Figure 20. --Pursing pound net In Chesapeake Bay, Md. (Photograph courtesy of Virginia Institute of Marine Science, 



Gloucester Point, Va.) 



north and the Elk and Sassafras Rivers from 

 the east. This area produced 331,370 lb. in 

 I960 of which stake and anchor gill nets took 

 42 percent, pound nets 39 percent, drift gill 

 nets 18 percent, and haul seines 1 percent. 

 Drift gill nets (11,248 yd.) were from 100 to 

 300 yd. long and 35 to 65 nneshes deep and 

 had 5- to 5 l/2-in. mesh. They were fished 

 over the Susquehanna Flats at the head of the 

 Bay and in the lower portions of the tribu- 

 taries. Stake gill nets (10,267 yd.) and anchor 

 gill nets (42,423 yd.) were 100 to 300 yd. long 

 and 25 to 35 meshes deep and had 3 1/2- to 

 5 l/4-in. mesh; they were fished in the same 

 general area as drift nets. Thirty-four pound 

 nets were operated in the tributaries and Bay 

 proper and 15 haul seines inthe extreme upper 

 end of the Bay. 



Potomac River 



The Potomac River is the largest tributary 

 of Chesapeake Bay. It is formed by the union 

 of its north and south branches on the Mary- 

 land-West Virginia line and flows 290 miles 

 southeast to its entrance into Chesapeake Bay 

 on the western shore, 75 miles from the Vir- 

 ginia Capes. Below Washington, D.C., the river 



is broad and sluggish, forming one of the 

 largest estuaries on the Atlantic coast. This 

 estuary is 100 nniles long and 2 to 7 miles 

 wide. Tidal influence extends upstream to 

 Chain Bridge near Washington. From there 

 to Great Falls, 11 miles upstream, are nu- 

 merous shoals with several rapids, including 

 Little Falls 0.8 mile above Chain Bridge. 



The Great Falls had always prevented the 

 upstream movement of fish. In 1882 an appro- 

 priation was made by Congress to erect suita- 

 ble fishways at this obstruction, but after 

 considerable damage by freshets the partially 

 completed structure was abandoned in 1885 

 (Stevenson, 1899). 



In 1896 the catch of shad in the Potomac 

 River reached a peak of 2,462,627 lb., of which 

 838,704 lb. were taken by Maryland fishermen 

 and 1,623,923 lb. by Virginia fishermen. Vir- 

 ginia residents employed 67,000 yd. of drift 

 gill nets^ which accounted for 32 percent of the 

 Virginia catch; 13,600 yd. of haul seines, which 

 took 18 percent; 6,133 yd. of stake gill nets, 

 which produced 3 percent; and 299 pound nets, 

 which took the remainder. Maryland fishermen 

 fished 94,500 yd. of drift gill nets, which ac- 

 counted for 59 percent of the Maryland catch; 

 3,650 yd. of seines, which took 19 percent; and 

 131 pound nets and 3 bow nets, which took the 



56 



