” and requires some calculated risks. It’s a type-two fun that requires mental preparation to prepare for different conditions you may encounter, such as high winds or early ice. “OK, how am I going to approach this? On our last trip, we had a plan A, B, and C, and we had to go over all the different scenarios to find an approach that worked,” says Schoolderman.
Keeping the whitefish netting tradition alive is a way to get connected with our past, provide extremely healthy fare for the dinner table, and gain a rewarding heritage experience.
Dorothy Molter Museum celebrates 30 years
By Kalli Hawkins
ELY—Across the remote regions of northern Minnesota and the United States, as well as Canada, numerous women have forged a path into untamed landscapes, reshaping the concepts of independence, self-sufficiency, and societal norms.
Dorothy Molter, commonly known in the Ely area of Minnesota and far beyond as the “Root Beer Lady,” is a prime example of one of these women.
From an early age, Molter sought out non-traditional activities and roles. As she was pursuing a nursing degree rather than a hand in marriage, she spent a college break vacationing with her family at a resort at Isle of the Pines on Knife Lake, located along the international border between Minnesota and Ontario, within what is now the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Little did she know at the time that the resort would become a centerpiece of her life and ignite a lifelong passion for an independent outdoor lifestyle.
After returning to Isle of the Pines resort each year to work alongside owner Bill Berglund, Molter eventually took over the resort and spent more than 56 years living on Isle of the Pines, offering solace and refreshing root beer to passersby.
“One of the things that I find especially rewarding is that Dorothy’s story is unique, interesting, and inspiring,” said Dorothy Molter Museum executive director Jess Edberg. “How she came from a big city, and really connected with the Northwoods and found herself and found what she was passionate about.”
Throughout her years living on Isle of the Pines, she faced many challenges as she adapted to the regulatory changes of the 1964 Wilderness Act and, shortly after, the creation of the BWCAW in 1978.
Despite these regulatory changes, the U.S. Forest Service allowed Molter to reside on the island, but following the formation of the BWCAW, her resort operations had to cease. Eventually, with the help of her friends who rallied behind her, the U.S. Forest Service granted her lifetime tenancy until she passed away in December of 1986.
Her unwavering determination, tenacity, and kind spirit inspired many who journeyed through the region or assisted in delivering supplies. She forged numerous meaningful connections over her 56 years of residing in the secluded wilderness. These enduring relationships and friendships would ultimately pave the way for establishing the Dorothy Molter Museum after her passing.
The following winter in 1987, Molter’s friends organized a memorial snowmobile ride to Isle of the Pines with a one-day permit approved by the U.S. Forest Service. Shortly after, the U.S. Forest Service planned to remove Molter’s structures and personal items and return the island to its natural state to blend into the wilderness character of the BWCAW. Fortunately, Molter’s devoted friends took the initiative to gain permission to salvage and preserve Molter’s cabins and personal belongings. Due to the remoteness and non-motorized laws, the process proved arduous. Numerous volunteers and stakeholders became involved in the project, including the City of Ely, the Minnesota Historical Society, the Outward Bound School, and the Northern Tier High Adventure Boy Scouts of America.
“It was a 100 percent volunteer effort,” Edberg said.
Eventually, Molter’s cabins and belongings were transported 30 miles away to Ely. Shortly after, the friends group formed a nonprofit called the Dorothy Molter Memorial Foundation. Then, with a bit more hard work, they opened the Dorothy Molter Museum on May 6, 1993—Molter’s birthday.
Edberg, who has been with the Dorothy Molter Museum since 2014, hopes visitors recognize that Molter was “more than just the root beer.” While that was a big part of her story, she admires Molter for her independence and perseverance and because she was doing what made her happy and, by doing so, made other people happy. In addition, she wishes that visitors learn more about the complex history of the creation of the Boundary Waters. “I really think it’s important for people to understand that,” Edberg said.
Edberg said it has been a long and trying road to create the Dorothy Molter Museum, but they are grateful to be celebrating their 30th anniversary this year. To celebrate the milestone, the museum held three open houses during the summer, including a root beer-making demo, anniversary buttons, and a showing of a documentary featuring Molter’s life at the Ely State Theatre with a special guest panel discussion afterwards. Also, the museum recently added a new exhibit panel focused on how Molter became known as the “Root Beer Lady.”
Reflecting on Molter’s legacy, Edberg said she is an inspiration for young people who are trying to figure out their place in life and perhaps break outside of expectations or set rules. “She’s kind of a role model in a way for folks to show that you can do these things too.”
For more information on the Dorothy Molter Museum, visit: rootbeerlady.com.
