and Winnipesaukee Rivers, where they re- 

 portedly entered the latter river and continued 

 on to Lake Winnipesaukee. Since 1847, dams 



in the Massachusetts waters of the Merrimack 

 River have prevented shad from reaching New 

 Hampshire (Bailey, 1938). 



SHAD FISHERIES OF VERMONT 



Shad formerly ascended the Connecticut 

 River to Bellows Falls, Vt., 170 miles above 

 the river mouth {Evermann and Kendall, 1896; 

 Stevenson, 1899). Before 1798 shad reportedly 

 were taken in great numbers below Bellows 

 Falls, said to be a favorite spawning area 

 for the species (McDonald, 1887e). In 1798 



a dam built at Turners Falls, Mass., 50 

 miles downstream from Bellows Falls, com- 

 pletely blocked passage of fish to Vermont 

 waters. From historical accounts it appears 

 that the Vermont shad fisheries were among 

 the earliest destroyed by construction of 

 dams. 



SHAD FISHERIES OF MAINE 



Shad were taken in the following waters in 

 1896: Kennebec River and its two tributaries, 

 Androscoggin and Eastern Rivers; Casco Bay; 

 Penobscot River; Harrington River; Pleasant 

 River; and St. Croix River (table 52). The 

 catch in 1896 was about 1,404,477 lb. of which 

 traps and weirs took 69 percent, drift nets 19 

 percent, and seines the remainder. Most fish 

 were taken in the Kennebec River. 



No commercial fishery has existed for shad 

 in Maine streams for many years (Taylor, 

 C.C., 1951). Because shad from Atlantic coast 

 streams spend their summers in the Gulf of 

 Maine, they are liable to capture by other 

 fisheries operated in this area (fig. 27). 



The commercial catch of shad in 1960 in 

 Maine was about 311 lb. 



FISHERIES BY WATER AREA 



Since shad have all but disappeared from 

 Maine streams, the following discussion con- 

 cerns primarily those areas that were for- 

 merly productive. 



Table 52. — Shad catch, by water area and gear, Maine, 1896 

 [ In pounds ] 



Saco River 



This river's source is in the White Moun- 

 tains, 100 miles from its entrance into the 

 ocean near Biddeford Pool, From Biddeford, 

 Maine, 6 miles from the sea, to Hiram Falls, 

 45 miles from the sea, there are eight dams. 

 Shad formerly abounded in the lower river, 

 but apparently could not pass above Biddeford 

 Falls (Stevenson, 1899). By 1896 the species 

 was absent, and its disappearance was at- 

 tributed to textile mill wastes drained into the 

 river (Taylor, C.C. 1951). 



Nonesuch River 



No mention is made of the Nonesuch in the 

 various accounts of the history of the shad 

 fishery in Maine, and therefore it is assumed 

 that this river never supported a fishery of 

 any consequence. It is of interest, however, 

 because the river has a small but well- 

 established shad run that does not appear to 

 have fluctuated notably during recent years 

 (Taylor, C.C. 1951). 



The Nonesuch rises in southwestern Saco 

 Township and flows through sandy, rolling 

 country to enter the sea between Pine Point 

 and Prouts Neck on Saco Bay. Habitation is 

 limited along the river and the stream is 

 practically free of pollution. Because of the 

 steep gradient of the Nonesuch, it is doubtful 

 that shad ever ascended above Thurston Mills, 

 18 miles above the river mouth. 



Shad enter the Nonesuch in early May and 

 are caught until mid-June. Capture is re- 

 stricted by law to dip or bag nets not exceed- 

 ing 19 ft. in circumference, or artificial fly. 

 Fishing is permitted only in the tidal portion 

 of the river south of U.S. Route 1. The daily 

 catch limit is five fish per person. It is esti- 

 mated that between 200 and 400 fish are taken 

 each season (Taylor, C.C. 1951), 



86 



