1S8 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



these 7,800 busliels were marketed for $19,500. Tii 1890 the output was 

 larger than for some years, amounting to 11,153 bushels, valued at 

 $2U,100. 



The principal fishing in the vicinity of Cape Charles City is with 

 pound nets. Owing to the ample facilities for shipment by both rail 

 and water, to the favorable character of the shore, to the proximity of 

 the ocean, and to the general abundance of fish, this is perliaps the 

 finest region for pound-net fishing in the Chesapeake Bay as regards 

 marine species, the run of Si)anish mackerel, bluefish, and sfpieteague 

 being particularly large; but on account of the absence of fresh- water 

 streams of any volume the catch of shad, alewives, and other anadrom- 

 ous fishes is very small as compared with localities on the opposite 

 side of the bay. In 1889 17 pound nets were operated along this shore 

 between Hunger Creek and the mouth of the bay, and in 1890 IG nets 

 were set. The fishery in 1889 yielded 934,835 pounds of fish, for which 

 the fislu'rmen received $10,155, and in 1890 1,109,033 pounds, with a 

 first value of $15,988. Some interesting notes (based on the results 

 of the fishery) were obtained on the abundance and movements of cer- 

 tain species in those years. Among other commercial fishes occurring 

 on this shore, and taken in the pound nets, the following may be brieflj'^ 

 referred toj the common names in use in the region are given in quota- 

 tion : 



Scomberomorus maculatus. " Spanish maclcerel" ; " Bay mackerel." 



This is the most important fish taken, and the average catch per net 

 is probably larger than at any other locality on the Atlantic coast.* The 

 fish reach this shore late in May or early in June, and are usually in a 

 spawning condition when they arrive. The first run consists of larger 

 fish than those which come in July and are most abundant through the 

 summer. In fall there appears to be another run of large fish. The 

 average weight of the fish caught is 1^ pounds, but examples weighing 

 as much as 6 pounds are not rare, and, on the other hand, large quan- 

 tities of very small fish are often secured. The run in 1889 and 1890 

 was considered quite large, although less than 10 years ago. The most 

 noticeable feature of the fishery in 1890 was the occurrence in the fall of 

 enormous quantities of very small fish ; they weighed a quarter of a 

 pound or less and 200 were required to fill a bushel measure. Old fish- 

 ermen repented thatnevei' in their experience had there been so many 

 " tinkers " as in August and September, 1890. Two pound nets of Mr. 

 C. F. Wilkins, near Hunger Creek, are said to take more Spanish mack- 

 erel than any others in the bay; they have been set from the same shore 

 for many years, and areof si»ecial iiiter<ist because the first experiments 

 in tlie artificial hatching of Si)anish mackerel were made with eggs 

 obtained from fish caught in these nets. 



The following table, showing the daily catch of these pounds in 1889 

 and 1890 will be of interest as indicating the times of arrival and depart- 



