96 



BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



33.— SHAD IIV TOE SAINT JOHIV'S RIVER, FliORIDA. 



By "W, DEMPSEY. 



I began fishing in the Saint John's Eiver in 1865. Then there were 

 from 7 to 10 nets fished along the river, with from 1,500 to 2,500 fathoms 

 of twine. Now, from Jacksonville to Saint John's, there are 100 nets, 

 with about 250,000 fathoms of twine. One hundred boats are also used, 

 employing 200 men, while probably 20 more are engaged in handling 

 the fish. 



The figures here given will serve to give some idea of the catch, which 

 was a good one this winter, at the town of New Berlin ; but beside the 

 shad I handled, there were small amounts caught by G other nets fished 

 from this place,* and a few nets were fished by small boys. The follow- 

 ing table shows the number of nets used (whose catch I handled) per 

 day, the daily catch of shad, and the average number of shad taken per 

 net during each of the four months of the season, which here begins on 

 December 1 and ends on March 31 : 



Shad taken at New Berlin during the season of 1885-'86. 



New Berlin, Fla., April 13, 188G. 



