THE STRIPED BASS. 



25 



Marybones of Beefe. There are such multitudes that I have seene stopped 

 in the river close adjoining to my house with a sande at one tide so many as 

 will loade a ship of 100 tonnes. I myselfe, at the turning of the tyde have 

 seene such multitudes passe out of a pounde that it seemed to me that one 

 mighte go over their backs drishod." 



Skeptical historians of to-day say that John Smith was a liar. I don't 

 believe it, and I quote in his supi)ort from the words of a "reverend Di- 

 vine," his contemporary : 



"There is a Fisli called a Basse, a most sweet & wholesome Fish as ever 

 I did eat, it is altogether as good as our fresh Sammon, & the season of 

 their comming was begun when we came first to New I'mgland in June and 

 so continued about three months space. Of this Fish our Fishers take 

 many hundreds together, which I have seene lying on the shore to my ad- 

 miration; yea, their Netts ordinarily take more than they are able to hall 

 to Land." 



It is by no means strange that the Virginians believed it possible to es- 

 tablish commercial fisheries which should rival tliose of Newfoundland. 

 Indeed the bass fishery has, for two hundred and fifty years, been a very 

 important resource of the coast states from Massachusetts to the Carolinas, 

 and to the present day the annual captures in certain localities are enor- 

 mous. The following are extracts from an old note book : 



In December, 1874, three fishing-gangs near Bridgehampton, N. Y. ,took 

 over 18,000 pounds in less than a week. Captain Charles Ludlow securing at 

 one set of his seine 1,672 Bass, or about three and one half tons.* Shortly af- 

 ter this a New London fisherman brought in 419 Bass, 185 of which had been 

 caught with a hook in three hours. Near Norfolk, Va. , 1,500 have been 

 taken at a single set of the seine; a few years ago 600 were thus taken 

 which averaged 80 pounds each. The most successful fishery is on the 

 plantation of Dr. W. R. Capehart, in Bertie County, N. C. At the ap- 

 proach of spawning time, and during the continuence of the shad and 

 herring fishery, the bass congregate near the head of Albemarle Sound, 

 Avhere they are taken in great numbers. Dr. Capehart writes: "We us- 

 ually catch from 20,000 to 40,000 pounds of Striped Bass in a season of 

 fifty days, — in March, April, and early May. Occasionally we make an 

 immense catch. In 1858, I took about 30,000 pounds in one haul. Many 

 of these weighed 75 to 85. pounds. On the 6th of May, 1876, we made a 

 haul of 820 Bass, weighing 37,000 pounds; 365 of this lot weighed 65 

 pounds, average, a great many 85 pounds, and a {^\v 90 pounds. In the 



*In the first half of June, 1879, one fisherm.in near Fire Island, New York, caught and sent to New York 

 the following quantities of Bass: Pounds. Pounds. 



Jvuie 2 1,222 



June ^ '.'37 



June 5 913 



June 6 1,52 



June 8 1,298 



June 9 1,255 



June 14 1,258 



June 18 1,560 



Total 10,164 



