SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 153 



frequently stopping to luiul over obstructions. Notwithstanding tlie 

 adverse physical conditions, Lynch River is well adapted to shad, and 

 those fish ascend as far up as Tilley Ferry, 125 miles above the mouth, 

 and are taken in considerable numbers at Cartersville and lower points. 

 Bow nets only are used, and as there are no important settlements on 

 tlie river the fisheries are of small extent, the number of shad obtained 

 below Cartersville in 189G being 820, the nets used numbering 25. 



Little Pee Dee River. — Little Pee Dee River, one of the principal 

 tributaries of Pee Dee River, rises in the southern part of Il^orth 

 Carolina, and after flowing 75 miles enters the Pee Dee about 5G miles 

 above Georgetown. So far as could be learned, no shad whatever are 

 caught on this stream, nor have they ever been obtained there in large 

 numbers, due, probably, to the fact that the Little Pee Dee is sluggish, 

 with abundant seepage, the river course broadening in many places 

 into small lakes. 



Blade River. — Black River has its sources in Kershaw and Sumter 

 counties, flows over 150 miles, and enters Winyah Bay near Georgetown. 

 From the mouth to Pine Tree Landing, a distance of 45 miles, the river 

 is deep and navigable for vessels of 10 feet draft. Thence to Potato 

 Ferry, 11 miles distant, it is shoal, averaging not over 3 feet in depth, 

 and the bottom rocky. Above Potato Ferry the water is less than 1 

 foot ill depth at low stages. 



Shad are taken on this stream as far up as Mouzans, over 130 miles 

 from Georgetown, and considerable fisheries exist below Harpers, 

 especially in the neighborhood of Pine Tree and Pitchkettle. Except 

 in the extreme lower end, bow nets only are used, the number employed 

 in 180G being 65 and the catch amounting to 5,825 shad, of which 3,545 

 were roes. The yield on the Black River has very much decreased in 

 recent years, as is also the case with most of the rivers tributary to 

 Winyah Bay. Twenty years ago 25 zo 30 shad were nightly taken by 

 each bow net, whereas in 1896 the average catch was but 2 to 4 per 

 night. The catch in 1896 was much less than in 1895. 



The shad season on the Black River begins about February 10, one 

 month later than in Winyah Bay. Several drift nets are used near the 

 mouth of the Black River, but these have been included with the fish- 

 eries of Winyah Bay. 



iSampit River. — The Sampit is a small stream rising in Sampit Swamp 

 and entering Winyah Bay just below Georgetown. In the lower part 

 a few drift nets are used by Georgetown fishermen, but these have been 

 listed with the Winyah Bay fisheries. The planters and woodsmen for 

 a distance of 20 miles up the river use bow nets, taking sufficient shad 

 for local use, the catch in 1896 numbering 720, of which 60 per cent were 

 bucks. Mr. D. B. Bourne, of Sampit, reports that shad are as abundant 

 in this stream at present as they ever were. 



The fisheries of Winyah Bay and tributaries have been described 

 with much detail, as they represent the modified conditions that are 

 more or less in evidence in most of the Atlantic coast streams, the cor- 



