T VII. 



THE SHORE FISHERIES OF SOUTHERN DELAWARE. 

 BY J. W. COLLINS. 



1. THE SQUETEAGUE OR "TROUT" FISHERY. 



Squeteague or "trout" (Cynoscion regale and G. maeulatum) are taken along almost the entire 

 length of the Delaware coast, between Little Creek Lauding on Delaware Bay and Feuwick's Island 

 at the southern extremity of the State, but the special fishery for this species is confined to the 

 locality between Cape Heulopeii and Mahoue's Creek light. South of the cape there is no organized 

 fishing for trout, the few that are taken being captured incidentally in the seines and gill-nets of 

 the fishermen which have been set for other kinds of fish. Thus we find that, in 1880, while only 

 10,000 pounds were caught south of Cape Heulopen, 2,608,000 pounds were taken by the fishermen 

 along the shores bordering Delaware Bay. The trout fishery begins from the 20th of April to the 

 first of May, and is generally pursued with great ardor for five or six weeks; in some places it is 

 continued until the first of July; and at Lewes it is carried on to a greater or less extent until 

 August, when the spot makes its appearance along the shores, and the fishermen then turn their 

 attention to the capture of the latter species. Toward the latter part of June the schools of fish, 

 which, wevious to that time, have remained close to the beach, begin to move off into the deeper 

 waters of the bay, where the temperature of the water is not so high as it is close to the shore. 

 After this time the trout seldom approach close enough to the beaches to be taken in seines except 

 at Lewes, and in consequence comparatively little is done after the first of July; occasionally a 

 few fishermen go out in the bay in July, August, and September to fish with hook and line; but 

 it rarely happens that many trout are taken. During the height of the fishing season the farmers 

 of this region, as well as the professional fishermen, resort to the beaches nearest their homes to 

 engage in the work, which is carried on both during the night and day, as circumstances may 

 demand. With the trout are taken, in the seiuoe and nets, more or less perch, rock, mullet, and 

 flounders, and occasionally other kinds of fish, though it may be said that all of these form only a 

 small portion of the sum total of the fish captured during the mouths of May and June, since it is 

 estimated by the most competent authorities that from 90 to 95 per cent, of the fish taken at the 

 various beaches along the Delaware Bay at this season are trout. The importance of this fishery 

 to the State is considerable, a large portion of the farmers and laboring classes being thus supplied 

 with food which is both cheap and wholesome. 



1. FISHING GROUNDS. 



The fishing grounds are the shoal waters bordering the numerous sandy beaches along the 

 shores of Delaware Bay. These beaches are ridges or hammocks, varying from one half to two 



miles or more in length, slightly elevated above the surrounding and intervening swamps, and 



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