410 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



SOU for ripe shad upon tbe Delaware Kiver had uot as yet arrived ; Mr. 

 Scarborongli stating (which statement was afterwards shown to be cor- 

 rect) that but few ripe shad would be taken until after the close of the 

 fishing- season, (June 10.) 



On the evening of May 28, accompanied by Mr. Holton, I started for 

 Fredericksburgh, Pa., where we arrived at 3 a. m. We found the fish- 

 ing season over, but obtained valuable and interesting information from 

 Messrs. W. H. Smith and C. Rowle3\ No net-fishing is carried on -at 

 Fredericksburgh, and but few coarse fishes are taken at that point with 

 the hook and line; in the lower portion of the river, however, large num- 

 bers of shad, sturgeon, rock-fishes, and herring are taken with seine, gill? 

 and stake nets. The stake-nets are regarded as detrimental to the fish- 

 ing interests, as many shad and herring escape from them severely in- 

 jured and many taken are eaten by the eels, it frequently happening 

 that hundreds of heads with back-bone attached are found in the nets 

 of a morning. Mr. W. H. Smith has fished the river for the past eight 

 years, his fishing-ground being some thirty-five miles below Fredericks- 

 burgh, within tide-water; he has taken during the pastseason about3,000 

 shad and 6,000 herring, (alewives.) He estimates the number of shad 

 sold in Fredericksburgh during the season at 10,500 ; this, however, is 

 but a small portion of the catch. He commenced fishing about the 15th 

 of March and finished May^ 20 ; during the last week of fishing noticed 

 a number of ripe shad and frequently heard them "washing." 



Mr. E. Rowley has fished for twenty years, except during the war* 

 His fishery is located at Fallervale, twenty miles below Fredericksburgh. 

 He corroborates the statements of Mr. Smith. Has noticed no ripe shad 

 during the past season. Commenced fishing about March 20, aud " hung 

 up his net" May"2G. There are no laws, as far as he is aware, regulating 

 the fisheries of the Rappahannock. His fishery is a night-fishery, using 

 a net 318 yards in length. Has heard shad " washing" in tide-water. 

 Thinks the spawning season in this river is from April 15 to May 15. 



We returned to Washington the same evening, arriving at 7.30 p. m. 



Ou Monday, June 2, I visited the United States establishment for 

 shad-hatching, situated at the lower end of Long bridge, operated by 

 Messrs. Mason and Welsher. I found that during the past week very 

 few ripe shad were met with, but that upon the afternoon of June 1 

 about 250,000 spawn had beeu taken. These, on examination of the 

 boxes, showed to be in very fine condition, the percentage of unimpreg- 

 nated spawn being very slight. A large number of spawn had been 

 prematurely let loose by the breaking away, in consequence of a sudden 

 storm, of a boom placed above the boxes for the purpose of breaking 

 the force of the waves, which are sometimes so high as to upset the 

 boxes. The fishing, June 1, commenced at 1.30 p. ra., and continued 

 until midnight. No ripe shad were taken after 9 p. m. 



On the morning of Tuesday, June 3, I left Washington for Trenton, 

 N. J., in company with Messrs. Holton and Green, having beeu ordered 



