BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 367 



[From the Berwick Independent, March 10, 1881.] 



SHAD FISHING IN THE SUSQUEHANNA — WHAT MR. GILBERT FOWLER 



KNOWS ABOUT IT. 



The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society having requested Mr. 

 Gilbert Fowler, of this place, to give any information he may possess 

 concerning the shad fisheries of the Susquehanna, the following has been 

 furnished by him : 



Berwick, Pa., February 23, 1881. 



My Dear Sir: Your letter, requesting me to give your society my 

 recollections of the shad fisheries in my early days, was duly received. 

 I will do so with great pleasure. But first let me premise: I was born 

 February 23, 1792, in Briar Creek Township, Korthumberland County, 

 now Columbia. I write or dictate this letter on my eighty-ninth birth- 

 day. I have lived near the Susquehanna Eiver ever since I was born. 

 My knowledge and recollections about the shad fisheries extend from 

 Wilkes Barre to old Northumberland. The first shad fishery near my 

 home was Jacob's Plains. This was located just above the town of Ber- 

 wick, and one of the most i)roductive fisheries on the river. Here I 

 have assisted in catching thousands upon thousands of the very finest 

 shad weighing eight and nine pounds. The next nearest was Tuckaho 

 fishery, situated about one and a half miles above Berwick, on the same 

 side of the river. At this place many thousands were caught night and 

 day in early spring. The next was down the river about six miles from 

 Berwick. This was the fishery of Benjamin Boon. At this fishery I 

 have known so many caught that they were actually hauled out by the 

 wagon load on Benny Boon's farm for manure, so plenty were they. The 

 next fishery was that of Samuel Webb, located about four miles this 

 side of Bloomsburg. This was an immense shad fishery. From the 

 banks of the river at this fishery could be seen great schools of shad 

 coming ui> the river when they were a quarter of a mile distant. They 

 came in such immense numbers and so compact as to cause or produce 

 a wave or rising of the water in the middle of the river extending from 

 shore to shore. These schools, containing millions, commenced coming 

 up the river about the 1st of April and continued during the months of 

 April and May. There was something very i^eculiar and singular in 

 their coming. The first run or the first great schools that made their 

 appearance in the early spring were the male shad-^no female ever ac- 

 comi)a*nied them. In about eight or nine days after the male had as- 

 cended the river, then followed the female in schools, heavily laden with 

 eggs or roe. Those were much the largest and finest fish, and com- 

 manded the highest price. Those shad that were successful in eluding 

 the seine and reached the hatching ground at the headwaters of the 

 Susquehanna, after depositing their eggs, returned again in June and 

 July, almost in a dying condition, so very poor were they. Many died 

 and were found along the river shore. The young shad would remain 



