368 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



are invested in nets arid $500 in boats ; 1,000 pounds of eels were taken for local consumption. A 

 few clams are obtained about Fire Island. The shipments are included in Patchogue. 



PATCHOGUE. Patchogue has twelve married and eighteen single fishermen, with a total of 

 seventy-five persons dependent on the fisheries. Besides these, one hundred oystennen are 

 included for this place in the general report on the bay. The yearly catch amounts to 5,000 pounds 

 of eels, 600,000 pounds of fresh fisb, 400 barrels of hard crabs, and 300 dozen of soft crabs. Fykes, 

 seines, and eel-pots are used ; $1,000 are invested in boats and $2,000 in nets. 



BLUE POINT. Here were formerly taken in great quantities the famous oysters which still 

 retain the name of " Blue Points," although the grounds here do not yield as formerly, and the same 

 quality of oysters are now taken at Sayville, 2i miles west. Ten men fish from Blue Point with 

 fykes, seines, and eel-pots, and six of them are married and have twenty persons dependent upon 

 them. The catch for the last season was divided as follows: Eels, 5,000 pounds; fresh fish, 80,000 

 pounds; hard crabs, 300 barrels ; soft crabs, 200 dozen. About $800 are invested in boats and $1,500 

 in nets. 



BAYPORT. Very little fishing is done here. The men engaged in oysteriug and other bay 

 work set a few fykes and eel-pots. The catch was as follows: Eels, 1,000 pounds; fresh fish, 15,000 

 pounds; hard crabs, 100 barrels ; soft crabs, 150 dozen. There are $GOO invested in boats and $1,.00 

 in nets. 



SAYVILLE. Sayville is now the center of the "Blue Point" oyster trade. (See introductory 

 remarks to Great South Bay.) Twenty fishermen fish and eel here, twelve of whom are married. 

 Seventy persons in all are dependent upon the fisheries. Seines or "fly-nets," fykes, and eel-pots 

 are used. Five thousand pounds of eels, 100,000 pounds of fish, 300 barrels of hard crabs, and 400 

 dozen soft crabs were taken; $2,000 are invested in boats and $2,000 in nets. 



The owners of the three menhaden oil works on the beach live here. Mr. William H. Bedell, 

 superintendent of TV. J. Terry's works, says (August 20, 1S80) : 



"All factories have been closed since July 1 because there were no fish. The steamers drive 

 them off. They chase the schools and capture or scatter them. We often take them when full of 

 spawn, when they are of little use, as the eggs mix with the oil and cannot well be separated. 

 They are only good for guano, and should be left to breed. These spawners do not mix with 

 the others. They spawn and go, and give place to a run of smaller fish. They struck in about 

 April 15 in fair numbers. The run which comes in June is best, the fish are fat, and it is our 

 main run." 



Striped bass were plenty in South Bay forty years ago, on what is called "Bass Flat." Mr. 

 Terry has seen wagon-loads taken of fish weighing from 10 to GO pounds. There are none there 

 now, although the character of the ground has not changed. He attributes their absence to the 

 increase of sailing vessels, which are continually on the grounds. Formerly there were but few 

 nets, and no pounds. Forty years ago they took small bass of 2 to 3 pounds in winter by means 

 of nets under the ice. 



The bay men hardly distinguish flounders from other flat-fish, and do not consider any flat-fish 

 good eating. A few flounders are taken in spring and sent to market. Weakfish are holding 

 their own as well as any fish excepting the bluefish. The latter are actually increasing, while all 

 others are decreasing. 



Josiah Smith fishes with a fly-net 1,500 to 1,800 feet long, with meshes 3 inches. He says 

 that no Spanish mackerel of any account have been taken since 1S7G. Then they were quite 

 plenty. Few, if any, spawn here. 



Hon. Robert B. Roosevelt, one of the Fish Commissioners of Xew York, resides here in 



